Kringl (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

K ringl sat at the table with Tami, Snowball curled comfortably around his neck. The girl was savoring a bite of his sandwich, the bread crunching as she chewed.

"This is delicious!" she mumbled through the mouthful of melted cheese.

The words were barely out of her mouth when Joy stumbled in, breathless and wild-eyed. She spotted Tami calmly eating at the table, dropped a bag of bread, and gasped. "What are you doing here? I thought you were taken by the elves. I thought you'd been thrown in an ice hut. I thought you might have left on the alien ship."

Tami dabbed at the grease on her mouth, but she didn’t get a chance to reply. Not before Joy pulled the girl into a fierce hug, tears glistening in her eyes.

Tami's response was muffled against Joy's shoulder, but Kringl could make out her insistence that she would never have left with the aliens without Joy.

As Joy released Tami and slumped into the chair Kringl had quickly vacated for her, he eyed her. Joy was shaken, but he suspected it was about more than only Tami. Whatever Joy had learned in the village had clearly worried her. He watched as she struggled to steady her breathing, her gaze falling on the plates on the table.

Snowball jumped from him to the table and then to Joy’s shoulder, chattering softly to her and nuzzling her cheek. Joy’s shoulders relaxed as she leaned her head into the squirrel. “Thanks, bud, but I’m fine.” She looked at the table and then at Kringl, blinking rapidly. "Did you cook?"

Kringl shrugged, trying not to be too proud of what he’d created with such scant ingredients. "I thought you might be hungry.”

Joy tilted her head at him as if seeing him for the first time. "How does a prince know how to cook?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "I can do many things after traveling through space and visiting other worlds." He gestured to the sandwich. "You should eat."

He retrieved the dropped bags of bread and placed them on the counter as Joy took a bite of the crispy sandwich. The melted cheese bulged from the edges, spilling over the toasted crust, and she let out a moan before slapping a hand over her mouth as if embarrassed by the sound.

Tami laughed. "It's really good, isn't it?"

Joy’s cheeks flushed as she swallowed. “I honestly didn’t think cheese could taste like this.”

Kringl grinned at the compliment, her words bringing him as much pleasure as any of the commendations he’d received for valor or the accolades he’d been given for successful diplomatic missions. “I am glad you like it.”

“Now I know who’s going to be doing the cooking from now on,” she said with a laugh as she took another bite.

Her words jolted him. From now on? As much as he would have loved to stay hidden in her house, Kringl knew he had to return to Valoria and choose a mate that would not be her.

“Until we leave on your ship, I mean,” Joy added quickly, as if realizing how her statement sounded.

She turned her attention back to Tami and placed the half-eaten sandwich on the plate. "How are you here? I thought something awful happened. Your mother said she didn't know where you were."

Tami looked down, wringing her small hands in her lap. "I had to run pretty far to lose the elves. Then I saw the ship take off. After that, I had to hide from the elves searching the forest. I know I should have gone home first, but I wanted to see you.”

Joy straightened. "Searching the forest?"

Tami nodded. "They don't think your friend," she tipped her head toward Kringl, "left with his ship. At least, they suspect he might not have since some of the elves chased the other blue guys to the ship and didn't see your guy with them."

Kringl ran a hand through his hair. So much for lying low. If the elves thought he had remained on the planet, they would search for him.

Joy nibbled the bottom corner of her lip. "Do they have any idea he had help from us?"

"They know I helped, but they don't have any clue you're involved."

Kringl watched Joy's expression, understanding the storm of conflicting emotions behind it. While it was good that she wasn't under suspicion, the knowledge that Tami was in danger because of their actions ate at her.

"What about my ship?" Kringl asked, turning to Tami. "You saw it leave?"

The girl’s face brightened. “I watched the whole thing from behind a tree. It spluttered a lot as it took off, but it managed to clear the cloud cover.”

Kringl’s chest swelled. His crew had fixed the ship enough to leave, just as he’d known they would. And if his crew had made it to space, they would call for reinforcements. They would get the message to Earth. It was only a matter of time until they returned.

Joy leaned her forearms on the table. "They've already searched your house and questioned your parents."

Tami flipped one of her braids off her shoulder. "That's good. That means I can sneak back."

"Don't you want to stay here with us?" Joy asked. “We can get word to your parents.”

Tami looked between Kringl and Joy, a grin playing on her lips. "Nah. I think it might be too crowded for me." She picked up the remaining half of the sandwich. "But thanks for lunch."

After Tami left, Kringl locked eyes with Joy. "Your friend is brave, but I cannot put anyone else in danger."

Joy blew out a breath, fluttering a few loose strands of hair that had fallen over her forehead. “Tami is good at hiding. We just have to make sure you are too.”

“More importantly, we need to be ready when my ship returns.” Kringl sat across from Joy, his skin tingling as he thought of what he was about to suggest. "How are you at sabotage?"