“Where have you been?” she asked.
“Couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”
I felt a little bad lying to her, but there was no way I could tell her the truth (at least not all of it). There were some things I knew she couldn’t handle, and I refused to lay that burden on her.
“Really?” She squinted her eyes suspiciously.
“Let me take a quick shower and I’ll join you. Give me ten minutes.”
“Okay, but I want details.”
I softly shut the storm door behind me, headed down the hall and veered to the room on the right. After grabbing a towel and some clean clothes, I walked into the small bathroom.
A chain hung in the center of the ceiling, connected to one lone lightbulb. I pulled, and light flooded the dark, 5 x 5 room. Peeling faded yellow wallpaper with white flowers, a single white porcelain sink, a commode, and white tub with a blue shower curtain. It was barely big enough to turn around in, but certainly functional.
Thankfully we had a well for water and solar panels for energy that still worked.
Sliding out of the cloak, I unstrapped a dagger from each thigh, slid another two out of each boot, and carefully laid them in the bottom of the tub. After discarding my weapons, I peeled off my clothes, dropping them into a heap on the floor and stepping into the shower at last.
As I scrubbed my body, making sure to get all the blood off, the water also rinsed the daggers.
Stepping out, I dried my body and used the towel to soak up the water in my hair, leaving it messy and damp. I slid an old cotton white shirt over my head, stepped into a pair of faded jeans, then dried the daggers with another towel.
Heading back to my room, I carefully placed the daggers in a locked metal case at the bottom of my closet, then grabbed a cup of coffee and went outside.
Jenna had the cup up to her lips. She lifted her eyes to mine when I softly shut the storm door.
“The kids are still asleep.” I took a seat next to her. We both liked the swing.
“That’s good. I like to have coffee out here. In silence, before anyone else gets up. Good company excluded, of course.” She grinned.
“It is nice.”
“So, are you going to tell me?”
The coffee tasted great this morning; not too strong, not too weak, just perfect. The sun was in full view, birds chirped in the trees. It seemed like a fresh start.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the old man Myers’ place.”
“Where the old log house used to be?”
“Yes. His pond is still there.”
“I remember that. It’s been years since I’ve been there, though. What made you go all the way out there?”
“I guess I got to thinking about Mom and Dad.”
“And your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Millicent. I’m so sorry. You know you can always talk to me.”
“I know.”
Even though it was only four years ago, it seemed like yesterday. The Andores had arrived long before they were discovered—I’d seen them with my own eyes. Taking women and killing families. And then one day, they made contact. Earth’s governments had fallen for their lies, hook, line, and sinker. Out of the goodness of their cold-blooded hearts, the Andores helped clean the air, filter the water, and made Earth a more livable habitat. They were heroes to most people; but not to me—I knew the truth.
After a moment of silence, she asked, “When do you have to meet your uncle?”
“Tomorrow, 3 o’clock sharp.”
“I wonder what he wants this time?”
I scoffed. “Nothing good, that’s for sure.”
Last year, after my Great Papa passed away, Uncle David graciously summoned me to the government building where I was informed that under the new law, and as my only living male relative, I now fell under his protection. The five-minute conversation ended with, “Stay out of trouble and when I have need of you, I’ll let you know.” Then he went back to the reports on his desk, ignoring and dismissing me at the same time.
After a few silent moments, I dropped a bomb on her. “I met a Tizun.”
Jenna’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Oh my God! Where? Was he scary? What happened?”
I chuckled. “He walked up behind me at the pond. That’s why I’m late.”
“Okay, you gotta give me more than that!”
Smiling, I took a sip of coffee, drawing out her impatience.
Jenna cocked her head slightly and gave me the look.
“I don’t know. It was nice. We talked for a little bit, though not about anything important.”
“Was he scary?”
I thought about everything: the scar, the rumors. He should’ve been terrifying. “No. I really enjoyed his company. And there was nothing to make me fear him.”
She knew what I meant.
“So the Andores…”
“Are trying to paint them as evil when they’re not? Probably.”
Jenna’s shoulders slumped. “How can people not see through them? I mean, our house can’t be the only one getting raided!”
“I don’t know.”
The storm door opened and closed; Cara plopped down on the bench. Her hair was messy; her pale skin looked splotchy.
I smiled. “Good morning.”
“Huh, what’s good about it?” she retorted grumpily, swiping the bangs out of her eyes.
“I take it someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
“No,” she replied condescendingly, shooting me an accusatory glare. “Someone woke me up when she took a shower.”
“You could’ve gone back to sleep. You didn’t. Get over it.” Sometimes that was the only way to talk to Cara.
Her tone changed immediately. “Anymore coffee left?”
“A little.”
She probably expected me to fetch it for her, but she was old enough to get it herself. I hated when she got into one of these moods.
When neither Jenna nor I offered to move, Cara huffed before jumping up and stalking away.
“Kids,” Jenna muttered.
I drained my coffee, stood, and smirked. “Good luck with her. I’m going to bed.”
