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It was difficult to maintain her strength. There was nothing soft, no visible give about the man before her. In his sleeveless green-trimmed black uniform, he was an imposing creature. All Kalquorians were. The race was predisposed to muscularity, set off to advantage by dark brown skin. This example was tall, perhaps a full foot taller than her five foot, five inches, and at least two hundred pounds of sheer brute power.
None of that shook her behind her stoic façade. What bothered her was how handsome the monster was. His rugged looks, left bare by the ponytail that tied a shaggy mane into submission, reminded her of the tough men she’d known athome in Alaska. Even the grim set of his features was similar to those who’d lived in an unforgiving and often lonely landscape. A few lines bracketed his mouth, but he appeared no older than her own thirty years.
His regard slowly dropped from her face. Her fists clenched as he took in the white nightgown that covered her from chin to toes and masked her lean figure. He hadn’t been with the pair who’d stripped her to ensure she hadn’t hidden any other weapons beyond the knife she’d wielded in the cafeteria.
She’d been dumbfounded when those men hadn’t only not raped her, but insisted on helping her put the gown on again once they’d reassured themselves she couldn’t make another suicide attempt. They’d appeared younger than this fellow. Less sure of themselves. They’d even apologized for their actions.
Kalquorians were supposedly lust-crazed beasts. So far, she hadn’t witnessed that. Would this fellow prove the stories true?
Having finished his inspection, her visitor’s gaze returned to her face. “Are you feeling better, Sister Bernadette?”
She wondered which of the aspirants had volunteered her name. None of them were bad girls, but they were a weak lot. No doubt they were terrified out of their minds. She couldn’t blame them.
While she debated whether to answer her jailer, he folded beefy slabs of arms over his chest and leaned against the closed door. Eyeing her with determined patience, he said, “I asked you a question. Are you still thinking you should kill yourself?”
“If it will serve as an example, I’m willing to offer up my life.” She was proud her tone betrayed no tremor.
“An example?”
“To resist at all costs.”
“Ah, so it wasn’t terror or despair that drove you to the attempt?”
She crossed her arms over her slight bosom, copying his self-confidence, though not his ease. “It was an act of righteousness. The girls under my care needed to see it’s better to die sinless than bow to the enemy.”
He made a slight noise. It could have been a derisive snort or a snicker. “Where did the knife come from?”
She saw no reason to lie. “I’ve had it for quite some time. A memento, of sorts.”
“It didn’t appear ornamental. Or ceremonial.”
She tried to be unimpressed with his command of English, marred only by a slight slurring accent. “It was simple butcher knife, used in a kitchen to prepare food. Nothing more.”
“A memento of cooking?”
“That particular knife was used in a crime.”
That earned her a raised brow. “A crime you committed?”
“No.”
“A curious souvenir.” His interest sharpened.
“It serves as a reminder of how cruel life is.” A lesson the knife might as well have carved on her heart. She’d often wondered why she’d kept such a macabre symbol for the last twenty-three years.
“You heard us come into the wing where you were sleeping and tied it to your leg to kill yourself as an example to the young women?”
“I tied it to my leg in case I had the chance to cut a few Kalquorian throats. When it became apparent I had no hope of that, I chose the second-best option.”
The corner of his lips lifted. He was smiling at her? “What about sticking around to find out what our plans were? That wasn’t an option?”
“I’m well aware of your plans for Earther women.”
“Ah. Yes, Kalquor has that frustrating matter of looming extinction. If it helps you feel any better, I’m not in the market for a female clanmate.”
He wasn’t there to rape her? The tension within her relaxed a little. “Why are we talking?”
“I’m part of the medical crew. You’re a danger to yourself. I’m assessing how big a problem you are to our mission.”
