Page 54 of Her Alien Savior
A murmur sounded through the room. The whole chamber echoed with whispers of astonishment, and gasps. The Council Florn Rel lifted a curious brow arch. She didn’t have any hair, but the scales on her skin were darker around the brow bone. She made a motion behind her for one of her aides to go do something. Without a word, they scurried off, and I assumed she sent a request through their implant.
“Ashley of Earth, if you are successfully mated with one of these necia warriors then we cannot risk your life to honor the laws of this treaty.”
I was stunned, and confused that my implant was telling this medic and the whole council I was not Riley… but Ashley. When did she get the chance to… I stopped myself, when I realized she also had a disruptor from Nen-Le’s chambers. She could have done it at any time while we waited in that room. She was a tech wizard, and more than capable of changing my data if she could hack into the ship’s protocols. But why?
“We must honor the laws of leadership,” another council member said from above and descended down. She was ethereal in her robes that matched Florn Rel but her skin was a deep green, and her eyes were the color of green gems that matched the skies outside. Like all trill she had no hair. Scales traveled down her scalp in an intricate pattern that was mesmerizing and tapered at the base of her skull like a fin. The scales along her neck rolled and wrinkled the only sign that she was probably older than the other council member, or any trill I had seen for that matter. It appeared more like a jeweled cowl on her neck the way the scales refracted the light and shimmered beautifully. The trill aged well.
“Queen Roknir—“ Council Florn Rel lifted her pinky to her temple and bent a knee to lower herself. “We were not informed you would be joining us…” Hearing the word queen, I immediately followed her lead and mimicked the gesture in respect. The queen narrowed her eyes at the council member and Florn took her bent knee to the ground, and placed both her pinky fingers at her temples, waving them in a shake then back to her temples over and over again. I wasn’t about to do that, but I kept my pinky finger at my temple. Looking over at Nen-Le she stood tall and her pinky finger was at her chin, almost like she was in a casual thought, but the positioning of her pinky was probably relevant to the situation. I’d ask later.
“You forget yourself, Council Florn Rel. It is not for a star to question its existence but to be of service to the universe. Earthling, I accept your claim, and pity that you will not live to accept its honor.”
Nen-Le took a step between us, while Direl grabbed me towards him, gathering me up against his chest. I risked breaking eye contact with the queen as I stared at her in shock. Even my hand lowered to my side unable to keep its position of respect at my temple as I thought about what she was saying. Why did the Queen of Trillume suddenly care about dueling a human?
“You.” Queen Roknir pointed at me, but now that I noticed where her eyes were staring, it was what was behind me… Direl. “It is clear the mark of this human is yours; you will watch your mate die for attempting to end our treaty in your selfishness.”
He growled, and twisted to shove me behind him as he preened with his epul on full display. “Threaten my mate again, and they will be the last words you speak.”
“This is my duel!” Nen-Le shouted but was ushered off to the side by a trill guard, and another was dragging me away to give them space.
“No!” I screamed. “I accept! It’s me you agreed to duel!” I knew looks were deceiving for a trill, and she’d nearly killed King Sylve when she had taken over Necias Prime. She’d killed Seira-Le and countless other warriors. I suspected this was from her poison, and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing Direl so soon after admitting I needed him.
The council chambers cleared, everyone off to sides or floating in the air, watching as Queen Roknir’s shoulder tendrils stiffened and lifted up like a head dressing spread out around her. Her scales on her head lifted to attention and with a huff, steam lifted from her skin… Fuck, was that how she poisoned people? Was it airborne in the particles around her? This was not discussed in any trainings about alien exchanges. Direl’s skin scaled over, his second skin thickening in hardened armor in preparation, and he stalked her.
Someone announced above us, “Prince of Command, Vox Direl of the Necias Prime House of Nel, heir to the rights of law between Trillume and Necias Prime honor bound to claim his title of King for the title of Queen Roknir of the Trillume Galactic Authority. Title for title, right to right. In name as you are in power to lead your species within the alliance. Blood for blood, in death do you rise.”
My heart pounded in my chest, and I couldn’t hear anything over my blood rushing to my ears. I saw it as soon as Queen Roknir moved her feet. The feet always moved first. Some warriors keep their head up, looking at their opponent’s eyes and instilling fear and power, but that only worked when your opponent wasn’t as trained as you. She’s killed before, and she didn’t need precision, she needed her poison running in his veins and pumping fast through his body. So, I watched her feet. Always pointing and aiming, moving before her shoulders, before the rest of her went into action. I wouldn’t make it in time, and the way she was angled with her hands prepared to grab him. She didn’t care about getting hurt, she’d take the hit if she got the kill.
Tension squeezed around my heart. He wasn’t thinking straight, there was a primal urge to protect and he was vulnerable. I grabbed the trill guard and swept my feet under them to knock them off balance. I had to get to my mate.
Queen Roknir grabbed his epul on his arm and yanked him towards her tendrils that glistened with moisture I didn’t think anyone should be touching. Her blood leaked down her hands, and I pumped my legs faster to get to them.
She grinned and said, “I learned from my fight with King Sylve. Your skin is so thick, it took much effort to get my poison beyond his second skin. But you’ve already done all the work for me, piercing through your own skin from the inside out.” She slid her hand down the epul, and dug into the flesh around the bone. Direl’s other arm launched at her, and she lifted the arm she gripped the epul on, and twisted, ducking under with a slide before grabbing another epul at the base before she yanked. The epul from his arm severed, pulled from his arm and slipped from her grasp with the force, her fingers slick with blood.
I felt like I was in an action movie, just like my brother always said. The epul flew through the air and landed in front of me as I rolled to pick it up and continued into a sprint towards the queen.
“Go Lee!” Nate yelled, distracting Direl.
“No,” I huffed. I was almost there. Why did time seem to slow down when it mattered most? Like it was taking forever to help him.
With his epul in my hand, I wiped the blood off on my pants to get a better hold, and I lunged. Direl gripped Queen Roknir and grappled to turn her back towards my advance. I smiled to myself. We really were a team, I thought before the epul pierced through Queen Roknir’s back, and I could hear the gurgle of her lungs filling with blood. Liquid from her tendrils dripped onto my forearm, and it burned my skin, hallowed screams filled my ears.
“Pulsunne!” Direl called before he skewered Queen Roknir on his leg epuls as she collapsed from her wound.
Did we do it?
Sounds and images blurred as my body jostled.
“King Vox Direl of Necias Prime, welcome to the council of the Galactic Authority,” someone said.
“Unless you have a death wish, you’ll have a medic make sure my mate isn’t poisoned.”
“Of course, King Vox.”
“Grab her heart,” Nate said in a panic. “Trust me, you need Queen Roknir’s heart.”
“How do you know this?” My mate snapped at my brother with a roar.
Guilt dripped in my brother’s voice, “I can’t tell you. But we’ll need it to make an antidote. I’ll get it.”
