by Amber Stuart
He told me to do it, she sobbed. He told me.
Hope knelt beside the girl and carefully tilted her chin. Crude patterns adorned her face, painted in alien blood. Patches of blood covered the rest of her but Hope refused to believe the worst. She left the girl in a heap on the ground and slowly approached the unmoving male.
Her heart pounded and her hands shook as she reached for him. She leaned back on her heels in relief. The body before her was that of the chief's son. Not her alien.
I have to bring him back, said the girl.
Hope watched as she attempted to push her life force into him. This girl was meant to be her successor. It would be years before she could enter the sacred cave. Hope didn’t think the cave would accept her. Considering their nudity, she knew how immoral their relationship had been.
No! I need more, the girl screamed in Hope's mind. Without warning she jumped to her feet, grabbed the knife and ran into the forest. He killed him!
Hope realized she meant her alien, so she raced after her. Keela intercepted the girl, getting between them. Frantic, she had stabbed the mount. She pulled the knife free from the animal and turned to the alien, her intent obvious.
Cord flinched at her touch and although he was exhausted, tried to put up a fight. Knowing this would be it for him, he bucked and kicked his legs, in vain. The cursed girl held fast. She was not on him for long, but it was enough that he could feel himself slipping away.
Hope shoved her away, breaking the connection. Stop it. You cannot do this. The sacred cave. . . she tried to explain, but the girl had changed her mind about who to drain.
I love him and no one will take him away from me, she wailed as she took hold of Hope and pulled her strength in.
Knowing she had no choice, Hope pulled as well. They fought an internal, invisible struggle. Both were strong-willed but Hope had the advantage of age and experience. The girl, however, still had possession of the knife and did not hesitate to use it. Hope suffered several cuts before she overpowered her, taking just enough to render the girl unconscious. The strength that flowed through Hope's veins was heady. She had never taken from another like herself before. The power was intoxicating.
Keela's pained snuff jolted Hope back to reality. Her alien! He hung by his wrists from a tree. He wasn’t dead but near to it, especially if she didn’t do something soon. She didn’t have time to climb the tree and cut him down. Instead, she placed her hands on his chest, splaying her fingers through his hair and pushed her strength into him. The pain was horrendous as Hope took his injuries, both internal and external. Her eyes swelled shut until she could no longer see. Still she held on, even when her legs began to give from under her. But it wasn’t enough. He needed more.
Battered and bruised, Hope crawled toward the girl. She hesitated a second before taking it.
Cord woke on the ground, his back propped against the same tree he had been lashed to. The forest was lighter now in early morning. Keela raised her head and nudged him affectionately and he buried his face into her mane. He had no idea what had happened. That girl had been intent on killing him, and the last thing he remembered was her doing exactly that. At least he thought she had, but here he sat. Alive.
Movement nearby attracted his attention. He found Hope. Had she saved him? She smiled at him and while he wanted to smile back, he found he couldn’t. He thought he had been broken after the death of his wife and child, but nothing compared with how he felt now.
Hope edged closer, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how. Every step she took brought more tension to his body. He would need time. She understood that, but they still had a journey to complete. Not that she knew who would enter the cave with her or whether it would let her in. That she would leave to her family to organize. In the meantime, she would help her alien heal.
Cord waited for her next move. Mercifully, she kept her distance. He relaxed and climbed to his feet to find out for himself what had happened. Two bodies lay on the ground, covered in blood—his blood mostly—and naked. He remembered the girl stabbing the male, but everything after that was a blur. From what he could see, the girl didn't have a mark on her. She was definitely dead, though. How had that happened?
He glanced at Hope, who watched from several meters away. She nodded at the question in his eyes. Yes, she had done it. She wanted him to know that she had killed for him. It was a necessary sacrifice and because of that, she did not regret her actions.
The next look was to the knife in her hand. She put it down and stepped away, letting him take it without having to get close. He picked it up. They had used his knife to torture him with. He put it in reach of the girl's cold hand. Let the Camo villagers make of that what they would, he decided.
Hope watched as he gathered his garments and dressed, his movements jerky as he buttoned his shirt. Sudden sounds startled him but when he belted his guns low around his waist, an inner calm fell over him. She found it strange that instruments of death would soothe someone, but she could see they were a part of him. He could not be whole without them.
Although he seemed calm, subtle things gave him away. For instance, his inability to look her in the eye. Did he wonder whether she would turn on him like the girl and chief's son had? He wouldn't stay with her if he believed that. Still, the thought must have crossed his mind.
He followed her back into the village with his hand fisted in Keela's mane to keep her from bolting. He felt the curious looks from the Camo on him, but he kept his own gaze rooted firmly on the back of Hope's bald head. Looking at any of them, other than her, made him want to retch. He couldn't deal with them. Not right now. His other hand strayed to the gun at his left hip and lingered there for comfort.
Hope approached the tribe's chief.
Thank you for your hospitality, she said, belying none of the fear that they would be blamed for the deaths in the forest. Only she was responsible for that.
