8. Talia

Chapter 8

Talia

I slept better than I’d thought I would, and it was solely due to Firion. He’d held me all night, he was warm, and I felt safe enough to fully relax.

Waking sprawled across his chest, I looked up, finding him still asleep. For an alien, he was awfully handsome. Actually, he was attractive no matter what his species might be, from his strong jawline, his slightly crooked nose, his full lips, to the way his eyes held warmth when he looked my way.

He’d be very easy to love.

I’d dated lots of guys. Slept with some of them too. But none had touched my heart.

Had I been waiting for Firion?

A silly thought since I’d only recently met him. And the odds of us surviving this place long enough to explore feelings were less than zero. I’d be foolish to think I’d live long in an underground lizard mining operation. My future would consist of hard labor, crappy food, not enough water, and if they discovered I was female . . . I didn’t want to know what might happen after that.

The only thing standing between me and a quick death with Firion. The moment something happened to him, it would be over for me.

His eyes opened. “Morning.” He had such a raspy voice when he was half asleep. It curled around me like a scent you wanted to inhale every day of your life. It made me want to crawl up his body and kiss him.

My own body heated, as did my face, and I dragged my gaze from his.

“Morning,” I said.

I did want to kiss him. Rub myself against him like a cat in heat. I wasn’t sure what all that meant.

Actually, I knew. I liked him. I found him sexy. I sensed we had chemistry. It wouldn’t take much more than that to push us together. I was living my own altered version of Stockholm Syndrome, except I was falling for the guy who’d saved my life, not my captor.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

I carefully moved my arm, grateful there was no pain. “Good. I don’t think I have a fever any longer. You’re a good doctor, Firion. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“You’re strong. You’d find a way to survive.”

I doubted that. Yes, I had strength. Years of dancing did that for a person. And my will to survive held true. After our parents died, Maggie and I had made a pact we’d watch out for each other, and we had. We’d alternated cooking. Helped each other finish high school. Worked with an advisor at the bank to manage what was left of the life insurance money to make sure there would be enough to take classes part-time and to start our business after we’d saved more. We’d done better than most would despite our circumstances, and we were both proud of that.

Maggie.

Where was she? She could be dead by now. Lost in the desert. Or—

“Do you think my sister could be here as well?” Maybe she’d been captured and brought to this place like me.

“I don’t think so. They put you with me because I’m the only Zuldruxian as far as I can tell.”

“I’m not Zuldruxian.”

“We look more like each other than them. If they’d captured her too, I assume they would’ve put her with us. Some of the cells hold three and even four Veerenads.

My body sagged with relief against his, though not being here didn’t mean she was any safer. She could be . . .

No, I wouldn’t let myself think anything bad. I’d tell myself she was okay, that she was looking for me but that she’d found someone like Firion who protected and watched out for her.

I’d look for her, no matter what. I was going to find her and then things would be better. We’d watch out for each other again and together; we’d be much stronger than we could ever be on our own .

Bangs echoed down the hall, and Firion tensed.

“Food?” I asked.

“Or they’ve come to collect us. We’ll work in the mine today, and I want you to stay near me at all times.”

Shivers crept across my skin. “I will.” I’d be foolish to wander away from his side.

We sat up on the side of the bunk.

“Oh,” I said, frowning at the neat pile of folded clothing on the floor beneath the table. “Where did that come from?”

“I asked the stone gods for it.”

Stone gods? I still wasn’t sure what that might mean. He’d explained they were another species living on the planet. If they were here with us, and they helped him with whatever he needed, why weren’t they breaking us out of this horrible place?

“Tell me more about your gods? I want to understand.”

“All of the women have found them confusing at first. I’ll show you.”

The sound of carts slowly moving down the hall reached us, suggesting they were delivering breakfast. They’d hand us food soon. I didn’t dare say much in case they overheard.

“If you can leave the cell, you need to take me with you next time.” Had he slunk out while I was sleeping? That was the only way he could’ve found clean clothing. It didn’t just magically appear inside the cell.

“I’ll explain further after they’re gone.” He kept his voice equally low .

I nodded.

They slid a tray through the narrow gap beneath the door, and while I was glad to see two cups of water this time, I grimaced at the offered food. Oh, to think I’d complained about having to grab a protein bar in the morning if I didn’t have time to make scrambled eggs or waffles before my first dance class. Or how I’d griped about the line at the coffee place on the corner where I sometimes bought a bagel and a latte before work.

My mouth salivated at the thought of a toasted bagel with olive cream cheese, and my heart sunk at the realization that the odds of me tasting one again were as equally good as my chances of surviving even my first day in a lizard mine.

Firion rose and collected the tray, bringing it over and placing it on my lap. “Drink.”

Yeah, wise to take the water first, though I might need it to wash bites of the food down. I didn’t know what the food was, though I suspected it was more of what they’d fed us last night. Or had the chefs prepared something new?

