“I’m not alone. I have my warrior brothers.”
“I mean, you would have a woman, someone to take care of you.”
Bladen let out a sigh and a smile crossed his lips. “I can take care of myself well enough.”
“I’m not doubting that,” said Grace. “But it’s nice to have somebody else to look out for you, make sure you’re happy and have someone to enjoy life with.”
“Is that what you used to do with your husband?” asked Bladen. He couldn’t deny the jealous twang he felt, knowing Grace had been another man’s wife.
Grace looked at the ground. “A long time ago I did. But things change. I guess people change. But I still have hope I can find love again.”
Bladen stood and took hold of Grace’s hand gently, not wanting to scare her again. “Love sounds good. I’ll have to see if I can help you with that.”
Grace smiled. “Sorry about pulling away from you. I didn’t mean to. I haven't been touched by a man in a long time. I’m out of practice with this whole...” she waved her hand in the air.
Bladen went to stroke her face, but then stilled and tilted his head, his senses flaring. There was movement across the sand, and it was growing closer.
“Someone is coming,” whispered Grace.
Bladen yanked out a long, thin blade and homed in on the sound. “Get behind me. It doesn’t sound like a large troop. I’ll be able to fight them off.”
“Give me a weapon,” said Grace.
“There’s no need,” said Bladen.
“Let me assist you. I can help.” Grace held her hand out.
Bladen growled his displeasure but pulled a short throwing blade from his harness. “Only use it if you have to.”
Grace’s fingers brushed his as she took the blade from him, making his skin burn. “Is it a Fraken beast?”
“It doesn’t sound large,” said Bladen. He bent into a crouch, his eyes focused on the bend in the rock face, waiting for the creature to reveal itself.
His throat tightened as he saw a mutant female crash into view. She had a basic feminine design, but one eye had been replaced with an artificial one, as had several limbs. Her skin was stretched over the metallic replacements, but it looked as if it had been a hasty job, and there were flaps of flesh shifting every time the mutant moved.
Grace made a strangled sound in the back of her throat and ran in front of Bladen, her hand slamming against his chest and stopping him from attacking the mutant. “Don’t hurt her.”
Bladen’s gaze didn’t leave the mutant female. “Why not? She’s been sent to kill us.”
“I know her,” stammered out Grace. “It’s Sonia!”
Chapter 17
Horror made Grace’s throat close as she wheeled around and stared at Sonia. The last time she’d seen her, she’d just had her throat slit by a Fraken before being dragged away.
This was too sick to be true. The Fraken had used her dead friend and transformed her into one of their mutant beasts.
Grace took a step towards Sonia, but Bladen stopped her from getting any closer.
“How do you know her?” asked Bladen.
Grace swallowed as she tore her gaze from Sonia. “She was in the cell with me and the others. The Fraken killed her.”
“Be careful,” cautioned Bladen. “She will not be your friend anymore.”
“I can’t believe they’ve done this to her.” Hot, angry tears slid down Grace’s cheeks as she stared at Sonia. “Do you think she can hear me? Will she know me?”
“There will be nothing left of your friend.” Bladen softened his grip on her arm. “The Fraken have used her remains for their own entertainment. She will not know who you are.”
“We can’t let this happen to her,” said Grace. “We need to get her out of this game, as well. Maybe we can fix her.”
“There’s no point,” said Bladen. “She is your enemy. It is kinder if we put her out of her misery. She must have suffered at the hands of the Fraken as they changed her into this.”
“I can’t let you kill her,” said Grace, her wild gaze flashing up to Bladen’s. “She doesn’t deserve that.”
“Better to die now than be paraded through the games,” said Bladen.
Grace shook her head and looked back at Sonia, who had remained silent, seeming content to watch them. Her electronic eye moved from side to side as she took in their surroundings.
“Sonia, it’s me, Grace.” She took a step towards Sonia, but Bladen pulled her back again.
