Page 43 of The Alien Noble's Little Human

“Let me throw over what I’ve gathered.” I have another large bag for more. Dust falls from the roof just from my voice.

“This is good, Zaya. We have what we came for. Let's get out.”

“I just need some inger worms,” I tell him. “They produce restorative silk. And some danko reed.”

“Okay. Don't risk your life for it though. It's secondary. Just get the roxolite and let's get out. We don't know how much air is left, or how far we are from a cave-in. Or if it's dangerous to be around this much roxolite with no protection.”

There is a wealth of potential. Some of these plants I can’t even identify.

I reluctantly begin to make my way back into the outside cavern, dislodging another rock fall in the process.

I collect great handfuls of purple danko reeds. I try to tie them into a bundle, but the deficit of air in every breath affects my coordination. They fall.

“Come on,” he calls. “You need to get out, now!” His bellow is followed by a deep rumble in the earth.

The rope around my waist goes taut. Taurek is pulling.

“What are you doing?” I yell. “I’m not ready.”

“Yes, you are.”

I find myself sailing upward, fighting it, my fingers chafing against the thick rope. “Okay, okay.”

The rumbling is growing louder now. I can feel it under my hands. I stop fighting Taurek’s insistent pull as he lifts me out of the cavern.

I can feel rocks landing on my back as Taurek grabs my arms and drags me from the mouth of the tunnel. Just then, the rumble turns into a roar, and the tunnel collapses.

I find tears streaming down my cheeks without realizing it. Not because I could have died, but because I wish I had been able to collect more.

21

TAUREK

Around us, the cave continues to rumble and shake, shifting and settling following the cave-in. More cave-ins could be on the way. But I don’t care. All my attention is on Zaya and how fucking angry I am.

But mostly I'm just grateful she's alive. That's all I can think about as I guide her through the chambers to a part of the cavern that's close to the entrance, protected from the elements with adequate air, and not at risk of cave-ins.

She should’ve gotten out at the first sign of trouble. Zaya could’ve died.

I can’t believe she’d put herself in danger like that. What if she was crushed and I lost her and the roxolite in one horrible moment?

I don’t know what I would’ve done if things had gone differently.

“You can’t take risks like that, Zaya,” I tell her as we settle into a soft patch of ground. I place a finger on her chin and move her head to look at me. “You need to stay alive. You need to stay alive for Hanai.”

And for me.

From the look in her eyes, I can tell she knows there's a second part I'm leaving out. She can see it.

“Just for Hanai?”

“No. Not just for Hanai.” I pause and look at her glorious eyes. “For me, too. I can't lose you. I care about you too much. I love you too much to lose you so easily. We've been through too much together.”

She just looks at me, mouth half-open, as if she's trying to translate a language she's never heard before. I'm not even sure if she heard me. A part of her is still back in that lode chamber, maybe the larger part of her.

I lean in, and she's staring at me with a hunger, a need, a demand for connection. I place my lips against hers. She reaches up her hands to hold my face, and she kisses me back with as much intensity as what I'm feeling for her.

Our lips linger together for a moment, only moving to allow our tongues to meet. I pull away from our kiss.

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