by T. J. Quinn
“That’s why you were bored,” she concluded, with a teasing smile.
He shrugged. “After living our lives high on adrenalin, getting used to the farms wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be,” he admitted. “Don’t take me wrong, I wouldn’t go back to the life of a mercenary. I had my share of that, but our lives are a bit lonely.”
“It’s a huge change, I’m sure.”
“What are you doing here?” Korben’s harsh voice startled them.
Arantxa turned to look at his stony face. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m helping Suriak with the next meal,” she replied, in a very calm tone.
She wasn’t going to allow him to treat her as if she was his property or something.
“He has been doing that alone for quite some time,” he pointed out, letting them know he wasn’t pleased.
“I know that. Suriak was kind enough to let me help, and I had nothing better to do… I still haven’t,” she added, letting him know, with not so many words, she wasn’t at his beck and call.
“She’s a natural cook,” said Suriak, apparently oblivious of the tension between the other two. “And a fast learner.”
“I’m sure she is,” Korben grumbled.
“Did you want something from me?” Suriak asked, and this time, Arantxa was sure he was playing dumb.
“No… I was just looking for her.”
“As you can see, I’m busy now. I’ll see you when it’s time for the next meal,” she told him, going back to the vegetables she was chopping.
He stood there for a few moments before he walked away.
Suriak chuckled. “He’s not very happy,” he said, amused.
“He’ll get over it.”
“How was it to live in Pakly all those days, with him?” he asked, clearly curious.
“We spent days walking in silence, up the stream, doing our best to go unnoticed and by nightfall, we were so tired, we collapsed in the small shelter he carried in his emergency backpack,” she summarized the whole experience, keeping the private details to herself. “My feet are still recovering from those walks.”
“It must have been very stressful for you,” he pointed out.
“It was, especially when we ran into a Paklyor. Korben got rid of him, but there was still the possibility he wasn’t alone.”
“I guess your experience with the Paklyors wasn’t the best.”
She shuddered visibly. “I try not to think of it. I still wake up during the night thinking I’m their prisoner. I’m not sure I would have survived another day with them.”
He scowled. “Oh, believe me, you would. They knew how many credits they could get for you on the slave markets and they had to keep you alive and well for that,” he said, oozing scorn.
“They too were planning to sell me?” she asked, surprised, though she shouldn’t be.
Apparently, humans are quite appreciated in these parts.
“Yes, they contacted a few auction parlors,” he confirmed. “We’re sure Biurk has the same plan in his mind,” he warned her.
“I know, Korben told me so.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure yet. But I will be, by the time we get to Valkyr.”
He nodded. They kept working and chatting until the food was ready, and they called the rest of the crew.
Soon after they finished eating and before she could do anything else, Korben took her by the arm and dragged her to his own room. It looked pretty much like hers, but it definitely smelled like him.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and facing him.
He crossed the room over to where she was standing, towering her petite figure in a futile attempt to intimidate her.
“I told you I didn’t want you to smile at my friends,” he snarled, through gritted teeth.
She cupped his face as a mother would do to a bratty kid. “And I told you, you don’t get to order me around,” she said, in a very calm tone.
“Are you sure of that?” he snarled again, doing his best to ignore the warmth of her touch and his desire to lean against her hand.
“Oh, I certainly am,” she said before she got on her tip-toes and stole a kiss from his lips.
With a low growl, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her back, his kiss passionate and breath-taking.
“You’re driving me insane,” he whispered against her lips before he picked up her in his arms and carried her to bed.
They spent the rest of the day and night making love. They didn’t even bother to join the rest of the crew for dinner.
“Suriak told me you live on a planet called Gaeshlai,” she commented, as they lingered in bed before he had to go and cover for Kyor. “What’s it like?”
“It’s quite similar to Pakly, but the whole place is divided into huge farms, most of them already occupied. It’s a farmers’ colony. No one owns the planet. There are probably more species living on it than in any other place. Other than a set of coexistence rules, we pretty much live on our own. Gaeshlai supplies most of the food to the nearby intergalactic markets, so we have a lot of work.”
“That sounds like a good place to live.”
“It is.”
“Why don’t you live on your home planet?”
“On Gorun? I always felt I didn’t fit in. Too many rules, too many traditions, you are not allowed to think out of the box. Otherwise, you’re branded as problematic, and they will do all in their power to either change you or get rid of you. I left before they kicked me off.”
“Don’t you miss your family?”
“Not really. I had absolutely nothing in common with my parents. I’m sure they felt relieved when I left. They were ashamed of my insurgence, as they call it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. I’ve had a good life so far,” he assured her.
“What about you? Won’t you miss your planet?”
“I don’t think so. My planet is slowly being destroyed by us, humans. It’s no longer a pleasant place for me to live on.”
“Though I’m sure you would love to live on Valkyr, I strongly advise you not to,” he told her, his tone suddenly somber.
