by Pearl Tate
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
About This Book
Previously...
CHAPTER ONE - Nitara
CHAPTER TWO - Mihile
CHAPTER THREE - Nitara
CHAPTER FOUR - Mihile
CHAPTER FIVE - Nitara
CHAPTER SIX - Mihile
CHAPTER SEVEN - Nitara
CHAPTER EIGHT - Mihile
CHAPTER NINE - Mihile
CHAPTER TEN - Nitara
CHAPTER ELEVEN - Mihile
CHAPTER TWELVE - Nitara
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Mihile
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Nitara
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Mihile
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Nitara
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Mihile
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Nitara
CHAPTER NINETEEN - Mihile
CHAPTER TWENTY - Nitara
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Mihile
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Nitara
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - Mihile
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - Nitara
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Mihile
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - Nitara
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - Mihile
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - Nitara
About the Author
Sneak Peek of Sinth Savior
MIHILE'S MARVEL
By Pearl Tate
Copyright © 2020
Pearl Tate
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Book Cover Design by Alena Marie
Website: http://pearltate.com/BookCovers
Instagram Account: http://pearltate.com/covers
This book is dedicated to Virginia, the only beta reader who made it through the entire series.
Thank you.
MIHILE'S MARVEL
Mihile
I hate being trapped underground. With the planet Quasar uninhabitable on the surface, my entire life has been spent without sunlight. Since I was born blind, it's kind of fitting.
With my lack of vision and light skin and hair, I represent not only the most unique features of our species, but also the most shunned. Even with my political connections, I have few friends and no female prospects for any kind of commitment.
I think I'll always be alone in the dark until I see her. Suddenly, my sight begins forming, and my already excellent hearing becomes super charged. Now, I find out almost everything I believed was a lie. Our planet is inhabited above ground, and even though my doctors don't tell me themselves, I've mated.
I'll never be alone again—if my mate makes it to me.
The ruling bodies of Quasar are conspiring against the males who've mated… maybe even killing them. Will the spacecraft carrying my mate make it to Quasar? And when they do, will we be able to expose the conspiracy and all those involved?
How can we possibly stop something that runs so deep, when there's no way to let everyone know the truth?
Tara
Every day, every decision, whether it's large or small is based around my safety. Where I go, how I go there, and with whom is all carefully weighed.
Despite my family's diligence, between a hospital visit and attending college, I'm assaulted on a bus, and I end up fighting for my life.
Given the choice to leave Earth by the equivalent of alien matchmakers, I decide to take the plunge. I'm sick of the fear and female suppression my government enables. I'm told that my mate has endured a similar plight, and I'll have a part in changing that for his species.
But my mate's planet is under siege by the Marel, an insect-looking species of alien that accosts us on our way to Quasar. We escape but find out more are on the way. They're working with someone high in power on the planet, and we need to expose the female’s original treaty with the Ashen in addition to this new threat.
Is it too late to save the clueless on the planet Quasar and offer them new protection? Will the Marel be able to set up their breeding farms when their backup arrives?
Will the population of Quasar even believe the threat is real before it's too late?
Previously In The Series
BREN'S BLESSING (Book One of the Quasar Lineage) - BREN & HANNAH
Hannah Becker is rotating in space around Mars on the Mars Hope Skylab. The first American woman that far into space. Things go sideways and the Quasar aliens board her lab. She tries to just observe and stay alive, but Bren grabs her and takes her to their ship. The matings begin here.
MATTHIAS'S MIRACLE (Book Two of the Quasar Lineage) - MATTHIAS & SUSAN
Bren’s brother Matthias, develops mating marks at the end of book one. His mate is Susan who arrived on the prison planet along with some other Earth women under strange circumstances.
AMARI’S ADORED (Book Three of the Quasar Lineage) - AMARI & RACHEL
Amari lives on the prison planet, Dactyles and finds his mate Rachel on a spacecraft that crash lands there.
DEVLIN’S DARLING (Book Four of the Quasar Lineage) -DEVLIN & JENNY
Devlin is a prisoner on Dactyles who’s approached by Selas from the Discovery to come meet his mate Jenny who crash landed there.
CALLIM’S CHALLENGE (Book Five of the Quasar Lineage) - CALLIM & SHELLY
Shelly was one of the women who crash landed on Dactyles and they need to go back to Quasar to get her the Tirus-X vaccine. When she arrives, she’s introduced to Callim who was located by the Council as a male with mating marks.
TRAVEK’S TREASURE (Book Six of the Quasar Lineage) - TRAVEK & LISA
Travek left the Discovery in book one for his own personal, profit-driven reasons. He’s the one that pulls the other women off Earth and that’s how he ends up meeting his mate.
REMUS’S REVELATION (Book Seven of the Quasar Lineage) - REMUS & JO-ANNE
Remus is sent by the Sacred Mother and his Ermada from Quasar to locate his brother Travek. Jo-Anne is with Travek and Lisa.
