Dex gracefully pulled himself from the chair, his practiced steps carrying him like a silent ghost toward the bed. He knelt at its edge, his delicate frame quavering as he stared into his brother's eyes. His brother flashed a gentle smile. So Dex, in a voice barely above a whisper, asked, "Would our mistress allow me to join you?"

Razz offered his hand to Dex in an invitation, his gentle eyes heavy-lidded. "Our mistress is generous with her protection and her warmth. It would be our honor to soak in it together."

Dex accepted the gesture, clambering into bed next to Razz.

Rile murmured, "But Alex is so easily embarrassed. When her skin glows - like a white-hot ember - stay still and never mention it to her."

"It does not hurt her or drain her and is quite restorative," Razz said. "I believe it is why she enjoys sleeping so much."

Rile scratched his muzzle thoughtfully and hummed. "That's a really interesting point, Razz. Alex said she needs sleep to recharge her powers. That has to be part of the process, right?"

"Perhaps we are helping her? Maybe we are helping her by ensuring that she gets enough rest?" Dex ventured shyly.

Alex stretched her arms and arched her back as she released an exaggerated yawn. Everyone in the room, Rile, Razz, and Dex, stood motionless in a state of shock as she turned her head toward them with half-closed eyes.

"What's up?" she murmured.

"Dex has gained courage to join us," Razz said meekly.

"Good. I don't bite. At least not hard," Alex said with another yawn as she gave them a reassuring smile.

Dex's eyes widened with fear as he asked his mistress, "Mistress, are you happy with Rile back?"

"Of course," Alex said.

"Are you happy you won Razz and myself?" He started shaking again.

She blinked her eyes open and slowly ran her fingers through her hair. "Uhm, very happy. Don't worry about it. You don't have to please me."

"You do know that your friend Cale is safe in Deela's harem, yes?" Dex trembled so hard the bed shook beneath them.

The tension in Alex's shoulders eased, and she reached over Razz to pat Dex's shoulder. "Thanks for the reassurance. I hoped he was."

"Gabe went willingly to Cla," Dex said, his voice quavering. He shut his eyes tight and winced, as if expecting a physical blow.

Alex leaned forward with an expectant look on her face and Rile tensed. "Where are you going with this, Dex?" she asked.

Dex flinched in fear and Razz quickly moved closer, wrapping him up in a hug and whispering soothing words in his tympanum.

"Dex, I'm not angry at all." With a hand that sparkled like the night sky, she stroked his soft head. "I'm curious, not angry," she soothed. "You've never opened up to me this much before. Tell me more."

"I want you to stay here," Dex said in a scared rush. "You have Rile, Razz and myself. We will make you happy. Do not fight in the revolution. The Anolis females on both sides will kill you."

"That had occurred to me," Alex said. "I'm not stupid. Okay, maybe I'm stupid over certain things, but not about vicious Anolis females. They're all lying, sadistic traitors. Why do you think I'm taking Rile with me? He's ten times the warrior I am."

Rile straightened himself up in response, pride shining in his eyes.

"But why would you fight?" Dex wailed. "You have no reason. You have Rile. You have us. Your friends are where they want to be."

Alex grasped Dex's muzzle tenderly in her hands, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm not here for me," she whispered. "I'm here so that every Anolis male can live free of slavery—for you and Razz and Trac and Kress. This fight is for them. And it makes me very, very happy."

Rile sat up tall, unwavering and proud as he looked Dex square in the eye. He spoke with the strength of conviction, "We are Guardians - called here for a purpose. Alex is an excellent Guardian. She won't shirk her duty."

Dex nodded, obviously still miserable. "I was not insulting Alex."

A scratching at the door interrupted them.

"What now?" Alex roared. "I'm in bed with three males in the middle of the night!"

Rile snickered and Razz nudged Dex, whose expression lightened. Rile snorted a laugh and Razz flashed Dex a mischievous grin, finally breaking Dex's stoic expression.

"It's Zilik," he called from the other side of the door. "The guards heard talking and sent for me to investigate."

"After Alex threw that dagger into the door at them, they won't look themselves," Rile said with a chuckle.

"Come on in!" Alex yelled. "The more the merrier!"

