Chapter 17
REESE
Breaking News! Empress's Sombran lover finally identified! Now if we can just get him to sit down for an interview…
"Fuck no," Kolos says as I step from the bathroom back into the hotel room we're sharing while we get everything scheduled with my family.
Marr is here too, but he's taking a nap on one of the two beds.
We aren't planning on staying the night, but it's easier for everyone to keep a single room safe instead of a public space.
"I haven't said anything yet," I snarl at Kolos. The heat in my voice is more because I just got done speaking with my brother.
"As much as I disagree with how he went about it, I'm with Kolos and his 'fuck no,'" Isha says, crossing her arms over her chest.
Isha looks every bit as intimidating as Zill does when he tries to be.
She embodies the whole muscle mommy aesthetic, which I will never voice out loud because I'm already embarrassed enough that I just had the thought.
Kolos, I'm sure, can be intimidating too.
It's just that I know him. Not a whole lot, but enough to know that if he ever tries to get all stern and serious, I'm probably going to end up laughing.
"What?" Zill asks, looking between the three of us.
No one says anything for a long moment. I stare at Kolos, one brow cocked while I wait to see if he's going to spill it before I get a chance to tell Zill.
There's no reason to worry about Isha. Unlike Kolos, she actually respects people and their minds, and how you can't just go around commenting on people's thoughts all the time.
Marr snores, a loud, startling sound that makes me jump, which in turn has Zill acting as if I'm in real mortal danger. Shadows cover my body as he comes to stand beside me, his head swiveling as if there's a threat here and not just a man who's napping well.
"I talked with Jeremy," I turn to Zill, giving him my attention since Isha and Kolos are both very aware of everything that was said between my brother and me. "I explained to him that we're in town and that I want to speak with the family to get things settled for when I retire."
"I'm sure he took it well," Zill says, attempting to give me a smile that's much more of a grimace than anything else.
I chuckle because if I don't laugh about how absurdly not well Jeremy took it, I'm going to scream.
"He did not. No, he said the family is all in town for some get-together that I wasn't invited to, and that there's no space for…" I let my voice trail off and shake my head.
"No space for alien half breeds," Kolos supplies helpfully, ignoring the daggers I'm throwing at him with my eyes.
Zill's face screws up as he jerks back a bit. "How do they even know I'm half Sombran?"
Isha snorts. "That's your issue with it?"
"We all already knew they don't like other species," Zill says with a wave of his hand. "But I doubt Reese told them I was half human."
"I didn't," I assure him. "I try not to tell them much of anything. But they're ignorant, and so I wouldn't be surprised if they just assumed that since you were here, you were half-human. It's so fucking stupid."
I'm embarrassed and disgusted and so confused.
I was raised to believe that family takes care of one another, and yet it's been me taking care of them for years, while they what?
While they talk down to me, belittle me, and spout their ignorant bullshit to anyone who will listen, no matter how offensive and not okay it is.
And that's why I'm embarrassed, because that's my family, and I still want to tell them to their faces that I'm not going to be on Earth for much longer, even after they insulted Zill. Why? Why am I still clinging to the hope that people as awful as they are will accept me?
"Because cutting family off is hard when you're actually a good person," Kolos says softly.
Isha groans, probably because Kolos is once again breaking a whole bunch of Sombran societal norms and talking about my thoughts.
He ignores her and the frown Zill is giving him.
"I know it doesn't help, but you really will feel a lot better once you cut them off. "
"I know, I know," I tell him, squeezing Zill's arm so he knows I'm okay. "I just don't want them to think it's okay to say things like that, but I don't want to start a whole fight before I tell them what I need to tell them."
"It's a balancing act," Kolos tells me, one side of his mouth lifting higher than the other. "And as soon as we get today over with, you never have to do it again. Now, no more thinking about how bigoted they are, because we're not going to be able to change that."
"Well," Isha shrugs, but doesn't continue.
"No digging around in their brains," I tell her, and then lean closer to her and much more quietly add, "But I appreciate the offer."
"So what did Jeremy say then?" Zill asks, getting us back on track.