“I’m sure I’ll be able to keep Biurk away.”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
“Then, you should help me to find proofs of his foul play so that we can turn him in to the agency.”
“Even if you do that, he’ll simply change his name and his face. No one will recognize him.”
She sighed. “There must be a way. We can’t just let him use the agency to get his hands on innocent women.”
“Other than killing him, there’s no way,” he assured her. “No one has ever been able to catch him.”
“Either way, I need to go to Valkyr. Once there, I’ll tell him and the agency that my experience with the Paklyors was traumatizing, which is not a lie, and that I can’t go through with the marriage, especially because, he was the one responsible for my ordeal.”
“It’s a good plan, but it won’t keep him away from you.”
“Yes, it will. That way, you’ll get paid for all you did, and I’ll be able to stay with my friend for a while before I decide what to do with my life,” she concluded.
She could tell he still had doubts, but he didn’t insist.
Chapter Nineteen
The rest of their journey to Valkyr went by with no novelties. They landed on the planet six spans after they left Pakly as scheduled.
The last span she spent on the ship with Korben was tainted in bittersweet passion. They barely came out of his room, making love countless times, knowing their time together was coming to an end.
A tiny corner of her heart still hoped he would ask her to stay with him, perhaps not forever, but for a little while longer, but he never did. In fact, he talked about the moment they would part as if it meant nothing to him, and his coolness stopped her from even trying to ask him for more.
She had known things would come to an end, but knowing it, hadn’t lessened the pain crashing through her heart.
She put on her best smile and pretended; everything was alright. There wasn’t much more she could do.
In the prior days to their arrival at Valkyr, Arantxa had made contact with her friend, and Samantha was waiting for her with her new husband, at the docking bays.
They hugged each other laughing and crying at the same time.
“Girl, you have no idea how worried I’ve been about you,” Samantha grumbled. “We knew nothing about what happened to you, and Biurk refused to give us any details on what was going on.”
They had talked about it when Arantxa had called her friend. Cunning as a weasel, Biurk had told the agency the vessel had had some mechanical problems on the journey from Earth, always assuring she was safe and sound and would soon get to Valkyr.
Arantxa quickly introduced the couple to the men accompanying her.
“I would have called you sooner, if I could, you know that,” she told her friend, after the exchange of greetings and pleasantries.
Samantha nodded. “Did you advise Biurk of your arrival?”
“No, but I’m sure he’s aware of it,” she replied, scowling. “I’m hoping to avoid him as long as I can. Our first meeting should be at the agency, where I’ll notify them both our arrangement is canceled.”
She hadn't told Samantha much. She knew she didn’t want to see Biurk right away, but she hadn't told her exactly. She hoped she would have time to explain things to her friend before she was forced to meet him.
“Why don’t we get out of here, then?” Samantha suggested.
“Yes, we should…” Arantxa agreed though she hated the idea of saying goodbye to Korben. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at him. “How can I thank you for rescuing me?” she asked, with a faint smile.
“Just be happy and stay away from Biurk,” he said in a grave tone.
“Are you sure you don’t want to collect the reward he offered you for my rescue? I would go with you to wherever he is so that he couldn’t say you didn’t do the job,” she suggested, wriggling her hands, making a huge effort to sound coherent and keep the pain inside her hidden from his eyes.
“No, it’s too dangerous. Stay as far as you can from him. He hates losing, and he will do all in his power to get you,” Korben warned her.
“She’ll be safe with us,” Djorg said, with a slight frown.
Korben nodded. “Enjoy your stay here,” he said, with a smile.
“Thank you for everything,” she muttered and a few moments later, the males walked back to the vessel, leaving her alone with Samantha and Djorg.
“Let’s get out of here,” Samantha said, lacing her arm in Arantxa’s. “We have a lot to catch up.”
Arantxa nodded, and with one last look to Korben’s vessel, she allowed her friend to guide her out of the docking bays.
The ride to Samantha’s house was longer than she expected, but Samantha used the time to tell her everything that happened since she had arrived at Valkyr.
She looked and sounded so happy, so fulfilled, Arantxa couldn’t help feeling a bit envious. She was thrilled for her friend, she just wished she could have what she had: a male that loved her beyond everything else. Because she knew that’s what Samantha had. One look at Djorg’s face said it all.
Their house was amazing, mostly made of glassy material, right in the middle of a small, well-kept forest, with grassy grounds and spectacular flower bushes all over the property.
Samantha showed her around before she took her to one of the guest rooms. By then, Djorg had left them alone, to get some work done, or so he said.
“You look happy,” she told Samantha, taking a seat on the huge bed.
Samantha threw herself on the bed next to her, with a bright smile. “I am. Djorg is the man of my dreams. I’ve never been happier in my life,” she assured her.
“I’m so happy for you.”
“I want the same for you. I want you to find the right man for you.”
She gave her a sad smile. “I will… one day,” she lied, still not ready to talk about Korben and how she felt about him.