Zilik cracked open the door and tiptoed into the room, taking in the sight of his fellows. Dex lay propped up against Razz, color flushed back into his hide, while Alex and Rile cuddled on the far side of the bed.

"Dex, good to see you looking better every day," Zilik said with a grin.

Alex rolled her eyes. "We're all fine. Just chatting. Why don't you curl up next to Dex? That'll give the guards something to gossip about."

Without missing a beat, Zilik slid beneath the covers and shuffled closer to Dex as Alex pushed Rile over to make room for him.

Zilik said, "I have your supplies for the revolutionary army: tent, water, food, basic utensils. If you leave tomorrow morning, you'll only have to camp one night before the battle."

Alex groaned with dread. "Camping?"

"It's not like usual camping," Rile corrected him with a grimace. "This is army camping. Much worse."

"We shall make it as comfortable as possible," Razz said and plumped her pillow.

"We?" Alex cast him a dubious look. "You and Dex are not coming. Too close to the front lines, too close to the palace, too close to obnoxious Anolis females."

"But warrior females always bring their males to comfort them before a battle," Razz said as he drew up the sheets around them and smoothed them.

"I'm not that kind of warrior," Alex said.

"I'll watch over them here," Zilik said. "We're so close to the border that I want to keep an eye on them. There's bound to be some chaos in the city when the revolutionaries launch their attack."

Razz opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Alex flopping down onto her stomach and covering her head with a pillow.

Rile smiled fondly at Razz. "Don't worry—I'll keep looking after her," he said, nodding towards Alex.

Her muffled voice came from beneath the pillow, "And I'll watch over you too!"

***

Alex found out that army muster was camping from hell. Rile was merciless in his 'I told you so's'. Alex trudged up the hill with Rile, lugging in their supplies for muster. The sound of metal clanking and boots crunching dry leaves filled the air as they all set up camp. Alex saw the perfect formation of khaki tents surrounding them, all standing tall and proud. Her gaze shifted to their green camouflage tent that was placed off-center, deliberately sagging on one side. A sly grin crept across her face as she imagined how much this would irritate the Anolis warriors.

Alex was hauling a five-gallon water bucket from the nearby stream when she heard Rile's voice in the distance.

"I'm sure there are others who want to play with you," Rile said.

Her hearing sharpened, and she broke into a jog, the weight of the pail straining her arms as she zigzagged through camp.

"Leave me alone," Rile continued.

A female voice replied, "Don't worry. The cuts will not be deep. We will not stress you too much."

Alex dropped the water and sprinted toward their tent.

"I said no." Rile's voice deepened with force.

"It is not your place to deny females."

Alex's feet slid on the dirt as she stopped abruptly and drew her sword in one swift motion. Her heart raced as she threw back the entrance to their tent. Three Anolis warriors held Rile firmly in place, his chest heaving with anger and his muscles strained against their grip.

The female Anolis leader sneered at Alex, her dagger held out menacingly. "Get out of here, mammal. We know how we handle our males."

Alex's knuckles whitened around her sword hilt as she spat out his words. "I know. I've seen examples. But that isn't your male. He's mine. Have you not heard any of my pronouncements about my males? I was very loud and used very simple words," she seethed, her nostrils flaring. "Get out."

The female seemed unfazed by Alex's anger, casually twirling her dagger around her fingers. Then she held it up in the air and made a sweeping gesture across the camp. "It's the night before a battle. All males are freely shared." Her voice was light with amusement.

"Not mine," Alex said. "I'll say it slower and louder for you over-sexed simpletons. Not. Mine. What part do you not understand? The 'not' or the 'mine'?"

"Is there a problem?" Several hostile females crowded around the tent flap. Alex stepped away, keeping her back to the tent wall.

"Yes," the female said.

"No," Alex said with scorn.

The leader of the new pack –a well-muscled creature – pushed her muzzle forward and hissed, "Come with us, mammal."

Alex's lips curled in a smirk and her left hand blazed like a white-hot ember. She stared at each member of the pack before saying, "I have a name, reptile. I do not consider this a matter of honor and feel quite free to use my powers. Rile is mine. By your own code, no one can challenge me for a month. Who wants to be first?"

