Looking sheepish, the young girl admitted, “Since that time we went without eating for three days, I’ve kept them on me. I trade them out for new ones as I eat them. They’re the high nutrient kind, so we’d only need one a day.”
“That gives us four days. I don’t want to break into the cargo crates if we don’t have to. If we’re real lucky, we can slip off the ship unnoticed when we get to their first stop. If we end up stealing from them, we’ll owe what little credits we have in retribution.”
“We still need water.”
“That’s going to be a problem. Maybe I can sneak into the crew portion of the ship and find something to drink.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Lucky for you two, your sister thrives on danger and intrigue.”
For some reason, Penny hurled herself towards her. When the girl’s arms wrapped around Hel, she began to cry again.
“Hey, everything’s going to be fine. You wanted to go to the Sylon home world and I’m in the mood for a change as well.”
Alexis smoothed her hand down her younger sister’s hair. “That goes double for me. I’m so tired of dealing cards I could scream.”
“See? We’re all up for an adventure.”
Snubbing back more tears, you youngster nodded.
Chapter 2
~ Arac ~
Music Mix
Aboard a Maruvian vessel silently shadowing the Terillian freighter a lone drone was losing his will to live. Arac’s body trembled and he could feel himself breaking out in a cold sweat. Whatever humanoid DNA his line had been gifted with throughout their long evolution was working against him at the moment. Wishing more than anything that he had inherited an insectoid exoskeleton rather than a propensity towards hypovolemic shock, he closed his eyes against the spinning room.
There were seven hundred and thirteen drones and a single queen aboard his vessel. Queen Kabelda’s ruthless nature and penchant for cruelty distinguished her, even among her own kind. What was the use of living when it meant watching her commit one atrocity after another?
Arac had been hanging at the queen’s leisure for almost five days. That was a long time to go without food or water, even for a drone. He found the dehydration got to him in ways her slow painful claws and endless verbal taunts could never quite match. It been a very long time since she had extended the claw of kindness to him. In the beginning he’d thought himself fortunate to be the one to spawn her young, and therefore had worked tirelessly to please her. As the lunar cycles wore on, he realized what futile effort it was.
Kabelda had no desire to be pleased by him or anyone else, preferring to take offense at every turn. Inflicting pain was a much more enjoyable pursuit than mating for his horrible queen. She might refer to it as punishment but Arac knew better. Since he was her queen maker, they had spent many hours together. He bore the brunt of her need to inflict cruelty, and understood the true gratification she derived from inflicting pain.
Kabelda had left for the morning, and in his quiet relief Arac barely noticed his sire slipping into the room. Quickly kneeling beside him, Vraden brought a hydration pack to his lips. Arac turned his head. “Let me die. I can’t keep doing this day after endless day.”
“Why can you never submit?”
“Because I hate every single thing about being a queen maker.”
His father squeezed a gush liquid into his mouth. “You hate everything about our current queen. Don’t confuse the two. Being a queen maker is a great honor.”
“Perhaps it was for you. It has brought me nothing but pain and misery.”
Knowing the futility of continuing their longstanding argument, his father changed the subject. “Our queen has another ship in her sights today.”
“Why does that not surprise me? Warring and breeding are her only cares in the ‘verse.”
Leaning in, the older drone whispered, “There are queens aboard that freighter, and I mean to secure one for us.”
Arac’s head snapped up. “You seek a new queen to replace Kabelda? Such things are not for drones to decide.”
“I am not totally bereft the knowledge of right and wrong, my son. I wish only to offer opportunity. The queens will decide if any among them wish to challenge Kabelda.”
Trying not to get emotional, Arac asked, “You do this for me?”
The older man looked into his eyes, and Arac could see the fatherly love hiding there. “Forgive me, my son. I cannot sit idly by while our queen destroys one as perfect as you.”
“Your bias as my sire precludes you from seeing that I am merely a worthless drone, one of many aboard this vessel.”
Cupping his hand over one cheek, his sire spoke with such sincerity that it broke Arac’s will to argue. “You are not worthless. You are capable and strong, a queen maker like your sire and his sire before him. Though it is not our way to care about such things, I find that I value the one among the many, because you were born of my flesh and grew up at my knee, soaking in all the knowledge I have to offer as a male.”
The fact that Arac had been denied the opportunity to see to his own young tore at his emotions. Feeling a single tear slide down his humanoid face, Arac cautioned the older drone. “Careful, my sire. You risk much on a hopeless endeavor.”
“I risk only what is mine to chance.”
“My sons, what can you tell me of their welfare?”
“All thirty-two of your young from prior spawnings are well, my son.” Looking slightly to the side, he made a small noise of frustration before speaking again. “Eleven of the thirteen in your last offering yet survive. You know Kabelda culls both the eggs and the hatchlings from every round of breeding.”
Feeling queasy in the pit of his stomach, Arac replied, “I am well aware of her inability to accept even minor flaws in our young. I have been her breeder for coming up on two solar cycles now.”
“Stand fast, my son. With any luck our next queen will feel differently about such things. Your mother never culled our young that way. In fact, she gave her dying breath to protect you all. You are alive today only because of her sacrifice.”
