Page 17 of Heart’s Prisoner

Lana smiled. "Don`t think too highly of yourself just yet. I also know that you have vulnerabilities. One made obvious to me now."

"Oh?"

Lana gestured toward the strange, scaly armor leggings Xerus still wore. "You wear clothes, on your bottom half at least, to cover and protect your...more sensitive parts. The scales along your lower stomach are less thick and are smaller which means you're vulnerable to any strikes in those areas."

Xerus' mouth twitched slightly. "A sound theory," he said smoothly. " Or maybe..." Xerus placed his hands on the glass, "I'm just hiding my best weapon."

Lana looked away from him and cleared her throat. The room seemed a little warmer than before. Whether he was playing with her or not she couldn't tell. She half hoped that maybe the translator was being faulty.

"As for another vulnerability that I noticed," Lana continued, ignoring his sly eyes. "Is the large pores on the side of your neck and along your chest."

"Pores?"

Lana pointed at his upper body. "The narrow holes just under the scales. I'm not sure yet what they are...Maybe scent glands or gills? but I judge that they could easily become clogged or infected."

"Scent glands...gills." Xerus laughed, tugging at one of his horns. "Ah, you humans can be entertaining when you're not completely infuriating." Xerus eyed her. "Or maybe it's just you and your 'theories'."

Lana frowned and cursed silently. Judging by the way he said it, she had a feeling she was going to have to cross off a lot from her list. Still, he didn't dispute all of it. Though he didn't exactly tell her she was right either. And she didn't expect him to tell her otherwise.

Sighing, Lana put her ISpad on the table next to her. "Alright, fine then. Since I told you mine, let's have yours."

Xerus' eyes lit up. He lowered himself so that they were once again eye level. "About humans in general or about you?"

Lana knew this could be a perfect opportunity for him to mess with her. But she had to play fair. And, regardless, she was curious to know what he thought.

"Both," she said.

Xerus' tail swayed back and forth. His eyes, like twin flames, assessed her with a cold, unblinking stare.

"The human race, from what I've gathered, think highly of themselves. They think they have everything figured out...as if they know how the universe works and have the astounding arrogance to believe it revolves around them." Xerus' face inched closer to the glass. "But they are naive and confused. They have no idea of anything. Blind to the massive truths that float in the darkness beyond the scope of their bright little sphere. They think they are wise and strong but they are in fact the very opposite. They use their machines to gain knowledge, but only accept the kind of knowledge that benefits them while the rest they turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't exist. They use weapons to gain power and control over whatever they see fit as if the universe is theirs by right, ready for the taking. This idea, thisneedfor conquest, doesn't surprise me; it is not a rare concept, certainly not among my kind. But the way humans strive for it is messy and ill-planned." Xerus scratched the side of his neck with indifference. "Like they are newborns playing war games by themselves, having yet to be challenged by a real opponent. This is why they are so afraid. They have yet to discover the very thing that could obliterate them off the map. They have yet to encounter something larger than themselves, something that could dismantle their whole world."

"And you think that something is you?"

Lana barely noticed his mouth twitch. "Yes...but your kind weren't even on our radar. At least not until you made yourself a target for..."

"For?" Lana leaned closer.

Xerus' head tilted to the side and he eyed one corner of the room. Then he turned back to her. "You fear death," he said. "But you will welcome it when you learn that there are things far worse. Death is your bright sphere now, and the darkness moves ever closer."

Lana sat back, confused. "I don't understand." What had they made themselves a target for? And was he threatening them? Or was it a warning?

"In time you will. When it's too late."

"Xerus," Lana tried to plead, wanting straight answers, but Xerus provided her none.

"As for you," Xerus said, his voice growing deeper, his eyes darkening. "I admit you are an enigma compared to the other so-called 'doctors' forced on me, but I haven't decided if it's because it's my first encounter with a human female or if it's just...you. You try to act like them but you are different from them. You want to earn my trust but you want to follow the rules they've placed on you. You trust too easily."

"Ah, I was unaware we were theorizing personality traits," Lana mumbled.

"Physically," Xerus continued, standing up and beginning his usual pace along the window, "It's obvious you are weaker than the males, but you act like you are not, which is good. It shows you aren't timid or meek. You keep up a brave persona despite your fear."

"Because you can smell it, right? My fear?" Lana asked.

Xerus stopped to look over at her as if it were obvious. "Yes. And by the pounding of your heart," he said.

Lana nodded. "Anything else?"

Xerus seemed to think about it. He edged over to the side near his bed, looking down at it curiously, then his eyes flicked over to her. "You are alone."

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