Annexation

by Marisa Chenery

  “You can have the rest,” she said. “That’s great that you’ll make sure I get the better food, but what about everyone else? They deserve it too.”

  Cax pushed the food back at her. “Finish it. And I will do my best to get the food changed for all of you, though I can’t promise you that I can.”

  “I guess that’s all I can ask for.” Kiri nodded at their mugs of blood as she picked up her fork again. “So you Atres don’t just consume blood. I thought you didn’t eat solid food, and that’s why it was so important for you to find a new supply of donors.”

  “It was important,” Drace said before Cax could reply. “We only require solid food once a day. Blood makes up the rest of our daily diet.”

  “Good to know. So if you run out of bagged blood, I should be on my guard in case you two get desperate and try to feed off me.”

  Cax scowled. “We aren’t animals. We can control ourselves.”

  “Not all of you can. I’ve seen the proof of it.”

  “Are you ever going to stop thinking of us all being the same?”

  Kiri shrugged. “I don’t know. After what’s happened to me since the Atres arrived, I’m scarred for life.”

  Cax picked up his mug, chugged what was left in it, and stood before he silently left the room. Kiri looked at Drace, who stayed seated.

  “I guess I said something wrong,” she said dryly.

  “He’s having a hard time with the fact that you two are true mates and you can still hold him at arm’s length. And that you can’t accept him for what he is.”

  Kiri huffed out a breath. “Too bad for him. Just because we’re true mates doesn’t change what I went through. What I’ve lost because of your people. If the situations were reversed, I’m sure he’d feel the same way.”

  Drace shifted to the stool beside Kiri that Cax had vacated. “I can understand why you feel the way you do. If you were my true mate, I would give you the space you need to sort things out. And there’s the fact that you’re human. Dream walking to you might not necessarily mean you’ve found your true mate.” He looked her squarely in the eyes. “You can trust me, Kiri. I know you don’t need it, but you do have my protection. From anyone. You can always come to me if you need help.”

  Kiri nodded. “Thanks, Drace. I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  Her answer seemed to please him. He smiled and turned to his food. Kiri selected a chunk of meat from her container before she put it into her mouth. She knew exactly what Drace was trying to imply. If she didn’t feel as if she could be with Cax, Drace would support her decision. She had the impression that he liked her, as a boy liked a girl as a potential girlfriend. She couldn’t deny that he was good-looking, but she didn’t think she wanted any Atres as a boyfriend. She didn’t really trust them. How could she when she’d seen the worst side of their people? As for the true mate business, she’d have to wait and see what happened. She did have feelings for Cax. She wouldn’t lie to herself and say there was nothing there.

  Kiri continued to eat. Finding a boyfriend was the last thing she should be worrying about. She had a rebellion to start with Cax and Drace. That was more important. They had to somehow free the El Centro adults and come up with a plan to bring the people of Earth out from under the rule of the Atres.

  Chapter 12

  Kiri had thought of going hunting that night, but decided not to push her luck. Since their discussion in the kitchen at dinner time, Cax had virtually ignored her. He’d sat up in his room for a few hours, then had joined her and Drace in the living room. Cax wouldn’t look at her, and when he spoke, it was to Drace. They discussed who they thought in the Atres’ population would be best to approach about taking their side when it came to the treatment of Earthlings.

  She sat there, listening to them, not able to contribute a thing. She felt a bit like an outsider, but that was to be expected. Cax and Drace would probably feel the same way if Kiri had been discussing rebellious topics with her friends about recruiting other humans to join their cause. Drace and Cax wouldn’t know them or understand where they came from any more than she did the people they spoke of.

  Once it grew late enough, Kiri stood and left Drace and Cax talking to head upstairs. She was tired. The fitful sleep she’d gotten in the hallway the night before and the few hours she’d taken as a nap after Cax and Drace had left her in the morning had caught up with her. It was a good thing she hadn’t gone hunting. She never would have managed to stay awake until close to dawn.

