The Moon's Fangs | 1

Amelia

Consciousness regained; my hand subliminally reached up my shirt to touch my side. When my fingers didn’t find a bloodied wound, my other hand swept across cool sheets.

For a moment I thought I was back in my own bed, and everything had only been a vivid nightmare. Even the pain was gone, from my toes all the way up to my head. Taking a deep breath no longer stabbed at my side. Everything felt normal. Laying down like this… it felt good.

Relief washed over me. I turned into the pillow, burying into it to find just a few more minutes of sleep.

“Not planning on going back to sleep, are you?” a smoky voice broke the silence.

That small moment of peace shattered.

I gasped, jolting upright in a frantic scramble. I kicked my legs, snatching a pillow for protection, then froze like a petrified bunny.

It was like reality decided to skip its intermission and threw me right back into the ring. No pep talk, no warnings, no nothing. Had fate bet against me or something?

Reks sat unperturbed in a rounded black armchair right next to the bed. As if in a futuristic movie, his fingers swiped across a holographic projection the size of a laptop screen. It wasn’t attached to anything. The little projection hovered in the air next to him without any assistance.

I stared wide-eyed at him while my heart couldn’t decide between a thunderstorm or dead silence. His dark eyes continued to calmly read the text displayed across the projection as if deep into an interesting book. As if nothing absolutely insane had happened, like I don’t know - how he lost his freaking rocker. As if I hadn’t been attacked by a snake… the snake!

My eyes darted around, hunting down the little monster who had it out for me. It was nowhere to be found within my line of sight. But the space was different than before. Had he moved me into a different room? This one had a closet and some furniture. But the pillow I chunked at the snake laid in the same spot as before. And… was that a bloodstain on the floor?

I looked over towards the door. It was open, practically calling out my name. My weight shifted, wondering if I’d be fast enough to make a run for it. Nothing hurt anymore, so my odds had to be better.

My long legs usually gave me an advantage in running scenarios, but this guy looked built like an athlete. And he was strategically and irritatingly placed within arm’s reach if I so dared.

I glanced uneasily back at Reks, weighing the odds. The side of his finger brushed his bottom lip in thought while he read. He appeared relaxed, but a gut feeling said he looked that way for a reason. Was he testing me? Seeing if I’d make a run for it?

The guilty would run, which I’m not, but I also don’t want to die, so...

“If you’re going to freak out, I’d prefer you get it out of the way,” he said dispassionately, swiping a finger across the projection to a new page.

My jaw dropped an inch. The nerve this man had. Did he really think so highly of himself? Someone —who could discreetly call and not get caught in his clutches— needed to knock him off his high-horse.

I carefully pulled the ovo out of my pocket from behind the pillow I hugged to my chest. His statement told me everything I needed to know. He was under the assumption I couldn’t get away, even if I wanted to. But that wouldn’t stop me from trying. No, sir. Playing the scared, weeping prisoner went out the window the moment snakes literally sprang out of the freaking wall.

I readied my finger over the back of the ovo, just like how he did it earlier. My heart drummed loudly against my chest, begging me not to test him, but I did anyways. Before I could let doubt or common sense stop me, I chunked the pillow at his face and darted like a mad woman to the exit. My feet slapped the floor like the first animal in a stampede.

What ensued next happened so fast.

The pillow phased through the holographic projection just as he smacked it away and leaped to his feet in one fluid, masterful movement. I hadn’t made it five steps before his arm slid around my shoulders. One of his legs stepped in front of mine, using the momentum against me to spin me around fast and hard. My hair whipped in front of my face from the sharp change in direction.

Fear climbed up my throat as I jammed the tip of the ovo against his side.

He didn't go down.

A feral smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, dark eyes dilating in predatory amusement.

My body froze in that terrifying revelation. It didn’t work. This tool had no effect on him, or I didn’t know how to truly activate it.

Before I could pull myself together and try to get free, he was already several steps ahead of me. Like it was his profession, Reks snatched the ovo out of my hand and yanked my arms over my head. I yelped as my back slammed into the bed, his body flush against mine. “I admire your bravery, Outlander. Though your… impulsive plan has some flaws.” He gripped my wrists against the sheets with one hand over my head while glancing over at the ovo in his other. He observed the sage green tip. “Even if it would have worked against me, were you not paying attention when I explained how this worked to you earlier?” the shadowy lilt of his voice drifted around me as he turned the tip to black instead. “If you had, you would have known this is what you wanted.”

