by Lisa Lace
King Ursen brushes the top of Emily’s head like she is some pet. “It's really rather impressive, the three—well, two of you—have survived this long. Take her away.”
“Ori!” she screams, but two of the guards grab her arms. She tries to fight them off.
King Ursen looks rather amused; he holds his hand up. “Why are you screaming? You're going home now.”
“Orien, help me! Don’t let him take me away.”
Her pathetic screams make my whole body convulse with rage.
King Ursen throws his head back and laughs. “You think this creature will help you? He’s nothing more than a criminal and murderer. He doesn’t care about you.”
The sight of her being dragged away makes me sick, but she’ll be better off. She’ll be taken care of.
It's a lie. I’m lying to myself. I keep my eyes on the ground, but her screams tear into me like a blade. Emily disappears then down the road to the large space vessel, hovering over the sky. King Ursen clears his throat and rolls his neck. It cracks with the movement.
“Now, where were we?”
He pulls the gun from his belt and aims it. A flash of light escapes its chamber, and a laser shoots through Tornack’s chest with a silent beam. I cringe as the Cycorb grows lifeless and cold.
“I know I said no one was going to die today, but he knew too much.” Blood seeps out and coats the streets. “Just loose ends. I was going to kill him yesterday, anyway. Orien, there are several more things you should know. I’m feeling generous today. I’m leaving you with one of my finest ships, as well as the payment agreed upon.”
“I don’t understand.”
King Ursen takes a deep breath. “Emperor Krouuk Oznak is dying. I trust you will remember your friends when the time of action comes.”
But the words don’t even register. I drop to my knees. My father is dying. I should feel relief, but now, I only feel emptiness.
I hear them leaving, but I don’t notice. My whole being has grown numb.
“What have I done?” I groan. “What have I done?” I tilt my head back and scream.
I lost her. I lost my everything. I try to stand, to chase after him, but a hard smack hits the back of my head, and everything grows dark.
The voice calls for me. It’s muffled and distant at first, but then it clears. My eyes open slowly. Where am I now? I sit up stiffly and blink.
“Orien, wake up.” Mor coughs.
I’m lying in a bed with thin cotton sheets and rub my eyes.
“You're alive,” I say slowly.
“Barely.”
Mor’s whole body is bruised with purple marks and inflamed veins rising out of his skin. “They got the poison out. Now I just need to rest for a few days.”
“Good,” I mutter, looking around blankly. “Where are we?”
“Our new ship!” He’s trying to sound cheerful, but it’s pathetic.
“He got her. He took her from me. I let it happen. Fuck! I let it happen.” I punch the wall with my fist. The steel dents slightly, and my hand stings from the impact.
“He was always supposed to get her, Orien. That was the whole point!”
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and hold my face in my hands. “I wish he’d killed me.” I stand and leave the room.
“Why didn’t he?” Mor hobbles after me as I march down the cold, empty hall.
The ship is brand new. I can still smell the materials it was made with. It’s hardly been run. I find my way into the pristine control room. New monitors blink, waiting for take-off.
A massive stack of money sits in the middle of the room. I stare at it for a long time and fill with disgust for myself.
“And why did we get such a nice ship?”
“Do you think there’s any booze here?” I start to rummage through the drawers. Nothing. I turn and twist, opening every container in every room. I finally find a small box with some food supplies and a bottle of Champa.
“Orien!”
I rip the lid off it and return to the control room. I suck it down all in one gulp. The bitter taste soothes my mind, and when it's drained, I smash it on the floor.
Mor covers his face when particles of glass fly everywhere. “Answer me!”
I drop my weight into the captain’s chair. “My father is dying.” I say it so bluntly that Mor takes a moment to register my words.
His eyes grow wide, and he takes a seat next to mine. “He wants your favor in case you claim the throne.”
I nod.
“It doesn’t matter, though.” The alcohol is starting to kick in, and my tongue is growing thick. I sink deeper into the chair and begin to hum to myself.
“What are you doing?” He scowls.
