by Zara Starr
No, he couldn’t afford to freak out. He had to keep his wits about him so that he could save her. No one was going to be able to help and she wasn’t going to be able to escape by herself. Not without getting hurt in some way.
Mal knew that Slinin wasn’t unnecessarily abusive – he had been a good Master. But that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t punish Tanya if she tried to get away.
Mal wanted to stop that from happening. Before it ever got around to that.
For a moment, Mal wondered if he should find something else to wear. But as long as he walked as if he was just on his way, running normal errands, no one paid attention to him. They didn’t seem to think his bloodied clothing was strange. If he didn’t have to stop to find new clothing, that would save him a lot of time.
So, he decided to carry on just as he was. He hoped that it wouldn’t cause a problem later.
Chapter Twenty
Tanya
From the moment Slinin had taken possession of her, Tanya had felt like she was going to throw up. Her fear had returned in full force, and this time, she didn’t know how to swallow it down. Because she had no idea what was going to happen. She knew she would have to be protected at the gladiator dome because she was the grand prize, but none of that applied anymore.
Because she was owned by this creature now. He could do with her as he pleased and no one could say anything about it.
Tanya didn’t quite understand how the rules of slavery worked on this planet, but she was pretty sure that she didn’t have any rights at all. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be called a slave. She was going to assume that anything would go, that she didn’t have any rights to stand on.
All her life, Tanya had lived in luxury. She had taken her human rights for granted, thinking that it wasn’t a big deal. Now that she didn’t have any, she understood exactly how far Earth had come, how lucky she had been. She had never thought about things like that, but now she wished she was back home.
Tanya used to get upset about small things, like having to wait in the queue too long at the bank or being late to a meeting. Now, she would take any of those things over being a slave. It was all about perspective, wasn’t it?
If she ever managed to get back her freedom, Tanya vowed that she would never get upset about the small things again. Because they were exactly that – small things. And they were proof that she was free.
They left the gladiator dome, walking toward what looked like a landing pad. The air outside was fresh and bright light was coming from somewhere in the sky, although Tanya couldn’t see its source. Maybe it was a sun. Or multiple suns. She didn’t know. Quietly, she stood next to her new Master, not knowing what to do or what to expect.
They only waited a moment before a small, modern-looking spaceship landed before them.
“Here you go,” Slinin said as he opened the door for her. Almost as if he was a gentleman.
But Tanya had seen the way he had looked at her when the females had been lined up for inspection. There was nothing gentlemanly about this creature, this monster. He was only being polite now, probably because he knew how terrified she was. Maybe it was something like what they did to animals – they didn’t scare them before slaughtering them because it would make the meat tougher.
Her thoughts were strangely amusing and she had to swallow a laugh. She was losing it, she realized. Laughing in a moment like this? She was definitely tripping out on her fear.
The spaceship was very modern, with a sleek finish and a lot of dials and buttons everywhere, lights flashing. The pilot didn’t even acknowledge her. Because she was worth nothing, she thought bitterly. Not even a hello.
After confirming the address with Slinin, this spaceship lifted into the air. It was all very futuristic. If the situation wasn’t so dire, Tanya would have been interested in how it all worked, how they had managed to have such a modern community, so technologically advanced, when on earth they were still dreaming about technology like this.
On the way, Slinin was eerily kind to her. He spoke to her in soothing tones, explaining to her that they were going to his penthouse.
“I know it all feels very strange now,” Slinin said gently. “I can smell your fear. But I believe you will like it at my penthouse. Since the moment I saw you, I knew you were a lady of class. You have good taste.”
She wanted to ask him why he thought she would be interested in him at all if her taste was so good, but decided it might not be the best idea to anger the creature that owned her. Who knew what he could do to her?
Slinin slowly stroked her with a claw, from shoulder to elbow, and she fought the urge to recoil away from him. She felt sick to her stomach, tasting bile at the back of her throat. But despite the little bit of touch, he left her alone.
For now. She had a feeling that was going to change after a while.
Tanya turned her face toward the window of the spacecraft and looked out at the city below. But her fear was interfering with her ability to marvel at the view of the glittering alien buildings beneath them. She felt like throwing up. Her fear was lodged in her throat like something she was going to choke on, and the movement of the spacecraft wasn’t helping. She wasn’t exactly used to flying in ships like this.
The flight wasn’t very long. After a while, the craft landed on the roof of a skyscraper and Slinin opened the door, stepping out first. He offered Tanya his hand, but she refused to take it, climbing out of the spacecraft by herself. She didn’t want this monster to think that she was at all okay with what was happening.
Yes, he was trying to be a gentleman. And maybe the place they were going to was amazing. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a slave. For as long as she was owned by someone else, she was going to make it clear that she didn’t want to be there.
Slinin didn’t respond when she wouldn’t take his hand. He merely turned away from her and started walking. Tanya looked around, seeking out a way to escape. But they were on the roof of the skyscraper. The only way out was to jump over the edge and fall to her death. She wasn’t ready to consider that way out just yet.
