Lazan

by Stella Sky

  ***

  The first few nights in his home, I was left alone. Pax was a busy man, and with access to his Vari-X dosages, he was a whirlwind of activity. He barely acknowledged me when he was home, but when he did, his eyes were dark, brooding, and intense. He seemed to have words buried deep within him that he had to struggle to keep contained, because whenever he looked away from me, he seemed anguished, and maybe a little bit angry.

  It scared me in a way, so I learned to stay clear of him when I knew he would be around. My only ally in the place was the Pelin, but I was wary of the strange little man, as it was clear he was loyal to a fault to Commander Curad. Anytime I expressed my displeasure at my situation, Kera jumped to Pax’s defense, his little voice wavering with devotion. He believed that Pax had brought me here for my own good, and seemed determined to convince me of the same.

  I refused to believe it though, until one day something I heard made me question it.

  I had just finished up my evening meal and was readying myself for bed by bathing. I was barely out of the tub, slipping on one of the hyper-comfortable robes made of a special, silky Verian material, when I heard the door of Pax’s home slam shut.

  I jumped despite myself (being abducted had left me feeling very on edge) and then leaned against the door with my heart pounding hard in my chest.

  “Can you believe the nerve?” Pax exclaimed. “He was going to keep this from me! My own brother! The krocha!”

  “What’s wrong, Commander?” the Pelin’s voice asked. There was a notable change between the deep, masculine voice of Pax and the tweedy, higher-pitched voice of the small Pelin man.

  “Kera, my brother is a madman. He cares nothing for the resources of Earth! I just found out today that he’s sending a military strike against one of the most densely populated forests of the planet! Half of all marine and forest life will be wiped out! The beauty of Earth’s biodiversity will be in shambles!”

  “Why would the Doyan do such a thing?” Kera whispered.

  “Because he is a fool! A foolish man with his heart set on gold and wealth, with little regard to the bigger picture.”

  “What has he to gain, Commander?”

  “That I do not know, but it must be something. I have a bad feeling about this, Kera. Something is amiss, and I have yet to discover just what that may be. But mark my words, I will. And when I do, I will put a stop to this!”

  “You must be careful, Commander,” the Pelin said quietly. “If the Doyan hears you speak such things, you will be executed for treason.”

  “Then let him execute me!” Pax’s voice rang clearly through the house, loud and passionate with conviction. “What have I to lose, anyway? I am fighting for the sake of Earth. The human deserves a home to return to!”

  The Pelin grew silent, and my chest tightened. Was he being sincere? It sounded as if he truly cared about me. But that was impossible. He had barely spoken two words to me since the morning when we’d first eaten together.

  “All right, Commander. Please, let me know if there is any way that I can help you.”

  “You can begin by getting a meal on the table. It has been a long day, and I would like to end it as quickly as possible.”

  “Of course, Yul Curad.”

  “And…”

  The air was suddenly tense as the interaction continued and the Pelin shuffled, probably turning back around to face Pax after believing he had been dismissed.

  “And, Commander?”

  “Bring me the human. There are things we need to discuss.”

  I cringed, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I didn’t want to be near him. Not when his temper was so short. Even if it wasn’t, I had nothing to say to him. All he would want were answers, information, and I would never betray Earth. The balance was far too delicate. Even if Pax did want to protect me, there would be no stopping him from taking anything I told him back to the Verian army and destroying my people.

  I tried to get to my bedroom before the Pelin could find me. Perhaps if I feigned sleep, I wouldn’t have to face him. But just as I made it to the end of the hall, the little man stepped in front of me.

  “Commander Curad would like you to join him in the dining room,” he said, his voice remarkably even compared to what it had sounded like when speaking with Pax.

  “I see,” I said. “Thank you, Kera.”

  I didn’t want to go, and I think the Pelin knew it because he waited for me to turn back around and head out to the dining room before he resumed his trip into the kitchen.

