Flying in Spaceships with Aliens (Kilbus Lord Book 2)

by Erin Raegan

  “I’m not leaving,” I told them.

  Noah ignored me, throwing guns and clothes into a bag. I sighed and sat back, rubbing my head.

  “Listen to her, Noah,” Bets pleaded. “it’s dangerous out there.”

  And oh yeah, I didn’t want to go because of them. The Vitat. I wanted to stay alive.

  Lahn and Kayd wouldn’t leave with us. They wouldn’t leave anyone here by themselves. We would be running through a dangerous world on our own.

  “He’ll take her away,” Noah mumbled. “He’ll come here and take her and you’ll never see her again.”

  Noah hadn’t done well after Killian messed with his mind. Whatever Killian had done that day he left, making Noah forget everything, had worn off after he left. Everything had come flooding back and Noah couldn’t let it go. He was going to do something stupid when Killian got here. I could feel it.

  “Noah, please,” Bets whimpered.

  I got up and hugged her tightly.

  “Let’s go.” Noah grabbed my hand and dragged me to the window.

  “This is pointless,” Lahn mumbled. “They will catch you.”

  It was pointless. We wouldn’t get far. I didn’t see the point in fighting Noah though.

  “I have to try,” was all Noah said.

  He popped open the window and tossed the bag onto the ground. He climbed out first then waved for me. I shook my head, backing away. Mike grabbed my shoulders and steered me to the window.

  Todd nearly trembled as he followed us.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked Mike. He’d been my friend. He didn’t like what had happened in that lab. But he and Noah had taken control of our safety together the day we ran from the compound. That had bonded them in some way. He wouldn’t listen to me over Noah.

  “Noah’s right. He’ll take you, and we can’t trust them.”

  “You don’t even know him,” I told him, exhausted. Just bone tired of fighting. Fighting our circumstances. My brother. The knotted feelings for an alien I couldn’t seem to expel.

  Mike looked at me with pity in his eyes. “And you do?”

  I didn’t have an answer to that. Everything I thought I knew had been a lie.

  Sal tried to step in, but Mike was too strong. He and I were out the window into the cold night before anyone could stop him.

  Noah lifted the bag, then grabbed my hand and walked to the side of the cabin. “We go fast and quiet.”

  Mike nodded. I just shook my head. They weren’t listening to me.

  Mike led the way, Noah pulling me behind him. Mike peeked around the cabin’s corner and turned back to wave us forward. We made it to the front of the cabin before Jareth stepped from the shadows. He slowly shook his head at Mike and Todd as they slammed to a stop.

  “I told you,” I muttered.

  Noah didn’t waste words. He aimed his gun at the alien alongside Mike, both backing away, and pushing me and Todd farther to the back of the property. We were headed to the woods again.

  Jareth bared his fangs and slowly shook his head again. A warning.

  Nervous, I turned to my brother, “We need to go back.”

  “Shut up, Theo,” Noah spat.

  I fisted my hands and reluctantly let him and Todd corral me toward the woods. Fighting them would only get someone hurt. Most likely me. Once we had the trees for cover, Mike turned around and walked into the woods, Todd and me following him. Noah walked backward, watching the alien stalking us.

  “Just shoot it,” Todd said anxiously.

  “They could be like the Vitat,” Mike rumbled. “Bullets might not do shit.”

  That was true. We knew from second-hand information in the early days that the Vitat were nearly impervious to most of our weapons. Our own experiences with them told the same story. Lahn and Kayd had confirmed that when they found us.

  Not that we needed to shoot Jareth. He seemed like an okay guy. A little reckless and aggressive, but he believed he was protecting me until his freaking lord could collect me. And with how Noah, Mike, and Todd were acting, that might not be a bad idea. They seemed too jumpy. Too quick to violence. Too afraid.

  Lights flashed in the woods in front of Mike. Bright white glowing lights. They lit up the forest so brightly, it looked as if the sun had come out six hours too early. We slammed to a stop. Noah hissed a curse as he, Mike, and Todd circled around to surround me.

