“The ‘Royal Xavianns’?” I shrug. “Whoever they are.”
Tessa’s lips purse and she tilts her head while looking up at the huge, smooth, white egg-like building in front of us. “But… are they the good guys?”
Mirroring her stance, my mind can’t help but think back to when I woke up in that horrible pod. I know I was drowsy and confused, but I knewright awaythat Aloryk was there to help me. “I don’t think I’m very good at discerning who’s a good guy, and who’s not.” I don’t have to look at Tessa to feel her eyes on me now, and I’d rather not think about what I left behind. I thought this whole ‘discussing conspiracy theories about the space ship’ was going to distract me from all that. “Besides, these guys give the Trixikka their babies… somehow.”
When I turn my head, I see Tessa’s eyes roaming my face. I don’t want her pity about Aloryk. I’m not sure if Sophia or Skye told the others about why I volunteered to come to this tribe, but it sure feels like Tessa knowssomethingright about now. Luckily for me, her curious gaze morphs into a grin before I have to purposely start talking about something else. “Hey, you wanna try and catch it out with me?” she says, leaping up to go and press her palm to the black panel on the surface of the temple.
I don’t get any chance to refuse, not that I would. I think I would agree to just about anything right now if it means I don’t have to think abouthim.
The little recess in the side of the temple opens up like it had during the ceremony. A flat chime sound meets my ears just as the spinning orb of light floats its way out, hovering in front of Tessa. “Hi,” she says, waving, like the glowing ball can see her.
The sphere hovers gently up and down for a moment before starting to shine a little brighter as it makes a noise - a noise like a man clearing his throat. Tessa throws a look at me over her shoulder - a look that says‘girl, did you hear that?!’But, when the flying orb starts to talk again, it’s with a serene, feminine voice - one fit for whatever you might imagine a Goddess would sound like.
“Greetings, human female,” the ball says, the light from within pulsing with each word and smaller sparks whizzingaround the ball, like it was a tiny planet with excitable moons and stars in its orbit.
“Can you come over here to talk to me and my friend?” Tessa asks, but she doesn’t hang around for an answer before she turns and heads back to me, seating herself on the purple hide she’d laid out for us. It makes me wonder if this is what she does all the time; talking to this thing to try and catch it out. It’s not a bad way to spend time, I suppose, and Tessa strikes me as a real ‘dog with a bone’ type of woman.
The ‘Goddess’ orb bobs in mid-air for a moment, as if the thing is hesitating.
“Well, come on, now. We won’t bite,” Tessa says, patting her knee.
The ball makes a choked sort of noise, that again,definitelydidn’t sound female. Tessa and I exchange a look. Briefly, I glance over to our Trixikka guards, only to see that they’re too preoccupied by practicing their spear-throwing skills to pay us any mind.
Still, the orb hesitates, floating up and down in one spot. “Come on!” Tessa coos at the thing like it’s a little dog or something, slapping her thighs with both hands as she talks in a babyish voice. “Come on, little Goddess! Here, girl!”
I press my lips together to keep myself from snorting, but the thing really does seem to act like an unsure animal. I think I see it sway a little toward going back inside the temple, only to eventually answer Tessa’s calls and bob its way over to us.
“So…” Tessa starts, dipping her head toward our guest. “How areyoutoday?”
The sphere slowly weaves up and down in mid-air.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
Silence.
Tessa opens her mouth as if to say something further to try and coax out a response, but she doesn’t have to.
“What is a ‘cat’? And what would it need with my tongue?” the disembodied female voice asks.
“It’s a figure of speech,” I tell the floating ball. “But… shouldn’t you already know that, since you’re a ‘Goddess’ and all?”
Tessa smirks at me and I think I like this game of mystery she’s set up for herself here.
Although, questioning the thing doesn’t seem to go in my favor as the ball seems to have clammed up and keeps quiet.
After a long while of us just sitting here, watching the thing bob and spin, I get a little curious. My hand raises slowly toward the orb, only to halt in mid-air when I hear Tessa’s sharp inhale beside me. “Does it hurt to touch it or something?” I ask. “Is it hot?”
She shakes her head and whispers, “I don’t know. I’ve not been brave enough.”
Focusing on the orb again, its brightness makes me squint, and, wetting my lips, I decide to just fucking go for it. My hand moves forward once more but then I’m interrupted again by a strange, but somehow familiar sound.
Beep-beep… beep-beep… beep-beep…
Is that a…?
It really sounds like a…
Like a phone ringing.
