Page 21 of Orange Tundra
"Are my lovers," I finished firmly. No point dancing around it. However, mates are a big deal on this planet. I don't want to reveal yet that they were my mates. Better to keep that information a secret for now.
Snarz made a choking sound. "Lovers? Both of them?"
Heat crept up my neck but I held my ground. "Yes."
The innkeeper and his nephew exchanged loaded looks. I could practically see the questions forming, but Xy stepped forward before they could voice them. I bet they wanted to ask about Zirc and Roqs from the Silver Tribe. I feel heat crept up from ny neck to my face. It sounded bizarre that I have turned into a slutty version of me.
"We should rest," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "Dawn comes early."
I nodded, grateful for the interruption. As the groups separated to make camp, I felt Nim's presence at my back, solid and reassuring. His hand brushed my elbow.
"Come," he murmured. "You need sleep."
I did. But as I followed him, I couldn't help glancing back at CG's crew. Tomorrow we'd attempt a prison break together. I just hoped my faith in them wouldn't get us all killed.
I sworeI only closed my eyes, then the next we were up and navigating the tunnels. The prison tunnels stretched before us like an endless maze. Nim and Sim flanked me on either side, their presence both comforting and protective. The disguises had transformed them - their usual regal bearing hidden beneath the plain armor of prison guards.
My arms itched where they'd applied some kind of paste to make my skin look more Neko-like. The loose chains clinked asI walked, connected to CG, Cif, and Sinx ahead of me. The metal was cold against my wrists, though Nim had made sure they weren't tight enough to hurt.
We walked and walked until we reach a cave wall that stretched above what I could see. It almost reminded me of the cave wall underneath the Orange Lake with Coone.
Blood dripped from Nim's palm onto the cave floor. The crimson droplets twisted into intricate patterns, forming sigils that pulsed with an otherworldly light. My engineer's mind struggled to comprehend the impossible physics of it all - how liquid could move against gravity, how blood could glow.
"Stay close," Nim whispered, his usual playfulness gone. Sim was unusually quiet.
Nim and Sim flanked me, transformed by their guard disguises. Gone were the proud warriors I knew - in their place stood two unremarkable prison guards, their regal bearing buried beneath plain armor.
The paste they'd applied to my skin itched, the artificial Neko markings feeling foreign and wrong. Chains clinked as I walked, connecting me to CG, Cif, and Sinx. Though Nim had been gentle with the restraints, the metal still bit cold against my wrists.
Behind us, Clitasoxdfwe'h moved like a shadow, his presence both reassuring and unsettling. His constant vigilance reminded me how much could go wrong.
Xy led our group, his bearing screaming authority. The strange mix of orange and white lights cast sharp shadows across the rough-hewn walls, making the tunnel feel like the throat of some great beast about to swallow us whole.
Up ahead, the entrance loomed ahead - massive and ancient. My heart slammed against my ribs, but I kept my head down. One mistake would trap us all down here.
A guard approached - tall and thin, with an unsettling mix of white and green markings that seemed to writhe across his skin. Other guards stepped aside as he passed. The warden, then.
"Captain." His voice cracked slightly. "This is unexpected."
"Zulkir." Xy's growl made even my spine stiffen. "The prisoner Onork. His cell number."
"But sir, I-" Zulkir's tail twitched in a way that spoke of deep anxiety. "Of course. Right away."
He hurried to a glowing panel, fingers dancing across its surface. Symbols flashed until one section blazed to life.
"Level three, cell seventeen," Zulkir said. "Shall I escort you-"
"That won't be necessary." Xy's words could have frozen fire.
Zulkir's ears flattened against his skull. "As you wish, Captain."
We moved past him, chains rattling with each step. I studied Xy's back, trying to reconcile this cold, commanding presence with the male I thought I knew. How many layers did he have? How many secrets still lay buried beneath that carefully controlled exterior?
The deeper we went, the more the prison pressed in around us. The air grew thick with the smell of fear and desperation. Every shadow held potential danger, every echoing footstep could be discovery approaching. We'd gambled everything on this plan working. One wrong move, one suspicious guard, and we'd all share cells in this lightless place. I shivered, and not from the cold. Nim and Sim moved unconsciously to warm me up, making the cold fear in my heart melt a little.
12
NIM