  “I will prepare the commander a meal. Perhaps some tea for you, as you just finished eating.”

  I nodded, silent presentment creeping through my body. The idea of speaking to Pax, answering or dodging whatever questions he may have had for me that I wasn’t prepared to answer.

  “Human.”

  I was electrified by the timbre of his voice, and walked forward at his mercy, unable to help myself.

  “Good evening,” I said quietly.

  “Please, sit.”

  The quiet clatter of the Pelin laying out plates and saucers on the table between Pax and I filled the room, and I stole a glance at Pax. He was as calm as ever, his face drawn and serious. Why was he so obnoxiously attractive? It was all I could do to keep from groaning out loud, frustrated by my longing for a man I knew I couldn’t have; or shouldn’t even want to be near.

  “I have to talk to you,” Pax said, once the Pelin left the room and we were alone again.

  “So I gathered,” I mumbled.

  The Verian man sighed. “This is serious. Please, for once, keep your mouth shut.”

  “If my mouth is shut, I can’t answer your questions,” I mumbled.

  “Yes, human, very clever,” he said impatiently, though his face seemed to soften. “Now, on to business.”

  I hated business. Especially the way the Verian made it sound. No matter how good looking he happened to be, I rebelled immediately against the thought of our upcoming conversation. It could only turn out ugly.

  “I presume you overheard what I was saying to the Pelin,” Pax said, eyeing me steadily.

  I looked away, a little bit ashamed and embarrassed to have been caught eavesdropping.

  “It’s all right, Yula. I can hardly blame you for being concerned. A Verian man’s temper is nothing to scoff at.”

  It felt a little better, in a way, to hear him acknowledge that. The truth was that the Verians had always scared me, ever since I was a young girl. My family had been devastated by the war, and the faces of angry Verians haunted many of my most disturbing dreams.

  “You’re right about that,” I admitted.

  Pax sighed heavily, his clear blue eyes boring into mine, a look almost like remorse flashing deep within them.

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t hurt you.”

  “And why wouldn’t you?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Because instead I’m going to claim you.”

  I was startled by his words, and the seriousness with which he spoke them.

  “Claim me?” I asked, my disbelief turning to indignation. “You can’t claim me! I’m not a thing.”

  Pax stared at me, unimpressed by the outburst.

  “No,” he said slowly as if the matter was entirely too simple for me not to understand. “But you’re mine.”

  I stood up, my fists balled in rage.

  “Actually, that will never happen. I will never belong to anybody!”

  Pax smiled at me then, a cocky, arrogant smile that made me burn with rage; and something else. Something forbidden and unwanted creeping through the very depths of me. I didn’t like it.

  “All right, human. If that’s what you say.”

  But there was something knowing behind his eyes, as if he knew I didn’t quite believe my own words. The look only served to make me angrier, until I had to restrain myself from being volatile. He was already in a foul mood, and the thought of him turning on me was even less ap
pealing than having him claim me.

  “So why did you really bring me in here?” I asked, eager to get off the topic. Anything would be better than this infuriating conversation.

  Kera entered the room, a steaming tray of food held high over his head, and we were both silent again until everything was in order. He placed a cup of tea in front of me, and I smelled it. It was nothing like the blend we used on Earth. Somehow, it smelled even better than that.

  When the Pelin man left, Pax relaxed once more and gave a thoughtful nod. “Things are not at peace on Helna,” he informed me, his masculine voice deep and troubled. “There is something terrible going on, and I have no way of finding out what it is without betraying my brother: the Doyan. He would quickly have me executed should he decide that I am a traitor.”

  “Maybe he should execute you,” I said, without being able to help myself. “You’re no different than any of the other men on this planet. In fact, you may be worse.”

  Pax was silent as he studied me, his face stone. It was useless to try to read his expression, so I waited, my heart thudding hard in my chest, until he spoke again.

