Heart's Prisoner (Dark World Mates Book 1) Page 7

  Nicole's eyebrows rose. "Yes?"

  "Well he can either ask me any question–which he, of course, hasn't–or he can ask me for a favor."

  When Nicole gave her an even more concerned look, Lana put up her hands in defense. "Nothing that would put anyone in danger or compromise the facility, I promise. Anyways...I won a few times, but once he got a knack for the game, well..."

  Nicole frowned. "How many favors do you owe him, Lana?"

  Lana looked down as if embarrassed. "More than I'd care to admit. And I won't go into detail about what they are."

  She could see Nicole wanted to know but was polite enough not to push her on it and Lana was thankful. After the first day of their games, for every one match Lana was able to win, Xerus won at least three. The favors had started innocent enough at first. He learned quickly that being stubborn just for the sake of it wasn't any reason he couldn't use her offer to his advantage. Sure she wouldn't free him obviously. But why reject the chance to have someone under your thumb?

  And he certainly took the chance every time he got. There was even a point when Lana truly believed he was only making up favors just for fun, or maybe just to rile her up.

  Some involved bringing him food–he didn't want any of the others to do it. It had to be either her or a Scibot. Since the Scibot wasn't made to do the sort of task, she had to coax one of the engineers to reprogram it. Xerus only wanted cooked meat and only the finest parts (thighs were especially good for some reason).

  Other strange favors were to have her brighten the lights on her side of the room, to have her sit closer to the window, to have her clean the window (that one she was sure was just for a laugh) and to give him a lock of her hair because he was 'curious at how it felt'.

  Cole allowed these small favors at least, seeing them as naturally harmless. Even the use of the Scibot he authorized, seeing it more a benefit now that he didn't have to force anyone but Lana to go inside Asset X's unit.

  When Xerus started asking serious favors, like turning off the lights for a brief time, that's when they were forced to draw the line.

  And once he knew he couldn't get much farther with any more requests while he was in his cell, he began to think up favors to give her when he was out. At some point she had to catch him something called a drednat (whatever the hell that was), had to prepare some special dish for him called Vala, and even had to assist bathing him once he was free, polishing his horns and filing his nails; grooming him like some kind of servant.

  Lana took another sip of her drink then set it aside, rubbing her forehead. "Honestly, I would have stopped the games way sooner," she said to Nicole. "But every time I got at least one victory and was rewarded with some kind of answer, I couldn't stop myself from trying for another."

  Nicole gave her a sad smile. "Did you find out anything at least?"

  Lana looked around making sure no one was in hearing distance. "Not much but some things, yes. I know now he was a highly ranked soldier of a special class and he was the leader of his team, fighting a war that had been spanning many years. When I tried to ask who his enemy was, however, he only replied with 'They are all around.' He was tasked with one mission and that was to destroy."

  Nicole straightened in her chair, looking tense. "You think...it's to destroy us?"

  Lana shrugged, uncertain. "I don't know honestly. But whoever his enemy is, they were on planet 421."

  Nicole nodded, her brows furrowing. "I know you'll figure it out, Lana. In time. Maybe just lay off the games for a while?"

  "Maybe..."

  "And I know this wasn't meant to be a therapy session or anything but how have you been feeling otherwise? Sleeping okay?"

  Lana's eyes fell to her lap and she clasped her hands together. " I...ah...I've been having these dreams."

  Nicole leaned forward. "Oh?"

  Lana closed her eyes. " Okay, more like nightmares."

  When Lana opened her lids, she saw Nicole staring back at her. "Tell me," she said.

  Lana sighed. "I'm in the room where I do my sessions with Xerus. It's like any normal day. We are talking...or I am talking and Xerus is just...watching me. Then suddenly he is speaking but I don't understand him and his tone changes and it sounds like..." Lana's eyes met Nicole's. "It sounds like my father's voice. And when it changes I can understand him and suddenly I am crying. No, I am weeping. Then the glass just disappears. I scream and run for the doors but they won't open and I can feel Xerus right behind me. When I feel his breath on my neck that's when I wake up."

