Page 45 of Alien Haven

“I don’t see weakness.” He scooted closer to Ilid. “I see a survivor. An incredibly strong survivor who’s finding his way back after going through a horror I can’t imagine.”

“You wouldn’t say so after a few weeks of being woken by my screams.” Ilid’s gaze shifted for a moment to a point beyond Mitag’s shoulder. Checking for Darks.

Those who can see them do so in their peripheral vision.It cleared up the mystery of why Ilid struggled to meet Mitag’s gaze for more than a few seconds at a time.

“Ilid, listen. I have nightmares too. Hell, I sleepwalk on occasion. You have no idea how often I wake in my closet, thanksto my silly brain sending me into hiding from night terrors.” He debated saying more, but it was wrong to talk about himself when his friend suffered. “Waking me up screaming isn’t as big a deal as you worrying yourself sick.”

“I upset you. Admit it; I scared the hell out of you.”

“I’ve had worse scares. Believe me.”

Again, it wasn’t right to discuss his own issues at the moment. Ilid had revealed his secret to Mitag. He’d trusted him with the raw wounds in need of healing.

Mitag willed his suffering friend to realize he was all the Dramok he needed to be. A Dramok deserving of respect and clanmates. Of a life of joy, absent of fear.

Mitag wasn’t sure he’d get to be this man’s clanmate. He wasn’t sure he’d was someone Ilid would want once he emerged from the fog of trauma blinding him to his worth. It didn’t matter. Mitag was an Imdiko, a man built to care and assist. He’d do so for the despairing Ilid as long as he was allowed.

His therapist on Kalquor had told Mitag damaged hearts called to damaged hearts, especially where Imdikos were concerned. “Our breed tends to put others before ourselves. When an Imdiko feels someone hurts as he does, it isn’t merely an opportunity to help him. It can serve as a mirror image of our own pain and loss. Therefore, if an Imdiko can aid another sufferer, his subconscious might tell him it’ll bring him comfort too.”

Mitag had been looking for such a connection for a long time. He felt he’d found it in Detodev, and now, Ilid.

He experienced a twinge of conscience as he offered the full thrust of compassion to calm Ilid from his nightmare, because some of it was for his own selfish need. Their circumstances were different, but he saw his own hurt in the Dramok just the same. Mitag wanted to heal him. He wanted to be healed.

Let me help you. Let me have this important step toward the only thing I want in this whole universe, the one thing I haven’t been given since I was small. Give me a someone to care for and care for me in return.

The seconds spun past, and Ilid remained silent. Mitag continued to simply sit there gripping his shoulder, pouring understanding and empathy.

The Dramok drew a breath. “For the most part, Haven feels good. I like the people I’ve met.” His gaze found Mitag and held it. “Why can’t everywhere be like this? Why does horror have to exist?”

Mitag offered the first option that came to mind. “If bad situations don’t show their ugly faces, we don’t recognize and appreciate the wonderful moments.”

A slow smile tinged by sadness stretched Ilid’s lips. “You could be right. Before I fell asleep, I enjoyed hearing you gossip about the locals. You made me laugh. For a couple of hours, I forgot how awful things can be. It was wonderful.”

“For me too. Hey, do you want another round of bohut and spicy rumors? I haven’t told you about the former Earther nun whom I was told left Sunrise to establish a sex club in another district. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where part of the plot forCow Patties in Paradisecame from.”

Ilid chuckled. “Your arsenal of scandalous tales is unending as well as amusing. You aren’t too tired?”

“I’m up for awhile,” the Imdiko reassured him, eager to keep him smiling.

“To be honest, I don’t think I can go back to sleep tonight. I sure as hell don’t want to face my parents if they heard me come in at such an hour. My mother especially.” He reddened. “She’s desperate for me to find a clan.”

Mitag teased…carefully. “Oh, a matchmaker mom. I like her already.”

“I adore her, but she’s a bit much. Especially at this time of night.” There was a warning in his tone, telling Mitag not to push him on the subject. When he kept silent, Ilid relaxed. “If you’re really up for it, drinking and stories would be welcome.”

Mitag jumped up and headed for the bar. He did his best to ignore the flame of hope burning in his chest as he launched into his story. “Okay, so a former nun came to Haven a couple of years ago. Older woman, looked at everyone like they were going straight to Earther hell...”

Chapter Eleven

Dramok Dolgra reflected that for someone who’d nearly been violently kidnapped the day before, Charity Nath was in high spirits. Unaware of him watching her, she danced in the chicken coop. The exuberant Earther tossed feed like confetti to the squawking birds. She sang a stream of good mornings to them in an off-tune but chipper voice.

He chuckled. Her foolishness amused him despite having been summoned to the Amgar farm for such worrying reasons. She tossed her honey-hued hair so it stuck out in wild waves as she finally quit terrorizing the chickens. Charity left the coop to allow them to recover and eat in peace.

She caught sight of him grinning at her and laughed to have been caught acting goofy. No embarrassment stained her cheeks. “Hi! What brings you here so early?”

He approached her. “You. I heard you had a little excitement in the barn.”

Her face blistered red at his comment. Her jaw dropped in shock. A second later, understanding lit her face, and she giggled. “Oh, the attack. Yes. Awful. Scared me half to death.”

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