  “I am not proud of what I did to you, Yula,” he said finally, turning his dazzling blue eyes upon me. I was lost in them for a moment, my anger second to my bizarre desire to be closer to him. “But I did what I had to do. You may not see the sense in it now, but I assure you, one day you will. And when you do, you will no longer be so outraged by my claim.”

  “Don’t count on it,” I mumbled. But the fire was no longer in my voice.

  Pax seemed to sense this and smiled. It was unbelievably infuriating, having a Verian man look at me like he could read my mind. And yet, in a way it was comforting. Almost as if I didn’t have to be alone anymore.

  But I couldn’t let myself think that way. I had to be strong. I had far too much to lose. If I didn’t get back to Earth, the war against the Verian people would be lost. Men like Pax and his brother would take over my home, my land, and disregard my people. The Verians were vicious and self-serving. They had kept it no secret that they thought the only thing we humans were good for was slavery.

  But somehow, whether it was the Pelin’s unwavering faith in the man or my own flawed judgment, I didn’t want to believe that Pax could possibly feel that way. Was it possible the little man was right? Could Pax truly be different from the other Verians I had encountered?

  “You must tell me everything you know about Zone 70,” Pax said finally, after a long silence of us each seeming lost in our own thoughts, testing the waters of our conversation.

  “Why? So you can destroy the only place I have ever felt like I belonged?” I demanded.

  “That’s not it,” Pax said, hesitating and looking away from me. There was pain, or maybe exasperation, in his voice. And for some reason, at that moment, I believed him.

  “Well then, what is it?” I asked, giving him a level of attention I hadn’t anticipated I’d be able to give a Verian. Whatever he said next seemed unbelievably important: urgent enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Pax said, looking down at his food with a heavy sigh.

  “Try me,” I said, reaching across the table and taking his hand in mine. The gesture surprised us both and I drew my hand away quickly when Pax eyed me curiously.

  “If things are as bad as I fear, with my brother Grod, then we may need a safe place to return to. A base. I am afraid that he is going to lead my people astray. Though I can’t tell just how far he is willing to go.”

  “I see,” I said quietly. “Well, I’ll tell you what. You find a way to prove to me that what you’re saying is true, and I’ll talk to you. Find out what the Doyan is up to, and maybe we will provide you with a safe haven, and maybe not.”

  “I don’t make deals with humans,” Pax said, his voice and face drawn and dark now. “Return to your room before you regret trying to play games with me. We will discuss this more later. I want to eat my meal in peace.”

  I was bewildered by my abrupt dismissal, but in a way, I was also relieved. I had no idea what I had been trying to pull with the commander, but I was getting a lot of mixed feelings from the interaction. I was probably feeling off-balance; seeking some kind of comfort after being whisked away from my planet for too long. But I would certainly never find normalcy with him. In fact, Pax was the last place I would be able to look for such a thing.

  I laid down, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. I could forgive myself for a brief moment of weakness. But I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I dwelled on it and let myself get tricked into thinking I could ever be able to live with this man. It was just too much.

  It was with a tremendous effort that I was finally able to fall asleep, and dream of the green, comforting pastures of Earth.

  Chapter 5

  Second-in-Command Pax Curad

  The human was sound asleep when I left the next day. I wanted nothing to do with disturbing her slumber and went to work without a word.

  I had been fuming all night as I thought of Grod’s cruelty, fuming with past slights combined with the insult of not being included in his current plans. Plans that, should he be successful, might make the Earth completely uninhabitable.

  “Do you have any idea how short-sighted you are being?” I demanded, bursting through the door of Grod’s office, despite his security officers charging after me and telling me that my brother wanted no visitors.

  “Ah, brother! I was expecting you,” Grod said, a sick and twisted smile creeping across his face. How was it that I always seemed to forget just how depraved Grod could be when I wasn’t around him? My mind resorted to seeing him as a brother, not as a power-hungry monster. But time and again, he continued to prove me wrong.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” I demanded, pulling out the document stating Grod’s intent to destroy some of Earth’s most bountiful resources and shoving it at my brother. He grinned patiently and gave a small, infuriating shrug.

