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Serix walked back to the room with Cassie in contemplative silence. With all of the entrances to the compound being sealed off, it would only be a matter of time before the runaway prisoner was found. He would need to come out for food or water eventually, and when he did, the humans would be waiting. He didn’t know what they planned to do with Jaxil, but it couldn’t be good. Ryan hadn’t shown him mercy during his interrogation, and he hadn’t even hurt anyone. The young Lunairan would likely face death if he got caught before Ryan had a chance to cool down.

Serix rounded a corner, heading down the corridor that led to his and Cassie’s room. Then there was the matter of the other captives. Cassie had been able to stall her friend for now, but once the entrances were sealed, there would be nothing stopping him from interrogating the Lunairans in the hold. Most, if not all of them, would probably be killed. He wondered if there was anything that could be done to stop the massacre. Ryan wasn’t in his right mind after Sally’s murder. If he wasn’t willing to see reason, they might as well begin preparing nine more funerals.

He sat down on the bed next to his mate, leaning tiredly against her shoulder. She met his gaze and, seeming to read his mind, asked: [b]“What are we going to do, Serix? They won’t look for the boy forever. We’ve got to think of something to stop those interrogations from happening.”[/b]

“I don’t know what to do,” he shook his head hopelessly. “It’s going to take a lot to change Ryan’s mind.” He laid down on the bed, wrapping one hand around Cassie’s waist to drag her down beside him. When they were both lying down, her back to his chest, he slipped his arm across her side in an embrace. He closed his eyes, taking comfort in her presence—her warmth, the smell of her hair, the softness of her skin. He began to relax. “We’ll figure something out. Besides, if anyone can get through Ryan’s thick skull, it’s you.” He buried his head against her neck, planting a quick kiss. “As much as I dislike it… you should spend some time with him. He’s grieving. He needs someone to help him cope with his loss, and I think you’re the perfect person for the job.”

He strongly disliked the thought of his mate getting close to the other male—hated it, even—but he couldn’t think of any other choice. If they were going to save the other Lunairans, someone would have to talk to Ryan. For their sakes, he would have to lay down his pride and let the exchange happen.

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Jaxil knit his brow as Terra explained the many functions of books in human society. As hard as he tried to remain impartial, he couldn’t help the pique of interest he felt when she said books were used for entertainment. It was fascinating that the humans used writing to tell stories instead of telepathy. Perhaps they didn’t share the mental ability with Lunairans, even though they looked so visibly similar? He wanted to ask, but he was afraid of giving away information that she might be able to use against him or his people. Instead he sat quietly, eating the food she had brought him—it was surprisingly delicious—and listening to her explain why she liked to read.

He examined Terra’s face curiously. She was so open with him about her past. He had only just met her earlier that day, but she had already told him about her life in the tunnels, her brother, and the age groups that existed among the humans. She really wasn’t afraid of him at all. [i]Should I be unafraid of her as well?[/i] He wondered. She definitely seemed harmless enough, but she was still a human and his commander had told him not to trust her kind. He had to remember the words of his leaders, even though she seemed innocent.

[b]“This book is one of my favorites,”[/b] Terra said fondly, opening the book to its beginning. [b]“It’s called [i]The Little Prince[/i]. Here, listen.”[/b]

Much to Jaxil’s surprise, she began to read to him out loud. Her voice lilted melodically as she told the tale of a prince from another planet who had fallen in love with something called a ‘rose’—by the description in the book, it appeared to be a plant of some sort—and a pilot who had crashed his ship. It was an odd tale with many words and phrases the Lunairan didn’t understand, but he enjoyed listening to Terra’s soothing voice as she read nonetheless.

Jaxil stifled a yawn. While he liked listening to the book, her voice was also making him tired. He fought to keep awake, refusing to let himself be disgraced by falling asleep in front of a human. His commander would never forgive him for such a mistake. He sat up straighter against the wall and read along over Terra’s shoulder, his luminescent eyes reflecting purple across the white pages of the book.

He was relieved when she finally stopped reading and told him she was leaving for the night so they could both rest. Nodding wearily, he watched her put the book down and prepare to go, “I think so too.” He hesitated, shifting his weight, and went on in a quiet voice, “Also… thanks for not killing me.” He blinked in the darkness of the cave. Was it wrong to have shown gratitude to a human? He wasn’t sure. His exhaustion was making his brain fuzzy. Even if it was wrong, he doubted he would be reprimanded too severely for saying it. There were worse things than thanking an enemy. “Thanks for the supplies too.”