Chefs. Ha ha.

I’d never eat chef prepared food again, though that was the least of my worries. I had very little clothing. No water to wash with. And forget dental floss or a toothbrush.

It was all I could do not to lay on the bunk and cry.

I made myself smile—grimace, whatever—up at Firion.

He sat beside me and sipped from his cup while I did the same. The lizard servers continued down the hall until everyone had been given trays, then they took the carts back out through the door on the end.

Firion finished his water and rose, moving quickly to the door, where he peered out. With a sharp nod, he returned to sit beside me. He turned and placed his palm against the wall and hummed.

A plate of food oozed from the wall, and he grabbed it before it could topple onto the bed.

I stared from him to the wall, my jaw unhinging. “What—”

He placed his fingertip over my lips, holding back my words. “Shhh.”

I jerked out a nod. He lowered the plate onto the bed, shielding it from the hall with his body, and kept his voice a bare whisper. “Eat quickly.”

We shoveled in the food that tasted amazing. The grains had a nice nutty flavor and a spice unlike anything I’d had before but reminded me of sage. The vegetables had been cooked just right, soft enough to eat but still crispy enough to make them appealing. I didn’t see meat, but who cared?

For the first time since I got here, I could feel energy zipping through my veins.

“Where did it come from?” I asked quietly. I could see why he wouldn’t want the regulars knowing about his in with the wall.

“Stone gods.”

This made no sense, but I’d never been one to question miracles. If something good happened, you accepted it.

He pressed his hand against the wall again. “Thank you.”

He wasn’t talking to me.

I peered around, but we were alone. “Could you tell me more about the stone gods?”

“It’s been a long time, and the stories have been passed down through many generations. Remember I said that ships crashed on this planet.”

“The lizards?”

“They came later,” he said. “This time, beings unlike us or them emerged. They were tall and their long, slender limbs glowed. They merged with the ground and my ancestors watching thought they’d never see them again. But then the beings grew. Some became lush lavender trees, while others took on the form of large crystal structures. Still others fused with the boulders and stones around us. Others with water. They recreated themselves in nature, and they’ve remained here ever since.”

“Another species.”

“Most insist they’re truly gods.” He nudged his head to the empty plate. Lifting it, he pressed it against the wall, and sucked into the stone, it disappeared.

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. “Where did it go?”

“My clan is aligned with the stone gods. This wall is made of stone. I asked it to give us food, and it did. Now it took the plate back. ”

“A stone dishwasher?”

“You could say that.” He gestured to the pile of clothing. “Last night, I asked the stone gods to give us things to wear.” He frowned at my nightie soiled with sweat and who knew what else. I didn’t want to examine it too closely. “You can change. You should probably do it quickly. I assume they’ll come for us soon.” Returning to the wall, he touched it and hummed again.

Boots that looked like they’d fit me fell onto the bed with a subtle thud. No socks, but I wasn’t complaining.

I grabbed the pile of clothing and sorted through it, finding tunics and pants in two sizes. But when I looked around, I cringed. There was no place to hide while I changed.

“Here,” he said, urging me to stand. He shook out the blanket and stepped between me and the hall, shielding me with the fabric. “Quick.”

I didn’t need to be told more than once. When he closed his eyes, I shrugged off the nightie, tossing it onto the floor. My eyes widened when it disappeared into the stone floor just like the plate had into the wall. With a shake of my head, I dressed in the pants and tunic that fit perfectly, then stuffed my feet into the boots that didn’t tie but somehow molded themselves to my feet. They fit so well, I doubted they’d rub or fall off.

“Done,” I said.

He scanned my frame, and the hint of a smile lifted his lips. “You look amazing.”

My grin rose to join with his. Life sucked right now but with Firion around, it felt almost new. I plucked at the hem of the tunic. “In this old thing?”

He frowned. “It’s new.”

“You know what I mean.”

His frown didn’t fade. “I’ll change and then we’ll be ready when they come.”

“Will they question our new clothing?”

He shrugged. “With so many guards coming through at different hours, I doubt any will remember what we were wearing when they brought us here.”

“Do you want me to hold up the blanket to shield you?” I wasn’t tall enough to cover all of him, but I could give him close to the same privacy he’d offered me.

His tusky smile rose and disappeared too soon. “I’m not worried about anyone seeing.”

What about me seeing something I shouldn’t? A bad girl thought right there.

With a jerk of my head, I spun away to give him privacy. Fabric rustled, and he soon tapped my shoulder.

“Done,” he said.

He looked amazing in a simple dark blue tunic and black pants. He’d pulled his hair back and secured it at his nape with a strand of leather. I’d never been into guys wearing ponytails, but on him, it looked amazing.

We sat on the bed and stared at the barred door.

“Now we wait,” he said, his warm hand resting on my thigh.