by Marie Dry
“Silver, like me,” he said.
Madison scowled at the red dot next to the silver dot. “I don’t want to be red like them. I want to be silver too.” Now she sounded like a whiny kid. And maybe a traitor to her people. Shouldn’t she want to help the resistance?
He grunted something and as she watched the dot changed to silver, slightly smaller than the other silver dot surrounded by all those scary red dots. She smiled at him--until more red dots appeared.
“There are too many of them. Can’t you make the shuttle work so we can fly away from them? You can’t fight all of them.”
He rose so fast the silver device fell on the ground, and she fell flat on her back before she could regain her balance.
He roared, like some great beast, and she covered her ears while it went on. He’d been sarcastic and merciless and cruel, but always he’d been almost emotionless. He never raised his voice, didn’t have to. Now it was like a thunderstorm burst out over her with hail sent into the mix to hammer her head.
At last he stopped, so abruptly she had to resist the urge to crawl backward, away from him. “I am a warrior. I do not need help to kill a few puny humans.”
“All right,” she agreed. If he told her the sky was purple with pink dots, she’d agree to it right now.
“I am a doctor by choice, my blood is warrior.”
“Uh--I can see that.” Man, he was upset about this. She’d never even dare think that he couldn’t take on thousands on his own.
“I will kill all of them before they can hurt you.” He retrieved the silver device and placed it in her shaking hands. “Stay inside the shuttle.”
She wanted to offer to help, but didn’t want to unleash another thunderstorm. In the end, she had to offer. “If you give me a weapon, I can help.” She was a good shot. Not as good as Rory and Joshua, but heaps better than her other brothers. “I’m a good shot.” She held her breath, waiting for him to go off again.
He remained thankfully calm. “I know human women expect to help shoot and fight, but I am Zyrgin, and I do not need you to help. I need you safe.”
The way he fought, he might just manage to hold them off until rescue arrived. It was strange to fear humans and to hope for the aliens to rescue them. She glanced down at the silver device in her hand. “There’s so many of them.”
“I have fought many battles with many more skilled warriors than these pathetic humans.”
“Humans are not pathetic. Stop saying that.”
He put his forehead against hers and, despite being still shaky and a little scared of him, Madison grabbed his head and kissed him. “Stay safe. I will be furious if you get yourself killed.”
He touched her hair, held it up so the sun could shine through it. “I will not make you furious.”
Madison went into the shuttle, and they stared at each other as the hatch closed. When she was sealed in alone, she rushed to the window. Viglar stood with his back to the door, his sword held in his hand almost casually. As she watched, men with machine guns and laser weapons came into view. They walked closer, closing the circle around them until all she could see was the hatred-filled eyes of the resistance. The perimeter guard he set beeped and that relentless rhythmic beating drove her out of her mind. It announced more and more resistance fighters stepping into the campsite with Viglar.
There were too many of them. No matter what Viglar said, he couldn’t kill all of them. She looked around, but still couldn’t see anything to use as a weapon. Not even a sturdy stick. The cabinet in the hull? If she could get it open, she could maybe make one of the silver thingies become a weapon. But no matter how hard she hammered or pressed, it just wouldn’t open and, outside, she heard the relentless screaming and fighting. In desperation, she tried to mimic Viglar’s grunting language, but that didn’t work either.
It felt like an eternity, when all that happened was Viglar waiting patiently, and the humans advancing with grim intent.
She ran back to the window. She’d go outside and help but, without a weapon, she’d only be in his way. And if they captured her, she knew Viglar would be helpless against them, because he would do anything to keep her safe.
Viglar lunged, and it was almost like seeing one of the ballets on the TC. He moved with a grace and speed that was amazing to see. She winced every time bullets bounced off his armored skin, convinced this time they would penetrate and kill him. He did more damage alone and with his sword than what looked like the hundreds of humans with their laser guns and automatic weapons spitting old fashioned bullets.
“Observe, my breeder, I did not need help to kill them all,” Viglar said, and he didn’t even sound out of breath.
“I observed, all right.” This was crazy. They were talking as if he managed to win a tournament for her, instead of killing so many human men.
The area around Viglar was littered with bodies when aliens appeared, as if from nowhere. She’d really like to know how they did that. They took the weapons of the remaining men and rounded them up. Madison scrambled to get outside. “Open the hatch, Viglar,” she screamed. She knew what they intended to do with the men they captured and she couldn’t allow it. She hammered on the door and he didn’t open it. “Open this door, don’t you dare ignore me.”
At last the hatch swung open and she stormed outside. “I won’t let you torture them.”
He held her close to his warm body. After all that, he wasn’t even sweating. But he was bloody.
“Eeew, you’re all bloody.” Even so, she couldn’t make herself step away from him. She’d been so scared someone would get through his defences and hurt or kill him.
“They told us everything they know without us touching them.”
“Oh. So where are they now?” She wouldn’t put it past him to lie to her to spare her feelings.