  “It’s him,” Noah said. “Get ready.”

  I looked at the sky, praying for patience. This was such a gross overreaction it was unbelievable. We saw and spoke to aliens every day. They may be Dahk, but they were still aliens. We knew about others on Earth. Those that were helping us. Jareth and his kind weren’t the enemy. The Vitat were.

  “We’re just going to piss him off,” I mumbled.

  Noah glared at Jareth.

  But I wasn’t talking about him. I was talking about Killian.

  Of how Killian had been in the last day I’d seen him. Angry, so very angry at those guards for hurting me.

  Only this time, it was my brother in the crossfire. But I didn’t know what to do. Except maybe run. I eyed the woods, I wouldn’t be able to outrun Killian, but I could draw them away from Noah and his reckless actions.

  We heard them come from all sides.

  Dark shadows moving through the trees.

  Aliens like Careem and Jareth, but also others. Ones with long hair on their faces and arms, others with mechanical appendages. So many different aliens.

  Then there was the tall, lithe shadow that stalked at the front of the pack.

  I could feel his golden eyes boring into me. They were glued to my every move. First his midnight-black hair was illuminated by the ship’s light, then his broad shoulders and his smooth frame prowling toward me. He walked closer, exuding confidence. A dark twist to his mouth.

  Killian stood before us, the ship’s light illuminating his outline. And he took my breath away.

  Gone was the human shell I had once come to know and adore. He stood there now as a predator. A dark force bleeding menace. Completely alien to me in every way.

  “Move away,” he rumbled, a seething malevolent twist to his voice.

  It lit my skin on fire.

  Noah panted, a tremor in his hand as he aimed at everything surrounding us. “No.”

  “Move,” Killian purred, rage clear in his tone. “Or I will move you.”

  “Noah?” Todd asked, his voice shaking and near hysterical.

  “Don’t move,” he barked at Todd and Mike.

  “Man,” Mike said warily, “I get why you’re running. Totally do, dude is scary as hell, but that’s why I don’t know if we should keep this up.”

  “He’ll kill us,” Todd said quietly, his voice wavering. “He. Will. Kill. Us.”

  I looked at Todd, shocked. Killian wasn’t a killer. At least, I’d never seen him as one. He’d lied. A lot. But he’d never physically hurt anyone.

  Except those men who had tried to take me back home.

  But he’d had his reasons then.

  My hand moved to my mouth to smother a gasp.

  That was why. That was what all this was about. Not my safety. Never that.

  I looked at Noah, hurt. They were trying to save their own asses. They were afraid when Killian found out what they’d done—

  I cut off the thought when Killian made a low sound of rage in the back of his throat. He could read my every thought. I pulled up images of kittens. Strawberries. The beach. My favorite episode of Supernatural. Anything to keep him from reading me.

  To save my own brother.

  Killian chuckled then, shaking his head. I watched a slow smile spread on his lips. This one light and knowing.

  I scowled at him. If he thought that smile would just erase everyt—

  A cool metal object pressed into my temple.

  Killian’s smile dropped into a snarl.

  I held my breath, knowing that cool press to be a gun.

  “Back away,” Tod
d shouted from behind me. “I’ll shoot her! I will!”

  “Todd!”

  “What the fuck?” Noah barked, dropping his stance and reaching for me.

  Todd circled his arm around my waist and pulled my back into his chest as he stumbled away from the group. I tripped over tree roots and rocks as he trembled and scrambled away from all the aliens growling at him.

  “I will break your mind before you can pull the trigger,” Killian hissed.

  Killian was going to control him. Just as he had me.

  Killian looked at me sharply. Hesitant and wary.

  “My lord,” a familiar voice called, “just take care of him.”

  Oren.

  I looked through the crowd. There by the tree behind Killian, Oren stood, his stance tense and incensed. Only he looked nothing like Oren.

  Gone were the glittery bright clothes. He looked and dressed like Killian. All black leather. Gold at his wrists and neck. But his hair was cropped close to his skull. Only his face was familiar. A little sharper but still Oren. And he had spoken nearly perfect English.

