under my arm and stepped into the glow of the room, the sight before me more beautiful than I could imagine.
Joan looked up at her “mate,” Raxkarax, love shining in her angled eyes and a soft smile touching her face that was so natural and easy that I couldn’t believe it was her.
I recognized the brunette, Esra, from the First Contact video; she used expansive gestures and expressive eyes as she told the group a story, and her mate, the hunter in red armor called Naraxthel, rested a huge hand on her lower back as he chuckled at her tale. Pattee Crow Flies must be the tallest woman, and Amity was the darker and curvier of the two with softer features and warm brown eyes. Pattee smiled when she bit into a piece of dried meat, but her hand was clasped in her mate’s; I believed Hivelt was the burly male’s name, and he watched Pattee with an expression of abject wonderment. Embarrassed, I turned my attention back to the feminine Amity who sat between the sprawled-out legs of a slender yet strong-looking hunter with a vicious scar along his cheek who caressed her arms as she laughed at Esra’s exaggerated motions, her happiness fulsome and contagious. VELMA identified that hunter as Natheka.
Heart bursting from the unexpected wonder of being among humans and allies, I forgot to walk farther into the room until Raxthezana nudged me from behind. I took another step, and then Esra saw me. Her features broke into a smile, but she looked at Joan and nodded toward me.
Joan popped up with a screech and ran to me, launching herself into my outstretched arms where I caught her and laughed with uninhibited joy. The other women followed, grins stretching their mouths and revealing unique smiles, dimpled cheeks or laugh lines in their varied beauty.
When I put Joan down, she stepped back and looked up at me, a delicate frown marring her perfect forehead.
“You’re—taller,” she said and squinted.
I opened my mouth to say it must be my boots, but they were the same boots I’d worn way back on the Lucidity. Looking down at myself, at the armor, at the sculpted metal that hugged my muscled limbs, I raised my eyes back to Joan’s and couldn’t help the moisture gathering in them.
Heat burned my cheeks, and I clenched my teeth to prevent the sobs from erupting. I felt my face contort into a helpless frown when huge hands grasped me at my shoulders and turned me, pulling me into his chest. Raxthezana’s embrace grounded me, and I sank into him. I felt the rumble in his chest when he spoke.
“We have much to tell you this night,” he said, his voice somber. “May we join your fire and break bread among you?”
I heard murmured assent from several voices and Joan’s soothing tones when she said, “Of course.”
Taking a shuddering breath, I squeezed Raxthezana’s waist before I let go and turned to see Joan patting the smooth ground beside her and Raxkarax. I couldn’t make eye contact yet but strode to the spot and sat with crossed ankles, staring into the fire created from one of the hunter’s fire rods. Raxthezana had the slender rods as well. For all I knew, I had a stash in one of my panels.
Raxthezana stood behind me and cleared his throat. Tension in my chest released. He would tackle the bad news first, giving me time to compose myself.
“The Ikma Scabmal Kama discovered CeCe in the Goddess’s Garden the same day she sent us on the quest,” he said, and the hunters growled. “She concealed CeCe in the War Room and performed the raxfathe without ritual or ceremony and without the knowledge of the Theraxl people. When I came upon CeCe, she had already taken a step into the Fields of Shegoshel.”
Chancing a look at the company around me, I saw their grim faces, turned down mouths and fierce glares. Amity let tears flow freely down her face without swiping them away, and Pattee stared into the distance with fists clenched so tight, her knuckles were white. Esra’s arms folded into herself, and she shook her head, a lone tear streaking one cheek. I felt Joan grasp my arm in her hands, and she hugged it, offering her love and comfort as she always did … with generosity.
“I determined I had little choice but to offer CeCe life in the only way possible,” Raxthezana said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I submerged her in the shel pool, and the shel healed her body.”
It was as if the entire room had held its breath and let it out at his words.
Shoulders dropping, I clasped my hands together and looked up. My own tears must have reflected light from the fire as I looked at the people. These people who would be my friends and allies in an alien world.
“He did what he had to do to save me,” I said. My voice gained strength as I spoke. “And because of him, I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been. I was able to overpower the Ikma’s guards and push her out of the way in order to grab Raxthezana so we could run to his ship.”