“Shut up, Mor.” I wave my hand in the air. “You should be dead. You could be a ghost, for all I know. So don’t be giving me that ghost attitude.” And just like that, I am consumed by drunkenness, and my mind is swimming in a pool of alcohol.
I spin and begin to turn the ship on.
“No, Orien.” He rolls his eyes and growls. His patience is gone.
“I wanna see what this baby can do. Maybe we can name it the Shit Star.”
“Orien, you’ll kill us.”
The body of the space vessel shakes and roars. I snicker; it’s got some juice. “That’s the point!”
Mor jumps up and slams me out of the pilot seat. We fall to the floor. He weighs me down. I can see the pain it’s causing him to subdue me.
I grunt and push him off. The poison has left him feeble and fatigued. “You’re already dead. What does it matter?”
Mor reaches out, snagging the back of my shirt. I stumble forward. My balance has gone to shit. I fall flat on my face. The whole room is spinning wildly around us. I bob my head and try to balance.
“Did I put us in hyperdrive?”
“You can still get her,” he says.
Even in my drunken state, the words ring in my head. My body tenses, and I push myself off the ground. “No, it’s too late,” I sputter.
“It’s not too late, Orien. You need to take her back to Earth where she belongs.”
I hold my knees in my hands, rest my chin against them, and rock back and forth. “She must hate me.”
“I can’t blame her.”
“Oh, Mor. I love her so much. I love the way she smells and the way she bites her lower lips. Her smile is everything. Have you noticed it’s ever so slightly crooked? And fuck, she feels and tastes so good. I love it all so much. What have I done? I can’t live without her. I can’t do it. Oh, fuck. I would give up the cosmos to have her back.”
He nods slowly and smiles, resting his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, let’s sober you up. We have a long flight to Omicron.”
Emily
I’ve cried so much, my eyes burn and my cheeks are wet. The blanket underneath me is wet. My throat is raw from crying. I can’t believe Orien betrayed me like this. Why? I thought he loved me.
Every thought of him wells another round of intense emotion, pushing tears out of my eyes. My fingers clutch the blankets; my breathing becomes rapid as I start to hyperventilate.
Nothing matters anymore. I hate him more than I ever have. I roll over and stare at the ceiling.
I haven’t moved since they put me in this bedroom. The walls are deep red, with a black stone floor and accents. The bed is massive and ornately decorated. The furniture is clean cut and cold like solid blocks embedded into the wall.
The whole sight of it makes me sick to my stomach. Everything reminds me so much of Earth, yet it is all slightly different; enough to remind me that I’m not here on an adventure or vacation, but as a captive.
They dumped me in here and locked the door, all alone with a long blue gown resting on some sort of stool.
It must be my wedding gown. The sight of it makes my stomach roll. Bile creeps its way up my throat. I’m supposed to get married early next morning.
A loud knocking pounds the door. I sit up slowly and don
’t say anything. Are they waiting for me to let them in?
Three more knocks echo around the large chamber. I hold my breath. If I’m lucky, they’ll leave.
The door swings open, and King Ursen barges in. He rolls his neck as he walks into the room, slamming the door behind him. It shuts with a loud thud, and I cringe at the sound. His feet stomp across the floor, and he takes a seat across from me. His dark eyes fall on me. My skin crawls with the look he gives. I want to hide, to run far away from this strange, alien place.
He begins to unclasp his shirt, revealing a thick, muscular chest hardened with scars and covered in white hair. He fumbles in his pockets to remove a golden pipe that’s curved around with a twisted stem. He takes a pull from it, and white smoke trails around his broken nose and a permanent scowl.
I remain rigid on the edge of the bed. My future husband sits across from me, and I feel like I might throw up.
He clears his throat dousing the room in a cloud of smoke with his breath. “Undress,” he commands, just like that.
One word sends waves of fear rushing through me. My fingers shake. I can’t move.
“Are you deaf? Take your clothes off. I need to make sure my new wife is everything she is supposed to be.” I can hear the anger rising in his voice quickly.
I fumble for the zipper of my jacket.
“I don’t have all day.”
