Falkin raised an eyebrow. “Is this true?”
“It is,” Karuk said. “We have recently been mated.”
“Did you say the promise?”
“We did,” Jenny answered. She did not know what that promise was, but as far as they were concerned, they said it. Ifit kept him here, she would say whatever it took. They weren’t taking Karuk from her, or killing him, if she could help it.
The other Dalgurians looked at Falkin.
“You need to return. The king wishes to speak to you.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You have no choice. The king made an order.”
“I’ve already been known for not following them. I don’t have to follow this one now,” Karuk said.
Falkin stepped closer to him. “That is what you don’t understand. Those orders, the ones you didn’t follow? They were not from the king. They were from an imposter. Your rebellion was enough to reveal that there was a deeper issue in our house, and now that the situation has been dealt with, it is time to return you to your post.”
Jenny gasped. “So, it wasn’t true, he wasn’t supposed to assassinate the heir?” It was a mistake? He would not die?
She wanted to scream and dance and jump up and down.
“Good god, who is this alien you are mixed up with,” Phil asked, rising off the floor again. “Jenny, you need to come with me, you’re obviously being manipulated by these aliens.”
“Do not call us alien,” one of the Dalgurians said.
“Why not, that’s what you are. Alien,” Phil said.
The Dalgurian stabbed Phil with his weapon and he crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach.
“Oh my god, did you kill him?” Jenny gasped. She stared. “Wait. There’s no blood.”
“Stunned,” Karuk said. “He’ll wake up hurting, but he will eventually be fine.”
Jenny shook her head. “Part of me should be mad, but I’m really not.”
“It is barely what he deserves,” Karuk said.
Jenny didn’t disagree. “He deserves some bad karma for what he did to me.”
“What did he do to you?” Falkin asked.
“He tried to ruin my life here,” Jenny said. “Harass me. Threaten me. Make me feel crazy and paranoid.”
“I will kill him, for dishonoring you so,” Falkin said.
“Wait, full stop,” Jenny said. “We’re not killing anyone. While I appreciate the offer, I think he just needs to go to jail.”
“This is your world, pick the judgment for his behavior,” he replied. “Karuk, do you approve of this?”
Karuk nodded. “Let the locals take care of this one.”
Jenny stopped and listened. She could hear sirens in the distance. “Uh, guys? I think I hear our local law enforcement. They’re probably coming right now, honestly. So what now?”
Karuk looked at Falkin, then back at Jenny. “I should go home to my king and learn my fate.”
“That better include me,” Jenny said. Because he wasn’t just leaving her here on her own. Especially not with all of this crap with Phil. She wasn’t about to stay here alone.
