The Arcav General's Woman

by Hope Hart

  Meghan

  I’m…alive.

  I think.

  My vision is blurry, and I don’t move, waiting for my body to tell me just what we’re dealing with. I hurt, but I don’t think I’ve lost any limbs or been impaled by anything, unless it’s just shock keeping me alive for a few seconds while I bleed out.

  My stomach swims sickly at the thought and I pant. Throwing up all over myself is not in my plans for today. Although, a crash landing on an alien planet wasn’t in my plan either.

  My thoughts are all over the place. My head definitely hurts. Maybe I’ve got a concussion.

  Methi!

  I move, testing out arms and legs and blowing out a breath. I have all of them. But Methi covered my body with his. If he’s dead…

  A low groan cuts through my panic.

  “Methi?”

  No responding groan. Shit.

  The last few days have taught me one thing: when it comes to Methi, I’m all in. He’s my ride or die. Sure, I may be young, but I know there’s no other man I want to be with for the rest of my life.

  I’m curled under the console in the control center, and I slowly make my way to my knees, ignoring the pounding in my head as I move. It feels like someone is attacking my head with a hammer, and I give in to a whimper, which seems to rouse Methi, and I hear another growl in response.

  “Methi?”

  He’s blocking the way to the console and covered with cuts and bruises, likely from impact. His leg is bleeding heavily again and I curse as I run my hands over his ribs. They all seem okay but what do I know? I’m not a doctor.

  He’s not waking up and no longer responding to my begging. I run a hand over his face, then check the back of his head. I wince sympathetically as my hand finds a bump the size of a lemon.

  I stare at his chest and watch it rise and fall. Should I roll him onto his side?

  I almost sob in relief as those incredibly clear violet eyes finally open and meet mine.

  They don’t seem to be tracking correctly and dart from side to side as he frowns, glowering at the ship and then turning his attention on me.

  “Are you okay?”

  His eyes are piercing mine, and something like astonishment crosses his face, and then it settles into a scowl again.

  “Yes.”

  “Can you move?”

  He moves his arms and legs hissing in pain as he jolts his leg.

  “What is this?”

  “Um. I think your leg wound reopened. I’m going to see if I can find any bandages to stop the bleeding, okay?”

  He nods, already turning his attention to the ship and I blow out a breath. I don’t blame the guy for being annoyed. I’m up and moving, and he’s obviously in a lot of pain after protecting me.

  I get to my feet, gasping as aches and pains make themselves known and my head threatens to explode.

  “You will sit down, female,” Methi says, and I glower at him.

  “I’m the only one of us capable of walking right now, so why don’t you ditch the attitude? I know you’re hurt, but I’m trying to help.”

  He stares at me coldly, and I narrow my eyes at him. Finally, he looks away dismissively, and I back away, stung.

  I chew my lip as I make my way back to the room where I originally found food. I should’ve done a better search earlier so I knew where everything was.

  I pull out boxes, shaking my head and regretting it instantly as it throbs even harder. I check the next room, and the next, until I find the ship’s version of a medi-center- a tiny room with a small bed and a few supplies.

  I pull out more boxes and rummage through them. I have no idea what the various drugs and ointments are for, so I’ll need to be cautious and just wrap his leg. I grind my teeth, wishing I had even the smallest amount of medical training and I could be more helpful.

  Methi is obviously pissed and I’m sure he’s in pain, but he’s never treated me this way. Does he think that the crash was my fault? If I’d paid more attention to our ship, maybe the Fecax Queen wouldn’t have been able to steal it.

  I snort. The Fecax are responsible for some of the greatest innovations in this galaxy. They invented most of the components that make the Arcav ships so impressive. From what I’ve heard, the Fecax Queen was constantly sneaking out and tricking her security team. Stealing our ship was probably child’s play for her.

  I re-enter the control center, where Methi has managed to pull himself into sitting position, legs out in front of him as he inspects his wound. He’s leaning against the console, and his face is paler than I have ever seen it.

