by Ivy Sparks
The oasis was undoubtedly the most beautiful and peaceful place I had ever seen. Lord Kali’s castle on the mountain could be seen from every part of the village. Little huts dotted the lush landscape. A cool breeze rushed through my hair and the wonderful scent of damp soil and blooming plants made me feel like I was in paradise.
We walked along a path and met a few women who Demi greeted with the title ‘Qina.’
“What’s that mean?” I finally asked, catching Demi’s attention. “Qina. My translator doesn’t put it into English.”
Demi nodded understandingly. “It’s a title of honor, given to unmated yet fertile women.”
Sophie was all ears, excited to learn some alien facts. “And what do you guys call mated women?” she asked.
“By their first name, of course. Upon being mated, we shed the Qina title. I was once Qina Demi, but now…” She let us draw our own conclusions.
We had been walking for a good thirty minutes now, and my legs were burning. “Let’s sit for a moment,” I suggested, motioning toward one of the many open gardens this village offered. Among the flowers and vegetables were several large flat boulders, perfect for resting one’s feet.
Demi nodded sagely and sat down at one such boulder. Sophie and I sat on a large one, while Nora sat by herself, still looking somewhat morose, but not as bad as earlier.
“Demi, are you married?” Nora asked, breaking the silence.
Demi nodded and smiled proudly. “And I have two children too, the delights of my life.”
Sophie put her hands together. “I bet they’re so cute. The ones I’ve seen playing around here are adorable. I want to adopt them all!”
Demi raised her brows and chuckled, amused. “Well, they truly are precious, in more than one sense of the word. Not many of us are lucky enough to give birth. Infertility runs high in Xeki women. Most of us, male or female, are born as workers. We can’t breed and we’re not as powerful as the alphas. So instead we keep the town bountiful and beautiful, and in return we get protection.”
“You were born a worker?” Sophie asked.
“Yes. But despite that, I have the fortune of being a fated mate to an alpha, and of being fertile at that. My husband, along with Lord Kali and Earl Ryker, are all alphas. There are a few more such men, but that’s it. And we’re limited further by our fertility capabilities being tied into whether or not we’re with our fated mate. Lord Kali and Earl Ryker have yet to find their mates for this reason. It seems neither of them are fated to any of the women in our tribe. In cases like these, sometimes we invite unmated women of other tribes into our borders. These days, however, it’s been harder to find willing candidates.”
I tore my gaze from Demi. All that information did was give me more reason to worry that we weren’t bought out of the kindness of these Xekis’ hearts.
“My son,” Demi continued. “Will be an alpha once he is of age. My daughter too has good odds for being eligible to be an alpha’s bride. Still, it’ll take time. We are not enough in number, and if that doesn’t change soon, we’ll be ripe for invasion.” Her posture was rigid as she fidgeted with her garments.
Nora then let out a pained groan. “What’s wrong?” Demi asked, rushing to her side.
Nora grasped at her leg. “I got cut by a sand beast on the way here. It had seemed to be healing, but all this walking is making it act up again. I should get back to bed.”
Demi nodded seriously. “I wasn’t aware you were injured. Stay put.” She straightened up and snapped her fingers, catching the attention of some children. One ran up to her. “Fetch me my husband,” she ordered the child. “He’s guarding the gate.” The child nodded and ran off.
“Err,” Nora began. “What’s your husband going to do to me?”
“Carry you back. Don’t worry. He’ll be gentle.” Demi then turned to Sophie and me. “You two, feel free to continue exploring the village. The entire oasis is safe, so long as you don’t venture out into the desert.”
Sophie grabbed my hand, giddy to explore the village unattended. We walked for a few minutes, checking over our shoulder for anyone who might be following, but it seemed we were truly free to go as we pleased. Sophie turned us down a more secluded path, and once she was sure we were alone, she said, “Now’s our chance.”
“Chance for what?” I asked.
