“He was researching Maeleon culture,” Paz suggested. “Makes sense. Nobody in my crew knew of this planet or your people, and it never came up once in all my years of training. Wherever those two were from, they must not have known anything about Eukaria, either.”

  I shrugged. The details were unimportant to me. All I knew was what happened next.

  “Unit 44 was very interested in our culture,” I agreed. “He thought it was strange that we Maeleons are fanged, yet don’t act carnivorous. He was the one who taught me to eat meat.” I grinned at the memory. “I was great at hunting. Unit 44 was proud of me.”

  Paz tensed.

  “But the Maeleons in my village didn’t like that,” I continued. “They started looking at me strangely. Some tried to change my mind. Especially Haz’rull and Arr’tow. But I didn’t care about what they thought.” My tail wrapped around my legs. “As long as I had Unit 44, I was happy.”

  Paz nodded slowly, waiting for me to continue. He still wore that strange, almost pained expression.

  “One day, Unit 44 asked what our village taboos were,” I said. “It was his most important research. He said he’d be deeply grateful if I helped him. I told him everything. I’ll never forget his excitement when he heard about the arson taboo. He taught me it was rare in most cultures, and he’d only ever heard of it being morally wrong on Eukaria.”

  Paz’s face paled. “Kur’tok, that’s just not true.”

  “What?” I asked, almost like he hadn’t spoken.

  He gripped my arm tighter. “Arson is wrong in most cultures. In fact, I’d say in every culture.”

  I stared at him, unseeing. His words felt misaligned with my world.

  “That’s not what Unit 44 said,” I stated.

  “He lied to you.”

  I resisted the urge to wrench my arm out of his grip. “He did not!” I roared.

  Paz stared at me unflinchingly. His eyes were harder than I’d ever seen them, twin shards piercing my soul.

  My heart pounded sickeningly in my chest.

  “He did not lie,” I growled.

  “He lied straight to your face,” Paz insisted. Before I could argue, he cut me off. “What did he tell you to do?”

  My pulse felt thick, my blood cold. The world suddenly shifted on its axis. I stared at the grass beneath my feet, still green and untouched.

  “I would be an amazing asset to his research,” I repeated, never forgetting his words, “if I performed an experiment. He wanted to test his theory: communal social response to taboo committed by an immature specimen.”

  Paz’s voice came out in a strained whisper. “Kur’tok...”

  “I did the worst Maeleon taboo. I set it all ablaze.” The words felt cold and empty. “Just for him.”

  Paz suddenly blurted out, “He used you!”

  Growling, I gnashed my teeth. “You sound just like them.”

  “Who?”

  “The Maeleons of my village,” I spat. “They blamed Unit 44. They thought it was all his fault! They killed him because of me!”

  Paz’s eyes rounded. They swam with emotion: sympathy, anger, and despite everything, still love.

  “They sacrificed him to the Soul of Eukaria?” Paz asked quietly.

  I felt winded. I didn’t expect to hear those words come from his mouth. They felt too close to home.

  “How do you know about that?” I demanded.

  A wry smile touched his lips. “Because when our ship crashed on Eukaria, it scorched the Sweetfields. We committed the same crime, and we almost met the same fate. But Zat’tor saved us because what happened was an accident. We didn’t mean any harm.” His smile fell. “But Unit 44 did.”

  I didn’t realize I was trembling until Paz’s palm curled tighter on my arm. I forced myself to still, but it wouldn’t stop.

  “He did not,” I said under my breath, but it sounded frail. “It was my fault he died.”

  Paz’s mouth was a thin line. “It was his own fault. He knew exactly what would happen, because you told him. What he didn’t realize is that Maeleons aren’t stupid. They recognized that he manipulated you.”

  “I still did it,” I muttered bitterly. “If I didn’t, he’d still be alive.”

  My head swam. I felt like I was being churned in choppy waters, unable to reach land or take a solid breath.

  Paz put his arm around me—he was so small, it only reached half of my back. “Don’t blame yourself. He used you for his own twisted reasons. Think of it this way, Kur’tok: if Unit 44 never showed up, would you have burned anything down?”

  I paused. “No.”

