Sinth Salvation - Pearl Tate Page 0,45
where I’ve fallen. Glancing to the left of the bus, I see one of the Taxin only feet away just over Nikon’s shoulder. Shit!
Flipping to my feet, I crawl to the area in front of the bus doors, noting that I was right. The kids haven’t come back to lock the door. What are they thinking? They’re not, of course. They’re children — and terrified!
As I stand, I launch myself at the Taxin, only vaguely realizing this one isn’t as small. I’m going to have to take this one down like the teacher. Using all my momentum, I reach for him. But just inches away from grabbing him, my body is arrested, and I’m back in the gateway to our dimension, struggling in the cage of Nikon’s arms.
“It’s alright, Lilibeth! It’s—”
“No! No! It’s not alright …” Twisting in his arms, I stare in horror at the Taxin, realizing this one is taller than me and dressed in military clothing. Very formal. “… What?”
“It’s the Taxin liaison sent out to assess what’s going on with their youth. I don’t totally understand how the Wen virus got into their Earth-based breeding program, but clearly, somewhere along the lines, it did.” Stroking my hair out of my face, I’m kept grounded by Nikon’s solid body at my back as he whispers in my ear. “It’s alright now. Look around … see all the backup we have now?”
Glancing farther back, I see car after car with flashing lights lining up, not only on the road behind the bus and car, but also on the grass next to us, blocking the stream of infected Taxin from reaching the bus. Letting out a jagged breath, I can feel my body deflate as the adrenaline ebbs, and I sag in his arms. Maybe they’re safe?
“Do you want to clean up before we leave here?” I blow off Nikon’s ridiculous statement pulling out of his arms and stepping into the Earth dimension. I immediately walk up to the Taxin, who’s now peering inside the bus.
“What the hell?” I hiss at his back, infuriated that they don’t have better control of their “children.”
Could you imagine school children getting away with this? It’s unbelievable that they didn’t know about this. Don’t they keep daily tabs on their progeny?
When the man spins to face me, I flinch back instinctively. He looks like a more mature and an uglier version of the aliens we’ve been … killing. Briefly, I wonder if he’s going to be pissed about that.
Thankful to feel Nikon’s solid body behind me again, I straighten my spine, ready to hear whatever bullshit explanation he has about why this happened. People are dead. Multiple humans.
The kids on this bus are only alive due to their bravery and ingenuity. It could have gone so differently, and that thought makes my voice accusatory as I demand, “What happened here?”
“Well, well. Miss Egilsdóttir. I take it you don’t recognize me, although I’m not sure we’ve ever been formally introduced. I inducted you into service a few years ago, though.”
“Ólafur, it’s good to see you again.” As Nikon greets the adult male Taxin, I can’t help but think, really? Really? It’s good to see him?
“Let me introduce my mate, Lilibeth.” Nikon smoothly introduces me as I try to wipe the sneer off my face. Turning to me, Nikon starts to explain, but he falters a moment at my scrunched-up expression from the terminology. Mate sounds so … final.
“Lilibeth, this is Ólafur, the Taxin representative at your station. He’s the one who brought Jaxytn and I in when we arrived.” My mouth still hangs open as I pant lightly, wondering if this is some kind of joke.
“She didn’t know.” Turning smoothly from Nikon, Ólafur looks over at me while I’m still trying to come to terms with the normal human voice coming out of his mouth. My ears continue to buzz from the wailing female Taxin, and I realize they’re still being rounded up. That’s not just in my head.
Ólafur holds out a scaly, clawed hand to shake. Do they call that a hand? And they think I met him before? How is that possible? There’s no way in fucking hell I wouldn’t remember that …
I flinch as our skin connects, and he laughs, the sound translating into a choking gurgle. “We just received the communication that there are more and more Earth females mating to Sinth. We were informed in case we spot any women looking at us strangely. They may be mated! I