Alien's Bride 1-3 (36 page)

“She’ll follow once she’s ready,” Elentinus said.

Rolf-Tem several an outraged scoffs, but scrambled to his feet and ran out.
 

Whore walked over to Elentinus.
 
“He’s the product of this generation.
 
They think they only have to show respect for their masters.
 
As if you’re somehow less noble than Lord Nayjoor.
 
He should be executed for falsely accusing you.”

“It doesn’t matter, Hor.”

Whore lowered his head.
 
His bottom lip quivered.
 
When he spoke again I realized he was crying.
 
“How could I befriend someone…someone who would speak against you?”

Elentinus wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
 
His kindness made Whore’s face crumble.
 
Tears ran down his face.

Inga struggled to push herself up with shaky arms.
 
She used a chair to climb to her feet.
 
Her dress was soaked with urine.

“I need to…I need to go to the bathroom.”

Elentinus turned to me.
 
“Help her, Maritza.
 
Take her to our room and get her changed.”

I stood up feeling just as dazed as Inga.
 
This was it.
 
I had to do it.

When I got around to Inga’s side of the table my legs felt like they gave out.
 
I found myself seated in a chair next to her.
 
Whore and Elentinus stared at me.
 
I didn’t look back at them.

“What if she got rescued…by the same people who rescued Sasha?”

Did I really just say it?
 
I felt like I was in a trance.
 
Inga started to hyperventilate next to me.

“We can’t trick him now, darling,” Elentinus said.
 
“It’s too obvious, but, in any case, we could have never tried your scheme.”

My reason came back.
 
I looked at him.
 
“Why not?”

“If it seems as though the Aquars have rescued her there will be an emergency session of the high council called.
 
We’ll vote on going to war with them once again.
 
This time I would have to vote yes, because Inga would have been stolen on my watch.
 
We would decimate them quickly and by every means at our disposal.
 
I despise the Aquars for their interference, but I also despise war for the sake of revenge.
 
Millions would perish for the sins of a few reckless leaders.”

I kept staring at him.
 
Elentinus’ lips parted as he stared back at me.

“Are you sure that’s what would happen, husband?”

He became stern.
 
“I’m sure, Maritza.”

Whore shot me a bewildered look.

I stopped looking at him and went back into my trance.
 
My trembling hand went up towards the neckline of my dress.
 

Inga saw what I was doing and gasped.
 
“No!”

“They’re ready to get her out of here.
 
There’s a pod attached to the—“

“No!
 
Nooo!”
 
Inga bent her body over the table and broke into furious sobs.

“—waste disposal unit.
 
All she needed to do was deactivate her collar so you couldn’t track her.
 
Any…any control unit could do it.
 
I stole this one from your drawer.”

Whore covered his open mouth with his hand.
 
Beside him Elentinus had gone a much paler shade of blue than his normal.
 
He slowly walked back to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat with his body sideways to me.
 

“They…contacted you?”
 
Now Elentinus sounded like he was in a trance.
 

His shock made chest ache.
 
I nodded and started to cry.

“How?”
 
He looked at me.

I pursed my lips.

“Don’t you dare tell him, you fucking bitch!” Inga said.

“It’s too late to hold anything back, Maritza.
 
Tell me.
 
I’m ordering you.”

I felt like I was having a panic attack.
 
Was he right?
 
Was it all or nothing?
 

I closed my eyes.
 
“They hack the Domestics.”

Inga looked at me like I’d murdered someone.
 

Yes.
 
I told him.
 
The words were fighting to get out of me.
 
I stopped thinking and let them out.
 
It was easier just to give in to Elentinus.
 
Easier…and selfish.
 
I knew I might come to regret this for the rest of my life.

“When…when we first went to Earth one of the Domestics talked to me in this old woman’s voice telling me I had to get the collar off so they could rescue me.
 
I didn’t want to be rescued.
 
I told them to leave me alone.
 
They said human women were being tortured by their husbands and demanded that I help them.
 
I refused, but they said once I see how bad the women have it there’s no way I’ll ignore them.
 
They made me swear not to tell you.
 
They said it would cause genocide if you ever found out.
 
