Page 28 of Bound to the Alien King
“That’s really sweet,” Nera said.
“What’s the song called?”Lucy asked.
I blinked slowly while my processor whirred over that question, but I couldn’t come up with anything that fit.“Maybe when you’re…feeling better…you can help me…pick out a name.”
“I feel better already,” she said with a wide yawn.
Nera reached out to touch her palm to Lucy’s forehead.“Well, you’re not burning up, so that’s a good sign.”
Lucy’s eyes fluttered closed, and she slipped one hand into her mother’s and one into mine, her skin much less fevered.The digital temperature reader within my right eye showed a steady 98.8 degrees.
She slept for a while but woke in the middle of the night while Nera dozed next to her.
“?Lucy’s Fairy Tale,’” she whispered.
“What?”
“The name of the song.What do you think?”
“It’s perfect…just like you.”
She grinned, lighting up the dim room, and fell back asleep.
///Error///
* * * * * * * * System processing ///happy/// ///sad///
(((((((((((hurt))))))))))
Memory 0608452934 Code: 015128 \ * * * * * * * * System flux: 8 sksk sldk.
Memory terminated.***
Chapter eleven
Nera
Surprise,surprise,butIwent back to Maxx’s dining room for the guacamole.Listen, you can put all sorts of heavy shit on my shoulders for me to carry around like bad breakups, alien babies, and evil employers, but nothing can come between a woman and her guacamole.
Nobody said a word about the crazy human carrying the bowl around with her inside the Xenoxx castle.Yes, I brought a spoon.No, I didn’t lick the bowl clean.Yes, I got guacamole in my hair andinsidemy left high heel.
Talent.I had some.
But I won’t focus on how that happened right this second because I stood in front of a painting of Maxx’s family above the fireplace in the entryway.It was beautiful with all those shimmering purple scales, glossy purple hair, and four sets of lightning eyes.It showed his mom, dad, and older brother, all of whom shared the same chiseled cheekbones and jawline and had the same stunning good looks.
His mom was the only one who smiled, and she seemed to radiate happiness and light.The other three wore dark, brooding looks, especially Maxx.He looked like he would rather set himself on fire than sit for a painting.
Chuckling softly, I returned my gaze to his mom.He’d told me what had happened to his dad and brother, that they’d both been assassinated, but nothing about her.I imagined she was gone now, and with a smile like hers, so warm that I felt it even through a portrait, her death had likely torn Maxx apart.
He’d dealt with so much death, so much pain and suffering and loss, that I had to wonder if he’d somehow known while sitting for this painting what he would have to endure.
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?”a male voice said from behind me.
I turned.
Axxel came striding through the front door while casually hauling what looked like a bagged body behind him.You know, like anyone normal would do.
“That’s not one of my crew, is it?”I asked, only half joking.
