Page 30 of Made For The Alien Warrior

“No.” She shook her head. Her eyes seemed larger than usual in the light of the moon. Her hands were shaking and she leaned listlessly against a tree.

“You seem tired.”

“I feel like I’m dying,” she said with a small smile.

Tiegan scowled. “You are not allowed to die.”

“I have to get permission from you for that too?”

He did not return her smile.

“Tiegan,” she placed her hand on his arm, not seeming to care about the lizera blood that stained it, “I know this sounds insane. Even I think I sound loony saying it out loud, but I feel like the voice is good.”

“Let us come back with the others…”

“No. It has to be now.”

“Why?”

Her eyes drifted to the ground. He could only see the top of her head. Her neat twists stuck to her scalp, rigid lines that led down to her neck. “I don’t know.”

“Sim-pony…”

“Yes, you’re right to doubt. It’s just… I feel like whoever or whatever that voice is, it can help me too.” She clutched her chest. “I’m being drawn to it. If we don’t investigate now, I might miss my chance. Or worse, I might be drawn to it again later. That time, you might not be able to find me before I meet another one of these lizard creatures.” She waved a hand in the direction of the lizera.

“Neh.”

Pushing out her bottom lip, Sim-pony squeezed his arm. “Please.”

He sighed. Every molecule in his body told Tiegan that giving into the calling and letting the voice draw Sim-pony away would be a fatal error. What if they encountered an army of Plutonian enemies?

He could fight one rizera in his desperation, but he could not hold back a fleet. They needed to know what they were facing before they walked in blindly. But Sim-pony stared at him with such beseeching eyes. He could not turn her away.

It burned to surrender, but he dipped his chin. “Very well.”

“Yes!” She pumped her arms. Her white teeth flashed in the shadows, contrasting her dark skin. It was the first time he’d seen her smile and it was glorious.

Tiegan blinked rapidly to get his thoughts under control. He lifted a thick finger. “However…”

Sim-pony went still. “What?”

“You will not meet the voice. We will let it lead you only a few paces. If I sense any danger, we will leave and you will be locked somewhere you cannot wander about.”

Her smile went flat. “You’re saying you’re going to put me in prison?”

“Think of it as a safety measure.”

“Do you think that makes me feel better?”

“Make your choice,” Tiegan said, glancing away from her before her beauty could make him soften again.

She sighed heavily.

“You must hurry. Beasts will come to feast on the carcass. His pack will smell his blood also. We need to move.”

“Alright.” She pressed her hand into the tree, using it as a support to climb to her feet.

Tiegan wrapped his fingers around Sim-pony’s upper arms. “Be careful.”

---