Sinth Salvation - Pearl Tate Page 0,46
assume that’s what the problem is here?”
His attention shifts to Nikon, and I take the opportunity to let my eyes rake over his face, noting the burnt orange color of his eyes. Unlike the smaller, Wen-transitioned Taxin, his eyes look natural, instead of the milky, dead look of the others. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
Giving him a curt nod, Nikon puts his arm around me. “We’ve only just mated, so I apologize that we haven’t had much time to spend talking and—”
“I bet.” Ólafur cuts Nikon off dryly.
“Thank you.” The small voice behind the large Taxin has us all turning to see the children being led single file off the bus by two police officers. Echoes of the sentiment ring out from the other children as I recognize the large blue eyes of Jón, the brave boy left holding the door. His eyes lock onto me before flitting over the other men. He throws his arms around the Taxin, and my heart melts as I try to not hold on to the grudge that’s already wedged into my subconscious about this whole situation.
Jón works his way around our group, giving Nikon a brief hug before throwing both his arms around my neck where I’ve crouched down, waiting for him. Pulling his head back, Jón rest his chin on my shoulder and whispers, “You’re very brave for a girl.” Releasing me before I can think of an answer, I bark out a laugh as he runs back to the line of children as they’re being led away.
Standing slowly, I watch the group disappear around the back of the bus before spinning back to Ólafur and demanding, “What happened? What are these … things?” Flapping my hands to the outskirts of the perimeter that’s been set up, I see most of the Wen-infected are already being loaded into large crates that remind me of animal transport trailers.
For the first time, I watch the facade drop away from Ólafur, and the scales around his eyes tighten as he squints. “These things are our future. I assure you this is just as much of an atrocity for the Taxin as it is for the Humans. And from what I’ve just learned recently, we have the Humans to thank for the arrival of the Wen virus on planet Earth.”
Nikon steps slightly in front of me, his own voice hard. “That’s yet to be seen. It’s still an open investigation into who removed Amy Granger from Earth twenty-seven Earth days ago and took her to Teleplay where she was exposed. Certainly, you don’t hold the entire Human species responsible for one of their own returning to their home planet after narrowly surviving an abduction?”
Taking a step back, the Taxin’s scales loosen, lifting slightly away from his forehead as he spreads his hands, backing down. “No. No. Of course not.” Placing his hands on his hips, he turns in a slow circle, surveying the chaos around us. “I’m afraid this just really hits home how far the Wen virus has spread.”
Facing us again, he lets out a strange sigh, almost a huff, as he stares at us. It’s as if he just wants us to go. But go where?
I’d rather be here and know what’s going on then be sent home where I’ll be fed lies about how bad this all is! “Well, what’s next?” I know I sound like a bitch, but this is crazy! I can see the infected Taxin still trickling periodically out of the water. “We can’t just walk away? What are you going to do about them?”
“Oh, we know. This is a press nightmare right now. We’re trying to keep it suppressed. The Humans don’t even know we co-habitate on this planet with them, let alone that we’ve become involved in most of their politics and government—”
“Well, if you don’t get this under control, that isn’t going to be possible to hide.” Nikon’s voice is matter of fact, but the strange look another Taxin gives us as he walks up to report to Ólafur has me wondering if they really feel the same.
“ETA is thirteen hundred, sir.” Without waiting for an answer, he spins and disappears back into the ranks of officers cleaning up the mess. There are probably close to a hundred dead bodies littering the area between the bus and car where Nikon went berserk on them.
“Sir! We have another, erm... situation here!” A new voice calls out from the car where the elderly woman has been conspicuously