Page 32 of Xefe
How was I going to get us out of this mess? Because who was I going to count on—Nieve and Querida? Nime was right about one thing.Theywere useless.
We stepped back in the room and returned to anarchy.
Nime turned his attention to us and slammed his staff. In broken English, he uttered, “You be punished. All!”
He spun away from us and singled out Nheenya.Mierda, I should have thought this through a little more. Nime had locked the innocent alien’s wrists behind her back with some sort of electric shackles.
“Wait!” I jumped out from behind Loxo. “This isn’t her fault.”
“No? Who’s fault?” Nime released Nheenya’s arm and looked at me. “Explain.”
Damn it. Why had I opened my mouth? Time to pull some BS out of myculo. “Think about it. It couldn’t have been Nheenya’s fault. She’s the best. The hardest worker, always happy and cheerful. You know she couldn’t have done this.”
“True.” Nime’s eyes narrowed on me. “Who did? Tell me.”
“Of course, I’ll tell you. As soon as you let her go. And then you can punish the real culprit appropriately.” I kept my gaze down, making myself as small and remorseful-looking as possible.
“Speak.” He manipulated the long staff and Nheenya’s cuffs uncoiled, the electric beams disappearing before us.
“It was her!” I point at the green bitch who was stupid enough to threaten me earlier.
“What? I did not.” Greenie scoffed. “No one believes you.”
I elbowed Nieve.
“Ow! You—” But she quickly recovered when she caught sight of Nime’s ire. “Yes, I mean,of courseit wasn’t Nheenya.” Nieve looked around and used her powers to create a story out of nothing. “It was definitely the green one. Just like Hera said. It’s her rancid energy. I can feel it.” She paused dramatically before continuing. “Don’t believe me? Ask around. They’ll agree.”
“They wouldn’t dare.” Greenie flexed her impressive muscles, glaring at the entire room as they collectively shrunk back.
“Because you’ve scared everyone, intimidated them. Look, Nime. See how they tremble.” I smiled and brought some of the other aliens closer. “I’m sure if at least one—or all of you—explained who spilled the soup, Nime would take her away, and you’dnever have to see her again. Right? You’d reward everyone by protecting them so they can work even harder for you if they weren’t abused all the time by her.” I looked at Nime. “Well, wouldn’t you?”
“I…yes, if true. But—”
“Of course, it’s true.” I walked over to Nheenya and dramatically swept my hand over her like the badass showman I was. “The evidence is splattered all over her. The green alien pushed the soupontoNheenya. She wouldn’t pull the soup onto herself. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“She yells at me a lot,” Nheenya whispered.
“She hit me in the back of the head!” someone croaked from the crowd.
“Yeah, and she smells.”
“See! She reeks! How are we supposed to work in those kinds of conditions?” Nieve nodded dramatically and carried on. “She’s a disease you need to cut out for the rest of us to function.”
“She has been abusive to the workers?” Loxo asked.
“Yes! Especially to Querida.” I utilized every arsenal in the pile to win this argument because Nime and Greenie looked apoplectic.
“These are lies! My sisters are champions. Soon, I will be fighting in the Great Race with them. I am not meant tostir soup. This is below me. But still, I spilled nothing!” Greenie was in full rant mode.
“Did she hurt you?” Loxo asked Querida, his broad shoulders swelling and growing—like a massive tree.
I held my breath, not sure how Querida would answer Loxo. She rarely spoke, especially in front of strangers. Her eyes tookin his large form, and her nonchalance dropped away. She stared intently at the changes sweeping over Loxo, at his clenched fists and massive size. Eventually, Querida narrowed her eyes at Greenie and said, “Yes.”
“Kill.” Loxo’s voice dropped to a decibel so low it sounded like one long rumble. His red eye swirled maniacally.
“No!” Nime tackled Loxo. A few minutes before, Loxo had been half a foot shorter and leaner, but now he and Nime looked the same size. “Fools! Four and Five. Help me. Take the workers and place them in their quarters. Now!” The warriors guarding the door ran toward Loxo.
“Hell, that almost worked too well,” I whispered. We stood by Nheenya. She’d earned our loyalty.