  “I can’t,” Killian hissed, his eyes glued to Todd’s hand.

  “Why not?” Oren drawled, stepping closer.

  “Don’t move!” Todd shouted.

  “She doesn’t want me to,” Killian bit out.

  Oren scoffed. “Now you grow a conscience?”

  Killian scowled.

  “Fuck that,” Noah hissed and pulled his trigger.

  A loud boom echoed in my ears as Todd’s hands spasmed around me then fell away. I whirled around, watching him drop to the ground. A bullet hole right between his eyes.

  My hand slowly rose to my face, brushing against the wet warmth dripping there.

  I shivered, woodenly turning back to Noah. The blood had long drained from my face as he lowered his gun to his side. “You shot him.”

  “He would have shot you,” Noah said, sounding almost bored.

  My mouth opened and closed, my hands trembling at my sides. I looked back down at Todd. I knew that man. I’d known him for a year. He’d been a nameless, faceless guard in the compound before coming here. But then he was Todd. He hated green beans. Liked to challenge Wes and his father to arm wrestling competitions. He helped May in the garden. Worked on cars with Jeremey and Sal.

  I knew Todd.

  And he was dead.

  After trying to kill me.

  Hands pulled me away from Todd’s body. Warm, gentle hands turned my face away from the body carefully smearing away the warm blood on my cheek. Golden eyes searched my face.

  “She’s in shock,” Mike mumbled.

  “Step away,” Noah said.

  Killian ignored them, running his thumb across my cheek. “Theo?”

  “You’re here,” I whispered.

  He nodded hesitantly. “I am.”

  “I wish you weren’t.”

  He flinched, his hands dropping away. Numb all over, I watched him back away from me. Noah pulled me to his side, turning me back toward the cabins.

  “All that and we’re just going to invite them in?” Mike asked in a heated whisper.

  “Yeah,” Noah said. “After all that, what the fuck is the point?”

  Noah knew Todd. They were friends.

  I looked at my brother. “You killed your friend.”

  His face softened as he looked at me. “He held a gun to my sister’s head.”

  I nodded, looking away. I heard them behind us. Dozens of feet following us.

  We walked closer to Jareth. His face was twisted in rage as he watched us. He turned and led the way back to the cabins.

  Bets and Sal were standing outside in the wet grass as we cleared the woods. Lahn and Kayd watched us warily. Bets cried my name when she saw me, and I pushed away from Noah, walking into her open arms.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  I shook my head and looked at the group of aliens coming up on the cabin.

  Iris whistled sharply from inside. “You find a horde of bloodthirsty aliens in the woods?”

  “Something like that,” I mumbled and walked into the cabin. I sat down heavily at the kitchen table, my body tingling from the warm rush of air.

  My cabin was a lot smaller than the communal one, but nearly every single human and alien did their best to cram into the space.

  “Oh dear,” Bets whispered, inching around the new aliens toward the back of the cabin.

  Sal’s hands dropped onto my shoulders from behind as Killian came inside, ducking to avoid the short doorway.

  “Killian,” Sal said shortly.

  Killian nodded to Sal. Just as short.

  “We didn’t think we’d ever see you again,” Bets said primly, hiding her emotions as best she could.

  Killian tore his eyes from me to look at her. “I hadn’t intended for you to see me again.” He looked back at me. “Unless it was necessary.”

  What made his presence necessary? An alien invasion was a pretty big reason. But not a kidnapping and being poked and prodded like a specimen?

  Killian cursed and looked at Noah with rage in his eyes.

  I bit my lip and looked away, singing childish songs in my head to keep him out.

  Killian sighed. “What happened?”

  “Your boy here found Theo,” Iris said around a grin. “Not sure she wanted to be found though.”

  “Who are you?” Killian asked her sharply.

  “Iris,” she sang.

  Careem stepped between her and Killian.

  Killian sighed again and turned to Noah. “What happened?”

  “What did you think would happen?” Noah snapped. “A fucking alien came to visit. Did you really think they would leave her alone?”

