Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 24

Rigel

"Someone's pet is in danger," a scourge yells.

Instinctively, I reach for Ava's leash. Everything, from her collar and even Ava, is gone.

My heart is in my throat. I stand, looking around the room. Scourges sniff the air and already, two large scourges stand at each end of the row. In unison, the scourges tear the entire row of metal seats from the base, tossing them against the wall.

It's only then that I see Ava. The unruly scourge child is holding Ava's body against a cage from where there is so much growling.

Finally, someone yanks that brat Seth away. Another scourge pushes away the cage, while I pull Ava into my arms.

I look Ava over. A bright red scratch marks her cheek.

Scourges gather around me.

"Is she injured? Her heartbeat is still racing–"

"—is that blood on her cheek—"

Ava is shaking, unable to mask her fear. A scourge hand gets close to Ava's hair, and when Ava whimpers and tries to grab onto me, I lose it. Out go my wings, knocking a few scourges back.

Ava lets out a sob.

I pull Ava against me. "Stop it! Can't you see you are terrifying her!"

I become hyper-aware of Ava, now underneath my wings, her fingers combing through my quivering feathers.

"I am Delphinus," says an elderly scourge, with what looks like a rahoni perched on her shoulder. "We are all pet lovers here and we are only trying to help."

Seth is coming closer, hollering at my wings. "I want to see, I want to see, I want to see!"

Behind my wing, Ava flinches.

Many of these scourges look at me as if I've hurt them. I need them to back away.

"She's afraid of scourges and by getting too close, everyone is scaring her. So, for her sake, I implore everyone to give us some space."

Admitting this aloud is potentially dangerous. Her evaluation will require that she demonstrate she can adapt to living among scourges, and here I am, publicly admitting that she can't.

Delphinus, the elderly scourge with the rahoni, places a hand on my shoulder. "You only had to tell us. Now, settle down with your pet." She turns toward the other scourges and starts shouting orders. "You, with that child, get him under control. Everyone else, back up, give this pet and owner some space, and..." She glances up and down at me and asks, "Are you related to birds?"

I want to snap at Delphinus—shout and tell her that I am not a bird—yet she looks so concerned.

I hope my Archae Bennuidae ancestors cannot see me because... "Yes," I say, going along with the incorrect assumption.

"Birds are beautiful, aren't they," says Delphinus, patting the top of her rahoni's head when it crawls into her arms. She shouts at the group around us. "Give this bird and his pet some space!"

To my surprise, the scourges move away from us, settling on the floor near their pets. Delphinus stays by my side.

My hand drapes protectively along Ava's backside, shielding her with my wings.

My heart pounds in my chest. What have I done? By admitting to everyone else in the lobby that my pet is afraid of scourges, I might have condemned her. Not only that but after another fearful encounter with that scourge brat, her phobias might worsen. What little chance she had of passing is probably now reduced to zero.

Ava's hand reaches out from my wing, stretching toward the rahoni. "Glow Ball?"

Delphinus blinks at Ava's hand. "Is your pet speaking?"

"Yes. My pet, Ava, she is asking if... My pet likes..." I tilt my head at the rahoni. "May she hold your pet? I think it might calm her."

"Why yes, anything to help the little..." Delphinus's nose scrunches. "What is that exactly? It has no wings or fur."

The moment Delphinus gives her agreement, the rahoni leaps and finds its way to Ava underneath my wings.

"Human," I say.

The rahoni chirps and Ava's whispers float to me from underneath my wings. I can only hope that this is a good sign.

So, we continue to wait with our pets in the middle of a lobby with broken chairs.

A vet tech takes pets out of the lobby, one by one. First, he rolls away the cage with the monster that scratched Ava. Next, he calls for the rat creature, and Seth sneaks through the doors after the tech. I stay quiet, relieved to no longer see that child. Next, the tech calls for Glow Ball and the rahoni dutifully flutters to the vet tech's outstretched arm.

Then the vet tech calls for my pet. "Ava."

I approach the vet tech, my arms and wings still protectively embracing Ava. "I'm Dr. Rigel, her registered foster owner."

"Fine," grunts the vet tech. "Give me the pet's leash."

Why does he think I'm holding her? "During the evaluation, I would like to stay near her."

The vet tech's fangs angle toward me. "That's just not possible, Dr. Rigel."

My face feels hot with shame. I have given pet owners the same look as this vet tech now gives me, especially when someone does not want to comply with the rules. If only I could make this vet tech understand.

"What if I stay with her and leave when the assessors enter? You see, she's just had an out-of-the-ordinary scare and–"

The vet tech's voice rises. "Dr. Rigel, it is at the discretion of the staff as to the specifics of how they conduct every part of the exam, from collecting the pet to the evaluation. None of the other pet owners accompanied their pets through these doors today, likewise, you may not either."

I place Ava on the floor and give him the leash.

The vet tech leads Ava away through an open door on the other side of the lobby. The tech stops, speaking with another scourge and I can see the two scourges standing near Ava. Ava's somber brown eyes gaze at me from the open doorway, Ava looks so small standing next to the scourges. My eyes focus on Ava, from her big eyes to the gash on her cheek, yet another reminder of how my negligence led to her getting hurt.

"Kata, Ava," says the vet tech scourge, pulling on her leash, and the metal door clangs shut.

My thoughts spiral: Will I ever see her again?

"Don't worry, they'll look after our pets," says Delphinus. Her warm hand grips my wing.

Normally, I do not like scourges touching my wings, yet Delphinus's touch is comforting.

More questions swirl in my mind: Is Ava afraid? If her assessors decide she fails, will they let me see her before they eliminate her?

Do the scourges sense my anxiety? Because these scourges who I only recently met huddle around me. Delphinus's hand is joined by others, on my shoulders, head, and wings, patting me as I slide down the wall.

Something seems strange to me. These scourges are trying to offer comfort. Why, I wonder. What makes these scourges different from the tough exterior I normally see amongst them?

As if in answer to my silent question, the scourge owner of the pet that scratched my Ava says. "This is the last stop."

"–Where together we wait–"

"–Some pets may never return through that doorway–"

"–But we will always remember them–"

"–So together we stand–"

"–United in the love for our pets–"

I can no longer focus on who says what, but I cling to their comforting touches.

I gaze at the closed metal door, the one separating me from my Ava. It's probably a hallucination, but somehow, I see Ava's haunting eyes and the gash on her skin peering at me. I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing on the outcome I need.

Come back to me, Ava.