by Shea Malloy
Sometimes, I don’t feel like a prisoner here. Sometimes, I even forget that there’s a metal ring around my throat marking me as property to another being.
Inevitably, Theron reminds me all over again. As if it’s also to remind himself.
I have just finished preparing his morning meal when I hear the sound of his footsteps approaching.
My awareness of him immediately strengthens. I’m in this strange place where Theron is concerned. Half of me resents him for who he is and what he’s done, while the other half of me notices the breadth of his shoulders in his jacket, the deepness of his voice when he speaks, his clean scent whenever I’m near him.
There’s this thing between us. Something heavy that thickens the air when we’re in each other’s presence. I often convince myself I’m being paranoid.
But then there are the moments when I accidentally touch him as I hand him something and a delicious little shiver curls along my spine from the touch. Or the way his amber eyes darken to burnt gold when he looks at me sometimes.
Over and over I have to convince myself I’m misreading things. That every so often he doesn’t look at me like if he wants to consume me.
After all, what do I know about these things when I’ve only ever had one hasty encounter with a male? Besides, I have as much value to him as the utensils I set down beside his plate. I am nothing more than a tool for him to use and then discard when I can no longer function.
He’s seated at the table where he likes to sit and follow my every moment. Probably because he’s still suspicious I will add poison to his meals. I set down what I’ve prepared for him and retreat to the kitchen to tidy up the area.
When I’m done, so is he with his meal. As I retrieve the used dishes, I decide to try my luck.
“Can I go to Yoah?” I ask, mustering a sincere and respectful tone.
“No,” he says right away. He doesn’t even lift his gaze from the screen of his tablet as he scribbles on it.
I frown. I hadn’t anticipated a positive response, but he denied me with such crushing finality it irks me.
“You don’t want to know why I want to go to Yoah?”
“I know It’s a ploy for you to abandon your duties as my slave.”
“It isn’t,” I say, though I won’t lie it hasn’t crossed my mind. “I want to see what became of my home.”
“Then perhaps you should have turned back when you were in the forest,” he looks at me then, a glower on his features.
Then I would be dead and wouldn’t have to endure you being your usual bastard self.
The words don’t leave my mouth but he glares at me as though he’s heard them nonetheless. Maybe my expression is shows how much I dislike him right now. He is excellent at hiding his emotions, but I literally wear my heart outside my body.
“Even if I were foolish enough to entertain your request, now is not a good time,” he says as he stands. “I am leaving for a conference in Seca today.”
“When will you return?” And why do I feel disappointed at the news that he is leaving?
“In five detar.”
Five days by myself in this prison?
I frown. “And I’ll continue to be chained here with nothing to do.”
“I can make your exaggerations come through and chain you indeed.” He glares at me. “You will serve the Andrak while I’m gone and you will stay among the other slaves until I return.”
“Why can’t I come with you?” I can’t believe I’ve voiced those words. I want to pull them back into me as soon as they’re out there. Theron gives me a strange look as he regards me silently.
“Perhaps another time,” he says, surprising me.
He touches his implant and orders someone to send up another slave.
Shortly after his call while I’m watering his plant—its presence in Theron’s home continues to stupefy me since I wouldn’t have expected him of all people to nurture anything—a soft knock sounds on the door.
Theron voices a command to his security system and the door unlocks. A human female with pale skin and wavy, dark hair to her shoulders enters the room.
She greets Theron respectfully and gives me a tiny wave, a small smile on her light pink lips. Dressed in a loose-fitting coverall, she is slim with a lovely, oval-shaped face and hooded, close-set eyes.
“She will be your guide while I’m gone,” says Theron. “Go with her now.”
It’s so sudden. I wonder if I should go to my room and retrieve anything I might need. I don’t bother as the other human turns and heads for the door. I follow her closely, too excited at the prospect of finally being free of Theron’s home and possibly making my escape from the Andrak.