  Nicole reached out and placed her hand on Lana's. "When did they start?"

  "About four days into my sessions."

  "I can prescribe a sleeping agent that might help dispel the dreams."

  Lana shook her head and smiled. "Those always give me a raging headache when I wake up. It's okay, I'll manage. It hasn't affected my work."

  'At least not yet,' Lana thought.

  Nicole's lips tugged up in a little smile as she released her hand and sat back. "Just keep at it, Lana. You've got this."

  ***

  Lana decided to take Nicole's advice and pause any more games with Xerus for the time being. At their next session, she entered the room carrying a bag over one shoulder and a box in her hands. She set the box down on the table and dropped the bag next to her chair. Xerus was by the window just as she turned off the screen.

  "No games today I take it?" he said, eyeing the box and bag.

  "Not today. I'm...holding off on playing anymore for a while," Lana said.

  Xerus' mouth twitched. "Pity. I was really enjoying all the favors."

  Lana gave him a tight smile. "I'm sure." She went to the box and opened it. "Since you've been too shy to talk about yourself. I thought today would be about me." Lana took several items from the box and set it aside then she took her laptop out from the bag and set it on the chair. Xerus gazed at the items curiously.

  "What are those?" He pointed to the items on the table.

  "Those are gifts I am giving to you," Lana said. She went to pick one up but hesitated when she caught Xerus' confused stare. "You do know what a gift is right?"

  Xerus' eyes flashed over to her. "Yes, I know. I just don't know why you are giving them to me."

  "Because I want to. Does there need to be any other reason?"

  Xerus looked at her suspiciously. "Gifts are not usually given without just cause."

  "Well, where I come from it can be." Lana hid her smile while she picked the first item. She turned back to the window and held it up for Xerus to see. "This is a mango. It's my favorite fruit."

  Xerus looked down at her to gauge how serious she really was. Then he glanced back at the fruit. "It's...edible?"

  "It sure is, see?" She took one bite from it and showed off the dark orange innards. "It's sweet and tangy. Care to try?"

  When Xerus didn't say anything but didn't look completely disgusted either, Lana took out a non-bitten mango and went over to the transfer box by the wall. She opened it and dropped the fruit inside then closed it back up. She stepped away and observed Xerus carefully while taking another bite of her mango.

  Xerus didn't move right away. He watched her eat hers for a moment then decidedly made his way over to the box. He took up the fruit with his claws and Lana imagined if he cared to, he could easily crush it with his hand, seed and all. Instead, he held it with surprising gentleness and lifted it to his mouth where he sniffed at it.

  After a long pause, he opened his jaws and with one whole bite, devoured the fruit completely. Lana froze with mango raised to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock as she just watched the alien eat the fruit without even savoring it, noticing his sharp teeth only clamp down once, like some kind of shark eating its meal whole. His long tongue came out and licked around his jaws and mouth where some of the juice had slipped through his teeth.

  Lana lowered her mango. "Ah...um...you weren't really supposed to eat the seed."

  "What seed?" Xerus asked.

>   Lana's mouth thinned. "Nevermind. So what did you think?"

  "Mmm...texture is strange." He thought about it some more. "But the taste was...nice."

  "Nice? really?" Lana couldn't help smiling a little, feeling relieved. She figured he was going to hate it. "Do you have sweet fruit where you come from?"

  "If by fruit you mean the edible growths from the ground then, yes, there are some but they are uncommon. And they are not...sweet as you call it. They taste more like the earth from which they come from and they are darker in color."

  Interesting. She would have to make a note of that later.

  Lana set her mango aside. "I will bring you another fruit when I get a chance." Lana took up the next item. "This is another sweet food but it's also one of my favorites." Lana turned and showed him the bar of chocolate in her hands. "It's called chocolate."

  Xerus leaned closer to the glass. "It looks awful."