The chief nodded. Your companion has already left.
She answered the unasked question. He was not pure of heart.
Unfortunate, said the chief. May I offer you my son?
Hope tensed. I am honored. However, considering his status as the chief's son, I suspect he has had to kill.
That he has. I am afraid that I have no other males to offer you that meet the requirement. Not unless we are willing to risk a longer winter.
We cannot. May I trouble you with one last request, chief? Could you please send word to my family, and have them arrange for another companion to meet me at the sacred cave?
Of course. I will have my strongest communicator see to it immediately, the chief assured her. I know of at least one other tribe that close to the mountains.
Thank you, said Hope. Although she was grateful to her, she did not look forward to meeting whomever was chosen.
He is stunning, is he not? the chief asked as she admired her alien. If not for all the hair I might be interested in taking him as a consort.
Hope's eyes widened at the thought. But he is an alien, she said pointing out the obvious.
Yes, one that you have domesticated. I can imagine how wild he would be in private.
Hope couldn't help it. She hissed. That was her alien the chief was fantasizing about. While it wasn't unheard of for the two species to fornicate, it was seen as unnatural and frowned upon. Any resulting offspring were usually abandoned or worse.
She felt the chief scrutinize her and repressed a shiver.
You have grown fond of him.
Hope protested that she had not but the chief continued. I do not judge you. Just remember what your purpose is, child. We are all counting on you.
With that heavy reminder of her destiny, Hope led Cord from the village. His tread grew lighter the farther they traveled and for that she was grateful. But he still wasn't ready to ride Keela with her. Hope walked on the other side of the animal, closer to Cord but putting the familiar between them so he would feel safe.
Regaining his trust would take time. Time they could not afford. She considered taking Keela while he slept, but discarded the thought at once. Taking his animal would leave him vulnerable and give him more reason to hate her. She didn't know why that should matter. He was an alien. Once they reached the cave they would part ways. Hope was destined to end winter with the help of a male companion, one who also needed to have a pure heart. Not that Hope felt hers was anymore. Not since she had decided to take a life to save an alien. Perhaps it wouldn't be a problem. Perhaps the true meaning of "pure of heart" had been miscommunicated when handed down from mother to daughter. Hope pushed the thought from her mind. She decided she would only worry about it if the cave rejected her. Until then, she would carry on as planned.
Snow had fallen for the past few hours. Cord supposed they had been lucky it had held off this long, luck being a relative term in his case. As the snowflakes danced around him, he continued to put one foot in front of the other. Getting stuck guarding his Camo client? Not so lucky. Being tortured, killed, and returned to life? He wasn’t sure what category that fell under. Finding out his family had been murdered by his best friend and not the aliens that he had despised? Ditto.
He sighed and pulled the scarf higher to cover more of his face and ignored the headache he'd nursed since the snow had started. The Camo behind him astride his mount was another matter altogether. Hope was the least Camo Camo he had ever seen. Sure she looked the part, her skin blending in with their snowy surroundings, but she didn't act like them. She didn't seem like them at all. And that troubled him.
Hope watched her alien as he scouted ahead. He would pause every so often and stare into the distance whenever he thought he'd heard something. The snow was quickly blanketing the slush on the road from the previous falling, absorbing all sound. She wondered how he could hear anything. Hope relied on her other senses and while they did not seem to have the range that his did, she could tell they were alone. At least for now.
She patted Keela through the animal's long hair and spoke soothing nonsense through their physical connection. The beast was attuned to her companion's unsettled mood, and while the alien wouldn't let her close to soothe him, she could at least assure Keela that she meant neither of them harm.
The shock of what she had done at the tribe had hit Hope not long after they had departed. She had taken a life. By choice. No one but a chief had the authority to do that, not unless Hope had properly challenged the girl. What she should have done was confess to the tribe's chief. But then her journey would have ended, her destiny left incomplete and winter would have continued until they had found another like her. And other than the girl she had killed, she hadn't heard of another. No, she had to go to the sacred cave, hope that it would accept her and once winter ended, then she would confess.
Adamant that she was doing the right thing, she returned her attention to their surroundings to find they had stopped. She looked to Cord who stared at her and she raised a smile for him. When he ignored it and her in favor of something behind her, she glanced over her shoulder but saw nothing unusual. Letting her senses spread across the snowy terrain she was surprised to find several minds approach. Unreadable alien minds, and many of them.
Cord ran back to Keela and, without thinking, swung up on his mount behind the girl.
"Hyah!" he yelled and dug in his heels, opting for speed over stealth.
She kept trying to look around him, so he pushed her head down against Keela and leaned in. He almost hugged them in an effort to cut down the scant amount of wind resistance his broad body produced. He also shoved aside the thoughts and fears that threatened to overwhelm him. They'd been seen and by now their pursuers would know he'd spotted them. The governor's men.
Cass hadn't been able to distract them, he thought. That or I spent too much time dying.
He kicked Keela again, jerking his body forward against the girl and wondered why she was so damned cold all the time.
