Standing around with a few humans is a pretty obvious indication of interference. The whole don’t touch the new arrivals for a hundred days is ridiculous. Wouldn’t it be better to help new arrivals and tell them they can never leave and that their biology is going to become messed up?
Eskar draws his knife, the black blade glints in the starlight.
Wraight tosses a gun toward me. It lands at my feet. I know how to use a gun…but I’ve only shot at targets, not people. I always assumed there’d be security personnel around to take care of the shooting part while I helped the injured. If we want to live, I need to be prepared to kill.
I grab the gun. The grip is sticky with blood. Wraight has another in his hand, though given the pain meds I’ve just given him I don’t know how effective he will be in a battle.
It’s like this planet, and most of what lives here, doesn’t want us to survive.
How many of Eskar’s crew lived through the crash only to die during the first hundred days?
Eskar speaks in another language that’s almost musical, even though it’s clear he’s offering a challenge to whoever is out there. I only speak International Basic like most humans. I glance at Harding. He gives a single shake of his head.
I hear the laughter before three Paohl men step out of the forest. Like Eskar, they are wearing their black uniforms. The man in the middle has an angular face and from the way he stands and tilts his jaw he’s used to being obeyed. All their tails are tipped with the sharp barb.
I’m glad Ava isn’t here because from what Eskar said, these guys will be just as desperate to claim a mate or die trying. I want to slide closer to Eskar, but I don’t want to draw attention to his missing barb.
The leader of the group and Eskar have a terse conversation. From the way they square off, I doubt they have ever been friends.
Eskar shakes his head and doesn’t sheath his knife. “Why don’t you ask them how they found our ship?” he says in Basic.
Attention swivels to Harding and me. I don’t think they realize Wraight is at my feet, concealed by leaves with his gun pointed in their direction.
“Where is your ship?” the leader asks.
“Downstream.” Harding says. He’ll give one-word answers for as long as possible. That’s what he’s trained to do in such a situation. This isn’t friendly help from a fellow survivor, or curiosity from a stranded alien. These are men who don’t like that Eskar is standing with us. If we lie and say we found him, then he didn’t break the hundred-day rule. I can say he stung me here.
Say I wanted it.
I don’t want him to be in trouble. And I don’t want to be offered to the next Paohl in line for a mate.Shit.Is this what my life has come to?
I want to survive and go home, and if that’s not possible I want more than picking a mate just because things could be worse. While Eskar is nice, he’s the first alien I’ve met, and he stung me without asking first.
His life is in my hands.
So is his death.
And I don’t know which one he wants more.
The leader’s gaze lingers on me. “Then why are you here?”
“Our ship sunk, we decided to walk upstream to look for shelter.” That was more than one word. The more words, the bigger the lies, the more danger there is of tripping over them at some point. I know that. But so far, I haven’t told a lie, I’ve just left bits out.
Harding bites back a groan at my overly long answer. I want to glance down and check on Wraight, but I don’t.
“Convenient. That you just happened to be here,” the leader sneers at Eskar.
“Yes, I timed their crash for my month of duty. What is odd is that you are here.”
“We were told you had guests.”
“Hmm.” Eskar gives a single nod.
“And instead of staying hidden and letting them explore the wreck before moving on, you broke protocol.” He steps closer to me. “Though I don’t blame you.”
I step back, closer to Eskar. If I reach out my hand, I’ll be able to touch him.
“Just survivors sharing a meal,” Eskar says.
