by Aline Ash
I take a bite of a sweet pastry and chew for a moment, expecting her to go on. When she doesn’t, I swallow my food. “What can you tell me?” I ask.
“He was chieftain of one of the largest tribes on Tabia. He ruled with kindness and his people were prosperous,” she says softly. “But when the Gargolians broke the peace with us and attacked our homeworld, Kon’s family and many of his people were killed in the fighting. He had to flee to survive.”
“If he fled Tabia, how did he end up here?”
She shakes her head. “That I do not know. I have heard rumors that he formed a band of criminals who raided Gargolian ships and he was caught. But that is only rumor.”
“Huh,” I say as I nibble on the sweet pastry.
It’s an interesting story and gives me some insight into Kon’s character. Knowing he was a kind ruler jibes with what I think of him. I was not wrong about him—beneath that gruff exterior of his, he’s got a good heart. He’s not a criminal, he’s a victim of the Gargolians just like me, just like Tara and who knows how many more in this prison.
I turn to her as another thought occurs to me. “The woman you saw in the healers’ bay, the human? Have you seen her since?”
Tara shakes her head. “I have not. I assume she has proven compatible for the Gargolian breeders,” she says. “Either that or she has been destroyed.”
“That’s a pleasant thought,” I sigh. “I’d really like to find out, though.”
“Oh, you will never be able to get into the med bay,” Tara says. “There are usually many guards and you need proper credentials to enter.”
“Unless you’re a patient,” I muse.
She nods. “That is correct, but promise you will not do anything stupid, Marissa.”
I give her a small smile, which fades the moment I see G’rin and a couple of his guards approaching us. I immediately feel my back stiffen and my body tense. From the corner of my eye, I see Tara having the same reaction. The big Gargolian guard stands before me with his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowed, and an exceptionally sour look on his reptilian face. His two guards stand behind him, doing their best to look as intimidating as G’rin.
“What is this?” he hisses.
“What’s it to you?” I snap.
Tara looks away, looking as if she wants nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear. She won’t even meet G’rin’s eyes, and I get the idea she has had a hard time of things at his hands. It would not surprise me to learn that he was the one who tried to rape Tara and broke her leg. But I doubt she’ll ever tell me who it was.
G’rin seems to ignore me and turns to Tara, flashing her a knowing smirk. If I wasn’t sure he was the man who’d tried to rape her before, that doubt has fled my mind.
“Can’t provide for yourself, Tara?” He scowls. “Begging for handouts now?”
Tara says nothing, but she seems to fold in on herself. G’rin lashes out and smacks the food out of her hand. He then knocks everything else I purchased for her to the ground and begins to stomp on it, crushing it beneath his feet. I move to stand up, but Tara grabs me before I can get to my feet and holds me in place. She finally raises her head and looks at me.
“Do not,” she says. “It is fine.”
“You know that’s not the way we do things around here, Tara,” he growls. “We earn what we have. We earn our food.”
“Leave her alone!” I shout.
My voice echoes around the large chamber, and I can feel all eyes turning to me. But I don’t care. Let them stare. I will not stand for watching G’rin picking on somebody smaller and weaker than he is. For the first time the big Gargolian turns to me, his reptilian eyes cold and hard. The hatred he feels for me radiates off him like heat from a sun.
“You will not be under the protection of Kon forever, little human,” he hisses. “Do not try my patience.”
With one last stomp on the goods I’d bought for Tara, he and his men chuckle to one another before turning and walking away. I turn to Tara and see the tears racing down her face. I take her hand and give it a squeeze.
“Come,” I say. “Let’s get you some food for later.”
She shakes her head. “No, Marissa, I cannot let you. I will not allow you to fall below the line and be subjected to the Culling. Not on my behalf. G’rin is right. I cannot take care of myself, and I will not let you forfeit your life for me when I will be dead soon anyway.”
I don’t know what she is talking about, but hearing the resignation in her voice breaks my heart. Tara has resigned herself to her fate. To the fact that she’s going to die in this place. She is a kind person who does not deserve to live or die like this.
“Like hell you will. Not while I’m here,” I tell her.
“Marissa, I cannot let—”
I get to my feet and turn to her. “They’re my astrat, and I’ll spend them how I see fit.”
I turn away and move back to the machine, ordering food and medicine for Tara. As I do, I watch my astrat plummet. The Gargolian people really don’t like it when you try to take care of others. Compassion and altruism are seen as negatives. Which tells me all I need to know about this species.
I carry the load back to Tara and hand it over. Her face is lit with gratitude but I can’t help but see the fear in her eyes as well. I reach down and squeeze her shoulder.
“I’m going to be fine, Tara. Don’t worry about me,” I tell her. “Just worry about keeping yourself alive and fed. And if anybody troubles you or tries to steal your food, tell them they will be dealing with Kon. Make sure they know you are under his protection.”
“Your kindness is most unexpected, Marissa,” she says as her large, dark eyes shimmer with tears. “And it is most appreciated. Thank you.”
“I’ll check in with you tomorrow, okay?”
She nods. “I will look forward to it.”
