11. Tyrxie

Chapter 11

Tyrxie

Exposed

I ’m such a stupid bitch!

The thought races through my mind as I stand there, trembling, my heart pounding in my chest. Why did I help Quad? I knew it would bring me face to face with Xandor, but I couldn’t leave poor Quad crying on the floor, on the verge of being killed. The thought of Quad’s brutal execution was too much to bear, even though he might behave in a stupid and dangerous manner. I had to do something, anything.

Now it’s me who needs rescuing as my hands shake and my heart threatens to burst with worry. Xandor the towering giant, steps forward. His expression is a mixture of anger and curiosity. How much does he know? If he knows I stole his mask, will he treat me like Quad? Gazing into murderous claws awaiting my end?

Quad limps off, clutching his stomach. “Goodbye, Scary and Tiny,” he gasps between sobs, yet I hardly hear him. Xandor stalks forward, his yellow eyes burning with an intensity that shakes me to my core. My gaze shifts to the grate near the cargo hold entrance as it beckons with a promise of safety. Can I reach it before he can stop me?

“Don’t even think about it, little human.” Xandor jolts forward with incredible speed, closing the gap between us in an instant, putting an end to any hope I have of running. “As much as I enjoy our sneaky frolics, my patience is growing rather thin.” He peers down, so close now he casts a shadow over me. To stop my hands from shaking, I rub my locket, trying to find courage amongst my solar storm of fear.

Xandor overwhelms my personal space, my consciousness. Even his musky, earthy scent fills my senses, as his breath brushes with gentleness through my hair, sending tingles through my body. He must know I stole his mask! Unable to endure his intensity, I open my mouth, intending to confess and beg for forgiveness until he speaks. “What were you doing in my room?” his stern voice demands.

Relief waves through me. He doesn’t know the full extent of my crimes. Maybe this is a ploy to gauge additional information? Xandor is more observant than others, so I must be careful. “I... I was bringing you food and to check on your condition.” The lie causes me to stutter as I’m unable to hold his piercing yellow gaze.

“You lie, female,” his voice cuts through the air like a sharp blade as he advances, relentless as an unstoppable mountain of arcweave, forcing me backward until my hands press against the cold, unyielding walls of the cargo hold. The realization I’m trapped, with nowhere to run steals my breath. I’ve no escape from his imposing presence. “You left no food, only your scent,” he accuses.

“My...my scent?” I stammer, as my mind races for any answer to escape this terrifying encounter.

Lowering his head, his long green hair tumbles over my face as his hot breath tickles my neck. The subtle sound of his sniffing brushes my right ear before he drifts to my left and repeats the action, causing shivers to run down my spine. “Was it lust that brought you to me?” he whispers conspiratorially.

Desire is dangerous, this is dangerous.

“Lust?” I exclaim in shock, pushing against him, but he remains unmoved. “You flatter yourself. Now let me go.” My voice is firm, the fear fading as I recognize his true intentions are just like the other males—simple lust.

Yet Xandor persists, his gaze intense. “Your body betrays you. I smell your eager scent even now,” he groans, his breath hot against my skin, his eyes appearing to glow faintly. I gasp as his huge hand cups my cheek and he leans in, lips parted.

“Don’t voiding touch me!” I roar, the words spilling from my lips in instinct as I recoil. Fumbling for my knife with trembling hands, Xandor leaps back with a confused and hurt expression etched on his handsome features. But shock and anger seethe in my veins, as I vowed never to allow myself to be so vulnerable again. “As I thought, you’re just like the rest,” I spit, venom dripping with each syllable.

“I don’t understand,” Xandor says, shaking his head, his hand outstretched toward me in a pleading gesture. “Your body says one thing, but your actions do the opposite.” Confusion fills his eyes, pulling on my heart and I almost confess my crimes, but I cannot. I must protect myself and escape from him and all the others before they discover my awful treachery.

“I’ll be clear, Xandor.” My glare locks onto him, laden with intent. “You scare me. You and the others, and I can’t wait until the day I no longer have to hide in fear, worrying about who’s boarding the ship and what they might do to me,” I sneer. The words pour out in an uncontrollable torrent as Xandor becomes the victim and embodiment of all my frustrations. “Void you all! I never want to lay eyes on you ever again!”

