by Kylie Gold
“I’m laughing at you, little one,” I replied to her with a chuckle, in smooth English. “Your attempts at escape amuse me. There is no escaping that lock around you.”
The girl gave another glance down at the lock, her shoulders seeming to slump. Her glare returned to him then, “Why didn’t you just kill me like the rest of them? You clearly didn’t flinch when it came to slaughtering the others.”
I pulled a chair from the table and spun it around, my chest leaning against the back of the chair. “Yes, and your friends attacked my tribe,” I explained simply. My words seemed to make her pause and her face fell a bit.
She was silent for quite some time, her eyes fixated somewhere in the distance. Emotions swarmed over her face, it was actually quite the spectacle. They once again returned to me, glancing over my stature. I took the opportunity to look over her as well, noticing just how different we were. Her skin resembled snow with its paleness, and her attire was very modern and sleek with the black leathery fabric hugging every curve on her body. I became suddenly hyper aware of my own clothing, or lack thereof; the only thing covering any skin was my brown shorts which came to about mid-thigh, a thin strap of hide that went across my torso to hold my weapon on my back, and a large bib necklace made of precious stones and gems found in the earth of Shaviro. I felt almost… judged, and for the first time in my life. Yet not at the same time. Was I fearing her judgment, or was I feeling it? It just simply didn't make sense to me.
Then, she looked into my eyes and spoke in such a soft, timid voice, "Who are you?"
“I am Dracon, leader of this Navani Tribe,” I introduced myself, watching her closely, “And who are you?”
Her face faltered for a moment before seeming to reluctantly reply, “Amelia.”
I don’t know what it was, perhaps this woman held a kind of force, but even just hearing her name made the flutter return to my chest. The most terrifying thing about it was I didn’t know if I liked it or not.
7
Amelia
My eyes snapped open from a light, uncomfortable slumber. Right, being bound by some black coil to a wooden chair wasn't exactly the recipe for a good night's sleep. I didn't know what Dracon had planned, but one thing was for sure—I didn't want to stick around to see what it was. My eyes scanned over the length of the black coil, trying to figure out any weakness it may have. But it didn't even seem to have components, just one solid piece. How did they make those? It was so strong… I flexed and flexed, then would relax to try and trick it in hopes that making it tighten and then loosen would cause it to completely come undone. My eyes searched the room for anything that could help. While my arms and hands were pinned to my legs, maybe if I could wiggle the chair over to something then I could find something to undo the coil.
The Navani were more advanced than the colonists made them sound. While most of their belongings and structures were made out of materials like wood and stone, they had an impressive amount of technology. I genuinely couldn't even make out what some of it was made of—like the blue shields that blocked off his cabinets and armoire. The material would part around his hand when he reached in for something. Of course, there were their laser weapons, which completely puzzled me as to how they worked; but I was fairly confident even if one explained it to me, I still wouldn't understand.
They had other devices it seemed which made everyday life a little easier, but didn’t seem to have any negative effects on the environment. It was like the people lived in harmony with the planet, but still had several technologically advanced items, like the little contraption she saw under the sink. It seemed as though the hut had its own well, and had a box which would recycle the water for the house alone. And he had glass containers everywhere, that had the same sort of light within it that the laser weapons had- and he turned them on and off with a simple switch on the wall. Their society was definitely completely enthralling and complex, but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t belong there, and I had a paycheck to collect on Cycle.
That thought left my heart feeling heavy. It broke my heart to think of going back to Cycle without Arlo. My mind was haunted by the images of his mother worried sick, wondering where her son was. And if I didn’t get out of there, she would never know just what happened. If I had no other motivation, that was what drove me to try and get out of there. I continued to fight against the hold, and then relax but was getting nowhere. Still, with the thought of Arlo’s mother, I was restless in my attempt.