I turn and walk away, heading for the door that will lead me back to Kon’s chamber and hope he’s back. Not only because I want to tell him about everything that happened today but because I just want to see him. I want to feel his arms around me and feel the warmth of his body pressed to mine.
I can’t wait to just be with him again.
Chapter Sixteen
Kon
I lean against the wall in the far corner of the large chamber. I’d woken early this morning and slipped out of the sleeping pod without disturbing Marissa. I couldn’t wake her because she couldn’t come with me. She can’t be here doing what I’m doing or be part of what is about to happen. Nor can she hear the plans we’re making.
I’d left our cell door open to direct her to the main common chamber to cover my own tracks and misdirect her. I’m in another common chamber, a smaller and more distant from our cell. They’re all alike though—large, carved in stone, not very comfortable, and they all seem to have the same pungent aroma that offends my senses. It stinks like Gargolians here.
I just hope Marissa is able to keep herself out of trouble. She will be surrounded by Gargolians, and though I put out the word that she is under my protection and any harm done to her will be repaid a hundredfold, there are still some in this prison who are not very bright and will try to test me.
As I wait for the others to arrive, I sit down on the large flat-topped stone and look at the other clusters of prisoners scattered around the chamber. The Gargolian prisoners outnumber every other species two to one, and they often use their numbers to bully and intimidate the smaller, weaker species. They dominate these prison chambers through their numbers and their viciousness.
As I sit there, I watch a pair of large Gargolians grab hold of a smaller Morbolian male and drag him away. The Morbolian cries out as they punch him, kick him, and rake him with their long, sharp nails. He’s bloody and looks to be near death in a matter of moments. The Gargolians leave him in a heap and take the food he had been holding, celebrating their triumph.
On the far side of the chamber, three Gargolian males drag a Yurundian female to a d
ark corner. Her screams echo throughout the chamber, but nobody moves to stop what’s happening. They don’t even look over to see. But I do. Rape, violence, murder—they all are just a common practice on Gerr’a. These Garogolians will be granted with more astrat, and anyone who interferes will lose his. I did it too many times already, and it cost me, although the fact that I killed the attackers did help to keep my score from dropping to the bottom.
There is a large piece of me that wants to step in. I don’t care so much about losing some astrat. And I have no doubt that if I were to intercede, the abuses would stop. The Garoglians would scurry away like the cowards they are. But I cannot afford to draw attention to myself right now. I need to be as discrete as I possibly can be.
While I tear myself between the urge to stop the terrible thing I see happening and kill those committing these heinous acts and the commitment to my allies, the Gargolian bullies start to shred her clothing. I feel my anger rising against my will. I know they will be taking turns, one after the other, raping her and beating her until their lust is sated. And when they will be done with her, they’ll degrade her by urinating on her before walking away, laughing. This is something that no honorable man can witness without stepping in. And I cannot let them continue. But just as I am about to rise from my hidden spot, the brutes are attacked by a bigger group of Gargolians who want to participate in the group rape. The poor victim manages to use the moment to slip away while they fight over her. My help is no longer required, and I stay in my place.
I look away from the violence and degradation that surrounds me. I stare at the ground and try to clear my mind of it, try to rein in my anger. So I focus on something else. And inevitably, my mind is drawn to Marissa. Which is something that seems to happen more and more often these days.
Images of her face, her eyes, and her smile fill my mind. I recall the way her body felt and how we both enjoyed our small performance and earlier when I studied her sensitive spots in the shower. The sound of her moans and her cries of pleasure ring in my ears and her intoxicating scent fills my nose. I feel my jura stirring as I remember the feel of it sliding into her tight, warm holes.
Not wanting to meet my allies with a rigid jura, I push those thoughts away. I think of home, of being back on Tabia. And I think of Marissa being there with me. I picture her walking among the lush jungles and swimming in the crystal clear waters. I think of her walking among the endless fields of flowers, her soft, pale skin among the riot of colors. I think of sitting on the blue sand of our oceans, dipping our toes in the water as we watch the suns set. I long to be there with her, on a world that is peaceful and serene. A world filled with natural beauty that takes your breath away.
But that world no longer exists. The day the Gargolians broke the peace and made war upon us, they ravaged my world. They burned the fields of flowers, destroyed the forests and the jungles. The blue sand near the place my tribe called home was stained red with the blood of my people. The Gargolians spoiled the natural beauty of my world, razing everything to the ground.
It will come back. Tabia will once again be a jewel and a wonder of natural beauty. There will come a day when the forests and jungles are lush and gorgeous. There will come a day when my people are free. When the shackles that bind us now are broken and our forced servitude to the Gargolians comes to an end. But it will not come to pass until we drive the Gargolians out. Not until we reclaim our homeworld. Not until we rid Tabia of the destructive disease that is these monsters.
If I am going to lead my people back to freedom, I can’t afford to let myself be distracted. I have to focus on what’s important. And although I feel something for Marissa, I cannot let myself indulge in those emotions. I cannot let myself be distracted by her. As fond of her as I have become, there is no place for her in my life.