I squirmed under his weight, which only seemed to make that feral smile widen. Tears burned my eyes from how stupid that mistake had been. I was stupid for not thinking it through. Stupid for putting myself in a position of antagonizing this man.

“Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” he pressed.

“I was never going to use the black tip in the first place.” I said, heart banging against every cell in my body. “I wouldn’t intentionally make you angrier than you already are. I hoped… the euphoria side you mentioned would, I don’t know… be curveball enough to keep you distracted for me to escape.” I looked away, unable to meet his pressing gaze.

A pause settled over the next few seconds.

“Is that right?” he finally said, sounding intrigued.

When I didn’t say anything or make a move, he dropped the deactivated ovo to the sheets and used the freed hand to pull my chin up to face him. The feral side slipped away, leaving a mixture of curiosity and something close to fatigue in his gaze, as if he’d gone days without rest in the short time he locked me in here. Something harrowing lingered under his invisible armor.

“If I let go, do you promise to be civilized?”

My mouth opened, then closed again. I wanted to throw the question back at his face, like - depends on if you’re done being a psycho - but decided against it.

With a small nod of my head, the pressure of his hard body lifted from mine. The warmth of his hand slipped away from my wrists before he stood and returned to his armchair.

As I leaned up, he tossed the pillow I threw at him back onto the bed. I grabbed it, hugging the cushion back against my chest, uncertain.

His finger rubbed methodically under his bottom lip as he studied me, like a puzzle that needed solving.

“I was attacked by a snake.” I stated, not sure how to put it exactly. “Did you, um… take care of it?”

I suppressed a shiver, reaching back up my shirt to touch my side again. I vaguely recalled him running towards me before blacking out. Did he doctor me back to health? But if that was the case, why didn’t I have stitches? My hand ran across smooth, unbroken skin. I remembered being in a lot of pain, and bleeding out. The faint iron scent of blood still lingered in the air. On me.

Even all the little scrapes and bruises were gone from my arms and legs. The only signs any of it happened were the strips of bloodied cloth still tied around my palms and blood-stained, ripped shirt.

Did he use weird alien medicine hoodoo on me? Or his superpowers? My brow arched speculatively.

Reks leaned in, setting his elbows on his knees. “You really have no idea, do you?”

I hugged the pillow against my chest, narrowing my eyes. Obviously not, Captain Crazy Pants.

I shook my head in response, waiting for him to fill in at least one of the many blanks.

His gaze dropped, as if gathering the right words. His lips pressed into a tight line, then he pulled his chair closer to the bed. I watched him like a hawk, taking note of the reduced space between us. If he wanted to, it wouldn’t take much effort to subdue me again.

“Amelia, right?” he frowned. “What I’m about to tell you will be a lot to take in.”

Oh, God. Nothing good ever came from conversations that began like that. “Does it have to do with the snake? Did you kill it?”

It wasn’t what I thought he referred to, but I really wanted to know if I needed to worry about a snake lurking around in the walls. I gave the ceiling a suspicious glance.

“No, I didn’t kill it.” he deadpanned as if trying not to take offense. “What you experienced was real and the Guide did enter your body. Once it has completed bonding, it should introduce itself and open communications. It would have already initiated communications if it weren’t for the numerous injuries it prioritized.”

I hesitated, then blinked. His mouth moved, but all that came out was crazy talk.

“I’m sorry…” my brain struggled to process. “Did you just say a snake is inside of my body… as in, right now?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it didn’t come out that way.

“It’s a Guide.” Reks corrected me. “The way you obtained one is not the way it normally happens. It would have never happened in the first place if I noticed it broke free.”

A new kind of fear pulsed through me. “T-there’s a…” I licked my lips, throat stinging. “Am I… am I going to die? Or… O-Oh God, turn into a Medusa-weresnake freak?”

His straight nose wrinkled in confusion. “What? No. Guides are blessings from the Fates. All orleizens and allies of the empire, and disciples of the Fates obtain a Guide of their own at a young age. It’s mandatory on our planet in order to access our advanced technology. I have one, too, though… mine’s a bit of a different case—”

A few things struck me off balance. “Wait.” I raised a hand up for him to stop. “Kids are forced to go through that? And what planet are you freaking talking about? Empire? Fates?” my voice rose with each question.

