Alien Redeemed

by Marie Dry

  Cornelius’s smile was pure evil. “I will allow you to continue taking the punishment meant for her, if you don’t make a sound.”

  “No!” she screamed and jerked against the chains. Cornelius hit her with the back of his hand. Ears ringing, she crumpled, only the chains around her wrists holding her up.

  Zaar clutched the bloody shirt, his warriors had found on the mountain, and looked around the room he shared with Sarah. She’d invaded his life with all the interesting things she did. Like making clothes from spider silk. He clenched his fists. And what did she get from her warrior? No protection. Someone came in here and took her.

  For one shameful moment his legs wouldn’t support him. He couldn’t think. He lifted the bloody shirt. She was dead. He’d failed to keep her safe. It didn’t even matter that he’d lost all honor with his failure. What was honor worth without her? If she was dead, he’d lay waste to that cursed planet. Because he had no doubt that the Aurelians were behind this. They couldn’t find her through the translator they’d implanted her with. It should’ve allowed them to see exactly where she was. To monitor her heart rate. Instead their computers showed nothing.

  He turned toward the warriors who stood in the door. “Bring me Zapor’s breeder. Srinisisa had been the last one to see Sarah, and his warrior instinct told him she was involved. Everyone responsible for her death would suffer for many lifetimes. Grief overwhelmed him and he couldn’t think. He didn’t even have a body to stand vigil over. The eduki that had been let out of its bio habitat had taken all of her.

  He lifted the parena-style shirt to his face and breathed. Zaar stiffened, felt his incisors lengthen. Blood and female, that was what clung to this garment, but this was the blood of an animal. Not his Sarah. “She’s alive,” he whispered. And whoever took her would pay.

  A warrior rushed into the room. “Our ships cannot enter Aurelian space, my leader.”

  Of course, it was the Aurelians. Who else would dare oppose him? “How are they keeping us out?”

  “Our warriors report a combination of old-school technology and a new technology that appears to be jinz-izwe based.”

  “Mobilise the invasion force. I will interrogate that breeder and then I will go in and disable their defences. Have our ships ready to attack as soon as it’s down.” The Aurelians didn’t know about his ability to move anywhere in the galaxy with merely a thought. He smiled, the smile Sarah called ‘his all teeth smile’. They will pay for taking Sarah. By the time he finished with them, they’d beg him to allow them to die.

  Was she scared? Did she think what happened before was about to happen to her again? His claws punched through his palms, but he ignored the blood that dripped on the floor. Did she blame him?

  An hour later, while Sarah pleaded with Cornelius to stop hurting the warriors, and to hurt her instead, the warriors stoically endured being burned horrifically with the acid from the plants. That evil Aurelian burnt out the eye of a warrior who trembled, but otherwise held still and silent. The cell stank of blood and acid and suffering, the air so stuffy, Sarah thought she might smother.

  Sarah struggled upright, her arms aching from being held upright by the chains. “Please stop hurting them,” she begged, her voice hoarse from screaming at Cornelius to stop.

  The priest pushed her so hard, her head cracked against the wall. She hung helplessly in the chains. The priest kicked her in the stomach and she tried to evade that vicious jewel-encrusted boot. Her baby. If she was pregnant, he could hurt her baby.

  “Leave her—she’s mine,” Cornelius said, without taking his eyes off the warrior whose eye he planned to take. The priest slinked back to stand in the doorway. By the time Sarah managed to get up, the warrior had only one eye. “You evil, disgusting monster,” she screamed at the Aurelian. He smirked at her and pressed another stem against the ear of the Zyrgin in the middle. The acid made a sickening sizzling sound as it burned off the ear of the warrior who clenched his jaw and stood stoic.

  During all this, the priest watched with a gaping mouth, sick enjoyment in his eyes. Every time a warrior grunted in pain, tried not to scream, he licked his lips. Sarah wanted to kill him more than she’d ever wanted to kill any of the raiders. “I’m going to make sure Zaar puts you in one of those glass containers in the dungeon of headquarters and tortures you for centuries,” she screamed at him.

