by Jane Hinchey
“What's the damage?”
“Crushed rib cage. He practically destroyed your lungs. Your broken bones shredded them. There is one thing that puzzles me, though ... “
“What's that?”
“Your spine should have been damaged—severed—yet it sustained no injury.”
“Lucky, I guess ... how long have I been out?”
“Two days.”
“Two days!” I struggled to sit up, but Alrik pushed me down with an arm across my collarbone.
“Oh no you don't. Echo worked around the clock to keep you alive and repair the damage. You're not out of the woods yet, so settle in, sweetheart. You're not going anywhere.”
“Have I missed them?”
“Missed who?”
“Servalan and Taya? They sensed they were close to home. Have they gone?”
“They have. Talia also.”
“Oh. Who's left?”
“Just Telis and Romana. We should reach their planet tomorrow. Then on to Earth. We need to get you healed by then.”
“Speaking of,” I turned to Echo, “how are you healing me so quickly, if my bones were shattered? Even I know bones take weeks to heal.”
“Part of it is our technology. I can heal a simple break in hours. But part of it is you. You're quite unusual. You're healing faster than humans should.”
“Have you ever healed a human before?”
“No.”
“Perhaps your data is wrong.” I had to throw them off track. I couldn't have them suspecting I had alien DNA. Knowing my alien DNA had protected my spine, and therefore itself, I was now sure, without a doubt, that I was contaminated. My human DNA was no longer my own. Thankfully, Echo shrugged and let the matter drop.
Closing my eyes, I let it all sink in. I'd missed saying goodbye to my friends. My body had been broken almost beyond repair, but thanks to my changing body, Echo’s expertise, and her technology, they'd not only fixed me—they’d done it in record time. I couldn’t suppress a shiver.
Alrik was watching me closely, studying the emotions that stormed across my face. “What is it?”
“Just trying to process everything,” I said, doing my best to shutter my face, to keep him from guessing my thoughts. “It’s all so overwhelming. What about Marat? He’s not in trouble, is he?”
Alrik didn’t respond immediately, his impenetrable eyes still trained on me. Finally, he said, “No, though he should be.”
“It’s not his fault. He challenged me. I accepted. I have only to blame myself for getting hurt.”
“He broke the rules of the spar,” Alrik said.
I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. “The rules?”
“He threw you against a hard surface.” Alrik crossed his arms and nodded at the wall. “That is forbidden, as it can cause injury. You can only throw your opponent to the mat.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly.”
I frowned. “But he didn’t get in trouble?”
“He was disciplined by Bax. Now rest. You need to finish healing.” Alrik rose and left the room without a backward glance. I guessed he was still mad at me for getting in the ring with Marat.
“He's been checking on you frequently,” Echo said.
“What?”
“He refused to leave to begin with, not until you were stabilised and I assured him you would not die.”
“He did?”
Echo nodded, looking at me. “I believe that is the only thing that stopped him from finding Marat and snapping his neck. Sitting with you gave him time to calm down. He is right about one thing, though; you need to rest. Your heart rate is elevated and you're becoming stressed. That will slow your healing. I'm going to dim the lights, and I want you to sleep.”
After two days out cold, I didn't think I could sleep, but as soon as the lights dimmed, I closed my eyes to keep Echo happy. Before I knew it, I'd dozed off. The next time I woke, Telis and Romana were standing by the bed.
“We have come to say goodbye,” Telis said. “We are almost in range of our planet. Echo told us you are almost mended.”
“I am. I'm much better.” I scooted into a sitting position, relieved when I felt no pain. Damn, Echo was good.
“I'm going to miss you ladies.”
Romana smiled. “We shall miss you also. And we thank you for the self-defence lessons. Alrik sent Cauder to continue our training when you were hurt.”
“He did? Wow, that was kind of him.”
“If it wasn't for you, we would have spent the entire journey locked in that cell. Instead, we had not only the freedom of the ship, but the privilege of learning new skills that we can share with our people. It is an unexpected outcome.”