  "Maybe it doesn't look appetizing but it's a big hit among humans." Lana went over to the box and broke off a piece of the bar then tossed it inside. Xerus took the piece between two claws and sniffed.

  "They use it in a lot of different items too, to make different kinds of treats." Lana bit off a piece, letting the chocolate melt on her tongue. Xerus watched her with acute interest. He opened his mouth and, this time, let it slide in. He clamped down and Lana saw his mouth work and his throat move as he swallowed.

  "And what did you think of that?"

  Xerus' tongue flicked out and he blinked. "A little too sweet for my taste but the texture was better. Not sure about the aftertaste."

  "It's a little bitter I admit but that's because it's dark chocolate."

  Xerus' head tilted. "Dark?"

  "It's... just got more flavor than the regular kind."

  "Hm..."

  Lana went back to the table again and this time picked up items that were not edible.

  "This is soap and a scrubber. I'm not sure how you clean but considering you've mentioned bathing..."

  Xerus bared his teeth in an odd grin and she had a feeling it was because he remembered she was going to have to 'serve' him in the endeavor eventually. "Yes," he said.

  "...I assume your skin doesn't just magically clean itself or that you use your tongue to do it. And since you have yet to be provided with anything, I thought...well, here." Lana placed the bar of soap and cloth in the box along with a canister of water.

  When Lana turned back to the glass she was caught off guard by seeing Xerus pressed close to it, looking at her. His tail swaying calmly from side to side.

  Lana cleared her throat. She went over to her laptop and signed in. "Anyways. Something else I want to show you." Lana pulled up a playlist and synced it to the speakers within the room. She pressed start and music began to play.

  Lana turned to the glass and saw that Xerus still hadn't moved. That he had been watching her. Though once the music began, his head tilted back and his eyes flickered upward.

  The piano music was soft and delicate, filling the room with its sweet sound. Lana put her hands behind her back and swayed a little. She observed Xerus as he turned from the glass and stood in the middle of the room, listening.

  "It's Clair de Lune."

  When Xerus looked back at her, confused, Lana pointed up. "The music. This piece. That's what it's called."

  "Is this what most humans listen to?" he asked.

  Lana shook her head. "No, not all. Everyone has different tastes."

  "And this is yours?"

  Lana closed her eyes, continuing to sway. " I like it, yes. But I like other kinds too." When she opened her eyes, Xerus was watching her again. His expression was dark, but his eyes were bright. When she looked back at him squarely, they stared at each other for a few seconds before Lana had to look away.

  She cleared her throat. "Sorry, maybe it's not your thing."

  "It's not."

  Lana nodded her head and went to turn the music off.

  "But it is beautiful."

  Lana paused and turned back to him and saw his eyes still on her. She smiled weakly and laughed. "You recognize beauty?" she asked, half-joking.

  Xerus' mouth widened. "Yes. I can tell when something is beautiful."

  Lana's smile turned to a grin. Xerus lifted his head and some emotion passed over his eyes but Lana didn't catch what it was. She did catch herself staring at him and quickly turned away.

  "Let's try something different. How about this?" Lana selected another song. This one was nearly the opposite of the previous with a fast beat and heavy synths.

  Xerus seemed indifferent to it. Though he recognized it as dancier music. Lana tried several other pieces of different musical genres that she liked and most of his reactions remained the same.

  "Curious..." Lana glanced at the alien then went to the search bar and looked for a genre she didn't like as much but was interested to see if he would. "How about this?" Lana pressed play and heavy metal blasted through the room.

  Xerus tensed up at the noise and bent forward, crouching like a predator. His lips lifted in a snarl and his eyes narrowed into fiery slits. A low growl escaped him and he looked ready to attack.

  Panicking, Lana quickly shut the music off. "Xerus?" she called to him nervously.

  Xerus didn't seem to hear her at first. He huffed and grunted like an animal for a few seconds, his heart jackhammering in his chest. She was about to call to him again when he let out a long breath and straightened his body.

  He shook his head and blinked then looked at her. "What the hell was that?"

