by Renee Rose
“They have to ensure you’re healthy,” one of them says.
“And isolate you for your own protection prior to your donation,” says another. “The doctor needs to keep you in a sterile environment before any surgical procedures.”
“The medical team is eager to extract your cells. Your gift may be the answer they’ve been looking for.”
Tears prick my eyes. No more experiments. No more surgeries.
Somehow it all seems so much worse now that I had a taste of freedom. I believed it was over. That I’d see waterfalls and be in charge of my own medicine.
But I’m not going to be free. I’m right back in captivity, a breathing lump of flesh owned by others, subject to their whims and desires.
I make another attempt at freedom, fighting the two Zandians holding me until I end up on the ground with one sitting on top of me.
“Get off her, or I’ll cut your vecking head off,” a furious Khrys roars. He holds a sword to the throat of the Zandian on top of me. Gabin, the warrior who’d held him before, stands at his back, as if willing to allow his intervention.
The guard slowly eases back. “I’m just following orders, Captain. I tried not to hurt her.”
“I’m not hurt,” I bite out, fury making it impossible to feel anything else.
“Talk to her,” Gabin advises. “See if you can calm her down.”
“Kailani—I’m sorry. I should have discussed it before we landed. We have young here who are sick. Your body holds the key to helping them survive.” His voice is full of supplication. “We just need some blood and bone marrow tissue—”
I slap his face as hard as I can.
He betrayed me. He fucking betrayed me.
My breath comes faster and in odd short bursts. Black and yellow static swirl in front of my eyes.
“They won’t hurt you. They just need some samples. After that—”
“No,” I whisper, backing up. “No samples. I can’t. You know I can’t!” I crouch down and vomit.
“Take her now,” the commander says. “She needs help.”
“Let me take her,” Khrys entreats, but the warrior Gabin takes his arm. “You’re only making it worse,” he says.
The two warriors take me by the arms. “You’ll be okay very soon,” one of them promises me. “We’re taking you to Doctor Daneth.”
He says this like it’s supposed to bring comfort. Instead, I nearly swoon from the panic. The hyperventilation starts. The taste of the vomit is acrid in my mouth.
One of the warriors walks by holding Whimmie with his thumb and middle finger away from his body like she’s diseased.
I scream. “Don’t hurt her!” I wail. “She’s mine! She’s mine. Please.” I collapse completely, my feet dragging like a limp doll.
A Zandian picks me up with ease although his arms are dispassionate. “Hurry,” he says to his companion. “She’s precious to Zandia. We need to get her to the doctor immediately.”
The last thing I remember before blacking out is the sound of my hiccupped breaths and the pain of a headache breaking my skull apart in a million pieces.
Chapter 11
Khrys
I’ve never experienced pain like this before—not even when my brother died. It’s all true what they say about human females. They activate emotions in us. Bring us to life. Make us vulnerable to this life-crushing heartache.
Because Kailani—the beautiful, strong, sweet being I vowed to protect—feels betrayed by me.
Veck!
I did betray her. It was my own idiocy in not explaining the situation. I put it off, wanting to win her trust, to bond her to me. But I should have told her before we landed. Instead, I selfishly claimed her again and again, forgetting about what was important.
Zandia.
Except that doesn’t feel right.
Not Zandia—Kailani.
Stars, yes. It’s true. That female means more to me than my honor. Even more than aiding the ailing halflings. If I’d handled myself better, it wouldn’t be a choice. If I’d been able to convince Kailani to help before we arrived.
Veck it all! This is my worst mistake of all.
Gabin leads me into an interrogation room and sits with me. “You’re to wait for the council, I believe.”
When I don’t answer, he says, I’m sorry, my friend.”
I shake my head. “No, I deserve this and more. All of it. My mate—”
Gabin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Did you mate her? Without permission? I didn’t see any piercings.”
