Chapter 19

The large door opened with a hydraulic hiss, making Riordan and the young Xenos turn their heads. They quickly straightened up, as if they were a small army unit, to pay respect to the one entering their large quarters. It was Kanto, who appeared to be there to collect him. Riordan remained lying on the bed, and only turned slightly, to show the guy that he could still rebel if he wanted to. Maybe it was a stupid idea, seeing how Kanto could always put him through another spanking or worse, but, for now, with his entire body healed by the fresh seth from the young Xenos, he felt quite daring.

“Did he behave?” Kanto asked, looking at Lakni, a clear sign that he saw him as the de facto leader of the group.

“Yes,” Lakni replied in a loud voice. Like a little soldier answering to orders from a high commander, Riordan thought and felt a thin smile stretching his lips. Could he really blame them, though? They were all there, because Kanto was taking care of them. As unpleasant as that thought was, the fucker was their lifeline.

Kanto slithered around, examining the containers, and Riordan followed him with his eyes. When the Xeno looked up, he stared directly at him. “I see that you’re at least good for one thing. So, you didn’t fight?”

Riordan scowled, displeased with being taunted like that. Now that was an asshole who knew how to push buttons. He looked away, without saying a word.

“I see that you have fulfilled your quota and even surpassed it. That means that the bearer will be brought to you again in three days’ time.” Kanto moved to the bed and grabbed Riordan by one arm. “For now, you will be returned to your quarters and play nice until you’re needed.”

Riordan stole a glance at the group of youngsters. They were probably communicating between themselves telepathically, if the rapid eye movement they all displayed was any indication. Obviously, Kanto wasn’t privy to what they were talking about, and when the supreme lord and commander looked at them, they all seemed completely obedient, staring ahead, their torsos rigid, their hands behind their backs.

The deep green eyes set on him, and, for a moment, Riordan thought that Kanto was suspecting him of something. Of fraternizing with the bunch of ‘defective’ Xenos? Something told him that the high commander was a bit surprised. There was something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, or something like that.

Riordan didn’t look at the young Xenos as he was being dragged out of the room. There was no point in letting the asshole know that he was on the point of striking some sort of friendship with Lakni and the others. Probably, Kanto had expected to find him in tears or pretty shaken after being used by those horny youngsters. That was a matter that was worth exploring for a bit.

Kyle was at the door, waiting, like the dutiful bot that he was.

“I think my bot knows the way,” Riordan said as he realized that Kanto showed no sign of letting go of his arm and was forcing him to walk rapidly by his side. He was still naked, and his robe had been left behind. Although he wasn’t one to feel too much shame, especially after having had his bare ass exposed to everyone on the ship during the spanking, he didn’t feel that comfortable being dragged all over the place like that.

“I have questions, bearer,” Kanto said promptly. “Not another word until we reach my quarters. In case your feeble Earthian brain hasn’t figured it out, I will question you thoroughly.”

“About what?” Riordan asked.

“Not another word, I said. Unless, of course, you don’t mind a private punishment.” Kanto hovered, and Riordan made an effort not to cower. He looked ahead and pretended to be bored, although that wasn’t an easy thing to do, seeing how he was being dragged around like a toy by an annoying brat.

He would mind a private punishment very much. He didn’t want to show Kanto any sign of weakness, and he didn’t intend to get himself in a tight spot, either. Brat wasn’t the right word for Kanto. His features were hard, his face made of harsh planes, his lips always set in a straight line, while his eyes could put a cold dark fear into anyone he looked at. He reminded him of Marn Savier, the ruler of Xeno, and if he thought of him, Riordan couldn’t help thinking of Tasha, which caused a pain inside his chest that he couldn’t get rid of.

Even so, he couldn’t keep from comparing Kanto to Xana, and that was another cause for irremediable pain inside his soul. Xana’s face was beautiful, not harsh like this, and his eyes could be playful, although he could be a mean bastard, just as well, when it suited him.

The pain, as blinding as it was, served to remind him that he also wanted to question Kanto about their destination, about what had happened on Xeno, and maybe even extract from him a promise of sorts that he would see Xana again.

For now, he kept his mouth shut. Kyle was wheeling right behind them, and the bot’s presence was soothing in a way. Kanto hadn’t ordered Kyle to stay put, which meant that whatever interrogation was in store for him, it wouldn’t keep him from returning to his quarters after all.

