by K. Webster
“We’re in no condition for another war,” I remind her. We lost enough when we took over the prison. The last thing we need is a fight, but if that’s what these intruders want, we’ll give it to them.
I didn’t intend to become a leader. All I wanted was to find my sister. When I was a teenager, I lost her, and I vowed I’d find her again if it was the last thing I did. When we were growing up, it was always Aria who shielded me from our abusive parents. She sacrificed herself to the vicious hands of our father, and then to the whims of the masses to make sure I was taken care of. Aria had always taken care of me.
It was only fair I did the same.
After she was sentenced to life in the Exilium Penitentiary on the planet they now call Mortuus, I knew I’d do anything to find her again. No cost was too high. Even if it cost me myself. I spent years trying to find a way to get to Mortuus, but no human was willing to travel to the dying planet. Most people on Earth II were too self-absorbed to consider a flight back to their home planet. In the end, the only way I could get to Exilium was to be sentenced to serve out the rest of my life there, the same way Aria had been.
On Earth II, being poor is practically a crime. You either have to steal to survive or make a deal with the Kevins—my sister’s horribly manipulative and controlling talent agent—of the world. In the end, I did whatever I had to in order to get what I wanted. And I was finally sentenced to Exilium. I only hoped it wasn’t too late.
“We may not have a choice,” Zoe says, but then again she’s always aching for a fight. When I began to plan the overthrow of the prison, she was the first to sign up to participate. There always seemed to be a fire burning just under her skin, but we’ve never been the sort to commiserate. There simply hasn’t been time or the opportunity. In Exilium, everything is a fight for your life.
“Maybe,” I murmur. If the intruders were spoiling for a fight, we’d give it to them, even if it was the last thing we did.
Willow clicked and typed, studying the approaching ship with a steady eye. Unlike Zoe, Willow is always calm, cool, and collected. The voice of reason. “Maybe we don’t need to fight,” she says. “Maybe there’s another way.”
“What other way?” Zoe demands. Her dark, curly hair frames a delicate face, but her light gray eyes flash with a fury that is anything but delicate.
Willow pushes her red hair away from her face. “I don’t know, Zoe, but I don’t think our first move should be to shoot people from the sky. The solution doesn’t always have to be bloodshed.”
“It does if we want to survive. I’d rather not risk the lives of the women here, not when we’re all finally free.”
I hold up a hand before the two of them begin to squabble again. “We don’t have time to argue, so let’s not start.”
“What are we going to do then?”
They both look at me.
Everyone always looks up to me.
I didn’t want to be a leader. It wasn’t like I planned to lead the women of Exilium to revolt against the horrible mistreatment of the guards a few months ago. That’s just how it happened. Now all the women who reside here turn to me when there are problems, when they need solutions or mitigation or support. They rely on me.
It was always Aria who had the answers, Aria I could look up to. After she left, there was just me.
I only have myself to rely on now.
“Can you make a connection with their communicators?” I ask Willow.
“You want to talk to them?” Zoe rolls her eyes. “You may as well wave a red flag in front of their face.”
“They don’t know we’ve taken over,” I remind her as patiently as possible. “And we don’t know what they want. Maybe it’s a friendly visit. We won’t know until we ask. Raise them on the communicators,” I instruct Willow. The communicators didn’t work long distance. We’ve tried contacting someone, anyone, beyond the mountains that surround our prison, but with no luck. The storm has damaged the main antenna, which probably transmitted the signal over long distances.
Zoe may be…forceful, but she means well.
We have a lot to lose.
“I can try.” Willow does whatever she does on the computers. Like me, she was forced into the position of all-around tech genius after we overthrew the guards. She’s learned the alien system on the go and is the best at deciphering the tech-speak.
While she does whatever it is she does, I go to the intercoms system and make an announcement. “Code Red. I repeat, Code Red. Please proceed to your dormitories for the foreseeable future. I will announce when we’re all clear.”
Panic will ensue, but if there’s an imminent threat, it’s better they be prepared than caught off guard.
“I’ve got their comms system,” Willow says. “What do you want to do next?”
I try not to sigh. I cross to her side and take the communicator in my hand. While Willow presses buttons, I don a black mask to obscure my face. At the signal from Willow, I say into the microphone, “Warning. You have breached a protected air space. Show your faces.”
There’s a pause and then a screen on the communicator desk flashes to life. Two men—alien men—appear on the screen. They have bleach-white skin, fangs, and dark hair. There’s something terrifying about their strange humanlike features.
“They look like monsters,” I say to Willow and Zoe, though they can see for themselves. To the monsters, I say, “Turn your vessel around if you want to live.”
The one with tattoos and hair tied back in a tail says, “Listen, female,” which only makes my temper flare.
“No. You listen, asshole. You’re to turn your ship around right now or I’ll have my friend blow you out of the sky.”
The last is an empty threat. There isn’t heavy artillery in Exilium, only the knives we stole from the guards and the handmade ones we fashioned to use for the takeover. The guards used fists to intimidate for the most part.
