“You asked me to come, even though we already saw each other this morning,” he snaps. “I called Esteban too—told him to back me up.”
Esteban stares at Prax, stunned. Even with Kiran’s quick summary, the sight of a giant feline alien in my tiny home would leave anyone speechless.
“Start explaining,” my brother demands. “Do we need to tie him up? Did he hurt you? Esteban, get the restraints!”
“Easy, Human. I haven’t laid a finger on your sister,” Prax says calmly, his gravelly voice instantly freezing both men in place.
Their jaws drop. Speechless. That’s going in the record books—Kiran, without a comeback.
“You talk?!”he finally manages.
“Kiran, Esteban, this is Prax, a member of the Intergalactic Confederation. He understands us thanks to a neural implant that let him learn French quickly. He’s not our enemy,” I say, hoping to diffuse the tension.
“And how do you know that?” Kiran challenges. “Look at him! He’s a predator. You can see it a mile away!”
“Grrrraorar!” Prax suddenly roars, making everyone jump.
Esteban turns pale and takes a step toward the door. Prax bursts out laughing.
“Thanks for noticing I’m not a cat, but a Sadjim—a proud and mighty race,” he grins. “As Neela said, I’m with the Confederation, and it was a member of the Coalition who shot me down. That’s why I crashed here. Am I a predator? Absolutely. Is that dangerous? Obviously. Am I about to snack on three trembling Humans? Tempting... but no.”
“You don’t scare me!” Kiran snaps. “Touch my sister and—”
“That’s not on my agenda, Human. Why don’t we sit down and talk like civilized beings?”
“Fine. Lead the way, kitty.”
I’m not sure if his implant caught the nuance of that nickname, but Prax sits on the couch without reacting.
We follow suit, still on edge.
“Can you describe the non-Human you saw with your leader?” Prax asks, turning to Kiran.
“Neela, you told him that?” Kiran accuses, eyes narrowed. “We don’t even know whose side he’s on!”
“Little boy,” Prax interrupts, “stop talking to your sister as if I’m not here. I asked you a question. Neela said you saw something... unusual. I’d like to know more.”
I nod encouragement, even as confusion clouds Kiran’s face. We usually keep this kind of discussion within our trusted circle. Sharing it with an outsider—from another world, no less—feels wrong.
“I just glimpsed the guy with Vassili and Gorka. They were a few yards away, heading to a meeting room. I turned around and hid in a nearby closet. I jammed the door shut with a maintenance cable, left a tiny gap to listen.”
Prax looks amused. Sure, hiding in a closet to eavesdrop might seem silly. But when it comes to uncovering the Palace’s dirty secrets, what choice do we have?
“So you didn’t get a clear look at him?”
“He looked humanoid, but his skin had dark, reddish scales. No hair or fur. Wore a dark suit. I didn’t see his eyes or mouth, but his voice was kinda... hissy.”
“That’s a Penubian. Probably Bully. He’s the one who shot down my ship. When did this meeting happen?”
“Twenty-sixth Aitnee. A Friday.”
Prax groans, rubbing his forehead.
“We have a problem. My implant helps me with words, but not your calendar system. I have no idea what ‘twenty-six Aitnee’ means. You’ll have to be more precise.”
“Aitnee is the last month of the year. My sister found you on the thirty-third. Today’s the forty-first.”
“Got it. So Bully visited your leader just days before attacking me. That means he’s no longer on Mars. If he needed a week to acclimate, he was leaving when he crossed paths with me. Did you catch what they were talking about?”
