The Light That Shines From Above

Chapter 39

I scrubbed the bowl with the soapy sponge then ran it under hot water. When it was clear of suds I handed it to Ikzo who wiped it down with a dry towel.

We had taken a smaller ship that was attached to the underneath of the one we attacked with to my home in Alaska. Ikzo landed it in the field behind my house and it still was there. Camouflaged into the landscape.

My mother woke up not long after Ikzo brought her into her room. He stepped out before she could see him again allowing me to calm her again. It was much easier now that she was in the house. She recognized the area, recognized I was there too and almost settled completely. I got her to eat something small before she passed out again. That was nearly two days ago. Her days consisted of eating light meals and sleeping, all in an effort to regain her strength.

Now I stood in front of the sink with Ikzo resting against the counter beside me as I cleaned up the dishes I used to make her soup. It was canned and the quickest thing I could make that wasn't spoiled.

As he dried the dishes he took in the house. I wondered if he felt as strange as I did when I arrived at his estate. Everything looked so much different in comparison. Our walls were dark wood with clutter all over the place. Nothing was sleek or shiny.

"Do you think she will be better when she wakes again?" Ikzo asked.

I handed him the last spoon then shut off the water, turning to face him as I rest my hip on the counter, "I hope so. She's already better than on the ship. I know it will help the longer she's here."

His purple eyes watched me as I spoke. He made the habit of camouflaging as human around my mother, only dropping it when she was asleep or out of sight. I appreciated the effort. It probably would help her not break again.

"But what about the others? They didn't agree to the request, order, do you think they will come back for her?"

He shook his head, "I'm going to make sure they don't. Pher is bringing the leader of that ship back to Occolla then we're going to force them into agreeance." He seemed so sure, "We took two other n's as well. What they did, defying the order to return a Hye Jisha's family member and then threatening you, I could easily tear into their planet for it. It would be more than justified and the others would help."

"Who are the others? Just soldiers?" I caught how he pointed that out too. I only thought Pher said he had the leader.

"One is their operator for their missiles." He explained, " The other is Straxium, the doctor."

My face slacked at the information.

"I recognized him, from an old memory of yours." He looked irritated at the memory of it, then expressing some satisfaction, "He will not be part of any negotiation."

"You'll kill him?" I asked.

"Sooner or later." He didn't specify what that meant. I could only guess what those words would entail for Straxium. Probably painful things.

I didn't feel bad at all. He was going to cut me open; he definitely did worse to my mother. If he felt half of the vulnerability and pain both of us did I would be happy.

"Thank you." I expressed, "For that. For my mom. For a lot more actually."

He smiled, collecting me into his arms then resting his head on top of mine, "You're welcome Likaliv."

"You still have to tell me what that means." I said, wrapping my arms around his back.

He hummed, "It's a term of endearment. Love, is the closest English translation."

I smiled against his chest. I figured it was an endearing word but there were a handful of ones it could have been. I liked that one.

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and I knew he heard that.