Alien's Bride 1-3 (14 page)

I raced up the steps to meet him.
 
He took my hand as we walked down the corridor.
 
This simple gesture caused bubbly feelings to flutter through me, despite Whore following just behind us.
 

“It wouldn’t be safe for you to join me in my duties, today.”

“I understand.”

“You’ll be able to look out the windows from a lower terminal room.
 
I hope you’ll find that adequate.”
 
Elentinus stopped at the elevator.
 
“I’ll be occupied all day, I’m afraid.”

“What will you be doing on Earth?” I said as the elevator brought us down.

He didn’t answer right away.
 
The joy I was feeling evaporated.
 
I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut.

“We’ll be taking a census, first,” he said finally when we emerged from the elevator.
 
“Then I’ll be making sure my orders are being obeyed.
 
I’ll see to it that the camps have all the supplies they need, and consider their requests for more resources.
 
We’ll ensure at least 20% of the adult women capable of bearing children are pregnant.
 
We’ll retrieve some dissidents from the neighboring mountains.
 
Punish them.”

“It’s not necessary to share all this with her, master.”

Elentinus stopped with me in front of a door.
 
He took both my hands in his.
 

“Secrets are the seeds that sow dissension.”

I swallowed.
 
He’d enraptured me with his dark eyes again.

“You may not like the things I do to your people.
 
It may seem unfair, at times, or cruel.
 
But all my actions are to ensure the survival of both our races.
 
We’ve learned the lessons well from our own history.
 
People who are suffering do not thrive.
 
I try to be more of a benefactor than a dictator—but my orders must be obeyed.”

I nodded.
 
“I’m glad you’re being honest with me.
 
It…it’s the highest level of respect.”

Elentinus smiled.
 
Whore rolled his eyes.

He pressed the button to open the door.
 
It looked like the terminal room I’d been in when I had first awakened on the ship.
 
I ignored the eerie feeling the place gave me and went right to the floor to ceiling windows.
 
We were parked next to what might have been a highway overpass.
 
It was enclosed with a semi-clear fiberglass roof or something.
 
I could see a lot more of the tube-like highways nearby us.
 
In front of it all, though, was lush greenery.
 
Plants had crawled up the pylons.
 
I recognized dandelions, chickweed, and English ivy.
 
Okay, never mind the plants.
 
There were square buildings not far off.
 
Not skyscrapers, more like mid-level high-rises.
 
They were too far to really make out, but at least they seemed solid.
    

“Where are we?”

“In your
United States
, my dear.
 
The capital in
Tennessee
.”

I looked back at him.
 
“The capital moved to
Tennessee
?”

“We don’t have time for this, master.
 
The Defenders are waiting to escort you from the side entry.”
  

Elentinus took my hand again.
 
“I’m afraid he’s correct.
 
I must leave you, my dear.”

I made a little smile.
 
“Have a good day at work, honey.”

“Honey!”
 
Whore looked mortified.

Elentinus only laughed and leaned down to kiss me.
 
I lifted up on my toes to meet his mouth.
 
It was a sweet, brief connection of our lips.
 
It still caused happy butterflies to bop around inside my stomach.

“I can delay our first meeting if you wish to mate with her again, master.”

The butterflies dropped dead into a twitching pile.
 

I saw Elentinus look downward with a grimace of annoyance.
 
Then he recovered.
 
“Goodbye for now, my dear.”
 

He and Whore left me to rediscover my world through the glass.

***

I stared out the windows until I got bored, and then tracked down some breakfast.
 
I hoped Elentinus and I would have time for a proper honeymoon.
 
I needed a truly consensual lovemaking session to wipe away the dubious consent of the night before.
 
I didn’t let my loneliness depress me.
 
The dread of our first time together was over with.
 
There wasn’t any reason for me not to relax and try to be happy.
  
(Especially since I knew Whore was gone for the day).
 
I figured I’d get Kang to give me another history lesson, but later.
 
For now I just wanted to think about everything that had happened while lounging in the lobby sitting area.
 

That afternoon (at least I think it was afternoon) a Domestic rolled up without me summoning it.
 
This was a little strange, but I didn’t let it bother me.

“Oh, good.
 
I was about to call one of you.
 
It’s time for me to get another history lesson.”

“Maritza…Maritza Santos?”

My eyes widened.
 
This wasn’t the Domestic’s voice.
 
It sounded like an old woman.

“Um…yes?”

“I’m with a group who helps free captive women like yourself.”

My heart started to thunder inside my chest.
 