  “There you go. Did anyone else get hurt?”

  “No villagers. They fled quickly when they smelled the smoke.” I stared at the grass. “The plants were burnt.”

  Paz nodded solemnly. If he knew about the Soul of Eukaria, he must know how much plant life meant to Maeleons. Most of them, anyway.

  “Plants grow back,” Paz said.

  I leaned against him, feeling heavy with guilt. “I only meant to burn the corner of my den. Just enough for him to see. I didn’t mean for the flames to get so out of hand...”

  “That’s what fire does,” Paz said mildly, as if comforting a child.

  I felt horrible. I wished the ground would swallow me up.

  “I never forgave the Maeleons for what they did to Unit 44,” I muttered. “After the village was destroyed, we all dispersed to other ones nearby. They welcomed us with open arms. Me, Haz’rull and Arr’tow were accepted into the Sweetfields village you know. But their kindness only infuriated me. I never stopped being angry. I couldn’t stop thinking about how Maeleons killed my best friend. My mentor.”

  Paz grimaced, but he didn’t interrupt.

  “I kept eating meat. I kept stewing in my rage,” I growled.

  “You kept pushing people away,” Paz said.

  I couldn’t deny it. He’d seen right through me, the way he always did.

  I let out a bitter laugh. “Hmph.” My claw dragged in the sandy earth, drawing lazy scribbles. “I guess it worked, because they finally kicked me out. Sent me on a quest of self-reflection. Asked me not to return until I’d changed my antisocial behavior.”

  Realization dawned on Paz’s face. He glanced down at my doodles. “I get it now. That was why Tau’run acted weird when I asked about your ‘quest.’”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Tau’run? That yellow fruit-eater? Why were you speaking? Are they sexually interested in you?”

  Paz laughed airily. “No, you big goof. And I don’t like them that way. I only love you. Romantically, sexually, all that stuff.”

  I relaxed with a grunt. “Good.”

  A few quiet moments passed. I felt empty, but not in a bad way—like I’d finally spat out a festering poison stuck in my chest.

  “I’m sorry, Kur’tok,” Paz said.

  I turned to him with a confused frown. “What for?”

  “Everything you went through.” He stroked my back with his small palm. The warm circles felt soothing. “I know it’s hard to think of it differently, but you were used.”

  The wound was still too fresh. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.

  “Do you... want to return to the village we’re from?” Paz asked.

  Again, I didn’t know. I stared at the charred remains of my old village, a permanent scorched mark on the wilderness.

  “They won’t take me back,” I muttered.

  “You don’t know that,” Paz insisted. “The Kur’tok who berated his friends and ordered me around on a leash? Maybe not that version of you. But the one I’m talking to right now is different.”

  I grimaced. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t feel like I could believe him.

  Paz pointed to the village’s remains. “Look, Kur’tok. I know it seems bad. But it’s not ruined forever. Do you see the plants poking out of the ashes?”

  Until now, I’d avoided looking too closely at the village, even from a distance. It was all a charred blur, darkening my psyche. But Paz forced me to look closer. As I sharpened my gaze and focused, I sucked in a breath. I did see new plant life dotted across the ruins. I couldn’t believe my eyes. If Paz hadn’t mentioned them, I never would’ve noticed.

  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned on Eukaria, it’s that a new beginning is always possible, if you want one,” Paz said, flashing me a brilliant smile. “Even for you.”

  My heart vibrated in my ribs. Overwhelmed with affection, I grabbed Paz with my tentacles and yanked him into my lap so I could crush him in a hug. His laugh was muffled against my chest.

  “Love you, too,” he said through a mouthful of my pectorals.

  A sudden flicker of motion moved in my peripheral vision. I lifted my head, narrowing my eyes at the village. Then I saw it—a figure moving around in the ruins.

  A very familiar figure.

  “Paz,” I whispered.

  Hearing my serious voice, he stopped laughing. He quietly turned around to follow my gaze, then sucked in a breath when he saw it, too.

  Even after all these years, I’d recognize that strange flesh shape anywhere.

  Creeping around in the ruins of my old village was Assistant 23.

  15 / Paz

  I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked multiple times to make sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me, but the figure remained unchanged.