But just before I can step through the door, Theron grasps my wrist and forces me to look at him. His golden eyes burn into me and sees my intentions.
“Don’t be foolish,” he says, his voice low and filled with a warning. “Even when I’m gone, you will continue to obey me, Seela. Take one step beyond the gates of the Andrak and I will know.”
10
Seela
—
The human female and I make our introductions as we head to the lift.
Her name is Xia and she works with her father helping to keep the lights on in the Andrak.
On the ride down the lift, I fume over Theron’s words. Even if he’ll know I’ve left the Andrak, he’ll be far from Andrasar and unable to stop me.
Or find me for that matter.
Just because I’ve been his obedient slave for almost a month doesn’t mean I intend to be that forever. He might have called me foolish for considering to make my escape, but he’s the foolish one for thinking his threats will stop me from trying.
“Even if you do escape, how will you get the collar off without his authorization?” asks Xia.
Does everyone here possess the ability to read minds?
“How did you know—”
“It’s written all over your face,” she says, smiling. “Lesson One of being a zevyet of the Andrak: learn to hide what you’re thinking. Lesson Two: if you’re plotting an escape, make sure you don’t half-ass it or you’ll regret it.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“I was born and grew up here,” Xia says. “I’ve witnessed others attempt escape, fail and suffer the consequence for it.”
Xia and I arrive at our destination and we get off. Her words have instilled doubt. She didn’t discourage me. She told me what I needed to hear. I need a solid plan if I want to escape.
“Have you ever wanted to leave?” I ask her.
“Where would I go? Everyone I know is here,” she says, but her voice lacks conviction. Of course it’s a lie. Every being likes freedom. “How did you become Nai Theron’s zevyet? You’re new. Only those who’ve served within the Andrak for several years and have shown loyalty to their service end up becoming a slave to someone of such a high position.”
“I did him a favour and this is how he thinks it fit to repay me,” I say bitterly. I don’t want to tell her the truth. I’m afraid if I do I’ll make an enemy of her and all the other humans here in the Andrak.
Xia leads me to the slaves’ living area. It’s militaristic in design with bland, grey walls just like the corridors we came through. There are rows of bunk beds, all of them properly made. Small metal bedside tables are covered with personal effects that somewhat lightens the gloominess of the room.
“Probably not as nice as what you have in your zevyena’s home,” says Xia.
“His home is my prison.”
Xia gives me a curious look. “Were you free when he found you?”
I hesitate to answer, but I decide on the truth.
“Yes.”
“Usually, he locks up humans he’s found without a collar. You must have done him a pretty big favour.”
I smile tightly but don’t respond. Instead, I wander about the room, and decide to change the subject.
“So, what’
s our mission today?”
“Well, the Andrak has just underwent expansion and getting the new sections wired has been a real pain in the ass,” Xia says. “We could use your help for the simpler tasks.”
“Sounds fun. I like learning new things.”
Xia grins. “Talk to me after you’ve tripped a few times over a bunch of wires. Or zapped yourself by accident.”
“You said ‘simpler’ tasks. I won’t be touching anything likely to fry me. If I wanted to get a zapping, I’ll just anger my master.”
“That shouldn’t be funny but it is,” Xia says, chuckling. “So, one more thing: curfew’s at nine. You have to be back here before that or the doors will be locked. You’ll either have to hide somewhere until the morning or they’ll punish you. Come with me and I’ll show you around.”
Xia takes me on a brief tour of the important areas of the Andrak. With so many buildings, the Andrak is like its own small village in the heart of Andrasar City.
Even though Xia has done her best to show me the routes to the places I might need to go, I’m already certain I’ll get lost. At least there are maps appended to the walls. Hopefully I won’t get too lost if I use those.
Finally, she leads me to the new building where she works. Wires are strewn everywhere. Six other humans are in various locations of the spacious, empty room. The noisiness from their tools are so jarring, I wince.