Reks looked at me… really looked at me. His dark eyes dilated before a reluctant smile spread over his face. Then he laughed. Genuinely laughed. As though a weight left his shoulders - his head tilted up and his eyes closed as a smoky amusement overtook him.

His hand reached up to comb through his pushed-back hair before looking over at me again. “You’ll have to forgive me,” he tried to stifle his amusement, gesturing to me with a wave of his hand. “It’s just with you resembling the empress so closely, it’s hard to imagine her reacting and saying the things you are saying to me right now.”

A smile touched my lips, giving in to Reks’ remarkably infectious smile and sound of his laugh. Though, I wasn’t sure if what he said should be taken as a compliment or a slap.

He shook his head, pulling himself back together. “To answer your questions—”

~Connection complete.~

I whipped my head around at the sudden voice. My body twisted sharply, blood turning cold. “What was that?”

It was like someone had spoken directly into my ear, yet no one was there. We were the only two in the room. Yet it had been as clear as day, the voice.

~Your heart rate is accelerating at rapid speeds. If you keep this up, you are bound to have a heart attack. May I recommend slowing your breathing?~

I chunked the pillow, reeling back around. The pillow whacked Reks in the face, but I was too busy searching for the culprit. “What’s going on!” I demanded.

Reks grimaced, dropping the pillow off to the side. He remained silent, as if waiting for me to put two and two together.

It stretched dangerously thin as the answer hit me.

“Oh my God…” involuntary tears rolled down my cheeks. “The snake… it’s in my head. It s-said I’m going to have a heart attack.” I broke out into a sob. “I think it’s e-eating me.”

Both of my hands clasped against my mouth, gasping between sharp sobs. The cloth tied around them retained the metallic scent of dried blood.

~What? Stop crying - I am not eating you!~ the crisp voice relented. ~My word… countless years I have been waiting for a host, and this is the treatment I get for my patience? Do you even realize the extent I went through in order to get this body back to normal? And I have a name, thank you very much!~

Reks’ expression hardened, and he moved to sit on the bed beside me. “Let me see your hand.”

Only half paying attention, I offered both hands and sniffed. He loosened the dirtied cloth, pulling both free from my palms. The wounds were gone. The only signs left were the smudges of old blood and dirt. God… I needed a shower.

“It says it has a name.” I sniffed, relaying the snake’s dialogue to him. “Is this a prank? Tell me this isn’t actually real.”

Something sighed in my head. ~Yes. My name is Nox. Originally, Experiment NOX, but I found that title to be too formal and a little distasteful, hence the shortened, more reputable version. So, you can now stop calling me a snake. I am not fond of that. It is rather barbaric.~

“Oh really?” Reks asked, softly clasping my wrists with his fingers, having my palms rest across the underside of his forearms. “What’s the name?”

It was bizarre how both spoke to me at once, and I somehow managed to comprehend both conversations.

“U-um… Nox,” I said, noticing a slight tingling sensation on my wrists. “But it’s probably just trying to trick me.”

A subtle wave of amusement rolled through Reks, which I did not appreciate. “Your Guide is one of the most valuable companions you’ll ever have, if you allow the bond you share to grow. Not trusting your Guide is like not trusting yourself.”

I gave his words a moment to sink in.

I closed my eyes, focusing on deep breaths... and how warm his hands felt against my skin.

Think of it like a Disney princess movie, I thought to myself. But instead of an ornery chameleon, a loyal steed, or a lucky little cricket, my... sidekick is a leechy serpent who can talk and lives inside of my body.

Peachy.

“Try asking Nox a question through a thought,” Reks suggested.

I arched a brow at him, cracking open an eye, then closing it again.

Okay? Ask the snake living in my head a question. Because that doesn’t sound like something a psycho would do or anything.

~Ask away.~ Nox urged, making my soul jump an inch out of my skin. ~Answers are my middle name — well actually, it’s not. I don’t have one of those. One name is enough for me. Unless you count Guide as a name for me, too. Then I technically have two. But as mentioned earlier, I do prefer Nox.~

“It’s rambling a lot,” I said. “I think it needs to go back to the Guide shop.”

~I beg your pardon!~

Reks released one of my hands as a small tablet-sized projection materialized in front of him again. “Nothing major, probably just a personality quirk,” he said, jotting down notes in an unfamiliar language. “It sounds like Nox went through a long period of loneliness while I was frozen in cryo.”