Jenna chuckled. “After waking up Cara, good luck getting any shut eye.”
Cara was a tad vindictive that way. She’d probably make breakfast just so she could bang the pots loudly and make as much racket as possible. Then she’d run off to the Human Territory to pick-pocket some poor schmuck.
Crawling into bed, I hugged the pillow and thought about the mysterious Tizun. There was something refreshing about being near him, talking to him. He wasn’t good-looking and yet, he left a strong impression on me.
I readjusted my position in an effort to get comfortable. This was a temporary home, and the bed didn’t feel as cozy as mine.
With heavy eyes and a smile, I replayed everything that had happened. Maybe I would visit the pond again tonight…
_____________
Hours later, I woke to a quiet house. Rolling over, I took my time getting up. The less noise I made, the better. It wasn’t that I wanted to sneak out, but I didn’t want the others knowing what time I came and went. The less they knew, the safer they would be. I wasn’t deluding myself into the comfort of staying here forever; I knew in my heart that a day would come when I must leave. It was likely going to be sooner rather than later. Although I hated the thought, I knew no other way to keep them safe.
Stretching my arms over my head, I yawned, shaking off the leftover drowsiness.
Standing in front of the thin, full-length mirror in a pair of white boy shorts and a snug white tee, I took a deep breath.
What will the Andores do if they catch me? I shoved the thought away forcefully, grabbing the metal box from the bottom of the closet.
Strapping a dagger onto each thigh, I slid on a pair of loose black cargo pants, which I had designed myself. There was one pocket above each hidden slit, allowing me to reach my
bare skin and draw my daggers out with ease.
I pulled the snug black turtleneck over my head, allowing it to hug my chest and waist. Running quick fingers through short dark hair, I grabbed the black cloak and quietly slipped out.
I wasn’t sneaking, not really, but I didn’t want to be seen. Laughter drifted inside from the backyard, the smell of smoke in the air; they must have been roasting food over an open fire. The neighbors loved to get together once or twice a month to congregate over food and share company. I remembered those carefree days, but I didn’t think I could have them again, least of all right now.
Reaching for the front doorknob, I heard a voice from behind. “Where you goin’?”
Slowly, I turned and smiled at Austin, holding my finger to my lips. “Shhh… this is our secret, okay?”
He stared for a mere second, shrugged, and replied, “Okay!” then ran out the backdoor. You could never really trust him to do as he was told, so I left in a rush and closed the door behind me.
The sun dropped below the trees, casting a shadow over everything. Perfect.
I could only hope that tonight would be as successful as last night.
After several hours of walking, I found what I was looking for in the Neutral Territory, between a couple of houses, the only light shining from some lamps. It was enough to see two Andores harassing a girl. She may have been eighteen. Maybe.
The fearful way she turned as one approached from the front, the other from behind—taunting her. They kept to the shadows, but you couldn’t mistake their silhouette for anything other than Andores. Even those eyes that reminded you of an animal caught in a spotlight, its eyes shining like beacons.
Definitely Andores, and so predictable.
They’d scour the Neutral Territory until they found an unaccompanied girl. If anyone reported her missing, they would simply say she was now under their protection.
Protection my ass!
“Stop! Leave me alone!”
Hearing her frantic plea, I made sure the cloak covered my head to hide my features. If for some reason I failed, I didn’t need to give away any information that might allow them to trace me.
Get in—get out. That was my motto.
One Andore grabbed the girl by the shoulders, holding her in place. The one behind tore her loose pants, exposing her bare ass. Then he went for the shirt.
How many times had I witnessed their vile nature?
Keeping my eyes glued to them, I slowly unsheathed my daggers as I inched in their direction. I’d done this several times and had it down pat. Their reactions were always the same.
Next to a house and just out of sight, I affected my ‘helpless’ voice.
“Oh, what are you doing?” I mock gasped.
“Go check that out. Remember, no witnesses.”
I waited, knowing it wouldn’t be long.
Standing around the corner with my back against the wall, I clutched the dagger and took a deep, steady breath. They were large, so surprise was the key to getting the job done quickly.
I heard his steps…a little closer… When I instinctively knew he was about to round the corner, I braced myself to end his sorry life.
Dagger held up to throat level, as soon as he turned my way, I struck hard and fast. Slicing his throat quickly, I jumped back as blood sprayed everywhere. He dropped to his knees.
“Dray?” the other one called. I knew any moment he would check on his friend. “Dray? You alright?”
I’d done this so many times before, I could almost count the seconds before he came to check things out.
I heard the girl run away when he released her. My heart thundered. Already on guard, this guy would be a bit trickier. Not that it deterred me in the slightest.
Rounding the corner, he came to an abrupt stop, his eyes locked on his dead friend. Before he had the chance to look up, I didn’t hesitate as I ran a blade across his neck, jumping back.
Experience had taught me about throat slicing and blood spray. No thank you.
These two were surprisingly easy to kill, or maybe my honed skills were just that good. In the beginning, I’d made a lot of mistakes, almost getting myself killed a time or two. Not anymore though.
