Page 38 of Cozy Prisons
Slowly, the rotary bots forced Daxus away from her house. They didn’t stop until he was standing at where the path to her domicile met the larger main path. That was the limit of their range, but because Daxus stood there, they all went into wait mode and kept their sensors trained on him.
They’d stay there until they couldn’t sense him anymore.
“Remember what you said about size and strength?” she called out. “I guess you were right. I advise you to repeat it to yourself until you believe it too!”
With that, she turned her back and walked deeper into her domicile, listening to the door slide shut behind her.
“House, end intruder protocol 3A. House, end intruder protocol 3B. House, maintain protocol 6.”
She didn’t want anyone to get attacked by the rotary bots because they were trying to visit, but she wanted Daxus to think they were still active. Protocol 6 ordered the bots to “patrol” around her house, but not follow or attack anyone who tried to walk around her home.
Standing near her desk, she blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears. The smell of sweet lemon had been fading, but now it was back. She hated that it made her feel comforted and helped ease her anxiety.
“Damn it!” she cursed under her breath. “I don’t want to need him. I don’t want to need anyone!”
The question was, how stubborn was she? There was no denying that she was getting worse and needed to do something, but it had to be on her terms. That was nonnegotiable.
“Maybe it’s time to build a miniature distillery,” she mumbled, slipping down into the chair next to the desk. “Alcohol might not be the answer, but it’s definitely a solution.”
She snickered at her bad joke, then started going through her collection of data crystals to see if any of them had a how-to guide to making alcohol at home.
Chapter 13
Daxus
“She hasn’t come out in three days.”
Daxus jerked and turned around, startled to find Utharium behind him. How had the male managed to sneak up on him?
It probably wasn’t hard. He couldn't remember the last time he’d slept. Earlier, he’d almost fallen asleep while leaning against a clearing bot.
“I know,” Daxus said, resuming his position so he could watch Nataly’s domicile.
Utharium moved to stand next to him. “The other humans are worried about her, but won’t say anything when Palathum asks. We only know because we’ve overheard them talking.”
Daxus sounded an angry rattle. “And yet Palathum won’t force her to see Falkilm.”
“The humans agreed to come here because Iris promised them autonomy," Utharium reminded him. “What would it say aboutwhat we're trying to build on Arise if we set aside that promise at the first difficult situation?”
“This isn’t adifficult situation! This is Nataly’s life!”
Utharium wasn’t moved by Daxus’s outburst. “Except for staying within her domicile, she doesn’t seem in ill health. Hale walks all day, every day. They barely stop to eat, and we aren’t sure how much they sleep at night. Why aren’t you trying to make them see Falkilm?”
“That’s different,” Daxus grumbled.
Utharium sounded a questioning rumble. “How so?”
Daxus didn’t know how to respond, so he remained silent.
“You can’t answer because it’s emotional, not logical. You’re not trained for that, so all your carefully practiced mediator mavin skills fail you.” Utharium sounded a soothing rumble. “We all come to this realization eventually. We are not the creatures of pure logic that we’d like to think we are.”
Daxus refused to admit how accurate Utharium might be. He tried for a counterargument. “It’s not logical to let someone suffer.”
“It’s a complicated situation,” Utharium allowed. “None of us want any of the humans to be unhappy, but we all have to find our own path. We can’t force anyone.”
If Utharium wasn’t going to help him, then the male was useless. Daxus ignored him and continued staring at the door.
“I’m surprised you aren’t at her door, demanding she speak to you,” Utharium commented after several submarks of silence.