  “I found some bandages. I’m not sure what the drugs do, so we probably can’t risk using them.”

  Methi is quiet as I roll up his pants, and I wince at the deep cut in his thigh. I give a tiny sigh of relief when I examine it properly and can feel Methi examining my face as I clean up the blood. It’s not as much blood as I had thought, but I wish he could’ve had stitches.

  I bandage his wound and sit back, checking for any other injuries.

  “Do you think you can move?” I ask.

  He nods his head silently and I frown at him.

  “What’s going on?”

  He pulls his shoulders back, and his eyes are so cold that my mouth drops open.

  “You tell me. Why are we here, why did this ship crash, and how did I lose my arm?”

  Methi

  The female’s eyes instantly fill with water, and for some reason I find this disquieting. But I will allow myself no sympathy for this creature until I know who she is and where I am.

  This ship is a disgrace. No Arcav would ever voluntarily board such a ship. I have also never seen a creature like this before, with such a small stature, no horns, and no claws. Such a creature could not survive in this universe without other abilities, and the fact that she is not making them known makes me instantly distrust her.

  I have heard of beings similar to this one. They shoot poison from their mouths or can move exceedingly fast. I must understand her abilities and strengths before I move forward.

  “You don’t remember me?” Her voice is hurt, and it tugs at something inside me. For some reason, this makes me furious.

  “No,” I snap. “Now tell me what type of alien you are.”

  Her shoulders slump and water rolls down her cheeks. Perhaps this is her ability. These creatures can cause feelings of discomfort and grief with their eye-water. Maybe her eye water is also poisonous.

  “I’m human.”

  “Human.” I taste the word, but it does not feel familiar. Of course, nothing feels familiar, and I am aware that I have lost my memories. I know who I am, of course. My name is Methi. I work for King Varian, and I am hoping to one day be worthy of a position on his guard. His brother Korva and I are close friends.

  “What is the name of your home planet?”

  “Earth.”

  Again, I scan my brain. This planet sounds familiar, but I have not been there.

  “Explain.”

  She sighs and something flares in her eyes at the order. I simply stare at her coolly until she begins talking.

  “My name is Meghan. I’m human, and I’m from Earth, although my mom and I moved to Arcavia.”

  Now I know she is lying.

  “Do you think I am a fool? I have never seen beings like you on Arcavia.”

  She glares at me. “I’m telling you the truth. What’s the last thing you remember? It was obviously a while ago.”

  I attempt to remember, wracking my brain even as it makes my head pound even harder and my claws extend in frustration.

  “Did you do this to me?”

  “Of course not! We were just in an accident and you have a head injury.”

  I regain control, eyeing her as I attempt to determine my last memory.

  “I was eating dinner with Korva and his mate. We will soon both leave on a long mission.”

  All of the blood drains from her face, and I instinctively reach for her as sh
e sways.

  “Centuries,” she mumbles, eyes blank. “You’ve lost centuries.”

  My horns straighten. “I have not.”

  But I know her reaction is not feigned. She appears to be devastated at this realization.

  She is silent for a moment, her tiny teeth biting into her lush lip. I turn away, once again examining my surroundings.

  “Where are we?”

  “I don’t know. Don’t give me that look! I really don’t know. We had to crash land because we were out of fuel. I’m not your enemy, Methi.”

  I laugh hollowly. “Now I know you are lying. I would never make such a mistake.”

  “Well you did. So did I. The gauge was obviously broken. This isn’t our ship, and we messed up. Bad. Now I have no idea where we are, but with my luck, it’s probably a planet that still has dinosaurs and we’re about to be eaten.”

  I ignore her babbling and slowly get to my feet. My arm is bionic, and the technology must be relatively new because it behaves exactly as my real arm would. I close my eyes for a moment, mourning the loss of my arm. My left hand will never again feel sensations. Never again will I feel the warmth of a woman’s skin underneath it.

