by Mary Auclair
Time passed as the fire slowly died down to glowing embers and darkness invaded the small house. As if she were waking from a dream, Elise moved.
Aliena watched as her aunt got to her feet, the exhaustion clear on her frail body, in the way her back curved as she walked. Her heart squeezed at the sight of the kind, strong woman who had raised her as her own. Markus’s absence had changed her, draining away the strength of the lively, loving woman she used to be. She was but a shell of herself, speaking and moving, but the light was extinguished behind her eyes, the happiness gone from her laughter.
Aliena had to do something to lift Elise’s mood, to give her hope for the future.
“Kamal and his men are going after Markus and the others. He’s leaving tomorrow at sunrise, right after the Eok contingent arrives.” Aliena’s voice wasn’t more than a whisper, but it reached Elise at the other side of the room. The other woman froze, her back turned. “We know where Minister Knut took them.”
“Markus is alive?” Elise turned to face Aliena. Her eyes shone with a new emotion, something fierce and deep, reshaping her soft features into a new, almost unrecognizable face. “Are you sure of this?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Aliena answered truthfully. “One of the survivors told me she saw him. He and the others were captured, but she didn’t see them harmed.”
Elise approached, her face full of the dark shadows of the dying light of the fire. Aliena shivered and resisted her impulse to inch away. Elise looked like a vengeful ghost.
“Who?”
“I don’t know her name. All I know is that she knew my mother. She recognized me when I spoke to her.”
“If she knew Leenia then she was one of the cowards who refused to come with us.” Elise spat the words, anger showing in her eyes, in her voice. “You can’t trust any of those people. They refused to fight then, they won’t fight now.”
“It was dangerous. You can’t know why she chose to stay.” Aliena was taken aback at her aunt’s uncharacteristic display of temper. “There might have been many reasons. My mother’s death is proof of how badly things went.”
“It’s because of them that Markus went back to that dreadful place. It’s their fault he’s gone.”
“You can’t mean that.”
Aliena stayed silent as Elise’s face changed under the strain of her strong emotions. Rage reared its ugly head, twisting her mouth into a lopsided grimace, but then it rapidly deflated, and Elise’s lips started to tremble. Her eyes grew and filled with tears and soon her shoulders were heaving with deep, silent sobs.
Aliena got to her feet and, after a few steps, she was closing her arms around her aunt’s fragile frame.
“I can’t live without him,” Elise cried into Aliena’s hair, her voice weak and barely audible over the sobs. “I’m not strong enough.”
Dread filled Aliena’s mind at those words, for even if she tried to convince Elise otherwise, she knew it was true. Her aunt had lost her will to live, her will to fight against the cruelty of the world when Markus had gone missing. She would not live long without him.
Then the boys would be orphans, just like her. She would not permit that.
“He will come back,” Aliena said, hoping her doubt didn’t show in her voice. “I promise you, he will come back.”
“You can’t know that. All we have is the word of a pirate,” Elise spoke, desperation lacing each of her words. “For all we know, he’s going to sell them all.”
“Kamal won’t betray us.” But even as she said the words, Aliena wasn’t so sure. Kamal had shown time and time again that he wasn’t the cold monster she’d thought him to be at first, but he was still an outlaw, a criminal.
He only agreed to help us because of the trade deal.
“He may not,” Elise continued between sobs, “but his men could.”
Just like that, Elise said exactly what had been lurking in the back of Aliena’s mind since she agreed to stay behind and let Kamal retrieve Markus by himself. Kamal’s crew thought they would become rich beyond their wildest dreams because of that deal, but now that Martin had threatened it, there was no telling what they’d do.
Wyol’s awful pink eyes came back to her mind, full of greed and cruelty. He wouldn’t even blink at the idea of selling her, as illegal as it may be. He wouldn’t lose a single minute of sleep over turning on Kamal, either.
She couldn’t allow this.
“I’ll go with him.” Aliena pulled back and met Elise’s large blue eyes. “I’ll go with Kamal and his men, make sure they bring Markus back.”
