I tore my attention from the rebellion leader’s middle section now covered by the material of his shirt. Mother Joyal. The fact I had even noticed his body, other than to evaluate it, was appalling. My guilty gaze quickly flicked around the room, but no one was paying me any attention, their eyes on the chatty Kireg, who was giving details of our escape.
This place was fucking with my head.
But the bastard did glance at me briefly, his purple eyes cold as hell.
I stiffened and turned my attention from him. I asked the Kireg who finally stopped talking, “Can we go now?” The plan was simple. The lights would go out in this section of the building, and we would leave through the exit down the hall. There was a vehicle in place inside a vehicle garage waiting for us. “I think we’ve got the gist of our escape.”
The Kireg’s eyes narrowed. “A little gratitude would be nice.” His gaze flicked to his leader, and then back to me. “Especially, considering everything you’ve been through.”
My shoulders stiffened.
Geo yawned behind a fist, talking through it. “Enough.”
The man peered to his leader, dipping his head. “My apologies.”
He yawned again. “Just get us out of here.”
When both Kireg moved at the direct order, the quiet one pressed on a com-bud in his ear. He spoke softly, and then the lights instantly went out. It was happening now, our escape.
Thank Mother Joyal.
I shook my shoulders out. “Time to leave this shithole behind.”
The bastard mumbled, “Truer words have never been spoken.”
I walked in front of him in the general direction of the door. Twin lights appeared as the men lifted small see-lights, the door already open. I followed them at a fast clip, the rebellion leader taking the rear. My mouth stayed shut as we rushed down the hallway, the exit not locked.
I rushed through the door, landing in a barren stairwell. I followed our rescuers and climbed the steps. My nose crinkled at our limited pace—in the semi-dark—but we kept charging up the stairs. It finally occurred to me there were no windows, no normal sounds of living life in this place because it was underground. When we exited another door, ten flights of stairs up, we arrived at a well-lit vehicle garage.
“Shit,” the quiet one griped. He darted behind a large partition, and we quickly followed, both men turning off their see-lights. He placed a finger on the com-bud at his ear. “Turn off the goddamn lights in the garage.” He dropped his hand and glanced at his partner. “Leave it to him to screw this up.”
Geo growled quietly, “Cut the shit. This area of the complex is wired differently.” He pointed at the cables running in the crevice of the ceiling where it met the wall. “The garage is on an alternate electrical system. That member of our crew will have to hack into a different section to do his job.” A white brow rose. “I doubt you warned him ahead of time?”
I held up my hands. “Now is not the time to lecture your crew. They only had a few days to plan.” I peered to the quiet Kireg. “How far is the vehicle?”
“Two more levels up in the loading dock. Too far to run—since no one could figure out how to tamper with the cameras out here. A silent alarm will sound when an unauthorized face shows up. We barely had time to add our faces to their advanced system.”
The garage suddenly went dark.
Geo grunted, sounding pleased. “Not bad. It’s Riza, isn’t it?”
The chatty Kireg snorted. “Of course.”
I was my usual charming self. “Think we can cut the chitchat and skip on to the getaway vehicle? Since there are Kireg and Humans that still need to be rescued.”
The twin see-lights clicked back on. That was our cue.
We took up the same positions and raced up the incline of the vehicle garage. The corners we took more slowly, checking for any wayward Kireg but eventually, made it to the loading dock. A non-descriptive armored vehicle sat by two industrial-sized waste disposals. The talkative Kireg in front aimed at it, sliding behind the disposals for added protection. We followed his lead, one at a time, with our backs to the wall and working our way past the foul smelling garbage.
He typed in code—and I watched carefully—and the door slid open. I quickly moved inside. There was already a Kireg in the driver’s seat and one in the front passenger seat. I aimed for the far side of the bench seat in the back to make it easier for the rest to climb inside. But only Geo followed me in, and we both buckled our seatbelts in silence. The door was slid shut. The two Kireg, who had participated in our escape, disappeared into the pitch-black vehicle garage.
Without a word, the Kireg in the driver’s seat nodded over his shoulder to his leader in a silent greeting before he started the vehicle. It rumbled to a start without a hitch, and he was quickly staring over his shoulder to watch out the back windows while he reversed. He turned his lights on then and shoved the vehicle into drive. I held onto the cushion of the bench seat as the vehicle shot forward at a breakneck speed. If any member of the Dynasty were in the way, they would easily be run over.
His eyes were straight on the pathway. He growled, “Hang on, everyone. It’s going to get bumpy.”
The man wasn’t jesting. The lights in the garage flicked on overhead, and suddenly, I could see a wall straight ahead. I cleared my throat when he didn’t veer from his course. I attempted to keep my voice calm. “Excuse me, driver. That’s a wall up there.”
“And we’re going through it.” He revved the engine, and the vehicle sped even faster. He turned his lights off in preparation for the dark outside—I hoped—so we wouldn’t be seen. “This area’s under construction and they haven’t completed their work yet.”
I blinked. Uh… “That looks pretty complete to me.”