A slow, menacing murmur filled the air as the females brandished their weapons. "You know nothing of our ways," one of them hissed.

Alex's stance was powerful and defiant, the brilliant white sparks reflecting off her face as she spoke. Her voice had a razor-sharp edge that cut through the tension like a hot knife. "I know enough. You over-sexed psychotics need to make up your minds. You're lining up to breed with my friends because they're smart and strong-willed and the first thing you do is try to beat it out of them. Go back to planning your little revolution and leave us alone." She punctuated her words by rotating her sword, sending more sparks flying into the night sky.

"We'll be watching you, mammal. None of us want you here and we do not trust you," the leader said.

"You're not on the top of my charts, either. But you can trust me to save my friends from that Kuni's den, even if it means helping you and your revolution." Alex lit her other hand. Her heart leapt with elation as the fire began to drip from her hands onto the hilt of her sword. Slowly, it crawled down the edge, encasing it in flames until it looked like a military flamethrower. A wicked smile spread across Alex's face. "Looks like I'll have a lot of boots and purses."

The Anolis females threw Rile on the ground. He scrambled to his feet and joined Alex, standing shoulder to shoulder in preparation for what was ahead. As they watched, the Anolis females filed from the tent - their eyes blazing with anger and arms crossed in defiance.

"Who asked for your help?" Rile snapped when the last female left.

"Not you. If any of you jerks had let me in on what you were planning, you would have saved me a lot of trouble." Alex pointed a sparking finger at him.

"Gabe would say that if you had stayed put like he said, you would have saved a lot of trouble," Rile retorted.

"This is my fault now? Is this a genetic tendency of reptiles to blame everything on mammals?"

Despite the anger radiating from them both, a small smile played at the edge of Alex's mouth. She could see it mirrored on Rile's face too - the knowledge that they'd rather fight than talk about what almost happened. Alex let the glow from both of her hands die out. She ruffled her hand through her hair in frustration.

"I need your help," Alex said, her plea laced with subtle flattery.

Appealing to his considerable ego is the easiest way to end the quarreling. My pride is plastic.

"Oh?" A spark of interest glinted in Rile's eyes.

"Rumor has it that when I wake up in the morning, my tender mammal back will have at least five knives sticking out of it. Will you please stay here with me? I know you wanted to sit in on the strategy meetings, but I'd feel better if you were watching my back, literally."

I can watch his as well. I sleep like the dead, but I'll probably awaken if someone tries to rape Rile. Probably. Maybe. I hope I would.

Rile met Alex's eyes, his gaze leveled and serious. "I planned on it. You have more than your share of enemies on this planet."

"Don't I know it." Alex sighed heavily as she collapsed on the rumpled bedroll. "Don't I know it," she muttered, feeling around with her hands. "I can count my friends on one hand." Her fingers searched for the canvas pillow she was used to having at her side, but there was no sign of it. "Where's my pillow?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rile asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Alex let her hand glow again. "Again, not a matter of honor. I need that pillow, and you will tell me where it is or suffer the consequences."

"Make me." He called her bluff.

Alex exhaled and her neuro-electric glow faded, leaving Rile disappointed. He was unprepared for a stinging finger delivered under his arm. He yelped and Alex laughed. Alex's mouth lifted in a smirk before she lunged for another tickle. Reacting quickly, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her close, and pinned her to the ground. Her expression changed to one of seriousness and fear, causing Rile to release her.

Alex lay down on the thin, dusty blanket that served as her bed, tears stinging her eyes. "This counts as the once a night you break my heart," she whispered. She glanced up at Rile, who was watching her with a sad, knowing expression in his eyes. "Let's grab some sleep. I suppose it's too much to ask that the battle begin around ten a.m. after we sleep in and have a hearty breakfast?" She lay down on the padded blanket that served as a bed.

"I'll put your request in to the commander." Rile lay down next to her.

Alex rolled onto her side so that he could curl around her. He brought his arm up to rest over her waist, and Alex curled into him. Rile hoped that tomorrow would bring victory for both him, with Alex, and the revolutionaries.

***

Dedicated to faithful reader [love you!]

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