  “Why don’t we change the stakes,” Cornelius drawled with vile enjoyment. He watched her in a way that would’ve made her wet herself if she wasn’t so frantic to get him away from the warriors. He turned to the warriors. “I won’t burn your precious parena. Instead I will beat her. I so enjoy fucking a well-beaten woman.” He smiled at the warriors, a chillingly charming smile. “But this is where it gets interesting. If you still want to take her punishment, it will be the acid again since you are such brave Zyrgin warriors; a mere beating won’t do for you.”

  “No, you stay away from them.” She knew the Zyrgins, knew these warriors would insist on taking her punishment. “Excuse me a moment, gentleman,” Cornelius said and walked to stand in front of Sarah. She braced herself, knew from experience the look on her his face. He hit her, precise punches to her face that told her he’d done this many times. Through the horrific pain, all she could think of was that at least he was away from the warriors. Another punch, this one aiming for her stomach because she couldn’t clutch protectively with her arms chained above her head and she desperately tried to pull back against the wall. The Zyrgins growled. Sarah screamed with fear. If she was pregnant, her baby had just been hit a second time. She hung helplessly in the chains; she wanted to get lose and hit Cornelius back. He kicked her in the face and the Zyrgins went crazy, roaring and shouting and jerking their chains until the sound reverberated deafeningly in the small cell.

  Cornelius turned toward the warriors. “Well, if you insist. There’s something I’ve been wondering about ever since we found these plants.” He cut off another stalk with a scalpel, holding the cut stem with the tong and walked toward the Zyrgin chained in the middle. “Open your mouth, or I’ll force it down the throat of your precious parena.”

  “No,” Sarah screamed, scrambling to her feet. She tried to run to Cornelius to stop him, but the chains held her several feet away. “Leave him alone.”

  The warrior looked at her. “It is an honor to die for you, parena.” He opened his mouth without a moment’s hesitation.

  “No!” Sarah screamed, the sound high and shrill, echoing around the cell. She was in a nightmare. Any time now Zaar would call her breeder and wake her up and she’d be all right. These warriors would be all right.

  Tears burned down her cheeks and down her throat. She’d never cried before. No matter what they did to her in the camps. Now she cried loud, bitter tears while she watched the Zyrgin convulse for long, agonising moments before going ominously still. Through all that, she pleaded with Cornelius to do with her what he wanted, to hurt her, but to leave the warriors alone. And then she remembered she might be pregnant and guilt consumed her.

  Corneliusgave an evil smile. “Maybe I’ll burn you just a little. Let’s remove the mark of legend.” He held the stalk to her birthmark.

  Sarah’s knees gave way beneath her. The pain was horrific, a cold, penetrating, nerve-eating agony.

  Something beeped, but she barely took notice, watching the warrior who’d swallowed that evil plant, hoping to see his chest rise and fall, but he lay, unmoving, in the chains. Seeing the dead warrior numbed her and she was only vaguely aware of the burn low on her neck.

  Cornelius turned and Coralinda’s voice came over a speaker. “I need you here. That priest too.” There was stress in her voice and even over the speaker, Sarah could hear her yawn.

  A siren went off, the sound dulled by the walls of the cellar, but it had to be loud to penetrate even these walls. It continued to blare.

  Sarah knelt on the floor, panting, disheveled, and angry, and smiled at the two cowards, a savage smile that rivaled Zaar
when he smiled with teeth. “He’s here. Guess what your future holds?”

  The priest and Cornelius turned to the door and then froze. Sarah followed their horrified gazes and her smile broadened. His figure was hazy through her tears but there was not doubt it was her warrior. Zaar stood big and menacing in the doorway. “I told you he’d come for me,” she said, her voice hoarse.

  Zaar took in the state of his warriors, ran his gaze over Sarah, and incapacitated the priest and Cornelius with two savage punches.

  “I’m so glad you can poof anywhere you want,” Sarah told Zaar.

  “I do not poof.” He came to Sarah, but she shook her head. “Please help the warriors first.”

  “You first,” he said, implacable.