I drop my head into my hands. “No, not officially. But I claimed her, Gabin. She trusted me. And right now, she’s afraid and alone, and I’m here in this holding cell for questioning, unable to do anything.”
Gabin shakes his head. “It didn’t seem to me like she wanted you there.”
The terrible weight on my chest grows even heavier. “Veck. I know. I never told her why we wanted her. She’s been traumatized by her former masters. She hates doctors and needles and surgeries. I didn’t want to scare her. I thought I’d win her trust first. But I made it so much worse.”
“Not worse,” Gabin says, but I know he’s just being kind.
“I need to be with her. Even if she doesn’t want me there. We’ve bonded.”
Gabin’s wrist comm lights up. “Take Captain Khrys to a holding cell. The king doesn’t want to see him until the human has been evaluated.”
I shoot to my feet. “No!” I shout. “That’s too late. Master Seke, my mate is highly distressed. At this point, she is unwilling to give any samples. Are we going to force her? Treat her as badly as the rest of the galaxy treats humans?”
Seke’s holo spins to look at me. “Captain, her reluctance is precisely why you’re going to a holding cell. Your methods of extracting her may not have been honorable. We need full information before any action is taken.”
I curse and fall back to my chair.
And then a terrible realization hits me.
“She needs her medication,” I snap. “The one we went to Dentron to gather flowers for. If she doesn’t get it, she suffers horribly.”
“Where is the medication?” Master Seke asks coolly.
“On the ship. I must get it now.” I’m already running out the door, without leave.
Kailani
I wake into a nightmare. Two beings hover over me, peering down with great concentration, one a Zandian, the other one apparently a human female.
“Her vitals are strong, and she’s free of any infectious agents,” the male declares. “But adrenaline levels are high, and her cortisol is dangerously elevated. She’ll need to rest and relax before we can begin the testing.” He sounds displeased at this. “Those need to come back to normal levels first.”
As they come into focus, I realize he holds a syringe.
I scream and jerk.
The human flinches in surprise, but the Zandian doesn’t react. His expression is cool. “She’s awake,” he says to his companion. He sets the syringe down on a shiny tray. “Calm her, please.”
My whole body begins to tremble. I lurch up to a sitting position. “No,” I struggle. “Get away from me.”
The syringe gleams in the light.
The human’s voice is gentle and soft. “We’re not going to hurt you, Kailani. We’re going to give you something to help you relax.”
I’m confused by the fact that it’s a human working on me. A human in some position of power over me.
“Where’s my whimmet?” I have no idea why I’m asking about the animal now. Maybe because with Khrys’ betrayal, that little furry creature is the only being I trust.
“Your what?” The human blinks at me, her eyebrows arched up into a query.
“The animal I found. It was on the craft with me.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that.” She hands me a fluid tube. “Please drink this, yes? You need to rehydrate.”
I ignore the fluid. “They didn’t hurt her, did they?” M
y stomach is a rock. Pain starts to reverberate in my skull.
The doctor steps forward, the needle prepped in his gloved hand.
“No! Don’t touch me.” I’m hoarse with panic. They don’t seem to have me tied down, but I’m dizzy and nauseated. My headache is coming on swiftly.
I look around me for any ways to escape. I’m in a small room that’s mostly white and silver—it looks like a med bay. The door is secure, and the window, if it even opens, doesn’t seem easily accessible.
I jump down from the table in a crouch. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will,” I warn.
The Zandian instantly steps protectively in front of the dark-haired human. “You will do no such thing,” he snaps.
“It’s going to be all right.” The human sounds so kind. She touches the Zandian’s arm in a gesture that appears more intimate than a master-slave or even boss-employee. “It’s normal to be disoriented on your first planet rotation here. Many humans have this kind of reaction. But you’re on Zandia now. You’re safe.”
I eye the needle, panic surging again. “Let me out of here. You have to let me out of here. I won’t let you experiment on me.” A terrible trembling starts through my limbs. I kick the needle out of the Zandian’s hand. At least I try to, but he quickly side-steps and wraps an arm around my chest.
