by Delia Roan
Dovena hissed. “Trafficking people? To what purpose?”
“Slaves,” Kovos said. His mouth made a grim line across his face.
“Sex slaves,” Jenna added. “They only took women.”
Kovos rubbed a hand across his chest. The ache inside seemed to grow. Reliving the past was never easy, and somehow seeing Jenna’s anxiety at hearing the story affected him. He wanted to shield her from the words, but at the same time, there was no practical way to sweeten the story.
“After they loaded the crates onto the ship, they pulled out several female humans from inside their ship. These women were awake.”
Kovos rubbed his face with a hand. Fifteen years and his anger and shame remained. When he closed his eyes, he could see their faces. Clothes torn, filthy with grime, some bore bruises and bloodstains. A few openly sobbed, while one or two were silent and glassy-eyed. At least one woman had an arm that twisted at an unnatural angle.
The Sykorians began handing them out, each claiming a woman for their own. A scuffle broke out as a few women tried to fight back. The Sykorians struck them down and dragged them away.
Jenna’s face was pale, but her voice steady. “They were trying to protect me.”
When the crowd parted, he’d seen her for the first time. Jenna. She’d been trembling in a pair of thin cotton pajamas, trying to hide behind the older women. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she screamed as a Sykorian grabbed her by the arm.
“Even my inexperienced eyes could tell she was a child,” Kovos said. “The Sykorians did not care. To them, she was meat meant to be taken.”
Kovos punched the wall. His rage still filled him. His hatred for the Sykorians was born that moment. Their cruelty knew no bounds, and every war story he’d heard around their camp took on a sinister tint. When they spoke of grateful local women warming them at night, Kovos now understood they spoke of atrocities committed upon innocents.
Once he had his temper under control, Kovos continued. “I could not stand by and let them defile a child. I was not strong enough to fight every single Sykorian there.”
He had tried, though.
He’d taken down two before the others seized his arms. They’d struck him repeatedly before their leader stepped forward and demanded an explanation.
“I did the only thing I could think of that might spare her.” Kovos looked at Jenna, whose face was pale and drawn. Liquid glimmered on her lashes. Tears. He never wanted to cause her pain. The tightness in his chest grew.
“I claimed her,” he said. “I said she was my Avowed.”
Dovena gasped, but clapped her hand across her mouth. To the Ennoi, an Avowal showed the sacredness of life and love. Lying about it showed a lack of honor, and a blatant disregard for an integral aspect of Ennoian culture. Kovos hoped his mother could see the desperation that drove the choice and could learn to forgive him.
Jenna pulled the hem of her sleeve up to blot her face. His chest twisted with such force that he raised his hand and laid it over his pounding heart. He wanted to open his arms to her — to let her rush into them, and to kiss away every tear on her face.
What is wrong with me?
“They must’ve heard stories about Ennoi Avowal, because they saw how affected I was and assumed I spoke the truth.”
Gone was the jovial prince. He’d been snarling and spitting, pulling every curse word from the gutter into his mouth. He’d kicked and strained and they’d struck him across the face, hard enough for his world to reel.
“Their leader merely laughed and gave the girl to me. He told me to take her to my tent and make myself a man.”
CHAPTER FIVE
JENNA
Jenna wept now. Tears splattered against her gown, darkening the fabric. She didn’t know if she wept for those women, for the girl whose innocence died that night, or for the helpless expression on Kovos’s face. His hands clenched and unclenched, and a muscle in his jaw worked.
She took a long shuddering breath. Kovos seemed to be out of words, so she would pick up the rest of the story.
“I know what happens after that,” she said. It seemed safer to address Kovos’s mother than to watch Kovos while she spoke. Seeing his side of the story skewed her perspective of the night. She hadn’t understood what was happening, and when Kovos grabbed her by the wrist, she had screamed and fought. She’d even sunk her teeth into his arm.
