“We’re the best you’ll ever have.” Melody grinned and beckoned him with a finger. “I can show you where everything goes if you need instruction.”
“I don’t need any help in that area. The two of us will fit together just fine.” Lazet took another step. He felt a rough band tighten around his ankles, and then he was looking at the world upside down.
Chapter 5
Melody skipped on the spot for a few seconds and clapped her hands. The trap she’d rigged outside the cave had been a primitive one, based on a design her older brothers used when trapping ground rats.
She’d spent an hour tying together the tough roots, shredding her hands even more as she’d done so. She’d hung the roots over a rocky outcrop and then tied them tightly to a chunk of rock inside the cave, concealing them as best she could with loose stones. Melody hadn’t been certain it would hold the Vorten’s weight, but she had to try something. And it had worked.
Victory coursed through her veins. “I can’t believe it. You stepped right into the loop.”
Lazet growled at Melody and grabbed at the air in front of him as if trying to catch hold of her. Melody kept her back against the wall as her smile grew.
“Let me down,” snarled Lazet.
“Not a chance,” said Melody.
“Don’t be stupid,” said Lazet. “I’ll get free from this in seconds.”
Melody grabbed one of the larger stones she’d gathered and hurled it at Lazet, hitting him in the chest. He didn’t seem to notice as it fell to the ground with a dull thud. She frowned, sorted through the stones she had in her hand, and raised a sharp one. One of them must be able to hurt him.
“You can’t kill me with a stone,” growled Lazet. “You’ll just make me angry if you keep throwing stuff. And you won’t like me then.”
“I already hate you.” Melody grabbed the pointed stick she’d found and rushed forward, poking Lazet with it. “Maybe I can use this.”
“That just tickles.” Lazet swatted at the stick.
Melody jabbed harder, but the stick didn’t even scratch his skin.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Lazet. “Don’t you know anything about Vortens?”
“I know enough to see that I’ve captured one.” Melody clapped her hands together again. “The Fraken audience is going to love this. I don’t think anyone’s done this before.”
Lazet stopped trying to grab hold of her. “You’re interested in the games?”
“Who isn’t?” Melody pointed a finger at Lazet. “Actually, I have seen someone trap a warrior before.”
Lazet glared at Melody. “You watch them?”
Melody shrugged. “It’s important to know your enemy. And the prey I saw trapped their warrior using a similar trap to this.”
“What did the prey do with the warrior?”
“He tried to kill him, but the vine snapped before he got the chance.” Melody’s gaze shot to the knot holding Lazet. “Well, the warrior snapped it with his hands.”
“Which is exactly what I’m going to do.” Lazet began swinging backwards and forwards as he bent at the waist, trying to get purchase on the vine cutting into his ankles.
“Don’t you dare.” Melody jabbed at Lazet with the stick again.
Lazet grabbed the end of the stick and yanked it from Melody’s hand. He snapped it in two and threw it to one side with a snort of disgust.
“That was my weapon.” Melody glowered at Lazet.
“It wasn’t an effective one.”
Melody’s gaze landed on the fierce looking weapons in Lazet’s weapons belt and strapped across his chest. “Maybe I should take some of yours.”
“I’d like to see you try,” said Lazet. “Step nearer to me, and you will see up close how effective my blades are. They will slice through you like you’re made of water.”
Melody hid her fear behind a derisive laugh. “I’m a poor, defenceless woman, and you’re some musclebound alien loaded with blades. How exactly is this fair?”
“These are the Fraken games,” said Lazet. “They’re not supposed to be fair. They’re supposed to entertain.”
“Did you place a bet on you winning this one?”
“I never bet on myself,” said Lazet. “But I’m a sure thing. I will win this game.”
Some of the determination Melody felt drained out of her, and her shoulders slumped. “Which means I die.”
Lazet stopped swaying and looked at Melody. “Prey has to be exterminated. You should know that if you’ve watched the games before.”
“But I was only the viewer then,” said Melody. “I never thought about what it would be like to be inside one of these games. I shouldn’t be here.”
“None of us should.” Lazet lifted himself up and tugged at the vines around his legs.
“Don’t even attempt to get yourself free,” said Melody. “I’m good with knots.”
Lazet dropped and let his arms hang. His fingertips brushed the ground as he moved.
“Why aren’t you fighting back?” asked Melody. “I’m so close. I bet you can already smell my blood.”
“I can; you’ve injured your hands. And how did you get that damage to your head?”
Melody cupped her hands behind her back. “It’s nothing. So, why aren’t you getting free?”
“Didn’t you notice me struggling just now?”
Melody’s eyes narrowed. “You’re up to something.”
“I’m just a simple Vorten warrior, who has his prey in his sights,” said Lazet. “Maybe I’m assessing you for weaknesses.”
“I’ll fight you to the end,” said Melody. “Humans might not look like much, but we’re resourceful.”
“As I’ve just discovered.” Lazet grinned at Melody.
She frowned at him. Why was he talking to her? Why wasn’t he breaking through the vines and plunging one of those wicked looking blades into her stomach? He was playing a game of his own, and she didn’t like it.
“You’d better run,” said Lazet. “You’ll need a good head start before I catch you.”