SELAS’S SALVATION (Book Eight of the Quasar Lineage) - SELAS & KAREN
Selas is Bren’s right-hand man on the Discovery and was left on Dactyles in book two to clean up the mess the Warden had created. Karen is brought there by Travek, Lisa, Remus and Jo-Anne.
ATTICUS’S ANGEL (Book Nine of the Quasar Lineage) - ATTICUS & ASHLYN
Atticus is a medical doctor on the Discovery.
BROCK’S BELOVED (Book Ten of the Quasar Lineage) - BROCK & BRITTNEY
Brock is a medical doctor on the Discovery.
CHEVEPAK’S CHERISHED (Book Eleven of the Quasar Lineage) - CHEVEPAK & APRIL
Chevepak is one of Vina Likana’s promised, left by Matthias in charge of helping him get abused males off the planet Quasar. When mating marks unexpectedly show up on his body, he has to conceal them from his Ermada, adding to the secrets he hides from everyone until the Discovery returns.
You don't have to read Bren's Blessing, Matthias’s Miracle, Amari’s Adored, Devlin’s Darling, Callim’s Challenge, Travek’s Treasure, Remus’s Revelation, Selas’s Salvation, Atticus’s Angel, Brock’s Beloved, or Chevepak’s Cherished in order to understand the plot, but
the story will be more well-rounded if you do!
CHAPTER ONE
- Nitara
TWO WEEKS AGO
Looking up at the bus windows as it pulls to a stop in front of me, I notice the packed seats, wondering if they’ll even be standing room available. Glancing at my watch, I know there’s no chance I can wait for the next one. Not if I want to make my next class, which starts in forty-five minutes at the Lady Shri Ram College.
Pulling out my phone, I send a quick text to my father. He’s my point of contact from the time I step out the door of the hospital, until I arrive on campus at my all-girls college here in New Delhi. He’ll expect me to let him know when I get on the bus and find a seat.
Even though the bus is packed, I’m getting on. I have to. If I wait for the next one, I’ll be late.
Ignoring the ding of my father’s response, I tuck my phone away and make sure that all my belongings are secured snugly in the backpack I’m carrying. This is my least favorite route, but I don’t have much choice.
Due to my health issues, I have quarterly checkups to track the thalassemia intermedia I was born with. It’s not normally life threatening or anything. It just means that my body can’t produce enough hemoglobin and red blood cells.
Unfortunately, I had a head cold over the last month, and my doctor scheduled me for a blood transfusion that my regular escort couldn’t attend. Public buses are more dangerous than the metro, where female-only compartments keep us separated from the jostling crowds of men like I’m encountering now.
Climbing the stairs, I pause, noticing that a large portion of the occupants are exiting out of the rear doors, but all the seats near the front are still full. Slowly, I follow the line of men ahead of me, moving deeper into the narrow lane between the seats before pausing next to a vacant space by an elderly gentleman.
Twisting slightly, I drop into the seat gratefully, pulling my backpack loose to settle it into my lap. Keeping my face forward, I ignore my surroundings as more people continue to walk by, squeezing into the already crowded area. Eventually, they all pack in, and with a jerk, we’re off.
I’m a little concerned with some of the leers I’m receiving from a group of young men just ahead of me. Glancing behind me, I realize that I traveled further into the bus than I realized, but I still feel it was worth it. Getting a blood transfusion makes me feel woozy, and I don’t want to be standing if I don’t have to be. I release my phone from the zipper pocket to send my father his customary text.
I’m seated. Xx
When he doesn’t respond instantly, I tuck it away to study the window over the older gentleman to my left. The bus rumbles beneath me as we sway into traffic and the conversations around me escalate, drowning out any concerns until a shadow is cast over my right side, followed by an unfamiliar voice, “Why, hello there, pretty thing. How’re you doing today?”
I would and could ignore his heavy weight pressed against my arm and side, but his hand begins trailing across my shoulders, wrapping around my neck. Like we know each other. Or like I’m public property to paw.
“Stop that!” Jerking to my left, I pull my weight forward, perching on the edge of my seat. Typical. Someone else who just can’t mind his own business.
Creating a clicking sound with his tongue, his hand follows me, tightening on my neck and pinching the muscles painfully as he scolds me. “Don’t be like that… come on. We just want to talk.”
We? My stomach sinks in fear.
There are echoing murmurs of agreement that escalate my worry as his hand drops down from my neck to grab my upper arm near him. Hugging my backpack to my chest, I implore the older man next to me on my left. “Please. I don’t know him. Just—”
My plea is cut off as I’m yanked from the seat. Instead, I scream, hoping someone will come to my rescue. “No! Please! Anyone… I don’t know him!”
I’m only standing for an instant before I’m shoved into another seat only a few rows back, and my cries are cut off as I’m pulled into two sets of strong arms. A hand is immediately across my mouth, and my teeth cut into flesh, drawing the tangy, copper taste of blood.