“Don’t risk yourself; there’s no point,” said Bladen. “The Fraken are using her to taunt you and cause you to make a mistake.”
Grace shook his hand off, her gaze not leaving the tattered remains of her friend. “Sonia, I know you must still be in there somewhere. Do you know who I am?”
Sonia’s head shifted towards Grace, and her unblinking eyes stared at her. One eye leaked liquid from the corner as the other one rotated around.
“She’s working for the Fraken,” said Bladen softly. “She will be sending them data as to our whereabouts. We need to get rid of her and then leave.”
“She comes with us,” said Grace.
“No, she can’t,” said Bladen. “I’m sorry you had to see your friend like this, but if we try to help her, she will destroy us.”
“Please, you have to let me try,” said Grace. “What if we leave her behind and she knows we’re here, but is trapped inside that, well, that... thing.” She gestured towards Sonia. “I will never forgive myself if I know we could have helped.”
“You can’t,” said Bladen. “It’s too much of a risk. The woman you knew is dead.”
“Give me one minute. If I can’t get through to her, then you can kill her.” Grace’s heart clenched as she turned and looked back at Sonia. She must be suffering so much; there must be a way to assist her.
“You have one minute,” said Bladen. “Then she has to die, and we leave.”
Grace shot a glare at him before stepping forward.
“Be careful and don’t get too close,” said Bladen. “She will be here to do you harm.”
“I’m not stupid,” hissed Grace.
Bladen took a step back as Grace focused on Sonia.
“Sonia, do you know who I am?”
Sonia tilted her head to one side, her gaze remaining fixed on Grace.
“We were in the cell together. We met on board the Capella and were taken by the Fraken at the same time.”
A whirring, mechanical sound began in Sonia’s throat, and she took a step forward.
Instantly, Grace felt Bladen at her back, his hot solid presence comforting her, but she shooed him away. She needed to focus on Sonia. “I’m fine.”
Sonia had stopped moving and was standing with her arms loose by her sides and her head leaning at an unnatural angle.
“Concentrate. Try to find some memories you still have,” said Grace. “Do you remember the starship?”
“Ship,” gargled out Sonia.
“That’s right! We met on the Capella. I saw you on our first night. You were dancing on the bar and ordering shots.”
“Grace,” said Sonia. The word crackled out through a mouth that sounded bone dry.
“It’s me!” said Grace. “You remember me? You don’t have to hurt me or Bladen. He’s a friend, too.”
Sonia stumbled forward several steps, her arms raising as she drew nearer to Grace.
“We can help you. Get you out of here.” Grace could smell the decay wafting off Sonia but refused to move away.
“Be careful what you say,” muttered Bladen. “The Fraken will be watching this through her false eye. They will hear everything.”
“Do you think she knows who I am?” asked Grace. “She said my name. That shows she has some memories, doesn’t it?”
“It’s just programming,” said Bladen. “She’s not even alive.”
“I don’t believe that,” spat out Grace, hating herself for secretly thinking the same thing. “She knows
me.”
“All she knows is that she has to kill you,” said Bladen. “They won’t have left anything of your friend behind when they adapted her.”
“Sonia was strong-willed,” said Grace. “I know if she could, she’d hang on.”
Grace heard Bladen sigh as he retreated from her side again, and she pushed down the irritation she felt. Alien technology was advanced, and if Sonia got a dose of nanobots, maybe they could repair her.
Grace’s medical analysis kicked in as she watched Sonia move towards her, her gait unsteady. She had artificial limbs and would need some serious skin grafts. There would be scarring, and Grace couldn’t see how many of Sonia's organs remained, but new ones could be regrown. But what about her brain? What had the Fraken done to it? There were limits as to what could be done to repair serious damage, but there could be a way to help her. And Sonia wouldn’t remember any of this; she would get back to how she was, fun and flighty and enjoying life.
Sparks flickered across Sonia’s artificial right arm, and a long, sturdy knife slid out of her flesh.