“I’ll sedate her. She’s too agitated to reason with. We’ll try again later,” he says to his assistant.
“No!” I scream, jabbing him with my elbow and almost managing to get free.
“Stop!” Khrys roars, appearing in the doorway. “Unhand her.”
The doctor does release me, but he speaks evenly to Khrys. “You do not give the orders in my lab, Captain.”
“She requires medication. Can’t you see she’s in the throes of pain?”
I realize, then, that he’s holding the box with my medication. Despite my fury with him, that fact produces an instant response in my body. Relief. Desperate need. The desire to do anything he tells me to do in order to get the meds.
I rush to him, and he scrambles to open the box, producing the dropper. I part my lips, and he dribbles it into my mouth.
“Come with me,” Khrys orders, catching my hand.
“No,” the doctor barks. “She’s not cleared to leave the—”
“Dr. Daneth, I know what’s at stake here. But my mate is frightened and unwilling at this point to assist, and I must insist she be remanded to my care to ensure her emotional well-being.”
I blink, the throbbing in my head starting to ebb. My pain-muddled brain stutters on several parts of his statement at once. My mate. Unwilling at this point to assist. Emotional well-being.
I pull my hand out of his grasp and slap him hard across the face. He doesn’t dodge or parry, he just takes it, regret washing over his expression.
“Captain Khrys, clearly you are responsible for her emotional upset,” Dr. Daneth says.
“No, he’s not! You are!” I scream at the doctor. For some reason—angry as I am at Khrys —I feel the need to protect him. “You all are.” I glare at every being in the room. “But you better not hurt Kyrs. If anyone is going to hurt Khrys, it will be me.” I slap Khrys once more for good measure. “LIke this.”
The doctor makes a noise that might be irritation. “This is highly irregular and inappropriate.” He looks at Bayla then back at me. “You need to settle down, so we can proceed.”
“Doctor Daneth.” Khrys’ voice is firm and convincing. “You’re right; she’s angry at me, and she has every right. I’d like the chance, anyway, to explain things to her. Help her understand what’s at stake.” He meets the doctor’s gaze. “I don’t think she’ll be able to settle down until she feels safe and secure. I can help do that for her.”
Even though I’m angry beyond belief at Khrys, being near him still has an oddly calming effect. I’m relieved that he’s all right. When they took him from me, I was so terrified for him—
I take a deep breath.
The wristband on my arm beeps. One of the red lights has turned yellow. Another one starts to blink green.
“Interesting.” The doctor glances at my wrist. “It appears that being around you does seem to help her vitals improve.” He frowns.
Bayla steps closer and looks into my eyes. “Do you want to go with Captain Khrys right now, Kailani?”
I nod.
Bayla looks at the doctor. They seem to have a conversation without words. She tilts her head; he nods.
“All right.” The doctor crosses his arms. “You may leave the med bay for a short time.” He touches my wrist and looks at Khrys. “But if these turn red, you must bring her back for her own safety.”
I ignore him and promptly take Khrys’ hand back in mine. “Let’s go.” I’m moving to the door before Khrys. The moment we’re out of the lab, I start running. Khrys keeps my hand tight in his, keeping pace.
We’re in some kind of marble-floored building—more beautiful and expensive than any I’ve seen. Nothing like the kinds of medical buildings I’ve known before.
“This way.” Khrys tugs me down a corridor then out a door. We burst outside, and I draw up, blinking in the afternoon light.
“Where are we going?”
“Anywhere you want to go, little warrior,” Khrys says softly. “The waterfall. My domicile. Off-planet, somewhere. It’s up to you, just know that you won’t be going alone. Anywhere you go, I go. You’re my mate.”
I turn and face him, my eyes filling with tears. “Khrys, what’s happening?”
