Page 67 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas
It would take most of the ship’s power to charge it so quickly. It would allow the men outside to get past the exterior doors faster and kill him, once she was gone. It didn’t matter. He cranked up the power supply to the pod as high as it would go.
“Once you land in the desert, you will begin walking towards the next settlement.” He instructed. “There must be one. This planet is too large to have just a single town. Follow the sun away from here, until you find people.” He paused. “When you reach the settlement, you must swiftly choose a new husband.”
She gasped like he’d shot her.
“You will not survive alone.” His tone was anguished. Even he heard it. “The Vice-Corporal will be searching for you, and he isdangerous. Pick the largest male possible, so he can protect you. It will not be hard to find a husband. Any man would gladly be yours.”
“Youare my husband.”
“And I want my wife to live!”
She shook her head, magical brown curls swinging.
“Please, Sadie.” He swallowed. “You must let me go. I will be dead, before the escape pod even lands.”
Sadie froze, like her optimistic brain couldn’t quite process what was happening. “No.” She said again.
“Yes. The Vice-Corporal and his men will get in here, very soon.” Already the ship’s defenses were waning, under the draining charge of the escape pod and the assault from outside. “I will hold them off, as long as I can. But I am too outnumbered. This is where I die.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, as if to hold herself together. “There’s another way. Theremustbe.”
He moved to kiss her forehead, unable to stop himself from touching her. “I am with you. Even after I am gone, that will not change. I willalwaysbe with you.”
She stared up at him, her expression suddenly very calm.
He smiled, memorizing her face. “The heartboomyour mother spoke of, when she met your father? I experience this phenomenon every time you look at me.”
She blinked.
“I want you to go now.” He urged, caressing her hair. “You must survive. You make the whole universe brighter, just by being in it.”
“I’m sorry.” She said softly.
“There is nothing to be sorry for.Nothing. I have come to believe in your talk of Christmas, because great magic is the only explanation for you appearing in my life. When I met you, the gods favored me beyond measure. I am blessed to have you. Truly blessed.”
“No, I’m sorry that I’m about to piss you off and ruin all the nice stuff you just said to me. Because I’m not going anyplace, Xane. I know you want me to, but I can’t.”
“Youcan. It will be hard, but you can do it. You can do anything, Sadie.”
“No.” She insisted, and he could read her resolve. “Absolutely not.”
He frowned. She was serious. She did not intend to leave. For the first time outside of a battlefield, he felt a cold rush of fear. “You must go. There is no other option.”
“I guess we’d better think of one, then.” Her eyes were grave. “We’ll keep moving forward together …Or not at all.”
He pointed towards the escape pod, which was nearly charged. “You will get into that phlarging pod, if I have to stuff you through the phlarging door!”
“You can’t make me do something I don’t want to do.”
“I can andwilldo whatever it takes to ensure your survival!”
A flash lit up the night.
The brilliant white glow of it burned Xane’s eyes even through the view-screen.
“A Christmas star.” Sadie breathed.
Xane knew better. He instinctively turned away, his mind going to battles he’d witnessed in the war. His lower arms moved to shield Sadie’s face, just in case weapons had been launched against them. Although he had never heard of a weapon that glowed white, except…