I told them I wouldn’t tell you as long as they never contacted me again.
 
Then Inga came and told me she knew they contacted me and that I had to help her.
 
All she needed was a control unit to shut off her collar.
 
Then she could escape to the pod attached to the waste disposal unit.”
  

“The pod would take her to Aquar?”

“N-no.
 
To Earth where she could travel to the southern hemisphere and be able to leave the planet on a ship outside of the range of your sensors.”

Elentinus put his face into his hand.
 
“That’s how they got her.
 
Damn.
 
It was like she vanished.
 
At first I wondered if I’d find her corpse decomposing in a wall panel.”
 
He took a deep breath.
 
“Ingenious.
 
Those bastards.”

I continued crying.
 
“I was ready to help her escape right now.
 
I almost did it.”

“But you betrayed your people instead,” Whore said.

I looked at him aghast.
 
He said it plainly, as if he were trying to wrap his head around it.
 
I didn’t see any malice in his face.

“The only reason I didn’t help her was because you said it would cause a war.”

Elentinus reached out and gently soothed the side of my face.
 
His lower lip trembled.
 

“You did the right thing…my love.”

I swallowed a painful gulp.

“I’m going to kill myself.”
 
Inga spoke with tearful anger.

Elentinus rose.
 
“Take her to our room.
 
Get her cleaned up.
 
Don’t leave her alone.
 
Whore, go with them.”
 
He headed towards the lobby.

“Where are you going, Master?”

“To speak with Nayjoor.”
 
He paused and turned back to us.
 
“Inga.”

She set her angry eyes on him.

“Don’t lose hope yet.”
 
He left.

I tried to take her arm.
 
She clung to the back of the chair in front of her.

“Come on,” I said gently.
 
“At least change your dress.”

“Don’t touch me, traitor.”

I cringed back.
 
It felt like she’d shot an arrow into my chest.

A hand soothed my back.
 
I jolted.
 
Whore was looking at me with a placid face.

“I’ll take her, mistress.”

I gawked at him.
 
My heart had been on such a rollercoaster it was hard to keep up with every new shock.
 
Whore was smiling at me.
 
Smiling!

He put Inga’s arm around him and helped her walk.
 
I followed behind them with my head down.
 

Whore was happy with me.
 

Oh, God…what have I done?

***

Inga let water cascade over her while leaning against my shower wall with her arms crossed.
 
I sat on the toilet watching her with my peripheral vision.
 
She was skinny to the point of being emaciated.
 

“What the fuck do you think your husband can do?” she said.
 
I didn’t have to look directly at her to sense the hatred in her eyes.

“Elentinus will make everything right.
 
He always does.”

Inga hurled insults at me nonstop after I said it.
 
I was an idiot.
 
I sounded mentally retarded.
 
I was a typical overfed, self-centered, shallow, obnoxious American.
 
These all bounced off me with little effect.
 

“You sold out your people just because your murderer husband has a pretty face.”

Now her words stung.
 
I did my best not to show it.

“You better hope I never get to the Earth village or to the Aquars’ planet.
 
If I do I’m going make sure everyone knows what a fucking traitor Elentinus’ wife is.”

I swallowed.
 
“Are you almost finished?”

“Eat.
 
Shit.”

When we finally emerged from the bathroom only Whore was present in the bedroom.
 
He sauntered over to us.
 

“I suppose I should escort her back to Lord Nayjoor.”

Inga made several sharp gasps, as though she were trying to resist crying but couldn’t hold back.

“Why don’t we just have her wait here?” I said.
 
“Lord Elentinus must still be with him.
 
I’m sure he’ll come get her when they’re done.”

Whore gave a slight bow.
 
“As you wish, mistress.”

His eerie kindness was sending electricity down my spine.
 
Inga went to the dining table to wait.
 
I sat on one of the cushioned benches embedded in the wall.

Hours passed.
 
I was fine with just sitting and staring at the doorway the whole time.
 
The muscles in my shoulders were wound into tight knots, my throat was raw, and my gut felt like it had been punched.
 
I couldn’t even think everything over.
 
My brain was overloaded.
 
I sat there both nervous and blank.
 
Whenever I caught sight of Inga I got a stab of anguish.