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I let out a small breath and then a relieved laugh, happy someone was with me through this. I was more afraid than I care to admit. I wish it were Eissa, of course, but since he’s not here, I’ll take a native to this planet rather than being alone.

‘You look worried,’ Jyrion signs, his body turning toward mine.

‘I was. I didn’t know what that was. I’m glad you showed up when you did.’

‘Eissa is not here.’

The way he signs that, no inflection on his face to state it’s a question, has my guard up. Did he know Eissa wasn’t here? Did he show up on purpose? I don’t know, but I do know to tread carefully.

‘No, he’s not. He’s been called away.’

‘I see.’ Jyrion glances around, looking at the kradun who is lumbering toward him. He steps out of Gerald’s way when he gets too close, and I see a small curl of his lips as Gerald knocks over a small table.

‘The kradun are high maintenance. I’m surprised Eissa has one with his schedule.’

I say nothing, not sure if something I say will get him into trouble. I feel I’ve already caused him so much. I don’t want to make any of it worse.

‘You want something to drink?’ I ask, waving my hand to get his attention.

I don’t know the Vyastilian customs, but offering a refreshment isn’t weird, right? It seems cross-cultural. Or maybe even xeno-cultural? Is that a word?

‘Yes, thank you.’ His eyes move down to my cock, and I turn away.

‘Not that. That is for my Vyastil.’

Jyrion’s lips turn down for a moment, but he corrects it quickly, his lips thinning.

‘Another drink? Not cum,’ I clarify.

His chin dips, so I turn and make my way into the kitchen, my sheer tunic fluttering around me. Thank god I put one on today. After Eissa left me, I slipped one on in case I ran into anyone on my walk.

And right now, I wish I had human clothes on so I could cover up entirely.

The problem is, when I arrive in the kitchen, I realize I don’t know what the Vyastil drink. I don’t even know if I’ve ever seen them eat anything except for that weird mossy plant. I was served something at the council meeting, but I’m not sure that’s something they partake in or if they just serve it to companions.

Besides cum, do they even drink anything at all?

‘You do not know much. Eissa’s other companion did not know much either,’ Jyrion says when he sees my uncertainty.

He moves past me, one of his clawed and heavily adorned fingers sliding across the countertop. His eyes shift to meet mine, and I find myself blushing under his scrutiny. He’s not the same Vyastil I saw at the gathering, where he had Everest take that herb and come over and over. He’s not jeering, he’s not smirking. He’s just…normal.

It’s unsettling.

I can’t let him see he has me rattled. ‘I know. I’m still learning. I have only been here a short time.’

‘You must learn, or else you will be a disappointment. Do you know what happens to companions who are disappointments?’

I say nothing.

His mouth stretches into a slight grin. ‘Ask Eissa. He’s very familiar.’

My stomach churns at that. What happened to his other companion? Was he really that upset with his failures that he got rid of him? Were those images of blood and screams I saw on Eissa’s orders?

When I say nothing, he turns, ‘I will show you what we like to drink.’ He opens a few cabinets, searching for something, and when he finds it, he turns to me. He twists the top open and holds it out to me, an earthy scent drifting toward me. ‘This is vyloc. It is…like a human tea.’

‘Do you use water? I thought it was scarce.’

‘It is. No, we do not use that. We use…’ His hands hesitate. ‘It comes from the trees.’