“You’ll get used to it,” shouts Xia.
The others chuckle and greet me warmly and I do the same. It’s strange being among so many other humans. All my life the only company I’ve had was Ikkon in the bakery.
Most Andrasari customers didn’t want to interact with a human. I’d hide away in the back while Ikkon dealt with them, much to his consternation.
He’d say he didn’t care if he lost an Andrasari customer who didn’t want a human attending to them, but I didn’t like knowing someone didn’t want to buy from us because of me.
During a lull in the noise, a slim male with thinning dark hair streaked silver comes over to greet us. Xia introduces him as her father, Shihong.
“I’ll give you some early advice, Seela,” he says with a friendly smile as he points at Xia. “Be careful of this one. I raised a monster. She’ll bite your head off like a draki if she catches you slacking.”
Xia rolls her eyes. “Dad, you were sleeping.”
Shihong pouts. “There’s no crime in a nap.”
“No, but if you take one with a drill lying on your stomach, it’s reason enough for you to get yelled at.”
“You worry too much,” Shihong says, then he pats her cheek in a fatherly gesture of love. “Just like your mother, Kahafura bless her.”
Their exchange makes me smile, but it leaves me wistful, reminding me of what I lost when Ikkon was taken from me.
With Xia’s guidance, I’m set on the task of wire maintenance for the next few days. Unravelling them, feeding them into a machine to have them cut, sometimes passing Xia tools as she needs them.
Xia loves and takes pride in her work. She has a bossy edge she’s not afraid to show in order to get the work done.
There is an easy and infectious camaraderie among the workers with Shihong at the head of it all. Every day, he regales us with jokes or stories about Earth.
“At one point there were a bunch of idiots who used to think that Earth was flat,” he says as we pack things up in preparation to leave for dinner. It’s my third day here, and I’m starting to like being among Xia, Shihong, and the rest of the crew. “Then, for a long time humans used to believe they were the only intelligent beings in existence.”
“Just more proof that humans are stupid,” says Xia, a bitterness in her voice. “The last of our kind and what do we do? We end up getting enslaved and killed off.”
“It won’t always be like this, Xia,” he says quietly, his humour fading as his tone becomes somber. “Someday, humans will have their freedom again.”
“You have to watch what you say, Shihong,” says one of the workers with a grin. His name is Jogen, and I have a suspicion he and Xia are more than just friends. “If any of those draki bastards hear you they’ll think you’re one of those freedom fighters in the rebellion.”
“Me? A fighter?” Shihong laughs. “I’m nothing but a coward. Besides, I have a daughter to take care of and I’m too old. Let the young ones fight the good fight.”
“Maybe we can get our freedom back without any fighting,” I speak up. “Not all Andrasari like how we’re being treated.”
I think of Ikkon who died because of me, of the other Andrasari beings who lost their lives in Yoah for not supporting our enslavement. I remember Eyin, the Nai sa, telling Theron to free me that first day.
Xia wears a look of extreme doubt, but Shihong nods.
“All it would take is for a new Konai with a mind toward equality to come into power—”
He breaks off his sentence when the door slides open abruptly and a troop of Andrasari guards storm into the room. They cast a hard glance over all of us as they form a blockade before the door.
The way they’re looking at us discomforts me. It’s not just with the usual dislike. It’s with a sinister sort of satisfaction and evil anticipation. As if they’ve caught us doing something we shouldn’t and can’t wait for us to pay for our wrongdoing.
A tall and stocky Andrasari male with greying hair pushes through to the front of the guards.
My heart thuds harder in my chest, my breath coming faster. There’s no mistaking his features because I’ve seen it countless times in my nightmares.
Which means that if he’s here, something is horribly wrong.
He smiles but I can’t really call it that. It’s his lips stretching over his teeth, baring them in an unsettling manner while his golden eyes swirl with hate. His golden eyes sweep over us with disgust. He doesn’t make it known he recognizes me. As a human, I am forgettable to him.