“Tell me something.” I lowered my voice and leaned forward. The two women did the same. “Did anyone else ... turn? You know, get the evil electric eyes?”
“No. It seems that Myka was the only one infected.”
I let out a breath. Well, that was something. I wondered how long my implanted alien DNA would remain dormant. Hopefully forever.
Echo came back into the room, smiling when she saw I was awake and sitting up.
“Good news, Earthling. You are free to go. Take it easy, though. No training, and definitely no sparring.” Echo had barely finished speaking before I'd swung my legs out of bed and was on my feet. Realizing I was stark naked I turned to Echo. “Clothes?”
She handed me my usual black pants, tank, and jacket.
“Give me a second to get dressed and I'll come with you to see you off.” I pulled on my clothes, hardly caring that I was naked in front of the others.
“Slightly longer than a second, but definitely fast,” Telis said with a smile.
“I missed saying goodbye to the others,” I said. “I don't want to miss this. And I want to see your planet!”
Once clear of the medical bay, Telis stopped me, her hands urgently grasping mine. “You can't let them find out about you,” she said, her voice low, her words coming fast.
Shit. She knew. But how?
I bit my lip. I was worried Echo was on the verge of piecing it all together. “What if they already know?”
“Then you're already dead.”
I shuddered at her words. “How do you know? What gave it away?”
“Your eyes. They flashed blue when they were carrying you from the training room.”
“They did? Are they blue now?” But of course they weren't blue now. I wouldn't be standing here if my eyes had changed.
“It was just a flash,” Telis assured me. “No one else noticed. But I'm right, aren't I? The Bellatania did something to you. You weren't rescued in time.”
My eyes dropped, unable to look Telis in the face. “No. I wasn't rescued in time.”
“Don't worry, human. Your secret is safe with us.” She wrapped me in another hug, then pulled back when Echo approached, asking if she could join us, since she no longer had a patient to take care of.
“Where are we going?”
“To the teleporter room.” As soon as I thought about the teleporter room, the map popped up showing me the way. Echo touched my arm. “You do not have clearance for the teleporter room. Sorry.”
“No, no, it's fine. Makes sense. I'll walk with them and then go to the entertainment room. I can see their planet from there, right?”
“Affirmative.”
We walked to the transporter room in silence, each of us lost in thought. At the door, I hugged my friends goodbye, filled again by a sense of loss. But there was something different this time, a slight twinge of excitement that I, too, would soon be home. Echo came with me to the entertainment room, and together we stood at the window, gazing at the brown planet below.
“Wow,” I said. “No wonder they don't like water. It looks like their planet doesn't have any.”
“They live underground, in burrows,” Echo explained. “They have big, self-sufficient cities under there that are not visible from the surface.”
“Amazing
.”
Before long, the ship began to move away from the planet.
“How long do you think before we reach Earth?” I asked.
“Two to three days. We have to hyper-sling through two more galaxies before reaching yours.”
Two to three days with no friends, no training or working out, and lonely quarters. But what was two days when at the end of them, I'd be home? My thoughts turned to Mum again, and Daniel. Not to mention the guys on the force. What would I tell people? That I'd been abducted by aliens? No, I'd have to come up with a cover story. Something involving human kidnapping and amnesia.
Echo returned to the medical bay to restock. I stayed in the entertainment room, messing around with some of the games before returning to my quarters for a nap. It was eerie. All the beds were empty. I lay on my cot and stared up at the ceiling.
I wasn't tired, but wasn't in the mood to examine my mixed feelings, either. Feelings about home and feelings about Alrik. I didn't want to poke and prod at those, because if I did, I might just have to admit to myself that I would miss him, that some small part of me wished I didn't have to leave him. Which was ridiculous. I barely knew the man, and he wasn't human. But I guessed, technically, neither was I anymore. There were his strong views on the whole alien DNA subject to consider, too.
