Crystal

If I thought Drelix was intense, the scarred, haunted looking mountains of muscle and feather he called the Gryn are on the next level.

Trust Drelix to have friends like those. The one saving grace has to be creatures as damaged as they are have to be trustworthy. They've nothing left to lose.

"So, you actually have a plan?" I reach for one of the remaining pieces of fruit the Gryn left behind. Biting into it, I find it has a familiar strawberry/apple taste.

It's then I notice my shredded underwear under the table and feel my neck and face flush. It was there the entire time the Gryn were eating. Holy shit, how can I ever look any of them in the eye?

With a growl, Drelix thumps down next to me.

"Oh, no you don't." I pull the fruit out of reach. "Plan first, fun stuff later."

His fiery eyes flare. I cock my head and take another big bite. Drelix growls…again.

He is very growly.

I sort of like it.

"The plan?" I prompt.

"The Yetag told me…"

"Before he drugged you and was about to hand you over to the Habosu…" I point out.

"The Yetag told me I needed to find a Uhatx called Phxt. I checked. He's maintaining that he is an honest trader of jewels here on Trefa."

"So, let's just pretend for a second this information, which you got from someone who tried sell you into slavery, is actually true—what are you going to get from him?" I ask.

Drelix glares at me, but he's no longer scary, so I take another bite of my strawberry apple thingy. I chew at him.

Silence stretches out like a band.

"I lost my entire family when Kaeh-Leks was annexed by the Liderc. Although not all Sarkarnii perished—there were plenty of my species off world, but mostly warrior males, save for the few traders and travelers. Draco wants to find them, to rebuild. I want to find who sent the Liderc to our planet in the first place. I want them to feel what I feel. I want them to face Sarkarnii justice."

My heart spins in my chest. Drelix talks about losing his family as emotionlessly as it seems possible, but deep-rooted anger lurks within his words and sadness born from the weight of the task he's brought on himself.

I slide closer to him and put my hand on his taut jaw.

"It's okay, I understand. I got revenge for the man who sent my mother to an early grave." I shrug. "It wasn't exactly working out for me, but still, there was a moment when it felt good."

"You were in trouble on Earth?" Drelix releases a stream of smoke and grins, "why am I not surprised?"

"You're trouble everywhere you go." I retort. "I only got in trouble once, and if I hadn't been taken…anyway, I was. It wasn't pleasant admittedly…" I shut my eyes to push out the memories, and open them again to Drelix handsome face.

He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against his muscular, scaly chest, which smells of smoke and spice.

"No one touches you again, little morsel," he rasps. "Not while I have breath in my body."

"Given you can breathe underwater, that's going be a long time," I reply with a smile against his skin.

A deep sigh rumbles through him. "I hope so."

"On the basis there is an Uhatx trader…"

"There is. The Gryn have confirmed it."

"On the basis there is an Uhatx trader," I sigh, "who has the information you need, what's next?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you do?"

"I go back to Draco, and we deal with them accordingly," Drelix says unconvincingly.

I don't believe him. Drelix knows I don't believe him and I'm at a loss what to do. I offer him the strawberry apple, and he takes a big bite. Then his face creases up.

"You like this?" he says, jaw working overtime.

"You don't?"

"I leave the sweet stuff to the Gryn to devour," he says, swallowing with a wince. "I have other sweet things I prefer to eat." He hitches a lip to show a fang.

I really shouldn't just be following Drelix around in his quest for…whatever it is. I should be getting the hell off Trefa and finding a forgotten corner of this galaxy and living out the rest of my life with the item I stole from the Habosu.

Only I can't exactly leave Drelix…after all, he's prepared to trust intelligence given to him by the trader who was prepared to sell him out of for a few more credits.

As much as he's probably the best muscle in Tatatunga, I get the impression he's not as galaxy wise as he should be. I might have only spent a few miserable months on Station X42, but I learnt the ropes, being bottom of the pile, pretty quickly.

I suspect it's different if you're head, shoulders, and snarls above everyone else.

"There is a reception at the dome, in advance of the games which will be starting next nova-month," Drelix says, dipping his head to nuzzle at my neck. "I presume the Kosta arranged more clothing for you."

"You mean I can't go like this?" I gesture to my dress.

"I'd prefer you weren't wearing anything, little morsel, but then I don't want anyone else to see what I get to enjoy either," he says.

"Smooth talker." I laugh. "Zika said they'd send the rest up. Just how much did you order?"

"They'll do a full wardrobe as standard, unless I ask for anything different," Drelix says. "So, you should have a suitable outfit for this evening."

"And what are we going to do until this evening?" I query.

Drelix's gaze heats.

"I do not want my new dress ripped to shreds," I warn him.

"I don't care," Drelix says. "You are mine, Crystal, and I am going to devour you."