"Are you not an ambassador? Is that not why the Skarn have taken you?"
"No, I'm not an ambassador, yet. I still have a lot to learn. They abducted me because I'm the daughter of the President of the United Nations of Earth."
Lena shivered, then used her good hand to pull her t-shirt nightie over her knees to cover her legs, hoping the thin material might provide some warmth. It didn't, but she tried to ignore it.
She jarred her injured arm in the process and sucked in a sharp breath.
"Are you... in great pain, Lena?" She thought she heard concern lacing Rex's deep voice.
"No..." She hesitated on the lie, then quickly changed her mind. "Yes."
There was no need for lies between prisoners. And she needed to be honest with him if they were going to plan on an escape. He'd need to know her physical condition and the hindrance it might cause.
"My arm hurts. The Rhan..." She cringed over the word, taking a deep breath, trying not to remember the pain he'd caused. "He bit me. The Skarn bandaged it, but I don't know how bad the damage is. I'm afraid to look."
"It will heal."
Rex spoke with authority, as if he knew firsthand what she suffered. She wondered how many times the Rhan had fed from him but was too afraid to ask.
"When a Rhan feeds, the saliva aids in numbing the pain and aids in healing. You were not given the time necessary for that process. The Skarn are savages to make you suffer as they have." He growled the last few words, hatred dripping from his voice.
Lena glanced at the bandage. She considered peeling it back to view the wound, but still couldn't bring herself to do it. Could what he said be true? Could the Rhan have healed her, but the Skarn had stopped him? The Rhan had been vicious, starved as the Skarn had told her father. She'd passed out from the pain, but maybe Rex had remained conscious during his attacks.
Had the Rhan healed him?
She had so many questions, but she trembled again. Not from fear, but from the low temperature of the room. The longer she sat, the colder she grew. She should probably stand and move around, but the room wasn't large. She could pace only a few feet. Not much space to do aerobics to stay warm.
"I'm freezing over here," she said, her teeth chattering over the words. "Don't they have a heating system on this ship? Are you cold?"
"Cold?" He paused on the word as if deciphering its meaning. Lena wondered how extensive his English vocabulary was considering he learned it as a prisoner on a ship. "No. The air temperature does not affect me."
"Good for you," she said, meaning it. "At least you have that."
She shivered again, rubbing her good hand over her legs, hoping the friction would help warm her. Nothing seemed to do the trick.
Again, she glanced around the room, searching for anything she might have missed. Something to give her an advantage or a means of escape.
She heard Rex move from the wall. His footsteps echoed in the chamber and she wondered what he was doing. Then he was back. The crunch of rock and stone alarmed her. She scooted away from the wall, awkwardly keeping her arm pressed close to her chest.
The light through the crack disappeared. She thought at first Rex might be standing directly in front of the crack to block the light that leaked through. Instead, as she watched closely, she saw he pushed something into the crack.
Lena opened her mouth, but she was too shocked to protest. Had she offended him? Was he filling the gap in the wall to block his communication with her?
Was she that annoying?
As she looked closer, she saw a bit of fabric poke through the crack as he continued to shove material into the hole.
"Take it, Lena. It will keep you warm." Rex's muffled voice carried through the crack, even with the fabric blocking his side of the wall.
She scooted back to the wall, grabbing the material. Using one hand, she pulled it out of the hole and onto her lap. When it was free, she lifted and shook it. Stony debris of the wall or plaster or whatever material was used to build these alien walls clattered to the floor.
"It's a jacket." It was long. It would easily fit like a trench coat on her. Smooth, glossy black material covered the outside. The inner cloth was soft, like velvet.
"I have no need of it," Rex grumbled. She heard him lower himself to the floor next to the crack. "Use it. Warm yourself."
"Th-thank you." She didn't know what else to say. The gesture took her by surprise, but she was not one to complain. Quickly, she slipped the jacket over her shoulders. The warmth was instantaneous. She closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort the jacket brought her.
