Page 36 of Exiles on Earth
Just to check, I step outside, blinking at the progress they’ve made already. Ilia and Arture and one triplet heft blocks to the side, the other two triplets stacking those blocks and clearing the concrete floor as it’s revealed. Gara constantly scans and adjusts the workflow, and before too long, the barn floor lies cleared. Amazing!
Inspired, I roll up my sleeves and get back inside. I announce to Arabella, “I said I was going to do it, so let’s do it, one thing at a time.”
She looks at me blankly. “Did I forget something already? What did you say you’d do?”
Grabbing marigolds from under the sink, I toss her a pair, energy coursing through me at last. “Cleaning the kitchen. Let’s get to it.”
At midday,a rap sounds at the door. I answer it, hands full of cleaning rags, to find Ilia filling the doorway.
“We’ve made significant progress and we wish to train for a short period of time. Is this acceptable?”
I blink at him. “You want a break? Sure! I’m not exactly slave-driving you.” Except… I kind of am, coercing them to make my barn into the bed and breakfast of my dreams. A sick feeling lurches in my stomach, but really, everyone’s fine with it.
Ilia inclines his head. “Is there a body of water nearby we could use for exercise and washing?”
He doesn’t seem all that sweaty, but I guess if he can change his temperature at will, he could avoid that. The lake flashes into my mind’s eyes. “If you mean swimming, we have the lake, but it’ll be cold.”
One corner of his lips tips up. He holds up his forearm, which steams slightly in the frigid air despite him being bare from the waist up.
I swallow seeing his dirt-smeared fist, working hard to make my dream a reality. My insides melt as surely as butter on a hot pan. “Right, the cold doesn’t slow you. Well, we could also do with a break, so we’ll walk with you to the lake.”
“Are we done for now?” Arabella asks excitedly, sliding behind me brandishing her feather duster. “Ooh, I’m excited to see what you’ve got so far.”
“Of course.” Ilia’s gaze finally lifts from mine, widening slightly in surprise at the room. “This space is much improved.”
I grin with pride. “Yeah, the kitchen looks more like a kitchen now instead of a workbench.” I gesture to the mugs hanging up, the plates in the Welsh dresser, the clear table with Arabella’s origami paper flowers arranged neatly inside a recycled green wine bottle. There’s still a lot of crap lying around which needs a home and stuff to deal with, like all the letters in various tones from mortgage lenders and debtors, but clearing a bit of space allows some of the mental gunk trapped in my head to ease. It all feels just a tiny bit more manageable.
With an appreciative rumble, Ilia says, “Wonderful work.”
His praise sends a zing up my spine. “Th… thank you.” Oh, gosh. New kink unlocked, maybe? Perhaps it’s just been so long since I had feedback from anyone on my work. Sheep don’t give thumbs up.
He blinks, as if surprised to be thanked. “It is the truth, El-len.” Those beautiful blue eyes warm like the waters wrapping a tropical island.
My cheeks burn. “Uh, ah, um, let’s go to the lake, shall we?”
“And see our progress.” His chest lifts. “I hope it will please you.”
Anything done to the barn would be an improvement, but I don’t say that. Instead, I pull on my boots and whistle for Floss, who heaves out of her basket and follows, head low and sniffing out of habit.
The ground floor has been cleared, stone stacked into groups of reusable blocks and broken shards, and even the dangerous roof has been dismantled with the slate cleaned and piled in neat rows. The guys watch me warily.
I can’t contain myself. “This is amazing! Thank you so much.”
It’s Ilia’s turn to swell with pride, a pink tinge to the scales on his chest. He pats the remaining walls fondly, like a horse. “These are still structurally sound, so we will incorporate these into the final, with yourapproval.”
“Yes, of course!” Arabella says, pointing imperiously. “I want as much as we can to be saved; it’ll add wonderful character.”
“Not to mention all the history.” I hug myself, hardly believing this is my life. “It’s a fantastic job so far, thank you all.”
It’s adorable how all these big guys flush, pink trickling up their chests to their necks. They bow their heads once, a dip of thanks, and it’s so sweet.
They deserve a bit of R and R after that. “Let’s go to the lake, shall we?”
We walk up the track and into the field, up the sheep trail to the top of the ridge, and I lead the way with Ilia. How am I scrunching my neck into my scarf with every brisk bit of wind, but Ilia doesn’t seem to feel the cold at all? This guy gives off hulking barbarian vibes walking around shirtless with a shaved head, but at the same time, he uses highly advanced technology, including those scales to keep him warm.
“Are your scales part of you, or do you put them on?” I ask, keeping a brisk pace up the hill.
Ilia rumbles, “They grow with us, they cannot be removed.” He glances over at me, eyeing my coat before meeting my gaze. Warmth heats my belly, a sizzling shock right to my core.
