Dark's Savior (Dark World Mates Book 2) Read online

  Cilia turned her head toward him, her face now as red as Jamie's had been. "Shut up."

  A strange sound emerged from behind them, like that of a slow, rumbling hiss. Aly blinked and looked around to find the aliens around them watching. And laughing.

  "Dammit," Cilia muttered. "I'm going to take her back," she said to Julian and Kate.

  "I'll come and help," said Kate, rising. When Julian grabbed her arm, she merely said something in French to him, and he let her go.

  Mark stood up as well. "I'll go too. Think I've had enough already. You coming?" he asked Aly.

  Aly should probably just leave too, but she shook her head instead. "I think I'm gonna stay a bit longer."

  Mark nodded and left with the three women. Once they were gone, Julian sighed, muttered something unintelligible, and forced down his drink.

  So much for that.

  Aly sat back and watched as the others drank in silence. She caught Ethan looking at her and raised her brows. "What?" she asked.

  Ethan shrugged. "You gonna have another, or you just gonna sit there?"

  Aly crossed her arms but said nothing. She didn't feel anything yet and wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Ethan bumped his mug against her shoulder.

  "Here, just give it a taste."

  Aly smelled the earthy odor in the mug and flinched. She looked at Ethan then back at the mug and took it.

  What the hell? She already knew it was going to taste bad.

  She took a quick, generous swig then plopped the mug back down on the table. The liquid went down thick, and the taste wasn't far off from that of grass and saltwater. Aly choked and coughed again, her eyes stinging, feeling someone patting her back.

  "Dammit, we don't need another one getting sick!" Julian said.

  "Sorry, Captain," Ethan said, patting her back harder. Aly sat straight and brushed his hand away.

  "So, how does it taste, Smith?" Ethan chuckled.

  Aly recovered herself, wiping her eyes. "Tastes just about as good as you look, Hathfeld."

  Even Ethan smirked as Davis laughed, and Julian gave her a warning glare.

  "What could possibly make this appetizing to anyone?" Aly said aloud, then felt her face heat as she looked around.

  "Nothing. This is probably just the only piss-poor choice of beer they got, by my guessing." Davis took another swig and was able to do so without making a face. Ethan and Julian followed suit.

  Aly had started to laugh a little when she turned her head to the side and caught sight of two figures by the entrance, and her laugh quickly turned into a sharp inhale of breath.

  There he was, as if just appearing from nowhere. The nillium from the bridge. And beside him was—

  "Think that's it for me," Ethan said, wiping his arm across his mouth. "It was a nice shot, Captain, but I think I'll pass next time."

  He and Davis both rose. Aly opened her mouth to get their attention, but it was too late. The two figures had already gone to the back of the room, out of sight.

  "I guess we’ll be seeing you at the old station," said Davis.

  Julian rubbed his forehead and sighed, too tired to try and get them to stay. "You got it." He took one last pull from his mug then set it aside. "Aly, you coming?"

  Aly opened her mouth then closed it, unsure what to say. "I...you go on. I'm going to finish my drink."

  Julian’s brows rose, his tired eyes looking on her with slight uncertainty. "I can stay here with you."

  Aly shook her head. "No need, Captain, I'll be fine. I'll probably be done before you even get to the elevator car. Really."

  Julian frowned then nodded his head. "All right. Well, suit yourself, Smith. Just don't start any bar fights, hm?"

  Aly smiled and nodded then watched them go. She took a few more sips of water then left the table, but she didn't make for the entrance. Instead, she snuck to the back. She could see it had grown quiet at tables; miners stared in awe at the back wall where the nillium and his companion sat in near darkness. Aly hid behind one of the pillars to stare at them herself. She looked to the nillium first, and her heart did a little jolt. Then her eyes peeled over to the one who sat beside him, and her heart dropped.

  It was a vrisha. Plain as day. There was no mistaking it now, from this close. She had seen the footage. They all had. From the leak of information the Grayhart Foundation had given to them. This one's skin, however, was more a purplish hue then the telltale red of the pictures she had seen, and its horns were shorter and its body slimmer. Aly wondered if it was possibly female.

  Then it opened its mouth and spoke and there was no wondering.

