Alien Betrayed

by Marie Dry

  Julia laughed. “When Zurian gave it to me, I wasn’t impressed. I thought he was a demon and the pelt was that of some animal he killed in the underworld.”

  Natalie laughed as well, the two little girls joining in. “You didn’t seriously think that, did you?”

  “He kept appearing and disappearing. What was I to think?” Julia said.

  “What’s an Eduki pelt?” More importantly, why didn’t Larz give her one?

  “Zyrgins kill the Eduki with their bare hands and then invite their friends to the feast. It sounds like they have a disgusting drunk party eating raw meat and drinking too much. The next day, he dumps the pelt at some poor woman’s feet and she’s as good as married,” Julia told her.

  “For such an advanced people they have some primitive ideas,” Maeve said. She knew Larz cared for her, but she also knew honor was everything to them. He would never kill an Eduki for her. Not for a woman he believed had no honor. A woman who would hit him at the base of his skull with a club. Maeve fisted her hands until her nails dug into the soft skin of her palms. If he’d been human, he would’ve been dead.

  “Tell her about the club,” Natalie said.

  They laughed and Maeve frowned at them. “What club?” She felt excluded, like an outsider peering into windows to feel part of the happiness inside. Then it dawned on her. They were talking about the club Larz brought home.

  “You go first,” Julia said.

  Natalie’s eyes sparkled and she smiled, a sweet reminiscent smile. “I hit Zacar with a club when I first met him. I thought he was going to cut off my head. He thinks it’s hilarious to tell the other warriors that it’s a human custom for a woman to hit the warrior she wants with a club.”

  “There’s always an argument on who gets the club next,” Julia added. “I believe Azagor wants it.”

  “Did you hit Zurian with the club?”

  “Zurian used to come to my house and try and make me hit him with it. I thought he was a demon, and him wanting to give me the club really freaked me out. Though I did hit him with it in the end.”

  Natalie smiled at her, that kind mother-of-the-earth-type smile that sometimes drove Maeve mad. “It’s only a matter of time before Larz tries to give you the club. Do yourself a favor and hit him over the head as hard as you can. These Zyrgins have really hard skulls.”

  Maeve wasn’t about to tell her that she’d tried her best to kill him with that club. “I’ll take a good swing,” she said, instead. “I need to see the doctor,” she prompted Natalie.

  Natalie jumped up. “I’d better call Viglar.” She disappeared down a passageway and returned almost immediately.

  “He’s on his way.”

  They watched the old movie, but Maeve couldn’t concentrate. She kept wondering what it would be like to have stories to tell about a courtship with wooden clubs and Eduki pelts. Not to have to fear that the monster inside you wanted to kill the man you loved.

  Viglar came into the cave and walked over to them. “Marcie would like to talk to you about a medical issue,” Natalie said.

  He stood still for a moment, staring at her, and then he nodded. “We will go to the infirmary.”

  She followed him. After the hominess of the area of the cave where Natalie and Julia were, the infirmary seemed cold and almost threatening. He took a few steps away from her and she didn’t blame him. Apart from the fact that he couldn’t stand her, if Larz found him near her, there would be death and mayhem.

  “What do you want, human?”

  “I want you to make it so that I never remember again. Ever.”

  Time was running out for her. The dreams and flash backs and zoning out could only mean her memory was returning. The monster was winning, one nasty thought at a time. If she was an agent, she could understand going against the Zyrgins. What she did to Sarah had to have been personal. She would never be that person again. She would kill the monster inside her before it could take over.

  “Larz will decide this,” he said.

  She moved closer to him, held both hands out in supplication. “No, please, I know you don’t like me, but please help me.”

  The doctor grunted and she narrowed her eyes at him. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was speaking to someone, maybe Larz.

  “Larz comes.”

  She tried to grab his hands. “No, please, it’s my memory. It should be my choice if I want to regain it.”

  “I told you, you would be punished if you ever approached another warrior,” Larz said behind her.

  CHAPTER 9

  Maeve stepped back, away from Larz, but his focus was on the doctor. No doubt he’d get round to dealing with her. She didn’t care what he said or did. She didn’t want to remember. She wouldn’t remember.

  The doctor grated something and Larz grated back. From there, it appeared as if it degenerated into a heated argument.

  And, suddenly, she’d had enough. Enough of worrying about the monster, enough of arguing with Zyrgins who could out stubborn anyone. She got onto the examination table and sat swinging her legs. “I should’ve brought popcorn,” she mumbled.

  Larz had the doctor by the throat and the doctor returned the favor. Maeve looked around for a scalpel, just in case Larz needed help. She rubbed her temples. She’d known, in that one moment, she’d known exactly where she’d have to cut the doctor to do a lot of damage. She didn’t want to think about where she learned such skills and how she used them.

  Most nights, she dreamt about cutting an old woman’s throat. Being an agent she could accept. What kind of monster kills a helpless old woman?

  She couldn’t suppress a moan. That image haunted her more than any of the other flashbacks.

  Both Zyrgins stopped talking and turned to face her with equally smooth predatory movements.

  “I don’t want her here,” the doctor said in English.

