Chapter Seventeen

 

 

The moment Joanna emerges from the forest, I know something is terribly wrong.

I rise from my seat on the patio and rush to the inner edge of the force field, hoping she’s all right and that nothing bad has happened to Helena either. From what Joanna’s told me recently, her master and his human mate have found happiness in one another. As far as she knows, the Kleaxian hasn’t punished Helena since the time she ran away.

Lines of worry are etched in Joanna’s face as she approaches, and she’s panting hard. A sense of urgency surrounds her, and the mischievous gleam in her eyes that I’ve come to enjoy is absent. Vaguely, I notice she’s wearing one of the new dresses her master had recently provided her with. Though still a slave, her circumstances have seemingly improved since the time she first emerged from the forest several weeks ago, wearing what could have easily passed for a rag and sporting a fading bruise on her cheek.

But perhaps her situation hasn’t improved as much as I’d thought. She must have run all the way from town. I hope no one is chasing her. It’s early morning and Kenan’s still at home. I’m expecting him to join me on the patio at any moment.

The pale alien who always accompanies her, Getta, finally exits the forest behind her. His face looks whiter than usual and he’s panting as hard as Joanna.

“What is it?” I ask once she comes to a stop.

“The Kleaxian who lives next door to my master has beaten his human mate so severely that she cannot wake up. My master has sent for a doctor, and he and Helena are watching over the poor girl until the doctor’s arrival.”

“Oh my God.” I run a hand through my hair as horror sweeps through me.

“The injured girl, what is her name, and what is the name of the Kleaxian who beat her?” Kenan’s authoritative voice resounds behind me and I turn to see him approaching us. He grasps my hand and leads me closer to my friend, and the force field shimmers green as we pass the barrier together.

Joanna lifts her chin and doesn’t seem frightened of Kenan in the least. I’m too worried about the injured human woman to think about how I will explain Joanna’s sudden appearance to him later. He doesn’t yet know of her frequent visits.

“The injured girl is named Katrina, and her mate”—she says the word with disgust—“is called Vonn.” Tears gleam in Joanna’s eyes and she gives her head a shake. “You should see how badly he’s hurt her. Poor thing will be left with scars if she ever manages to awake. I fear her head injury will be too much though. He kicked her in the head several times as she lay on the floor, until my master stopped him and carried Katrina to his house.”

Kenan tenses beside me and I can feel the anger waving off him. But he’s not livid with the elderly human slave or me for having a secret friendship with the woman. He’s livid at the Kleaxian who harmed his wife so severely.

“Who is your master?”

“Zandek.” Joanna clears her throat. “Master Zandek, the one who’s been teaching English to his fellow Kleaxians.”

“Zandek is one of my strongest and most trusted warriors. I know where he lives.” Kenan eyes the forest behind Joanna before turning to me. He looks furious, drawn up to his full height, with his nostrils flaring and his eyes hardened to steel. “Meet me at Zandek’s abode, allow this human slave and the Ghessan to lead you there. But not through the forest. Take the stone path to town.” He strokes the side of my face for a second, then sprints into the trees, apparently knowing the same shortcut that brought Joanna here.

“I apologize if my visit gets you into trouble with your mate, Laylah, but it’s very likely Katrina will die. And even if she doesn’t die, Vonn must be judged for the terrible abuse he’s inflicted on his mate. I don’t know if you know this, but killing a female or causing her permanent harm is against Kleaxian law. The punishment for such a crime is death.”

“You did the right thing by coming here, Joanna. I’m not worried about myself. I only want Katrina to live,” I say, my lip trembling. Emotion tightens my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I shouldn’t be surprised that a Kleaxian kicked his mate in the head and rendered her unconscious, but I am. I’ve allowed the happiness I’ve found with Kenan to blind me to the misery other human women might be enduring on Tallia, and I feel so, so guilty. I shut my eyes and say a silent prayer for Katrina’s life.

Joanna tugs at my hand. “Come. The doctor should have arrived by now. Let’s hope Kleaxian medicine is advanced enough to save the poor girl.”

Getta trails behind us during our fast walk to town. It’s a gorgeous morning on Tallia, but I’m far too preoccupied to admire the scenery, or the dew that sparkles across every green surface. I focus on the path ahead, until we finally reach town.

Will Kenan execute Vonn for his crimes? I scan the crowd that’s gathering outside a house on the edge of the market. The sight of Kleaxian males leading their mates around by leashes gives me pause, and I instinctively touch my bare neck. I’m glad emergencies take precedence over some Kleaxian customs and rules, but I’m sorry for the reason today.

Joanna clutches my hand and leads me through the crowd. I’m grateful Kenan allowed me to follow him here. I would’ve been sick with worry had I been forced to remain at home. Though I’ve never met Katrina, my heart hurts for her, imagining her pain and fear, as well as the pervasive sense of hopelessness she’s likely endured since being claimed by Vonn.

Once we’re closer to the house, the crowd parts to allow us entry. Joanna guides me upstairs and into a large bedroom, where a small group of Kleaxian males and human females stand around a bed. When I look upon the beaten woman lying atop the covers unconscious, I feel as if someone has just punched me in the gut. All the air rushes from my lungs and I hug myself, mortally shaken by the gruesome sight.

Katrina has two black eyes that are so swollen, I doubt she could open her eyes if she tried. The sheets around her are stained red with her blood. There’s a harsh red mark around her neck, as if her mate had repeatedly jerked her around by a leash. A cold hand squeezes my heart. Or maybe he strangled her with a cord of some type.