“They will be kept prisoner until Zacar decides what happens with them.”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, what about due process. They should have a trial. That’s how things work in America.”
“That’s how things used to work,” he said very precisely.
Those red eyes stared at her with no emotion. Always, when she considered them, she saw heat and passion for his profession, his fellow warriors, for her. Now she saw an implacable purpose.
Madison stared up at him, and it hit her--as if all this time she’d only had a shallow understanding of their new reality. His hand that held her upper arm she’d thought supportive, now felt like an attempt to control her.
She stood quietly while the Zyrgins talked, thinking about the fact that humans no longer had recourse to the law. The Zyrgins decided who was guilty and not and what their punishment would be. She’d seen Viglar behead those three hospital officials. They’d played the system for years and gotten away with stealing drugs meant for patients. Their guilt had blinded her to the realization that they were not entitled to legal representation anymore. It was a frightening bone-deep realization that kept her frozen against Viglar. She’d slept with him, argued with him, but, until this moment, the reality of what faced humanity had not penetrated her consciousness.
***
Still holding Madison, Viglar saluted his leader. She was strangely quiet and tense against him. Ever since he took over the running of the hospital he’d heard her talk and laugh and her ugly hair had made her stand out among the other interns. She’d made all the other humans look dull in comparison.
He did not have the time or freedom, at this moment, to find out what would make her happy. He had to report to Zacar. “I killed them all and kept three for questioning. They are behind the shuttle where my breeder can’t see them.”
Something about them meeting Zyrgin justice had upset her, but he couldn’t talk to her about it now. For the first time, in his hundreds of years, he resented his duty.
Zacar nodded. “Human women have very soft hearts.” He dispatched a warrior to take the prisoners to the holding cells. “She is very quiet. When you introduced her
to me, she talked all the time.”
“She is upset about the humans we have captured. She does not want to understand that we make the laws now. That is something she must learn to accept. We cannot change Zyrgin law for her.”
Zacar nodded. Looking at Madison, he switched to English.
“Viglar is one of my most trusted warriors. I came to rescue him personally because we cannot function efficiently without him.”
Madison gave Zacar a strange look, but nodded.
Viglar appreciated his leader making his breeder aware of her good fortune to have him as her warrior. Sometimes human women did not appreciate how privileged they were to be chosen.
“He fought bravely for you. No human man could kill that many attackers and keep you safe,” Zacar continued.
“That is true,” Madison said, something strange in her voice.
“I have three senior warriors, and he is one of the three. He is paid more because of that and will be a good provider for you.”
“I see,” Madison said.
Now she sounded really strange. Viglar hoped she didn’t cry. She was supposed to smile her odd human smile and be impressed with him.
“Viglar, on his own, handled the resistance trying to bring down a shuttle and capture a Zyrgin. I trusted him to do it alone.”
Again, she merely nodded.
“You are welcome in my dwelling any time.” Zacar nodded at them and left.
“Does that have special significance, being welcome in his dwelling?” Madison asked. She sounded worried and he could not understand why, after such an honor was bestowed on her.
“It is an honor to be given the freedom of a leader’s house. If you did not belong to me, you would not be afforded this honor.”
She merely nodded.
***
Still not feeling like talking, Madison got into another shuttle. The one she and Viglar had traveled in had taken off a while ago with one of the other aliens flying it. Just as she suspected, the bomb had done very little damage. It was frightening how little impact Earth’s defences had against the Zyrgins.
Viglar kept hold of her through the whole flight, but didn’t speak either. They’d almost charmed her with the way Zacar sang Viglar’s praises and the way Viglar was so obviously grateful for the boost to his image. If she wasn’t reeling from the deep-seated knowledge that Earth would never again belong to humans, she might have jumped him--he was so cute and sexy.
They landed on the mountain, or rather in the mountain, where the aliens had their headquarters, and he led her through the long narrow tunnel to the large main cave. Natalie stood talking to Julia, while her daughter, Alissa, practiced with a wooden sword. She had a fierce expression on her little face. Madison didn’t know anything about swords, but the little girl looked pretty skilled to her.
Natalie smiled at them. “Do you have time to have tea with me? I baked a cake earlier.”
The little girl lowered her sword and jumped up and down. “I want cake.”
Viglar cocked his head. “Warriors do not take tea and eat cake.”
Madison had the weirdest impression he was talking to Alissa, but she had to be wrong because he looked at Natalie without looking at the child. He also seemed to go to a lot of trouble not to look at Natalie directly, speaking in her general direction.
“Well, Madison does. Leave her with me for a while and do your warrior stuff and then come and get her,” Natalie told him.
Madison felt a small pang when she realized how easy Natalie was with him. She didn’t seem afraid of him and ordered him around. And he allowed it. A small mean part of her wanted him to tell Natalie not to take such liberties.
