Page 26 of Matched to the Alien King
“You’re safe now?” he finally said.
“For the moment.”
“And Nera?”
“Someone tried to poison her the same night.”
“Are you—? Baxxadulifexxprezarpoxenoxx,” he shouted.
It wasn’t often we took our goddess’s name in vain, but sometimes there was no other way to express our emotions. I’d done it plenty of times myself. Still, I pounded my chest in reverence to Her in case She struck my High Sword down.
He did too, obviously thinking the exact same thing. “What in the absolute fuxx is happening there, Maxx?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here.”
He blew out a steadying breath. “Her crew is worried about her. Apparently, her cat is so pissed she’s gone, he’s hiding in the air vents again.”
I sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. “Any good news? Any at all?”
“Yeah, actually. I mean…maybe?”
“Let me hear it.”
“I heard her crew talking outside the brig door, which they do a lot. It’s like they think I’m not going to eavesdrop even though I’mrighthere.”
“Axxel. Focus.”
“Right. Her engineer—Mosely, the big guy—figured out where that email address on herAlien Love Islandcontract originated. You’ll never guess where.”
“Try me.”
“Klio-3, Maxx,” he said. “The exact same planet you’re currently stranded on. Someone there sent Nera’s signed contract into the show.”
I flicked my gaze to the rusted shopping cart sitting in the middle of the bungalow closet. The cart from the grocery store on Earth.
This is my store. The store I used to shop at with—she’d said, but I could easily fill in the gaps.
With Lucy and Rain.
“Maxx?” Axxel asked, his voice seeming far away.
The shopping cart. The email address. It was too big of a coincidence.
“Xenoxx to Maxx. Whooo-hooo.”
Rain had fled Earth after… Well, after she did what she did.
“I’ll just go out on a limb and say our conversation is over since you’re now in la-la land. Good?”
Was Rainhere?
More importantly, was shestillhere?
Chapter nine
Rain
Accessingmemory030501Code:010184 \ * * * * * * * * System flux: 8 sksk sldk