“I understand you went through hell when you were abducted, but are you sure that’s reason enough to turn down Biurk as your mate?” Samantha asked, her cheery tone becoming sober, her brow frown with concern.
“If he hadn't offered to bring me here, none of this would have happened. The Paklyors wouldn’t have dared to attack one of the agency’s vessel,” Arantxa explained. “But that’s not the reason I don’t want him. Korben and the others have worked with Biurk in the past, and all they told me about him makes me think he's not honest about his intentions towards me.”
Samantha’s frown got deeper. “What do you mean?”
“Did you know there’s a high demand for human female slaves in the black markets around these parts?” Arantxa asked.
“Yes, Djorg told me about it,” she admitted. “He once saw one, on a trip he made and the woman’s beauty is one of the reasons he decided to look for a wife on Earth.”
“Well, it seems Biurk’s interest in me lies in that too, but not because he wants me for himself. Korben suspects he was planning on selling me to one of those markets.”
“The agency would never allow that,” she protested.
“They would never know. Biurk would play his part for a while, to fool the agency, but eventually, he would sell me. I have no doubt.”
“That sounds too farfetched. Are you sure these males weren’t fooling you? Perhaps one of them wants you for himself,” she suggested.
“No… that’s not the case, believe me, I know,” there was a hint of bitterness in her words that her friend quickly identified.
“But you wished it were so,” she concluded.
She didn’t say anything, but she knew she didn’t have to. Samantha knew her too well.
“What are you going to do now?”
“I’ll call the agency and tell them that after what I went through during my abduction, I’m not able to think of marrying anyone, right now.”
“Was it really that bad?” Samantha asked in a low tone.
Arantxa jumped out of bed and rubbed her face as she walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. “After the first time they tortured me, I kept praying to die. The pain and the cold was so vicious, so terrible it seemed I couldn’t take it much longer, and yet I did, and they tortured me even more,” she told her friend, her tone somber, as chills of dread rushed through her spine, while the memories of those days rushed through her mind.
Samantha covered her mouth with her hand in shock.
“The Paklyors are cruel creatures. They relish causing others pain,” she continued.
“Did they… you know…?” Samantha asked, unable to utter the words.
“Rape me? No, apparently they don’t have sexual urges,” she replied, scowling.
“Thank god for that.”
“By the time Korben got to me, I was a wreck. He carried me out of the Paklyors’ lair and took me away,” she explained, and in a few words, she told her friend their adventures in Pakly’s woods.
“Well… you can stay here for as long as you want. I discussed it with Djorg when you told me you weren’t marrying Biurk and he is okay with that,” Samantha said, getting up from the bed and walking towards Arantxa, hugging her from behind. “Once you feel it’s time, we’ll find a good Valkyr male for you.”
Arantxa chuckled. “That’s very nice of Djorg, but I don’t want to become a burden for you two.”
“You’re not a burden.”
“Besides, I have no idea how the agency will react to all of this. There might be consequences to my acts,” she pointed out.
“We’ll sort that out, whatever it is,” Samantha assured her.
That night, as she lay in bed alone, Arantxa wondered where Korben was. Were they on their way to Gaeshlai? Would she ever see him again? She had o
nly been a few hours away from him, and she already missed him so much, it hurt.
She had no idea how she was going to live the rest of her life without him.
She spent the night tossing in bed, and the few moments she managed to close her eyes, her sleep was haunted by nightmares of the Paklyors’ tortures.
At some point, she simply gave up and jumped out of bed. Putting on a cozy robe, she walked out of the room into the gardens lit by the huge moon.
The cold air of the night helped clear her mind, and she was about to go back to her room when she heard some footsteps not far from her. Startled, she looked around, trying to identify the intruder.
“Who’s there?” she asked, her words coming out laced with fear.
“You should be waiting for me, Arantxa, don’t you think so?” a male’s voice answered her question and Biurk appeared in front of her.
Arantxa took a step back. “What are you doing here?”
“I should be the one asking you that. You were supposed to be in my house, not here,” he grumbled, as he slowly closed the distance between them.
“Who told you I was here?” she asked, stepping back again.
“Who do you think? Korben and his men came by to collect their reward and to tell me you had left with these people,” he said scornfully.
“You’re lying. They told me they wouldn’t take any payment from you…” she protested.
“And you believed in them? They are low-lives, unscrupulous mercenaries that would sell their own mother if they could,” he mocked her.
“I believe you’re describing yourself, and you forgot to add liar and coward, the kind that sends others to do his job,” she ranted, not believing a word he said.
“I got you out of there, didn’t I? What else do you want from me?” he asked, with a devious grin on his handsome face. A face she knew now was only a façade.
“I want you to stay away from me. I want nothing to do with you,” Arantxa said in a stern tone. “I’m calling off our agreement. After all, I went through because of you, I want nothing to do with you,” she added, as she turned around to walk away.