How had I even been caught in this predicament? This war was not mine to fight; I didn’t even belong to this quadrant of the colony. And how could Lyle just send us into the massive tribe with so few people? He had made it sound like it would just be a couple of the Navani ‘beasts’ overtake and then raid their belongings. With how long these guys had been at war, surely he knew that it was a death mission; he was bound to know their weaponry and that the majority of them lived there. Not to mention the ‘home field’ advantage. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Lyle did know it was a suicide mission. He wanted to take out some of the crew and eventually be able to steal the cargo ship. Lyle had gone on and on about how they couldn’t get goods there very easily or cheaply. However, if he had one himself, then he could form a crew to make trips for him. A new wave of sheer rage came over me. I was kidnapped by an alien tribe in a war-ridden planet, several light years away from home. And the leader of the colony basically fed me to the Navani, along with their own men and my crewmembers. My body fought harder than before against the restraints. I needed to get out of there, kick Lyle’s ass, and find a way home.
“Quit struggling. Your efforts are pointless and you’ll just make yourself sore,” Dracon called from across the room in his massive, plush and silky bed; his voice was croaky from being stirred from his sleep.
I couldn’t help a scoff that escaped me, my attempts were pointless? “So what am I supposed to do, just sit here and be held against my will?”
“Mm… If you were smart,” he replied, rather condescendingly.
Oh was he trying to piss me off? “Well excuse my basic instincts of fight or flight,” I huffed.
“Oh? And which instinct are you trying to achieve now in that inescapable lock?”
My jaw clenched in anger, “Both.” I still tried to weasel my way out of the stupid coil bind, but wasn’t seeming to get anywhere at all.
“But I thought it was fight or flight? So that means one or the other, not both. That is, unless my knowledge of the English language isn’t as established as I thought it was,” Dracon replied. I swore I could hear the smug smirk he probably had on his face in his voice. Could this guy be more of a prick?
"Well typically speaking, humans don't go to other planets and get kidnapped by an alien civilization they've never even met and then put into a freaking… freaking…. Snake coil thing and held against their will. Only to be, what I can only imagine to be a horrendous death," I rambled as I yet again fruitlessly fought against the restraint. "Because I'm assuming that's what it is, isn't? I'm going to be sacrificed or made an example of?"
“It’s a snake lock. And why would I tell you what was in store for you? Wouldn’t that take out the fun of the surprise?” he questioned. “I thought everyone enjoyed surprises.”
Why was he toying with me so? Wasn’t it just adding insult to injury? Why not let me die in peace if that was my fate? Oh right, because I was a part of a squad sent in to murder their entire village. Granted only a couple of the Navani had died in the event, but that didn’t take away from their deaths or the purpose of the mission I had been sent on. The guilt of it all was heavy, but I really had no idea that they were civilized beings and not to mention humanoid. “I don’t think people care for the sacrificial or possible... dissection sort of surprises…”
There was a moment of silence before Dracon spoke again smugly, "I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity, however, the human liver is quite a delicacy.”
My stomach gave a heave. Oh god
… was he serious? Were they going to eat me? Had they eaten the others? My silence was responded with a bout of genuine, hearty laughter. So was he joking? Or just twisted? “You really need to just relax or else that lock will pinch your limbs off with how much resistance you are giving it,” he finally spoke as his laughter died out.
His words only made my muscles tense. This trap could actually apply so much pressure that it would cut my limbs off? With that thought in mind, I couldn’t fight anymore against the restraint. There was no way to be certain he was telling the truth, then again there was no way to find out if he was lying either. My body slumped back against the chair, the lock in a permanent tight hold. My head leaned back over the back of the chair, trying to get as comfortable as possible. “Night,” Dracon called over to me.
I didn’t know if it was from the hour or so of fighting the binds, but my body seemed to just give into the thought of sleep. I struggled to even stay awake enough to call over in a sleepy mumble, “Good night.”
