Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
"W hat's wrong with you?" I pinch his arm, leaning in to whisper. "He was just making small talk."
"I hate small talk," he replies, baring his teeth.
"Well, it's something we humans do, so you'll have to get used to it."
He purses his lips as he gives me a strange look.
"I hate humans," he mutters under his breath.
"Wow, thank you." I roll my eyes. "You're just so full of compliments today, Ze." I shake my head at him as I lean back into my seat, crossing my arms over my chest and deciding to ignore him. Yet it seems that I'm not able to, especially as he continues to quietly seethe, his muscles tense and bulging even through his loose clothing. His chest vibrates with low, guttural sounds that once more attract attention to us.
"Excuse m-me?" Matthew raises his hand to signal a passing flight attendant. She stops by his side with a smile, and he beckons her closer so he can whisper something in her ear. It's soon clear what he must have said to her because she gives Ze a once-over before she nods to Matthew.
"There is another seat available in the back. Please follow me."
Matthew doesn't even look at Ze or me as he quickly gets his luggage out and scurries away to the back.
"What was that about?" Thea asks from behind.
"You should ask Ze," I reply dryly.
He doesn't say anything, but his lips curl around the corners.
The boarding is soon over, and we're instructed to put on our seat belts and prepare for takeoff. The plane taxis on the runway, gaining speed before it inclines for takeoff.
Ze's eyes widen, his hands fisting the material of his pants.
"Are you okay?" I ask softly.
"Fine," he gives me a curt reply, his gaze forward.
I watch him from the corner of my eye for a few moments, noting the tension in his body continues climbing instead of diminishing.
It's his first time flying. I can imagine how jarring the experience would be for him. I remember my first time on a plane. It had been after the fire at the hacienda, and Nikki and I had moved to Texas. I'd been petrified the entire flight, but having him there, holding my hand throughout the entire journey, had helped immensely.
Tentatively, I reach out, placing my hand on top of his.
I don't know what it is about him and his silent struggles with this world that tug at my heartstrings. Maybe it's that I relate to him because I was once a stranger in the world too. Yet the one difference is that I had someone to help me through the transition. He...well, he doesn't want anyone's help.
Somehow, I find that so pitiful and lonely.
"It takes only a few minutes," I assure him, squeezing his hand in comfort.
He turns toward me, his piercing eyes meeting mine. I brace myself for a few of his scathing words. But he doesn't speak. Slowly, he brings his gaze to his lap where our hands are. He stares at our hands so intently, he forgets all about the takeoff or the fact that the plane is already in the air.
"See, it wasn't so bad." I give him a tentative smile.
He doesn't return it—I don't think the man is capable of a genuine smile. He simply nods at me, softly taking my hand off his and depositing it in my lap. I guess it could have been worse. Something along the lines of— how dare you touch me, human? Yes, it could have definitely been worse. My lips tremble with mirth at the thought of those scenarios.
As the plane stabilizes in the air, I lower the armrest on my side and on Ze's side so he can have more space. Then I turn off his monitor and plug in the complimentary earbuds to show him what he can do to pass the time.
At first, he doesn't seem interested. But as I get to the list of shows he can watch, his interest is piqued. He leans forward, his eyes wide and curious.
"This magic of yours," he starts, his expression pensive. "It traps people inside the small box?"
"It's not magic. It's technology. Remember the billboards in Times Square? It's the same."
He blinks.
"So they were not actual people? I was under the impression they were putting on a live show from those boxes," he adds.
I try to hold my laughter in and fail.
"No, they're not." I giggle. He gives me a harsh look. Getting my mirth under control, I proceed to explain—to the best of my ability—how movies and TV shows work.
"I see." He nods. "So these are visual stories. But it's not magic."
"Yes, that's exactly right."
"And I can watch whatever story I want?"
I point to the screen, showing him how he can operate it with his fingers.
"It's like that smartphone of yours," he murmurs, a hint of excitement in his voice. He's entranced by it as he starts swiping in all directions, exploring every option. Eventually, he settles on a TV show called
Game of Thrones .
With Ze preoccupied with his show, I direct my attention to my own device, wondering if I should watch something or try to sleep. I'm quite tired after all that ghost-hunting turned demon-hunting. While I debate my options, I browse the selection of TV shows. Suddenly, though, Ze pulls on my headphones to get my attention.
"What?" I frown.
"How dare you make me watch this, human?" he grits out in the most disgusted voice.
I flutter my lashes in confusion.
He points to the screen, his nostrils flaring with anger. Two fully naked people are going at it like rabbits. The woman's breasts are bouncing up and down. The volume is high enough that I can hear her moans from his earbuds.
"Oh," I murmur. "I'm guessing your world doesn't have R-rated stuff?" I try to make light of the situation, but Ze is not amused. If anything, he's incensed.
"This is blasphemous," he mutters as he presses all over the screen in an attempt to turn it off.
"Are you a prude, Z?" I raise my brow at him.
"It is against the law to have any licentious display in public," he hisses, "much less between an unmated couple."
"I don't understand," I frown. Reaching forward, I press the back button to take him out of the video since this is clearly offensive to him.
