by Maia Starr
Malnia used him frequently in our relationship, tattling on me to him about this and that so that when we were having marital strife, I was also given strife at work as well. It made my life miserable, frankly, and I would do just about anything to avoid that. Especially if there was the risk that I would have to surrender this human to him, of all Verians on the planet. I wouldn’t trust her with him to save my own life.
“You are to do as I tell you,” I said firmly. “It’s for your own good.”
I knew she would hate me for this. In fact, I hated myself a little bit for it as well. But it wasn’t my own safety I was looking out for anymore. It was hers.
The human yelped as I pushed her inside the altar room, and I grimaced when I heard her begin to dry-heave.
“Not near the statue,” I barked, guiding the girl’s frail body to the corner of the room and handing her a basket that would normally have held the ceremonial fruits in it. Unfortunately, the planet hadn’t produced such fruit for going on twelve years now. All the more reason to head to earth.
The girl stood straight up and eyed me sternly. It was a look similar to the look Malnia gave me when she was angry that I had attempted to thwart her in any way. Truly, my wife had been spoiled beyond repair by her father, and I had bitten off more than I could chew by marrying into her dysfunctional, power-hungry family. Malnia would have made a great doyan.
“Are you done?” I asked, wishing I could show the girl more kindness than this. I was worried about the harm I was causing her, physically and mentally, but there was nothing I could do about it. My hands were tied. And sure, I could have left her on Earth, but there was just something about her. Something that felt fated.
She nodded, and I sighed in relief. I had never been so affected by the suffering of another. I was grateful to think that she would be able to endure the cleansing quickly.
“Remove your clothes,” I said, turning away to fill the basin with sacred water.
“What?” the female asked, clearly indignant. “I will do no such thing.”
“You have no choice in the matter,” I reminded her sternly. I had to remind myself not to raise my voice. It was considered a most uncivil thing to do, and if my wife heard me, surely she would report it back to her father.
“I won’t be shamed by exposing my body to you willingly,” she said, her amber colored eyes firmly set upon me.
“My Freg, Yula! You won’t stay naked for long! You’ve got to submerge yourself into the bath and then dress in the ceremonial robes for the initiation into our home.”
The female jutted her chin out at me and anger boiled in my breast.
“Come!” I growled, gripping her wrist and pulling her to the basin. It was nearly full at this point, and I twisted her around so that she was facing it. “In you go.”
“There’s a special place in hell for men like you!” she spat. But I couldn’t let her anger phase me. If she fell into the hands of Malnia’s father, it would only get worse for her from there.
“Take off your clothes and get in the water,” I said. “I shall avert my eyes.”
The female sighed heavily, and I turned away, just enough that she wouldn’t feel as exposed. Still, I had to keep her in my peripheral sight, just to make sure she didn’t try to attack me from behind. It was especially dangerous considering my physical health. Not only was I weakened from my secret disease, but I was also injured. Even a female from Earth could gain the upper hand against me far more quickly than I would have liked.
“How can you justify this to yourself?” she asked, her voice low with quiet fury as she began to disrobe.
The blood rushed to my loins as her soft, radiant skin was exposed, and I averted my eyes sincerely this time. I couldn’t let my lust take over. Especially not now. There was no way of knowing how it would be received, but I could certainly tell that it wasn’t going to be favorable if I tried. I was in no condition to attempt to mate regardless. Especially before the human was cleansed of the evils on her planet.
“I’m not doing this for myself, Yula,” I said, in a way, reminding myself as well that there was far more at stake than the human could possibly know. It was difficult to be perceived as a bad man, and in a house full of Yulas, I was outnumbered by the energies of females who would just as soon kill me as look at me.
“My name isn’t Yula,” the human spat. I glanced back at her in my peripherals again, just in time to see her climb the golden staircase leading up to the basin and dipping her toe in the warm water.
“What is your name then?” I asked, shocked that I hadn’t thought to ask it before now.
“Christina. Dr. Christina Evans. I’m a medical doctor. Not just some human house servant.”
“Well, Christina,” I said, trying my best to ignore the hot flames of longing that were ignited deep in my abdomen as her lithe body slipped into the basin and became submerged within the water. “That is the other reason that you are here with me, is it not?”
I finally turned to face her now that she was mostly hidden by the deep water, and cleared my throat as I fetched the ceremonial cloths. She was to run them over every inch of her body, sending blessings and purification over every inch of her skin so that the ancient Verian gods would treat her as a guest in our home rather than a threat.
It was a sensual tradition, often performed by a husband to his wife, and vice versa, to ensure that not an inch of skin was missed. With this human, however, it seemed improper to go too near her, and I dropped the cloth into the basin so that she could hold it herself.
“Wash with this. Take care not to miss any part of your skin. And do not be alarmed. The cloth will leave a golden residue on your skin so that we can be sure you have received the full blessing. You are not to move from the basin until your skin glows golden.”
