A bubble that Khalzin did not seem affected by.
He had decided to get in the sonic shower and have a cleanse before changing out of his formal attire, so she was left alone with the guards.
Not her favorite thing. Back home, when guards watched her, it was because they suspected her of criminal activity. While that wasn't the case--she hoped--they were still unnerving. While Khalzin didn't seem bothered by their presence, she was having difficulty not feeling like they stared at her.
They probably were staring. What else were they going to do? She looked over at two by the door. One was staring off into space, and the other met her gaze. It felt like he dared her to look away.
This was going to take some getting used to, that was for sure.
She instead went to the large hologram display and attempted to bring up more footage from the first blast, the one she'd nearly died in. She wanted to see what else had happened, but the information was not coming up for her. She probably needed to be allowed access or something.
And while they watched, they didn't seem particularly interested in helping her find what she wanted to see. After a few more attempts, she gave up trying to bring the images back up, so she started walking around the space. Taking in the details as she rubbed her arms.
It felt with every step that the walls were closing in on her, and she began to wonder how long they would have to stay here.
The tiny space was starting to get to her.
Janae crossed to the guard who seemed to have all the answers. "Where are the others? When can I go see my shipmates?"
He crossed his arms, his horns looking much thicker than Khalzin's. "When it is safe."
"I want to know what happened to them. I need to see if they're safe.'
"They are."
She sighed. "Butwhois? Who is safe? And who is lost?"
That's what it was--who was lost. Khalzin's friend Fiviel was lost, and from the way everyone acted, it was assumed he was dead. Others had not been accounted for as well. She needed to know who.
Was Adryel okay? What about Graecey? She was with the larger group of females. She was always so nice.
There were so many of them. Friendly or not, Janae felt a pang of guilt that she was safe in this protected residence with Khalzin, and they were, well, she didn't know where they were and what had happened to them. Or even the other males who were there to pick their mates. Where had they gone?
"The manifests are being checked now."
She put her hands on her hips. "No, I need to see who survived. I have friends on that vessel. I need to know what happened to them. And I demand that you take me there now."
The guard blinked. Looked for a second like he was going to object.
That she was prepared for.
"As you command."
Janae stared at him. She didn't think that would work and that he would agree to her request.
The guard turned and started barking out orders to the group as they prepared to escort them down to a stadium.
Then she felt Khalzin. His presence was warm, and it almost radiated from him, an energy she could feel. He stepped to her side.
That explained it.
She watched the guards but spoke to Khalzin. "You did that?"
"You gave the order."
She did glance at him.
That smirky sparkle was in his eyes again.