I straightened up from the relaxed way I’d been slumped on the couch.
 
The voice was speaking an alien language, but it sounded different from the one Elentinus and Whore spoke.

“We’ve hacked into the processor of this serving unit to make contact with you.
 
Maritza, you are not alone.
 
We’re here for you.
 
We can get you out of here, but we must act quickly.
 
Tell me, did they put a force-field collar on you?”

I felt a wave of vertigo.
 
My heart was beating so hard I could feel the pounding in my temples.
 
I looked around to see if any of the other Domestics were catching this.
 
They were all busy doing whatever it is they do.

“Um…yeah…yeah, I have a collar.”

“Damn.
 
Then that complicates things, but have no fear.
 
It may take a little longer, but we will get you free.
 
Maritza, you must try to earn Lord Elentinus’ trust so that he’ll remove the collar.
 
Do you understand me?
 
It’s imperative that you get him to take that collar off.”

I tried to catch my breath.
 
“Um…okay…just hold up, all right?
 
I’m not trying to be rescued.”
 
I felt better just having said it.
 
“Lord Elentinus has been good to me so far.
 
And…and…I came from 2,000 years ago.
 
I don’t know anything about this time.
 
Where would I even—”

“You don’t have to be afraid, Maritza.
 
There’s no way they can find out we’ve contacted you unless you tell them.”
 
A compassionate quaver came out in her voice.
 
“I know you’ve been raped.”

I blinked.
 
Did she mean what happened last night?
 
Were they watching me?
 
“What are you talking about?”

“This isn’t Elentinus testing you, Maritza!
 
We are your friends.”

“I appreciate that—but look, I—I don’t want to be rescued.
 
I’m fine with how Lord Elentinus has been treating me.
 
He’s been…kind, more or less.”
 
I started to get emotional.
 
“I don’t want to leave.”

“I…I see.”
 
She got quiet for a while.
 
“This is most unexpected, Maritza.
 
The Dak-Hiliah have new high druid.
 
I assume that’s the reason for Lord Elentinus’…kindness.”

I swallowed.

“Unfortunately this has not changed his behavior on planet Earth.
 
Do you know that, at this very moment, he’s torturing seven so-called ‘dissidents’ in front of an audience of 200,000 other human survivors?”

I swallowed again, and then pursed my lips.
 
“I…sort of knew about that.
 
Torturing them how?”

“Through those monstrous collars.
 
It’s the Dak-Hiliah’s trademark.
 
There’s no permanent damage, but there can be no worse a pain imaginable.”

No permanent damage was good, right?
 
I tried to cling to that.
 
“He said they tried to run away or something.”

“Oh yes.
 
The Dak-Hiliah’s precious cattle dared to leave their repugnant ‘breeding colony.’
 
He’s making them writhe in agony while their families, friends, and fellow survivors watch in horror.”

I cringed at the thought.
 
A tear ran down one side of my face.
 
“That…that sucks.”
 
I sniffled.
 
“But…Earth surrendered to them, right?
 
It was either this or being infected by the Instajants.
 
I mean…they might just have to…you know, fall in line.”
 
It was hard to say all this.
 
Mostly because I had precious little idea what I was talking about.

“I see you’ve been brainwashed.
 
That breaks my heart, Maritza.
 
The Dak-Hiliah are evil, merciless conquerors whose sole focus is war and acquisition.
 
For the first time in their recent history their population has been crippled.
 
They need to be stopped, now, before hapless women like you help them to fully repopulate.”

I took a deep breath.
 
“Look.
 
I’m just trying to survive, okay?
 
I didn’t ask for any of this.
 
From what you say I’m pretty lucky I’m not being abused.
 
I’m not going to push that luck.
 
I don’t want to be rescued.”

“I will respect your wishes because our purpose is to help women like you, not cause you suffering.”

I expelled a sigh of relief.

“However, if you have a close relationship with Lord Elentinus you have a responsibility to use that relationship for the benefit of your kinswomen.
 
I assure you, none of the other captive women are in as cozy a situation as you describe.
 
They are being tortured, Maritza, and our efforts to rescue them are being thwarted.
 
If you have an opportunity to help free even one of these women we expect you to do so.”

“Don’t you put that on me, lady.”
 
Tears started to bubble up in my chest.
 
“I told you—I’m just trying to survive.”

“I will ‘put it on’ you, because your sisters need you, Maritza.
 
I can’t imagine you coldly turning a blind eye once you’ve witnessed the suffering of one of these desperate women.”