Something about knowing queens could be valiant and protective gave Arac hope. Sucking down as much of the hydration packet as he could stomach, Arac’s body decided to live another day. Only this day was different from all the others that came before. Today, he knew deep down inside that he could endure whatever was to come, because of the sliver of hope welling up in his soul.
Later, when the queen returned to torment him, he could easily endure it. When she ran her claw down his back, Arac was surprised to note he barely felt it. Jerking in his bonds, his mind was far away, dreaming of a strange alien queen. In his fantasy, the new challenger was huge, colorful, and strong. She was a being capable of easily defeating their vicious queen. In his personal dream world, their new queen was not only victorious, but she cared nothing for queen makers. Being cast aside was his only hope for freedom from a life of endless breeding and pain. As the blood flowed, he longed for the safety that obscurity would provide.
Chapter 3
~ Helena ~
Music Mix
Thirty-six hours later, the sisters stowed away on the Terillian freighter hadn’t had any success finding water, so they decided to break into one of the crates. Hel used her handheld device to scan and translate the manifest on each crate.
“This one has fresh produce from the hydroponics units.”
Alexis grabbed onto her arm and stood on tiptoes to peer over her shoulder. “Any liquids? I’m so thursy.”
“I don’t see any listed, but there is citrus fruit inside.”
“Say oranges and I’ll kiss your boots.”
“No need to be dramatic. There’s oranges, apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes and several more items my handheld can’t translate. Help me pull it open.”
The three thirsty women worked together and popped the seal within moments. Peering inside, Hel smiled.
Penny quipped, “It feels
a bit like winning the lottery.”
Pulling out a clear sack of oranges, Helene tossed them to Ally. Scouring around, she pulled out a liter of old fashioned club soda. Immediately twisting the top off, she offered to Penny.
The young girl gratefully accepted it, took a nice long drink, and passed it respectfully to Ally. After taking a huge swig, Ally handed it back to Hel. “Drink up. We have to stay hydrated.”
Hel put the cap back on the bottle, and tore open an orange instead. “I’m dying for good old fashioned orange juice.”
They passed around the fruit and ate until they were stuffed. Just when they were preparing to get some sleep, a strange noise split the air. It was the sound of twisting metal. Hel was astonished that she could identify such a sound. The ship began to vibrate, then shuddered under the impact of weapons fire. Her sisters were at her side in seconds.
Penny’s frightened voice sounded off first. “What the hell is happening?”
“We’re under attack. All bets are off. Grab what you can and let’s prepare to be boarded. They’re probably here for the cargo.”
Alexis jerked her chin to the wall. Hel turned just in time to see the wall pierced by huge metal claws. Pressing themselves back against the far wall, they watched a huge section of the exterior hull get ripped away. As the dust cleared, several men entered the cargo bay, but they weren’t walking. Hel gaped at their wings as they flapped gently in the air.
Penny panicked. “Insectoids. They’re going to eat us.”
Shaking her head, Hel stepped out to meet the men. “They’re not going to eat us. They don’t do that anymore. They have a human queen now. Don’t you listen to the news?”
Turning her attention to the men, she spoke. “Greetings, drones. My name is Helena Watson, of Earth. Whatever you quarrel with the Terillian, we want no part of it. I wish to speak to your human queen.”
The men immediately fell to the ground like fallen angels. Their wings folded neatly behind them as they dropped onto one knee in submission. Each assumed the same strange pose, with one hand across their chest and the other hand touching the floor with the tips of their fingers.
Since they didn’t answer, Hel tried communicating again. “I am an Earth Gov soldier and I have been briefed on Maruvian customs. I know that because you have a human queen you all speak our language.”
When she said Maruvian, their heads came up in unison.
Glancing at Penny and Alexis, Helena shook her head in bewilderment.
Alexis approached. “You are allowed to speak to us.” Gesturing between them and herself, she added, “We are no longer at war.”
The males broke out in what was probably speech but sounded like a bunch of screeching. One stood and approached them. He cautiously gestured between himself and Alexis, making sounds they could not understand.
Alexis took another step forward, took his hand in hers and placed it on her upper chest. “Ally. My name is Ally.” Taking his hand, she placed it on his chest. “What is your name?”
Something about being touched set the man off. He turned on his heel and screeched repeatedly to the others. Suddenly, the room filled with more men.
Three stepped forward out of nowhere holding long, shimmering cloths. As the men slipped the cloths over the women’s shoulders, one of them noticed Penny’s injuries. His expression turned furious. He pointed to the man who had attempted to communicate with them earlier and screeched. Another warrior stepped forward, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him to the ground.
Penny gasped in horror. “God, they think he harmed me.” Rushing forward, Alexis wedged herself between them, shoving the warrior back. “Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything wrong.” The warrior’s shocked expression cleared almost immediately and he stepped back.
There was a massive jolt that seemed like the ship was about to be torn apart. The men motioned them forward through the huge rip in the hull. Hel could see their ship on the other side. There was some strange gel sealing the ships together along the edges of the breach. “This day is just getting weirder and weirder. We better go with them before they blow this ship right out from under us. I’ll talk to their queen and see what it would take to get us transport to the Sylon home world.”