“Let’s see just how ‘free’ we are.”
“And here I thought you were buying into this new life.” I had to admit, I sort of was. Besides the whole ‘mating’ thing, life here seemed quaint and breezy.
Sophie looked me in the eyes. “This village is beautiful, there’s no denying that. But Nora’s getting worse, so we need to look out into the desert and see if there really is a storm keeping us here. This might be our one chance.”
I agreed, and so we both began walking. “What about the gates and the guards, though?”
“We were told we were free to roam the entire oasis. There’s more oasis outside the gates. Let’s just see what happens.”
We found one such gate about ten minutes later, and the Xeki guards posted there eyed us up and down. Sophie said with confidence, “We were told we could explore the entire oasis. May we pass?”
After some hesitation, one Xeki guard said, “You may. These gates are only here to limit who comes in, not who goes out.”
“But stay clear of the desert,” the other Xeki guard snarled. “We won’t come for you.”
There was that warning again. Still, I was surprised they didn’t try to keep us in. We walked past them and into the outskirts of the oasis with no fuss. Soon we were looking out at the desert we had once crossed, and from what we could tell, the skies were clear and there was no sign of any sandstorm.
“Sophie…” I held my breath for what I was about to say. “I think we should make a run.”
Sophie looked at me, horrified. I think she had expected to find a sandstorm raging after all.
I continued, “I mean, look. They lied about how dangerous it is out there. There’s no storm at all. Only blue skies. The one thing to worry about are the sand beasts, which can be scared off with a spear. We saw the pirates do it.”
Sophie continued to hesitate.
I emphasized the facts of our situation. “Once these ‘alphas’ are done asking for us nicely, we’re going to be forced into being used as breeding stock. That’s what the pirates sold us as, and that’s what the Xekis paid them for. Don’t forget, they paid for us.” I looked firmly at Sophie, all too eager to run away from here now that we had confirmed the desert was safe.
Sophie remained silent for several moments longer. “Could they really be like that?”
“I know they seem nice. I know they seem like gentlemen, even. But it’s what all the men I’ve ever known do: Play nice, use you, then dispose of you. How can we know these guys are any different?”
“I can’t do that desert walk again. Not yet. I’m so exhausted from the initial walk here. And what are we going to do—abandon Nora? She can’t cross this desert any time soon, even if the skies are clear. Her leg is still mending.”
Maybe that was the case for her and Nora, but I knew I could make this passage. “Why don’t I cross the desert and return with help, then? I have the stamina for it. I used to hike a lot back—” I paused. “Back home.” I couldn’t believe I was referring to Earth as ‘home’ again, after spending the last of my savings to escape that planet, yet here I was, utterly homesick.
I continued, “Look, we already know the tribe is small. Small enough that they don’t want to piss off some two-bit pirates. All I need to do is return with a small rescue team and the Xekis will fold and hand you two over.”
Sophie took a minute to think it over. “Yeah, this is our only chance at escaping, huh?”
“It’s now or never.” I looked out into the calm desert again. “Before I head out, let’s find me a big canteen and a spear. Maybe some food too.”
We made our way back to the village, putting o
n our best oblivious expressions as we stealthily snagged each item I would need. Lucky me, I even found a flint device for starting fires near a cooking pit. With my supplies gathered, Sophie and I left through a different gate with different guards, who yet again warned us of the dangers of the desert.
Oddly enough, they didn’t seem to care that I was carrying a spear. These Xekis really didn’t see us as a threat, did they? But it was no wonder; a Xeki man could wrestle me to the ground with both of his hands tied behind his back.
“All right,” I said, firmly looking at Sophie once we reached the oasis edge again. “If anyone asks, you don’t know where I am, okay? You had nothing to do with me making a grand escape. In fact, you’re mad I even thought to shun the Xekis’ hospitality, got it? They need to still think you’re on their side.”
Sophie nodded. “Be careful,” she added.