  But what was she doing here? And did she know what had happened? Did she know how to get home to her planet, or was she stuck here just like them?

  Endless questions wracked Aly's brain, but none of them gave her the courage to go up to the table and start asking. What did get her to eventually leave the pillar and approach the table was something much stranger and more troubling but much more wanting in her mind. And it didn't involve the vrisha.

  Chapter Seven

  Ryziel didn't wait long for Xilya to show up, though he did receive a few snide remarks about their meeting place.

  "Your mythical status is waning, Nihl Ryziel," she said upon their meeting. "Since when did you feel the need to meet at Shadowpoint, of all places?"

  Ryziel looked at the vrisha female with a sharp gaze. "Don't mistake my meeting you here as a need to interact with others."

  "Hard to believe, when you want to meet in a place filled with workers," Xilya said bluntly. "Is it because you haven't left the bottom in weeks, and being alone down there with just the urk drove you mad?"

  Ryziel gave a tiny, bitter smirk. "Not quite. And, for the record, I never cared if they saw me. It’s not like these people don't know I exist."

  "Yes, but as the monster who hides in the lower levels, not some silion simpleton that comes crawling up just to quench his thirst."

  Ryziel would have laughed if that hadn't stung a little.

  "Maybe I'm just not myself, all right?" And wasn't that the truth? Ryziel rubbed the base of one of his receptors.

  Xilya looked at him curiously, her spiked tail flicking to the side. "I see. Very well. But you are buying."

  They entered the place and went straight to the back, where it was darker and there were fewer wandering eyes. As they passed, Ryziel saw the faces of other miners drop, a few choking on their drinks; their eyes followed them and the whispers soon followed. Ryziel didn't care.

  They sat at the very back table, under a small floating lantern that gave off the faintest orange light. They got two Nuri sent to them right away, and Ryziel ordered a smoking pipe filled with red bluym to relax him. Once in his possession, he filled the pipe and lit the bluym then took a deep drag. Red smoke curled out of his nose and mouth as he exhaled, and the effects were almost immediate. He hadn't taken bluym in some time. Not since he found the ship, really, and rarely even before. But he felt he needed its softening effects to loosen his nerves, even if the drug brought a bad taste in his mouth.

  "So, let's get to it, as I assume we didn't come to chit chat and drink our senses away." Xilya carefully took up the cup in her clawed fingers and drank her Nuri in one swallow. She set her cup down then opened the bag at her side, taking out a small red sphere with black etchings and setting it firmly on the table. "The map is accurate, you will find. And I was told by the urk that there were loads of tython and byril in the area also. He gave us a good price for the trade, so I took it, but we can always get more if need be, since they hadn't harvested all the minerals; though he warned they are in largely more dangerous and rarely explored territory, mainly Yurza's Keep."

  Ryziel grunted and took another drag. "So, the map can guide us to the low-level chambers too?"

  "As the urk said, yes."

  Ryziel's eyes narrowed on the red sphere before him, thinking. Yes, this was good. If the map could get them into those inner chambers, they cou
ld use a tracer to search farther in, and, just maybe, they would find a specific energy signature that would lead him to the one mineral he needed most. The one to power the ship.

  Ryziel took the red sphere and placed it in his own bag at his waist. "I'll look it over with Nar. We will plan a route then get everything ready to go down. Likely, we’ll be ready to go in two mooncycles. Maybe less."

  Xilya huffed. "You aren't seriously considering taking that urk with you?"

  Ryziel met her gaze. "Don't have much choice. Neither you nor I can get into some of those cave systems."

  "Except one bad trip might cost Nar his legs again." Xilya pointed. "And that's assuming you don't run into anything foul."

  "I'm aware," said Ryziel. "Are you coming?"

  Xilya shook her head. "Not yet. I should lay low for a bit, as Vilson will wonder where I have been. But I will come down to the lair once it’s safe, to see that everything is in working order. I tested the map myself earlier, but I'd like to see that it is properly transferred into the console system and—Nihl Ryziel, are you listening?"

  He wasn't. Not fully. Because as soon as she had begun to speak, a familiar scent hit his nostrils and turned him hard as a rock. His eyes darted to the side by the edge of a pillar, and a low growl rose in his throat.