He reaches into the pocket of his charcoal jacket and withdraws a plain-white rectangular card, holding it aloft. There is text written on it, but his fingers obscure it.
“Do you know what this is?” he asks. We’re all tense and silent. “This is the key to the armory. Several days ago, the armory was breached and weapons were stolen.” Then his awful gaze hones in on Xia whose face is stricken with terror. He steps right in front of her. “But you already knew this. I found the card in your possession.”
Xia opens her mouth but no sound comes out. Shihong’s features are tight with fear and anger. He forces himself between Xia and the Andrasari male.
“She doesn’t, Zevyena Ronan,” Shihong says, clenching his fists at his sides. “I found that card. I intended to return it—”
Shihong doesn’t get to finish his response. The Andrasari named Ronan fists his hand and slams it into Shihong’s stomach.
Crying out, Shihong staggers and bends over from the pain. Ronan doesn’t relent. He knees him in the face before viciously swiping him with fingertips he’s shifted into claws.
As one, we let out cries of anger. Xia and I reach for Shihong who is crumpled on the floor while the rest charge at Ronan and the guards.
The humans don’t get very far. The Andrasari repel their attacks swiftly, killing a few of them while injuring the others. Shihong meant a lot to these people for them to sacrifice their lives to retaliate against the Andrasari.
“Your punishment for your thievery is death,” Ronan spits at Shihong lying dazed on Xia’s lap. Blood flows freely from Shihong’s nose and where Ronan swiped him across the cheek. His left eye is puffy and rapidly turning purple. Ronan waves a hand over the rest of us. “Gather the others. They’re to be imprisoned for insubordination.”
“That’s a lie!” I spit, my heart slamming in my chest. Outrage churns in me and robs me of logic that I keep my mouth shut. “We did nothing to you. You attacked first.”
Ronan spins to face me, his eyes shining with perfect hatred. He raises his hand, intending to hit me when Xia
shouts at him with tears in her eyes.
“She is Nai Theron’s zevyet. If you hurt her, you’ll be answering to him for abusing his property.”
Ronan looks like he’s still going to hit me and I don’t flinch away. I’m rigid with rage and more than ready to kill him for the horrible things he’s done. To Shihong, to Xia, to these humans, and to me.
He drops his hand to wrap steely fingers around my arm as he and his guards marches us to our imprisonment.
11
Seela
—
They leave the dead behind. They throw the rest of us into one large cell.
Except Shihong.
As they carry him away, Xia begs them to take her instead with tears running freely from eyes. Ronan zaps her and for longer than necessary. She falls to the floor, her screams echoing off the glass walls as she shakes violently.
“Please, stop!” I beg him, swallowing my anger in fear for my friend’s life. “Please! You’ll kill her.”
Ronan sneers at me, his intention clear that killing Xia is exactly what he wants to do. He lets up on Xia, storming off from the cells with his guards.
Kneeling, I pull Xia into my lap. Her skin is hot and covered in sweat as she pants, her body twitching occasionally as she recovers from being zapped.
The rage returns, scalding in my chest. I feel Xia’s pain as she cries because I have been here before. I have lost someone I loved without the power to stop it from happening.
“It’s my fault,” she whispers. “It’s my fault he’s going to die.” She opens her eyes, pain swimming in their dark-brown depths. “I’m the one who found the armory key discarded on the floor. I didn’t return it because I thought... I thought I could use it someday.”
Smoothing a hand over her forehead, I muse on her words.
“But how did he know you had it?”
Fresh tears leak from her eyes as she sits up.
“What does it matter?” Xia says angrily. “They have my father now. He confessed to being the one who found the card, but they’re charging him for thievery. There’s never any justice for humans.” She hangs her head and rests her face in her palms. “They’re going to kill my father and it’s all because I had some foolish hope we could be free. We’ll never be free from this hell!”