  I didn’t know who or what was inside of that outfit, but the person sneaking around in the village wore an outdated model of the space-faring hazmat suit.

  I wanted to tell Kur’tok ASAP, but we were both deadly silent. Nobody dared to speak in case the wanderer heard us. They didn’t seem to realize they were being watched.

  Slowly, I lifted my gaze to meet Kur’tok’s. He was utterly wide-eyed with shock. I’d never seen him look so stunned. Did he recognize that person?

  The figure slunk around, digging in the ashes to retrieve something, then ran. They kept low to the ground as they fled the scene like a cautious prey animal. We watched them disappear into a shallow cavern nearby.

  “Okay, we both saw that, right?” I asked.

  Kur’tok sounded like he’d just seen a ghost. “That was Assistant 23.”

  “What?” I blurted, leaping to my feet. “Well, let’s go talk to him!”

  Kur’tok looked hesitant for a second. Then he shook it off and rose to join me. “Fine.”

  He sounded warily intrigued, but not thrilled. He hadn’t talked much about the second member of the investigation, so I figured Kur’tok hadn’t been as close to Assistant 23.

  But based on the distant figure’s shape and movements, I had suspicions about what he was...

  As we approached the cavern, Kur’tok glanced at the sky. It was getting dark.

  “I said we’d return by evening,” he reminded me quietly.

  “We can’t pass up this opportunity,” I insisted. “If we go back now, who knows where Assistant 23 will disappear to?”

  Kur’tok growled softly. He wrapped his tentacles around my waist and picked me up bridal-style.

  “I can walk, you know,” I teased.

  “I don’t know how much he’s changed in eight cycles,” Kur’tok said in a low voice. “If he tries to harm you...”

  I smiled at his overprotective machismo. “It’ll be fine. He looked scared.”

  Kur’tok’s expression remained stoic. “People who are afraid lash out,” he mumbled, as if speaking from experience.

  “Okay. Then I trust my big, strong, sexy filum to keep me safe. How about that?”

  A smirk curved the edge of Kur’tok’s mouth. “Better.”

  Kur’tok took steady strides towards the cavern. I had to admit, I did feel safe in his tentacled grip. Whatever happened, he’d protect me.

  Before Kur’tok stepped foot inside, a terrified shriek rang out: “W-who’s there?”

  I exchanged glances with Kur’tok. Whoever that voice belonged to sounded like a trembling Chihuahua of a person. I doubted we were in any danger at all.

  “Let me handle this,” I whispered to Kur’tok, then called back, “Hello there! My name is Paz, and I’m—”

  Another comically terrified shriek followed.

  “It’s all right. We’re not going to hurt you,” I assured in my best professional diplomatic voice.

  “Don’t make promises like that,” Kur’tok grumbled.

  “Oh, shush.”

  “There’s two of you?” Assistant 23 yelped. If his voice pitched any higher in fear, he’d shatter his own face screen.

  “Yes. One human and one Maeleon. We just want to talk,” I assured him. “May we come inside?”

  “No,” Assistant 23 said quickly. “I... I’ll come out.”

  The seconds stretched by as Assistant 23 ducked out of the cavern. Seeing the hazmat suit was a blast from the past—I’d worn one myself during training sessions a long time ago—but his was dusty and ragged from constant use. A tinted shield hid Assistant 23’s face.

  Kur’tok stiffened.

  Assistant 23 gasped as if having a revelation. He was so shocked that he fell on his ass. “Kur’tok? Is that you?” he stammered.

  Kur’tok didn’t speak. He must’ve felt a lot of wild emotions. I put my hand on his chest to reassure him I’d take care of it.

  “Yes, this is Kur’tok,” I said. “And I’m Paz.”

  Assistant 23 was dead still. Then he groaned and passed out.

  “Um,” I said, blinking at his unconscious form. “Okay. Didn’t expect that reaction.”

  Still holding me in his tentacles, Kur’tok turned around to leave.

  “Hey!” I scolded. “Come on, we can’t leave him like that.”

  Kur’tok sighed and allowed me to leap out of his grip. I ran over to the unconscious body of Assistant 23. I was hesitant to touch the suit. It was so old, it felt like it might crumble under any touch.

