“Tell me your name. Give me something to hold on to until you arrive. Please?” His pleading was too much for her to handle.
“Mayra. I’ll come. Hold tight.” She jerked up in the middle of the garden as one of the guards reached down and yanked her back to her feet.
“Stand up, bitch. I’m not sure how you pulled this off, but don’t think this is over.” He growled and nipped at the side of her face.
She nodded and let her head drop forward as another guard grabbed her under her other arm and moved her toward the end of the forest.
“We give the trader the girl, get the linens, and then have the port authorities deny him passage to leave. They will lock down his ship, and we can kill him, take all he has on him, and get the girl back.”
“Who said thatthiswas the plan?” the other guard asked as Mayra let her body sag even further. They could drag her through the town square, and it was better if they did. That way, they weren’t aware that she was listening.
“The king, you idiot. Do you really think he would be willing to trade one of his prized possessions to a Territhian? Please. He hates them more than any of the others.”
“Because they’re fucking ugly?”
They both laughed. “That, and they are far too wealthy and knowledgeable for their own good. He wants to rid the universe of them, you know?”
“Whatever. They are too great in numbers, and I still stand by the theory that the humans are just a lesser version of the Vartiks. They look too much alike to not be related.”
“Have you ever seen a Vartik?” The guard to her left snorted.
“Hell no. They died off far before my time, but I’ve seen pictures in books.”
“We’re here. Shut the fuck up and don’t speak until we’re done.”
The guard on Mayra’s right jerked her arm hard. “Stand up, bitch. We’re here. Try and look as good as you can.”
The sound of the aircraft opening had Mayra’s head lifting as much as she could. She wasn’t capable of seeing who was in front of her, but the sweet smell of his skin washed over her, and she knew without a doubt that it was the handsome stranger from earlier.
“Is she unblemished?” the male asked.
“Yes. Take her. We have things to do. Get the king’s linens and we will leave you be.” They pushed her toward him, and she stumbled and started to fall, not sure if he would catch her or if she would plummet off the side of the port. The latter didn’t sound nearly as bad as it might to someone not in her situation.
Strong arms wrapped around her and picked her up to coddle her against a thick chest. His voice ensconced her, and she found tears burning her eyes again.
“Let me lay the girl down and I’ll get your linens.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head and moved them out of the heat into the dark coolness of what she imagined to be his spaceship. “I’m going to lay you on my bed. Don’t worry. I would never hurt anyone, especially not you.”
“You don’t even know me,” she murmured as she reached up and clung to him.
“I believe I know who you are, and you have nothing to fear. Rest, and I’ll get us out of here.”
“They’re going to deny you the right to leave and kill us both.” She let a sob bubble up from the center of her chest as he laid her on the bed.
“You have nothing to worry about, angel. Sleep. I’m a warrior from another world. I’ll protect us.”
“Promise me?” She rolled onto her side and pulled her legs up into the fetal position.
“On the blood of the great line of kings from whom I am descended, you shall be protected and soon be made whole, oracle.”
She wondered if he was the type of royalty to abuse his privileges, but the darkness took her before she could consider the matter further. The man was most likely going to play the fool, and for his ignorance and arrogance, they would both die.
At least she would do so in her sleep. She let herself go and exhaled softly as sleep pulled her under.
