With a flick of his finger, Pluma Creo tapped the bottom of my boot, gaining my attention. “That is the first thing that you have to say?” He spoke in Mianese, eyeing me oddly. “Just what the hell are you doing here, Ms. Valorn?”
Stiller grunted softly, muttering under his breath, “At least we know why Pluma Kreob and Pluma Wazra have been beating the borderline and demanding entrance.”
Pluma Creo flicked him an irritated glance, one that meant ’duh’. Though, his gaze darted back to mine, and I felt my brows pucker as I really got a firsthand view of his eyes as he leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “Answer my question, Ms. Valorn.”
His eyes were crystal blue…but they were so light in color against his tan complexion that they pierced me. I remembered having a similar reaction to his other half, Pluma Moir. This Pluma’s eyes held an indefinite amount of mystery, knowledge and intelligence sifting as he studied me. I felt my body go completely still when I only wanted to lean forward to gaze a little closer, to see if that dark outer rim was aqua or black, to see if I could figure out the secret that lay there so guarded but still teasing, as if he knew but would never tell.
My lips thinned as I jerked my attention away and glanced in the opposite direction.
Black as night eyes watched me, Pluma Moir much closer to my head than Pluma Creo.
His gaze trapped mine just as it had the first time I had met him in that small room after the ‘arrival ritual.’ It was a gaze that made you hunger for more. A midnight that you wanted to savor, to keep him looking your way, just so you could stare that much longer into delicate, yet punishing depths.
These Mian…they were dangerous.
I sucked in a harsh breath, and quickly tugged my legs up and shoved my body so that I was now sitting. I stared at the floor. At the black tiling. It was safe there to look. Speaking their language, I stated slowly, “I won’t answer any of your questions.” Though, I did find it interesting that my Vaq were beating down the borderline to get in. Did that mean they actually couldn’t pass without allowed entry? I had thought they had just given up on me, had gone back to Belvar to live happily together.
No one spoke for an indefinite amount of time.
The breeze coming in from an open window ruffled my hair, but I stayed gazing at the floor.
Silent. I could do that.
Apparently, they could too.
My legs began to ache, starting to numb from sitting in one place for too long.
My ass even started to hurt, but I stayed still.
Eventually, Jax grumbled, “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He shoved out of his chair and pushing Stiller’s hand away when he tried to yank him back. He landed on his knees right in front of me. I jerked when he placed his hands on my knees, but he only gripped me that much tighter. His grey eyes, no glow, just normal Jax – normal Human - peered up at me from his dipped position while I kept my head down. “Braita, what happened?” He ground his jaw together, speaking through clenched teeth. “Did those Plumas hurt you?”
Yes. “No.”
“Then what ha-”
“She’s lying,” Stiller interrupted.
Instantly, Jax paused. He continued watching me, but asked, “How do you know?”
Stiller shrugged. “It’s in her voice.”
I cursed quietly, then grumbled, “It’s not like that. They didn’t physically harm me.”
Jax rubbed my knees with his thumbs in a soothing gesture. “Explain.”
My cheeks instantly flamed red, and I peered directly into his eyes. “I’d rather not.”
Jax’s dark brows furrowed deeply. He was quiet for a full minute before he shook his head of dark, curly hair. His grey eyes scanned my face repeatedly, not missing anything. His tone was quiet, as if he were talking to himself. “I heard that they don’t have a Harem, so you wouldn’t be jealous of other women.” He was too perceptive. And too close to the truth. “What is it then?”
I sighed heavily, a vision of Jax kissing that woman flittering through my mind. “What happened to you?” My eyes narrowed into a pointed glare. “You aren’t a slave anymore, and you’re acting more like a Mian than a Human.”
Jax bit his lower lip, peering down to the floor. But when he met my gaze once more, there was defiance in his eyes. A stubborn tilt to his chin. “The leaders of Joyal made those rules when our people first arrived there. On Earth, it was different – as you know well enough from our history lessons. Not much different than the Mian. What I’m doing, who I am, it is human nature.” His eyes never wavered from mine. “When I found the other half of my Vaq, I realized this.”
My hands and body went cold as my mind halted of all thoughts, shivers of frigidness keeping my spine straight as Stiller placed his palm on Jax’s shoulder and left it there. Stiller even gave a light squeeze of reassurance. This…was too much.
“Okay, I’ve had enough,” I argued, rising to my feet. Jax would have landed hard on his ass if Stiller wouldn’t have had a hand on him. I quickly stepped over my stunned best friend and jumped through their semi-circle of chairs, and turned a heated eye on all of them. “Release me now. I want the hell out of here.” I was dead serious. I couldn’t take much more of this. “And whatever you have done to my best friend, I suggest you reverse it now. He never would have acted this way before coming to this damned planet.”
Jax was instantly on his feet, holding his hands up in supplication. “Braita, they’ve done nothing to me.” He shook his head softly as he took a tentative step toward me. “The Plumas here, they told me that you are Soul to the Plumas of the west. In a sense it is the same, me finding my other half. Your Plumas did nothing to you, just as Stiller did nothing to me.” His grey eyes were penetrating on mine, pleading me to see his case. “It just is.”
I turned my angry glare on Stiller. “He is my best friend.”
Stiller had the nerve to snort. “He may be your best friend…but he is mine.”
I snarled. “The hell you say.” I charged him. My hands were still bound, but my teeth worked just fine. I could bite right into his neck and rip out his throat if I had to.
But I slammed into a blur. The fast moving projectile was Pluma Creo.
He lifted me straight off my feet, holding me flush against his body.
“Braita!” Jax hollered, still holding his hands up, trying to calm me. “He is mine too. It works both ways. Stiller’s just being an ass right now.”