I locate Zariah’s wristband in my vision, tag it with a search beacon, grab her contact information, and send her a message from my device.
She lifts her arm and smiles. “Thanks, Elix. I wish there were more life forms like you in this universe.”
My core pulses more profoundly than it ever has.
She wants more of my species. My core translates it incorrectly. It wants her. I want her. But more than anything, I need her to be safe. Stars know she is the one thing that helps me endure this existence.
Beyond the glass wall now separating us, Zariah hands over her ticket. A shiny-haired brunette in a form-fit blue uniform with a golden-winged ABR badge takes it. The woman scans the ticket, hands it back, and then extends a tablet. “Please complete the questionnaire before you arrive.”
A handful of males wait in line at the next terminal headed for their ABR facility. A few are in royal robes, some in armor, others in civilian attire. A Ginarigon in military armor chats with a Talhuskin in civilian clothes with his wings bound behind his back. They glance in Zariah’s direction.
I tune my hearing to isolate their voices.
“I’m gunning for that one. Might seem like nothing special, but you know who that is, right?” the Ginarigon asks.
My core pulses faster. I slip behind a support post in the port and memorize their faces.
“Whatever it takes, she’s going to be mine.”
The Talhuskin snorts, his shiny brown scutes rippling with a predatory shift of his shoulders. “Not if I get to her first.”
Shit.
It’s not illegal to fight over a female. But in my mind, it’s still abuse to Zariah. She has endured enough of being used. If she finds a mate, he damned well better love her the way she deserves and not use her.
The poison of her father’slegacyhas seeped into every corner of the galaxy as much as it has made every planet and moon bleed from his marauding.
I watch their shuttles finish loading while I search the Terranet for information regarding access to ABR in case of an emergency, for information on the Ginarigon’s identity, and any other options I might have.
Zariah’s in trouble. I have to find a way to get to her before someone very bad takes everything she has left.
4: Zariah
The last few hours have been a blur of medical exams and freaky, hormonal naps. The doctor assured me it was totally normal to have a wet dream in a room with twenty other girls and a bunch of nurses because it was induced to determine my armband color.
Finally dressed in my race uniform, a form-fit zip-up blue body suit with an ABR logo over my left breast, I make my way to the lunch hall. There are all kinds of women among us. A group of three with matching platinum earrings and glittering makeup links arms and runs in place while they scream in excitement. They’re a mix of pink and yellow armbands. Beyond them, in a booth against the back wall, sit two women with blue armbands, quietly conversing and watching everyone else. Many have friends. A few make some. All I want is food.
The sheer size of the buffet makes me want to cry. I load up a plate and find a window seat overlooking the race fields.
I try to savor the pastries and sandwiches as much as the fresh fruit, but it’s hard to eat when I’m unexpectedly full of regret. It was a surprise to see Elix and even more of a shock at how tender he was as he healed me. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made a mistake coming here when it seems he cares more than I’d thought possible with all the years and solar systems between us.
Women chat in small groups around my table, but no one joins me. No one even looks at me.
Maybe, I’m finally invisible.So many times I’d have given anything to disappear. Everywhere I go, my father’s reputationfollows. He put a shackle on me so I couldn’t run until months of pounding on it made it finally break.
I smooth the wrinkles from the ticket my mother gave me. They wouldn’t let me trade it, even when I asked out of curiosity.
The race must start with one more female than the number of males. Whatever.
I think it’s a bullshit rule when there are Ginarigons in the mix. They have wandering eyes. I bet by the end, the numbers will be skewed anyway.
The ABR nurses assured me no one could come barging in and take me away. But I’ve inspected their security system and found several weaknesses already.
I’m overthinking this. It has to be safe, or Mom wouldn’t have signed me up.
The chocolate-covered strawberries go down easiest. After months of freeze-dried cakes and packaged foods, it’s like it’s the first time I’ve ever tried one.
I can’t believe Elix found me, and he stepped in and stopped Lingon. He risked his life for me.