  Tibert whistled long and low.

  “I misjudged you,” Killian said to Noah. “I thought you had more sense in your tiny brain than to let them touch her.”

  Noah straightened and puffed out his chest. “You don’t know me. Or what I did to keep them off her.”

  “Nothing,” Killian rumbled. “You did nothing.”

  “No,” Bets said shakily, stepping up to Noah’s side in a rare show of comradery. “You did nothing.”

  Noah shot her a surprised look but allowed her to hold his arm.

  “Bets—” Killian started.

  She shook her head. “No, you can say nothing. You left her to them. You left all of us.” She took a threatening step toward Killian as Sal watched with hawk eyes. “Theo isn’t going with you.”

  Killian clenched his jaw and stiffened. “You’re all coming with me. I’m not giving you a choice.”

  Then he turned and left.

  Time to Leave

  Theo

  I watched the aliens walk through the campground. Dozens of them. They were packing us up. Iris and Tibert chased them around. Raging and shouting at them. But they wouldn’t stop. Killian had given them the order.

  It made sense, I guessed. Killian—not Killian.

  Not anymore.

  Kil.

  It made sense that he was the leader of the Kilbus. I’d seen it two years ago. The way he commanded Leo and Oren and everyday people. How he demanded their attention and how willingly they gave it. How we all did.

  He was a leader.

  Not at all who I thought he was.

  We were leaving in hours. All night, the Kilbus had been packing our things. Everything that could possibly be used as supplies. Food, water, medical supplies.

  The first things to go were the weapons. Killian had us all disarmed so fast, we hadn’t realized what was happening. Iris’s family was not happy about it. Noah even more so.

  I hadn’t seen Kil. After he’d told his guys what to do, he’d said my name. So quiet, almost like a plea. But I’d looked away from him.

  When I’d turned back, he was gone. He hadn’t come back since.

  They were taking us off planet. We were going to stay on Kil’s warship in space. At least until we could be moved to our new planet
.

  It was all too fast. I wasn’t ready to board an alien spaceship. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my home. I might never be.

  “We’re almost ready,” Oren said from the doorway.

  I might not have seen Killian, but Jareth had been relieved and replaced with Oren. He’d stood outside my door while I slept last night. It was just one more weird thing on top of all the other weird things.

  Oren used to avoid me. He would glare and blatantly show his disapproval of mine and Kil’s growing relationship. Now, he looked at me like a stranger would. Soft and wary. Not at all like Oren.

  I looked at him standing in the doorway. It was so strange to see him this way. Not human. Alien. Him and Kil both.

  “Where’s Leo?” I asked, still numb.

  Oren blinked and pushed from the doorjamb. “On the ship.”

  I nodded, looking back down.

  “I can’t read your mind,” Oren said like a confession.

  I looked up, surprised but too numb to feel it. “What?”

  “I’m not like Kil or Jareth. I have not mastered that skill.” He flushed a little, his dark face a few shades darker, and looked away. “I never was.”

  I made a small sound, looking away. “Can you control my mind?”

  Oren shook his head and looked out of the window. “No, that is only my lord’s skill. The last royal blood of our kind. Jareth may have some skill, but he has not sought guidance.”

  “Kil is royal?”

  Oren quirked his lip and stepped into the room. “The only royal left.”

  “What happened to the others?”

  His shoulders raised with his breath. “We’ve nearly died out over time. War and sickness dwindled our numbers. Then our planet failed us.” He pointed out of the window at the raging winds. “Much as yours has.”

  “Our planet didn’t fail us. It got shot up by you guys.”

  He snorted. “Truth. It could heal, but it is not safe for your species now. It will not be for a long time.”

  I nodded. No, it wasn’t. “Do you know where he’s sending us?”

  Oren shrugged. “The new council has found some backwoods planet for your species to inhabit. It is as similar as we could find. A colder climate in the north than you’re used to, warmer in the south. But it will grow life and sustain you. The system is new.” He grinned. “A babe. Just like your species.”