“Wait,” I tried to pull my other hand out of his grasp, but something held our flesh together. Like glue. “W-What are you doing?”

His dark eyes flicked over at me nonchalantly between notetaking. “Listening to Nox’s responses. Did it not verify with you first?”

“No!” I blurted. “You can hear it too? Are… are you in my head right now?” Besides making Disney references to cope, would he have noticed how much I enjoyed his hands on mine? Crap!

This time when I yanked my hand away, it came free.

“Only barely,” he said, taking more notes and mumbling under his breath, too absorbed in thought to notice my reaction. Like this whole thing was no big deal. “That could have to do with it being me, and not a flaw in particular… but we still can’t rule that out. More testing will be needed to make sure.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Who does this guy think he is?

~Ooo, I know!~ Nox said with pip in its metaphorical step. ~Reks Arlen is a top-ranked vitiate who served specifically under the empress, Ellison Lucil after coming out as the champion of the Vitiate Trials. He served a key role in creating an alliance with several planets, along with single-handedly annihilating severe threats to the empire. After being trademarked by the terrible Full Spectrum, the given name, The Moon's Fangs, became known and feared far and wide. Reks has also published seven accredited research papers based on his biological studies. On file, it says he is eight hundred and eighty-nine years old but wait... that can’t be true… it must be calculating the time he spent in cryo.~

Vitiate? My curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar term.

~Vitiates were the Lucils' champions, specialized in assassinations, spy work, interrogations, safeguard, frontline strategy… the rather exhausting list goes on. Overall, vitiates are deadly warriors. Each were hand-picked by General Rhosyn for various reasons, and upon acceptance, the recruits would undergo immense training for up to five years before competing for the reputable title during the Vitiate Trials.~

“So… an assassin, but also a science nerd.” I pondered, tucking away the information to look at again later. You really are a handy-dandy lil’ snake monster.

A serpentine sigh came from Nox.

Recognition dawned on Reks’ face. He turned, giving me a narrowed look. “Can Nox access my information?” he asked, almost accusatory.

I shrugged. “Nox told me you’re a top-ranked vitiate and stuff. It also said you’re over eight hundred years old too.” I held my tongue from comparing him to a grumpy old man. No jokes until I knew he wouldn’t bite my head off for it.

“Try twenty-four.” He cursed under his breath, jotting that down too. This time he mumbled in another language.

~Adding the orleizen dialect to your vocabulary.~

“—t another kink that’ll need to be adjusted. Just my luck a gift I worked my ass off on would only turn around to bite me in the ass.”

“Nox was supposed to be a gift?” my body tingled with excitement as the strange, beautiful-sounding orleizen language flowed from my lips. A delighted smile spread across my face like a kid who just learned how to ride a bike. “I can speak in your language, just like that!”

Reks tilted his head while writing. “Well, at least that’s working the way it should.”

“Is it going to hurt when you take it out of me?” I asked. “I mean, the language thing is cool and all, but you said it yourself - Nox is a gift for someone else. And I really need to get back to Earth.”

He closed out the projection, stress visibly weighing back down on his shoulders. He rubbed his face with both hands, then combed them back through his hair.

Something about his body language suggested I wouldn’t like what he would say next.

“Before I helped you, my best friend was in danger,” I added in a softer tone. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”

He stood, not meeting my gaze. “It’s late. I need some time to think things through. We’ll discuss terms more in the morning.” he turned towards the door. “There’s a restroom and shower down this hall, first two open doors you’ll see. Help yourself to the clothes in the closet.” he gestured to the other side of the room.

“But I don’t have that kind of time.” I argued, getting off the bed and grabbing his arm. I squeezed the crook of his elbow without considering the potential consequences. “Monsters attacked my home. Blaire was still there when I fell through a freaking ring-portal thing to this planet. There was another guy there, too, one of your kind maybe. They could both be in a hospital for all I know.”

His jaw set, and his entire demeanor darkened. “The same guy who had Sorren’s gate ring?”

I nodded, inwardly apologizing to Nolan for throwing him under the bus. By the look on Reks’ face, I knew he took the ring thing personally.

Reks sighed, looking heavenward. “I’ll look into it. In the meantime, go bathe. You reek of blood.”

His arm slipped from my grasp as he left.

Author’s Note: It’s official - Amelia has a Guide! What are your first impressions of Nox? And do you think you’d react the same or differently if you found out Nox suddenly became YOUR Guide? Let me know in the comments! :)