He stands and takes a few steps forward until we’re but inches from one another. He raises his hand and slams it against my face. The stinging is brutal, and I crumple to the ground with a cry.
His firm grasp yanks me back up to my feet. “When I tell you to do something, you do it.” He snatches my shirt and yanks it down, exposing my upper half. He nods approvingly.
More tears are forming in my eyes, and they begin to run down my face, which is still burning. A frown forms in the corner of his lips. “Are you crying?” His body looms over mine.
I feel like a mouse cowering before a lion.
He reaches out a hand, and his finger twirls around a lock of my hair. He presses it under his nose, and his nostrils flare with a deep breath. “You smell amazing.” He gently tucks the hair behind my ear, and the back of his hand brushes against my cheek.
His lips curl upward into a crooked, deformed grin. I try to back away and create space between us. “Don’t you dare try to run away from me,” he whispers, grabbing a fistful of my hair. My head yanks back with a sudden jerk. While the other hand trails down my skin, his fingers hover over my exposed breast.
I clench my stomach and jerk back. Dizziness spins my head. Now, I’m frozen. My mind is screaming, telling me to run, to do something, but I am trapped. His eyes find mine. “I’m going to be your husband. You will learn to love me.”
He spins me around, and with one shove, I collapse to the bed.
“Please stop!” My voice is weak. It breaks pitifully.
His hand runs down my back.
“And if you don’t learn to love it, then I’ll fuck you until you’re dried up and dead.” His breath is hot, making my skin crawl.
“I would rather die than learn to love you!” I only speak in a whisper, but I mean every word.
His arm falls on my back as his weight drops onto me. I feel his hard, massive cock digging into my ass underneath his pants.
Oh, god, please no. I try and squirm out from under him, but he’s too heavy, too strong; it's no use. I reach behind me and claw at his arm, and he laughs—a sickening, wheezing sound. His skin is tough, like leather.
His rubs his nose against my hair, breathing in deeply once more. “I paid a lot of money for you, and I’ll use you however I please. You’re mine.”
I scream, but he presses my face into the blanket. I can barely breathe as his hands paw at my body. He rips my pants off with one tug.
Panic, adrenaline, fear—all make their way through me. I try to kick, but I’m no match for his strength. Then I feel it, like a hot iron ready to incinerate my skin. His dick pushes against my ass.
He’s even more massive than Orien! He’s going to rip right through me!
“Stop! Stop!” I scream violently, but my mouth is muffled in the blanket. I twist and writhe underneath him. He pushes my head down harder.
I can’t breathe. He’s suffocating me! My thoughts darken and become clouded. Lightheadedness swallows me.
“Touch her, and I’ll cut you fucking cock off and shove it down your throat,” a voice whispers with venom.
King Ursen backs off.
I turn my head. Orien stands with a blade pressed into the leathery blue skin of his throat.
Eyes burning with anger, King Ursen lets out a low laugh. “I thought I already paid you.”
“Change of plans, old man. I’m taking Emily with me.”
King Ursen’s eyes grow wide, and then they narrow. “I don’t think so.” The whole world goes black for a second. King Ursen has slammed his hand against my face.
I let out a scream. Blood leaks from my nose. Everything around me grows hazy, but I try to stay alert. I need to get out of here, but I feel as though I can’t move.
Orien leaps forward like a wrecking ball; their bodies barrel together, and it sounds like the snapping of a large tree.
King Ursen crashes into the bedpost on his back. The bed falls to the ground, with me on it. I topple forward and land in a heap of sheets on the floor.
A savage roar from King Ursen shakes the room. He throws Orien up and against the wall. Orien jumps up, clutching his knife, but King Ursen is fast. He rushes toward Orien, encasing him in a steel grip. Orien writhes, his eyes wild and anxious.
“You truly are pathetic, just like your father.”
Orien snarls. He looks dangerous and menacing, like a ferocious beast. He headbutts the king, slamming his skull against the other.