Tanya followed her Master. She had no other choice. She pulled a face behind his back at the fact that he was her Master now. She didn’t have any free will.
A section of the roof lifted, and Tanya let out a little yelp. She hadn’t expected it. It was all so extremely advanced. Slinin didn’t respond to her reaction. He merely gestured for her to follow her down the stairs.
A huge, ogre-like alien was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t look anything like the insects that Tanya had been surrounded by after she had been captured, and this one had a lot of expressions. It looked serene, expectant. It was very upright and tall, a bulky creature. Still, somehow, Tanya imagined it was light on its feet. She didn’t know what gave her that idea.
“This is Morga,” Slinin said, not even looking at the other alien. Was this one a slave too? “He is your personal guard.”
Oh, God. So, he was supposed to stop her from escaping. That was it, wasn’t it? Tanya was under no illusion that this wasn’t about her safety. How was she ever going to get out of there if this thing was watching her?
Slinin continued down the long hallway and finally opened double doors to his left. The room was large, extravagant. It reminded Tanya of some of the five-star hotels she had stayed in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
In the middle, a large canopy bed was made up with furry blankets and pillows, couches were arranged in a cozy seating corner and bookcases lined the wall next to full-length windows. Opposite the couches was a writing desk complete with stationery and next to it was a door that led to what Tanya imagined was a bathroom, although she couldn’t see properly.
“This is where you will live,” Slinin said. “I trust you will be quite comfortable here.”
Tanya didn’t have words. She was a slave, but she was being treated like a princess. Still, she was a slave. It didn’t matter how beautiful this room was, it was just a gi
lded cage.
A dress hung on a coat hanger against the wall. It was beautiful, a lot more material than Tanya had been forced to wear over the last couple of days.
“You will put that on and meet me in the dining room for dinner in an hour.”
Tanya took everything in, her mind turning. How was she going to play this? Sullen, like a teenager who was forced to do something she didn’t like? Aggressive, like an animal that didn’t want to be caged? Or was she going to play nice and see where she could make her break?
She decided on the latter. Since she had no idea what the rest of the penthouse looked like, it wouldn’t do to make enemies. Not yet.
She turned to Slinin and offered him her sweetest smile.
“Thank you. I will be ready for you in an hour. You won’t have to wait.”
Slinin faltered a little. Perhaps he hadn’t expected her to be so nice about it. He nodded curtly a moment later, clasped his hands behind his back and turned around, leaving Tanya in the room. Morga was right outside her door, but she was alone in the room. It felt great to be alone for a change, even if her personal guard was right outside to stop her from escaping.
Escape – that was what she had to think about. He had been nice, but all the while, her mind was turning. If she could somehow get back to the roof, she could try to use the spacecraft to escape.
Tanya knew that it was a ridiculous plan – she didn’t know anything about spacecraft or how to fly them. But it was the best she had for the moment. Maybe, as time went on, she would find a better way. But she didn’t have a lot of time. She didn’t want to end up as Slinin’s personal entertainment and she had a feeling that the games would begin right after dinner.
Games she had no interest in.
Tanya wasn’t allowed to close the door – when she tried, Morga blocked the door with a giant hand and shook his head without saying a word. Could he speak? He definitely understood speech. Tanya didn’t care. She didn’t want to know what his story was. Maybe he was a slave too. Maybe he wasn’t and this was just a job. Whatever the case, it wasn’t her job to worry about him. She had herself to worry about, and that was already proving to be difficult enough.
She walked around the room, looking at the small ornaments and decorations. It was definitely classy and she liked it. She hated that she thought it was beautiful, but the room had been decorated tastefully and she couldn’t help but admire the delicate style and the complementing color scheme.
Tanya had been raised to appreciate fine things and this was a good room.
Pity it belonged to a Master of slaves.
Tanya could only look around for so long, trying to stall for time, before she had to start getting dressed for dinner. She walked to the dress that had been hung up against the wall and studied it. It was made of rich satin-like material, a deep green. It reminded her of emerald. It shimmered almost like a gem when she moved it.
When she pulled it on, it hugged her body perfectly, as if it had been tailored especially for her. It felt amazing, she had to admit. She couldn’t remember when was the last time she had worn something decent. It felt good to be relatively covered up. Although that term was debatable.
The dress was low-cut in the front, and the back was completely open. But compared to the skimpy clothing she had worn until now, it felt like she was wrapped in a robe that covered her entire body.
She looked in the mirror, turning this way and that. The dress looked good on her, she couldn’t deny that. She didn’t want to like it, but she did. She didn’t want to feel beautiful, but she did.
Slinin definitely knew what he wanted. It was interesting because Tanya had always believed that she was attracted to men who knew what they wanted, even if they weren’t particularly handsome. But this? This was a different story altogether. She wasn’t attracted to this monster at all. Apparently, there were limits to everything. Even if Slinin was a very driven man and knew exactly what he wanted and knew exactly how to get it.