“Fucking bitch,” hisses the man whose face I’ve yet to see. As soon as the fingers are pulled away, I cry out, but it’s short lived as cloth is stuffed into my mouth, cutting off my voice. I begin thrashing, kicking, and bucking in the small space between the men’s bodies and the seat in front of them.
Not only does everyone on the bus ignore me, but so do my captors who snatch my backpack from my hands. I watch helplessly as it disappears over the back of the seat to someone else's hands. As stupid as it sounds at the moment, my first thought is my phone and school books, both gone and likely to never be seen again.
But my brief instant of worry for them is short-lived as I realize I’ve a lot more that I should be concerned about. The man who originally assaulted me and put me into this situation has situated himself between my jean clad legs. As my captors beneath me hold me tightly, his fingers fumble with my waist.
Not letting them get the better of me, instead of trying to pull away as they expect, I twist and turn into the bodies holding me, throwing my head up as I turn. Pain bursts through my forehead as it slams against the nose of the man holding my shoulders and mouth. He immediately releases me, but another man in the seat behind us has stood and takes my captor’s place holding my arms, but not before smashing his fist into my face at least twice.
I lost count after that. Blow after blow rains down on my body. My hip, my stomach… it all takes my breath away. By the time I stop coughing, I realize that my pants are around my ankles. Arching my back to try and pull from the arms around my midsection, I’m straining helplessly against my captors.
An elbow to my throat has my eyes watering as my vision dims to grey, and for a moment, I’m sure I’m going to pass out. The coughing and wheezing compresses the material still jammed in my teeth, and I push at it with my tongue, trying to breath and scream around my shortness of breathe as the gag cuts off my air. It’s hopeless, though.
My body works on autopilot, bucking and trying to fight, although I can feel my muscles cramping as they fatigue. I won’t go easily. Of course, I’ve always known this is a possibility.
It’s a way of life in New Delhi and not uncommon in most of the country. Everyday brings a fresh set of decisions about how to stay safe. Should I take a chance and walk to school today since my friend who normally doubles me on their scooter is sick? Or do I take a chance and walk? Do I take the shortcut where I’ll be exposed to a common and well-known local flasher’s genitals?
Everywhere I go in the city, I’m exposed to leering, rude comments, and like this instance, unwanted touching. Unfortunately, it appears that this group of men plan to rape me too.
Rough hands pinch my body as they grope and tear at my clothing. The rude commentary is low and heated but makes no sense, especially after one of them hits me in the head again. My ears ring with a high pitched drone as they continue to entertain themselves.
I’ll be going back to the hospital—again. I’ve become desensitized to the horrible smells and uncomfortable care, but it looks like this will end there. I can barely keep my eyes open, and do I really want to? Not really.
Giving in to the darkness, I drift into unconsciousness, thankful that I won’t remember any more.
CHAPTER TWO
- Mihile
TWO WEEKS AGO
My skin tingles across my chest as I settle into my daily reflections at the beginning of the cycle. I’ve learned that in the past, Quasarians settled into daily reflections at the crack of dawn, facing the rising sun at the beginning of the day, but since we’ve been an underground species for thousands of years, we no longer abide by the sun rising. I’m blind, so it wouldn’t have mattered that much to me anyway.
Instead, I cross my legs and take a deep inhale, trying to relax and ignore the strange, new sensation on my skin. I noticed it beginning yesterday evening. A crawling, imperc
eptible change in my skin. So far, it’s only affected my torso, and I’ve run my fingers over it continually, thinking maybe I’m developing a rash. But it doesn’t itch… exactly.
No. Instead, it’s a soft, fluttering prickle that doesn’t let up or stop. It’s only in certain areas that I can trace with my fingers, but equally on both sides, too. Exactly where I’m experiencing it on the left, I also feel it on the right. I thought about telling Helper Tracala, but at this point, I feel it’s unnecessary.
It’d mean exposing myself to her, and for some reason, that doesn’t appeal to me. She’s been acting odd since beginning her assignment with me. I’ll give it a few more daily rotations before seeking feedback from one of the others who live in this area of the underground city with me.
I’m one of the most fortunate here in our underground community, since my mother is the religious leader and known as the Sacred Mother. We’ve everything we could possibly need and much more than that. Since arriving on this planet thousands of years ago, we’ve remained beneath the surface in our many dwellings dug out efficiently by our technology to mimic our previous cities we abandoned.
Even though my mind is flitting through unwanted and unnecessary information, I’m caught off guard by a lightening in my vision. For the first time in my entire life, I understand the concept of the word “lighter.” Instead of letting it distract me, I embrace this new tone, so different from the total darkness I’m accustomed to being surrounded by.
Concentrating on the lightening in my surroundings, I relax and embrace the strange tingling floating across my skin, letting it lull me into a deeper trance. My breathing intensifies as a burst of light flickers and races across my vision. Over and over it falls down in front of me, seeming to echo the waterfall in my chamber. The soothing sound of the water has always helped me settle deeper into my daily reflections, and this time is no different.