Lena inhaled the strong, musky odor that clung to the material. It wasn't unpleasant, but different. Nothing like anything she ever smelled. Like a combination of cinnamon and whiskey and the wild outdoors.
"You're sure you don't need it?" Guilt crept upon her as she nestled onto the floor beside the crack in the wall, warmed from the jacket. The material also provided a cushion for her to sit on, something between her and the cold, hard tiled floor.
"Keep it, Lena. It is yours now." Could she hear a smile in his voice?
Again, she moved her head to peer through the crack, slightly widened now from passing the jacket through. Still, he didn't sit within eyesight.
She wondered what he might look like. She'd seen Oranians on several occasions. There had been a congregation sent to Earth only a few months ago. They were humanoid, just as the owner of this jacket. Two arms, two legs, head and torso. The Oranians had a greenish hue to their skin, a distinct difference from the Skarn who were gray. They kept their hair neat and trimmed and were extremely tidy with their appearance.
Lena attempted to create an image of Rex in her mind. Someone who might belong to that deep, gravelly voice. As much as she tried, she couldn't picture him. Tall with green skin. Yet, a clearer image remained elusive.
She sighed, feeling suddenly foolish. Was she really romanticizing an alien in her mind? She rolled her eyes, rubbing her face with her left hand, wondering if she should smack some sense into her head.
Meeting an alien as a prisoner on a Skarn spaceship was not the ideal way to find a date.
She chuckled softly, tucking her chin into the warmth of the jacket.
"What?" Rex's query took her by surprise, then she remembered his exceptional hearing. He'd heard her.
"I know this might sound inappropriate, but I was wondering what you look like." He remained silent, so she spoke rapidly, feeling the blush of embarrassment creep into her cheeks. For the first time, she was grateful there was a wall between them. "Have you ever seen a human before, Rex? Do you know what humans look like?"
"Yes. I have been in the presence of humans." He spoke carefully, and she wondered if she'd disconcerted him with her change in topic.
"Yeah? Did you find our appearance shocking?"
He remained silent, as if considering the appropriate response.
"I guess that's not a fair question. We're all different, but the same, you know? We might have different skin color, different hair, but we all want the same thing. To survive, to live, to thrive. Happiness, prosperity. It's the same no matter which planet. Don't you think?"
"Yes, human," Rex said, slowly. "What you say is quite accurate."
"We just need to find the other things we have in common. Ways that we can work together. So many planets, so many different cultures, but there's got to be a way we can work together."
"You are unlike other humans, Lena."
His statement took her by surprise. "Oh? How do you mean?"
"You have loshlie..." He paused, searching for the right words. "A light within you. From what I hear, few humans possess such light."
"Well, thank you. I think." Lena smiled. "It all begins with compassion and friendship. You gave me your jacket. That's a step in the right direction, Rex. I'd like to call you my friend."
"Friend?" He spoke the word as if testing it for the first time.
"Friend, yeah." She bit her lip, trying to t
hink of a way to describe the word. "When two or more people get along with each other. Like each other. Have things in common. Companionship. Buddies. Allies."
"Allies."
"Yep," she said, nodding. "You and me. Friends. Allies. And we'll find a way out of here. Together." She glanced around the room, trying not to get disheartened by the stark, unyielding walls. "Soon. I hope."
"You have little time, Lena."
"What?" She turned back to the crack. "What do you mean?"
"The Skarn come for you."
Despite her hope and positivity, the cold wash of fear shivered through her like a bucket of ice dumped over her head.
"Do you hear them, Rex? Are they coming now?"
"Yes."
Lena hugged her knees tighter. That wasn't enough time for her father to gain the approval of the Earth's ambassadors. She doubted very much that he would get approval, anyway. Earth's policies were not to give weapons to alien cultures.
But was it enough time for her father to have ordered a rescue mission? Had he sent someone to save her?
