Page 15 of The Alien Noble's Little Human

I nod. “Thank you, Nurse Hadack. I’ll summon you if I need anything further.”

I look at the end of the hallway, and I swear I can see the hint of Zaya smiling. I stand at her feet, towering over her.

“Come with me. To my study, Ms. Norland.” I walk quickly and powerfully, feeling the ground vibrate beneath me.

“Wait, slow down, I don’t know where you’re going.”

“I suggest you increase your pace then.”

I can hear her panting, and I’m gratified to show her where she ranks in relation to me. I hold open the door to the study impatiently, which makes her go faster. She needs to get used to who’s in command.

On a large table is an array of maps of the Kingdom, spanning different eras and surveying expeditions, including a corner dedicated to the Ice-Charred Peaks.

“What’s all this?” She’s slightly out of breath. The heaving of her chest is impossible to look away from.

“Your route.”

“My… route?”

Her flushed cheeks and glistening face make me imagine closing the door, enjoying her on this tabletop while she squirms beneath me.

“Yes. For when you retrieve your mineral.”

“For when… my mineral… I have no idea what you mean.”

“You diagnosed the problem, you find the solution. You would be the ideal person to retrieve your roxolite.”

“I’m not the ideal person for anything. I came out of a sense of duty. I am not going on a death march to one of the most dangerous places on the planet.”

“There are mountain guides.”

“No. The answer is no. I came and did my job. I’m not suited for this. As you’ve pointed out, I’m an ill-equipped, ordinary human.”

It seemed so preposterous that a mineral could rebalance the chaos of my daughter’s body that I didn’t even think seriously about how to get it.

“I certainly can’t go. I can’t leave Hanai. We’ll have to gather an expedition party to collect the roxolite.” Instantly I know I don’t trust this journey in the hands of anyone apart from those invested in Hanai.

“Who else then? Would Talan be a candidate?”

Pssh. Talan? I’m twice the rider he is.

“No, definitely not. He doesn’t have the kind of experience there that I do.”

“You’ve been there before?”

I love holding her in suspense, building a mystique, capturing the imagination of this gorgeous creature. I nod solemnly.

“What was it like?”

“Everything they say. You know what they call the mountain pass to enter?”

“No. I know very little about the Ice-Charred Peaks.”

“Death’s Door.”

“You’re not really making the case for me to go on this trip, Prince Taurek.”

“The case for going on this trip is over there in that sickbed. You saw her. You have a greater understanding of how dire her situation is than I do. So tell me what you’ve read in your books. If you’re certain of where the roxolite is, you need to be the one to find it.”

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