Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Thump thump thump.
I don't respond.
Thump thump thump. "Meev? I didn't see anything in the barn."
"That's because there's nothing out there," I call back.
"You lied to me?" He sounds affronted.
"You lied to me," I bellow through the door. "You said you have credits! That you were going to pay me to be your helper!"
"I do! Somewhere! And I'll pay you just as soon as I get access to my funds again." He thumps a fist on the door again. "Now let me in. It's unpleasant out here."
Oh, I bet it is. I bet it's awful, and the thought fills me with a strange sort of glee. "When you get your credits, we'll talk. Oh, and Kazex isn't coming back for weeks. Did I mention that part?"
It's silent on his end. Then, he finally speaks. "...what?"
"That's right. There's no rescue coming for weeks on end. Maybe longer, because Kazex is the only one that can contact your person. So I hope you like fresh air because you're gonna be getting a lot of it." I'm feeling pretty good now that there's a door between us. "And I hope you like the barn, because until you cough up some funds, that's where you're sleeping."
"I am not sleeping out with the animals." His tone is hot and angry.
"Then show me the money."
"Meev—"
"SHOW ME THE MONEY, ZHUR!"
"You are being unreasonable!" he shouts back.
"Maybe so but I think I've been really nice until now. And I will continue to be nice—you can sleep in the barn if you want to stay here. Otherwise you can take your happy ass back to Port and find some other woman to be rude and demanding to until Kazex gets back."
There's a long pause.
"I'm going to tell the Port authorities that you were trying to bring in an unregistered animal."
Oh, are we resorting to blackmail? In a way, it's almost funny. "No you won't. Because then they're going to want to know who you are, and what are you going to tell them?"
He's silent.
I wait, leaning against the door, because I'm sure he's not done. I'm sure this alien man has more to say.
"I said I would pay you," he tries again, knocking on the door.
"You did. And I might have put up with it for longer if you were even the tiniest bit nice. But you're a real jerk, Zhur. You turn your nose up at everything I've done for you, everything I've given you—all for free I might add—and I even let you sleep in my bed. And did you have any words of thanks at all? No! You were just an even bigger dick. So you can sleep out in the barn. Or go to town. I don't fucking care anymore. You are not worth the trouble."
Another pause. "I will knock this door down—"
I laugh, because he's so predictable. "No you won't. Because I'll send a comm to the Port custodians and they'll come rescue the human. And again, they'll want to know who you are."
Another pause. Another knock. "Meev. Be reasonable."
Wow. Even now he can't say “please.” It's like the word isn't even in his vocabulary. What a spoiled, entitled jerk of a man. Cat. Alien. Whatever. I should have realized something was fishy about his story. I don't care if he's a prince or even a king. They would pay for a servant.
If we're being honest, I never agreed to be a servant, either. I agreed to help. Being berated at every turn is not my idea of help. I spent a lot of credits getting him clothes and shampoo that's better than anything I've bought myself and was there even a word of thanks? Fuck no. There was Meev, this is all terrible.
Well if he thought my house was terrible, he's going to really have his eyes opened in the barn.
I feel a brief twinge of guilt when he remains silent, because I know he's not equipped for anything. He's very much an indoor sort of cat. But a girl will only put up with so much, and I've hit my limit. I pick up a discarded towel and look at the mess in the kitchen. Ugh. I left for a few hours and it looks like a tornado blew through. There's fluffy white hairs on everything, too. Great. Now I get to clean up after his spoiled ass.
Speaking of spoiled asses...
I turn and peek out the window, lifting the serviceable gray curtain just enough to peer outside.
Zhur is sitting on the porch, a blank, hollow expression on his face. It's clear he has no idea what to do now. Well...it's time he learned.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
ZHUR
No matter how many times I bang on the door, Meev won't let me in. It's as if she truly expects me to sleep out in the barn. Me. An heir. Not just any heir, the Heir. My family is the most prominent praxiian family on Praxii Minor. Everyone knows who I am and what power we wield. Heir Zhurrrvas does not sleep in a barn.