8
Dracon
The little human seemed to be hard asleep even when the morning hours came and illuminated the hut. I pondered if humans needed more sleep than Navani, or if she was just genuinely exhausted. It could go either way, since we didn't know anything about the human anatomy other than they resembled us in many ways. After a shower and dressing, pulling my long black hair into a tie at the back of my head, I walked back out to find her still sleeping. Temptation overwhelmed me, unable to keep myself from nearing her. I stood close to her with my arms crossed over my chest, just staring at her in bewilderment. How could she be so divine but be human? Her face seemed to look even more youthful as she slept. For some reason, I felt cruel making her sleep in that chair, knowing it would be horrendously uncomfortable. Why should I care about her comfort? Why should I care about her? Amelia had come with a small militia of men to attack their village, so I should be itching to take her life in payment. But I wasn't at all, in fact, the sheer thought of killing her made my chest ache. What was happening to me?
Three sharp knocks on the hut door snapped me from my thoughts. I walked over and opened the door. Shan stood there once again, but he pushed passed me this time. He walked through the large communal area and through the opening to my quickly vast living quarters. Amelia was bound to the chair across the room from my bed, near the side window. “People are talking, Dracon,” Shan spoke with a weariness to his voice. “They want the human girl dead. They don’t understand why you kept her… Maybe if you just spoke—”
I cut him off, glaring at him with narrowed eyes, “Anyone who questions my decision is more than welcome to challenge me man to man.” Perhaps I was deflecting because I didn’t have a clear answer as to why I still had her captive rather than dead on the ground—but I wasn’t about to let my tribe begin to question my decisions. At times like those, it was crucial to keep power.
“But Dracon—”
“Do you wish to challenge me, Shan?" I glared at him, my voice in a near growl. While he was my right-hand man, I did not need him questioning me as well. Shan just stared back at me with a look of utter shock. Before an answer could be given, there was a stir several feet away. I looked up to find Amelia beginning to stir. Shan needed to leave.
Shan looked at the human with a twinge of disgust on his face but then looked at me with a defeated look. "Whatever you are doing, Dracon… just be smart about it. You know what our people will and will not tolerate…" He looked at me with sad, worried eyes and then looked to Amelia before just stepping by me and leaving. I knew he meant well, but this Amelia situation that I just had to figure out. I needed to understand what it was about her that drew me to her. With a heavy sigh, I looked back to Amelia who was sitting up straight and blinking sleepily. She was a rather adorable specimen, wasn't she?
I walked over to her and greeted her, “Morning.” Then, with an effortless movement, picked her up with the chair and moved her to the communal room and placed her at the table. She looked around with frantic eyes for a moment.
“Jeez, you should warn somebody before they suddenly become air born,” she mumbled.
I couldn't help but give her a chuckle; she had some spunk to her, didn't she? "Well that wouldn't be very prison-like now, would it? If I gave warnings." I moved a couple of yards away to the kitchen area to prepare some food. Reaching through the armor into the refrigerated unit that was lined with white ice crystals on the inside to keep the food fresh, I fetched a plate of meat along with a bowl of fresh fruits. Taking the meat and placing it on a perfectly rounded slab of thin metal, I placed it onto the cooking unit. A blue flash was present as the lasers turned on. The red meat quickly seared on each side. Then taking the liberty of pre-dicing it, I plated the food and sat it on the table before grabbing two cups of water and then joining her at the table.
Pulling the chair to face her, I then grabbed the leg of hers and pulled her closer to me. I could feel her eyes on my face, but acted as though I did not notice. Stabbing a chunk of the meat with the two-pronged fork, I offered it to her to eat. She raised an arched brow at the spread of the food. “Meat and fruit? On the same plate? For breakfast?” she questioned.
My face formed into a confused expression. What else would she eat in the morning? Quickly wiping the confusion from my face, I just gave her a deadpan look. “Are you not hungry? Because I would me more than glad to eat all of this myself in front of you, while you watch,” I challenged her.
Her mouth opened as if to respond, but then snapped shut. The smirk on my face was unstoppable. With a little huff, she finally seemed to agree. Holding the fork out towards her, she opened her mouth. Her teeth applied slight pressure before her tongue aided in pulling it into her mouth. For some reason, the small flash of the pink flesh of her tongue sent dark thoughts my way. Was I seriously attracted to a human? This couldn't be right. Part of me hoped that it was just from the adrenaline of the fighting and that I would wake up with a fresh, bitter outlook towards her. To my dismay, the strange attraction to the puny human woman remained.