Geo shook his head. “It’s not.” He watched as I sat forward to see better. “There’s still raw material around the edges. We’ll be fine—as long as there’s something to drive on behind it.”
“That’s not very reassuring.” But I did sit back. My grip tightened on the bench seat as we neared it. “Thank the heavens we’re getting out of here.”
A hard grunt past my lips when we bashed through the wall, the vehicle tipping forward with the back wheels off the ground. They eventually crashed back down. The impact jarred everyone inside, arms and legs and heads jolting through the air.
The driver hooted as the vehicle sped forward on an uneven blue grassy field.
I glared at the back of his head. “I bet you’ve always wanted to do something like that.”
He pumped a fist into the air, hitting it on the roof in victory. “For moon’s sake, I have.”
Geo rearranged himself on his seat and tucked his white hair behind his ears. “Very fine work, Coi. You planned that perfectly.”
“Thank you, my liege.” He was extremely pleased with himself.
I snorted and unclenched my hands from the bench seat. I placed them on my lap and endured the bumping and dipping with each uneven area we hit, only open field ahead of us. My mouth stayed closed of any further snide comments. The Kireg had managed to get us out of the garage undetected, an alarm not even sounding—probably since alarms were typically turned off in construction areas. When you were stealing something of value—us, in this circumstance—it was always so much easier to get in by yourself than to get out with the goods. And he had managed it. Even if it was with flare. I would allow him his small victory without further comment.
Instead, I asked, “Driver man? Where are you taking us exactly?”
He cast a quick glance in the rearview mirror—directly at me. “We’re currently in Kew province, one of the last Dynasty controlled sections. But there’s a safe house here run by the rebellion. We’ll be secure at the location until everyone has their business straight and are ready to depart.”
I nodded with easiness. “Thank you,” I paused, “Coi.”
“You’re welcome,” his eyes flicked in my direction again through the mirror, “Human.”
I kept my eyes forward on the terrain, ignoring the snub. “Coi, will there be food there?”
“Yes. And clothing. Enough for all the captives rescued.”
“Fantastic.” I tipped my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. My feet spread and braced my body, the vehicle shaking and jolting my bones with every knock. This vehicle was going to be ruined by the time we arrived at our destination. I couldn’t sleep, but I needed to think.
And I couldn’t think with the all-knowing Kireg around.
So I merely rested my eyes and thought of the blessed sun on Joyal.
At least, I was no longer a captive of the cracked Dynasty.
“Mother Joyal. Mother Joyal. Mother Joyal!” I shouted in fear and glanced in the rearview mirror of the vehicle I had stolen. The same vehicle that was our escape vehicle last night. “Shit. Shit. Shit!”
They were gaining on me. I slammed my foot down on the accelerator. White wisps of hair caught my attention as the wind whipped my hair from the open window.
White hair.
I had woken up to goddamn white hair, not my blonde.
That only meant one thing. The rebellion leader and I were mated.
When a Kireg’s bodily fluids mixed with another’s, and they were meant to be mates, the weaker individual took on traits of the stronger mate. Geo was a hell of a lot stronger than I was. And now I bore the color of the Kireg hair.
I didn’t know how it was possible. But it had happened.
And the bastard had heard my shouted thoughts when I woke up looking like a damn alien.
He chased me in the vehicle behind. He and Corza.
I sped as fast as I could. Multiple vehicles stood as objects before me. I swerved to the left and passed one. A jerk back to the right and another was passed. When two blocked my way, hogging both lanes, I cut the wheel hard and turned into oncoming traffic.
Blaring warnings were pinging on the dash of my vehicle, but I slammed my hand on the screen and shut it off. I glanced in my rearview again and breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn’t see them any longer.
Until two vehicles headed right at me from the side. I ground my teeth together, and the tires squealed as I took a hard left onto a side street. As I sped down the thin lane, I watched as Geo’s car flew past the entrance, just having missed it.
I took another left, heading back the way I came, doubling back. When I came to a street that had no Kireg pedestrians, I pulled to the side and searched the vehicle. I fumbled with a sock I found under the passenger’s seat. Funny how even an alien race loses their socks.
I ripped it into long pieces and quickly tied it around my head, covering my eyes.
I could barely see out of the bottom, but I would fit in with the Kireg in this province.
I just had to keep my thoughts to myself. I started counting numbers in my head and stepped out of the vehicle. It was sure to be tracked so I had to ditch it. The store closest to me was an eatery—fish, of course—and I hurried inside and went straight to the back. I ducked behind a curtain and raced to the back entrance.
When my feet hit the alleyway, I tipped the covering up on my eyes. I raced down to the trash receptacle and dove inside. I ripped trash containers apart in search of clothing that fit into this society. The sheer nothing that showed all nakedness. It had taken ten bags before I found a commercial container full of ripped clothing. I wasn’t picky, tugging on whatever would fit my size.
I coughed past the stench and jumped out of the disgusting filth.
Now, I just needed to find a ride back to Joyal. Far, far away from the rebellion leader.
My skills came in handy. The electronic devices I faced were easy to tamper with.