When she was ready, her hair and make-up done, she walked to the door. Morga turned to look at her, eyes sliding up and down her body. He was a male and he liked what he saw too. Tanya felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny. What were the rules here? Was she off-limits to him?
She couldn’t imagine that she wasn’t – she belonged to her Master. Still, the way Morga looked at her made her feel like she wanted to cover up.
Finally, her personal guard grunted, turned around and started walking down the hallway. Tanya assumed that she had to follow. That was what she had to do, it was all that was ever expected of her. At least, until now. She didn’t want to think too much about what would be expected of her after dinner tonight.
As they moved through the penthouse, Tanya looked around, taking note of everything. She hoped she could find something, anything, that would help her escape. But she couldn’t find anything like that. Instead, she saw a penthouse that was luxurious and high-tech. Maybe, under different circumstances, she would have been able to appreciate it.
Now, she couldn’t help but hate it.
The dining room was on the other side of the penthouse and they had to go through several rooms to get there. Slinin was already seated at the head of a long table. A large spread had been prepared on the table. When she entered, Slinin looked at her and smiled.
“I knew that dress was the right one,” he said.
Tanya wasn’t sure if that was his idea of a compliment. But he probably didn’t have to compliment her, she thought. She was a slave. He didn’t have to impress her.
“Sit down,” he said, gesturing to a seat at the other end of the table.
Great. As long as she wasn’t sitting next to him, she would be safe. She didn’t want his claws under the table stroking its way up her thigh.
Just as she sat down, Tanya heard gunshots. She snapped her head around.
“What was that?” she asked. “Is there fighting nearby?”
Slinin pulled up his shoulders. “It is of no interest to me what the civilians do in the streets. I am above them. I have the penthouse for a reason and there is no way for whatever is happening down there to reach us.”
When he had spoken, he sounded sure of it. Tanya wondered if he was like that about everything – he just didn’t care.
The gunshots had been unsettling. But they probably didn’t matter. What mattered now was the fact that she belonged to someone, that she was an object to be owned, and that she still didn’t have any idea how she was going to get the hell out of there.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mal
Mal had just started getting used to being out on the streets, among civilians, and not noted as something out of place. He enjoyed this. He enjoyed going wherever he wanted, doing whatever pleased him. He enjoyed being seen by the other civilians as just another one of them and not as a slave.
It was something so small, but it seemed so big. Was this what he had been missing his whole life?
Mal was on his way to changing that part. He had to get to the other side of the city.
Slinin hadn’t been his Master for long, but he knew enough about the Saithin, both from being in his office a couple of times and from the rumors that were recycled over and over again about the businessman, to know where he lived.
He lived in one of the tallest buildings in the capital, above one of his biggest corporations, Aratech. He kept everything that was expensive as close as he could.
Which meant that it wasn’t very difficult to find him. All Mal had to do was get on the right transit pod and find his way to that side of the city.
What he hadn’t expected were the slums on the outskirt of the city. And that getting on the wrong transit pod might put him in danger.
Mal hadn’t been able to read the inscriptions on the boards about the transit points. He had never really learned, not enough to be able to read quickly. He would have to study it for some time, and he was scared about drawing attention to himself.
By the time he
realized he was on the wrong transit pod, it was too late. The doors opened into a terrible part of town. The buildings were run down and several different alien races were walking around on the streets. None of them with good intentions, it seemed.
Nobody looked for trouble with Mal – he was big and a fighter. They didn’t want to risk it.
It was purely by accident that Mal had stumbled into the middle of a gunfight. Before he had known exactly what was happening, guns fired all around him, bullets whistling past his ears.
He felt the bite of the bullet in his side and jumped out of the way so that he wouldn’t be killed.
When he was on the other side of a building that blocked him off from the fight, Mal pressed his hand against his side. It stung terribly. Which meant that it was bad. The bullet was still inside of him. His body wouldn’t heal up completely if the bullet was still inside of him, but he didn’t have time to find someone to remove it.
He had to get out of that area. He had to get to Tanya before something happened to her.
Mal stumbled back to the transit area, asking the nearest Saithin he could find which transit pod to take. He had to swallow his pride and ask for directions. Even though it was the Saithin who had enslaved him for many years, he didn’t want to risk asking one of the other aliens – what if they just wanted more trouble?
Finally, on the right transit pod this time, Mal slumped against the side of the pod and waited. He was almost blending into the crowd of various alien races, despite the healing gunshot wound in his side and the blood that was seeping into his already stained shirt.
It wouldn’t be long before he reached her. He just had to hold out. As soon as she was safe, they could make their plans, take the next step to win their freedom. Right now, Mal’s only aim was to help Tanya so that Slinin didn’t lay a claw on her.
The transit pod was almost all the way to where Mal wanted to be when one of the nearest passengers started looking at him funny.
