Living History

Rhenyan

"We're on a planet called Kiaua. It's not too far from your home. We're going back, but we need to make a stop before we can get you there."

I don't want to go home! I want to scream. That's the last place I want to go!

But I have no idea why they're taking me there - or how they know where home is.

As my breathing starts to slow, I relax my arms. I hadn't even noticed I'd been gripping his hand in a death grip.

"Sorry," I mumble. My body still feels wound.

"It's fine. Not the worst thing I've endured, though definitely more than I expected." He gives me a small grin as he turns back to the remaining food. "We're gonna get you home. I promise."

Please no.

"And this person we have to meet...?"

"...is to help make sure we aren't being followed by anyone unwanted. Also to figure out where exactly we need to take you."

"You don't know where I live, right?"

"Um, well no. We do. But we've been... asked to take a detour first."

So my only hope is to detour their detour. Great.

I lean back, my appetite gone. Rhenyan's energy reaches out to me but doesn't try to touch mine. Instead he just forms a small bubble with it around me, as if hoping the calmness radiating from his energy surrounding me will have the same effect. I ignore it.

"So you guys do this a lot? Do you get paid for it or something?" I figure they have to if they want to keep up so many hideouts.

"Yes."

"And who's paying you for this one?"

His eyes cut to mine. "Your mother."

I grit my teeth. Of course she is. "How much is she paying you?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I just... I want to-"

"Make sure we're well compensated? Don't worry. We are."

Not nearly as well as you should be. "That's... good."

He stares at me for another few moments before looking away. Clearly he knows something's wrong. Is he not going to ask about it? Whatever. All I know is I can't go back there.

"You can trust us, Xena. It'll be okay. We're pros."

I glare at him. Stop reading my mind, Rhenyan.

He glances to me, than laughs. "I'm not reading your mind, by the way. You're just an open book."

"So you guys are like bounty hunters?" I say to try to redirect the conversation from me.

"I mean, I guess so. But that's a bit aggressive I think."

I snort. "You don't think breaking into the council's labs consistently is aggressive enough to be called aggressive?"

"Hm, not like that. What I meant is, bounty hunters have a different kind of rep. Mostly in the fact that many of their assignments are 'dead or alive' deals. We don't kill. Not for assignment, anyway. That doesn't mean there haven't been casualties, but we never take assignments that we know are going to involve death."

If you even had the power to kill. Speaking of...

"How did you get in my head?"

He turns the machine off and covers the food with a plate. "I told you-"