But you know what they say, practice makes perfect.
I’d like a lot more practice, I mused. Enough to wipe out their entire species.
Harsh? Probably. But I gave up caring about them a long time ago.
Bending down, I used their clothes to clean my daggers before placing them back in their sheathes. Two dead Andores, and I had saved the girl. Win-win for me.
4
Murda
All day, I tossed and turned as memories of the dark-haired Human female plagued my thoughts. Not being able to decipher some of her words irritated me. Who was she, and what did she know?
Dressing in black leather pants with chrome spikes down the outside of each leg, I buttoned the dark charcoal gray shirt. This was the closest I could find to match my tattered official uniform before the great battle.
Heading down for mealtime, I could not stop thinking about her. The agitation must have shown on my face.
Gar stood when I entered the room, as did the others. He narrowed his eyes at my scowling countenance. “Are you well?”
“Yes.” I sat at the head of the heavy wooden table, eyeing the lavish designs etched along the outer edges. Once I was seated, everyone else followed.
Gar sat to my right, Venge to my left. I ignored both and reached for a slice of ham, two pieces of bacon, and eggs. Not that I liked the food very much, but it would suffice. It had for almost two Earth years.
Gar kept glancing over and I knew he wanted to ask more questions, probably about the female. None of them had seen a Human female before, so the curiosity was understandable.
Not in the mood to discuss her right now, I asked, “Still no word?”
But of course I already knew the answer.
“No.” He hesitated, then added, “Venge and I have been discussing the problem. We think that Earth’s government is somehow blocking the signal.”
With a bite of food at my lips, I froze—momentarily. That made more sense than believing our brothers had abandoned us to live with the low dwellers, a theory I refused to believe.
Father will search for us, I reminded myself. Unless they presume us dead. No—he would not give up even then, not until he has absolute proof.
I needed to talk to the female, try to decipher the meaning of her elusive declarations. She seemed intelligent, honest even; it was worth a shot.
I pushed away the notion that I wanted to see her again. She intrigued me like no other, a feeling I clamped down on immediately; that was unimportant, dangerous even. What mattered was that she might know things, and if she did, I needed to interrogate her without her realizing. She was Human, and an end to a means. Nothing more.
“I will go back out tonight. If the female is there, I shall question her, find out what she knows.”
Venge glanced my way, visibly surprised. “Is that wise?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Are the rumors true? About Human females?”
I thought about it for a moment, then laughed, startling everyone around me. “Yes, they are true.”
I heard low rumblings from the men, but I ignored them. As soon as I finished eating, I would fetch my cloak. This time I would use the solar board, hopefully find the female long before the sun rose.
__________
The darkness settled around me as I waited, hoping she would appear. Loud croaks sang lullabies. This time, I easily spotted one of the tiny creatures.
Perched on a stone, one of many surrounding the edge of the water, it croaked again.
I picked the slippery creature up and stared into its strange eyes.
“Hmm…you should not alert predators to your location.” It said nothing. “What to do with you? You are too small to eat, unless as a snack.”
It had to be better than the meat Hu
mans insisted was good for us. My long tongue unfurled and I tasted the saltiness. Not bad. I opened my mouth wide, planning on swallowing it whole when I heard, “Eww…”
I turned; the female stood five feet away with a repulsed look on her face. Anger surged. How could she sneak up behind me like that?
I am losing my edge…
“Let the little froggy go,” she commanded, marching over and snatching it from my hands.
The smell of blood hit strong, my lips curling back as my hand circled her throat. She froze. Leaning in, I sniffed her neck and followed the smell down between her breasts, sniffing down her stomach until I reached her crotch.
Still lower.
Standing straight, I grabbed her cloak with one hand and tore it from her body. As I went for the pants, she shoved hard. Rooted in place, I did not budge.
“Don’t. Rip. My. Pants.” She bit each word out between tight lips. Anger twisted her face as she jerked away.
Stepping back, I crossed my arms and ordered, “Then take them off.”
“Why?” It was a silent standoff. After a tense minute, she huffed under her breath. “Fuckin’ asshole. Just like all the others.”
I had no idea who “the others” were, nor did I care. I watched as she flicked open the button, lowered the zipper, then shimmied the pants over her hips and down her legs, letting the material pool at her ankles.
I sucked in a deep breath, shocked by the two daggers, one strapped to each thigh. I grabbed a hilt, unsheathed the steel, and held it to the moonlight. Fresh blood dripped from the tip.
“Who?” I demanded.
Deathly cold eyes stared back at me as the rage I once sensed surfaced. Instinctively, I knew she would not talk.
My respect for her grew.
Using one hand, I quickly flipped the dagger and held it out for her to take the hilt. Cautiously, she gripped the handle and took a quick step backward, almost falling. She sheathed the dagger and pulled up her pants, glaring vehemently at me.
“Why are you here again?” she asked. “This is the Neutral Territory.”
“I could ask the same of you.”
Falling for the Alien Prince Page 3