I believed her. She wore her emotions on her face for all to see. Her dark-haired sister, on the other hand, didn’t.
“I’m Nova,” I said, nodding towards her. “I apologise for the lack of welcome, but if I’m honest, I don’t trust anyone on this craft. Maji and humans… both original and augmented.”
Both women gasped.
“They’ve augs aboard?” Echo spat.
It seemed that we had something in common as they clearly shared my distaste for the augmented.
“Unfortunately,” I grumbled. “Last I heard, there were sixty-eight of them aboard. I tried to escape when I found out, but I was drugged and then brought here.”
Both sisters widened their eyes.
“The Maji said they’d keep us safe,” Envi said, her eyes welling up with tears. “It was in the terms of our rescue.”
“I was assured that I was kept on board for my own safety,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Something along the lines of the Earth imploding soon.”
Envi began to cry.
Echo glared at me. “Don’t say shit like that offhandedly; this is serious.”
“I’m aware it’s serious,” I replied.
“You don’t sound like you’re taking it seriously,” she snapped.
She pulled her crying sister towards the door that automatically opened.
“Where are you going?” I asked, curious.
“If there are augs aboard, we’re getting as far as away from this craft, and the Maji, as possible.”
The doors closed, and they were gone.
“Good luck,” I said to the empty room.
It didn’t take long for Kol to make an appearance. Not long after the sisters left my room, he showed up. I made sure I kept my attention on my non-existent fingernails. I heard the door opening followed by heavy booted footsteps as I sat on my bed with my back pressed against the wall. I swallowed and cleared my throat to keep my ‘tough girl’ act intact.
“Ten minutes,” his voice rumbled. “That’s all it took for you to run not one but two females out of your quarters.”
As expected, he was pissed.
“I wasn’t informed that I would be sharing my quarters, so you can imagine my surprise when I wake up to two strangers in my presence. The last time I was around more than one human, I was almost killed. Sorry if my lack of social skills has caused problems for you, prince.”
“Nova.” He sighed. “You cannot remain hidden; you need interaction with other humans.”
I jerked my gaze to his.
“You don’t know what’s best for me so stop pretending like you do.”
Kol’s eyes darkened. Literally. The almost neon violet turned to a dark shade of lavender, and it freaked me out.
“Keeping you alive is what’s best for you, and I’m doing that, so give me a little credit, human.”
I turned my back to him. “Leave me alone, Maji.”
“No,” he replied. “You’re my charge while you’re on my craft.”
“So are however many other humans you roped into getting onto this stupid craft.”
“My spacecraft is not stupid.”
I laughed at his very male response and shook my head.
“You and your spacecraft are stupid.”
Kol remained mute, and after twenty seconds of the stretched silence, I thought he had left the room. Until I felt fingertips brush over my neck. Goosebumps broke out over my skin, and I fought a groan that desperately wanted to break free. My reaction to him both embarrassed me and scared me to death.
“Why’re you sad, Nova?”
He continued to slide his fingertips over my neck, and it distracted me. I moved my head, stretching my neck to give him better access, and I heard his soft chuckle.
“Stop touching me,” I said, not really meaning my words.
Kol chuckled again, but he did as I asked.
“You’ll be happy to know that the human females, Echo and Envi, will remain aboard the Ebony.”
I snorted. “Did you have them drugged, too?”
“No,” Kol replied curtly. “We explained away their worries, and they’re happy to remain with us.”
How did he explain away the worry humans had for the augmented?
“I’m not happy, so why aren’t you letting me go?”
After a pregnant pause, he said, “Because you’re an enigma to me, Nova.”
“So that grants you permission to hold me captive?” I asked, hating that my voice was thick with emotion.
“I’m protecting you,” he angrily replied. “Thanas only knows why because you’re more trouble than you seem to be worth!”
I didn’t respond.
“Look”—he exhaled—“why must you continue to fight me?”
“Because I can’t just allow you to take me without a fight,” I replied. “It’s not who I am.”
It’s not who I was raised to be.
“I don’t want you to be anyone other than yourself, but you must realise that if you stay on Earth, then you’re going to die over the next few days.”
My palms got sticky with sweat.
“Do you want to die, Nova?”
I was a survivalist, and that meant I’d do just about anything to keep my life.
“No,” I said, quietly.
“Then stop fighting this. Fighting me.”
I couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say, so I remained quiet.
“Echo and Envi will be returning to share your quarters with you,” Kol continued. “We have many females aboard, more than expected, and housing will be a problem if there is no sharing.”
Again, I remained silent.
“The sisters will not harm you; though, they are worried you will harm them.”
At that, I snorted.
“You won’t hurt them, right?”
“I won’t have anything to do with them.”
Kol sighed but didn’t press the subject further.
“I have someone whom I would like you to meet.”
I heard the door opening, Kol saying something softly to another person, then the sound of the door closing once more.
“Nova, this is Adus,” he said from behind me. “She cannot understand you nor you her, so I will translate your meeting.”
I turned to face Kol and this Adus person, and when I did, I nearly died.
Oh, my Almighty.
I stared at the alien female, and she stared right back at me. She was not Maji. Not even close. When she blinked her gigantic lone eye, I found myself widening both of mine. She really had one eye, and it was huge, and where there should be white there was pink, and it was just… “So weird looking.”
“Nova,” Kol grumbled.
I switched my gaze to him. “What?”
“You spoke your thoughts and were, as you humans like to say, rude.”
I blinked and looked at the alien female who was still openly staring at me, her gaze rolling over me like a cool breeze. She whistled and kept on whistling, the tone of each whistle changing as the seconds ticked by. She didn’t even take a break to inhale, and it freaked me out until Kol snickered and said, “She is kind of funny looking. I agree.”
I frowned at him then changed my expression to an angry glare when I realised that the alien female had called me funny looking. Her whistling wasn’t just a sound—it was her language. She spoke to Kol again; the whistling sound was higher pitched a second before she burst into laughter. Kol laughed too, and it bugged me.
“You’re talking to her in English.”
Kol shook his head. “Your translator is programmed to me, and as the shipmaster, you will hear whatever I say, in any language, in your own words.”
I raised a brow. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you want humans to be able to understand you at all times?”
“To gain your trust.” He shrugged. “If we spoke in front of your people in another language, it wouldn’t be a sign of respect or trust fr
om us to you, and we do not want that. We want—”
“Our wombs.”
“Harmony,” Kol finished as if I didn’t speak.
“Well, what is she saying?” I asked, my annoyance evident.
“She said”—he chuckled—“that you remind her of a homely species on her home world. They have two eyes and are small with brown hair like you. All they do is eat, mate, and sleep. She asked if humans were a relation.”
“You little bitch!” I bellowed at the alien.
She blinked her eye and looked at Kol. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and it seemed to relax her. He turned his attention to me and narrowed his eyes to slit.
“Easy,” he said.