Page 80 of Heart’s Prisoner

Lana smiled. She gave him a break with her questions and spent the remainder of time watching him in silence, a strange feeling warming her. Despite everything that was happening, she somehow felt an inkling of calm.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Xerus went out several times for her, bringing back various items along with the requested food he would find on level two. She knew for the most part what he ate so didn't need to ask but she did inquire about the kinds of clothes his people wore and asked that he bring different pairs of clothing. He gave her odd looks at her requests but he said little and went in search without complaint, likely chalking up her strange wants for weird human habits.

Lana watched him on the video feeds as he gathered the items mostly without issue. Though part of level two was being guarded by security trying to keep wraps on all food storage, with a little distraction, Xerus was able to thwart them easily. Lana filtered through other feeds to keep up to date with everything happening on each level and found that things were currently at a standstill. Galger and his team were on level three hunkering down, their latest kill set in the center of their hub like a glorified trophy, a large, centipede-like creature with sharp green feelers. It looked like they were taking inventory of the rest of the armory while they rested from their hunt. On level one everyone was huddled together, some resting on mats, others sitting at pillars and walls, the infected man still with them. All other levels seemed dead, even level six was empty of the raptors, most either killed off or hiding from Galger's team. The other saferooms remained locked.

When the food, clothes, and other items were gathered, Lana took stock of everything Xerus had found. Fresh meats, eggs, various fruit and veg, blankets, oil, lighters, along with different sets of clothes from armored vests to pajamas. She put most of the clothes with the wrong kind of fabric away while the rest she kept in a neat pile. Xerus mentioned that males and females of his species usually wore similar clothing albeit that females sometimes covered the top of their shoulders and chest and wore strips of cloth around their thighs and between their legs while males generally wore the armored pants and sometimes armored chest and stomach pads. The clothing was mostly just decorative or to protect the areas where their scales were thinnest but no one was required to wear a lot of gear. Xerus himself admitted he only ever wore his armored leggings.

The kind of fabric they used was thin yet extremely durable. Even without the use of a fallen's scales as the exterior. The closest thing she could find was under armor and bits of leather. They were nowhere near as good but they would do.

Thankfully there was a cloth printer in one of the rooms, a sort of advanced sewing machine that she had used a few times in her academic years. When Xerus was away, she quickly put pieces together, trying her best to make something close to what he described. Before he came back, she hid the clothing away.

"I need you to go out and get one last thing for me," Lana said to him on what was their fifth day locked in together. "It might be hard to find, it could take you a while."

Xerus crossed his arms, his tail tapping against the ground. "You are a demanding little thing aren't you. What is it?"

"I need you to find me a glass cutter and some silver wiring."

Xerus gave her a severe look. "That's two things." When Lana shrugged and smiled timidly he let out a breath. "What does the glass cutter look like?"

Lana drew him a picture. The object looked like a combination of a rod and an old fashioned key. It wouldn't be easy to find and, in truth, she didn't really need it, she just needed to get him out of the unit for as long as possible for her plan to work. The silver wiring was for a different project and would be much easier.

"Likely you'll find such a tool on level eight or any of the various warehouses but I can't be sure," Lana said.

Xerus' mouth twitched. "Ixa il vaas." Be back soon.

'Not too soon I hope,' Lana thought as Xerus left. As soon as he was gone she went to work.

***

It took several hours but when her work was complete Lana looked around the main room with great satisfaction. The lights were dimmed low, the air was warm, the scenery on the back wall was changed to display a birdseye view of a vast jungle. Couches and chairs were pushed back to the walls wherein the center she had laid out a large dark blanket. On it were the various foods she had asked Xerus to find, cooked to his liking. Spiced meats sliced thin, seasoned boiled eggs, lightly baked mango slices along with grilled vegetables. In small metal bowls usually used for cooking, Lana poured in oil and lit it carefully, letting flames lick the bowl, the oil burning slowly. She placed them in various corners and along the bar to make the scene more genuine.

She went around the unit one last time making sure everything was right. She still limped a bit, her burns still stinging, but she had redressed the wounds earlier and found them healing quickly. The pain was of little issue though. If anything she felt more self-conscious as she stalked around the place wearing the scraps of clothing she had made to mimic Vrisha fashion as the cloth did nothing to hide her bandages. Because she didn't have scales to cover her, she used a two-piece bathing suit instead. She still felt exposed but, knowing she would look even more ridiculous if she put regular clothing on underneath, she shoved away her embarrassment for the time being. Thankfully the suit was dark like the cloth and so blended well enough.

She limped down one hallway on the left and entered a room down at the very end. She had been perplexed by the need for a pool in such a place but then they always went overboard with units such as these despite their rare use. The sauna and pool room had been well kept by small bots, the pool cleaned regularly, the water kept warm. The pool wasn't big by any means. About eight feet wide and just long enough for those using it to do short laps but nothing strenuous. The pool was made for leisurely use, nothing more.

It took Lana a solid hour and a half to empty it. Thankfully the controls weren't too complicated and the bots helped, using pumps and tanks to drain it completely. After, she had the bots clean it entirely. Once it was polished and dried she had pulled out every blanket, comforter, and pillow she could find and laid them out on the bottom. When she looked down on it now, it looked like a strange, albeit comfortable, in-ground bed. She had no idea if it was exactly how Xerus had described but she hoped it was close enough. The lights too were lowered inside the room, wall lamps set to display a deep, warm orange. Another makeshift window display at the back showed a separate jungle scene, looking out over a set of falls. Lana gave everything a quick glance-over and felt satisfied.

From down the hall she heard the sound of the door sliding open and then closing. Heart jumping in her chest, she left the pool and slowly made her way down the hall. In the main room, Xerus stood, his back slightly turned toward her. He was still as granite, frozen in place as he stared. Only his head turned down slightly to look at the blanket display on the floor.

Lana watched him for a moment then licked her lips and spoke softly, "I know it's probably nothing like your home but I thought maybe I could help..."

Xerus' head turned ever so slightly in her direction. His eyes gathered her in. He stared at her for so long Lana began to shift uncomfortably. She looked down at her self-made strips of clothing and felt her face heat up. "I...I hope I didn't offend you."

Xerus turned fully to face her. "I am not offended," he said in a low voice. Lana smiled, trying to calm her nerves. Clearing her throat, she went to step around him when he held up his arm. In his hand was a small sack. "For you," he said slowly.

Lana took it and opened it. The wiring and glass cutter were inside. "Thank you." She smiled and placed the bag by the bar. When she turned back, Xerus was looking her over.

"Ah, it's probably completely wrong." Lana laughed nervously, drawing a piece of long dark cloth from her leg through her fingers. "But it was the best I could do with what I had and–"

"It's closer than you think." Xerus tilted his head at her. "It suits you."

Lana laughed again, shying from his intense stare. She eyed the food on the ground and gestured toward it. "I hope you're hungry."

"Rissinak," Starving, he said as his eyes never left her.

Lana shivered and tried to hide it by making her way over to the blanket. She sat down on the left side, crossing her legs, waiting for him to join her. Xerus' mouth twitched and he carefully went to the right side and knelt.

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