  “Zaar, I think the Wise One slipped something into my bodice,” she told Zaar. She’d felt something when Cornelius had hit her. When the Wise One had touched her, she’d been too scared and disgusted to realize what he was doing.

  Zaar used two fingers to take out a slim, silver pen. Any other time she would’ve blushed and probably savored his touch. Now she just wanted to be free so that she could look over the warriors and see if they were all right. And she had to get to a doctor. If she was pregnant, her baby might be hurt.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “A control calibrated to program any jinz izwe. It will make it easier to free you.”

  “Help the warriors first,” she said again.

  He pulled her carefully against him and pressed his forehead to hers. “You honor us, my Sarah, but no warrior with honor would allow me to tend to them before I have helped you.”

  The chains fell away and she moaned when the feeling returned to her arms, but she ignored the painful pins and needles sensation and hugged Zaar as best as she could with her arms that wouldn’t quite cooperate. Zaar held her up by her forearms, his forehead tight against her, his body trembling in a way she’d never seen him do before. He held her so tight it was painful, but it was a pain that was gloriously assuring. It said she was safe; the warriors with those terrible scars would be safe now. She snuggled into his warm body, wanting to just stay like that and be held while she forgot about everything she and the warriors had been through. “You are safe, my breeder.” He straightened, but didn’t let go. He took in her bruises and his eyes flamed red.

  Sarah pulled out of his arms and hurried to the Zyrgin, lying so still in the chains, and touched the skin over his heart. Nothing. She clenched her fists and turned to Zaar who released the others with grim purpose.

  “This woumber forced one of the plants down his throat.” She kicked Cornelius’s unconscious body. For one dark moment she wanted to kick him and keep kicking him until he died and lay as still as the Zyrgin warrior.

  She forced herself to calm and step back as Zaar continued to unlock the rest of the warriors. They all manifested swords.

  “How did they manage to catch you without your swords?” Zaar asked them in Standard Galactic.

  Sarah hadn’t had time to think about that. Before today, she’d never have thought they could be captured.

  “Young females brought us food to celebrate their feast. They insisted that it would be an insult if we refused.” They shared glances. “They drugged us and when we woke, we were here. With our hands tied, we couldn’t manifest our swords.”

  “It was young child females,” the warrior with the burnt ear said.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sarah said when they helped the two warriors down that had lost an eye and an ear. Then two of the freed warriors carefully handed down their fallen comrade and laid him gently on the floor.

  “Why do you apologise to us, breeder of our leader?” asked the warrior who’d lost an eye.

  Sarah gaped at them. “You took terrible torture to save me.”

  “It was our honor,” the warrior whose hand had been mangled said.

  Wiping at her eyes, she motioned to the fallen warrior. “We will honor his memory.”

  Zaar and the warriors struck their chests with their fists.

  She went to Zaar and burrowed into him. He held her close. “I need a doctor,” she whispered. She was so afraid that Cornelius had killed or harmed her baby.

  Zaar produced a slim jimz izwe instrument that he ran over her body. “He will come with our ships, but the scanner shows you are injured, but not fatally.”

  Sarah nodded. “I hope you torture them,” she said viciously and pointed to the two on the floor. If they’d only beaten her, she could’ve let it go. But if she was pregnant, they could’ve killed her baby. She touched her stomach protectively. The way Cornelius had tortured the warriors, she’d never forgive.

  “They will know torture that is worse than anything that puny Aurelian can even imagine,” the warrior with the burned ear said.

  Sarah put her hands on her hips and tapped her toe. “When I get out of here, I will make them sorry they ever dared torture you,” she said through gritted teeth. The fear was gone. All that was left was an all-consuming rage. Right this moment she didn’t need Zaar to wreak havoc on her enemies.

  The six warriors exchanged glances and then each bowed slightly. “Parena.” They seemed unsure of what to do with her ferocity.

  Not sure what the protocol was, she bowed back, battling to contain the rage that wanted her to tear the place apart.

  “We will each of us give our lives to keep you safe,” one of the warriors said with utmost courtesy, but she noticed he kept away from her.