I avert my gaze, lest he see my moistening eyes and trembling lip. Marching past the giant who stands motionless, the silence between us now deafening. “Wait,” he pleads in a tone tinged with sadness. Turning, he offers me my pistol he took from me earlier. “I never intended to dishonor you,” he says with his head bowed, his eyes downcast. “Take it and let us part ways.” I snatch the weapon from his grasp and resume my exit. “Farewell little human,” he whispers so quietly I almost don’t hear it.

He keeps calling me a human. Is that what I am?

If I am human, then why do I feel like the most loathsome of znats? Wiping my eyes, I continue down the corridor, heading towards the crew quarters, not bothering to hide, feeling an unusual defiance after my outburst. And trusting Xandor won’t follow me, at least not until he discovers his mask is missing. I hope I’ll be long gone from here before that happens, as his fury is terrifying.

I’m so stupid he might have killed Quad and me, too.

How did I not balk before him? His eyes had glowed and misted like his hatred was leaking from him, and with those terrible claws I never even knew he possessed. He could have killed me in an instant. My skin prickles with unease at the thought.

Yet I cannot deny his piercing gaze and impressive figure stirred something in me. A part of me wants to let go and embrace the madness as it carries me off into a wormhole of possibilities. Perhaps in another lifetime, another dimension where things work out better for me, I could entertain such foolish notions. But now they are a liability, especially if he can smell my arousal...

Not even my thoughts are safe from him.

Arriving at the crew quarters uninterrupted fills me with relief as I change into a new outfit with haste. This time I pick all black colors to help me meld with the shadows. The fresh clothes rejuvenate my spirit as the softness caresses my skin. If not for the raw memory of Hyanxa attacking me in the shower, I would risk one now. Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I touch my face in amazement. Mod’s ointment worked well. All the swelling and bruising from my recent attacks have already healed.

I pray I won’t need it again. My wrist console beeps and vibrates with a cruel response to my prayers. Captain Kaanus has instructed me to report to him on the bridge without delay. A torrent of anxiety erupts inside me as I rub the handle of my pistol, seeking some reassurance.

But my heart still pounds in my chest and breathing becomes so erratic I fear it might overcome me as my mind searches with desperation for a way out of this. What if I don’t go and just hide until we reach the next station? Would he come looking for me? What if Hyanxa finds me first? The number of dangers threatening to ensnare me is overwhelming.

No, it’s too soon to run.

With a deep breath, I steel myself and make my way to the bridge, each step another doubt, another temptation to flee. Yet I continue attempting to ignore the blood whooshing through my ears. As I near the door I pause, straining my ears for any sign of activity within. All I hear is the steady hum of the Elerium hyperdrive engine, which adds to the tension that coils within me.

The bridge door glides open to reveal Kaanus seated at the briefing table, staring into a holographic projection of a station I don’t recognize. It has a thick central column with three tiered domes along its length. “Omega Flux Station,” Kaanus announces, each syllable emphasized, as the blue light from the display highlights the area ominously.

Immediately, I scan the room before I move closer, and dread washes over me to discover we’re alone. Taking a few careful steps forward, I keep a wary eye on Kaanus. I’m struggling to gauge the intentions hidden within his milky white eyes. “Are... are we heading there?” I manage to stammer, my voice trembling betraying my apprehension.

Captain Kaanus’s expression darkens with a frown. “Ah Tyrxie, it pains me to see this rift between us. Please, have a seat,” he gestures to a polymer stool at the opposite end of the table. With cautious steps, I approach, watching him with intent, one hand resting beside my holstered knife. “We’ll arrive at Omega Flux Station in a couple of days.”

It takes effort to contain the surge of excitement which threatens to burst forth from within me. At last! My chance for freedom radiates in the holographic display before my eyes. “A couple of days?” I echo, sinking into the seat opposite him, my gaze locked with his as he studies me with focused attention, his hands interlocked before him.

“Yes, I will announce it to the others soon.” He takes a deep breath, nodding his head with a subtle motion, as if he’s making a silent decision. “After our... little misunderstanding the other day, I’ve come to realize that it stems from a lack of trust,” he states behind unreadable eyes and a calm voice, giving nothing away except my ease.