Christina scowled at me and grabbed the cloth, and again I attempted to avert my gaze as she brought the cloth down one long arm, and then the other. Her hand disappeared into the water, and again I felt a pulse of desire electrify me. If only I could join her in the basin. I wanted nothing more in all of Helna than to feel the human’s skin, soft and wet beneath my own.
A frustrated sigh snapped me out of my fantasy, and I frowned, turning to the female.
“What is it, Yula?” I asked, stepping toward the basin.
“My back…”
My face felt hot as I realized that her arms, although long, lacked the flexibility to touch every inch of her body with the cloth. I swallowed hard and then took a deep breath.
“No matter,” I said. “I will do it.”
I climbed the steps to the basin, one at a time, and then perched on the rim. Christina slapped the cloth into my hand and immediately covered her breasts with her arms, flinching away from my touch as I smoothed the cloth over her velvety skin.
I could have taken her right then and there. There were no laws in Helna, not even laws within my marriage, preventing me from doing so. But somehow, it felt completely wrong. The female in front of me was guarded and angry. And whether I had a claim on her or not, she didn’t feel mine as I felt hers. It would be a type of robbery to simply take her by force. One I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for.
“There,” I said, standing quickly and turning my back on her again. “That part is finished. You may dress in the ceremonial robes now.”
I squeezed my eyes closed, willing my breath to slow and my chest to become less tight as I listened to the female step out of the bath and walk across the room. After a few moments, I turned just in time to catch the last glimpse of her radiant body as it became concealed by the beautiful silken fabrics of the ceremonial robes.
“And now, we shall ask the blessings of the ancient gods to remain with you during your stay on the planet Helna,” I said, picking up the diffusor and spritzing it in the air above her head. The smell of the vapors made the human’s skin turn an ashen-gray once again, and I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. It was the scent of death to the humans, whil
e the scent of life to the Verians. How could I force her to endure this?
For the human’s sake, I only did one of the five spritzes required, and begged the divinity in charge of the ceremony to understand. I discarded the diffusor and dipped my hand in the sacred oil, speaking the secret words of blessing and pressing the palm of my hand through the opening of the robe and against the top of the human’s chest, near the clavicle. She gasped at the sudden sensation of my touch, but just as soon as I pressed my hand against her, I took it away and concluded the ceremony.
“You are going to have to wear this until your clothes are laundered. Unless you would like one of my wife’s outfits,” I said, taking the human by the wrist and leading her out the door. I was eager to get her away from the vapors so that the rosiness would return to her cheeks.
When I closed the door of the altar room and turned to her for her answer, I was surprised by just how quickly she bounced back to hating me.
“I would rather die,” she said firmly.
For some reason, this heartened me, and I walked with a bounce in my step to the doorway of the guest room and showed the human inside. Whether she could stand to be there or not, it was the safest place for her right now. On either planet, considering the vicious launch of attacks that were destined for Zone 36 in retaliation of the nuclear warhead.
Maybe someday she would understand. For now, though, I would just let her hate me, and hope the day would come when I could lay my claim upon her body and take her for my own.
***
Once we were in the guest bedroom, it didn’t take long before the female turned to me and sighed.
“These clothes smell terrible. I guess I do want to wear something different.”
“That’s all right,” I assured her. “I will bring you a selection.”
The human frowned and stood awkwardly in the large guest room, looking about at the decorations on the wall. I decided to trust that I could leave her alone for a few moments and headed to my bedroom chambers where Malnia was standing, ready to bite my head off the moment I walked through the doors.
“What the freg were you thinking, bringing a human female here? Into our home during my time of mourning?”
“I was thinking it would be the proper thing to do for you and for our people,” I snapped, standing tall in front of her despite my leg injury. She had no idea that I was feeling weak. She still assumed I was the same man who could decapitate six men with one well-timed swipe. If only that were still true.
“Why didn’t you ask me whether or not I wanted a live-in human? You know they are filthy creatures! How can you expect me to live with one?” Malnia’s gaze burned through me but I had to stand my ground. The human was going to stay. Period.
“Because there is no other option. We have to bring as many human females to our planet as possible so that we can finally put an end to this awful war!” I growled, towering over my wife. Hopefully, if I appeared serious enough, she would stop trying to intimidate and control me and get out of my way so I could fetch the poor human some clothes that didn’t reek of the death of her parents.
“So, what, you’re going to bed the human? Give her the seeds that keep dying in my belly?”
“It would be a nice break for you, wouldn’t it?” I said darkly. “You told me you didn’t want me to touch you again, didn’t you?”
Malnia’s mouth grew tight, and she stared at me, clearly lost as to how to proceed with this conversation.
“It is my duty, Malnia. I already spoke with the doyan about this. If you have any issues, you can bring them up to her directly. As for the sleeping arrangements, the human will stick to her room and not wander out of the east wing. I will see to it that she doesn’t bother you. If you don’t want her doing housework, then just consider her a nursemaid. When I am healed, she can be sent back to Earth with the troops.”