“You’re not serious.” Elise shook her head, tears running freely down her cheeks. “I already lost my husband. My daughter is bloodmate to some alien warrior in the far corner of the Ring. I can’t lose you, too.”
“You won’t lose me. I won’t allow it. I’ll go with Kamal and bring Markus back. You’re not the only one who needs him—we all do. He’s the only one who can stand up to Martin, who can rally all of us, prove to the Ring’s Prime Councilor that we can fend for ourselves, that we deserve freedom.”
Elise held Aliena’s gaze for long minutes. “I will keep Martin in check.” Elise’s blue eyes turned cold and new strength showed in her features. “I have more support in this community than he thinks.”
They stared at each other, then Aliena nodded. This was it. Now all she had to do was put her life in the hands of a pirate.
The temperature inside the cargo hold was so low, her teeth chattered hard enough to hurt. Aliena regretted her decision not to bring any food with her as she tried to warm up her numb fingers by blowing on them. As she did, tiny puffs of condensation formed directly out of her mouth—a reminder, if she needed one, that she couldn’t stay hidden down there forever.
No, not forever. Only until we’re far enough out of Earth’s reach that Kamal won’t turn back.
Aliena sighed, then hid her freezing hands between her thighs and settled deeper between the empty crates at the very back of the cargo hold. It was dark down there, dark and unnervingly silent, as though the void of space were reaching from the other side of the thick metal walls, ready to snatch her at the first chance.
A long, deep shiver ran along her body, and she shook off her impulse to jump up and down to warm herself.
Then footsteps broke the eerie silence, loud and fast. Suddenly, her throat clenched shut and she couldn’t breathe anymore. She wasn’t alone.
“The Captain knows what he is doing.” An unfamiliar male voice spoke in a grating metallic tone. “This deal he made with the human, it will change our lives. No more hiding. No more fear of the Ring. We’ll be able to go legit, all of us.”
“I don’t give a Sharren’s ass about going legit. Legit life never gave me anything worth living for.”
A deep chill that had nothing to do with the freezing temperature in the cargo hold settled around Aliena’s chest. She would recognize that high-pitched fizzle anywhere. It belonged to Wyol, the male Avonie who doubled as a perverted medical technician.
Shit. My luck keeps getting better.
“Still. Captain never let us down.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Wyol chuckled, a grating sound filled with evil. “Between us and that sassy little piece of human ass, who do you think he’s most loyal to?”
Silence answered Wyol’s last words. Whoever Wyol was speaking to, he didn’t disagree.
Bracing herself against the crate, Aliena got to her feet. She needed to see whom Wyol was speaking to, needed to know who was a threat to Kamal.
“What you’re proposing is dangerous,” the unknown male insisted. “A full contingent of Eok warriors arrived on Earth, with the captain’s younger brother as a leader. There will be too many of them.”
“No. That’s where you’re wrong. That many Eok warriors will be the perfect cover.”
Her lungs burned and Aliena realized she had been holding her breath. Consciously, slowly, she let it out, then inhaled deeply.
What are they planning to do?
The possibilities tumbled over each other in her mind, each more nefarious than the other. Each ended with the humans lost to some dark black market slave trade; with status lost in the Ring.
With Kamal dead.
The thought made her shiver, and a deadly rage filled her mind. They would not hurt Kamal, not on her life. Aliena inched closer to the edge of the crate, all her senses on high alert. She needed to know who was speaking with Wyol.
A screeching sound resonated against the metal walls of the cargo hold, and soon Aliena was sprawled on the floor as the crate slid out of place.
Fuck! This one isn’t tethered properly!
Her heart skipped a beat and panic spread in her mind as she scrambled to her knees.
“Someone’s down here,” the unknown male exclaimed, the metallic grind in his voice stronger. “They heard us.”
“Take the right. I’ll get the left. Whoever it was, we can’t let them speak to the Captain about this.”
Wyol swore loudly, then heavy boots could be heard making their way to the back of the cargo hold. Aliena blinked, her mind a blank slate as she tried to find a way to escape. What they would do to her if they got their hands on her was anybody’s guess, but she was sure it would be unpleasant, to say the least.