  Sarah smiled wryly. “I’d rather you lived through keeping me safe.” She looked up at Zaar. “What can I do to help?”

  “You will stay next to me. If I need to do battle”—his lip curled—“it is doubtful these cowards will put up much fight, but if they do, stay with these warriors.”

  “Got it,” she said.

  “I thought the Wise One was a traitor, but he helped us.”

  Zaar released the last warrior. “We have been aware of the Aurelian’s plan to rebel. The Wise One pretended to help them.”

  Saah rushed forward. “Your wound is bleeding—here.” She tore off a piece of her shirt and tied it around the warrior’s bicep. “This will have to do until we can get to decent medical supplies. I’d give a lot for the doctor’s medical stick,” she muttered and looked at the other the warrior’s horrific wounds.

  Zaar handed the silver gadget to one of the others and he applied it to his comrades. Sarah didn’t see a difference in their wounds, but they did appear stronger.

  “Please do not be concerned for our wounds. We will care for them afterward,” the warrior with the gadget said.

  Zaar held her next to him. “We will surround you when we leave the cell, but if there is danger or Aurelians to fight, we will put you in a safe place and one of us will guard you. You are not to move from your safe place.”

  Sarah nodded. “I promise I’ll do what you say. I won’t endanger our chances of escape by doing something stupid.”

  Zaar’s lip pulled away from his lengthening incisors. “We are not escaping.”

  She held up a pacifying hand. “All right, I meant I will follow orders while you show this conquered planet who’s the boss.”

  “Precisely.”

  They tied the two unconscious men securely and then they surrounded her, and she ran with them while the siren’s screech assaulted their ears. Out here the sound was much louder.

  When they exited the dark, winding corridors of the dungeon and reached the lower level of the ostentatious palace, chaos reigned around them.

  Women and men dressed in court clothes ran screaming for safety. Zyrgin warriors battled Aurelian soldiers. Though calling it a battle was an overly optimistic description. The Zyrgins slaughtered the Aurelian soldiers that outnumbered them.

  Zaar and the warriors were ruthless. They killed anyone that crossed their path and didn’t hesitate. They kept running and her breath sawed in and out of her lungs. If she lived through this, she’d make sure she exercised more. Eve
ry muscle ached, but she forced herself to keep pace with them, didn’t want to hold the warriors back. It shamed her that they held back, that they were stronger and faster, even with their horrific wounds.

  23

  Zaar and the wounded warriors fought against what seemed the whole Aurelian army. Sarah tried to be as little hindrance as possible to the warriors, but she could do nothing to help them. They surrounded her and with a combination of swords and laser weapons, they killed Aurelian after Aurelian soldier.

  One moment she was praying for a miracle, and the next the wide hallway where they fought was filled with Zyrgin warriors. She punched her fist in the air. “Yes, now you’ll get it,” she crowed at the Aurelians.

  At last the fighting stopped. Logically she knew it was over fast. But it felt like forever until they stood inside a large courtyard while cowed Aurelian soldiers were disarmed and chained.

  “How soon did you find out I was gone?” she asked Zaar.

  He cupped her bruised cheek; his eyes had been swirling with those unearthly colors, but now they intensified. “Your clothing was found. There was a lot of blood.” The toneless way he said that told her more than any display of emotion would’ve.

  “Oh Zaar, you thought I was dead?” Her heart broke for him. Even if he never learned to love her, she had no doubt he would mourn her if she died. She couldn’t bear the thought of him standing a lonely vigil like that poor warrior on the mountain.

  “Yes.”

  One of the warriors bowed. “My leader, please forgive the presumption of this unworthy and marked warrior, but the parena acted with bravery and conducted herself like a warrior during our captivity.” He spoke in Standard Galactic and Sarah appreciated that he ensured she understood what he said.

  “I do not doubt my breeder’s bravery,” Zaar said and pulled her gently to his side. He briefly touched a clawed finger to her temple, next to her eye she was sure was turning black. “You will stay by my side. I will deal with the Aurelian rebels. This time you will not convince me to show mercy.”