Near that little island where I pulled Prax out, I found the waterproof bag. It was almost invisible, nearly buried in snow. I brought it home, and—naturally—curiosity got the better of me.
Inside, I found what looked like a medical emergency kit. Fascinating, yes, but completely useless to me, since I had no clue how any of it was supposed to work. There was also a long, insulated, waterproof bag, a tablet I couldn’t power on, some vacuum-sealed protein bars, and… a weapon.
On Mars, weapons are forbidden. That’s clearly stated in the Pact. Owning one implies being willing to use it, and thereforewilling to harm another life.
We just don’t have them. The rare fights that break out are settled with bare hands. But no one ever needs to take a life.
Prax’s weapon terrifies me. So much so that I didn’t even tell Kiran about it. My brother would completely lose it if he knew. He’s already wound up tight over me housing the cat-man. No need to hand him more reasons to freak out.
But he’s right about the practical issues this “cohabitation” is going to cause.
First: I no longer sleep in my bed, but on the couch, and it’s not exactly restful.
Second: if I share my little crop yields with him, we’ll run out of food fast. And as Kiran pointed out, getting extra rations is not an option.
Third: we know nothing about him—his species, his goals, his stance on our community. He doesn’t seem threatening, but I’m not naïve. This man is dangerous.
And finally… Kiran isn’t wrong about how unsettling this guy’s presence is. Even while he was unconscious, his sculpted body did things to my brain I wasn’t ready for.
Sure, no one in our community is overweight—rationed food takes care of that. And we’re all healthy, thanks to the constant nudging to exercise.
But Prax? He’s on a different level.
And this morning… when he woke up… I lost it a little.
I was working quietly in my hydroponic garden, harvesting some radishes and sowing new ones, when I caught movement through the wall. By the time I dropped the veggies in the kitchen and circled around to my room, he was already in the bathroom.
Without thinking, I barged in to explain how the toilet and shower work. Thank the moons he wasn’t using the toilet, or I would’ve died of embarrassment on the spot!
But honestly? Seeing him in the shower was barely less mortifying.
He stood there—naked, solid, regal—in my tiny stall, and locked those blazing golden eyes on mine. And when I say golden, I mean the actual color, not the expression. His expression was murderously black. I was bothering him.
I grabbed the nearest towel and started rambling nonsense like it was totally normal to be in the bathroom with a naked alien.
Like he could even understand a word I was saying.
“You listening?” Kiran snaps, frowning.
“Of course I’m listening. I’m not deaf.”
“Oh yeah? Then what was I saying?”
Crap. Busted. He totally got me. But I can bluff this.
“You were listing all your worries—again—without offering a single solution.”
“Neela…”
“Look, everything’s fine. It’s Friday. Tomorrow’s the weekend. Next week, sweet Meghan and I will be working, and you’ll be watching Sanjay. Just do what you always do with him, and don’t stress out. Prax will stay here, and I’m pretty sure he won’t cause any trouble. And no, you arenotdropping by to check on him while you’ve got the kid. So, that’s settled.”
But my brother is still tense, staring out through the fully transparent front wall, into the calm of the snow-covered forest.
“Something else on your mind?” I ask softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
I know Kiran inside and out. If he’s hiding something, I’ll know. It’s not Sanjay—he’s healthy, and I’m his doctor. It’s notMeghan either. So, it must be about Kiran himself… or the Palace.
“You okay?” I can’t help asking.
