Chapter 4
Peony
They did it!
As the minutes passed and the dino-man didn't manage to break in, the slow realization that they had actually been successful finally sank in.
Phase one of the plan had worked!
Now, they just needed to think of phase two.
Locking themselves away from the alien was all well and good, but that also meant that they locked themselves away from water and food and anything else. But taking the key meant that they could leave whenever they wanted.
They just had to figure out what they were going to do.
Peony held the key in hand, staring at the strange bit of metal as Scarlet bounced ideas off of Alanna who, despite her dreaminess, was actually a pretty good listener.
The key was strange. A long, thin rod of metal with a small, square, flat end that she held onto, the chain and hook dangling from a little hole cut at the top.
The key portion, however, was circular. Four tines held it onto the stem.
The circle itself was randomly pointed, creating the unique imprint that the circular keyhole recognized.
The keyhole by the door wasn't the only keyhole in this room though.
Her eyes lifted from the key to the cage. To the small keyhole on the door at the front and the keyholes on the manacles at the alien guy's neck, arms, and ankles.
Would it fit?
He was looking right back at her. All three of his eyes staring. There wasn't any malice or suspicion in his gaze. If anything, his expression was strangely... impressed.
He was intelligent. He knew what they had done.
Peony bit her lip, clutching the key tight, as the decision cemented in her heart.
“I'm going to let him out,” she announced to the others without looking away.
“What? No!” Holly cried out, still holding onto Hattie. “You can't!”
“Why not?” Peony asked, stepping in front of the cage. “He's a prisoner, too.”
“Yeah, but he's also clearly dangerous.” Holly looked at the others. “He could hurt us too. We can't assume that he's on our side just because he's a prisoner. For all we know, he could deserve this.”
Peony looked over the alien man who continued to stare at her. Not expectantly. He wasn’t waiting for her to free him. It just seemed like he didn’t want to look away. She shook her head.
“No. He's a good guy. I can tell.”
“Peony,” Scarlet started cautiously. “Holly does have a point. If he was safe, would he be kept away from us?”
“But he's not kept away from us. He's kept away from them.” She gestured to the locked door. The lizard guy had stopped banging, but she didn't doubt that he was still out there. “I think they're afraid of him. And it's just… It’s just not right. Scarlet? Trust me?”
Scarlet stared at her, obviously torn. Peony's eyes traveled over their faces.
“Please?” Peony begged. “Give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Scarlet sighed, her shoulders slumping.
“Vote?” Peony suggested hopefully.
They had decided to go through with the plan by vote.
Holly had been the only one who voted against it, but she had agreed to go along with the majority and played her part flawlessly.
Peony wanted to let the gray alien free, but they were all in this together, so it seemed right to let them have some say in the choice.
Scarlet finally nodded. “Okay. Vote. I say no. At least, not right now. We're already in a precarious enough position. Adding another complication, especially one we can’t control, is just asking for trouble. Holly?”
“Obviously, no.” She shook her head quickly. “Too risky! Maybe... Maybe later? When we have more control, but it just seems too dangerous right now.”
Peony wasn't surprised and accepted their decisions without argument before turning. “Hattie? What about you?”
The sweet girl bit her lip. Looking between the guy in the cage then to Holly then to Peony. She grunted her agreement, but nervously. “Okay. I vote yes. He looks so helpless. We might even make him mad at us if we leave him in there when we could let him out.”
Peony smiled at her gratefully then turned her head. “Alanna?”
The dreamy girl was the tie breaker. Peony honestly couldn't know the direction she would vote. She was unpredictable.
But Alanna smiled at her. “You ask me to trust you? Okay, then. You have a good aura, Peony. He does too. I'll vote yes.”
Peony beamed, relief sweeping through her. Holly and Scarlet made faces, but they had agreed to hold the vote. They would acquiesce to it.
Scarlet shrugged. “Well, can't argue with a good aura, I guess. Let’s see if we can free him.”
“Thank you,” Peony breathed before dropping to her knees.
The guy in the cage watched her with an intense expression as she put the key into the hole. She prayed desperately that it would work as she waited. The key didn't need to be turned. She just had to wait as it was recognized. She just had to wait...