  There, from the darkness of the pillar, the woman from the bridge stood, watching.

  Ryziel went still, just like he had when first seeing her on the bridge. Xilya was trying to get his attention, but he couldn't bring himself to look away.

  The woman approached cautiously, and it was in Ryziel to feel greatly impressed that she had the courage to face not only him but the vrisha also, who was equally terrifying in her appearance.

  Brave or stupid, perhaps. It could also be true that she was just shamefully oblivious to the danger before her. Yet, still she came up to the table and even gave them a curt smile.

  "Hello," she said softly, just like she had on the bridge. Her eyes darted to the vrisha then back to him. "We met on the bridge...remember?"

  Obviously, he did, but he didn't answer. He took one last drag of his pipe in desperate hope that it would sedate him enough that his Drega wouldn't rise up and he wouldn't have the energy to leap over the table and pull her to him.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xilya regarding him. Her eyes darted from the woman back to him. When he still said nothing, Xilya let out a soft growl, as if to clear her throat.

  "And who are you, girl?" she asked, curious but guarded.

  The woman looked at the vrisha female and blinked several times, as if coming out of a trance.

  "My name is Aly," she said.

  "Aly? Interesting." Xilya paused and looked at Ryziel, who was no more reactive than the cave wall behind them. He remained still and silent, watching the woman with acute intensity.

  So, her name was Aly.

  Ryziel's brow twitched. It didn't matter what her name was. He should just tell her to leave. To never approach or look at him again. Did she not know who he was? Did she not know to regard him as she did was a serious offense to any nillium? Even one such as himself? Yes, he should call her out now and tell her she had no business interrupting them—that she should learn respect. That her kind did not just approach his kind without proper respect.

  "And from where do you hail, Aly?" Xilya asked.

  "She's human," Ryziel blurted.

  Aly's bright eyes turned back to him with shock. Ryziel had to keep himself from grimacing.

  ‘Idiot. Why don't you just go on and confess you've also been following her and her kind around while you’re at it?’

  "Yes," she said carefully.

  "I have never heard of human," Xilya said, ignoring the tension between them. "Which planetary system?"

  "Um. Earth. It's not within the Xolis system."

  "Ah, a 'refugee,' like me." Xilya looked at her more closely. "Far away, I take it?"

  Aly nodded and seemed like she wanted to say more but wasn't sure how. Eventually, she said, "You really haven't heard of us?"

  Xilya's tail swayed, and she crossed her hands. "Why would I have heard of you?" she asked.

  Aly's face turned a little pink. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

  Xilya snorted and looked at Ryziel. "Another ego-driven species. You two would get along, I'm sure...or make great enemies."

  For all her bluntness, he wished Xilya would stop talking. He needed to end this now. He took up his Nuri and drank it down then placed the now empty cup in front of him. He laid his tightly clenched fist on the table and slowly eased it open until his palm was flat. He looked up at Aly and prepared to say what he needed to say but maybe with a little more gentleness because she was new and didn't understand all the ways of Xolis. He would ask her to leave politely and not talk to him or his companion, and that would be that.

  "I'm sorry," Aly said for no reason. Her face reddened and he could see a lick of sweat run down her neck. She blinked a few times more and shook her head as if trying not to fall asleep. " I just...I wanted to apologize for the moment on the bridge. I think I might have scared you."

  There was a long pause as Ryziel stared at her in disbelief. She thought she might have scared him?

  "You looked like you didn't expect to run into anyone, and you looked pretty shocked." She took a step closer, her hip brushing the tableside. "And, well, I was pretty shocked myself." She laughed. "Ah, sorry, I'm...not feeling myself. I saw you here, and I just wanted to say that, I guess." She started to turn, as if that was all, then she came back." And if I hurt you, I'm sorry also."

  "Hurt me?" Ryziel couldn't help saying aloud.

  She brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, her soft lips curving ever so slightly, and the gesture almost made him shiver at its sweetness. He could feel himself growing harder, and he shifted uncomfortably.

  "You seemed...in pain when you got close and..." She looked to Xilya then back at him and placed her hand against her throat, and he knew exactly what she was talking about. "Then you ran. I don't know. I thought maybe my skin was toxic or something. But maybe that's stupid..."