Ever the pragmatist, Alexis ran over and grabbed several packages of oranges. “I’m not going hungry again.” Taking her lead, the males swarmed the crates and transferred the cargo to their own ship while the women approached the breach.
A male stepped forward and wrapped a gigantic wing around each of them. Helena explained, “Don’t be alarmed. Our training mentioned that Maruvian warriors wrap a wing around their queens as a sign of protection, nothing more.”
“What’s with the shimmering fabric?” Even in a crisis, Penny was full of questions.
Glancing at her ever curious sister, Helena responded, “It keeps us from being picked up on sensors.”
“Another safety measure?”
“Yes. I’m not certain what we are being protected from, since we are entering their ship.”
“This is creeping me out.”
“Me too, Penny. Me too.”
They were hustled to a darkened room aboard the Maruvian vessel. The only lighting was the electronic equipment in the room. Looking it over, Hel decided it was a makeshift medical unit of some sort. At first she thought they had been left alone, but after her eyes adjusted, she could see about a half dozen warriors standing quietly along the wall, much as alien warriors tended to do when they were assigned a protection detail.
A low whining noise drew their attention to a hovering treatment platform. Penny’s excited voice rang out. “It’s a dog.”
Eyeing the ferocious looking animal, Hel stated flatly, “It’s not even close.”
Cautiously approaching the animal, Penny murmured, “He’s an insectoid version of a dog. He’s in pain.” Running her hand over his leg, she almost got nipped.
“Stop what you’re doing immediately.”
“Don’t be a spoilsport. He’s not in any condition to gobble me up.”
Jerking her back, Hel responded tartly, “I beg to differ with you. Have you noticed his teeth?”
Taking out an orange, Penny broke it open with her thumbnails and approached the creature again. “In all fairness, don’t most animals have sharp teeth?”
Holding out the fruit to the animal’s mouth, Penny seemed thrilled when he licked at it. “That’s a good boy. Eat up.”
“You’re taking your chances there, Penny. The best intel we have indicated they can eat just about anything but dairy products. Still, you never know how a sick animal will respond to a new food.”
The animal turned, quick as a wink, and snatched the fruit from the girl’s hand and scarfed it down, barely taking time to chew. He made a chirping sound that maybe meant he was happy, and then quickly licked Penny’s hand. His tail was long and had a heart shaped point on the end.
“Ha! He likes me. Can we keep him?”
“He obviously belongs to someone already, Penny. Don’t get attached.”
Sitting on the edge of the platform, Penny began peeling another orange. “I won’t, I promise.”
Watching her happily feeding the animal, Hel already knew they would have to try to buy the pet for her, if that was remotely possible. She hadn’t seen her little sister so happy in a very long time. It would be worth sacrificing some of their much needed credits for Penny to keep the mangy animal, if he didn’t turn out to be dangerous.
Hel became aware that the warriors were staring at them with very confused expressions on their faces. “It’s my understanding that they have a one queen rule, and their queens fight like Krylon women. They’re probably trying to figure out why we aren’t scratching each other’s eyes out.”
Alexis grinned. “We could spar a little to put them at ease.”
“Don’t tempt me. After sitting on my lazy ass for a day and a half, I’m itching for some action.” Glancing back at Penny, she cringed. P
enny was now sitting with the large animal draped across her lap, cuddling it as it licked her face. “Jesus, Penny, don’t let it do that. There’s no telling what kind of germs are in its mouth.”
“You worry too much, sis. Give it rest already.”
Looking around for Alexis, Hel saw her with the warrior she’d tried to talk to earlier. Ally punctuated her softly spoken words with hand gestures meant to drive her point home. The clearly baffled man just stared at her adoringly.
Looking from one Maruvian to the next, Helena saw their stark insectoid features were more pronounced than the images she’d been shown of the human queen’s mate. Their skin tone ranged from green to dusky blue to dark purple. Each had rather huge black eyes and no hair. Instead, each man had a different pattern of spots. They were similar enough in appearance to be brothers. Something was off about the situation, but she could not for the life of her figure out what it was.
Three older males burst into the room and skidded to a stop in front of them. Their eyes went wide and they practically ran to Penny, disengaging the animal from her lap. Being separated made the animal feral. He began to chirp and bite at the men, leaving a bloody trail behind. Penny, being who she was, positioned herself between the animal and the men and began shoving them back. They immediately capitulated to her wishes, though they looked thoroughly freaked out.
With the animal settling back down, Penny just ignored them and pulled out another orange. Hel suspected they were going to be real short on that particular fruit before the day was out.
The men whispered to one another in subdued screeches, before turning to Hel. Surrounding her, they gently guided her back onto the table. Thoroughly familiar with physicians giving people the once over after a battle, she let them get on with it. It felt strange, but she’d had enough contact with alien species to know how to interact appropriately.
They flipped on a holographic image of her internal organs and performed a head to toe scan. Snapping their claws in her face, she figured they were testing her ability to hear so she responded appropriately. At last they let her sit up and pulled out a clear cylinder of sparkling green liquid.
Queen Maker's Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 6) Page 2