She could only hope, but realistically it still wasn't a lot of time.
The thought of facing the Rhan again sickened her. No, it flat out terrified her. She could only stay brave for so long. She wasn't trained to be a soldier. Nor did she have experience with torture.
"Rex..." In that one word, she conveyed all her doubt and fear. Her anxiety and grief. She stared at the crack, as if she could reach through and grasp her newfound friend for the strength she feared she lacked. He'd been here for a long time. Too long. And he'd survived.
Could she?
"Lena..." She heard Rex move away from the wall. He stood, she heard his footsteps. Above that, the Skarn warrior's footsteps approached, stomping in the corridor.
She stood, refusing to cower on the floor. She stepped to the far side of the room, away from the door, and waited. As scared as she was, she'd keep her chin held high. She'd do that, at least for her father.
Lena clasped Rex's jacket around her, using it as a shield. Imagining it was him, protecting her.
If only he could.
"Lena, I—"
But whatever he'd been about to say was drowned out as the door crashed open and the Skarn warrior stepped into the room, his weapon raised. He paused, his gray eyes widening at the sight of her clothed in the long jacket. He must have recognized it because he glanced suspiciously at the crack in the wall between her cell and Rex's.
The warrior snarled, then spoke several words rapidly. It was too fast for her to translate. Even if she could, she doubted she'd understand. It sounded like swear words, few of which she was familiar with in the Skarn language.
Whatever else he said must have been an order, because the two warriors behind him broke away and disappeared. He grabbed a device from his belt and pushed three buttons. In the corridor a door opened and then footsteps entered Rex's room. More movement. Footsteps. Something swung, striking, then Rex's grunt of pain. Again.
They were beating him.
"Leave him alone!" Lena shouted as the warrior in her room strode forward, grabbing her left arm with his meaty fist and yanking the jacket off her. Then he pulled her from the room. She wanted to fight. She wanted to kick and scream, but he pressed the nozzle of the weapon tight to her back, forcing her to remain acquiescent.
The fabric covered her head again. She cringed as the sounds of the beating Rex endured remained in her ears as she walked away from her cell. With her thoughts still on him, she forgot to keep track of the twists and turns as they guided her to the room with the hovering, vertical pool of liquid.
This time, the cloth remained over her head as she was seated, the weapon remained pressed against her back. She couldn't see her father's image through the dark material, but she heard his voice.
"Lena! Thank God!"
"As I promised, Pres-i-dent Mac-Don-ald." The Skarn leader's voice boomed loudly as he approached from behind. "Now, where are my weapons?"
"Let me see her. What have you done to her?"
"A little less blood, but other than that she is unharmed."
The fabric lifted. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light emanating from the hovering liquid.
"Daddy," she said, relieved to see him, but hurt that he appeared more haggard and wearier than last time. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days. Again, she wondered how long she'd been unconscious on this ship. It was difficult to distinguish time without the light of the sun to guide her. Had she been aboard for only one day? Two? Or longer? She couldn't tell.
"Where are the weapons, Pres-i-dent?"
"I... I..." The look on her father's face told her everything she needed to know. He didn't have the weapons. The ambassadors hadn't approved his request. He couldn't help her. He couldn't save her, and he knew it. "I need more time."
The Skarn sighed heavily. "I warned you, Pres-i-dent."
"I can convince them," her father said, straightening, trying to regain his composure and authority. "I need more time."
"Time your daughter no longer has, I'm afraid."
Lena tensed when she heard the two warriors approach the room, entering with the Rhan between them. He was as she remembered. Taller than the others, with long, tangled, dirtied hair framing a narrow face. Something was different this time. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Maybe it was because he wasn't hanging slumped between his captors like last time. Even though he still carried the heavy chains draped over him, the Rhan stood tall, his head held high.
It wasn't until she met his eyes that she knew what was different.