Grace swallowed her fear. “You’re better than the Fraken, Sonia. Don’t follow their orders. Remember who you are. Remember what you wanted to do when you got into the stars. You had so many adventures planned and so much fun to look forward to. That doesn’t have to end because the Fraken have hurt you. We can repair you and make things better.”
Sonia stumbled forward on her metallic legs and raised the blade towards Grace.
Bladen was in front of her immediately and struck aside the blade, knocking Sonia away as he did so.
Sonia staggered to one side, but righted herself and slashed the blade through the air.
Grace stifled a cry as Bladen struck at Sonia again.
“She can’t be saved,” said Bladen. “Let me do the right thing for her. She will be suffering.”
Grace pressed her lips together as she watched Bladen sidestep another clumsy strike from Sonia. The Fraken had used her friend to taunt her. They hadn’t created a beast; they’d created a nightmare in the hope it would break her.
She sucked in a sob. “I do not want her to be in pain.”
“Just say the word,” said Bladen. “This will all be over for her. She won’t suffer any more.”
Grace licked her lips as she watched Sonia stagger from side to side. The Fraken had made a mockery of her friend, cobbled together with bits of mechanics and cybernetics that didn’t even work properly.
“What do you want me to do?” asked Bladen, as he fended off another blow from Sonia.
“Give me your blade.” Grace extended a hand.
“I can do it,” said Bladen.
“She was my friend; it’s only right I end her suffering.” Grace blinked away tears as she turned to look at Sonia.
Bladen handed Grace the weapon. “Aim for her neck and you’ll sever all the connections keeping her going.”
Grace had to use both hands on the hilt of the blade Bladen gave her. She gave Bladen a single nod, before turning back to Sonia. “I’m sorry for what they’ve done to you. I wish there was another way I could help you.”
Sonia raised her own blade and staggered towards Grace, an angry growl tearing from her lips.
Grace pulled her weapon back and swung it in front of her, smashing it against the side of Sonia’s neck. Sonia’s head disconnected with a blinding flash of sparks, and her body fell to the ground, twitching for several seconds before going still.
***
Bladen grabbed the weapon from Grace’s hand and slid it into his harness. He opened his mouth to speak, just as Grace’s knees buckled. He caught her easily and cradled her against him. His heart ached as he saw the misery etched on her face. But he was also proud of her, proud she’d decided to help her friend when she most needed it.
“You did the right thing,” he said.
A sob shot out of Grace’s mouth, and she laid her head against his chest. “I should have been able to help her more. She shouldn’t have been in this game.”
“None of you should be here,” said Bladen.
“Sonia just wanted to enjoy herself and wanted to find a better life. That’s all anyone wants on Earth. It’s all I want. I was always fighting, trying to find a way to give my life value. I thought helping injured people would be enough, but it never was. It all seemed like such a waste.”
“You were doing your best.” Bladen ran his hand down Grace’s back. He could feel her whole body trembling as she pressed herself against him.
“It was all for nothing, though. And then I’d go home, lie alone in a cold bed and wonder what had happened to my husband, wonder why he had to abandon me in favor of war.” Grace choked out another sob. “I wasn’t good enough for him to stay with me. His job was more important than me.”
“That’s not true.” Bladen tightened his grip around Grace, wanting to squeeze away her sadness, make her feel better, and make her realize she was good enough. “It sounds like your husband made a few mistakes.”
“We all did,” choked out Grace. “But this is no better. These games are disgusting, and we are trapped.”
“But we’re getting out,” said Bladen. “I promised you that. You can rely on me. I won’t let you down.” He felt Grace’s tears soaking into his shirt as he kept stroking his hand up and down her back as she let the anger and frustration flood out of her. He wanted to take away all the pain and anguish she felt, give her something pure and good to look forward to. He would fight to the death to do that.
After a few moments, he felt Grace’s sobs quieten, and she leaned into him again and gripped his arms.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Dreadful. But at least I know Sonia isn’t suffering anymore.”