Riordan noticed the lizard guards at the doors and averted his eyes. To his human eyes, they seemed even more alien than Xenos, being so close to the reptiles on Earth. Their simple appearance triggered a deep fear inside him if he were to stare too much. He suspected that there could be some kind of psychic attack he was subjected to as soon as he tried to look at them at length, but he couldn’t be sure.

The guards stepped aside, and the doors slid open in front of them. Kanto pulled him inside after a short order for Kyle to remain there.

Riordan took in the high commander’s quarters. The main room was very spacious, but there were no beds, nor chairs, or any other furniture. There were only large tanks filled with water lining the walls, leaving only a narrow corridor that stopped to another, smaller door. Kanto pushed him towards it, and, again, once they were close, the door opened for them.

“What the--” Riordan stopped himself in time. This other place looked like some sort of a command room, with all sorts of indicators and screens on the walls. In the middle of it, there was a capsule made from metal painted in black, bent glass covering it. He’d bet that was the commander’s chair, because it was long enough to accommodate a Xeno of Kanto’s caliber.

But all those things weren’t the most surprising. The room stopped into a transparent wall through which Riordan could see meteorites flying by, and at the edge of what was visible, distant stars and the vast expanse of space.

“Since you already know we’re hurtling through space,” Kanto said breezily, quoting him, “I don’t see why I should keep this sight away from your eyes. If you’re too scared, I’ll pull down the screen.”

“No need,” Riordan said shortly.

Kanto finally let go of his arm and moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to tilt his head back so that he could maintain eye contact. “They fulfilled the quota,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m quite surprised you helped.”

“Yeah,” Riordan said with a shrug. “You do know I basically just lay there and they had their fun, right?”

Kanto quirked an eyebrow, and, for the briefest of moments, Riordan thought he saw a smile. Nah, he must have imagined it. There was nothing there, but the same stern face and that same cold glare. The fact that he was still naked came back to him with more shame than before. There was just something in how Kanto was eyeing him slowly, seemingly resting his gaze a bit too long on his belly, full with the egg.

“What did your master tell you the last time you spoke to him?”

Riordan crossed his arms to cover his belly, and Kanto’s eyes flashed with something that seemed to be anger. “Not much. He just instructed Kyle to save my ass.”

“Kyle?”

Riordan bit the inside of his cheek. How could he be so stupid? “I gave the bot a name. It’s just easier for my Earthian feeble brain or whatever you want to call it.”

“So strange,” Kanto commented. “Stand up straight. And stop hiding your belly. It is already obscenely large. If you imagine you could do anything to stop anyone from looking at it, you’re wrong.”

“If you gave me a sheet to cover myself, that would be nice,” Riordan said. “It’s a little breezy, you know?”

“There is no draft,” Kanto replied. “You are just the kind that loves complaining about nonexistent issues.”

“Alright, it looks like I have to opt for the direct approach with you. I’m naked. It’s very uncomfortable for me, especially since you’re leering at me like a pervy old man.”

Kanto frowned slightly. “You suggest that I have interest in you as a means for copulation. How disgusting.”

Riordan frowned too. It went against any reasonable decision to open his mouth again, but this guy was pissing him off big time. “If it’s all the same to you, give me a blanket already.”

“I won’t. If it were after me, you would be all kept naked and in the same enclosure, the same way you keep your cattle on Earth. After all, you only serve one purpose,” Kanto added with unhidden disgust.

Riordan put his hands on his hips and pushed his belly outwards. “Oh, yeah? Then how come you can’t stop looking at me?”

“The only reason for which I’m looking at you is because I need to establish whether you intend to lie to me or not.”

“Can’t you read my mind if you don’t look at all?”

Kanto blinked once and his lips pursed. “Is it with this act that you turned your master’s head so badly?”

“Do you like it or something? By the way, it’s called banter. I doubt you’ve ever done it before.”

The thin lips pursed even more. Kanto looked as if he had just sucked on a lemon. “Answers, bearer. What did Xana Lei tell you the last time he spoke to you?”

“That he would see me soon,” Riordan blurted out, and felt traitorous tears rushing to his eyes. He blinked hard and grimaced to stop himself. All this hormonal stuff or whatever it was tended to get on his nerves. “And I think he lied to me because I don’t see him anywhere on this ship.”