  Inside the master bedroom, Kiri used the en suite bathroom. She changed into a pair of pajama shorts and a sleep tank top. She crossed to the bed and stared at it. There would be no forgetting that it had been her parents’. She climbed onto the high mattress and under the covers. She shifted until she lay in the middle of it. She closed her eyes and fell asleep within a matter of minutes.

  Kiri had no idea how long she’d slept before she was sucked into a dream. A bad one. She dreamed about the night her mom had been killed. It was so vivid it was as if she actually relived it again.

  Same as in real life, Kiri stood a distance away from her mom as the Atres warriors dragged the man out of his house. She knew what would happen, but she couldn’t get herself to move. To act. To nock an arrow and raise the bow. She whimpered as she fought to unfreeze her body. She called to her mom, yelling at her to stay where she was, not to try to fight the warriors, but her mother didn’t hear her.

  Helplessly, Kiri could only watch while her mom rushed at the Atres who pulled his gun and shot her. Kiri screamed in denial as the beam of light hit her mother and turned her to ash. It hurt as much as it had when it’d truly happened. She let out a war cry, raised her bow and shot dead each of the warriors.

  Sensing someone behind her, Kiri quickly swung around with an arrow nocked and ready to go. Cax reached up and pushed her bow toward the ground. He closed the distance between them and took her into his arms.

  “I’m so sorry,” he whispered against the top of her head.

  In an instant, everything changed around her. No longer was she in the place where her mother had died. She pushed away from Cax to find herself in a familiar, large open-ceilinged room with four white solid marble walls and matching columns. It was the place where she’d dream walked with him in the past. Where he’d taught her how to fight.

  “We’re dream walking?” she asked as she turned to face him.

  “Yes.”

  “Why? Why now?”

  “I felt your pain. It called to me.”

  “Did I send it to you?”

  She’d thought of Cax for a split second before she’d turned to find him behind her. It wasn’t because she’d felt as if she needed him. It was how she’d felt the night her mom had truly died. That he’d abandoned her.

  He took hold of her free hand. “Yes.”

  “Just now?”

  “No.”

  “How much did you see?”

  Cax looked her in the face. “All of it. I saw it all and felt how you felt. I understand now why you can’t bring yourself to fully trust me. Why you have a hard time believing that not every Atres is like the ones who killed your mother. I’m sorry I took it so personally.”

  “Apology accepted.” Kiri pulled out of Cax’s grasp and placed her nocked arrow into her quiver on her back. “I never meant to send my pain to you. Have you felt it before? Since you’ve come to Earth?”

  “No. It might have happened now because we’re in the same house, physically close to one another.”

  “I guess.” Kiri looked around. “So, what are we going to do now that we’re here? You want to spar with me? Just be forewarned that I’ll probably kick your ass. I had two years to train in karate and with the bow while you slept.”

  Cax ran a finger along her bow’s upper limb. “I saw how fast you are with this. I’d love to see you shoot again.”

  A round target on a tripod suddenly appeared at the other end of the room.
It had black rings on it very similar to the bull’s-eye target that she was used to.

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  Kiri took a few steps closer to the target, and reached over her right shoulder for an arrow. She nocked it, pulled back on the string, and let it fly. It landed with a thud right in the center of the innermost ring. She turned her head to look at Cax, who’d come to stand close to her side.

  He smiled. “Do it again, but show me how fast you can shoot three arrows back-to-back.”

  She shot the arrows in quick succession, taking only a couple of seconds to nock one after she’d loosed another. All three landed in the bull’s eye with the first arrow.”

  “You’re very fast,” Cax said. “And you’ve given me an idea as to how we can free some of the adults.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t want to say just yet. I still need to think it over.” Cax leaned in and gently kissed her lips. “Sleep, Kiri.”

  The room and Cax slowly disappeared, and Kiri slipped into a dreamless sleep.

  * * * *

  Kiri awoke sprawled on her stomach. She rolled onto her back and looked at the alarm clock next to the bed to find it was midmorning. She also remembered that she’d dream walked with Cax.

