by Abella Ward
Kara was crushed by the resignation in his voice. “Arazor, no! You... mustn’t!” she called to him as intense pain stabbed her back and she gathered all her strength to stay alert.
Rezurn gestured at his guard to stop. Arazor had his attention. “Smart man. Now we are talking.”
“I... I will give you access to the mines... Please let her go. She doesn’t deserve this,” Arazor said to Rezurn.
Oh, Arazor... Kara thought miserably, her head spinning, barely staying in the present. He was saving her yet again. Just then, the ground shook beneath her feet. She heard an explosion in the distance. A cloud of dust gathered around them and debris flew as the walls caved in. The last thing she remembered was Arazor’s face. His eyes... His lips... He was saying something she couldn’t hear as her vision blurred and she fell into the dark abyss of her unconsciousness.
Chapter Eight
The crew of the Vllar Starship 7071 unshackled the Commander of the Elite Force. He was dazed, but still conscious.
“Commander, we will take you aboard our ship right away. Please do as I say,” the captain of the ship requested as he cut off the restraints and put a breathing mask on Arazor.
It was a few moments before Arazor could speak clearly. “Listen, there are two women here who need prompt medical attention. One is human and the other is an Argarian. Send the human back to Andromeda 13. And transport the other to her home on Terrgius,” he said.
“As you wish. We already have the human, and will take care of the Argarian. But sir, what about you?” the captain asked.
“I’ll be fine. Go! That’s an order,” Arazor said.
“Yes, sir,” the captain said and followed his men, who were already carrying Kara out.
Arazor glanced around. Smoke seemed to settle over the debris and rubble. A few Druzhal bodies lay on the floor, but there was no sign of Rezurn. Arazor made his way out of the prison, determined to find him. He would not let him escape.
***
She was floating, floating... In space, among the stars, it was so quiet and peaceful. And there he was, Arazor: her husband. He was saying something to her, but he was so far away. He was drifting away from her. She tried to reach him, but she couldn’t. He kept drifting away. Faster now, as if some force pulled him away from her, toward some black void. Then, he was gone, as the force of the black hole sucked him in.
She heard herself cry. No, she was screaming when she opened her eyes to a blur of garish lights. Where was she? Was she back at the Station? She could see masked men and women hovering over her. They were all a blur. Among the haziness, there was one thing that kept nagging at her... Where was Arazor? Then, too exhausted to think anymore, she drifted back into slumber.
***
It wasn’t long before Arazor found and followed Rezurn’s path out of the city to where his ship was stationed. Making sure to remain unseen, Arazor climbed inside and hid himself. He had made it just in time: Rezurn was already revving up the engines. Before long, the craft hovered up toward the atmosphere.
Rezurn had buckled himself in the pilot seat and was navigating toward outer space when he felt the lethal dagger at his throat. “You thought you could get away with this?” Arazor said through clenched teeth, breathing heavily. “I am not going to let you destroy my planet, Rezurn!”
“And you think killing me will stop this war?” Rezurn said sinisterly. “My men have already infiltrated Agrion and there’s no stopping them.”
“Our defenses are strong enough. You need to stop this!” Arazor said. But before he could say anything further, Rezurn pressed a button on the panel and the craft went into turbulence. Arazor was thrown off balance and the dagger slid from his hand. Quick as lightning, Rezurn leaped out of his seat with a gun in his hand.
“Self-destruction initiated... 10... 9... 8…” The computer’s sterile voice echoed from the console and filled the cabin. Arazor held on to the metal lock of the hatch door, trying to regain his balance. Rezurn shot at him but missed in the turbulence. The laser beam scraped his arm, tearing his jacket. Dark blue blood oozed out. Ignoring it, Arazor gathered up all of his strength to prepare himself for the next attack when the craft plummeted again. Rezurn was thrown backwards, hit his head on the ceiling and fell unconscious. Losing no time, Arazor opened the hatch door and sealed it behind him as he entered the escape pod and sealed himself inside. The pod dropped away from the ship just in time. Rezurn’s ship exploded in space, its hull disintegrating and the debris falling into the planet’s atmosphere.
