Cindy Foreman

“You keep saying you instead of we.”

Jak’ri closed the incinerator. A whoosh sounded. “I’m not coming with you.”

She stared up at him. “What?”

“I’m staying here. Keep me apprised of everything telepathically as you go. If you run into any trouble, I’ll start blasting things in here, then run and draw their fire.”

“Oh, hell no!” she blurted. “We leave together or we don’t leave at all.”

“Ava, you have a much higher chance of escaping if I keep them distracted long enough to—”

Closing the distance between them, she rose onto her toes, curled her free hand around the nape of his neck, and pressed a fervent kiss to his lips.

Startled into silence, he stared down at her.

“I’m not going without you, Jak’ri. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me. We either escape together or we die together. Those are your two options. Time is ticking. What’s it going to be?”
― Dianne Duvall, The Purveli

“They offered to sedate you? Jak’ri asked.
Yes. I refused, she said. No way am I waking up with some freaky lizard baby in my belly.
He stared at his brother. What kind of experiments do you think they’re performing, Ava?
I don’t know. But a hell of a lot of alien abduction stories told on Earth seem to revolve around aliens impregnating our women and probing men’s butts.
Ziv’ri gaped. What the srul kind of aliens have been visiting your planet?”
― Dianne Duvall, The Purveli

“Ava motioned to the darkening passage that led from the cave. “This is the first time I’ve set foot on an alien planet. And even though it bears a general similarity to Earth, there are enough differences to make me want to walk around like this all the time.” Widening her eyes, she dropped her jaw until her mouth formed a large O and gaped at the walls around them in exaggerated amazement.

Jak’ri laughed.

“I’m serious,” she insisted with a grin. “I saw a butterfly today that was the size of a duck!”
― Dianne Duvall, The Purveli

“Ava wrinkled her nose. “I’m glad I didn’t have to try to land the Lasaran escape pod. I’m pretty sure it would’ve gone up in flames before I even finished entering the atmosphere.”
Unbuckling his harness, he shook his head. “Most pods are equipped with autopilots that would’ve guided you safely through the atmosphere.”
“Then hurled me at the ground like a ball?”
He paused. “Mmmmaybe?”
― Dianne Duvall, The Purveli