Melody took a step back. “But you’re trapped.”
“I won’t be for long,” said Lazet. “And when I get free, you’re not going to want to be near me.”
Something was wrong. Melody had seen the way this Vorten tested the vines. If her hands could manipulate them, his definitely could. Yet, he’d held back from loosening the knots, seemed content to hang in front of her and chat.
Lazet pulled a blade from his weapons belt and swung it in the air. “I’ll give you one of your Earth minutes. And then I’m coming for you.”
Anger bubbled through Melody. So that was it; he wanted to make the game more entertaining, wanted to give the audience a chase they’d never forget.
Melody flung her remaining stones at Lazet’s face. “You’re as bad as the Fraken. I hope the fall breaks your neck.” She sped past him, making sure to keep well out of his reach. If only she had one of his blades, at least then, she’d be able to do him some real harm before he killed her. Maybe even give him a scar to remember her by. But there was no way she’d be able to get to his weapons. She’d have to rely on speed and silence. This Vorten was not going to have an easy game.
***
Lazet ignored the blood rushing to his head as he watched Melody flee. When she’d initially trapped him, fury had seeped through his veins, and his instinct to kill and harm had taken over. But as he swung in the air and watched the fiery female pace before him and taunt him, a sliver of admiration shot through him. Bladen had been correct; humans were resourceful. How had she known to create such an inventive trap?
Lazet swung his blade across the vines and braced his other arm as he landed. It was something he could have done the second he realized he was in her trap, but he was happy to have a reason not to attack Melody. It would mean the game looked more realistic to the Fraken and the audience. And he wanted to give them a show they believed. Axen wanted this female alive, so she’d stay alive.
>
He took his time removing the vines from around his legs and then spent a while examining his skin for any injuries. There wouldn’t be any. Vorten skin was toughened from cycles of genetic modification. It gave them an almost armor-like skin that resisted all but the sharpest blades.
Stashing his blade, Lazet went inside the cave Melody had been hiding in. He could see she’d attempted to start a fire; there was a pile of small sticks on the ground. He also noticed an empty ration pack. But there was nothing else left behind.
Lazet came out of the cave and spent a moment looking around, pretending he was getting a sense of where Melody had fled to. He needn’t have worried about her location. She had a strong, oily soap smell to her. That wasn’t her natural scent, but it was often the smell of the prey. He assumed the Fraken made their prey clean themselves before entering the games. Her natural scent was muskier, an easy smell to detect, and one that stirred interest in him.
What would she smell like if she was back on Earth, not tarnished by her time as a Fraken prisoner? It would be different, much more pleasant to inhale. But one thing he didn’t smell too much was fear. She was hot-headed and determined, and he liked that about Melody. He was glad Axen had ordered him not to kill her. He wouldn’t have enjoyed watching the life drain out of this particular prey.
A final adjustment of his weapons belt and Lazet moved through the snow, following Melody’s footsteps. He could see she had started out running, but as he moved through the bare trees into the shadows of the forest, he could see she was slowing. A combination of poor terrain and weakness from lack of decent nutrition was already affecting her.
Lazet paused by the base of a tree; the footsteps had vanished. He did a slow circuit around the tree, pretending to be puzzled by where she’d gone. He suppressed a smile. He could hear the shuffling and scraping of bark as Melody attempted to climb higher out of his reach.
He raised his gaze and caught sight of her black boots hanging over a tree limb. “Nice try.”
Her feet stopped moving, and Melody’s head appeared through some branches. “Figured you’d be too big to climb this.”
“I can climb,” said Lazet. He looked around for any signs of drones watching them. The canopy overhead was dense. He didn’t think the Fraken audience would be able to see them. “You shouldn’t fear me.”
There was silence. “You’re here to kill me. I’d be stupid not to fear you.”
“I mean, this game will be different from what you’re expecting.”
“The Fraken have changed the rules?”
“The Fraken rules are the same.”
“So, what’s different?”
“I’m different. I don’t want to kill you.”
Melody snorted a laugh. “Of course, you’re different. The first Vorten warrior who doesn’t want to kill everything he sees. What are you, one of those caring, sharing Vorten, who recites ancient poetry and sing songs of love to any woman who hangs around for long enough?”
Lazet grinned. “I might be. Have you met many Vorten like that?”
“You’re my first Vorten.”
Lazet leaned against the tree trunk and peered up at Melody. “And what do you think so far?”
“In the flesh, you’re not so impressive,” said Melody.
“I wouldn’t be in the elite squad if I wasn’t an outstanding warrior.”
“You’ve got a high opinion of yourself,” said Melody. “Maybe your enormous ego makes up for your lack of strength.”
“I’ve every reason to think highly of myself.” Lazet gritted his teeth. He hated people mentioning his size. “I’ve been in the games for two cycles. I have never lost.”
“There are warriors who’ve been in the games longer.”
Lazet nodded. Melody knew her Fraken game information. “I might not be the longest serving, but I’m still the best at what I do.”
“We’re not talking about you writing Vorten love poetry, are we?”
“Sorry to disappoint,” said Lazet. “What about you?”
“What do you mean, what about me?”
