Dain had been gone for three hours. You had stopped counting the minutes somewhere around the second. The building was supposed to be safe. That was what he'd told you.

It was an old structure tucked between two damaged blocks, far enough from the worst of the fighting that the explosions outside had become distant, muffled things. The windows were boarded. The doors had been reinforced. There was enough food and water to last several days.

And, most importantly, Dain had said no one knew you were here. You weren't entirely convinced. You sat on the edge of the narrow bed, staring at the weapon Dain had left within reach.

You still weren't sure whether you were supposed to feel reassured by it. The silence was worse. Before the invasion, silence had meant peace. Now it meant you were waiting for something to happen.

Every distant boom made your shoulders tense. Every unfamiliar sound in the hallway made your fingers tighten around the weapon. Dain had promised he'd come back. He hadn't said when.

He'd only crouched in front of you before leaving, his enormous frame somehow making the cramped room feel even smaller. "Stay here." You'd frowned at him. "You're coming back, right?"

His expression had softened in that subtle way you'd learned to recognize. "Yes." Then he'd touched your cheek with the backs of his fingers.. "I need you to trust me." You hated how easily he could make you agree.

So you stayed. For three hours. Until footsteps sounded outside the door. You froze. They were too heavy to belong to a human. One step. Then another. Slow. Deliberate. Your hand closed around the weapon.

The footsteps stopped directly outside.You held your breath. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then came three knocks. Not frantic. Not cautious. Almost polite. You stared at the door.

"Who is it?" Silence. Your grip tightened. "Who's there?" A voice answered from the other side. Male. Deep. Unmistakably alien. "Dain sent me." Your stomach dropped. You didn't lower the weapon.

"How do I know that?" A pause. "You don't.". At least he was honest. You heard something shift against the door, followed by a quiet metallic sound. Then the door opened.

And you immediately thought: Another intimidating alien. He stepped into the room. He was tall. Of course he was tall. Apparently, whatever species Dain belonged to had decided that being unnecessarily enormous was simply a biological requirement.

But he wasn't Dain. You noticed that immediately. He had the same unmistakably alien features, the sharp structure of his face, the strange luminous quality beneath his skin, the dark markings that disappeared beneath the collar of his clothing.

But he was younger. Not young exactly. Just... younger than Dain. There was something less hardened about him. His expression wasn't as severe. His eyes, however, were almost identical.

They settled on you. Then on the weapon in your hand. One corner of his mouth lifted.. "You're going to shoot me?"

"Possibly."

"Good." You blinked. He stepped farther into the room.. "You should be cautious."

"That's what Dain said." His expression changed. Not much. Just enough. "You know my brother?" You stared at him. "Your... brother?" He seemed to realize what he'd just revealed.

"Yes." You slowly lowered the weapon. "Dain has a brother?"

"Several." You stared at him. Somehow, that information was more alarming than the fact that there was an alien standing in your room. "You have several?" He almost smiled. "You sound disappointed."

"I'm trying to process the fact that there might be more of you." That actually made him laugh. It was brief and unexpectedly warm. Then his expression settled again. "Dain asked me to come here."

"Why?"

"Because he couldn't stay." Your stomach tightened. "What happened?"

"Something he needs to deal with." He stepped closer, but stopped several feet away from you. "He wanted you somewhere secure while he was gone."

You glanced around the room. "And he sent you."

"Yes."

"To do what?" His eyes met yours. "Keep you safe." You stared at him.