“We come in peace,” says the second alien. His hair is a riot of jaggedly cut hair that hangs over one of his black eyes and is spiked up messily in other spots. “On a mission from my commander and his mate. We’re looking for her sister. Perhaps you could help us.”
“Lyr, don’t get excited. It could be a trap.”
But I’m not thinking about anything other than the word sister, which vibrates in my skull. “Sister?” I ask.
“Her name is Aria and—”
“Lyr, no!” Zoe shouts, but I’m already pulling off my mask.
“Aria?” the spiky-haired alien asks and at first I think he’s talking to her. That she’s on the ship with him coming to save me. I study the screen, but there’s no one else with them. Aria isn’t there.
Pony-tail smacks Spikes. “No, you empty-nogged mortarekker! It’s Limerick! Her sister!”
“How do you know my name?” I demand. Oh God, have they taken her?
When I got to Exilium and found out Aria hadn’t made it, I was certain she was dead. That her transport ship had gotten lost, shot down, or worse. I didn’t know what worse could be, but I was certain I’d never find out. That I’d never see her again. Hearing her name again was like a shock from the electric chair the guards used to use to execute prisoners.
The alien is speaking, and I focus on his words. “Like my friend here said, we have Aria at our facility and—”
“I want to talk to her. Now.”
“Listen, Limerick. I know all about you—”
“It’s Lyric.” I want to punch this condescending asshole. “And you don’t know shit about me.”
Spikes smirks at me. Smug bastard. As though he knows everything about me. I don’t like that look one bit.
“You will release her to me,” I say and try to keep my voice level.
Spikes’ eyes flash. “We’re not releasing her anywhere. She’s ours.”
I have to grip the desk with both hands to keep from reaching through the screen and throttling the motherfucker. “Yours?”
“Yes, ours,” he says.
“And we’re going to make you ours too.”
All indecision is wiped away. My fury transforms into calm certainty. I signal to Zoe, who smiles evilly. “Well, since you asked so sweetly. Just the two of you handsome fellas on that ship?”
“Just us,” he answers, the idiot.
“Unbelievable,” the other one says.
“You’re cleared to land.”
Willow gives me a surprised look, but I signal to her to stay calm. “They’re going to kidnap you,” she says.
“They can fucking try.”
“Yes, kidnap. We’ll be kidnapping you and Willow both. The others are none of our concern.” Spikes sounds confident. Perfect. They won’t know what hit them until it’s too late.
They have Aria. But not for long. “Is that so, monster man?”
“We’re on our way, alien.”
“Alien?”
“Do you see any other aliens around?”
“The whole alien gang will be here ready to give you a warm welcome. Bye, boys.”
I signal to Willow to disconnect the communication.
“What the hell are you doing?” she hisses as soon as it’s disconnected.
“They have my sister. They said they want you, too. How would they know your name if they didn’t have your mother as well?”
Willow’s eyes widen and go hazy. “Mom?”
“Great.” Zoe throws her hands into the air. “Now you’re both crazy. We should have had them land in the lava pits or something, not invited them in for a fucking cup of coffee. What if there are more of those monsters on board? What if they’re planning to take over? What were you thinking, Lyric?”
“I was thinking they have my sister.”
“So you’re willing to risk everyone here in order to get her back?”
“Don’t be stupid, Zoe. I’m not an idiot. I would never risk the women here. Besides, you saw their cabin. It’s just two of them. We’ve dealt with a lot more than that and survived.”
“That doesn’t mean we just invite them in! They said they were going to kidnap you.”
“She’s right,” Willow says. “We have to have some sort of plan before they get here.”
“How much time do we have?” I ask.
“About fifteen minutes, but I don’t think that’ll be enough.”
“It’ll be plenty. Now let’s get going.” I stalk out of the communication center, and Zoe and Willow follow close behind.
“Where are we going?” Willow asks.
“We’re going to go meet the monsters, of course. Give them a proper welcome to Exilium.”
Then, I’m going to make them give me back my sister.
Welcome to Exilium, boys.
2
Hadrian
The computers are pinging with warning that the mountains are near, but Theron and I are in awe of something else. Water. So much of it. An ocean is what the female aliens back at the facility had called it.
“Have you ever seen anything like it?” I ask, my eyes wide, taking it all in.
Theron is mashing buttons without having to look as his attention is on the ocean. “Never. All my travels have turned up barren lands. Usually, I never ventured out this far because I assumed the whole planet looked the same.”
It’s sad that my first thought is that Aria would love to see this. I’d love to see her face as she marvels over the beautiful view. And I’d marvel over her.
Soon.
Soon I will see the look of pure happiness on her face when I return Lyric into her waiting arms.
“We need to be ready,” Theron says with a sigh as he pulls on a lever that makes the ship lower.
“For landing?”
“For attack.”
I snort. “The females can’t attack us.”
“You’re arrogant,” he says with a shake of his nog. “Take it from someone who knows. That mortshite will kick you in the rump one day.”
I think about Aria. Her lovely brown hair. Her speckled skin. Dark gray eyes. Aria has the fullest lips—pink and pouty. I’ve spent too many solars fantasizing about what they taste like. How they’d feel if I tugged on them between my teeth.
Aria is harmless. A tiny little thing compared to her mate.