  I grit my teeth, feeling her eyes on me, tracking every movement. I loathe being weak in front of anyone, but particularly this female with the bright blue eyes.

  Meghan. Her name does not jolt any memories, but for the moment, I am choosing to believe that she is no threat to me. If necessary, I could kill her in the blink of an eye.

  The thought does not sit well with me.

  “Keep talking,” I order, and she wrinkles her small nose at the tone. “Tell me everything.”

  “It’s a long story, but I’ll give you a summary. You were on a trip to Fecax, and Talis dumped you on Durin. I stole a ship from Arcavia, and rescued you, but we had to take this ship because our ship was stolen. Then we crashed. The end.”

  It is an interesting story, but there are so many holes in it that I do not believe a word of it. Talis is nothing if not loyal to Varian. There is no way this small female would be able to steal one of our ships and then use it to rescue me from Durin of all places.

  “You will tell me the truth.”

  “That is the truth!” She raises her leg, coming perilously close to stamping it before she slowly puts it down and I narrow my eyes.

  “How old are you?”

  “You know what? I’m sick of answering your questions when you refuse to believe the answers anyway. I need to find out where the hell we are and figure out how to get out of here.”

  She turns as if to leave, and my arm whips out, taking her elbow.

  “Do not think to leave me, female. Where you go, I go.”

  Her face pales at my words, her eyes searching my face. Eventually, she complies, and we both move toward the back of the ship. She pulls a blaster from the small of her back, and I immediately snatch it out of her hand.

  She scowls. “You’re being a real asshole.”

  I ignore her and press the button that will deploy the stairs for this ship.

  The stairs extend halfway down before they freeze, and I sigh, my head beating at me like a drum. I push the female behind me and scan our surroundings, weapon ready. My thigh aches but will hold.

  Nothing.

  I slowly make my way down the stairs, conscious of the female cursing behind me. She is a liability, her steps loud and her muttering annoying. I turn my head, and she glares back but ceases her talking as she attempts to creep down the stairs behind me.

  I have the strangest urge to roll my eyes.

  It is freezing. We are not dressed for the temperature, and while there is no snow on the ground, it appears to be almost a solid sheet of ice.

  I examine the stairs and judge the distance as too far for the female to jump without breaking bones. I pull her to me, ignoring her startled squeak, and take her in my arms. Then I move from side to side, attempting to jolt the mechanism into its proper place. I jump, pleased when the stairs deploy, and I slap my hand over the female’s mouth as she yelps at the sudden motion.

  “I get it,” she whispers as I take my hand away. “No talking, jeez.”

  I shoot her one more warning look, and then we both examine this strange planet. There are trees in the distance, similar to those found on my planet, but wrapped around each other, branches intertwining. The silence is disconcerting and I see no signs of life.

  The female is quaking now, her lips turning blue, and I frown down at her. These humans are obviously not well-suited for extremes in temperature.

  She gestures for me to move closer and lean down, and I comply, tensing as her scent hits me. It reminds me of spring in my home, and it is the first thing that has felt familiar since I woke to this nightmare.

  Her teeth are chattering, but she forces the words out, and I find myself moving even closer, sharing my warmth.

  “We need to find wood for a fire. If we have no fuel, the ship is going to get cold soon, especially with the door open.”

  She is right. “How long can you survive in this temperature?”

  She shrugs. “I’ll be okay if we can find some wood and get back soon.”

  I am torn between sending her back to the ship and keeping her where I can see her, but I nod, and we move down the stairs and toward the trees in the distance.

  Within a few minutes, she is panting and barely responds to my muttered questions. It seems as if she is struggling to keep her eyes open, and I growl.

  “You said you could survive.”

  “I’m from California!”

  This means nothing to me and I simply take my shirt off and pull it over her head, ignoring her struggles.

