I hesitated, momentarily forgetting which lie I had told when we landed.
Fuck.
“A pair of Kaalas.” Micah stepped in to save me, like a true partner. “Although that wasn’t exactly the truth.“
So much for that.
I actually wasn’t mad about my mate’s confession. Leeloo was openly suspicious, so offering a half-truth like an olive branch could help smooth things over.
A half-truth for a full one.
“Who do youthinksent us?” I asked, matching their depthless stare. “Who would send us to Ekistron knowing we hadthismysterious creature with us?”
Grabbing Pedro, I held up the squawking Trol for Leeloo to see.
“The creatureyousupposedly have never seen before…” I added,daringthe Eki to look me in the eye and continue pretending they didn’t know what we had in our possession.
Inmypossession.
Leeloo sighed. “That is a Trol. They are extremely rare, and the only source of karnilian—a gemstone said to promise victory to anyone who possesses it. But you know all this already, don’t you, Zig-ee?”
“Wedoknow…” Micah cautiously cut in, no doubt attempting to diffuse the situation.
Too late.
“I was talking to Zig-ee,” Leeloo replied without taking their eyes off me.
“Does the nameUulvinmean anything to you?” I deflected—now willing to trade a truth to hide a deeper lie.
I could feel Micah‘s anxiety spiking, but I was too invested in dominating this exchange to stop.
A Stellarian never backs down.
Unfortunately, neither did an Eki. “Uulvin is a Hydrassian—a great and powerful seer. Well…” They chuckled darkly. “Theyweregreat and powerful once, until we took half of that power away.”
“So we’ve heard,” I shot back. “Now you know who sent us here. Andwhy.”
“I do.” Leeloo retracted their tendrils and rose from their chair before smoothing theiralmosthumanhands down the front of their robes. “And it appears our training is done.”
“Wait!” Micah cried out, but the Eki had already dissolved the shields surrounding him with a wave of their hand. “I was… I was so close… “
“You were…” the Eki murmured before focusing on me again. “Youbothwere, but I cannot help you. I refuse to aid anyone blinded by lies the way you are. I suggest you leave before I am forced to deal with you the same way the Hydrassians needed to be dealt with.”
“Gladly,” I growled. “Andyouare no longer welcome on my ship. I suggest you open the shields trapping us here before I blast my way out of this city and take a few of your buildings with me.”
“Zig!” Micah scolded before standing so suddenly, his chair almost fell over. “Leeloo,please…We just want to get Pedro home. Uulvin told us their missing sibling knew where the Trols’ planet was—that the only way to find it was?—”
“To free Uuktar from theLacertus,hmm?” The Eki turned to face Micah, as if I wasn’t a threat at all.
Oh, but I am.
I’m your worst nightmare.
When Micah nodded, Leeloo sighed yet again. “I wouldadvise you both to abandon this mission, but it does not seem as if your stellar collision istrulyready to listen.”
“Not to someone who’s feeding us lies of their own,” I growled, rising to stand, relishing how I towered over them in this form.
The Eki sniffed, as undaunted by my bold accusations as any Stellarian would be.