Bladen wiped Grace’s face clean of tears with his shirt and then kissed her cheeks before moving to her mouth. He couldn’t stop himself if he wanted to. She was amazing, and he needed to show her that in the only way he knew how.
Grace let out a sigh as her lips parted and she pulled Bladen closer.
Bladen’s tongue pushed into Grace’s mouth, his kiss growing increasingly urgent as his desire to remove the sadness she felt overwhelmed him.
Grace moaned and wrapped her arms around Bladen’s neck, pulling him close as they tangled together in a breathless, desperate embrace.
Bladen felt himself harden as Grace’s hot salty taste filled his mouth, her tears mixing with their kisses. He lost himself in his desire for her and his need to protect her and give her everything she longed for, everything she deserved. She was a remarkable woman, surviving against the Fraken for so long, standing up for herself, even though she thought everything was lost.
And he wanted the same thing, to stand for something bigger than him, stand with his warrior brothers as they fought to end the tyrannical reign of the Fraken. And he realized he wanted it with Grace. She made him want to fight for this, and he was never going to let her go.
Chapter 18
The feel of Bladen’s lips on hers pushed away the grief and sadness overwhelming Grace. She gave herself over to desire as she explored Bladen’s body with her hands, swiping her fingers over his strong muscles and enjoying the growls he made every time he touched her.
Her skin felt on fire as he held her against his firm chest, and she forgot about everything, the game they were in, the loss of Sonia, the feelings of hopelessness and anger at the futility of the battles she’d seen. None of it mattered as she clung to Bladen and let his passion take over and fill her with something she’d been missing for too long.
His touch was so sure and strong, and she felt safe in his arms. Not just safe, but alive, filled with an energy that was new to her, a sensation almost as alien as the warrior who was holding her so close.
Her insides heated with a fire she hadn’t felt for a long time. It was as if she was coming back to life after being in a coma, like taking a gulp of clean air and tasting pure water. Bladen had done this to her, and she was
never letting go of the feeling.
She moaned as his hands went lower and he cupped her backside, drawing her closer still, and she felt his long hardness beneath his trousers. Grace wanted to strip him, explore his muscled body, and feel him take her.
“As much as I want to keep doing this,” said Bladen, pushing back with a frustrated groan, “we need to move.”
Grace blinked several times, dragging her passion filled thoughts into reality. “I know. We have to leave.”
Bladen slowed his kisses, his hands still stroking over Grace’s body. “But this is not over. I want my fill of you. And I want to fill you up, show you how incredible you are.”
Grace dragged in a shaky breath. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Bladen smiled down at her before gently kissing her lips. “Make sure you do. There is a lot I want to know about you and a lot I plan to do to you. I’m going to make you laugh again.”
Grace pressed a kiss to Bladen’s lips. She turned her gaze to Sonia’s body and felt some of the happiness slip from her. “We must do something with her before we leave.”
Bladen kept his arm wrapped around Grace’s waist. “What do you want to do?”
“Bury her in the sand,” said Grace. “I want to give her a proper goodbye. We can’t leave her out here. No matter what the Fraken have done to her, Sonia deserves a proper farewell.”
“We'll have to be quick,” said Bladen. “The Fraken will know where we are now and will be coming for us.”
Silently, they both knelt and began scooping out handfuls of hot sand. Grace dug until her muscles burned and her lungs protested, but she didn’t stop until they’d created a shallow grave for Sonia.
Bladen helped Grace to move Sonia’s body, before collecting her severed head and placing everything in the grave.
Grace failed to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks again as she saw the sand cover what was once her friend. Her heart ached for everything Sonia had lost, but she also felt something more, a desire to get vengeance for Sonia and make the Fraken sorry.
“We will make sure they pay for what they’ve done to your friend,” said Bladen, the words making it sound as if he’d read Grace’s thoughts.
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