“Do as you wish,” Malnia said, though her eyes were telling a completely different story. I would be lucky to survive the night with her in a mood like this. It would be better just to get out of the house. But if I did, that would leave the human vulnerable to my temperamental wife. Perhaps I would just have to sleep in the hallway now that the human had stolen the one place of sanctuary I’d had for these marital bumps.
“I am doing as the leader of our people wishes,” I said. “I will be an honorable man, whether it suits you or not.”
Malnia scoffed, and I left the room, my heart thudding hard. It was getting more and more difficult to hold my tongue in the presence of my wife. And yes, she had been through quite an ordeal because of the loss of our children, but did that really make it necessary to put all of the blame on me? Hadn’t her father told her anything at all about the research into the dangerous diseases that the humans had crafted to bring about an end to our people?
Suddenly, it dawned on me. Christina was a doctor from Earth. Perhaps she could take a look at me and help me figure out just what it was that I needed in order to become healthy again. If I took her to the lab with me, would it be possible that she would have the knowledge we needed to cure this hellish disease once and for all? It would be nice for the men who were suffering in silence to be able to get back to their old selves again. More and more men were falling victim every day, but the reported incidents were shockingly low. Far too many, myself included, were ashamed of the implications of the disease. For us to get our strength back, it seemed like it would take a miracle.
Perhaps I had abducted just the miracle my people needed.
I suddenly felt lighter, and rummaged quickly through the closets opposite my bedroom, selecting several outfits that were still in boxes from the stores I had bought them from. Malnia wanted nothing to do with my expensive gifts, but I was sure the human would be grateful to have something to wear. It would just have to do.
If I could convince her to open up to me about the disease, maybe even do an examination of the men who were suffering, I would be a hero. Maybe then my wife would be able to look me in the eye again without thinking about what a useless failure I was.
It was worth a try.
Chapter 4
Dr. Christina Evans (MD)
The room was quiet after Jaize left, and I poked through the pile of boxes he had dropped on the floor beside the long bed. He’d had a handsome smile on his face that made me a little bit nervous. What was it that he was planning?
But he said nothing to me except, “I hope these are to your liking, Yula. Leave your robes outside the door, and I will take care of them.” And then he left, as simply as that.
I finally came across an outfit that I actually liked: a lacy top made with a beautiful deep blue color, accented with black as dark as the night sky. I tried it on and caught a look at myself in the mirror, almost laughing out loud. It was far too big on me, and certainly would fit the gorgeous Verian woman much better. But there were still tags on it, written in a Verian hand that I could barely translate. It was funny how different it was to learn a language in school compared to having to apply it in the land of the people who spoke and wrote it.
“Female?”
My heart panged at the sound of the woman’s voice, and I opened the door nervously to see the Jaize’s wife, ethereally beautiful, standing outside the doorway.
“Welcome,” I said, kneeling as I had been taught in the class. All humans had been forced to learn as much about the Verian’s ways as possible, just in case we were caught unawares one day and had to fend for ourselves. I’d had no idea at the time that I would ever find myself face to face with a Verian, let alone living in one’s home.
“Enough,” she said, pushing into the room. She glanced down at the outfit that hung loosely over my shoulders and let out a bright laugh. “My freg, you look funny!”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but I nodded in agreement.
“I know.”
The tall woman strode easily toward me and lifted the top, tightening it toward my back and doing a quick, awe-inspiring men
d that made it fit a little better on my body.
“It will do for now,” she said thoughtfully. “Though the skirt is on backward.”
I sighed heavily and began twisting the skirt until it was on properly. “Is there something I can do for you? I am to offer my services to you night and day. Although I’m afraid it’s the first time I’ve ever been somewhere like this.”
“Yes,” she said, her silver eyes cold as they bore into mine. “There is something very important that I would like for you to do, in fact. I’d like you to stay away from my husband.”
“Excuse me?”
The idea that I was even remotely interested in Jaize brought a bubble of laughter to my lips. Sure, he was handsome, but I had never known anyone more infuriating in all of my life. Soon, I was laughing hard enough that tears were streaming down my face and I had to double over to keep from falling over.
“Thank you. I needed that,” I said, standing up finally and wiping my eyes. “I wouldn’t touch your husband if he were the last man on Earth.”
“Good,” his wife said. And then, under her breath, “Neither would I.”
This perplexed me, but I knew better than to ask what she meant by it. If she was going to make claims on a man she couldn’t stand, then it was clearly more of a control issue. It was becoming obvious to me that they didn’t have a very healthy relationship, but considering the state of their planet and the war between us, it was rare for anybody to have a healthy relationship these days. Even my parents had struggled before they had been killed.
“That being said,” Jaize’s wife continued on, turning her back on me and heading to the door. “I also don’t want you touching any of my things. It’s nothing personal, but humans are known to carry diseases. You’re little vectors, really, and I’m not sure just one simple ceremony would disinfect you enough to be traipsing around my house with the possibility of a baby on the way.” She patted her stomach and continued walking. “Do not venture far outside of your rooms. My husband will designate you the east wing, but if I catch you anywhere else, you will live to regret it. Do you understand?”