I look up and see two of my men approaching. They were part of the crew on my ship when the Gargolians took us. After they’d razed our homeworld, we banded together and formed a resistance. We waged a guerilla campaign against the Gargolians, destroying supply lines, warships, and bases on other worlds. They ambushed us just after we destroyed a biological weapons factory in a moon outpost. Half my crew was killed in the attack, and the other half ended up here with me.
But we’ve still got friends on the outside and there are still plans in motion.
“Ryn. Dyrm,” I greet them both with a nod.
Ryn grins at me. “Saw your performance with that pale, fleshy female,” he says. “That was quite inspiring.”
Dyrm chuckles, and I can’t help but laugh along with him. These two have been my friends for more years than I can count. They were with me when I was chieftain and fled with me during the purge of our people. They have pledged their lives to me and to reclaiming Tabia.
“Is everything in place?” I ask.
Dyrm nods. “Everything is set on our end. We have men who will create a distraction inside the prison,” he says. “They simply wait for the command to do so.”
I nod. “That is good. It will happen the night of the Culling. Our men on the outside will stage an attack, creating chaos,” I tell them. “And with a distraction inside the prison, the Gargolians will have their hands full.”
“And a ship?” Ryn asks. “Do we have a line on a ship?”
“With so many Gargolians coming in to watch the Culling live, there will be many ships just waiting to be taken,” I reply. “All we need to do is get out of the prison and out to the landing bays, and we will be fine.”
“But the Gargolians will no doubt have warships in orbit. Do we have support?” Dyrm says. “It won’t do us much good to steal a ship only to get blown out of the sky before we get off the ground.”
“Our men have that covered,” I tell them. “They are already in possession of a pair of Gargolian battle frigates. They will be in position.”
“Excellent.” Ryn nods. “Then everything is set. We will be able to continue the war to reclaim Tabia.”
I nod. “A war we will win.”
We fall quiet for a moment as we take it all in. Months of planning are finally falling into place. Our plan to begin the war to reclaim our homeworld is finally coming to fruition.
“What about your human?” Dyrm asks.
“What do you mean?” I reply.
“What are you going to do about her?” he presses. “You seem attached to her. But you know what a terrible idea it would be to bring her with us, do you not?”
“I know it would be,” I say softly.
“Does she know of our plans?” Ryn asks.
“She does not,” I tell them. “But even if she did, I would trust her with the information.”
“When did you start trusting offworlders?” Dyrm questions.
“When did you stop trusting me?” I glare hard at both of them, and they fall silent.
I know that we Tabieans can be an insular people. We don’t trust those from outside our world very often. Trust between our own tribes can sometimes be a tricky thing. So from that perspective, I understand their concerns. But I do not like having my motivations or my willingness to do my duty for my people questioned.
I feel special about Marissa. But my people must come first. I will do what I can for her when we go. I will bribe the guards with everything I have to see that she’s protected when I am gone, but there is precious little more I can do for her. My duty is to my people.
“It is not that we do not trust you, Chieftain,” Ryn says softly. “It is just that we see that you are becoming attached to the human. It is as clear to see as a Tabiean sunrise.”
“I will do right by our tribe and the Tabiean people,” I growl. “As I always have and I always will.”
Chapter Seventeen
Marissa
“You’re back!”
I rush to him and throw my arms around his large, hard frame. His hug is perfunctory, and he all but pushes me aside as he walks to the sleeping pod and sits down on the edge. Kon is tense. I can see it in th
e tightness of his face, especially around his narrowed eyes. He’s usually so reserved, but it’s not difficult to see that there’s something on his mind, and whatever it is, it’s not good.
“What is it?” I ask.
“What is what?”
“You seem upset.”
“I am fine.”
The wall of ice that has suddenly grown between us would beg to differ, but whatever he’s upset about, he’s not sharing. It sends a flutter of worry through my heart and makes my stomach churn. But I then silently scold myself for having stupid feelings like this. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s somebody I fucked to survive.
Still, I can’t deny the feelings I have for him. As hard as I’m trying right now, the sharp bite of pain in my heart shows me that I can’t deny them. As insane as it is, given our surroundings and situation, and then factoring in that we’re different species, I’ve started to care for Kon. It’s nuts, I know. But it’s true, and I can’t stop the feelings any more than I can stop a runaway train.
“Did I do something wrong?” I ask softly.
He doesn’t even look at me as she shakes his head. “No, Marissa. You didn’t.”
That should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. The way he said it and the fact that he won’t even look at me actually makes me feel worse. I don’t understand what’s going on or why he’s being so cold to me.
I felt something special between us started to form after last night. And not just because we’d had great sex. Somehow, I feel closer to Kon than I have to any other man in my entire life. There is something about him that touches me deeply and makes me feel things I never have before. Things I never thought I could feel.
“What is that?” he asks, his voice low and gruff.
I follow his eyes to the makeshift table I set up while waiting for him. Using what I had on hand and using my astrat to buy everything else, I wanted to make a special dinner for us tonight. I even have an illumination stone in the center to serve as the candlelight. He looks at it with disdain and anger, then turns his gaze to me.