The hunters shot surprised looks at Raxthezana but said nothing, hanging on my words.
“The Ikma Scabmal Kama was going to hurt him,” I said. “VELMA created a diversion so we could run.”
Our story had no embellishments. No buildup or tangents. But it took the others a long time before any of them spoke.
Naraxthel shifted where he sat, then met my gaze.
“We cannot thank you enough for preserving Raxthezana’s life,” he said. “Who knows what the Ikma may have done to him. He is dear to us.”
Touched at the fierce-looking warrior’s words, I dipped my head at him.
“I can’t talk,” Joan choked out but squeezed my arm again before letting go and pushing herself to standing. I twisted and watched her go to Raxthezana. I didn’t know who was more surprised: he or myself, to see her embrace him while he bore a stricken expression. She whispered “thank you” repeatedly until he patted her back with powerful thumps.
She pulled away and returned to her spot, holding onto my arm again.
“I’m still getting used to the armor,” I said. Running my hand over my scalp, I felt the new growth thickening and gave a half-smile. “I guess the shel are happy. My hair is growing back in fast, and apparently—I’m taller?”
Everyone chuckled a little and seemed to relax.
“I don’t understand the politics of what’s going on in your home world,” I said. “Raxthezana will have to fill you in. Why don’t you sit by me?” I asked him, and he paused a second before agreeing. He opened up his rucksack and offered the spare shoulder plate to Raxkarax. I’d only just noticed his bare shoulder. I was sure there was a story behind that. Raxthezana sat beside me and spoke.
“BoKama took ill some time between our finding of the planet insertion vehicle and her delivering me to the Ikma,” he said. “The Ikma’s madness made way for what seems to be the same sickness but is in an advanced stage. They cough up blood and take many rotiks to recover from a bout,” he said. “The BoKama severed ties with us before the Queen was alerted to our escape; I believe for her own preservation.”
Several voices agreed, and he continued.
“I believe the Queen knows we all yet live and suspects there are other humans aside from CeCe and Joan. She will be sending another War Guard, but has opened the hunt, as well.”
“VELMA tried to warn us of these things,” Naraxthel said. “But the signal broke up.”
“This is dire, indeed,” Raxkarax said.
“It is immaterial,” Natheka said, his voice cheerful in spite of the bad news. “None of the ikthekal will dare join us in the undermountain passageway. Nor will the War Guard. When we emerge laden with treasure and transmitting our sight-captures, they will have no choice but to escort us back to Ikshe where we may demand a tribunal for the Queen.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Amity said with a sly smile.
“But it is,” Natheka said. “Right will prevail.”
Pursing my lips, I thought back to the Lucidity and my part in bringing these innocent humans into a deadly planet with even deadlier politics.
“What’s going through your head?” Joan asked.
I tossed her a wry smile and glanced at the group in general. “I can’t help but feel responsible for all of this.” Tension grabbed the tendons in my neck and muscles in my shoulders; I refused to meet anyone’s gaze after my admission.
“We know you replaced VELMA-X,” Pattee said. “At great personal risk, you essentially saved IGMC’s exo-miner population. IGMC wanted to make people expendable. You refused.”
Raxthezana placed his hand high on my shoulder, close enough he could touch my neck with his thumb and caress it.
My stress melted, and I dared to raise my eyes to Pattee and the others. Everyone looked at me with compassion and tenderness.
“We owe you, CeCe,” Esra said.
“How can you say that?” I said, my voice hitching with emotion. “With everything that’s happened since you landed here?”
“CeCe,” Pattee drew my attention with her firm command. “Here, in this place. We have a fighting chance. That’s more than IGMC was willing to concede.”
Amity nodded, the most solemn I’d seen her tonight, and Joan squeezed my hand.
“I told you she was wonderful,” she said to the group at large.
Embraced with an acceptance I’d only dreamed of; I took the dried meat Raxkarax offered me and the half-loaf of sister-bread from Hivelt.
We ate and shared stories while the robots stood guard at both entrances, and it was the happiest moment in time I could ever remember.