Guilt and regret wash over his face. “Let’s go to the waterfall, and I’ll tell you everything. I’m sorry, Kailani. I’m so vecking sorry. I never meant for things to happen this way.”
“What way?” One of my tears spills, hot and hurried, down my face.
He takes my face in his hands, thumbing away the moisture. “Come with me. Please? And I’ll tell you everything.”
I nod, another tear tracking down my face. Because what other choice do I have? It’s Khrys or that horrible med bay back there. Even if I want to kick Khrys in the nuts, I’d take him over a doctor any day.
I’d take him over any being.
“What about Whimmie?” I ask, remembering the only other being who seems to care for me right now.
Khrys pauses in surprise. “We’ll get her, too. All right? I may end up in the dungeons for this but…”
“But what?” I tip my face up to his, trying to figure it all out.
“You’re what’s important to me.”
Chapter 12
Khrys
I take Kailani’s hand and lead her to my hovercraft, which I fly to the clearing above the waterfall. I appear to be in luck—there are no other crafts parked in the area. We will have the waterfall to ourselves.
She eyes me nervously. I’ve lost her trust, and it won’t be easy to recover. She still seems to think I’m trying to trick her.
“Come on. You’re going to love this,” I promise, taking her hand and jogging with her toward the falls. She runs along beside me, picking up speed when she hears the sound of the crashing water.
We circle around where twin waterfalls cascade over zandian crystals, sending rainbow prisms in all directions. Kailani stops and gasps.
“Oh! It’s beautiful.”
I squeeze her hand, grateful when she doesn’t pull out of my grasp.
“The water is warm. One waterfall is hot, one is cold, so the pool below is the perfect temperature.” I strip off my clothes.
I know we need to talk, but I’d do anything to show her something nice right now. Something beautiful.
She nibbles her cheek, then strips out of her clothes, too.
“Do you know how to swim?”
She answers me by jumping into the water ahead of me. I smile and follow her in. She’s a fantastic swimmer, and she kicks straight toward the waterfalls, diving under them and then reappearing, smiling.
I’m not as skilled. I spent half my life in space, trai
ning on King Zander’s palatial pod after we lost our planet. We had no opportunities for swimming there, but my body still remembers how to stay afloat and how to propel myself around. I follow Kailani’s sleek form under the waterfalls. She swims beneath them and discovers the secret moss-covered ledge behind them.
“So you didn’t lie about the waterfall,” she says grudgingly, pulling herself out of the water to examine the crystal wall. My horns stiffen at the sight of her fully naked and out of the water, but I shove my lust down.
“I didn’t lie about anything. Zandians don’t lie.” I climb out of the water and sit on a soft patch of moss.
She whirls, hurt and anger marring her lovely face. “What did you omit, then?”
I try to swallow against the tight band around my throat. “A Z4-A virus has affected the planet. Not the Zandians, but the weaker humans. Many of the young—the halflings we’re relying on keeping our species alive, including the king’s own daughter, Kaylar. Some have died already.”
She’s gone still and tense. “I see.”
“When I saw your dossier, I hoped your engineered resistance to illness might provide some answers. To save the children.”
“And you thought you’d be a hero and save your species by bringing me here.”
I rub my face. “Veck, Kailani. That was my plan, yes. Before I knew you. And then I realized how traumatized you were. How much you hated needles and doctors, and I held back my purpose. I didn’t want you to be afraid. But I should have told you everything. And I’m sorry—I’m so vecking sorry about the way they took you. I never meant for that to happen. I want to rip all their heads off their vecking necks.”
She comes over to sit beside me. Some of the tension has left Kailani’s face. I doubt I’m forgiven, but maybe she’s not as angry as she was before.
“They took me into custody because I hadn’t requested permission to go on the mission. I should have accounted for that. I was a fool. I guess I imagined a much more celebratory landing. Me the hero—you the heroine. Instead we were both dragged in like prisoners.”