increased between her temples.
Natalie had said the closer she got, the more it would hurt, but she’d
forgotten. She scooted a half foot back.
“That is excellent information.”
What a mix of inflection. Hanging out with Hugh for such a good
chunk of time had filled her quota of boring British accents. The alien’s was as
interesting as it was bizarre. She practiced it under her breath so she could
add it to her repertoire.
In a move more graceful than it should have been, he
crab-walked to the back wall. Though hurt and blind, he never hesitated or
bumbled once, like he’d known exactly where to go. “What is a ‘death ray’?” he
asked once he’d settled.
Ashley laughed. Out of all the things she’d said, he focused on
that? “It’s something from old science-fiction movies. Aliens come to earth,
bent on world domination, and conquer humans with weapons that shoot laser beams
of death.”
Natalie elbowed her in the ribs and widened her eyes in nearly
comical shock. “You’re talking to an alien,” she
mouthed.
And she’d forgotten again he wasn’t human. “I mean, it’s just a
story. I’m sure you don’t have anything like that,” Ashley amended lamely.
“What’re you in for?”
“In for?” he repeated, rubbing the back of his neck and rolling
his shoulders. “I do not understand the question.”
As he rotated his head, light beamed across his features. Wow,
he was so...not repulsive. Angular jaw, high cheekbones and aquiline nose,
nicely arranged and different enough from his fellow aliens to make him
distinctive. His light brown hair was shaved in a military buzz cut, like all
the other aliens. On him, it wasn’t as severe and refined his face, as if the
style had been designed especially for this alien.
If she’d been in Vegas, she’d bet his eyes were hazel. An
alien, freaky sort of hazel.
“What did you do to get in here?” Ashley waved at their
luxurious surroundings and then remembered he couldn’t see. She dropped her
hand. “Rob a bank?”
His mouth twitched. “I did nothing to the banks of the Darwa.
The river is not safe.”
Was that a joke? Natalie shrugged at her quizzical glance, so
she let it go. Drawing her knees up, she rested her forehead but the ache behind
her eyes wouldn’t go away.
“Are you one of the Mora Tuwa?” he called after a while.
Ashley lifted her head. Natalie had fallen asleep, curled in a
defensive ball in the corner. “Depends. What’s that?” she asked.
“From Earth. A human.”
“That’s what you call us? Mora Tuwa? It sounds like a cousin to
yellow fin tuna.” Sushi . Ashley’s eyes almost rolled
back in her head as she envisioned platter after platter of rainbow rolls, sweet
eel. The way her stomach growled, even ahi wouldn’t get kicked off her
plate.
“Tuna is a fish,” he said, but it sounded almost like a
question.
“Yeah, it is. And I guess I’m a whatever you call humans. What
are you?” she asked. He didn’t look like a lizard but maybe the reptile part was
underneath his skin.
“A citizen of the Telhada.” He snapped it out like a SEAL
stating name, rank and serial number upon capture by enemy insurgents.
Telhada was the name Rhonda the Betrayer had told them to call
their “hosts.”
Well, they could get used to being called aliens. She squared
her shoulders. What else could they possibly do to her if they didn’t like
it?
Frowning, she tried to find a more comfortable position but
hard ground and no butt did not equal comfortable. She’d give anything for a
Snickers bar. The fat would be burned off by the shivering alone. “Do you have a
name?”
He hesitated and she narrowed one eye. “Too hard of a
question?” she asked. Maybe the aliens didn’t have names.
“I am ZXQ - One .”
She snorted. “That’s not a name, that’s a model number. I think
I ordered something online with that exact one. Do Telhadas not have real
names?”
“I am not a Telhada. The Telhada is the ruling class
Natalie had said the closer she got, the more it would hurt, but she’d
forgotten. She scooted a half foot back.
“That is excellent information.”
What a mix of inflection. Hanging out with Hugh for such a good
chunk of time had filled her quota of boring British accents. The alien’s was as
interesting as it was bizarre. She practiced it under her breath so she could
add it to her repertoire.
In a move more graceful than it should have been, he
crab-walked to the back wall. Though hurt and blind, he never hesitated or
bumbled once, like he’d known exactly where to go. “What is a ‘death ray’?” he
asked once he’d settled.
Ashley laughed. Out of all the things she’d said, he focused on
that? “It’s something from old science-fiction movies. Aliens come to earth,
bent on world domination, and conquer humans with weapons that shoot laser beams
of death.”
Natalie elbowed her in the ribs and widened her eyes in nearly
comical shock. “You’re talking to an alien,” she
mouthed.
And she’d forgotten again he wasn’t human. “I mean, it’s just a
story. I’m sure you don’t have anything like that,” Ashley amended lamely.
“What’re you in for?”
“In for?” he repeated, rubbing the back of his neck and rolling
his shoulders. “I do not understand the question.”
As he rotated his head, light beamed across his features. Wow,
he was so...not repulsive. Angular jaw, high cheekbones and aquiline nose,
nicely arranged and different enough from his fellow aliens to make him
distinctive. His light brown hair was shaved in a military buzz cut, like all
the other aliens. On him, it wasn’t as severe and refined his face, as if the
style had been designed especially for this alien.
If she’d been in Vegas, she’d bet his eyes were hazel. An
alien, freaky sort of hazel.
“What did you do to get in here?” Ashley waved at their
luxurious surroundings and then remembered he couldn’t see. She dropped her
hand. “Rob a bank?”
His mouth twitched. “I did nothing to the banks of the Darwa.
The river is not safe.”
Was that a joke? Natalie shrugged at her quizzical glance, so
she let it go. Drawing her knees up, she rested her forehead but the ache behind
her eyes wouldn’t go away.
“Are you one of the Mora Tuwa?” he called after a while.
Ashley lifted her head. Natalie had fallen asleep, curled in a
defensive ball in the corner. “Depends. What’s that?” she asked.
“From Earth. A human.”
“That’s what you call us? Mora Tuwa? It sounds like a cousin to
yellow fin tuna.” Sushi . Ashley’s eyes almost rolled
back in her head as she envisioned platter after platter of rainbow rolls, sweet
eel. The way her stomach growled, even ahi wouldn’t get kicked off her
plate.
“Tuna is a fish,” he said, but it sounded almost like a
question.
“Yeah, it is. And I guess I’m a whatever you call humans. What
are you?” she asked. He didn’t look like a lizard but maybe the reptile part was
underneath his skin.
“A citizen of the Telhada.” He snapped it out like a SEAL
stating name, rank and serial number upon capture by enemy insurgents.
Telhada was the name Rhonda the Betrayer had told them to call
their “hosts.”
Well, they could get used to being called aliens. She squared
her shoulders. What else could they possibly do to her if they didn’t like
it?
Frowning, she tried to find a more comfortable position but
hard ground and no butt did not equal comfortable. She’d give anything for a
Snickers bar. The fat would be burned off by the shivering alone. “Do you have a
name?”
He hesitated and she narrowed one eye. “Too hard of a
question?” she asked. Maybe the aliens didn’t have names.
“I am ZXQ - One .”
She snorted. “That’s not a name, that’s a model number. I think
I ordered something online with that exact one. Do Telhadas not have real
names?”
“I am not a Telhada. The Telhada is the ruling class
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