Hope hissed her annoyance at being handled so roughly. Sandwiched between Keela and Cord, her body burned. She had learned during her imprisonment that an alien's core temperature was much higher than hers. Being this close to him made her uncomfortable. She recalled the last time she had felt his heat. How he had been on top of her, pressing his mouth to hers and attempting to consort with her in his sleep.
And what if he had?
Cord growled. "Quit wiggling."
He tried to put some distance between them, but Keela's vigorously bouncing backside jostled them back together.
"I said—" but he gave up when he remembered she didn’t understand a word he said. Cord shoved his large hand between them, trying to push her wiggling behind away from his groin. But it felt like he was groping her.
"Sorry," he mumbled as she turned her wide eyes to him, no doubt worried he would try to rape her again.
When the first bullet whistled by, he didn't apologize when he pushed Hope under him again. No point in both of them getting riddled with bullets. More shots, this time to their right. Cord nudged Keela with his knee, directing them off the road and across a snow-covered flat for the nearest cover.
They reached the rocky cairn uninjured. Cord chanced a glance back to find their pursuers riding hard behind them, so he didn't see the barrel of an antique rifle as it swung against his head. Bastards had steered them straight into a trap.
Hope hissed too late to warn Cord about the three aliens waiting for them. She shrugged him off as he slumped against her. Hope grabbed the handle of one of his weapons while they tumbled off Keela.
The moment Cord sunk into the snow beneath her, she was up in a crouch, brandishing his weapon at them. They wore the clothes of the aliens who had kept her prisoner for the past year. She had no intention of going back or for them to harm her alien.
They had frozen at the unexpected turn of events. One made unintelligible sounds, so she turned the opening of the weapon to him, effectively silencing the noise. The other two edged away from him which drew her attention and the barrel of the gun to them. One shrugged and took a step forward, testing her resolve or ability to use it.
Hope pulled the hammer back and watched as the three retreated a few feet. Only one held a weapon, the one who had struck her alien. She watched them carefully as she reached back to check Cord. A blind examination revealed a gash to his temple, but she couldn't heal him while she was in a stalemate with these three. So long as they thought she would kill them, she had the upper hand. At least until the others arrived.
Cord's eyelids fluttered. He stared up at the sky and wondered what he was doing spread-eagled in the snow. A moan escaped him as he turned his head to the side. Blood dribbled into his eye as he took in the scene before him: Hope, three men, one rifle, and his gun—in her hand.
"Hunh."
"Are you all right?" one of the men asked. He sounded worried.
He rolled on his side and staggered to his knees, freeing his other gun from its holster and joining Hope. "Shoulda killed me."
She must have caught the threatening tone because she wrapped her hand over the barrel of the gun he held.
He glared at her but she pushed down on his weapon. With a sigh he lowered it and said, "Seems the lady doesn't want me to kill you."
"Lady?"
The look he gave the one who had dared question him made the man gulp. "Ladies first," Cord said with a cold grin. "Them Camo are bloodthirsty killers."
All three dropped to their knees in surrender, the rifle tossed aside. "Sorry ma’am. We surrender."
A woman laughed nearby.
Cord's head whipped up and he spotted Cass seated on a mount. "What're you doing here?"
"Apparently watching three grown men piss themselves," she said and laughed at the uniformed man on the beast beside her. "Bet you’re embarrassed."
The man's neck reddened but Cord couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. He decided to ignore him for now and focus on Ca
ss.
"You didn’t answer my question."
Cass cast aside her humor and nodded to the man next to her. "The major needs your help with something."
Cord looked between her and the major. "This for you or the governor?" he asked carefully.
"Both. Can you call her off?"
He shrugged. "I can try, but she's not one to do what she's told. Or listen."
"For crut's sake," Cass muttered. She threw her reins aside and slipped off her mount. With a smile, she held her hand palm up to Hope. The Camo's eyes flicked to Cord who shrugged, leaving the decision up to her.
The governor's men breathed sighs of relief as she relinquished the weapon. Cass then uncocked the hammer and handed it to Cord. He nodded his thanks and returned it to its rightful place at his hip.
"Your men suck," he told the major. "She could've—"
The major cut him off. "Hope is a pacifist."
"You're sure?"
He stared at Hope, who curled her lip at him, before answering. "Not anymore."
Cord stepped between them, not liking the way he looked at her. "So what's so important that I get a rifle butt in my head?"
"I apologize for the actions of my men. That wasn't necessary."
As if she could understand them, Hope appeared at Cord's side and reached for his injury. It had stopped bleeding but still stung. He hissed at her and she stumbled back, blinking in surprise.
"Cord," Cass warned.
He turned his back on both women, pushing aside the hurt he had seen in Hope's eyes and focused on the major. "I'm a busy man. I got places I gotta be."
The soldier nodded to Hope. "I need her—"
Cord's gun was out before anyone could react. "Not gonna happen."
"—to save the governor."
Cass turned to the major. "You said it was your father you wanted to save."
He stared down at her. "The governor is my father."