“Tell Nora she’s going to see her kid soon. I promise I’ll find a star port and get you guys help.” With that, I made my first step into the desert, then broke out into a run.
It was dumb, I knew, to make promises like that, but if it didn’t work out, I’d be dead, anyway. As Ryker had said, nobody would be coming to my rescue if things went south.
Not even him.
Chapter Ten
Claire
I had only walked for a few hours, but I had to stop. The sand in my eyes and nose made it impossible to keep going.
That whole thing about a sandstorm? Yeah, it was actually happening. The storm just wasn’t visible from the oasis. My dumb ass hadn’t considered the possibility that maybe a sandstorm wouldn’t be visible from several miles away, and now that I was in the thick of it, I couldn’t deny its existence any longer.
But I couldn’t return now. The Xekis would most certainly make an example out of me for betraying their trust. That was what alien barbarians did, right? They weren’t about to wrap me up in a nice blanket, give me a cup of hot cocoa, and tell me all was forgiven.
So I had to keep going. I had to get Sophie and Nora help. It was just sand anyway. I ripped off my garment’s sleeve and turned it into a makeshift turban and mask, which helped, at least a little, to keep the sand out of my face.
I walked for another short while before having to stop and catch my breath. While the sand was less of a problem with my face covered, the heat was only getting worse.
Pulling out my canteen, I sat down to drink, my lips absolutely chapped. The suns were dipping below the horizon now, so I made a camp with what little light was left.
I had managed to start a fire with a dried bush when I heard a rattling sound. Glancing behind my shoulder, I saw one of those enormous sand beast praying mantis fuckers. I reached for my spear, but the beast jutted out its sharp claw at me, slicing open my thigh.
“Fuck!” I screamed as I looked down at my gaping wound. I glared up at the beast, something taking over me. “You’re so dead!” I roared, then I hurled my spear at it. Bullseye, right into its gross termite-like thorax.
Its lifeless body fell beside me. Certain it was dead, I turned my attention back to my leg. All my bravery and fury melted away as the sight of my own blood, making me lightheaded. Fuck, I couldn’t faint now. I had to tie this up before I bled out!
Sitting down, I ripped off my other sleeve and tied it around the wound. Not exactly sanitary, but it should slow the bleeding.
I caught my breath for a few moments and looked around. You could hardly call this a ‘camp,’ but I wouldn’t be able to do much else with my leg throbbing the way it was.
I was no better than dead, wasn’t I?
Fuck it. If that was the case, I was going to go out while eating barbecue.
Glancing at the sand beast’s lifeless body, I pulled the spear out of it then used the blade to cut one of its many insect-like legs off. I speared the leg like a kebab, then held it over the tiny flame.
Once it looked good and burnt, I cracked the exoskeleton in half like a crab leg. For the love of God, please let this meat taste like crab…
I took a bite and immediately spat it out, throwing the cooked leg at the sand beast’s body.
“Great! So this is how it is, huh?” I shouted out to the heavens. “I can’t even have a nice last meal?”
I glanced down at my throbbing leg again. The bindings were soaked through with blood. Seeing my life literally drain out of me put an end to all my shouting. Instead, I started to come to terms with my inevitable death, taking a quiet moment to let it sink in.
At least I died fighting, right?
Two more sand beasts emerged from the sand then. A wry chuckle escaped my chapped lips, then I slumped over, face-first into the sand.
Chapter Eleven
Ryker
To say I was pissed would be an understatement.
But I was more pissed at myself. Here I thought giving Claire and her friends free rein would help them learn to trust me. Instead, Claire foolishly took off into the desert, as if my warning to her had been more of a challenge than a caution.
Note to self: the ‘ask nicely’ method didn’t work on Claire.
Her tracks were easy enough to follow through the soft sands. On a bad day they would have been blown over, but the winds were oddly calm. It was about the second hour of trekking through the desert when the realization dawned on me: she thought I had lied about the sandstorms. For all she knew, the skies were clear. But a Xeki warrior knows that the horizon on this planet lies.
