The Arrival: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Paranormal Romance by Ashley West

family in months. I don’t even know if they’re alive or dead or what. I don’t know anything that’s happening down there. I just want to get out of here.” She paused, biting her lip and looking down once more. “I can help you, you know.”
    “Help me,” he said, voice dry. “And how will you do that?”
    “Unless you plan to take them on all by yourself, you’re going to need human help. Humans aren’t going to just trust you because you say they should. You’re not from here, and we’ve all learned a hard lesson about how people from other planets are. We’re not so trusting.”
    “You’re trusting me right now,” Sorrin pointed out. “Or trying to. How do you know I don’t mean to kill you once we’re away from here?”
    “Because you’re their prisoner, too. And right now, any enemy of theirs is a friend of mine. You don’t know what they’re like.”
    Sorrin snorted softly, shaking his head. “Yes,” he said, deadly serious. “I do. I know more than you how they can be.”
    “They’re so…” The woman trailed off with a shudder.
    “I know,” Sorrin replied. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his head. He wasn’t meant to get involved with the humans, but she had a point. The Camadors had gotten stronger in the time since he’d last fought with them, and they had been plenty strong then, too. There was no way he would be able to take them down all on his own. Humans weren’t made for this kind of fighting, but the girl had a point. The humans had a grudge now, which would make them powerful allies. Perhaps if he contacted Halphia… She’d be pleased he’d come to his senses at least, and could do something about getting them some help. It didn’t set well with him, since he wanted this revenge for himself and not for anyone else to help with, but he could mull that over later. For now, he— they —needed to get out of there.
    "Fine," he said, relenting. Letting her out with him didn't mean he was agreeing to help her or the rest of the humans. It just meant that he wasn't leaving an innocent woman in the clutches of evil creatures who deserved to be burned alive for the atrocities they'd committed. At least she wasn't insisting that they go and rescue the rest of the humans on top of it.
    Sorrin pulled the door fully open, wincing when it scraped against the floor with a grating sound that was sure to alert the Camadors to their presence.
    He waited, holding a hand up to the human woman so she wouldn't move. After a few long moments, it became clear that no one was coming. A stroke of luck.
    "Did you see where they put my weapons?" he murmured to her, not looking at her as he scanned the room, trying to see if there was a window or something to help their escape. Jumping out of it was not the best plan, and he was hoping for something else, but if it came down to it, he'd take a broken arm over being trapped here.
    "Yes," the woman said, and she eased past him and out the cell door on light feet.
    Sorrin wanted to hiss at her to come back, but she darted out quicker than he would have expected and then made her way to the corner where there was a chest. Judging from how she popped it open with very little effort, it wasn't even locked.
    He bristled at the insult of that. As if they didn't even have to lock things down to keep him out of it. Underestimating him was going to be their downfall.
    With his weapons back in hand, he felt better, and he made his way to the window, peering out of it to see how far of a jump it would be.
    Pretty far, as it turned out, and he made a face, putting that firmly in the 'last resort' category.
    “You’re not serious,” the woman whispered, looking at him with alarm. “We can’t jump. It’s gotta be pretty high up.”
    “We’re not jumping,” Sorrin assured her. “Yet.”
    Judging by the look on her face, she was less than reassured. “What if they catch us?”
    “They won’t.”
    Confidence went a long way with being a warrior.