If she were lucky, she would just be thrown out of a spacewalk hatch.
She turned around, scanning the empty space around her. Metal crates, seven feet tall and eight feet deep were arranged in clean lines forming a maze of alleys and dead ends. Everything was bare metal, devoid of both weapons she could use to defend herself, and hiding places.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Then her eyes strayed to the empty crates. Yes, it could work, but it was a stupid plan.
Aliena jumped with both legs, grabbing the edge of the crate with her fingers. Her feet dangled a foot above the floor but the crate was large enough to hold fast on its base.
Please don’t let it move.
She prayed to the long forgotten human Gods as she struggled to lift her weight over the side of the crate. This was her only chance at hiding.
Finally, she managed to lift herself high enough to pass her right leg over the side. She was going to make it!
“Gotcha!”
A long-fingered hand closed around her left ankle and Aliena was yanked to the metal floor. She screamed as she fell, instinctively grasping empty air with her hands before landing seven feet below. The blow made her teeth chatter and the coppery taste of blood invaded her mouth as she accidentally bit her lower lip. Pain radiated from her hip at the impact point where she’d landed, but adrenaline drowned it to a low ache at the back of her mind.
Her eyes, which had instinctively closed as she’d crash-landed, shot open.
He was right over her, towering from his six and half feet height, his pink eyes shining with a twisted glee. His chest heaved with excitement, and her mind instantly filled with the knowledge that she was at his mercy.
No one was coming for her.
As soon as she formulated the thought, she knew it was right and that she had to get out on her own. Aliena jumped to her feet, then bolted, aiming straight between Wyol’s legs.
Blood rushed to her brain as she scrambled on all fours. She had managed to surprise him but it wouldn’t give her an advantage for long.
She was on her feet before he had a chance to turn around. Her feet battered the metal floor without her brain having to formulate any thought. It was all about animal instincts; she was prey running away from a predator and her life was hanging by a thread.
Wyol was tall and strong, but she was fast. Years of hunting and outdoor living had made her strong, and now that gave her an edge over her bulkier, less fit pursuant. The cargo hold was a maze of crates and semi-dark dead-ends and Aliena ran blindly, taking turn after turn in her desperate bid to find the ladder to the higher levels.
If she could climb to the higher level before Wyol and his friend caught her, she was saved.
A few turns later, she saw it. The ladder hung from the ceiling, leading to the upper level. Its lower rung was about four feet from the floor, and as she jumped to it, grabbing the highest bar with her hands and stepping on the lowest rung, elation filled her, a stubborn spark that bubbled and grew with each passing second as she climbed her way to safety.
Then, for the second time, a hand closed around her ankle.
Aliena gripped the rungs with both hands, refusing to let go as she was pulled down. Tears stinging her eyes, she glanced down to meet the dark stare of a creature she had never seen before.
Its eyes were two black pools, oval and large, shining like an insect’s, and its lower jaw was adorned with two clicking pincers.
No. Not pincers. Mandibles.
Its skin was covered in dark green scales, and its four-fingered hand dug into her skin with sharp claws.
“Let go.” The creature spoke, the sound grating, more like an out of tune violin than a voice. “I do not wish to harm you.”
The calm with which the creature spoke reached Aliena’s mind and she slowly nodded. The fight was lost.
As she jumped down to the cargo hold floor, Wyol appeared around the corner of a crate. The grin spreading his lips was nothing short of an animal’s sneer, and she felt a rock settle between her ribs at the sight. She wasn’t going to leave the cargo hold. Not alive.
“What a stupid little whore.” Wyol’s eyes trailed down her thickly clad body. “You couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“Maybe I just missed you.” Aliena flipped her hair and lifted her chin, angling her body toward Wyol. Surprising how sassy a woman could get once she knew she was going to die. “No girl can resist a coward who likes to grope girls when they sleep.”
