Page 33 of Xefe
“What the hell is happening to him?” Nieve asked.
“I don’t know,” Nheenya said.
Querida didn’t take her eyes off Loxo as ten super-fit and hot alien warriors surrounded the raging alien.
“Damn, chica. I didn’t know you had it like that,” Nieve said to Querida.
Querida smirked but kept her gaze riveted on Loxo, her mass of curly red hair a sharp contrast to her midnight eyes.Pure interest.None of the annoyance and nonchalance from before.
“Control yourself, or I will take you away from her!” Nime had his massive arms around Loxo as he screamed in his ear.
Loxo’s broad chest rose and fell. He shook his head like a wet dog. It took more than a few minutes but eventually, his body visibly shrunk before us. His swirling red eye calmed, but he kept his gaze on the green bitch, who appeared terrified. “Punish her.”
“It is already done, brother. Calm yourself. Or you will scare the earthers.”
What kind of hell is this?
Loxo shook off the guards. In seconds, his happy grin broke through. Back to normal, he walked up to us, like nothing had ever happened. “Ready to go?
“G-go where?” I asked, not sure who stood in front of me.
“For your training, of course. That was why I was sent here. To pick you up. Come.”
I looked at the girls, and they looked wide-eyed and confused. Eventually, Nieve shrugged. “You’re okay, now? You won’t kill us or anything, right?”
“Never!”
I smiled and hooked my arm into his. Anything was better than stirring soup. Worker, my ass. “Lead the way! And listen, I just want to say ahead of time, we would never intentionally do, or say,anythingto piss you off.”
CHAPTER 15
Earthers on practiceareaX.The message had come through Xefe’s uniform. Each suit was specially designed to accommodate each of his warriors, and they used it to communicate throughout the day. But this wasn’t what he’d expected to read. Area X was the oldest of the arenas and locatedoutsidethe mountain. Yes, it had a surrounding force field, but the local beasts and Guardians tested the barrier constantly.
It might not be safe.
Xefe stormed through the dark tunnels, his body tight at the idea of the earthers so close to the tundra. Had Loxo adequately explained the dangers? He and his warriors spent most of their surveillance and patrols dedicated to keeping the monsters who lived outside, at bay. The wildlife was ruthless—barging, climbing, burrowing to get beyond the boundaries. But nothing was more relentless or powerful than the Guardians, the killer wind funnels that wreaked havoc wherever they materialized. The Aavvee, the pampered elite, had no idea how close they lived to death. Or perhaps they did, and it made it part of the appeal.
“When did Loxo take them to X?” He messaged Nime when he heard no response from Loxo.
“About oneonaago.” Nime, Third, responded via suit before stepping out of a portal next to Xefe. “I came as soon as I heard you ask about the earthers. I have much to discuss with you about them.”
Xefe grunted, bracing for a long list of complaints. His head still felt rattled after speaking to one scheming earther last night. He couldn’t imagine what Nime had endured with three of them.
Nime slammed his staff into the ground, and the north mountain force field faded away. Warm winds whipped against Xefe’s skin, kicking up jet-black dust. No one had used field X insonas. The area was in complete disrepair. After abrutoo, a plumed beast that stalked the black sands, had blasted through the barricade, most fighters chose to practice in the overcrowded, but safe, main training unit.
“Why bring themhere? It is too dangerous,” Xefe said.
“By order of the supreme.”
Anger flashed over him. He didn’t fight it, and it persisted much longer than usual. The echo of it always remained. Loxo had once told him he was on the edge of anger so often that it left a residue, making it a permanent part of him.Impossible.If Loxo weren’t his closest and most trusted ally, he would have killed him for that insubordination.
Xefe and Nime burst through the main tunnel. He watched from a distance as the earthers shrieked and ran toward the force field.
Fear, a pure shot of it, pierced his heart. Hermosa ran straight for the shimmering fence. Beyond the force field, Xefe spied abrutooin wait—his massive body concealed by jagged rocks, but the top of his mango plume gave him away. Xefe imagined its giant teeth, as long as his forearm, consuming Hermosa in one bite.
“No!” Xefe’s voice bounced off the side of the mountain, echoing through the ample space. All three of the earthers stopped in their tracks, balancing on tiptoes. He only had eyes for Hermosa. “Do not go any further.”
She looked… fascinating, her long mane swaying around her, her lithe muscles flexed and shimmering. Xefe caught the lightest brush ofGlrtsstllllorogggfloating off her. Why did he want his eyes to linger, never to leave her glistening skin?
