***
Xana looked his usual cool self when he came to collect him from the compound where he was kept. However, there was a bewildered look in his eyes that Riordan hadn't seen before.
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "The baby's fine, too," he added and touched his lower belly gently.
"Good," Xana said shortly and grabbed him from his bed.
Riordan was about to protest when his Xeno owner pulled him into a tight hug. Damn, snakeboy was scared. Not that he hadn't been, either. But it was over. For now. He had to have a serious conversation with Xana and make him understand that it wasn't healthy for either of them to parade his obsession with his human bearer all over the place.
He keened softly as Xana kissed him and slid his tongue inside his mouth, feeding him some comforting seth. He had missed that. Hell, it was all but an addiction, but addictions could be good, too. That wasn't something he would dwell on for too long. He had other, more pressing matters to address.
"Xana, what happened to Kyle?" he asked, as soon as the Xeno let him breathe.
"The bot? Is that what you're worried about when you barely escaped from such a dangerous situation?"
"It was because of him that I managed to transmit that SOS message. Where is Kyle, Xana?"
"By this time, at the landfill. It failed to protect you."
Riordan pushed against Xana's chest hard. "What the fuck, man? He protected me the best way he could."
"Not good enough," Xana replied in his usual cool voice. "You will get another bot."
"I don't want another bot. I want him," Riordan replied.
"It's impossible to identify its remains in a place as large as that."
Riordan set his jaw hard. "Fuck this shit," he let out under his breath.
"You're disturbed," Xana said. "Why? Your bot was just an outdated model."
Now that was pissing him off big time. "Do you know what's outdated?" He pushed himself in Xana's face. "Your knowledge," his voice dropped, "of who your friends and enemies are. 'Cause this shit was an inside job, and by now, you should know it was."
"Only one Earthian remained alive from the terrorist group," Xana said, and the temperature in the room began to move downwards. "And his mind was probed only to find nothing of value."
"How damn convenient." Riordan moved away from his owner and began rubbing his arms. He had been given a warm robe, but it was too little compared to that Xana could do to the environment when he got pissed.
"The only reason that man is still alive is because you asked."
Riordan turned on his heel. "Don't tell me you think I had something to do with this."
Xana's face relaxed and the temperature climbed up to normal. "You're beautiful when you're fierce like that."
"No shit. Surviving a kidnapping does wonders to my skin."
"Watch it, my beautiful bearer." Now, Xana sounded almost playful. He clearly no longer made a lot of that attack, and it worried Riordan, deep into his core. The egg had been in danger, too. How come Xana wasn't more troubled? He had to keep his anger in check, though. And find Kyle before he got turned into scraps.
Xana embraced him from behind. "I am not accusing you of anything, but I saw the Earthian. Is he the kind you would have liked back on your planet?"
"What bullshit are you saying right now?" Riordan mumbled, Xana's touch making his bones melt and his anger some along with it.
"Those innocent eyes of his. His overall pleasant facial features," Xana commented. "That strong muscular body. That will help him. For as long as his body can take it, of course."
Riordan straightened up, the can of worms inside his belly opening once more. "Is he being tortured?" Maybe letting poor Lewis die would have been a mercy.
"I'll show you," Xana replied instead of giving a straight answer to his question.
***