He’d merely grunted, and then swung her into his arms. He was even taller now and so was she, but back then, he’d seemed a giant to her. She’d tried to gouge out his eyes, and all he’d done was turn his head and carry her resolutely into his tent.
She’d been old enough to know the basics of reproduction. Her mom had given Melissa ‘The Talk’ only months earlier, and Jenna had nagged Melissa until she’d revealed everything she knew. She didn’t know what Kovos planned for her, but she’d been held by the Sykorians long enough to know it wouldn’t be pleasant.
Instead, Kovos had plopped her onto the collapsible cot. He’d placed a hand across her lips, and placed a finger across his own. As she lay back on the cot, panting in fear, he had sat back, hands out to his sides. She had scrambled off the cot, and he’d scooped her up and returned her there.
Kovos had spoken to her then, but the lack of a translator meant she couldn’t understand him. His alien words were rumbles of sound. She moved to her feet, trying to escape once more. Kovos rose to his own feet, to intercept her.
Which is when the screaming began.
Jenna froze, and Kovos froze with her.
The wails of the women filled the camp, followed by the short barking sound she knew as Sykorian laughter. She pressed her back to the wall of the tent, and pressed her hands to her ears. She couldn’t block out the sound.
Kovos stood and walked to his pack. He grabbed a knife from the side pocket, and flipped it so he held the blade. He extended his arm, offering her the weapon, and she seized it with a trembling hand. The tip of the blade wavered, but she kept it pointed at Kovos.
“It gave me hope that you fought,” Kovos said.
“It gave me hope that you trusted me with the knife,” she replied.
Kovos had drawn a blanket around her, and taken up a position at the front of the tent. Together, they sat through the night, listening to the torment all around. Jenna clutched the knife, and Kovos held his fists in his lap. All the while, he murmured words to Jenna, filling the tent with his deep voice. If she didn’t understand his meaning, she understood his intent.
When the last of the screams became sobbing, and the sobs faded to silence, Kovos carefully opened the flap of the tent and peered out. He beckoned to Jenna, and she crept beside him. The camp was peaceful, with only a disgruntled Sykorian guarding the drop-ships.
Kovos led her in the opposite direction. She tried to remain quiet, but in the darkness, she struggled to avoid rocks and roots. Finally, Kovos picked her up and carried her. He cradled her like an infant over several miles. The trees of the forest became a blur of trunks and leaves. Despite her best efforts, the rocking motion coupled with Kovos’s warmth made Jenna’s eyes heavy.
They closed.
She only woke when Kovos set her on her feet. The lightening sky told her dawn approached. Kovos touched her briefly on the shoulder, before trying to turn away. She grabbed his arm, then pressed the knife into his hand. He pressed it back into hers, and then pointed into the forest.
“I walked all night, and finally found a road. The driver of a logging truck found me asleep on the side of the highway. He took me to safety and called the police.” Jenna smiled, and wiped her face. “I sent Christmas cards to him every year until he died of a heart attack a few years ago.”
“How-” Kovos’s voice caught. He cleared his throat and tried again. “How did the Sykorians capture you?”
“I was on a camping trip with my Girl Scout troop. I woke up and saw lights in the forest. Stupid me decided to check it out on my own.
They had me for two days before I met you. Everyone assumed I got lost in the woods. They thought I was delirious from hunger and exposure. I left the knife in the ditch, so I didn’t even have that for proof.”
Everyone thought I was crazy, including my own mother.
“Did they…” Dovena’s voice trailed off.
“No,” Jenna said. “Rebecca. She was… one of the other women. Rebecca protected me.”
Dovena nodded. “That is a blessing at least.”
Jenna plastered a fake smile on her face. What would be the point of telling Kovos and Dovena what happened after she returned to her family? No, she would keep that part of the story to herself. It would only change how they viewed her. Giving away her past gave them power over her, and she knew how such power could be abused — how it could be used against her.
She turned to Kovos. “I’m assuming you returned to the Sykorians?”
“They beat me for losing the girl.” The understated way he said it make Jenna think Kovos’s consequences involved more than a simple spanking.