  “You can’t do that. You need that!”

  “Cease your arguments, female.”

  She obviously sees the annoyance on my face and sighs.

  “Thank you,” she says, even as her lower lip juts out. I have the strangest urge to bite it, and I shake my head instead, turning back as we approach the trees.

  If there is one resource that this planet has, it is wood, and I load up my arms, handing a few smaller branches to the female as we lope back toward the ship. I leave one hand free, my weapon out as I scan our surroundings, Jaret’s voice in my head. He was my trainer when I was just a youngling, teaching me skills that I would use defending our planet from the Grivaths.

  The female is stumbling, her breathing shallow and quick. I drop the wood, haul her into my arms and throw her over my shoulder. Then I lean down, pick up the wood, and stalk toward the ship. Strangely, she doesn’t protest, and that more than anything increases my pace.

  I place her next to the entrance of the ship. If anyone is going to attack, it will be now, when my back is turned.

  “Can you get up the stairs?”

  “Yes.” She turns and begins climbing, and I walk backward up the stairs, weapon out as I watch for predators.

  This planet is obviously habitable, and the lack of life near us has my instincts on high alert.

  Chapter Nine

  Meghan

  I’ve never been this cold.

  I head straight to the medi-center, where I spotted a bed earlier, and pull the thin covers from it, wrapping them around myself while Methi closes the door.

  Of course we had to land on a planet that’s absolutely freezing, instead of a planet with a white-sand beach and margaritas waiting for us.

  I’m trying to focus on one problem at a time, but I’m consumed with Methi. I’ve always taken his warm eyes and caring demeanor for granted, and now I’m desperate to get my Methi back. I know he’s still the same guy— he just literally gave me the shirt off his back, leaving him with nothing to protect himself from the elements with. But, if there’s one thing I need on this strange, freezing planet, it’s my friend. And he’s nowhere to be found.

  Methi appears, eyes narrowing as he takes in my shaking form.

  “I will create a fire. You will stay here.”


  I sigh. These orders are getting old, but if he wants to go ahead and ensure this ship stays toasty while I warm up, I won’t complain.

  “You can have your shirt back,” I say, pulling the blankets off, and he simply ignores me, turning and walking away.

  He doesn’t believe a thing I told him about his life. He has obviously decided not to trust me, and while I understand it, I want to shake him.

  When I was younger, I toyed briefly with the idea of going into medicine. I was fascinated with the human brain, which has so much uncharted territory. We don’t even understand the way that the brain of a worm works, let alone the neurons, synapses, and cells of the human brain.

  It didn’t take me long to decide to turn my attention to machines instead. Make a mistake with a machine, and you can usually shake it off without any big repercussions. Make a mistake with the brain, and you’ve ruined someone’s life.

  Our memories can store the equivalent of three hundred million hours of our favorite TV show. Of course, those memories are faulty, and we all know that no two people will remember the same event in the exact same way.

  What if Methi’s memory never returns?

  From my limited understanding, I think Arcav brains are somewhat similar to humans. Obviously the Arcav have a much greater understanding of their brains, and could probably fix whatever’s going on with Methi’s memory within a few minutes.

  Right now, he can recall general knowledge. He knows his people are the Arcav, and that Varian is their King. He remembers basic things like how to put on his shoes and how to handle a weapon. He knows we need wood for a fire, and he can do normal tasks.

  It’s his episodic memory that’s impacted. The type of memory that allows us to remember a road trip with friends, what we had for dinner a few nights ago, or that family reunion we didn’t want to go to. Methi has a cut-off point— he remembers Korva and his mate. Does that mean he’ll gradually get more memories until he remembers me?

  God I hope so.

  I sigh. Methi’s memory will return. I have to believe that, otherwise I’m going to stay curled up in a ball and never leave this spot. I’m warm enough to ditch the blankets now, and I pull off Methi’s shirt, making my way back toward the entrance of the ship.