There’s a whoosh of wind as Roinsi reveals himself and rushes past me, arching his body and diving into the waves toward the strange human in her egg.
Turning my eyes skyward, I inhale sharply. Human eggs are dropping from the sky all around the arena. They hit the water hard, but are quickly sucked down under the waves by the strong rip currents.
There’s so many of them, all scared and being tossed around inside their pods.
I only break my focus on the sky when there’s a scream behind me. It’s Aekaz. Turning back, I see his gray face looking down at his own severed hand. The trail of blood leads me to believe he’s cut it free from his arms using the same sharp rock that pierced into his side.
He must have sawed it off to stop my venom’s progression. Viscous fluid spirts from the gore-capped joint. His foretencale wraps itself around his elbow to staunch the blood loss.
The pale Andjin male pays me no mind as he grits his teeth and bursts into a sprint to the water. Every step looks like agony as he trails his blood across the black sand. He reaches the water and escapes the arena. Whether to die on his own terms or live as an exile, I’m unsure…but he’s gone all the same.
When the eggs have stopped falling from the sky, and the last of the humans slip below the waves, I face the chancellor’s window.
This madness must end. Roinsi knows this, he’s already trying to save the humans. I know it too, but I won’t risk losing Lena to do so.
My good arm thumps on my chest as I yell my plea up to the top of the arena.
“We must protect the jewels!”
There are a few beats of disconcerting silence before I hear Chancellor Hirouz clear his throat.
“The last challenge will be delayed. Save the females!” he announces.
I can barely make out his window from here, but I see the shape of my mate as she drops to her knees beside him, tugging at his robes, chest heaving.
She’s okay.
Distraught, but here. She’s not in danger, I realize. The scream before must have been one of grief as I was about to die.
We need each other.
The chancellor lifts the Lena-shaped shadow and moves her away from the window.
Males, both those mated to jewels and the temple guardians who thought themselves fated to be alone forever, pour from the same doors I walked through moments ago.
They all rush the shoreline, descending into the waves. By the time I make it into the water, groups of males are already pulling the first of the eggs onto the shore.
As I dive into the salt depths, spearing my body toward the closest human, I wonder what part the Great Mother had in this.
Is the time of the Great Proving over? Is her divine power what pushed me to bear the pain of my dislocated arm? I tuck the useless limb against my body. One brother lashes it to my side to reduce my drag, and the other foretentacle wraps around the smooth plastic egg along with my good arm. The scared human retreats to the far side. Through the pod, I lock eyes with Roinsi, I know we both wonder if the challenge is truly over, or if this rescue mission is just a temporary pause for one of us on our way to death’s door.
He nods to me, and we both kick, stopping the pod’s descent and bringing the terrified human closer to the surface.
26
my destiny
My hand snags on the golden chain draped around my shoulders as I go to wrap a blanket around one of the shivering humans who’s being brought inside. I yank at it, letting the golden links split and fall to the floor. I could’t care less. The only thing driving me right now is making sure the girls are safe and that I can see my mate again.
“What’s going on?” the scared woman mutters, clutching the blanket tightly around her bruised body. “Did the Deenz sell us?”
She looks down to my garb and quickly looks away from my gold- painted nipples.
“No, you’re safe, deep breaths.” I breathe with her, hoping that she’s able to calm down.
I point to Yiskku, and push the girl toward her as even more bubble babes are brought into the large dining hall. The space is set for a victory dinner for whatever hopeful pulled through, but now it seems more like a disaster triage ward.
“Go with her, she’ll take care of you. I have to check on the other girls.”
Half the women I’ve talked to don’t even have a translator chip installed, and some are still in their street clothing. These girls are fresh off their abductions…it’s even more confusing why the Deenz would drop them into the ocean. I had assumed that I was just too used up to be worth the investment anymore. But why abandon “fresh cargo,” as they had called me right after my abduction.
“There’s just so many, please, let me back out. I can’t let my mate’s people suffer!” an Andjin shouts from the hall. It’s not any male, but mine. Kitaico is pushing a medic away from inspecting his shoulder.
He doesn’t see me when I come up behind him, but when I wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my chest into his back, he stills and stops his arguing.
“Lena?” His voice cracks and he spins, gripping the back of my neck tightly and pulling my face into his. Our kiss is frantic and tastes of sweat and sand—but I can’t stop.
“I didn’t…” He pulls back every few seconds to speak. “…think that I would see you…” He kisses my eyelids. “…again.”
I pull away and break our kiss, relief filling my heart.
“Not an option,” I whimper as tears stream down my cheeks and the brothers grab at any soft bit of skin they can find.
His face drops when he sees me cry, and he goes to hug my body against his, but winces when his injured arm’s hand goes limp.
“Stop.” I put my hand up and turn to the medic, whose face is something between confusion and disgust. Aliens don’t kiss, I remind myself.