“But they let you return,” said Dovena.
“Their leader felt he held power over me. I let them believe I had sexual relations with Jenna. They believed that made me complicit in their human slave smuggling. He let me return.”
“Then what?”
“I broke their hold over me by telling Father.” Kovos’s voice was calm. “I told him everything. I spared no detail. Not of the Sykorians, nor of my role in their crimes.”
Dovena pursed her lips. Her eyes flicked from side to side as she processed the information. “Which is why Gemet broke the treaty with the Sykorians.”
Kovos nodded. “Father couldn’t tolerate doing business with such cruel partners. He also sent a portion of his personal guards to defend Earth and break up the human smuggling ring. We tried to track down the women who were already taken, but they’d disappeared into Sykorian space. My men search for them but the trail is long cold.”
Dovena closed her eyes, and pressed her fingers to her face. “Why didn’t Gemet, or you, tell me any of this?”
Kovos’s voice was gentle. “Mother, could I honestly look you in the eye after I let those women go to their fates? That I did nothing to alleviate their plight?”
Jenna was stunned. All these years, she’d thought herself blessed to escape violation. She mourned the other women, especially those whose names she knew. Yet she celebrated the gift Kovos had given her. It had never occurred to her once that Kovos might feel that night was a failure. He blames himself for not doing enough. Jenna rushed across the room, and placed her hand on Kovos’s arm. He didn’t turn.
“No,” she said. “You did what you could. You were a boy yourself. If you’d done anything more, you would have been killed. If you’d been killed, many more human women would have been taken.”
She threw her arms around him and pressed her face to his back. He shuddered as she held him, and she heard his breath hitch.
“Thank you, Kovos, for saving me.”
Slowly he turned in her arms, and placed a hand on her head. “The honor is mine, Jenna.”
When Jenna stepped back, she noticed Dovena’s expression. The older Ennoi looked speculative, as if she was piecing together a complicated puzzle. Jenna flushed under Dovena’s scrutiny, and returned to her seat.
Dovena studied her a moment longer, then spoke. “Which brings us to now. Gemet mentioned humans might make strong allies, but he also knew your people didn’t have intergalactic space travel capabilities. How did you get here to Ados, Jenna?”
Jenna hesitated. It would be so easy to speak the truth. Now that Kovos had stepped out from her past, she saw he was a good man, with a good heart. He wished to help. She could trust him.
Trusting him could get Mel killed.
No, she could figure this out for herself.
“I was brought here by an anonymous Ennoi. He wouldn’t tell me his name, and I never saw his face. He said he was a friend of your father’s.” The mysterious voice had told her what to say, and like a good actress, she dutifully recited her lines without embellishments.
“That’s impossible,” Kovos said. “Father assured me he wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Dovena tapped a finger against a horn on her cheek. “Hmmm, I wonder. Your father was a persuasive speaker, but in order to get some of his strongest allies to drop the Sykorian mercenaries, he must’ve had a convincing argument.” She bit her lip. “It isn’t outside the realm of possibility that he confided in another.”
“Why does this friend of father’s wish to remain unknown?” Kovos stamped his feet in frustration. “An ally would come forward.”
“I do not know,” Jenna said. “I only know what he told me. He said since Kovos claimed as his Avowed, he brought me here to stop Kovos from marrying someone else.”
“It is entirely possible,” Dovena said. “The older Ennoi place great value on a leader’s honor. Any stain on your name, and they’d turn their backs on you, ally or not.”
“Perhaps they are trying to destroy the alliance between us and the Ennoi Haron?”
“Unlikely,” Dovena said. “Revealing your claim on Jenna would have done more damage after the Bonding Ceremony. No, we must assume that this mysterious benefactor is attempting to do what is best.”
“Best for whom?” Kovos asked.
Dovena stood. “I shall make some careful inquiries. I’m sure someone knows something.” She turned to Jenna, and while her voice remained friendly, her eyes narrowed. “As for you, what shall we do about you? You’ve caused a great deal of fuss in the Council.”
