Page 18 of Cherished By the Alien Outlaw

“My clan is aligned with the stone gods. This wall is made of stone. I asked it to give us food, and it did. Now it took the plate back.”

“A stone dishwasher?”

“You could say that.” He gestured to the pile of clothing. “Last night, I asked the stone gods to give us things to wear.” He frowned at my nightie soiled with sweat and who knew what else. I didn’t want to examine it too closely. “You can change. You should probably do it quickly. I assume they’ll come for us soon.” Returning to the wall, he touched it and hummed again.

Boots that looked like they’d fit me fell onto the bed with a subtle thud. No socks, but I wasn’t complaining.

I grabbed the pile of clothing and sorted through it, finding tunics and pants in two sizes. But when I looked around, I cringed. There was no place to hide while I changed.

“Here,” he said, urging me to stand. He shook out the blanket and stepped between me and the hall, shielding me with the fabric. “Quick.”

I didn’t need to be told more than once. When he closed his eyes, I shrugged off the nightie, tossing it onto the floor. My eyes widened when it disappeared into the stone floor just like the plate had into the wall. With a shake of my head, I dressed in the pants and tunic that fit perfectly, then stuffed my feet into the boots that didn’t tie but somehow molded themselves to my feet. They fit so well, I doubted they’d rub or fall off.

“Done,” I said.

He scanned my frame, and the hint of a smile lifted his lips. “You look amazing.”

My grin rose to join with his. Life sucked right nowbut with Firion around, it felt almost new. I plucked at the hem of the tunic. “In this old thing?”

He frowned. “It’s new.”

“You know what I mean.”

His frown didn’t fade. “I’ll change and then we’ll be ready when they come.”

“Will they question our new clothing?”

He shrugged. “With so many guards coming through at different hours, I doubt any will remember what we were wearing when they brought us here.”

“Do you want me to hold up the blanket to shield you?” I wasn’t tall enough to cover all of him, but I could give him close to the same privacy he’d offered me.

His tusky smile rose and disappeared too soon. “I’m not worried about anyone seeing.”

What about me seeing something I shouldn’t? A bad girl thought right there.

With a jerk of my head, I spun away to give him privacy. Fabric rustled, and he soon tapped my shoulder.

“Done,” he said.

He looked amazing in a simple dark blue tunic and black pants. He’d pulled his hair back and secured it at his nape with a strand of leather. I’d never been into guys wearing ponytails, but on him, it looked amazing.

We sat on the bed and stared at the barred door.

“Now we wait,” he said, his warm hand resting on my thigh.

Chapter 9

Talia

Dim lights started glowing overhead, casting skittering shadows against the floor and the cold stone walls of our cell. With no windows, I didn't know if it was day or night, though I'd slept and they'd brought us food, and Firion believed they'd soon come to take us to the mine, which told me it must be morning, assuming they kept to a day and night schedule.

While we waited, I slouched on the bunk, leaning against the rough wall, the stone scraping my back. I was tempted to remove the bandage Firion had wrapped around my arm, but suspected it might be best to keep it covered and as clean as possible.

“I've never mined anything in my life,” I told Firion who’d risen and started pacing inside the small space between the bunk and the barred door to the hall. His silver hair shimmered softly in the flat lights, such a striking contrast to the blue of his skin. Watching him, I felt a rush of warmth unfurl inside me, despite the fearclinging to my bones. “On Earth, I ran a dance studio with my sister.” Who I needed to look for, but how? “I taught children and adults various dance styles, including pole dancing, which you’ve probably never heard of.”

“Some Zuldruxians dance.”

“Do you?”

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