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“How?” Zahira blinked at me, then glanced over at Delven, who was still keeping me company. “What the fuck just happened? Did we just get freed? And who’s this guy?”
“Delven. He’s Naxer’s right-hand man.”
Zahira’s eyes narrowed on him before turning to look at me. “Please tell us what’s going on.”
“In a nutshell,” I said, “Naxer’s the actual ruler of this sector. He got sick and exiled himself. Then the other guy, the one who just got his ass beat, grabbed the throne and purchased us from the slavers because he thought him and his Gladiators would find mates among us.”
“And Naxer is against Earthling trafficking?” Zahira asked.
I nodded. “Yes. And he promised to help me rescue the women that are heading to sector one once he got his position back.”
Zahira hummed thoughtfully, then looked over at Naxer, who was already fielding questions from everyone around him.
“And you’re putting your faith in him?” Zahira probed, her eyes narrowing.
“Without a doubt, Zahira. I care about him… a lot.” It surprised me. I actually meant it. He had been the biggest surprise so far, and now here I was trusting him on such a grand scale.How had I come to care about him so much in such a short time?
“You’re absolutely smitten with an extraterrestrial,” she proclaimed, her arching eyebrow saying more than words ever could.
A grin spread across my face. “Yes, our relationship is still fresh, but it’s brimming with incredible potential.”
“And what about us?” She gestured to the women huddled together. “Can we go home? Many of the women have been through too much on this planet.”
This is the part I dreaded.“No. There is no way home but via the ships that the slavers brought us here on. And we can’t trust the slavers. From my understanding, even if they promised to bring us back to Earth, which they won’t, if we get on their ships, they’ll just take us to other planets and sell us there.”
“So what’s our next move?” another voice chimed in, tinged with desperation.
“We can build a sanctuary here,” I offered. “Or if this place doesn’t speak to you, there are other sectors that might embrace us. We have choices, albeit limited. The situation is not ideal, but we have to make the best of our new world.”
Zahira inched closer to me and whispered, “We’ve been through hell and back, Amara. We need a champion, and that’s you.”
Her words resonated deeply. She was right. Some of these women likely had PTSD. I couldn’t just run off after the Earthlings heading to sector one and leave them here with Naxer’s pack. The women wouldn’t trust anyone but me as their de facto leader.
“I’ll move mountains to make this work for every one of us,” I solemnly vowed. Our journey as Earthlings in this alien realm was fraught with uncertainty, but my resolve was crystal clear—I’d shield these women with my very life if need be.
CHAPTER23
AMARA
Exhausted in every sense of the word, I felt tendrils of hope creeping back as the immediate danger ebbed away. Alongside Naxer and Delven, I had carved out a sanctuary within this foreign sector, a place where Zahira and the other women could rest their weary bodies and souls.
My eyes fixed on the three-dimensional holographic projection screen. The screen flickered with the images of distant faces, each one a representative of power and decision within this alien hierarchy.
“This is Amara—my Sheleki,” Naxer said to the Council of Five.
I nodded at his introduction.
When Naxer recounted the horrific journey, my heart began hammering in my chest, breaths coming shorter despite myself. Each word he spoke was a stark reminder of the perilous path we had traversed. I reached for his steady hand, clinging tight as the traumatic memories threatened to pull me back down into helplessness. But feeling his firm grip anchored me to the present, reminding me I was safe now.
“More Earthlings are en route to sector one,” Naxer told them, his voice laced with urgency.
“The council voted against acquiring Earthlings,” Teken, one of the council members, thundered on the screen.
“Not quite,” another said. “The leaders of sectors three, four, and five opposed it. Sector one and two were in favor. And sector six refuses to discuss the topic with the council.”
Naxer’s retort was swift and unyielding. “This is unacceptable.”
“It is,” came another voice. “Which is why we’re dispatching a squad of Gladiators to intercept the slavers and liberate the Earthlings.”
