“You moved the other two from the ledges?”
“As you said, they would have died staying there, and I didn’t want that to happen while you were still deciding what to do with them.”
I rumbled deep in my chest and watched him in my peripheral vision. “What were your interactions with the younger female like?”
His gaze came to rest on me and then flicked back to the darkness. “I believed I could get further with her if there was information to be had, but she is timid and gentle at heart and it took coaxing to get her to open up. When she did she talked nonstop but of course I couldn’t understand her. She even tried to draw pictures to help me understand. She drew the three humans at what looked like an educational institution, them talking to what looked like humans in uniforms—likely someone from the Consortium because they like their matching outfits so much, and them on the spaceship. It seems like there were ten scholars and then the officers and two ship captains that came here.”
Finishing my drink, I turned to face him. “I trust your judgement, Zyvar. But they could be part of a scheme to get close to us to hurt us. Remember not to let your guard down with them, no matter how innocent they seem.” I paused. “Or how pretty they are.”
His eyes flashed, but he inclined his head and tapped his wings once in acquiescence. “I will always put you and our vorpyrren first.”
I tapped a wing to the floor in agreement and left for my suite. I would rest and deal with the female tomorrow.
Chapter 9
I jerked awake and scrambled to my feet when someone came in. The open door let in a refreshing breeze and I inhaled deeply. My heart stuttered when I noticed there were two this time. That couldn’t be a good thing.
I had been in the dim room for days. One of the vorpyr that had been with the original group to capture us came twice a day to bring me food and water and check the energy chain he’d hooked to my leg soon after my interrogators had left. He refused to speak with me except the one time I’d clutched his arm and begged him to tell me if Jaron and Tatiana were ok. He’d shaken me off with a warning growl and had said they were alive and getting the same rations I was. That was something, at least.
The vorpyr who’d been bringing me food and water waved a small device on his wrist over my chain and it dropped from my ankle. “Come.”
“Where are we going?” I glanced at the newcomer. Oh. I hadn’t seen a female vorpyr yet. She was smaller than the males of the species but beautiful, with petite horns and delicate features, though not as small-boned as human females. She was nervous though, her gaze darting between us. I offered a smile. Maybe she would be willing to tell me what was going on.
“My name is Junyv.” she said in the intergalactic tongue. Her accent was so heavy it took me a moment to process what she was saying. “I am to get you ready for today.”
“Get me ready for what?” I glanced from her back to the cranky male. Were they going to prepare me for some ritual execution? I hadn’t been eating a great deal, but what little I had was about to come back up at the thought.
“The Vorazyrwants to speak with you.” Her gaze flicked over me and then away again. “I am to get you a bath and a change of clothes.”
“Let’s go.” the male said impatiently.
As I followed Junyv, I wondered idly if they had superior smell. Maybe my sweat was highly offensive to them. Or maybe he knew bathing was a basic need for humans. Was it for vorpyr? Wasn’t it normal to leave prisoners dirty and without their needs met? I couldn’t help but think of the information the Consortium had distributed about them. Being captured by vorpyr was the worst kind of horror, according to them. My thoughts whirred as I followed behind Junyv, acutely aware of the big vorpyr behind me.
We traveled a great distance, back through the city via the interconnected walkways and stairs. We finally came to an area that wasn’t built on, further along the cliff and about two-thirds up, though still dozens of feet beneath the cliff top. In front ofus was a long walkway leading to a huge, multi-level building with other buildings attached. Was this where the Vorazyr lived? Surely not, he wouldn’t allow me near his home.
I followed Junyv over the final walkway, bypassing the large building, to a small side building. Some type of guest house? The doors and windows were all open like the others, sheer blue and orange curtains decorating the openings. I allowed myself a moment to just enjoy the fresh air before I followed Junyv inside, afraid she’d close this building up like the other one. The male vorpyr stayed outside, shifting so his back was to the cliff and sliding the door closed after us. A sigh of relief found my lips. He was going to stand guard out there.
I got my answer to whether bathing was important to vorpyr when Junyv led me from a comfortable looking main room through a bedroom to what I would equate to the master bathroom. It was massive. Not just large enough to accommodate their wingspan, but big enough for them to splash around for enjoyment. If a small home like this had a small swimming pool with varying water jets and spouts, what did the larger ones have?
“Where does your water come from?” I asked as she set out a comb and various glass-like bottles of what I could only assume were things like bodywash and shampoo. It was idiotic, really. I was about to be allowed to take a bath for who knew what reason in the middle of this horrible situation. I should ask her what his plans for me were, why he was allowing me to get cleaned up, where my brother and friend were. Somehow, I knew she wouldn’t answer those questions. She couldn’t even meet my gaze, instead flicking it to my shoulder now and again before continuing what she was doing.
“I don’t think I can tell you that.” her voice was soft, and she had a meek air about her, but she was firm.
I withheld a sigh. “Could you at least tell me why he’s having me get cleaned up?”
“It is a necessity for humans to be clean, is it not?” She laid out a fluffy towel and clothes and then waved toward the pool. “Please disrobe and get in.”
Undressing in front of her couldn’t be any worse than communal baths I’d joined in other cultures I’d visited on my own planet. And besides, I was relieved to get out of the garment. Sweat and dirt loved each other, and I didn’t enjoy being caked in either. The closed-up building had gotten hot during midday, and stress had me pacing enough to add to the sweat.
The water was pure bliss. Given how hot it was outside the cool of the water was heavenly. She provided me with body wash and a—was that a rock?—to scrub myself with. I ran my hands over the object. It was like a pumice stone, but softer and porous.
“We don’t have anything like this to scrub with at home.” I commented, desperate to connect. Not even to possibly gain an ally, but because I hadn’t been able to truly speak to anyone in days. “Do you work for the Vorazyr?”
Her left fang bit into her bottom lip and she seemed to consider my words, though she still wouldn’t look at me. “Yes.” she finally said.
“Do you enjoy it?” I smiled when she finally looked at me. “I work at a university and find being inside all the time can be stuffy.”
She blinked and I froze. Did they have a third eyelid? The kind reptiles had? Their eyes were reptilian, except for the brilliance of the color filling everything except the dark, horizontal pupil, so it would make sense.
