Page 94 of Sohut's Protection

“Hideous creature.”

“Very hideous.”

Cleo’s mouth fell open.

The bubble-head aliens were talking about her.

Sohut put his arm around her, pulling her into his side. “Don’t listen to them. They think anything without several limbs or arms is vile.”

One of the aliens took a step forward, four of his eyes darting from Sohut to Wawa.

“You’re sure it won’t attack us, Merssi? I can’t let you into the camp if it is even slightly aggressive.”

Sohut glanced at Wawa and Wawa blinked at him.

“He won’t be aggressive.”

Glancing back at his companions, the alien slowly lowered his spear and the others behind him followed suit.

Cocking his head to the side, the alien peered at her.

“And you are the female the Merssi is escorting,” he said.

Cleo glanced at Sohut, who nodded. Her hands flexed at her sides, still gripping her lucky piece of metal.

“I am,” she said, stepping forward.

The alien’s four eyes darted to Wawa and he visibly shivered.

“Welcome to our camp. You will be safe here. I am Senrit.” His eyes barely moved over her face before focusing on Wawa again. He was obviously perturbed by the animal. Wawa, on the other hand, was busy rubbing his head against her cheek and ignoring the alien in front of her.

“Come,” Senrit said, stepping away, and with a glance at Sohut, their little party entered the camp.

22

The camp was much larger than she’d initially thought and Cleo soon realized they were walking toward what appeared to be a circle of light made by the same type of lanterns that dotted the clearing.

There was music—music that sounded like Irish traditional music but played from wind instruments instead, like a set of flutes.

It was such a strike to her senses that she paused a bit.

She hadn’t heard music in so, so long.

There was chatter too, lots of it.

Realizing she’d stopped walking, Sohut glanced down at her.

“Is everything all right, Clee-yo?”

Cleo blinked. “I—yes. It’s just…” She exhaled. “There’s life out here.”

Sohut studied her face a little before he pulled her closer into his side and they continued walking again.

“Maybe too much life,” he said after a few moments and when she frowned up at him in question, he chuckled. “You’ll see what I mean.”

As they approached the circle of light, Cleo realized there were quite a few of the bubble-headed aliens there, more than she could count. Several of the aliens lifted their heads to look their way.

Most of them looked extremely sleepy, their four eyes heavy as she caught their gazes, and some had wisps of smoke drifting upward from their nostrils.

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