It took a while to feed her and myself, alternating forks between bites so that I ate as well, but eventually the plate of meat and fruit began to clear. Amelia began to deny bites, seeming to be full. Clearing the table, I placed the dishes in the sink to be done at a later time. I went back to her and picked up the chair to move back into my private living quarters. As I sat her down, I noticed the deep cuts and severe bruising the snake lock had left over her snow white skin from her hours of struggling overnight. It was terrible to see, almost as though someone had marked a masterpiece. My teeth nibbled at the flesh of the inside of my lower lip, unsure what to do—looking at those cuts and bruises which I had caused with the snake lock was making anxiety fill me. I couldn’t look at it any longer.
Kneeling down in front of her, I reached to her calves where the snake lock was joined. Pinching the mouth of it on each side caused the mouth to open, and pulling the end out a bit at the mouth gave the restraint some breathing room. Joining it once again and latching it in place, I looked up at her with a stern glare, "Do not try to use it being looser as a reason to fight with it more. It will end up just as it was before if you fight too much. If you just relax, it'll stay how it is."
Amelia's crystal eyes were washed with relief; the lock clearly had been causing her a great deal of pain. My eyes wandered back to the deep cuts and black bruising on the exposed parts of her arms. I would need to get her some healing balm to make sure that those cuts didn't get infected. As soon as the thought passed through my mind, my eyes widened a bit. It was going beyond attraction if I wanted to help medicate and heal her. These feelings were beyond my control, almost as if they were instinctive, programmed into my DNA. I needed answers, but I had no idea where to even begin looking for them. "Thank you," she said in such a dulcet voice.
I looked up to her eyes and for the first time, we actually held eye contact. It felt almost as though that was the first time we were tru
ly looking at one another. A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips, glad to have reached some sort of middle ground with the girl. I gave her a nod in reply before standing. This whole situation was going to be a tricky one…
And I needed to find a solution of some kind and fast before I had a full-fledged mutiny on my hands.
9
Amelia
I stared at the back of his head in bewilderment as he tinkered with what looked like a human map. I wasn’t shocked that he had a map, that was easy to get considering most humans carried maps in the colonies for their home colony; so it would have been easy to pluck one off of one of the dead colonists. It was his… lack of hostility towards me when he was at war with the humans on Shaviro. For being held captive and going to be perhaps used to make some sort political point, the treatment wasn’t actually that bad. While yes, being held against your will was terrible and I wanted to be free, considering the circumstances I had expected a much higher level of volatility. There were no beatings, rounds of torture, or even hunger or dehydrated. Granted that chair was really starting to kill my back, it was far better than some of the alternatives could have been. For the most part, he was strangely… gentle. Condescending and cocky, but gentle. He asked me quite a few times if the lock was getting too tight, if I was hungry, things of that nature. It struck me as odd, but it wasn’t like I was going to complain.
Dracon moved to sit down as he looked at the map, his thumb stroking his chin as he studied it in deep thought with the green glow of the map showing on his face. He was strangely… attractive. It was a weird thought to even have, I had never had any interests in another species. Quite frankly, I had always found the thought weird. But Dracon was kind of sexy, to be an alien. He had such strong bone structure with a strong jaw and high cheekbones, and his umber skin was flawlessly wrapped around it. Well, he had scars on his knuckles and one rather deep looking one across his chest. It was clear to tell they were from the war. Tribal tattoos also covered the majority of his arms, shoulders, chest, and back. It wasn't the traditional tribal like humans had with thick lines, but were actually composed of perhaps quarter-inch thick lines with geometric lines rather than edges and swirls. His head was shaved on both sides, but long black hair remained down the middle and he had kept back in a ponytail. What stood out the most, though, over the red skin and tattoos and chiseled muscles, was his lilac eyes. They were vibrant and intense, and just so strangely beautiful that my eyes had a hard time looking away from them when he did look in my direction.