And Lyric?
It’s her younger sister. I don’t sense a threat. That’s not arrogance, it’s just common sense. She and Willow will both be beyond thrilled for us to rescue them and return them to their families.
Theron and I will be heroes.
Aria’s told me about the heroes in her films. The male who always gets the female. Happily ever afters is what she calls them. I want to give her a happily ever after. A real one and not an “acted” one.
“Landing pad looks clear,” Theron says as he guides the Mayvina down onto a small rectangular strip that overhangs the rocks the ocean seems to crash against angrily. “You see anything?”
I scan the prison that seems to be hidden within the mountain. Aside from the landing strip and some antennas sticking out of the rock, you wouldn’t know it was even here.
“Nothing,” I say, ignoring the nerves in my gut.
“Grab a zonnoblaster,” Theron instructs. “We need to be ready for anything.”
“Are you rekking mad?” I snarl. “And accidentally send Aria’s sister to The Eternals?”
The ship touches down and a door slides up, inviting us into a ship bay. Theron shoots me a nasty look before slowly easing the ship into the bay. It’s dark inside and when the door closes behind the ship, we’re enveloped completely in darkness.
“Since you’re in charge around here,” Theron sneers, “maybe I should sit here with my metal female and let you go retrieve the aliens. My opinion means nothing.”
I unbuckle and whap him in the nog. “Let’s go.”
He follows me, stomping loudly. When he grabs a zonnoblaster, I shoot him a sour look that he ignores. I put myself in front of him so he doesn’t accidentally blow away Aria’s sister. We put on our zu-gear and masks in the event that the air isn’t safe. Once we’re ready, I hit the button to open the side door. The only light comes from a single bulb illuminating a door. I guess that’s where we’re supposed to go. Our boots clomp loudly in the cavernous space as we trek our way over to the door.
“Put the gun down,” Lyric says, her voice commanding and loud through an intercom.
“Seriously?” Theron grumbles.
“Do it,” I bark out.
The zonnoblaster clatters to the floor and he grumbles. A loud beep signals the door is opening. We walk inside a small decontamination chamber. The door closes behind us.
“Now what?” Theron asks.
“Requesting entry,” I bark out.
“Remove your outer gear,” Lyric once again commands.
“Is it safe?” I peek through the small square that leads to the other side, but I can’t see anything but darkness.
“Yes, and if you want to come in, you need to take all of that off so we know you’re not hiding any more weapons.”
I make sure to give Theron a glare before yanking off my face mask. We strip out of our zu-gear.
“Now grant us entry,” I demand. Breccan would be proud of my authoritative nature in this moment.
“One thing you monsters are going to learn…” The line cackles with static. “You’re not in charge around here. I am.”
A hissing sound can be heard and I immediately grow lightheaded. Air. The air in the chamber is being sucked right from the room. Not good. Not good at all. Theron and I both grasp our throats before everything goes blissfully black.
I blink my eyes and roll over on my bed. Aria. She’s the first thing on my mind every solar. I miss her laugh. Maybe I’ll go visit her and offer to hold Sokko while she gets her duties done. I’d love to watch her as she flits around washing things for her mortling and humming songs only she knows.
I start to stretch my arms above my nog and sit up, but something yanks on my arm. What the rekk? It takes my eyes
a moment to adjust to the darkness. This is not my room.
Cold zutametal is clamped around my wrist and connected to a long chain that’s attached to the bed I’m sitting on.
“Theron!” I bark out, my loud voice echoing in the small room. “Theron!”
I can hear his voice not far away, but it’s muffled behind a wall or maybe several.
“In a reform cell! It was an ambush!” he calls back.
A growl rumbles from me as I rise to my feet. The chain doesn’t let me walk far. Nearly to the door. I peer out the square window. Darkness.
“Let me out of here,” I bellow. “Right rekking now!”
Silence.
Well, aside from Theron’s laughing.
Of course he’d think this was funny. Probably laughing at my expense because I so foolishly walked us into a trap. I need to speak to her.
Lyric.
“Female!” I yell out. “We need to have words!”
More laughing from Theron. “Yeah, that tactic will work beautifully.”
I sense his sarcasm and another growl rumbles from me.
“Female leader of the aliens! Get in here right rekking now!”
Nothing.
Rekk.
I try a different tactic. “Willow? Are you out there? I know your mother.”
“No!” a woman yells as the door to my cell opens.
“You know my mom?” a woman with red hair and wide light green eyes stares at me. “What’s her name? How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
I slowly walk toward her, only stopping when my chain yanks on my wrist. “Her name is Molly.”
“And?”
“She likes to bless hearts.”
She gapes at me. “What?”
“You know this language? She loves rogcows too. You know of them? They ronk and the males have horns like these.” I flash my rogstud horns at her. “Oh, she says ‘Jesus loves you anyway’ a lot. Seem familiar?”
Her bottom lip wobbles as tears leak from her eyes. “Oh. My. God.”
“She says that a lot too,” I offer. “And talks a lot. A lot.”
“Nope,” another female says. “Emotions get you killed, honey. Take a walk. Let me handle this.”