Kovos groaned. “They are always fussing.”
Dovena raised her hand. “Peace, son. Everyone in that chamber and within the city heard Jenna state she is your Avowed. If we wish for this to die down, all we need is to wait the allotted time period.”
Jenna frowned. “What allotted time period?”
“In the presence of their Avowed, and Ennoi’s body changes. If you are indeed Kovos’s Avowed, we shall know soon enough.”
What? Jenna blinked. What is she even talking about?
Dovena swept from the room, leaving Kovos and Jenna alone for a moment. Jenna clutched her fingers in her lap. Kovos had his face turned to the window, lost in his own thoughts. She cleared her throat to catch his attention.
“Now what do we do?” Jenna asked.
“I am unsure,” Kovos replied. He stroked the heavy green jewel hanging from his neck. “I must ask a favor of you.”
“Sure,” Jenna said. “If I can help, I will.”
“Lithyon and I planned our announcement of our Bonding to coincide with an auspicious event. The Festival of Moons is a very important celebration for Ennoi, and the Ennoi Cadam specifically. It acknowledges our roots, and we put aside petty bickering to come together as a species.”
He stepped toward her. “It would be prudent for me, politically speaking, if you continue the charade. I would be grateful if you would pretend to be my betrothed, at least until the festival is done. Once we’ve established peace for the Ennoi, we can dissolve our arrangement.”
Why did that thought make her heart sink?
“If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s acting,” Jenna said, smiling brightly. “You can count on me!”
“Excellent,” Kovos replied. “There is one more matter.”
He stood before her and paused. Jenna looked up into his strange eyes and swallowed back her nervousness. He bowed his head, and unhooked the heavy jewel from his neck. He held it in his hand, and extended it to her.
“This is a Promise Stone. My father gave it to my mother, when they bonded.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Jenna stared, captivated by the sparkles of gold deep within the emerald surface. The lights seemed to dance and called to her.
“It is a lumi stone. We mine them on Cadam. It is one of the reasons we are a wealthy peopl
e.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“It should have been Lithyon’s, but I am offering it to you.”
“I—” Jenna blinked. “I can’t accept that!”
Kovos pushed the stone toward her. “Please. You must. It is a symbol of the bond, and my people need to see it around your neck.”
Jenna reached for it, but Kovos pulled it back. Puzzled, she looked up at him.
“There is one thing you should know,” Kovos continued. “The stone cannot be given or taken without free will. If I force it upon you, the light inside will fade. This stone is important to me. I wish for you to take it of your own choice.”
Jenna hesitated. Would the stone sense her intent? Did she want the stone? Did she want to pretend to be Kovos’s bride-to-be?
Do I have a choice?
With a trembling hand, she plucked the stone from Kovos’s palm. They both sighed as the stone remained luminous. Jenna let out a nervous laugh. The stone probably cost more than anything she’d ever owned before. When she fastened it around her neck, the rectangular stone nestled between her breasts.
“Thank you,” Kovos said, bowing. “I must leave you now. I have matters to which I must attend. I will send a servant to you.”
Alone, Jenna touched the stone. It seemed warm against her skin. Can I do this? Can I convince everyone I’m his?
Her hand closed around the stone. She had to. She had no other choice. Melissa depended on her.
I just have to protect my heart, she thought, like I have to protect Mel.
CHAPTER SIX
KOVOS
The council rooms were empty. Kovos sighed in relief as he sank into his chair at the head of the table. At least this battle could wait. He rolled his head, feeling the knots in his muscles stretch. His spine cracked.
The last time he’d ached like this, he’d been hunting with Yaldir and Arthon. A lohig had been terrorizing a farming estate outside the city limits. Kovos and his fellow hunters had cornered their quarry, and the animal had lunged for Arthon. Kovos had thrown himself in front of his brother, and wound up being rammed by several tons of angry lohig.