"Is Ze giving you any trouble, Luce?" Thea asks. Looking up, I see she's on her feet, resting her elbows on the top of my chair as she peeks down at us.
"He's offended about nudity in a TV show." I roll my eyes.
"Oh." She giggles.
Ze turns sharply to her, giving her his signature death glare.
"Is this really illegal in your world?" I ask, thinking I may have actually committed a faux pas.
Thea beckons me closer to whisper in my ear.
"It is technically illegal," she adds drily. "Of course, it's always the males that are the exception. As long as they're quiet and careful about their liaisons, people turn a blind eye. But if females are caught doing the same thing, they are ostracized, or worse."
"Then why is Ze so insulted by it?"
"Because he's...different? You've probably noticed that he doesn't understand nuances. For him, a law is a law." She sighs. "He's the only person I know who is beyond temptation in that regard."
"That is...odd."
Ze clears his throat, his eyes narrowed at us.
"He is odd," she says intentionally louder so he can hear.
He doesn't react to it, merely staring her down some more—which seems to be his only reaction in most situations.
"Then why is it illegal in the first place if there are exceptions?"
"It's an archaic law and when it was passed, it was supposed to reduce pregnancies between unmated couples. And when that didn't work as intended, they actually made it illegal for a female to have a child without being officially mated." Thea shakes her head in disgust. "We have a lot of archaic laws. It's all so they can control who reproduces and how they reproduce."
"That's...a lot of laws."
"Tell me about it." She rolls her eyes. "I can't eat what I want. I can't wear what I want. I can't do anything I want," she huffs out, annoyed.
"What happens if someone breaks those laws?"
She pauses, her features tense.
"It depends on the offense and who commits it. Some have more leeway than others, but if a female has a child outside her mated bond, then all bets are off. It's the one thing that no one will overlook. If it's with a different species, then... I don't even want to imagine." She shudders.
"Your world sounds even worse than mine." I give her a sympathetic smile.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
"Why don't you leave? Come live here? Surely you could?—"
"No," she states before I can even finish my sentence. "Just as there are Collectors for rogue souls, there are Trackers for us. Even if I tried to leave, they would always find me."
Ze snorts from the side.
"The Trackers are your last concern. Cerenios would never allow you to leave, Erithea."
Cer grunts an affirmative from behind.
"So you see, there's nowhere to go for me." She gives a fake laugh as she settles back in her chair, her features tense and weary.
"Why doesn't this all surprise me?" I mutter under my breath as I give Ze the side-eye. "Of course you'd come from a hyper-misogynistic society. Your rudeness should have clued me in."
"Watch your words, human," he warns in a biting tone before pausing. "What do you mean by misogynistic?"
"It means you hate women."
He frowns.
"That is false. I do not hate females. I do not care about them at all."
What? He's puzzled by the exchange, too.
"I meant your society, not you as an individual," I explain, realizing he took it quite literally.
"That is false as well. Females are revered in our society."
"Let me guess, for their wombs?" I raise a brow.
He opens his mouth then closes it.
"Yes and no," he says as he puts his forefinger up. Oh, here comes professor Ze again. "It is true that they are the mothers of our future leaders, but females can hold the same type of functions as men in our society, including warriors. In fact, despite the difference in size, females in our world can sometimes be stronger than their male counterparts. As such, your misogynistic comment is false."
He nods to himself as he finishes, clearly pleased with himself.
"Well, Thea has a different account," I shoot back.
"What Erithea failed to mention is that our laws apply to everyone . If a male fathers a child outside the mating bounds, he is also punished. The same goes for food, clothes, and behavior. Depending on your level of skill, standing in society and responsibility, certain things are expected of you. Cerenios and I, for example, are held to much stricter standards because of our positions in the army."
"Oh... I'm sorry for assuming," I say. I'm embarrassed that I jumped so quickly to conclusions without hearing the entire story.
"You are forgiven," he smoothly replies.
"This is a bit of a trigger for me." I laugh nervously. "I grew up in a community that subjugated women and only treated them like objects," I continue. For some reason, I feel the need to justify myself.
"You were subjugated?" Ze frowns, his gaze on mine.
"Technically, I was a slave." I shrug.
"A slave? You humans still practice slavery?"
"There are people who still do. It doesn't mean it has to be legal."
"Who? Tell me who it was and I will annihilate them," he rasps, his nostrils flaring with anger.
On my behalf?
"They're already dead. But thank you." I give him a smile. He really isn't that bad once you get over the rough exterior.
He humphs.
"In this life..." he trails off, a smile pulling at his lips.
I don't quite get his meaning, but I choose not to dwell on it since the mere topic of the hacienda tends to make me deeply uncomfortable. Instead, I browse through the selection of shows and choose something PG-13 for Ze. And what other better option than anime? There are a few episodes of Naruto available, and I suggest he watch those. Of course, after the first episode plays, I expect him to have some more complaints. But to my surprise, he watches it with great interest.
I make sure that Cer and Thea are also comfortable before huddling closer to the window and closing my eyes to sleep.