This time, he stared directly at her with an intensity that made her shiver. There was something in his gaze she couldn't identify. Some type of knowledge... Recognition, maybe?
Unlike last time, he didn't appear a starving creature filled with the madness of hunger. Had that small feeding of her blood satiated him?
Lena didn't think so after careful consideration. She watched him swallow hard, as if fighting the desire to lunge at her. He didn't try to attack her. Yet. Of course, the chains would hold him back, for as long as the Skarn allowed.
His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Through it all, he never tore his gaze from her.
She trembled, not even realizing that the Skarn leader was still speaking. She'd tuned him out as she watched the Rhan warily. The pain in her arm flared as she anticipated what was to come.
Lena was too scared to cry. She'd never thought such a sensation possible. Too frightened for tears. But she didn't want her father to see what was about to happen, and she didn't want his last image of her to be sobbing.
She kept her back straight, her chin lifted to face the Rhan.
The Rhan's head nodded slightly as he recognized her defiance. Was that approval she saw in the creature's eyes? The sight shocked her. Her mouth opened, but she didn't speak.
"It's time," the Skarn leader announced. He grabbed Lena's right elbow, ripping the bandage off. He stretched her arm, exposing the wound.
"No, dammit!" Her father shouted. "I'll get you what you want. Leave my daughter alone!"
"Release him." The Skarn waved to the warriors holding the Rhan's chains. The Rhan's head tipped upward as he inhaled the scent of her. A low growl emanated from his throat.
He surged forward, taking Lena's proffered arm from the Skarn. The leader stepped back, giving the creature space. The Rhan gripped her arm in both hands, holding her firmly, but not as tight as before.
To her amazement, he didn't feed. Lena clung to the bench with her left hand, watching in horror as the Rhan stared at her wound. She held her breath, dreading when his long fangs tore into her flesh, but it never came.
"What are you doing?" The Skarn leader shouted. "Take the blood! Feed!"
The Rhan tore his gaze from her arm to look into Lena's eyes again. She saw something flash across his face that she couldn't identify.
"N
o," the Rhan growled. Then he released her arm, stepping back.
The hair on the back of her neck stood at the sound of the deep, gravelly word of defiance.
The Skarn shouted a word she didn't recognize, then grabbed Lena's arm. Again, with a blade he produced from his belt, he sliced, reopening the punctured skin. Blood oozed as she cried out in pain.
"I told you to feed!" The Skarn leader lifted her arm with the blood beginning to drip onto her skin for the Rhan's view.
The Rhan's nostrils flared. His eyes narrowed. She saw him swallow hard, his fists clenching again.
"Take her!"
One warrior shoved the Rhan, pushing him forward, then kicked the back of his legs until the Rhan fell to his knees beside her. The Skarn held her arm outstretched in invitation.
But the Rhan didn't look at her wound. He gazed into her eyes. The message he conveyed there spoke more than words alone.
"Rex?" Lena whispered, breathing the word on a small gasp.
"Human," Rex's familiar deep, gravelly voice vibrated through her body. "I will not harm you again."
Chapter 3
Rex resisted the hunger. It took every ounce of his weakened willpower to hold himself back at the scent of Lena's tantalizing blood. The memory of her taste still lingered on his tongue. It had been so long since he'd fed. So unbearably long...
But the thought of hurting her again twisted his gut. Her cry of pain still echoed in his ears. The Skarn hadn't allowed him time to heal her. It had taken four of them to wrench him away. Rex would have drained her dry otherwise. He supposed he should feel grateful to the Skarn for that.
"Rex." Lena's eyes widened.
A myriad of emotions played across her delicate human features. None of them good. Shock. Horror. Betrayal. Hurt.
"Feed!" Leecher shouted, furious and confused at Rex's reluctance. This was the first time, since the early days, that Rex had refused blood. Leecher had used him countless times as a means of torture or manipulation. Never had Rex forgone an opportunity to fill his belly, to regain a semblance of the strength he once possessed.
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