King Ursen stumbles and releases his hold. Orien lunges forward, tearing his knife into the king’s chest. Another howl erupts through the room as the king yanks the knife out from where Orien embedded it in his right pectoral. Blood rushes out and runs to the floor; he hurls the knife. Orien side-steps just in time, and the blood-soaked weapon sticks itself in the wall.
But King Ursen’s whole demeanor has transformed. He becomes like a wrecking ball, chasing after Orien through the room. All it takes is one swipe of his massive arm, and he knocks his prey down. Orien scrambles to his feet, but King Ursen is too strong; another strike of his forearm hurls Orien back down.
I hear the sound of bone cracking. And again, when Orien rises, he is thrown to the floor.
My mind races to keep up with their speed. I want to beg them to stop. Orien is going to kill himself!
But my voice is caught by fear and confusion. My vision comes and goes, and all I see our two massive beings caught in a deadly tangle.
“Enough of this!” King Ursen screams. Two large fists slam themselves into Orien’s back. He groans with a sputter, coughing blood onto the floor. “Why did you come back?”
He grabs Orien by the hair, and pulls him up off the floor, to his eye level.
Orien’s head lolls to the side. “Fuck you,” he coughs, spitting a glob of blood into King Ursen’s eye.
A large fist wraps around Orien’s throat, squeezing tightly. The coughing, sputtering sound leaving his throat horrifies me.
“Stop! Stop!” I scream suddenly. I jump and run toward them. I stagger to the side, trying to keep my balance. I don’t know what my plan is, but I can’t watch him die.
King Ursen furrows his brow and turns to look at me. “And why do you care what happens to this lowlife?”
My mouth hangs open, my whole body seized with fear.
“What? Do you love him?”
Orien’s eyes fall on mine.
“Oh, this is too good. I pay for a fucking wife, and I get this slut. She’s been fucking a Baromenian.” He yanks Orien closer to him. “After I kill you, I’m going to fuck her till she dies. Or should I make you watch?”
Ori
en’s eyes twitch, and his whole body grows rigid. “I am so sorry,” he croaks. Then all at once, his eyes flash brightly, and his golden tattoos ignite; he places his hands on King Ursen’s forearm, and with one twist, he lands back on his feet, throwing King Ursen to the ground.
The floor crumbles and cracks underneath the weight of the strike. King Ursen tries to scramble up, but Orien has snapped off a large, pointed piece from the bed frame, creating a makeshift spear. He holds it up above his head. In one single thrust, he shoves it deep into the gaping stab wound.
King Ursen releases a deep cry of pain. Orien leans over. “I’m so sorry, but Emily’s coming with me.”
Before I can process anything, Orien’s hands are on me, and I’m being lifted from the ground. “I got you. I got you.”
My head is pounding. The halls fly by in a daze as we run. I try to focus, but it’s too much. The pain is growing. I hardly notice, but there are bodies scattered on the floor. Orien must have done that.
His eyes shift from me, and then to the front. He runs quickly to the window. I hear shouting, growing louder. We’re being pursued.
“Hold on. I hope Mor has gotten better at timing!”
He smashes the window. Glass shatters and flies around us, and then we’re in the air, moving. We’ve jumped out the window, I realize. I see the sky above me, a brilliant blue, and Orien’s eyes looking out.
Wind whips past us. A wild howl escapes his lips, and his face twists with determination. Below us is a black ship that blasts through the sky, then stops directly beneath us. The door on the top of it opens.
“Hang on!” Orien screams.
I close my eyes and cling to his shoulders with all my might.
We fall into the ship. Orien’s grip is almost choking me, but we land inside, hard. Orien falls to the floor. His legs catch the brunt of the fall, and he grimaces when he stands back up. “Go! Go!” he screams to Mor. “We’re being followed!”
“For a minute there, I didn’t think I was gonna catch you guys.”
“Me neither. Now! Hyperdrive now, Mor!”
Then all at once, the ship shakes, and Orien topples backward, managing to keep me safe in his arms. “You okay, Emily?” he asks, looking down at me with worry in his eyes. “Fuck, you’re not doing so good. Just hang on.” He presses his hand against my chest, and the whole world grows dark.