Viglar drew Madison against him and pressed his forehead against hers. “I will come for you in one Earth hour.” Without acknowledging Natalie or the little girl, he left. At the door, he stopped and turned back. “Do not speak to Margaret, and if she comes here, sit far away from her.” With those cryptic words, he left. He re-appeared almost immediately. “If Margaret’s eyes change color, run to me.” He turned on his heel and left.
Natalie shook her head. “He’s paranoid about Margaret.”
“Why? He won’t tell me what has him so concerned about her.”
Natalie poured tea into a cup and handed it to Madison. “It’s a long story, but she was changed by a monster until she didn’t remember who she was.
Julia nodded. “She went through a bad patch and threatened them with her voodoo. Nothing scares these warriors, but they seem awfully careful of her non-existent voodoo.”
Madison would be sure never to mention her voodoo priestess ancestor then.
“I have to know. Has Viglar ever tried to tease you?” Julia asked.
“He pretended he was going to eat me,” Madison told them. They stared at her. “I believed him, and I put up quite a fight not to become alien food.”
They looked at each other in silence and then screamed with laughter.
While they drank tea and talked about living in the mountain and the Zyrgin’s strange sense of humor, she debated asking the question burning in her mind. How did they cope with having a relationship with the warriors who conquered Earth--their oppressors, for all intents and purposes?
Except, apart from the beheadings, she hadn’t seen a lot of oppressing being done. This latest encounter with the resistance was instigated by the humans, not the Zyrgins. The aliens built hospitals and orphanages and shelters and, now that she thought about it, there hadn’t been food riots in the last year.
Exactly an hour later, Viglar appeared and led her out of the cave that looked so much like an old farmhouse, she half expected to walk out into the sunshine into a garden instead of the large cave.
He took her to his enormous sterile rooms beyond the infirmary. Madison looked around and shook her head. “It’s hard to believe we’re inside a mountain. It looks more like a space ship.” She brightened. “Hey, can I--”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”
“You were going to ask to see our space ship and you may not.”
“You know how you were studying how to be romantic? Well, sneaking me onto your space ship and showing me around would be very romantic. And I’m sure I’d want to do all kinds of naughty things in different parts of the ship.”
He stared at her and she thought he might be weighing getting to do naughty things against breaking their rules. “You will live in my quarters here when we come to the city. I will send a warrior to bring your possessions.” He’d obviously decided to leave the previous subject alone.
“What? Why? I thought we were going to date first before we thought about living together.” After seeing him torture that poor man, she kept thinking about Rory. What if the message from the resistance was true and they did the same to him? It was driving her crazy--wanting Viglar and feeling as if she’d betrayed her family at the same time.
“You are not safe anymore. You will be with me all the time. The rooms can be changed to what you want,” he said with a magnanimous attitude that set her teeth on edge.
“Oh, wonderful, just what I always dreamed of. To be with some green overbearing idiot all the time.” She looked around the rooms. She had to admit the place had potential. A bit of paint and a few good pieces of furniture, and they’d be living in high cotton. Except, she’d wanted them to get to know each other, work at their relationship before they took this step. She needed time to prepare her family. It was only a matter of time before someone told them of their relationship.
“You will learn to respect your warrior.”
“Why don’t you hold your breath, and we’ll see what happens while you wait for me to obey like a good little slave?”
“What really bothers you, Madison?”
She nearly fell over. One should never underestimate this wily Zyrgin warrior. She tended to underestimate how intelligent he was because he talked with an accent. How did she tell him she struggled
with accepting that humans would be ruled by an alien race in the centuries to come? That her family would probably disown her if she moved in with him. That her colleagues already gave her strange glances. She settled for the easiest explanation. “I can’t move in because my mother will have kittens.”
He produced his silver gadget. “You mother is defective?”
“What?” She rubbed her forehead. He was a doctor, surely he didn’t think a human woman could produce kittens. Most of the time, she found his literal way endearing, but now she felt like clobbering him. And here she was just telling herself how intelligent he was.
“How many animals has your mother given birth to?” He looked ready to start making notes.
She threw her hands up in the air. “My mother doesn’t give birth to animals, you moron. And you call yourself a doctor.”
“You said she gives birth to kittens.”
“It’s a saying, and how come an intelligent guy like you thought a human could have kittens?”
The Zyrgins were centuries advanced when it came to technology and genetics. A cold chill went down her spine. “What kind of medical experiments have you done?”
“It does not concern you.”
“You expect me to move in with you, but you won’t even answer the simplest of questions.” She clenched her fists. She wanted to hit and kick him out of sheer frustration. Why couldn’t this be easy? Why couldn’t he be a human doctor that she could take home to her mother? Someone who did nog fight in the battle where her brother may have died.
He stood straighter, and she braced for bad news. “There are certain things I can never talk to you about.”
Madison relaxed. Her brother’s fiancé had no idea he ran moonshine. “I can live with that. I don’t plan on telling you everything either.”
She could see he didn’t like that. Served him right. “A breeder shouldn’t keep secrets from her warrior.” He came to her and touched her hair, held it up for the light to shine through. “Will you move in with me?”