Was it taking too long? Was it not going to work? Was it-
The cage locks disengaged, clicking out of place. Peony smiled, eagerly grabbing the door and yanking it open. She licked her lips nervously as, more slowly, she moved into the cage.
All three eyes of the alien watched her without a trace of fear or aggression.
“I'm going to let you out,” she promised, speaking slowly and softly, reaching for the thick collar around his neck. “Okay? Just be still. Please, don't hurt us.”
He didn't give any indication that he understood her words. But, when her fingers touched his collar, pressing the key into the circle hole, he tilted his head back as far as he could, giving her easier access.
The collar locks broke apart with a snap. Peony pulled it open, and his head lifted free. He sat up – as far as he could in the small cage anyway.
Peony continued, pressing the key into the lock that rested on his chest, keeping his arms pressed down against his side. It broke open and she pulled it free, being careful not to let her fingers touch along the hard lines of his chest.
The guy was ripped. He hadn't eaten or drank anything in at least a week, probably longer since he was here before them, but his body didn't show it. Or maybe it did, and this was the weakened version of the Adonis he could be.
Peony forced herself not to think of that as she pressed the key into the final lock, the one keeping his legs on the ground.
The bar lifted and she quickly retreated, giving him room.
The others were silent, weary, as he slowly emerged from the cage. He grunted as he crawled out, his movements stiff and uncomfortable. Peony imagined that it was difficult to move after so long in one position.
Before she could step forward and help him up, he stood on his own, leaning against the wall with one arm. He stood...
And stood...
Good gracious, he was tall.
Her head only came about halfway up his chest. Blood trickled sluggishly down his sides from where his fingers had ripped free, the claws on his fingers dripping with his dark red, nearly black blood. It wasn't just darkened when it was dry, it was almost as dark while wet.
He stood, his lower eyes moving over the other girls, though his third eye, the top one, remained fixed on Peony. The girls were waiting to see what he would do.
All three of his eyes returned to her and she felt her nipples tighten.
He was gorgeous. His face all harsh lines and sharp angles.
He wasn't handsome by human standards, but his face was hypnotic in its unique beauty. Those three eyes, angled inward towards each other, should have been scary, but they were warm and comforting on her. And they weren’t black like she initially thought.
Instead, like his blood, they were just dark, deep red.
“Stora vacarana,” he rumbled slowly, repeating those words he spoke to her before.
Peony smiled. “You're welcome.”
The others let out sighs of relief, the tension easing in the room. Just like she thought, he wasn't a danger at all. She reached for him
He grunted, doubling over in pain.
Peony was by his side immediately, taking hold of his waist. A second later, Scarlet was on his other side. She had voted no, but only because she worried about them. If he wasn't a threat, then she was more than willing to help.
“Let's lay him down,” she said, gesturing with her head to the others.
They moved out of the way as Peony and Scarlet worked together to gently lower him onto his back. He wasn't unconscious, but he was clearly weak.
“Water. Food. Please,” Peony asked, pointing to the tray as she remained on her knees beside him.
Hattie grabbed a bowl and one of the bars and brought them over.
“Get mine as well,” Scarlet said to Holly who immediately moved to obey.
Peony shifted, moving from his side to his head.
His lower eyes were closed, clenched tight with pain, but his upper eye remained fixed on her.
He tried to help when Peony lifted him by the shoulders, resting him back against her chest so his head was up.
She couldn't do it alone. He was a mountain of muscle and had the weight to go with it.
She needed him up though. She took the bowl from Hattie and brought it to his lips. She didn't even bother to take some for herself. Not that she wasn't thirsty. Her lips and tongue were dry as bone, her head and body ached from the need for water.
But he needed it more.
He downed the entire bowl in two, large gulps. Unlike yesterday, he didn't let even a single drop escape. She caught sight of a pair of long, intimidating fangs as he breathed quickly from the effort of drinking so fast.
She set aside the bowl and looked at the one Scarlet offered.
“Are you sure?” She asked, lifting her eyes from it to her.
Scarlet nodded. “He really needs it. I'll be good for another day.”
“Thank you.” Peony took the bowl.
He drank it down again. And, when she offered him her cardboard granola, he took a hardy bite, quickly chewing and swallowing, so fast she doubted he even tasted it. She gave him first her bar, then Scarlet's. Hattie tried to hand over her bowl next, but he turned his head.