  Stupid, yes. But not entirely illogical, he guessed, for someone to think who had no knowledge of other species besides their own.

  Something welled in him, and a noise escaped his throat. Xilya nearly jumped beside him and stared at him in shock.

  Because he was laughing.

  This strange human woman was so innocent, so naive, about what she was saying. Scared him? Hurt him? If she knew his past and who he truly was, she'd see how funny—how ironic—such statements were.

  He could hear his brother's laughter too.

  The innocent ones are always the most fun to play with.

  He stopped laughing and frowned at his brother's words. Oh, yes, how his brother liked to play. And suddenly, he had an image of him toying with Aly, and for some reason, it bothered him. Now, he was irritated.

  "Your apology is a waste of breath," he said. "You didn't scare or hurt me. Perhaps you surprised me...barely. But it was because I thought for a moment you were one of the ruk that had somehow scurried its way up from the bottom."

  Her brows knitted. "What is a ruk?"

  "A giant sightless frog," Xilya answered. "Give or take."

  Aly frowned, and the disappointment in her eyes almost stung him...almost. He shoved any guilt down.

  "Oh." She smiled then laughed a little. "I guess I can see the mistake." A joke, he thought.

  She nodded her head and went to take a step back when an abbiot walked past. Ryziel watched as she backed into him, and he, in turn, jutted his great arm out and pushed her back, letting out a deep growl. Ryziel watched as she stumbled forward, hit the table, and caught herself, smacking her hands on the tabletop. One hand landed on the cool metal, another landed on top of his own.

  The touch was as electric as the last time. Ryziel's Drega tore its way up, ready to pounce, and in response, Ryziel shot his hand back and bared his teeth, a hiss escapin
g his lips. A violent surge of lust ripped his lower abdomen, pain throbbing between his thighs. He was ready to lunge over the table, grab her arm, swing her around, shove her against the table, bend her over, and take her right there for everyone to see, Nihl be damned.

  Panic took him. He found himself leaping over the table, but he didn't touch her. She stumbled back in alarm then fell to the ground, and her fear was plain. He towered over her with a heaving breath.

  "Stay away," he growled. "Stay away from me. If I find you anywhere close to my territory or near me again, you will regret it."

  And that was that. And he could see in her that it was enough. He disliked himself in that moment, though being cruel had never garnered such shame in him before. But right now, it felt necessary.

  Before he did something he might regret later, he turned away and left, leaving the girl on the floor and Xilya to sit there wondering what the hell his problem was. But it was a better scenario than the alternative. And so, he went without a word.

  Chapter Eight

  Aly sat up in her unit, staring out the one small window next to her bed, her head pressed against the cool glass, watching the lights from outside. It had begun to rain again, and, based off the skymeter's readings beside the window, it would continue to do so for the remainder of the night and all into the next day. The temperature was to drop as well, and the wind would pick up after that. Another glorious day in Lethe Maws.

  Aly sighed and lifted her head from the glass then begrudgingly made her way to the kitchen and made herself a cup of dark hyli tea. She wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, she knew, so she might as well make the most of it in some other fashion. She took her tea over to the bed and set it on the bedside table to let it cool then she picked up her sketchbook and opened it carefully. She flipped through it until she stopped and stared at the image before her and frowned.

  The nillium's face stared back at her, only partially shaded from face to neck, his eyes glaring at her just like he had at Shadowpoint. Angry.

  She was a fool. A real idiot. She didn't know what had come over her then at the bar, but she certainly wished more than once she could go back and just drag her intoxicated ass out of the situation, patting herself on the back and saying, "nice try." But no. The memory of only a few hours ago still lingered like an open wound in her mind: the nillium's face snarling above her, his more than serious threat, his eyes alight with a violent fire she cowered before. And what had she done? Well, she wasn't entirely sure where she set him off as he had seemed pretty put out by her even in the beginning; but, by her guess, it was when she had stumbled onto the table and accidentally dropped her hand onto his. He really didn't like being touched, if only by her. That thought hurt, though she told herself it shouldn't. There were plenty of people, humans included, who didn't like to be touched, so she shouldn't feel offended.