Poor little human. Surely by now she had discovered that a sandstorm truly was raging deeper in the desert. Was she scared? Was she convinced I wouldn’t come to rescue her?
I had told her I wouldn’t. Now I was regretting that. I didn’t want her to be scared. She didn’t deserve it; she was only doing what she thought was right.
A pulse shot through my body as I saw the telltale signs of a sand beast, and its tracks were right beside Claire’s tiny footprints. I knew I was close, but was I close enough?
Though I was keeping a fast pace before, I broke out into a sprint, squinting as the sandy wind grew stronger. Through the sands, I saw a hazy figure slump over and collapse to the ground, with two other monstrous figures closing in.
It was Claire, and she was hurt.
I let out a roar, causing both of the sand beasts to turn away from Claire, raising their arm scythes in response. I had brought a spear with me for this very occasion, but something else took over. Instead of simply spearing the bastards, I charged forward, grasping the first one’s arms and tearing them from the creature’s shoulders. Using the dismembered scythes, I sliced off the next one’s head, delivering a killing blow to the first one in the same action, stabbing its thorax with its own arm.
With the creatures thoroughly taken care of, I turned to see Claire’s body near another fallen beast. She must’ve killed it, but not before getting injured. Though her leg was soaked with blood, her skin was still a healthy color. I surmised she had fainted from exhaustion more than blood loss.
She’d survive, but only if I hurried and returned her to the oasis where our healers could tend to her.
It took all of my energy to not touch my lips to Claire’s as she lay there in the recovery room. The village’s best healer devised a salve for her leg wound, and some carnia tea to help her with any possible infection or inflammation. She had been too unconscious to sip anything, however.
Maybe if I kissed her, she’d wake up.
My gaze moved from her lips down to her legs. The healer had removed all her clothes, replacing them with a clean slip. She wore none of those undergarments she was so shy to take off in front of me at the hot springs.
She had such delectable thighs. Not like the muscular legs of a typical Xeki woman. Hers were… elegant. Curved, and with the right amount of plumpness that made me want to grasp her, squeeze her.
How would those thighs feel wrapped around my waist? What sound would her flesh make, bouncing up and down against my lap?
I realized my hand had
made its way to her leg—the uninjured one. I pulled it back. Any more of her warmth against my hand would make me lose control of myself, and she needed rest, not my primal desire. All I’d do was injure her again.
She’d rest for however long it took, and I didn’t care if we had to pluck every last flower in the carnia garden to bring her back to full health. Good thing that wouldn’t be necessary, because I would go that far for her. I’d plunder the resources of this entire planet if that was what it took for her to live.
I sensed it in my bones. She was here by fate. Here for me. And I’d never let any harm come her way again.
Days had passed without so much as a stir from Claire. I had the servants gently transport her to my quarters in the castle where I set up a second bed for her, close to mine. My plan was to never be no more than one room away from her until she woke up.
Lord Kali, though he found my measures to be excessive, respectfully pardoned me from my usual duties leading the guards and hunting for the tribe’s meat. My men were well-trained. They could proceed without me for a few days, or however long it took.
After a long shower in the adjacent bathroom, I stepped out into my bedroom wearing a bathrobe only to discover that Claire was waking up.
“Where am I—ow!” She groaned, touching her forehead. “Ouch, headache. What happened?” She started lifting her legs to get out of the bed, letting out a yelp from her sand beast injury. Looking at me while massaging her head with one hand, and touching her leg with the other, she frowned. “What’d you do to me?”
Unsure what she was implying, I put on a strict expression. “All the pain you’re in is your own doing, little human. You still being alive, on the other hand, is mine.”
“Oh. Right. Now I’m starting to remember…” She settled back into the bed. “God, I was an idiot, taking off like that. You’re probably pissed at me—”