***
When Kara woke up next, she gazed at the gray walls and dim lights of the room. Her head felt heavy and her mouth dry. She reached for the glass of water that was readily placed near her bed and gulped down half of it.
She blinked and glanced around. The room looked familiar. She caught sight of the band on her arm that said her name and number and immediately knew where she was. She was in the sick bay at Andromeda 13. Unaware of what day it was and how long she had been in hypersleep, she tried to recall the last thing that had happened. Arazor! Nariya! What had become of them? Panic rose within her.
“Computer, call the nurse, please,” she said in a voice that sounded weak and unfamiliar.
“She will attend to you soon, ma’am,” came the reply.
Kara then lay back against the pillows and gazed at the gold bracelet on her wrist. The runes etched on her skin weren’t burning anymore.
The nurse came in a few minutes later, holding a tab in her hand. “Ms. Frost, how are you feeling?” she said.
“Fine... How long have I been here?” Kara asked anxiously.
“You were brought in about a week ago,” she said. “You have suffered a slight head trauma so you might feel a bit dizzy and have headaches for a while. Fortunately, the wounds on your back have started to heal.”
“Who brought me here?” Kara asked, speaking fast now.
“You were brought in by the Vllar crew. The captain of the ship himself made sure you were transported here safely.”
“Was there someone else? Another woman maybe? Is she okay?” Kara asked, her eyes wide with apprehension.
“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Yes, you were brought in with another woman. All I know is that she was an Argarian and she was sent home two days ago. It’s time for your medication,” the nurse added and took out a box.
“I’m sorry, but one last thing... Have you heard from Commander Arazor? The Vllar Commander?” Kara asked cautiously.
The nurse shook her head. “No, Ma’am.”
Kara’s stomach knotted as the nurse pressed a cold metallic device into her arm and administered the drug. “When can I leave here?”
“The doctor will be able to tell you that, ma’am,” the nurse replied curtly.
Soon after the nurse left, Kara lay in the silence of the room, feeling lonelier than ever. Where was Arazor? She took out her comm-pad that lay at her side and sent a quick message to her co-worker, asking him if he had heard from the commander. She got his reply almost immediately.
Hey, Kara! I’m glad you are okay. You were on one hell of a mission. No, I haven’t heard from the Vllar Commander, but you were brought in on a different ship. The Starship 7071 got your distress call as they were passing by Dragua. Their crew rescued you and Nariya Dyadjin. I have no idea where the Commander is. He wasn’t on that ship. You get well soon, girl. See you!
Kara turned off her comm-pad and took a deep breath. Her head was pounding again. She had no idea how to reach Arazor. Once she got back to work, she’d have access to the system again and might be able to contact him. Soon, exhaustion took over. She lay back and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
***
Two weeks later, the doctor gave her the green light to leave the sick bay and return to work. Her co-workers were happy to welcome her back. As soon as she was in her office, she settled in with her console and fired up her system’s holographic screen. A list appeared, outlining the pending tasks she had missed. She had a mess
age from Nariya and another one from the Ambassador. But nothing from Arazor...
She tried sending a message to Arazor’s ship, the one they had travelled on together, but all communication with the ship was lost. She even tried tracking his ship, but, unsurprisingly, the signal was blocked. Then, as the last straw, she contacted the offices of the Elite Galactic Force at Agrion. They told her they hadn’t heard from him, but that he was last seen on the Klai ship before it blew up. Kara’s heart sank. The Klai leader was dead. Arazor was listed as missing.
Her stomach knotted terribly and she tried to fight back the tears that were burning behind her eyes. Unconsciously, she rubbed the band on her wrist. She opened Nariya’s message as a means to distract herself. It was two days old.