Wyol’s face twisted with anger and he quickly stepped right up to her. A long-fingered hand closed around her throat, and Aliena knew her racing heartbeat was giving her away. Wyol’s thin face came close, so close she could see the pearls of sweat on his dark gray skin. The fingers around her throat squeezed and his grin spread wider, exposing his wickedly sharp teeth as her heart beat a frenzy. He was liking this.
“I bet you came here thinking you’d show the entire Ring how a human female can be a warrior.” Wyol’s thumb slid along her jaw and just like that, she knew. What awaited her in the bowels of the Mellark wasn’t a quick, frozen death in outer space, but something much, much uglier. “I think, deep down, you know. All human females are good for is getting fucked.”
Pink eyes settled on hers in a parody of intimacy as Wyol enjoyed the display of fear she was sure to be showing on her features. There was no use in pretending anyway. She was scared to death. But as scared shitless as she was, she wasn’t about to go down easily.
After all, she had nothing more to lose than her life.
Locking gazes with Wyol, Aliena spat.
A disgusted exclamation followed, and the hand on her throat retreated. A blinding pain shot through her stomach and Aliena bent double, realizing the cowardly male had just sucker-punched her. The floor met her knees as she threw up a thick mouthful of bile, bracing herself on her palms as her stomach heaved.
“I will kill you for that,” Wyol’s voice came from just over her head. “But first, I’ll fuck you like you’ve never been fucked.”
A hand grabbed a fistful of her long hair, and Aliena screamed in pain as she was lifted off the ground. She flailed wildly, reaching for Wyol’s hands, trying to free herself, but she wasn’t strong enough.
“This isn’t what I signed up for.” The furious clacking of mandibles had both Wyol and Aliena staring with surprise at the insect-like creature. “There is dishonor in harming a female.”
Aliena’s feet found the floor again and she stood on the tips of her toes to avoid the blinding pain of being lifted by her hair.
“Sheegar, you can’t be serious,” Wyol spat the words, his contempt for the creature plain on his face. “I’d think t
hat, as a Mantrilla male, you wouldn’t mind a bit of revenge against the female kind.”
“The Mantrilla honor strength above all else. I survived my own mating, even if I lost a few limbs escaping.” Sheegar lifted his second pair of arms—or what was left of them. On one side, the four-fingered hand was reduced to two, and the other was a short stump. “My progeny will surely be strong for it.”
“You would turn on me over this piece of ass?” Wyol pursed his already thin lips, fury clear on his face. “She’s not even one of us.”
“The female will not be harmed.”
The creature named Sheegar turned his black gaze to Aliena. They looked at each other, the strange alien the furthest thing from a human than anything she’d ever seen.
“Thank you.”
Aliena spoke, the words trembling on her tongue. Sheegar inclined his forehead in her direction, his alien face unreadable.
“She knows too much,” Wyol interjected. “If we let her go, she’ll talk to the Captain, and then it will be you and me who are going to die. And I don’t believe for a second the Captain will be as merciful as you.”
Sheegar turned his head toward Wyol, his mandibles clacking fast. Dread filled Aliena, and she was tempted to promise she would never utter a world to Kamal about what she’d heard and seen, but she didn’t. It was useless.
“Might as well enjoy her.” Wyol’s evil smile returned. “It would be a shame to waste such a great female.”
“There is no violating the human.” Sheegar shook his head. “A clean space death is the solution.”
Just like that, hope was snatched from her fingers.
Someone was screaming, filling the cargo hold with a female voice, full to the brim with hysteria. Aliena thrashed and fought, kicking wildly around, trying without success to free herself from Wyol’s hold. It was no use, she wasn’t getting out of this one.
Wyol dragged her, screeching and spitting like a feral cat, until they stopped in the back of the cargo hold, the farthest possible point from the ladder. Just to her right was the ominous spacewalk door, in dark gray metal, a tiny rectangular window in its center. Behind that was a small vacuum room and yet another door, that one opening to deep, freezing, deadly space. A single look at that tiny window, and she knew the last face she would see before dying would be Wyol’s.