  Maeve resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. “You’re a doctor. You should help people. Didn’t you take an oath or something?”

  “No,” he said and left the infirmary.

  Larz helped her off the table. “We will go to our dwelling.”

  She dug in her heels. Or tried to. “You’d better call him back. I’m not going anywhere until that doctor fixes it so that I never regain my memory.”

  She pulled away from him, got on the table, lay down, and crossed her arms over her chest.

  He leaned over her. “No, you come back to our dwelling and accept that your memory will return.”

  It wasn’t a question of her memory returning. She’d had more and more flashbacks. Most nights, she had nightmares about the girl Maeve and woke him with her screams. “Please, I don’t want to get my memory back. I won’t become a monster again.”

  She didn’t care that she was begging. About this, she had no pride. If she regained her memory and still remained the person she was now, she could deal with it. She’d read up on amnesia and, in most cases, the people who recovered their memories forgot what happened in the time between losing and regaining their memories. This was who she wanted to be. She couldn’t bear the thought of forgetting these months she’d spent with Larz.

  He picked her up with one easy movement, holding her high against his chest. “You will come back to the dwelling with me now.”

  Maeve sagged. He didn’t understand, would never know what it was like to be the lowest of the low. She lay with her head on his shoulder while he walked out of the cave. She waved half-heartedly at Natalie and Julia who smiled and called out goodbyes. Larz walked to the big steel door, and it slid open to allow them outside. He went through the force field and kept going, with her still held securely in his arms. She almost wished she hadn’t lost so much weight. When they neared his dwelling, she stiffened until she resembled a plank.

  “Please, can we stay outside for a while?” She couldn’t be trapped between four walls. Not now. Not while the disappointment of her plan failing made her want to bawl her eyes out.

 
He hesitated.

  “Please, Larz.”

  He turned, walked to the cliff overlooking the valley, and sat down on a flat rock with her held on his lap. She moved off him and sat on another rock, her movements stiff and controlled.

  They stared at the valley spread out below in silence. “I couldn’t let you do it,” he said.

  “Why not? It should be my choice.”

  “You have nightmares every night now. If Viglar suppress your memories, it will get worse.”

  She twisted her hands. “I still think it should be my choice. It’s my body, my memories.”

  “You belong to me. I will do what is best for you.”

  She sighed and gave up. There was something else that had been bothering her for a while now. This he would not stop her from doing, if he tried, she’d find a way on her own. “I need to talk to Sarah.”

  “Why?”

  She gripped her hands together until the nails appeared white. “I wronged her. I don’t know who I’ll be when I regain my memory. Maybe I’ll be a monster again, and I want to look her in the eye and apologise while I’m still this person.”

  He took her hands and pulled them apart, held them gently in his own big paws. She looked down at their hands, the differences between them so pronounced, her hands small and brown, his green with vicious looking claws, hers feminine and delicate, his big and rough.

  “You are not allowed near her.”

  “I understand that, but I have to talk to her. I have to. I just have to tell her I’m sorry while I’m still me.”

  “The Zyrgin would not allow it.”

  “Please, Larz. Wait. What does your emperor leader whatever have to do with Sarah?”

  “He is interested in the welfare of all the woman here.”

  His answer didn’t convince her, but she couldn’t focus on that now. “He doesn’t have to know. Wait, he’d punish you if I spoke to her, wouldn’t he? They’d whip you again.”

  He didn’t answer. No matter how many times she asked him about the fading whip marks on his back, he refused to tell her what happened, why they’d punished him. She knew it was because of her, and she couldn’t bear the thought of him hurting because of her.

  “I won’t try to speak to her if they’re going to blame you.”

  “This is important to you?”

  “Will they blame you?”

  Again silence from him and that was confirmation enough.

  “I won’t have you punished for my actions. Let’s just forget about it.” Maybe she could write a long message on the TC.

  He stared off into the valley for a long time. She expected him to treat the discussion as finished but, after a long silence, he turned to her. “She is staying with Natalie. We moved her from the guesthouse after you threatened her the first time. She walks outside every day. We will wait for her.”

  So that’s why he always took her back to the dwelling before two. So that Sarah could walk outside unhindered by her presence. Maeve didn’t remember threatening Sarah and shuddered to think what she did either time. Or was it only two times?

  “No matter what you say, I know they whipped you because of me. I won’t give them the opportunity to hurt you again. It won’t happen again, not because of me.”

  His hand tightened on hers. “They won’t whip me for this.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  She tried to see the truth on his face, in his eyes, as usual he gave nothing away. “All right, I’ll talk to her.”

  “Don’t get too close. Her guards will not like it. I cannot go to her, you have to talk to her alone but, keep a distance between you.”

  She had to do this, but she couldn’t afford to give the monster a chance to hurt Sarah. “Larz, you can move very fast, can’t you.”

  “Yes.”

  “And your hearing is better than mine?”

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t go too close to Sarah. I’m afraid the monster inside me might want to hurt her. I need you to listen and get me away from her if the monster tries to take over.”

  “I will not allow you to harm her. The monster will not face me. You may safely speak to Sarah.”

  Half an hour later, Sarah appeared with two guards behind her.