Hello, Kara. I am really sorry for putting you through such an ordeal. It’s all my fault. I should have listened to you. I didn’t know Rezurn would turn out to be such a bastard. Kara, I owe you. You and the Commander came all the way across the galaxy to save me. Tell me how I can repay you. Ask me anything, Kara. And get well soon! T.C. Nariya.
Kara tried to steady herself before she replied.
Nariya... I forgive you. You are my friend and it’s not entirely your fault. And, about the Commander, he is missing. He never made it back. I will see you soon. T.C. Kara.
Kara turned off the comm-screen and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down her face. She was devastated by the fact that Arazor was missing. He wasn’t coming back–she could see that–and there was no way she could track him.
That night she dreamt of him. She woke up shivering and cried herself back to sleep. In the days that followed, even in her office, she remained quiet and distracted.
You need to get over him, Kara! Stop crying. You wanted to get away from him... Now he’s gone!
But why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? His intense gray eyes haunted her. She wasn’t eating–she had lost a lot of weight. She refused to take off their band. It was ironic. Back on Earth, she had made a vow that she would never fall for any man again, ever. All she had wanted was to start a new life, alone. And here she was, messed up all over again.
Chapter Nine
A month had passed since Kara had returned from her mission. It was just another regular day at work. Kara took a sip of bitter coffee as she listlessly surveyed her tasks and started working on schedules and reports. At the end of the morning, she got up to meet with Ambassador Erzhun, who had summoned her in his office. She hadn’t seen him yet since her return because he had been away. Kara walked down to Erzhun’s office and the system announced her arrival as she entered.
Erzhun Dyadjin was seated at the head of the huge oval table with his comm-pad open in front of him. He was checking the data on the holographic screen that flashed before him, mulling over several reports he had received that day. Kara almost hid a smile. His long, silvery-white hair tied back gracefully and the very subtle lines of age on his skin reminded her of some elf lord she had read about in an ancient book when she was young.
“Ms. Frost.” Erzhun gestured gently for her to take a seat. “Welcome back. I hope you have recovered well.”
Kara took a seat opposite him. “Ambassador, thank you,” she said quietly as she forced a courteous smile on her lips. “I’m doing okay.”
“You must have heard that the Klai leader has been reported dead,” Erzhun said. He looked closely at Kara, who simply nodded. “Kara, I want to thank you for bringing my daughter back. It was no easy feat and I am grateful for what you and Commander Arazor did.”
“Sir, it was my duty,” she said, looking away, her eyes fixed on some invisible spot on the table. A lump had formed in her throat when he had mentioned Arazor’s name.
“Well, I talked to the Vllar Commander almost an hour ago,” Erzhun said and paused. “His king is happy with our alliance.”
“Arazor...?” Kara looked up, her eyes wide. “He... He’s alive? How?”
“He told me he had followed the Klai leader to his ship and stopped him from escaping that day. He himself had a narrow escape as the enemy ship blew up. Well, I must say, he got lucky. Right after he got away, he ran into a couple of other Klai, who held him captive for months. He managed to escape them, then had to take a de-tour to shake them off.”
“Oh...” Kara was too astounded to respond.
“And, now, with the help of our forces, they have managed to drive the Klai out of Agrion,” Erzhun said with pride.
“This is good news. I’m glad,” Kara said, still unable to believe that Arazor was alive.
“Kara, the Commander left a private message for you. He said it was urgent. I’m sending it over to you,” Erzhun said as he tapped in a few commands on his comm-pad. “What do you plan to do about your marriage? I am assuming you are still his wife?”
Kara slowly nodded as she looked up. “I don’t know... According to his law, he couldn’t end it right away. I–I’ll have to talk to him about it.”
“Hmm... Usually, the Vllar mate for life. They cannot end the bond that has been formed between the mates.”
“Yes, he said something along those lines,” Kara said, looking at the runes on her wrist.
“Kara...” Erzhun looked her straight in the eye. “From what I’ve heard, the Vllar mating custom is ancient and magical. If the male chooses to end the bond with his life mate, then he has to pay a price. I’m afraid it is quite a grave price since he must choose to go against the powerful magic that binds him to his mate.”