"Basically, they'll only talk to me if you all don't come with me," I say, knowing before he even says it what Zill's answer will be.
"No," he's shaking his head, his frown even deeper. "Not going to happen."
"I can go with Marr, it's not like they're going to do anything to hurt me," I tell Zill, who looks wholly unconvinced about my words.
His jaw clenches as he darts his gaze to just above my head, looking past me but not at anything in particular. He takes a deep breath, and when he releases it, it blows against the top of my head.
"Can I be honest with you?" Zill asks, still not looking at me, and I pull away from him a little, much to his shadows' displeasure.
"I would hope so. After all the lying with the whole not finding me attractive thing, I thought we were past the lies."
Zill's lips flatten. When his gaze falls on mine, he at least looks slightly amused. "I never said you weren't attractive."
"Pretty sure you did," I tell him, reaching up and looping my arms around his neck.
"Well, if that's how you remember it, I guess I'll have to apologize," Zill replies, lowering his head, eyes closing. His shadows urge me closer to him, and I don't even need the prompting because I'm lifting up onto my tiptoes to meet his mouth with mine.
"What just happened?" Isha asks, her voice like a bucket of cold water being poured over both of us.
Zill growls something I can't quite make out, his good mood souring with the reminder of what we're actually here to do and the fact that we're not alone in the hotel room. Marr lets out another loud, rumbling snore, completely ruining the moment.
"Way to be a cock block, Isha," Kolos says, hitting her in the shoulder with the back of his hand.
"Kolos," Zill says his name like a warning, but you wouldn't know it based on the way Kolos is watching us.
Knowing it's not worth the argument or the headache with Kolos, Zill places his palms on my cheeks, keeping me looking at him.
"I don't trust your brother. Based on how he acted when he came to your apartment last week, I think he might've had something to do with your information being leaked. "
I attempt to shake my head, but am stopped by Zill's gentle hold on my face. "He wouldn't."
"I want to believe that," Zill says, his expression softening. "But I won't trust him until I can get into his head."
I clench my back teeth down hard and try to listen to what Zill is saying, to truly take it in. It's difficult when I don't want to think that my brother was the one who made all of this happen.
"They won't let you all on the property."
Zill lets out another long breath, his irritation evident, though I doubt it's directed at me. No, if anything, he hates this entire situation. The fact that there's a good chance we're separated from one another is enough for him to be upset.
"Any chance he'll talk to me?" Zill asks, clearly grasping at straws.
"He'll think you're doing weird alien magic on his mind," I tell him.
What I don't tell him is that my entire family already thinks he's done just that, and that's why I'm with him in the first place. A quick glance at Isha and Kolos tells me they aren't planning on telling Zill about that part of my thoughts, at least not right now.
"Look," I place my hand against his chest, hoping to soothe some of his worry. It's not working very well, considering he feels tenser than I've ever felt on him before. "I just have to speak with them for a second, tell them the allowance is stopping, and that I'm no longer going to be on Earth."
"And when they take that as terribly as you know they're going to?
" Zill asks. The question comes out hard, followed by an apologetic wince that takes over his features as soon as the question is out.
He plows on, softening his tone. "If they do anything to hurt you or make you feel unsafe, I won't forgive myself for not being there to protect you. "
His jaw clenches, eyes darting down to his shoulders where some of his shadows have gathered. Whatever they're saying to him, he's not too happy about it.
"What?" I ask him, wanting to know what they're talking about.
Zill's lips roll as he steps away from me, his hands going to the back of his neck as he turns away. His shadows cling to me, urging me to follow after him so they can stay touching me, but I stay put. Zill grumbles under his breath, and his shadows helplessly struggle to get close to me.
I'm unsurprised when Isha is watching this all unfold as though it's horrific, and less surprised to see Kolos barely containing his laughter.
My shooting him a withering glare seems to be what breaks his resolve, and a short laugh comes out before he can cover his mouth with his hand.
Zill's head snaps in his direction, staring at Kolos with just as much irritation as I just had.
"Do you want me to wake Marr?" Kolos asks, clearing his throat and standing a bit straighter. "We could all go get something to eat, and give you and Reese some time alone."