  Maeve stood on trembling legs. “All right, keep your fingers crossed.”

  He looked down at his fingers a moment then focused on her. “I will keep an eye on the guards. If I tell you to run, you will run to our dwelling.”

  “Okay.” Maeve hadn’t thought about the guards. With her luck, she’d insulted them as well and they hated her. They were probably just waiting for a chance to kill her.

  Sarah walked slowly, bent over like a much older woman. The guards kept their distance from her, but came closer the moment they saw Maeve. Larz grated something and they still stepped forward until they stood on either side of Sarah.

  Sarah’s eyes were so pale blue, they appeared almost colorless. She looked at Maeve with a vacant gaze that sent goose bumps all over her body.

  Maeve ignored the guards and, keeping her distance, focused on Sarah. “I promise you I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. I have to talk to you, to apologize.”

  Sarah stared at her with those eerie eyes. “It won’t change anything.”

  “Please, I have to tell you how sorry I am.”

  Sarah’s lips twisted in a cynical smile. “You mean, you have to say you’re sorry so that you can feel better.”

  The ordeal she’d suffered was stamped all over her. Her face was thin, her eyes big and sunken. Her shoulder bones protruded through the thick sweater she wore with the baggy jeans.

  Maeve’s heart stuttered and then resumed beating at a frantic pace. Sarah was dying, starving right in front of their eyes, and it was her fault. Maeve forgot the painful speech she’d rehearsed. “Sarah, you have to eat.”

  Again that cynic smile. “Do I?”

  Maeve stretched out her hands, but quickly dropped them when the guard stepped forward. “Please, don’t let what I did to you ruin the rest of your life.”

  Sarah tilted her head, the sun glinting in the golden strands. “How? Just tell me how not to let it ruin me? Tell me how to live, how to sleep with the memory of their hands, the things they said to me.” She shuddered and clutched her arms around herself, looked like she would throw up any moment now.

  Maeve wanted to go to her, to hold her and comfort her, but Sarah wouldn’t want that, and the guards would read it as a threat. The monster stirred almost lazily in her mind. “I’m not trying to justify what I did. Not remembering what I did is not an excuse. Maybe someday in your heart you can forgive me.”

  Sarah straightened, lifted her chin and fisted her hands at her sides. “Maybe someday,” she said.

  Maeve shook her head. This was why her actions would haunt her for the rest of her life. This gentle woman didn’t deserve what had happened to her, none of the women in the camps deserved what had happened to them. “I’m sorry, Sarah.”

  That eerie gaze pinned her. “You’re different.”

  Maeve lifted a strand of hair that was almost totally black now. “It’s the hair, and the freckles are going away, thank God.”

  Sarah frowned. “No, it’s something else.”

  Maeve clutched her arms around herself to avoid folding Sarah into her arms and just hugging her until the pain in her eyes went away. She was the last person Sarah would accept comfort from. “I know you can’t forgive me, but I had to face you. Tell you I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t even know what you’re sorry for,” Sarah scorned.

  “Oh, I have a pretty good idea.” Even if they hadn’t told her what she did to alienate everyone, their attitudes toward her said it all.

  “Please, I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” Sarah said. “Maybe you’re sorry and maybe you’re just acting, but at the end of the day, I will live with what you’ve done to me for the rest of my life.”

 
The monster smiled and lunged for Sarah. Maeve screamed before her body could make the move the monster wanted and, suddenly, Larz was there, holding her tight, carrying her away from Sarah.

  After a while, he put her down. “She will get better,” he said quietly.

  “You heard everything?” She’d asked him to listen but she would’ve preferred if Larz never heard that discussion.

  “Yes.”

  They walked in silence for a while. The monster that had tried to take over her mind a few moments ago was suddenly gone. How strange that she should feel so comfortable with this alien, this unwanted predator on her planet. She shivered and moved closer to him. She had the strangest feeling that her time with Larz was running out. Every day the feeling of destiny catching up with her intensified. She could feel its cold bony hand almost touching her shoulder. And at night, when she dreamed, it caught her.

  Before she was ready to be inside again, the door of his dwelling slid open in that smooth noiseless way. “You should make the domes blend in with the surroundings,” she said, just to break the silence.

  He stood back to let her go in first. “Do you want to make changes to our dwelling?”

  She stepped inside and looked around at the sterile walls and one uncomfortable couch. “I suppose so.”

  He led her over to the couch and sat next to her. He sat upright, his feet slightly apart, his hands next to his hips. She’d never seen him slouch the way a human man would, relaxing on a couch. “What would you change?”

  “The color of the walls. I’d make them white with a very faint blue tint.” She couldn’t think about walls and furniture when she was afraid the monster would take over her body again and the person she was now wouldn’t exist. Or she’d be trapped, deep inside her brain, screaming to be set free, to be with him.

  She wanted to make love to him, to absorb him into her very being before that happened. She got up on her knees and, leaning down, she kissed him. He remained watchful, barely responding and she deepened the kiss. Telling him the monster was gone would do no good. She’d show him. She loved kissing him, feeling the texture of his mouth, tasting him, enjoying his unique fragrance.