“What’s the price?” Kara asked.
“Well, he cannot choose another mate ever again and, eventually, the magic takes its toll and kills him.”
Kara felt her eyes burning again. She wanted to see Vllar and talk to him herself. But why hadn’t he contacted her directly? Why had he sent her a message through the Ambassador instead? Didn’t he want to see her? Was she still just a human to him?
“I’m sorry, Ambassador,” Kara said quietly. “I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do about this whole situation.”
Erzhun looked at her. Her face had become gaunt with dark circles beneath her eyes, and her skin looked so pale.
“Have you been sleeping well?”
She shook her head as she stared at her hands.
“You want my advice? Take a break. Go to your husband. And come back to work when you feel like it,” he said, firmly but gently.
“But sir... I have pending tasks... And–and what if he doesn’t want to see me?”
“He definitely wants to see you, Kara. Go to Agrion. You are dismissed,” Erzhun said in a business-like tone.
“Ye–yes, Sir,” Kara said and she got up to leave.
Her heart thrummed in her chest. She almost ran back to her office to see what the message was about. What if he didn’t want to see her again? What if he had already ended the bond? With trembling hands, she opened the message.
Kara, I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you sooner. I had to take a long de-tour to shake off the Klai. I wanted to make absolutely certain that you received this message. That’s why I’m sending this message through the Ambassador.
Kara, in the short time I have known you, you have somehow changed me in ways that I, myself, cannot explain. You are a brave woman with a selfless heart. Even though you are broken, you put others before you. I didn’t see this side of you initially, but once I did, I realized that maybe it was destiny that brought us together. Kara, you may not believe me, but I know you are my true mate. The bond we share is stronger than any I have ever known. I can feel it to the core of my being. And I am unlikely to come across someone like you ever again. I never thought humans had anything like this in them. And yet there you were, risking your life for me.
Kara, I would love to keep you as my bride, but if you still wish to end our bond, I will do it right away.
Think about it and let me know.
Arazor.
A deluge of tears spilled down her face as she listened to his deep, quiet voi
ce. Oh, Arazor. He was ready to give up his life for her freedom. She could not leave him. She already owed him her life, so how could she end the bond and sentence him to death? She went to her chambers to pack up. Yes, she would go to him... before she lost him forever.
***
Arazor stood at the arched pavilion of his chambers and gazed at the lush green of the mountainside. He loved the scent of the woods. He took a deep breath. A slight wind blew and whipped his shoulder-length dark blonde hair and created ripples in the light robes he wore. A waterfall sang a song of its own in the distance as native birds flew here and there. The warm, pale afternoon light filtered in through the trellis above, creating dappled patterns on the ivory-tinted marble floor. It was one of the most peaceful places on Agrion, yet, still, Arazor’s heart was restless.
He gazed at the runes etched on his wrist once again and his chest constricted. If only she knew how he ached for her. Kara had not replied to his message. He wondered why she chose to ignore it. He knew she had no love for him in her heart. She had made that clear when she said she wouldn’t want him even if given a choice. Then why had she come back from the rover for him? She could have left with Nariya. Why did she stay? How he wished she would feel the bond that was theirs, the one that he felt so strongly.
Taking a deep breath, he looked out at the afternoon sky filled with hues of dusty blue, pink and gold. She had never wanted him. He had seen that her heart was deeply wounded and he wished he could heal her. If only she would let him. If only she could see how he felt about her. But that seemed a fantasy, a mere dream... Men like him lead lonely lives. Maybe the other men of his race didn’t feel that way. Maybe something was wrong with him, so much so that he felt such strong emotions toward this particular human. This woman who made him lose his mind. She had made him question things he had never bothered to notice before. Everything about her unnerved him and he had wanted to get away from her because of it. And now, when she was so far away from him, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She had the softest brown eyes–as clear as the morning light. Her flawless ivory skin, her long dark hair that fell down in waves about her, perfect breasts, slender waist, and softly rounded hips...