“How did you get in this game?”
“The starship I was on was attacked by the Fraken,” said Melody. “They blew the ship apart, killed anyone who was of no value to them, and took the women.”
“Human women are the Fraken’s favorite new plaything,” said Lazet. “You were unlucky to be caught.”
“Bad luck follows me around,” said Melody. “I should have known my first trip aboard a spaceship would end like this.”
Lazet could see Melody laying over the tree trunk, her legs hanging down and her arms wrapped around it. If he wanted to, he could jump up, grab hold of her leg, and yank her down. Punish her for humiliating him with her rope trick. But for now, he was happy to talk; his urge to hunt was quiet. “You’ve never been into space before?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” said Melody. “Humans are such a primitive race, after all.”
“I know that,” said Lazet. “You hadn’t even perfected space travel when you sent out your distress call.”
“We put people on our Moon, and we’re getting the hang of space travel now,” said Melody.
“Wait until you try a Vortex jump,” said Lazet. “That will have your head spinning.”
“This will be my last trip into space.”
“Don’t let your encounter with the Fraken put you off. Not all alien races are interested in hurting others.”
“I know that,” said Melody. “I ran a bar back on Earth. I had a lot of visitors from other planets. Most of them were decent. Although, some couldn’t hold their booze, not used to how strong I served it.”
Lazet laughed. “Not every race has liquor. To some, it’s pure poison. And to others, they don’t see any reason to pollute their body with what’s basically a toxin.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“It slows the reflexes and messes with the mind.”
“On Earth, those are two big reasons people use it,” said Melody. “Numbs the fact they’re living on a dying planet. And although I don’t drink, it gave me enough e-credits to get out of the business and try my luck in the stars instead.”
“Seems like you do have bad luck, then,” said Lazet. “Your first trip into space and you get kidnapped by the Fraken and shoved into their games.”
“And then I meet you,” said Melody.
“Maybe your luck is beginning to change.”
Melody grunted in response and shifted in the tree.
“We’re going to have to make this look good,” said Lazet.
“Entertain the audience, you mean?” Melody’s voice was low. “Give them a good show before I die.”
“That’s it, although you don’t need to die,” said Lazet. “The Fraken will be wondering what’s going on. If they haven’t already dispatched them, there will be sentient drones on the way to see what we’re up to. And we don’t want them to send any of their beasts in; most of them have remote viewing eyes embedded in their skulls. They can see what we’re doing while the beasts attack us.”
“The Fraken really are disgusting.”
“They are,” said Lazet. “But we’re at their mercy, right now. Are you ready to play with me? Promise, you’ll get out of this alive.”
Melody peered down at Lazet. He could see her eyes were wide. “You’re really not going to kill me?”
“My orders are to keep you alive.”
“How do I know this isn’t some trick? You think I’m going to come down and make it easy for you?”
“Woman, I have a feeling nothing is easy when it comes to you.”
Melody gave him a bitter smile. “Well, at least you understand one thing about me.” She jumped to her feet and grabbed hold of the tree trunk. “I’m not coming down.”
“I don’t want to come up.” Lazet heard Melody shuffling around in the tree before she vanished from sight. “What are you doing?”
“Getting away from you,” yelled Mel
ody.
Lazet took a few steps back and peered into the tree. The limbs that shot out of it were broad and wide, easy enough for her to cling to for hours. But she couldn’t stay there all night. If she fell asleep, she’d fall and crack her skull open.
He heard a muffled yelp and saw a blur of movement through the air. She jumped! Melody was now clinging to the next tree, her wild red hair a tangle around her face, and every limb shaking. Lazet was impressed with her determination to get away from him.
“See, I can still escape from you and remain safe.” Melody gasped for breath as she glared down at Lazet.
“You sure you don’t need a hand?” Lazet folded his arms over his chest and smirked.
“Not from you.” Melody swung her legs over the limb of the tree and rested her head on the branch.
“How long are you going to be able to keep that up?” asked Lazet. “One jump and you’re exhausted.”
“For as long as it takes to get rid of you,” said Melody. “We’re in a forest full of trees, and I don’t think you’re quite the climber you reckon you are. I’ll stay up here for as long as I have to.”
“Fine by me,” said Lazet. “I wasn’t in the mood to clean my blades of your blood tonight, anyway.”
Melody hissed at him. “I knew you were lying about not killing me.”
Lazet shrugged. “It was a joke.”
“Vorten humor is seriously lacking.”
“Why don’t you tell me something funny?”
Melody was quiet for a moment. “I’ve seen you before.”
Lazet raised his eyebrows and looked up at her. “In the games?”
“Yes. You were fighting some sort of dragon beast.”
“One of the Vorten’s favorite beasts,” said Lazet, “they’re vicious, and their saliva is poisonous. If they rake you with their claws, the wounds always become infected.”
“You’re good at what you do,” said Melody. “When you fight, you look like you enjoy it.”
“I aim to please,” said Lazet. “Besides, it’s all I know. I need to be good at it.”
“You’re going to be disappointed this time.” Melody shifted along the branch until she got towards the end and hooked herself higher into the tree, clutching the broad trunk.
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