I trust no one.

“Trust,” I echo slowly, the word sounds strange and unnatural from my tongue. Yet I dare not reveal too much. Better to remain obedient and aloof. “Yes, more trust would help,” I finish with a faint smile that I doubt touches my eyes. Kaanus springs from his seat with such haste, it causes me to recoil.

Approaching me with a smile on his scaled face, he retrieves a black polymer device from a pocket within his long coat. My heart races as my fingers stroke the hilt of my knife, preparing for anything. “Do you know what this is?” he asks, presenting the horizontal pipe with a mouthpiece attached.

I gasp, recognizing it at once. “That’s a scoomer inhaler,” I answer, unable to conceal my surprise. On most stations you’d see disheveled scoomer addicts lost in a haze of bedraggled abandonment. So addictive and destructive it’s illegal in all but the most decrepit cesspools. “Why do you have one?” I inquire, my eyes widening as I gaze up at him.

Kaanus looms over me, placing a hand on my shoulder that makes my skin crawl. “One?” he laughs, making the blue tint on his scales shimmer brighter. “Oh, Tyrxie the Mutalisk’s Hammer is loaded with them.” He reveals, his amusement still painted on his expression.

My mind reels at his revelation, the implications both dangerous and unsettling. “We’re scoomer smugglers?” I blurt out, my eyes piercing his, my voice louder than I intended.

I need to get off this ship.

“Sometimes,” Kaanus quips before he stalks off to pace around the cramped bridge. “When the opportunity presents itself... You don’t know what it’s like being captain of a mercenary ship. The constant need for credits and resources is exhausting.” He hangs his head, giving it a subtle shake, with a hint of shame that catches me off guard. “And when the jobs dry up, you have to make... tough decisions.” His head lifts toward me and I think he’s staring at me. “I hope one day you will understand.”

Understand what? Being captain of a ship?

An awkward silence hangs heavy in the air as I struggle to comprehend what he’s revealing and how I should respond to ensure my survival until we reach Omega Flux Station. “Why are you telling me all this now?” I finally ask as Kaanus retrieves a plain polymer bottle from beside his captain’s chair, taking a generous swig.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’d get you a bottle, but after last time, I doubt you’d be interested,” Kaanus gestures towards me with his drink, to which I shake my head in refusal. “That’s what I thought,” he scoffs before taking another mouthful. “To answer your question. Trust is why.” He retakes his seat across from me at the briefing table. “When we reach Omega Flux Station, I want you to accompany us when I negotiate a price for my scoomer. You watch my back, I watch yours. A proper part of the crew. Like the rest of them.” He takes another long draft of his drink before adding, “Void, I’ll even increase your cut to two percent. Can’t say fairer than that.”

I gasp at his offer, quadruple the credits I earn now, and with a more important role on the crew, maybe things would get better around here? A new respect earned? I’m tempted by his generosity, which surprises me. But as he knocks back more booze with his unreadable eyes gawking in my direction, a sense of unease creeps over my skin, rippling down my spine. “Very generous, Captain. Of course, I accept.” The lie spills from my lips with automatic smoothness.

Can I escape before this scoomer negotiation?

Kaanus springs upright from his seat, a smile crossing his face. “Excellent, this is a new beginning for us, Tyrxie, one built on trust and respect,” he approaches with his arms outstretched, yearning for an embrace, while I’m only yearning for escape. I rise from my seat, suppressing my erratic breath as he draws closer, towering over me.

He wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace, the scent of his alcoholic smell hanging heavy in the surrounding air. I place a tentative hand around his broad back, feeling the hard scales beneath my fingers. “My little Tyrxie,” he murmurs, almost a moan. His hot breath on my neck stiffens my spine as my body tenses up. “Isn’t this nice, just you and me, together?” I squirm and push back, attempting to break his suffocating hug.

Gasping for air, I reach for my knife, desperation clawing at me. In an instant, Kaanus releases me, and I stumble backward out of the bridge room, heart pounding in my chest. As the Captain calls after me, “Get plenty of rest. You’ll need it.”

Rest for my escape from him.