  My heart raced as I felt Assistant 23’s real body beneath the suit.

  I knew it. He’s definitely human, I thought with a twist in my gut. Kur’tok described their suits as flesh. Does he not know?

  I grunted with effort as I tried to lift Assistant 23 to no avail. “Little help here? I’m a talker, not a lifter.”

  Kur’tok grumbled as he grabbed Assistant 23 by the scruff and lifted him easily. “You could stand to do less talking...”

  “Be careful. That thing’s old,” I said, pointing at the suit.

  “Isn’t he around your age?”

  “Never mind. Let’s just get back home.”

  Kur’tok’s tail twitched happily. He didn’t seem to care what kind of trouble we got into as long as we did it together.

  To my surprise, Haz’rull and Arr’tow recognized the unconscious form of Assistant 23. They kept their distance—like Kur’tok, they also seemed spooked, as if he’d risen from the dead—but were curious.

  “How has he survived for so long?” Arr’tow asked incredulously.

  “We saw him digging around in the old village ruins,” I explained. “I wonder if there’s still food there.”

  The two smaller Maeleons perked up.

  “You saw the village, then?” Haz’rull ventured.

  Kur’tok turned his head away. His guilt had a tangible aura. I put my hand comfortingly on his arm.

  “Yeah,” I said. “He told me everything.”

  Haz’rull smirked knowingly at Kur’tok. “And yet, Paz remains by your side. I told you he would.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Kur’tok grumbled, his feelers flashing with rings of pink. “Can we deal with this in the morning? I’m exhausted, and I want to be with Paz.”

  “You’ve been with me all day,” I reminded him.

  He grunted through a fond look. “I never get enough of you.”

  My chest squeezed. He was so freaking sweet, and he didn’t have a clue.

  I knew the village would accept him back. All he had to do was realize he was worth accepting.

  Haz’rull and Arr’tow promised to watch Assistant 23 overnight, so I followed Kur’tok to bed. The second I lay down, exhaustion hit me like a truck. My eyelids drooped as I snuggled closer to Kur’tok.

  “You’ll think about it, won’t you?” I mumbled through a yawn.

  “About what?”

  “Rejoining the village.”

  Kur’tok tensed. He huffed, burying his nose in my hair. “Maybe.”

  ‘Maybe’ wasn’t ‘no.’

  I smiled. “Okay. G’night.”

  “Goodnight, my beloved flesh-bag.”

  I woke to a shriek that pierced the peaceful silence.

  Kur’tok bolted awake, alarmed and ready to punch anyone who stepped foot into the den. But his anger fizzled when he remembered who the shrill sound belonged to. Scowling, he rose to his feet and pulled me up to mine.

  “Let’s go, diplomacy freak,” Kur’tok grumbled.

  I sighed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Conflict resolution this early in the morning? Can’t I at least get a kiss first?”

  Kur’tok swiftly planted a kiss on my lips, then dragged me outside.

  The scene almost made me want to crawl back into bed. Assistant 23 was curled up like a pillbug, trembling on the ground. Arr’tow and Haz’rull stood over him, confused at why he kept making that high-pitched keening sound, and why he was shaking like a leaf.

  “All we did was say hello,” Arr’tow pointed out.

  “Lemme talk to him,” I said. Kneeling by Assistant 23, I examined his face shield up close. It was too dark and reflective to see his real face. “Hey! Remember me?”

  “No!” Assistant 23 cried. “But I remember everyone else!”

  “Well, that’s good. No long-term memory problems, at least.”

  “You’re all gonna kill me!” Assistant 23 cried.

  “Relax. Nobody’s going to—”

  Assistant 23 groaned, dramatic and loud, smothering anything I had to say. “It’s all my fault! I should’ve stopped him! Why didn’t I? Stupid, stupid!”

  He slapped himself in the face shield with ratty hazmat gloves.

  “Dude, cut it out,” I said, prying his hands away from his face. Geez, this guy was more melodramatic than Levi. “You’re fine. No one’s going to kill you. And will you stop it with the self-deprecating crap? You’re as bad as Kur’tok.”