Page 20 of Orange Town
He suddenly stopped laughing and lunged at me. I tried to move away when he painfully grabbed the wrist holding the dagger. What is his problem?
The dagger fell to the floor in a small thud.
I wanted to bash his head. I felt a small prick in my left hand. Great, I wounded myself. I squished my thumb against the wound on my pinkie. Thank goodness it’s just a small cut. I thought I lost a finger. At least I know this diamond dagger is sharp.
I looked up ready to give him my piece of mind. Inside my head I’m already cursing him in different languages.
I shut my mouth.
He is looking at my hand intently. This close to him, I can see his eyes are dilated. What’s wrong with him now?
I cleared my throat. That seemed to wake him up.
He took a long deep breath as if sampling the air around us.
Then he narrowed a look at me.
“Who are you, Brynn Anderson?” he is using that menacing tone again.
I moved back and tried to dislodge his hand on my wrist. I will not be surprised if it’s bruised. He probably doesn’t know we are more fragile than them.
“I told you I came from Earth, the - “ I stopped. I remembered Zirc telling me specifically that I should not tell others that I came from a blue planet. I should have asked him why.
“The what?” Roqs urged and gripped me tighter.
“Can you remove your hand first? You might break my wrist.”
He narrowed his eyes at me but he released me. Slowly.
I cleared my throat. “I could not really explain where I came from because I was asleep all the way.”
“Your people. Those from Earth. Do you all have iron blood?” he said in urgent tones.
“Iron? Oh you mean it smells like one? Yes, we do. All of us. Even the animals have iron blood.” That I know of. “Why, what kind of blood do you have?”
He magically produced a small black dagger and cut his palm.
I gasped. What is this guy’s problem?
“You don’t have to cut yourself to show me…” My voice trailed off when I saw the orange goo oozing at the open wound on his palm.
Of course. Their blood is orange. Or I’m going color blind with all the orange colors on this planet.
What more evidence do I need to know I’m on a different planet?
“Does Zirc know this?” Roqs asked and grabbed my upper right arm.
He tugged me towards his set of bags. His cut hand stopped bleeding.
“Yes, he knows. He seemed bothered by it too.” I can’t remember if he reacted this badly or not.
He opened one bag that had clear bottles filled with different liquids. He opened one and I saw something moving inside.
He made me sit on the nearby chair.
“No one should know you have iron blood if you don’t want the red guards to find you.”
I have no idea who the red guards are, but it is clear to me that the clear and present danger in this room is Roqs.
