Page 32 of Whispers of the Void

That’s why I feel so protective of the female.

CHAPTER11

NEEV

* * *

How long have I been on this planet? The fact that the sky never changes makes it nearly impossible to tell the time without a clock. I should look for Uzold and ask for one to be brought to my room.

I’m so grateful for the tea that Raiz had delivered before I fell asleep last night and the cup that was ready for me upon waking today. He wasn’t lying about the strength of that wine he served last night.

And, stars, last night was oddly intense. I find Raiz to be so much more relaxed down here than he was in space. His quiet humor is disarming. Then seeing him nearly naked. The firm and toned muscles that cover his body. Do all Zeahirians look like that? Surely not. The stars couldn’t be so unfair to sculpt a species to shear perfection like that.

But the best part of the previous night was meeting Kodia. The giant synapiad with a sweet smile has already wormed his way into my heart. Raiz said they were soul-tied. I wonder what that means specifically. I didn’t have a chance to ask, but I’ll definitely look into it.

Breval brought breakfast to my room, some sort of food that tastes like eggs and spiced meat, along with several varieties of fruit to try. She asked that I tell what I liked the most, and to be honest, everything was equally as good.

I haven’t seen or heard from Raiz, but he made it clear I was welcome to explore his home as much as I wish. I want to check out the room he called a library. Leafing through books in his language should help when it comes time to translate their text.

My bare feet carry me silently down the hall, stopping occasionally to peer inside empty rooms. Everything is immaculately clean, but a feeling of emptiness pervades the space. It’s lonely and quiet.

I finally make it to the library and push open one of the doors. Soft rugs cover the floor, plush enough that my toes sink into them. Three of the walls are covered in bookshelves from floor to ceiling. The final wall has four sets of doors to another large patio. This one overlooks a quiet cove where the sound of waves lapping gently filters through one of the open doors.

A cool breeze filters through, blowing the curtains, but I ignore that for the time being. I drag my fingers over the spines of thick war strategy books lining one shelf.No, thank you.The next shelf holds what looks like autobiographies. I pull a few and surprise, surprise, they’re all military heroes.Pass.I pull out another that looks promising only to realize it’s a business book.Boring.

I need a natural history or fiction section. Even a few Zeahirian classics would be amazing. Or a biology text. Anything.

“Sister Neev,” Uzold says from the doorway. “Can I help you find anything?”

“Yes, actually.” I run through a list of books I’d be interested in, and he quickly walks to the opposite wall, pulling three out for me.

“This is a biological history of our evolution.” He hands me a thick tome and then sets two much smaller books on top. “And these are two of our more popular fictional stories.”

“Thank you.” I smile at the tall male.

“Can I help you with anything else?”

“Could you start a fire for me? Perhaps bring a blanket?”

“Of course.” He walks over to the fireplace and gets a fire started. There are no logs, just flame and some sort of burning mineral. “I’ll be back with a blanket.”

I sit and curl into an oversize chair, at least oversize for me. It would probably fit Raiz perfectly. I set the fiction works aside to focus on learning what I can of the Zeahiri. It doesn’t take long until I’m lost to the knowledge I’m gaining.

I barely register Uzold setting a warm, woven blanket beside me. At some point Breval brings in a tray of food and some hot tea. I munch absentmindedly and absorb page after page of information about them. I had no idea they are an older species than humans by nearly a million standard rotations, as is their planet. It makes sense having a red dwarf star at the center of their system.

Warmth from the fire combined with the soft blanket tossed over me lulls me into a relaxed state, and before I know it, my eyes are drifting closed. The only sounds are the gentle lapping of waves outside and, occasionally, the call of some kind of bird, if I had to guess. A few minutes of rest won’t hurt.

* * *

My eyes fly open when I sense someone watching me sleep, a large hand coming to rest on my knee. As soon as I see it’s Raiz kneeling before me, I relax. How can the sight of the male who kidnapped me make me instantly feel safe?

I blink several times to clear my eyes and set the book from my lap onto the table beside the chair I’m sitting at.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He picks up one of the books, his brows rising as he glances at the title. “What made you pull these?”

“I told Uzold what I was looking for, and he pulled these works for me.”

Understanding shines in his eyes as he sets them back down. “That makes sense. He and my mother used to read these together and discuss them.”

---