And finally, in the silence of the room, I let myself examine how I felt about my new DNA status. To be honest, I didn't know what it meant. I didn't feel different. Nothing had changed. Yet instinct told me it was bad—instinct, or my fear of Alrik's reaction should he discover the truth. Despite what Alrik and his people had said, how did I know if this was a bad thing or not? I just knew that I was still alive and I'd do anything to stay that way. And even if Alrik didn't kill me, if he cared enough to spare my life, one of his crew would happily take care of it. It was, after all, the law.
I must have dozed off for a while, for when I opened my eyes, it was dark. Mouth dry, I slid out of bed and made my way to the dining room, intent on a hot cup of tea. Keda, as they called it here. The ship was dark and silent; everyone slept. The door to the dining room slid open and I stepped inside, halting when I saw Alrik and Echo at the far side of the room, heads bent close together, murmuring in soft tones. Echo laughed softly, reaching up and laying her palm upon Alrik's cheek. A caress.
I stepped back before they saw me, my cheeks heated with humiliation and regret. I'd had no idea they were a couple. My lust for him seemed embarrassingly gauche now. Confusion rioting through me, I backed further down the passageway, freezing when the two of them stepped out, their backs to me. As if it was totally natural, as if he'd done it millions of times before, he took Echo's hand and they headed down the passage in the opposite direction, away from me.
I scowled at their backs, suddenly furious. The rims of my eyes stung. I didn't like the jealousy that burned through me, heating my blood, goading me to lash out, to hurt him like I was hurting. I wanted to run after them and demand an explanation, but pride held me in check. There was no need to humiliate myself further. After all, he didn't owe me anything. Nothing had actually happened between us, no matter how much I'd wanted to kiss him, touch him, devour him. It wasn't fair of me to blame him for how I was feeling now. But I had been sure, so damn sure he felt the same way.
I’d been wrong.
No longer interested in tea, I returned to my cell, curling up on the cot. Only then, alone in the darkness, did I allow myself to cry. The tears fell hot and fast. The dam that held back my emotions had burst, and there was no going back. It all spilled out. Eventually, my sobs subsided and I drifted into a restless sleep.
The door sliding open woke me, and I sat up to see Marat stride in, a sneer on his face and a swagger in his step. I slid out of bed, standing my ground, although my heart was pounding. This couldn't be good. Had he come to finish the job?
“You look scared, human.”
“Is it any wonder? You tried to kill me.”
“Nearly succeeded. Not to worry, there's still time.”
“What is your problem?”
“My problem? You. I don't know why we are wasting time with such a low-life creature. It would be far easier if I just jettisoned you out of an airlock and be done with it. We're losing time because of you.”
For the life of me, I couldn't work out his hatred toward me.
“So it's costing you a few days. So what? That’s hardly reason to want me dead.”
“I want you dead because I don't like you. You stink. Your human flesh is repulsive. Why the Bellatania thought you were a good match for breeding, I have no idea.”
“So you're just a prejudiced bully?”
My heart hammered in my chest as he stalked closer. I shuffled back until I hit the wall. I didn't want another round with him after what he’d done to me, now that I knew for sure he wanted me dead. He'd given it a damn good shot in the sparring ring.
Sweat beaded across my brow and upper lip. Marat stopped inches away, stooping so his eyes were level with mine. I suddenly felt light-headed, even dizzy, as the gravity of my predicament rained down on me. He was here to kill me. He stared at me for what felt like endless minutes before whispering “Run,” and taking a step back.
The exit was clear. Could I trust him to let me pass? He probably wanted to enjoy the thrill of the chase. One thing was for sure, though: I couldn't stay here.
I darted past him and into the passageway, not knowing which way to run, letting my legs take me where they would. I soon found myself in the bowels of the ship, pausing to catch my breath, holding it when I heard a noise. I closed my eyes, trying to curb the panic that coursed through me. It didn't work. The panic won. Pushing away from the wall, I ran some more. I had no idea where I was running, my thoughts a jumbled mess of fear, so convoluted that the ship’s map kept flashing before my eyes, trying to show me the way, but unsure what I was asking for.