I hacked into an industrial shipping business nearby. The writing on the manifests was scribbled and hard to read, but I found a listing traveling to Joyal. An immense shipment of lumber was due to depart in twenty-three hours. It was enough time for me to steal a spacesuit from their facility and climb into the cargo hold. My main problem was I would need to be in a deep slumber during the flight. Otherwise, my thoughts would carry over to any Kireg transporting the goods.
Stealing the drugs hadn’t been easy. I hadn’t known the names of the chemicals used here. I had to search in their database and make sure I took the correct dosage.
But when I stole inside the cargo bay and found a perfect nook for my body size, a sense of peace transfused my system. I was going home. I would be on Joyal by daybreak. The blessed sun would welcome me as I stepped on to my native land. The drugs took effect just as I changed into my spacesuit and clicked my helmet on, a smile on my face.
The hard jarring woke me. I lifted sleepy eyes and peered through my visor. The drugs were still in my system, but the hov-craft was landing. I’d dosed myself too much. I lay still and closed my eyes, thinking of nothing for another full ten minutes. Only then did I push myself to crawl out of my hidden space and stand on wobbling legs.
I blinked until my vision stopped teetering.
It was time to move.
I crept past all the boxes in the cargo hold, peeking around each sharp corner. There was no one back here, no sounds heard. When I reached the door to the pilot’s compartment, I took off my helmet and placed my ear to the cold metal. No vibrations were tickling my ear, and still no sounds heard. I typed in code on the access system, and the door unlocked once more.
I opened it carefully and stole a glance through the cracked opening.
The pilot was gone, already at the loading dock.
Slipping out of the ship was too easy, but I didn’t complain in my drugged state.
I squinted at the writing on the directional unit.
That was really odd. It was all in Mianese.
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Perhaps the drugs were affecting my sight.
It didn’t change.
I tucked my helmet under my arm and scanned the area.
Glowing blue eyes caught on mine.
Oh…Mother Joyal. I’d landed on the wrong planet.
The writing had been bad, but it hadn’t been that bad.
When the Mian shouted at me, he saw my ass real fast. I ran away from him with every survival instinct I had. He started to follow me, sure to catch up with the Mian’s incredible speed, but a hov-craft landed right in front of him, cutting him off. I twisted around a smaller ship and hid beneath it to catch my breath.
What was I going to do now? And why would a shipment bound for Joyal end up on Triaz?
I needed answers. I needed them yesterday before I’d drugged myself to the wrong planet.
The area was full of hov-craft, some massive, others for pleasure.
There was bound to be a database here I could search.
I damn near pissed my spacesuit waiting for the night to come. When it did, I slipped into the main building of the landing space. There was a janitorial area that had clothes to ‘borrow.’ I stuffed my spacesuit into a bag I found and kept my head down, my normal eyes hidden, as I walked around the building with cleaning supplies. No Mian even glanced in my direction—no thought reading here.
When I found a hov-pad, I grabbed it and ducked into the facilities.
I searched Joyal first.
What I found made my heart pound too fast. They had been attacked by the Mian. There were no trading agreements in place, no shipments heading to my planet. Most important, my home planet wasn’t safe.
I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat and began a new search.
I was in Center, and it was home to Mian of the east and the west, a central location where they were all welcome. Another query and I found a sliver of hope. On the residential logs, there was a new lease for a Human. She was listed as the owner, but the bills weren’t being charged to her. It appeared they were being deducted from the Plumas of the East. While that was interesting, it still wasn’t all the intel I needed. There weren’t any new shipments going back to Egyac for the next few months.
I would need to find a ride unless I wanted to hide on this planet forever.
And now that I’d escaped…I wasn’t so sure I should have run away from my destiny.
Jasmine would be horrified to know that I’d been cowed by fear.
While Geo may stand for war, he was fighting for a cause to save his people.
He couldn’t be as bad as I’d initially feared him to be. There had to some kindness in him.
Somewhere.
I sighed and rubbed at my forehead. I needed to find a place to lay low. It shouldn’t be too hard. All I had to do was hack into a few company directories and see who was on vacation. I could keep doing that until I figured out how to get back to Egyac…if that’s what I ultimately decided to do.
And I needed surveillance bugs. If I needed to ask the Human in Center for help, I needed as much intel on her as I could. Especially, with the Plumas of the East paying her way here in this city.
Her hands were full with two trash bags as she barely shut her apartment door, trapping her mongrel inside. Perfectly pleasant, she stated, “Hi, I’m Braita. I’m new to the building.”
It was now or never. Either this Human would help a fellow Human or she wouldn’t. It had been too long, and I had run out of options. With sweat beading my brow, I raised my head and kept my voice quiet. “I know who you are.”
Her mouth bobbed, and recognition lit her gaze. “Mother Joyal, you’re her.”
I couldn’t help but gawk as my brow crinkled. “You remember me?”
“Yes, you were sitting next to me when the President was calling names. You were sent to the Kireg.” Her eyes ran over my features and faltered a second on my hair. “Geo is looking for you, Madeline.”
My lips thinned. How did she know Geo? Had he sent out an alert to the Mian?
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