  That had to mean something. She hadn’t consciously decided to let him into her dreams again, but maybe subconsciously she had. And had wanted him to see what it’d been like for her to watch her mom being killed right in front of her.

  Kiri threw back the covers and sat up as she scratched her head. She stretched so much her shoulder cracked. She’d shower in the en suite bathroom before she went in search of her “roommates” to see what they were up to.

  It took her about a half hour to shower and get dressed. Kiri wasn’t one of those girls who always had to do her hair and makeup. She never wore makeup for one, and as far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong with leaving her hair to dry naturally. High maintenance she was not.

  The guys weren’t in the living room when she came downstairs. She checked the kitchen to find it empty as well. She did hear sounds coming from the closed basement door. Kiri opened it. She headed down the steps. From the grunts and groans, she figured Cax and Drace were training.

  She was right. They were in the space she used to train and lift weights, grappling. Kiri watched them, taking in each of their forms. She was familiar with Cax’s, of course, so she paid more attention to Drace’s. He was good, and gave Cax a run for his money, but she’d have no problem holding her own against him.

  After a few minutes, Kiri decided to interrupt. She closed some of the space between them and shouted their names. Drace and Cax instantly drew apart and turned in her direction. “I see you two are putting my workout space to good use.”

  “You’re finally up,” Drace replied. “You missed the breakfast shuttle.”

  She waved his words away with a flick of her hand. “No loss there. I doubt I’d want the food, unless Cax already found a way to get it changed to something more appealing. Besides, I’m not a breakfast person. I don’t like to eat right after I get up. I’m more into brunch.” The guys gave her a confused look. “It’s when you eat between breakfast and lunch, so it’s called brunch.”

  “You Earthlings have weird sayings.” Drace shook his head.

  Kiri ignored him. “Can I train with you guys? I haven’t had anyone to train with since…well, before you all arrived on your ships.”

  Cax opened his mouth to speak, but Drace answered before he could. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’re fully trained warriors, Kiri. We could really hurt you, even in training.”

  Cax looked in Kiri’s direction, and they burst out laughing, leaving Drace to give them hard looks. Cax shook his head. “Drace, Kiri is a fully trained warrior too. I trained her when we dream walked, as you know, and we started when she was twelve. Plus, she’s a black belt in Earth’s karate.”

  “I still don’t think it’s a good idea. I wouldn’t want to hurt her.”

  Kiri rolled her eyes. “Why? Because I’m a girl?” Had he so easily forgotten that night when Cax had arrived on the surface and she’d stood her own against him? She was going to have to remind him.

  Drace shrugged. “Maybe.”

  She looked at Cax. “Do you mind if I take your place and show him who will be getting hurt?”

  Cax smiled and stepped out of the way. “Go right ahead. This should be fun to watch.”

  Drace reluctantly turned to face her. “I wish you wouldn’t do this. I’ll feel really bad if I injure you.”

  Kiri decided action was better than words. She struck out at him with a karate move and knocked him off his feet. He landed on his back with a groan. She straightened with her fists raised, prepared to go again.

  He looked up at her. “That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t ready.”

  “A warrior should be ready for anything at all times. Don’t think. Just do. That’s what Cax pounded into my head, and I’ve never forgotten it.” Kiri glanced at Cax to find him giving her an intent look. It made her breath catch just a little.

  She had to quickly pull her gaze away when Drace jumped to his feet and came at her. Unlike him, Kiri had expected him to react like that. She blocked his fist and moved in with hers to clip him on the jaw.

  Drace took a step back. “Okay. No more holding back.”

  “About time,” she said with a smile.

  Kiri spent the next ten minutes showing Drace how well-trained she was when it came to hand-to-hand combat. He managed to land a few punches, which she easily shook off, but she landed more. By the time they were done, they were breathing heavily.

  Cax stepped to Kiri’s side. “You’re right, Kiri. You did put the two years we were apart to good use. You’re even better than what you were that last day we dream walked before I went into stasis.”

