Page 99 of Dark's Savior

"She looked fine to me, and I didn't have to move from my seat. I could see plainly enough from across the room. But, no, you had to talk to her."

The lygin rubbed at his face. "I needed to be sure."

The tylian huffed. "He noticed, too, you know. I saw him glance over as you two were talking. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," the lygin growled.

"Clearly."

Once all the windows were covered and the door was barred as well as locked, the pair faced each other then, each smacked their palms against the center of their chests. A flash, like a spark of electricity, rippled across their bodies until the image of the tylian and lygin disappeared, and Ryziel and Xilya stood in their place. Their suits shined with pulsing light, beaded black scales expanding and shrinking along the fabric, moving in waves as they readjusted to fit tight against their bodies. A large purple, diamond-shaped pad at the center of their chests shimmered with light before darkening.

"Well, I hope that little act didn't just put a whole lot of suspicion on us," Xilya said. "I wouldn't be surprised if we find a guard or two outside our door now."

"They would likely have them there regardless." Ryziel brought up his arm and began to tap on his techband. "Korzien would have outsiders watched as a precaution."

"I'm glad you’re not too worried."

Ryziel glared at her as he lifted his band closer to his mouth. "We are inside, Nar."

"I'm standing by," came Nar's voice a second later.

"So," Xilya bent over and began sifting through her bag, "did you learn anything at least?"

"About what?"

"Is she safe or not?"

The grimace Ryziel had on his face since leaving the party deepened. "I...I don't know."

Xilya looked over at him, studying his expression curiously. "What did she say to you?"

Ryziel turned toward the window, but he didn't open the curtain to peek out. He bowed his head, shaking it slowly. He closed his eyes and saw Aly's face. Not the one he had come to know—the glowing, happy, loving face of his mate—but one with a pale, sickly look; with frightened, glazed-over eyes and a hard-set frown.

"She seemed...upset." He shook his head again and hissed low. "No, worse. She seemed..."

"Unhappy?"

Ryziel glanced at her and nodded, then cast his eyes to the ground. "She told me...she said this place was hell."

"Do you believe me now, then?"

Ryziel rubbed at his jaw. "I don't know," he whispered.

"Well, that's an improvement, at least,” Xilya said. "Your denial is slipping. Maybe it was good you saw her after all."

"I didn't think..." He glared back at her and snarled, but it wasn't her he was angry with. "She didn't look hurt, but I could see that she was."

"You think he is harming her in some other way?"

Ryziel began to pace the room. "Korzien would have no reason...it makes no sense. It must be my uncle or one of the others."

"I told you he wouldn't treat them right. They aren't nillium—"

"I need to talk to my brother."

"You don't have much time."

He knew that well enough. It was a miracle they had gotten to Nihl when they did. It had been a torturous couple of weeks after Aly had been taken. He had slept very little, desperate to finish the ship. He thought he would lose his mind waiting for the tanks to finish, and once they did, he and Nar worked tirelessly to create the parts and fill the engines. Xilya turned to spying and hacking through various networks to give them any sort of information as to why the humans had been taken to Nihl. It was through Braxin that they learned of anything and only after Ryziel forced him to talk. When the lygin told him they had been taken to Nihl to serve at First House, Ryziel began to suspect why, though he didn't want to believe it.

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