My unshakeable loyalty to Sevani and dedication to following his orders was of little relief from the growing discomfort I felt in having the human in my home. Worse yet was my inability to escape, even for a moment’s relief. For two days, I had felt her eyes burning into me as I prepared and served her meals, scanned the perimeter of the house for potential threats, and waited for her to fall asleep. Only in the hours of her slumber did I earn a leave from her scrutiny, but it was not enough to sate my need for a purpose beyond what felt to be nothing more than babysitting.

What rattled me most was her constant stare. She watched my movements with careful analysis and shamelessly observed each step I took. Every time I looked at her, she matched my gaze with her own and waited for me to break the connection first. Even throughout my many years of warrior training, when I had been under endless surveillance from my superiors to evaluate everything from reflex reactivity to hunger stamina, I had not felt so dissected. I felt more unnerved by her than I did by the notion of any angry Novai bursting in to take her from under my nose, though I was not entirely certain it was only her stare that kept me perturbed.

I had never been driven by chasing or attracting females. A’li-uud, as a race, were not intensely focused on mating in the manner humans seemed to be. Pentabans especially were dedicated more to the ensured preservation of our people than the proliferation of them. Yet, I found myself drinking in the vision of Lena as she slept, tracing the sleek point of her chin and round arcs of her cheeks with my eyes. I watched the way her long lashes shivered when she dreamed, and I irrationally hoped her lids would open to reveal the probing silver orbs beneath. The ends of her blonde locks always seemed to drizzle down to her collarbone where the blanket rested and left the remainder of her curvy, voluptuous figure to my imagination, and I was unable to stop myself from picturing the sight beneath despite my efforts to remain focused. After so many years dedicated to nothing more than my kingdom, the grips of attraction had finally captured me, and they were born of a human.

Thankfully, my life was an exercise in self-control, and I was able to sidestep those thoughts during the day. We spoke only when she had a question about her confinement; thus, I was absent an emotional bond and better equipped to regard her as merely my ward. Nevertheless, I was beginning to grow desperate for Sevani to release her from my custody, thereby releasing me from the obligation of her presence and the involuntary desires that accompanied it.

The third day of her stay brought with it a stone of progress in the form of Sevani on my doorstep. I lowered my head and dropped my eyes respectfully as he entered, but I could feel his distress and impatience with the gesture radiating from him like heat.

“You need not bother with proprieties, Khrel,” he said in A’li-uud with a dismissive wave of his hand. I looked up and found his eyes darting rapidly around in search of Lena. “There is little time to waste. I have come for the human’s recollections of her attack.”

“She is dining,” I informed him. He shook out the skirt of his floor-sweeping emerald robe as if preparing to walk, but I was desperate for any interaction with someone outside the house and unwilling to relinquish it so quickly. “Has something happened? Has there been any backlash from the Novai?”

Sevani shook his head. “The Novai have not yet been informed.”

I furrowed my brow, startled. “They do not question the whereabouts of two of their own?” I asked.

“That was not your question,” Sevani replied with a stern glance. “There has been no reprisal because they are still ignorant to the truth. They are, however, quite curious about the status of their missing comrades and have become rather unruly.”

“In what manner?”

“Constant and disruptive noisemaking, a general lack of cooperation with our warriors, increased hostility during exchanges. They are demanding answers.”

He looked only mildly worried in relation to escalated Novain chaos, but I felt differently. “But there have been no further attacks?”

“No.” Sevani flicked his gaze toward the rear of the room, where only a wall separated him from a view of Lena.

“What of the other human?” I pressed. “Isabelle?”

“Xam looks in on her daily. She has not left the Polder Quarter, and she has not reported any interactions with the Novai. She is safe.”

I frowned. It was pleasing to learn Lena’s shanty and roommate had not been targeted, but learning the Novai had become more aggressive in their search for knowledge of their cohorts disturbed me. More than ever, I felt the pull to perform my War Chief duties and stand alongside my warriors. Being assaulted by a single Novai was one matter. An entire camp of riled Novai, though, was another matter entirely, and one I felt urgent in handling on-scene.

“Wise One,” I said, lowering my voice to prevent Lena overhearing despite her inability to understand our language, “I believe it best to return the human to her shanty, with protection, of course. We know astoundingly little about the Novai, and escalated aggression from them could potentially pose a risk to my warriors that would best be addressed with a Chief. And, as you are here to collect the human’s account of that evening, she would have already told her story to an Elder. The danger of a preventative attack on her would be eliminated.”

Sevani gazed at me with firm resolution on his face as I spoke, and I knew with each passing word my efforts to pass her off to another and resume my post were futile.

“The human is not just a witness to the attack, Khrel, but the victim. Her account to me is merely to present as a preliminary testimony. She must go before the Council to submit her official statement, thus allowing the Council to make a well-informed and educated decision about the fate of the Novai on Albaterra. Without her official statement, I cannot move for their immediate eviction. Ergo, she is still in danger even after speaking with me today.” He narrowed his eyes over my shoulder, and I turned to see Lena standing in the arch between the kitchen and the sitting room. She was watching us curiously. I swallowed hard, overcome with a rush of hormones upon the unexpected sight of her, and turned back to Sevani. He continued looking at her as he continued speaking. “Furthermore, as you have recognized, our knowledge of the Novai is severely lacking. Based on the actions of their deceased and the behaviors of the remaining, it seems we underestimated their capabilities and overestimated their benevolence. It is crucial that the human remains under the protection of the best if we are to overturn the Council’s agreement for Novain colonization, and you, Khrel, are the best.”

“Thank you, Wise One,” I murmured. While his words were high praise, I felt only bitterness for my continuing obligation to monitor Lena. It seemed to me that the best would not be mired with the menial task of supervising a single person while there was a potential uprising looming before us.

“I must speak with her now, as I am due to report to Forum in short order. I trust your orders are clear enough?” Sevani asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He began to stride past me toward Lena, but he turned briefly for a moment with sudden understanding evident on his face and said, “Do not despair too greatly, Khrel. She will soon be leaving Pentaba completely.”