  “You told me to keep training, so I did.”

  Drace pegged her with a stare. “I didn’t recognize some of your moves. Was that karate?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Can you teach me them?”

  “If you want me to.” Drace went and picked up his gun belt, which sat on the bar her dad had built. She turned to Cax. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Since you Atres have guns that can turn people to ash, why is it so important for you to train in hand-to-hand combat?”

  “It’s not honorable to fight another warrior with a gun. The weapon is only used as a last resort in battle.”

  “And except while on Earth and you’re pointing it at humans.”

  “A warrior who does that is no true warrior,” Drace said as he rejoined them.

  Kiri snorted. “That would be true of the majority of the warriors who patrol the streets, if that were the case. The ones I killed when my mother died, they hadn’t hesitated to fire on humans.”

  “Are you sure they weren’t provoked?” Drace asked.

  She opened her mouth to call Drace a very bad word, but Cax spoke first. “Drace, I saw everything that happened that day. Kiri relived it in her sleep last night, and I dream walked with her through it. Those warriors attacked first. The humans confronted them to stop them from taking a man from his house in the middle of the night. Kiri’s mother was killed by a warrior’s gun when all she did was walk toward him.”

  Drace turned in Kiri’s direction. “I apologize. I guess I didn’t want to think an Atres warrior would act in such a way.”

  Kiri nodded. “That’s okay. I know you want to see only the good in your people.” She looked at them. “I think you two need to see what it’s like from a human’s perspective to have your people around, patrolling the streets. And the best way for you to see that is for you both to come hunting with me. Tonight.”

  “Hunting?” Drace asked.

  “That’s what Kiri calls what she does when she goes out with her bow and arrows while breaking curfew. Remember, she told us that,” Cax answered.

  “O
h, yes. I forgot.”

  Cax focused on Kiri. “I still don’t think you going out like that is a good idea.”

  “You’ve voiced that opinion before, and it isn’t going to change anything. I’m the boss in this house. And I’m ordering the two of you to go hunting with me tonight.”

  Cax grinned. “How can I forget you’re the boss when you keep reminding me?” He grew serious. “Drace and I will go with you, but no shooting warriors unless they’re doing something that puts humans at risk. Not that they should since there are only young children and teenagers around.”

  “Fine. I won’t shoot an Atres on sight just because he or she is an Atres. At least you’ll see what I see.” She looked them up and down. They wore the standard warrior outfit, which was the formfitting light gray pants and shirt. “You’re going to have to do something about your clothes before we leave tonight.”

  Drace glanced down at himself. “What’s wrong with our warrior uniforms?”

  “The color is too light. You need to wear all black, and long-sleeved shirts.” She eyed their blond hair. “And black hats. We have to blend in with the shadows and not be seen.”

  “Okay,” Cax said. “There are stores in the city that would have the clothes, correct?”

  “Yeah, but they aren’t open. There are no adults to run them.”

  “We can still go to one. It wouldn’t look amiss if I was to want to tour such a place. I’m supposed to be down on the planet’s surface studying humans, after all.”

  Kiri nodded. “True. Okay. After lunch, we make a run to the store, and I’ll help you pick out what you’ll need.”

  Drace smiled. “I’m actually looking forward to this now. I get to wear human clothes and sneak around in the night. It should be fun.”

  Kiri shook her head. Drace could think of it as an adventure all he wanted, but if things turned ugly for some reason, she wouldn’t hesitate to act. Whether Cax or Drace agreed with it or not.

  * * * *

  After the lunch shuttle arrived—which, for once, Kiri ate the meal from since Cax had done some kind of magic and had the food improved, at least for her—the three of them went to the Imperial Valley Mall. She’d suggested it, and it was the best place to get the clothes. Plus, it was such a human thing for Cax to “explore,” the warriors around there wouldn’t question what he and Drace were doing. She, of course, would have to act as their “tour guide.”