I barrelled down a corridor, no real idea where I was. I could hear my breath rasping out of my lungs, knew I needed to slow down and get myself under control. Suddenly, I was grabbed from the side and pulled into a room. A hand clamped over my mouth when I started to scream and a deep voice whispered in my ear, “Calm down. It's me. You're safe.”
Alrik. I stopped struggling and he released me, keeping one hand on my shoulder, steadying me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I'm in trouble.” My voice came out as a squeak.
“What sort of trouble?”
“It doesn't matter. You can't fix this. You can't fix any of it,” I said, throwing my hands up in frustration as tears burned my eyes. I clamped them shut tightly, willing myself to regain control. There was no telling if I'd be able pick up the pieces again.
“Sierra, trust me. Let me help you.”
I wanted to. I remembered Echo, how she'd touched him, the image of them holding hands burnt into my mind. My anger and jealousy returned.
“I don't need you,” I snapped, all false bravado. Wounded pride was a dangerous thing.
A look of hurt flashed across his face. “What's happened?”
“Why aren't you with Echo?” I could have bitten my tongue off. Where did that come from? I had no right to question him.
“Echo? Why would I be with Echo?” He looked truly puzzled.
“You were with her earlier. I saw you.” Why couldn't I shut up? Geez!
“You saw me doing what?” I could tell from his tone he was trying—and failing—to understand.
“She was touching you. You were holding hands.” This time I clapped my hand over my own mouth to stop any more words from falling out. My humiliation was complete. Tears burned my eyes, blurring him.
He was silent for a moment. Then, in a voice I'd never heard before, he asked, “Was I doing this?” His hands slid to the back of my neck, tightening in my hair. He lowered his lips to mine for a soft, exquisite kiss, a simple but blissful brush of his mouth against mine.
“No,” I whispered, unravelled and raw, con
fused, my mind a whirl. Tears spilled, trailing down my heated cheeks.
I heard him sigh, felt his thumb brush away a tear near my mouth. “You are a feisty little thing. This is not like you.”
“It's not,” I agreed, drawing a shaky breath and trying to compose myself. I was starting to feel embarrassed, because crying like—well, like a girl—was not my style.
“So to be clear, you were running all over the ship, terrified, because you saw me holding hands with Echo?”
“Pfft. No. Of course not.” I punched his shoulder. No, I hadn't run off in terror when I saw them. I'd curled up into a ball of abject misery and cried my eyes out instead.
But he didn't need to know that.
I sniffed, took a breath. “Marat paid me a visit. He doesn't like me,” I blurted out, then immediately regretted saying anything. I didn't want to create discord between Alrik and the rest of the crew. I'd be gone soon, it didn't matter. I just needed to stay alive until I got home. Easy.
“What did he do?”
“It doesn't matter. Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. It's okay.”
“Ah, silly human. He scared you. Scared you enough to send you into a panicked sprint around the ship.”
I bristled. He had me pegged, and I didn’t like it.
“Come.” He grasped my hand, his grip firm.
I allowed him to lead the way, suddenly tired. “Where are we going?”
“My quarters.”
“Oh.” His quarters. His room. His bed. Him. Here I go again with the fantasies.
We didn't pass anyone on the way. The ship was quiet. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but when I crossed the threshold, I was surprised to find his room the same as the rest of the ship. Understated. A bed sat in the middle of the room. A desk, a chair, and what looked like storage lockers were at the far end, with some open shelves that housed an assortment of colourful rocks.
The door closed behind us and my nerves kicked in. Damn it, I was so attracted to him, and feeling the heat of him so close to me was tempting beyond words. But I was equally terrified. Terrified of my own feelings, terrified that he'd find out the truth about me, and that when he did, he'd kill me, or stand by while his soldiers did. That was his law, and he’d shown himself to be a steadfast lawman.