  "Heavy metal."

  "...I wouldn't play that again if I were you."

  Lana made a big mental note on that one. "Let's try one more. This one’s not so heavy." Lana found a song that was worldly in its essence, focusing on drum beats and bass instruments. When it began to play, Xerus seemed to perk up.

  "Mm. This is better."

  "Is this the kind of music your people listen to?" she asked.

  When Xerus gazed at her, Lana put up her hand. "Ah. Forgot. No, questions."

  Xerus sank to the ground, placing himself in a crouching position. "It is similar to certain songs among my kind, yes."

  Not wanting to bother moving her laptop, Lana sat down on the ground next to the glass. "This one derives from the desert and tropical regions in my world."

  Xerus listened, his eyes fogging over as if recalling something. "This reminds me of Yersha's dance."

  Lana leaned in slightly, her forehead nearly touching the window. "Who is Yersha?"

  Xerus' eyes flickered over to her then looked away. "She was Veradis' sons' mate."

  Lana recalled that name and remembered it was a name mentioned in that vow she took when she and Xerus began to play Chess with the high stakes.

  She was about to ask who Veradis was but decided she better not push it. "What's the dance like?" she asked instead.

  Xerus gave her a sly look. "It's not for me to perform if that's what you are wondering."

  "Oh, come on, I know you aren't self-conscious," Lana said playfully.

  Xerus snorted. "No, it's not that. I literally mean it is not meant for me to perform. It is a dance by females for their mates."

  Lana straightened. "Oh." Shifting a little, she was itching to ask more but, instead, decided to sit quietly and just listen with Xerus. It was a lovely song and she could imagine the kind of dance performed.

  When it ended they sat for a moment in silence. When Lana glanced back at Xerus, she smiled.

  "Did your mate perform the dance? Is that how you know it?" the question just slipped out of her without thought and her face heated, bracing herself for Xerus to snap at her. Before she could take it back, however, Xerus grunted low.

  "No, I learned of it as a fledgling. I have no mate as of yet." Xerus stood up and Lana followed. "...but once I become a Predomis, that will change."

  Lana was about to blurt out yet another personal question when Xerus suddenly hunched over and groaned,
clutching his stomach.

  "Xerus? Xerus, what's wrong?" Lana moved to the glass with concern.

  Xerus growled and began to dry heave. Then without warning, he vomited brown and orange liquid. The juice splashing against the ground.

  Shocked, Lana's hands clamped to her mouth. He vomited several more times and all Lana could do was watch in horror. When his stomach finally quieted, Xerus groaned and looked at her.

  "I don't think I like chocolate."

  Chapter Seven

  Lana smoothed out the top of her uniform and brushed off her pants before stepping over to the door with the Lazris star and pressing the button on the intercom. She took a step back as a screen on the intercom lit up and a Scibot's faceless head came into view.

  "Please state your name and business," it said in a monotonous voice.

  "Lana Hart. Here to see Jacob Hartin," Lana said, clasping her hands together.

  "One moment..." The screen went black and a few seconds later a buzzing sound indicated the door was unlocked. The door slid open and the Scibot greeted her on the other side.

  "Please follow me." The bot turned away and began to lope over to another door. Lana stepped into the small foyer and followed quickly behind. A muffled echo of music and laughter seeped past the inner door and when the bot placed in a code and the door opened, the noise blasted out into the hall. The Scibot stood to the side and Lana moved past it into the room beyond.

  People gathered around a lush living area, drinks in hand, sitting on long white couches, or standing near a small bar in the corner. A few heads turned to her as she entered, curious eyes watching her as they took in the color of her badge, indicating she was from level twelve.

  Lana couldn't help checking other's badges as well. Every color was different, representing each level. There was green for level two, red for level six, and silver for level four, the general's headquarters and apartments. These were the main ones she saw but there were a few blues for level five, the security and tech center, and one orange for the mechanics bay. From what she could tell, she was the only one wearing a purple badge.