“Wait. What?”
“Never mind.”
“Where are you going?” The Warrior Princess demanded.
“Away from you two.”
The inferno returned, but this time it brushed through her hair.
“You need to wake up so we can both kick my brother’s tail.”
Jaiya slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the remnants of sleep in the creases of her eyes as she tried to adjust to the environment.
A sapphire-scaled Daextru stared down at her. If she hadn’t looked exactly how Jaiya envisioned a warrior princess might, she could have easily mistaken her for Idris. They had the same color scales and long, dark, blue-almost-black hair. The only differences were her golden eyes, shorter horns, and the placement of her golden scales.
The Daextru walked around bare-chested or with a vest, as their pilots wore shoulder capes of a variety of colors. This female wore something apart from the others she had seen—her shoulder capes connected in the front, barely covering her exposed chest.
Unlike the male Daextru, the female’s neck protective scales trialed down the middle of their chests and wrapped around their small breasts, as if they were cradling them. From there, they curved along their sides, meeting the scales that peeked above their waistbands.
“Welcome back,” Idris’ sister said, smiling. “My name is Ushyaz. It is nice to finally meet you.”
“I would say that I am glad to be back, but I feel like I died.”
“You basically did,” Ushyaz whispered. “Idris gave you his scales in order to save your life.”
“Wait. What?”
“The Daextru have a few tricks to heal others in times of need,” Ushyaz explained. “Our saliva can heal minor wounds, while also temporarily marking the injured person by scent. Starmates use it on each other even when they aren’t injured, as a signal of possession.”
“But what about giving me his scales?” Jaiya asked, confused.
“The larger scales that cover the most fragile parts of our bodies are also a form of special sealing bandage. If someone close to the Daextru is injured, and they trust the surrounding environment, they can peel their protective scales off to seal the wound. This is only used in dire need, for it leaves the donor vulnerable.”
“But why would he save me?” Jaiya shook her head in defeat, tears threatening to fall. “I wasn’t able to get your people the sand you need.”
“It could be worse.” Ushyaz shrugged. “I am just happy to be alive and free for another day.”
Jaiya searched her unfamiliar surroundings.
The metallic room was filled with advanced medical systems and displays unknown to her. Only her medical bed, a table, and a set of chairs sat within the room. “Where is Idris?”
Ushyaz failed to hide the pained expression crossed her face before she looked away. “He felt that it would be better if he didn’t see you.”
Jaiya leaned her head back onto the pillow and closed her eyes as a sense of defeat filled her. “Why did he heal me if he wants nothing to do with me?”
“Because he believed you deserve to live after everything you have done.” Ushyaz’s warm hand gripped hers. “You saved my brother’s life, and for that, I can never repay you, but he feels betrayed and conflicted in what he should do with you.”
Jaiya opened her eyes and met Ushyaz’s golden slitted ones. “I only disguised myself as my twin brother in hopes for the peace talks to go well.” She licked her lips nervously, not wanting to anger the Warrior Princess. “He was set up by his superiors. By Kaela’s obsession with Idris’s hair, it seems like her main objective was to claim his head as a trophy.’
Her eyes sharpened as a snarl ripped through her. “They are foolish if they thought that they could assassinate Idris and escape this starbase soon after. Even if they defeated Erlyn, the number of soldiers aboard would have stopped them.” She gave Jaiya’s hand a squeeze before letting go. “I don’t care what gender you are. Your actions prove that I can trust you.”
“Will I be able to explain myself to him?”
“I don’t know what happened between you two, but I respect his wishes.” The Warrior Princess stood up from her chair and sighed. “Once Qatszo says you have fully recovered, you will have to leave. I refuse to make you a prisoner of war, but you can’t remain here.”
“But I committed treason by coming here disguised as my brother, and for taking part in killing the assassins sent here. They will strip me of my titles, send me to trial and convict me for murder.”
She shook her head. “You can’t remain here.”