  “Sometimes, when it comes to matters of war, small sacrifices must be made.”

  “Grod, this would make the past few centuries of war completely irrelevant! All the bloodshed over so many years would be for a land that our people could only survive on for a short time! We would basically be resigning ourselves to living on another Helna just within a matter of generations!”

  “Oh, Pax, you always take these sorts of things much too seriously. You don’t see how this will benefit us now. Think of it! We will have stricken the blow that is needed to put ourselves at the top: to win the war once and for all!”

  “I don’t see how this would help us, Grod. I just don’t,” I said, shaking my head and stuffing the document back in my satchel. “Please, tell me what you’re thinking. Because, in my opinion, you’re making a huge mistake, and I’m not going to hide how I feel about it.”

  “Well, the thing about that, Commander, is that how you feel makes absolutely no difference. You can be as angry and outraged as you want. But this is what’s going to happen. I am going to win.”

  Grod held my gaze, and I was chilled suddenly, deeply, right to the bone, by his cold eyes. The way he said he was going to win. Not “we.” Not the Verian people. Just Grod.

  It was too telling for me to be comfortable with. I wanted to believe my brother was capable of great things, but the fact remained that he was just as selfish now as he had ever been. Even when his primary concern should have been the safety and well-being of our people, he was focusing solely on himself. I knew I shouldn’t be surprised, but still, it was a very difficult and disturbing reality.

  “Please, just explain to me why. How are you going to win this way?”

  Grod sighed heavily.

  “Leave me,” he said to his guards. They nodded and abruptly left us alone in the big office, and Grod turned his smiling face back to me. I looked at him steadily, refusing to allow him to get a sense on just how uncomfortable his thirst for domination was mak
ing me. It was the surest way to an altercation, and I wanted to know for sure, with a clear head, what my brother was up to.

  “Frankly, Pax, I am going to win because I am determined to win. There is a small cluster of Earthlings who live on this very plentiful patch of land. Many are refugees, but many are also very talented minds. I have intel that there may be some scientists among them seeking refuge from the danger of Zone 70: those who believe the attack is imminent. They continue to supply the Zones with information and research. With those great minds in hiding, the Earth may still have an advantage. And we cannot abide by that. Is that clear enough to you, dear brother?”

  I was quiet for a moment.

  The words made sense, and I could acknowledge the reasoning behind them. In fact, they were probably part of the most logical plan I had heard my brother come up with to date.

  And yet, there was something else behind his words: a malice and a glee that made me extremely uncomfortable. I wanted nothing to do with him at that moment, and turned away, unable to hide my disgust.

  “But what of the resources?” I asked darkly. “Is there not a more sustainable way to rid the Earth of the pesky humans that may threaten to destroy our efforts at victory?”

  Grod laughed, a slow, dark sound that made bile rise in my throat. I wanted to shout at him, to knock the sense into him somehow. But there was nothing I could do. I was but second-in-command to the doyan. It was my duty to provide the planet with a victory; it was his job to choose how that victory would be achieved. He had the strength of the entire Verian army, while I had nothing. And if he suspected I wasn’t behind him, one hundred percent, there was no telling what lengths he would go to in order to punish me and exert his control once again. Frankly, it was infuriating.

  “My way is the only way, Pax. I know you understand that. I am only doing what is best.”

  I nodded grimly, keeping the thought to myself that Grod was only doing what he thought was best for himself. He loved the toils of war and bloodshed. He felt it was his birthright. Ever since our family had been placed in power, the war had taken a serious and violent turn. The men of our family were fighters: short-tempered and sometimes even a little bit arrogant. It stood to reason that Grod had taken those traits and turned them into something awful. It wasn’t as if he’d had a great fatherly figure growing up.