Page 34 of Legacy for the Alien Warrior

“He’s showing her it’s safe,” she whispered, a lump forming in her throat.

Thraxar crouched down beside Rory, his big body somehow making itself smaller, less threatening. “You’re safe now, little one,” he said, his deep voice gentle. “No one will hurt you again.”

The girl’s ears shifted, lightening to a pale lavender. She looked at Rory, then at Thraxar, then at Kara. With painfully slow movements, she crawled forward and picked up the bolt. Instead of rolling it back, she clutched it tightly in her small fist and took a hesitant step out of the cage.

“That’s it,” she encouraged. “You’re doing great.”

The child took another step, then another, until she stood beside Rory. Her free hand reached out tentatively and touched one of his fingers.

“We need to return to the ship,” Thraxar said, rising to his full height but moving slowly to avoid startling the children. “Quickly, before someone discovers what happened here.”

“Agreed.” She glanced around the room, looking for anything else they might need.

“I suggest we carry them,” he said. “It will be faster.”

She gave him a doubtful look. “Rory doesn’t always like being touched. Especially when he’s stressed.”

To her surprise, Rory raised his arms toward Thraxar, a clear request to be picked up. Thraxar blinked, then carefully lifted him.

“I’ll take the girl as well,” he said, reaching toward her.

The lavender child shrank back, ears darkening again.

“Wait,” she said. She knelt down to the child’s level. “I think I should carry her. I can put the cloak over both of us. It’ll hide her better.”

He nodded. “Good thinking.”

Kara held out her arms to the girl. “Would you like me to carry you? We need to go somewhere safe.”

The child looked at Rory, who was settled comfortably in Thraxar’s arms, then back at Kara. After a moment’s consideration, she stepped forward and allowed Kara to pick her up.

“Thank you for trusting me,” she whispered, settling the small body against her chest. The child was surprisingly light, and her skin had an unusual silky texture. She pulled the cloak around them both, creating a protective cocoon.

“Let’s go,” Thraxar said, adjusting Rory in his arms. “Stay close to me.”

They slipped out through the bead curtain and moved swiftly through the shop. Wren remained unconscious on the floor behind them. She felt a momentary pang of concern—not for the trafficker, but for what might happen when he woke. Would he alert authorities? Come after them?

The market outside seemed unchanged, vendors still hawking their wares, buyers still haggling. No one paid them any special attention as Thraxar led them through the crowded pathways, his large body creating a natural buffer between them and the crowd.

Under the cloak, the lavender child trembled against her chest. She stroked the girl’s back soothingly, feeling the delicate ridges of her spine through the thin, dirty shift she wore.

“It’s okay,” she murmured. “We’re taking you somewhere safe.”

The child didn’t respond but gradually relaxed against her. Her ears, visible only to Kara inside the cloak, had shifted to a pearlescent white with hints of pink—a color she hadn’t seen before.

Ahead, Thraxar moved with purposeful strides, Rory secure in his arms. Her son looked completely at ease, one hand resting on Thraxar’s chest, the other tracing patterns on his arm. The sight of them together created a strange warmth in her chest.

They reached the docking bay without incident. Thraxar punched in the access code for his ship, and the ramp lowered smoothly. Only when they were inside, with the ramp raised and locked behind them, did Kara let herself breathe properly.

“We made it,” she said, pulling back the cloak to reveal the lavender child’s face.

Thraxar set Rory down gently. “I need to get us off-planet immediately. Wren may have friends.”

She nodded, lowering the girl to the floor as well. “Go. We’ll be fine here.”

He hesitated, looking at the children. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. The sooner we’re away from here, the better.”

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