An elderly Kleaxian I presume is the doctor hovers over her, working rapidly to heal her wounds. For now, he’s focusing on her head. I can’t help but wonder that even if Katrina survives this beating, will she have permanent brain damage?

The crowd gathered around the bed moves back to give the doctor more room, and brief introductions are made. I meet Helena, a tall and elegant brunette with smooth pale skin and freckles, then her mate, a Kleaxian named Zandek who’s almost as tall as Kenan. Two more human women and their mates greet me, and I can’t help but notice Katrina’s mate, Vonn, is absent. But so is Kenan.

“Your mate was here just long enough to see Katrina and speak with the doctor about the seriousness of her injuries. She has several broken ribs, a concussion, and internal bleeding. The doctor believes he can save her, but her recovery will take some time,” Helena says, touching my arm. Her eyes are glossy and she swallows hard. “Joanna has told me much about you, Laylah, and I’d been looking forward to meeting you, but I’m so sorry it has to be this way.”

“I’m sorry too,” I say, fighting back tears. “Where is Vonn? And Kenan?”

Zandek steps in front of us, blocking out the view of the doctor rushing to save Katrina. “Vonn was spotted on the docks, trying to escape in a boat. Kenan went after him.”

My heart lurches, knowing my mate could also be in trouble. But Zandek is quick to dispel my fears.

“Kenan is the strongest Kleaxian Warrior I know. He will have no difficulty in tracking down Vonn and bringing him back to meet his death.”

The murmuring of the crowd in the street below increases, until the noise swells to angry shouts. Though I don’t speak Kleaxian, I think they are calling for justice. I’m glad Vonn won’t get away with what he’s done, but it’s still a struggle to understand, let alone accept, this culture to which I now belong.

I move to the window and spy Kenan dragging a struggling male form down the street. Relief spreads through my chest, but what I witness next will be burned into my memory for all time.

The crowd forms a perfect circle around Kenan and Vonn. Chants fill the air, until Kenan stares the horde into silence. Then he speaks, his deep voice booming across the entire town, as he circles a bloodied Vonn, who is trying to rise from the ground, but every time he makes it to his feet, Kenan delivers a swift kick behind his knees that sends him hurling flat on his face.

“Vonn has been officially found guilty for inflicting grievous harm to a female, and Kenan has sentenced him to death,” Zandek explains behind me. Joanna and Helena are standing on either side of me, all of us peering at the scene unfolding in the street below.

I gulp. “When will the sentence be carried out?”

“Now.”

Cheers erupt in the crowd, and though I know I should close my eyes, I can’t look away. I’d always wondered about Kenan’s duties as judge and executioner, and I’m about to witness firsthand how lawbreakers are dealt with.

What happens next is quick but brutal. One of Kenan’s soldiers brings him a sword. From my talks with Heggal, I know Kleaxians possess weapons that look similar to guns, but that shoot beams of light that can stun or kill a person, depending on the setting, and all warriors carry the special guns during active times of war. But for whatever reason, the weapon of choice today is a sword. Maybe another Kleaxian custom, or maybe Kenan prefers a more primitive method of execution.

Vonn tries to run, but Kenan grabs him by the arm and drags him back into the middle of the circle. Kenan steps back, raises the sword, and slices across the guilty Kleaxian’s chest. Another slice across his chest, and then another. Blood sprays onto the ground and even on Kenan, and Vonn drops to his knees.

Then Kenan wields the sword at Vonn’s neck, taking his head off in one fell swoop.

I gasp and look away before the criminal’s head hits the ground. I’ve seen enough and can’t watch anymore.

The crowd is going wild.

Kenan eventually joins us in the bedroom, still covered in the blood of the male he just executed. Our eyes briefly clash before he goes to speak with the doctor and the other Kleaxians in the room, including Zandek.

Joanna and Helena lead me downstairs, and we wait in a sitting room for someone to bring us additional news on Katrina’s condition. The other human women join us, though none of us speak. The doctor has said he thinks he can save Katrina, but we’re all waiting for a more definitive diagnosis, so we sit, wait, and send up silent prayers for the poor girl lying in the bed upstairs.

My mind wanders as I sit there, surrounded by human women for the first time in what feels like ages. The last time I saw so many humans, it was the morning of the attack, when I’d gone for a quick jog through the corridors of the Stargazer to get some exercise.

Sadness envelops me and I wrap my arms around myself, listening for the sound of footfalls on the stairs. If Katrina makes a full recovery, what will happen to her? Will she be given to another Kleaxian to take as a mate? Or will she be kept as a slave or a servant? If she has brain damage, who will care for her? I decide to broach this topic with Kenan at the earliest opportunity. Katrina deserves freedom, but on Tallia she’ll never get it.

Joanna has her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes shut tight, and her lips are moving, though no sound escapes. Again, I’m struck by how much she reminds me of my grandmother. Grandma used to randomly pray in the middle of a day, no matter where she was, if she heard of someone in need of prayer. If we were in the grocery store and she ran into a friend who’d recently gotten bad news from a doctor, after chatting with that friend she would push her cart a few steps, then stop and close her eyes in prayer. Whether in a store, on the street, or sitting in her car, Grandma always took time for prayer and never seemed to lose faith. Would her faith have been shaken if she’d been alive when my brother died?

A coppery scent enters the sitting room when the breeze picks up, and after a moment, I realize it’s the smell of Vonn’s blood. I press my hand to my mouth, trying not to gag. As if sensing my discomfort, Helena rises to close the windows. The sickening scent disperses and I send Helena an appreciative look, and she nods with a sad smile, before her gaze turns distant.

Footsteps finally sound on the stairs. I straighten in my seat. It’s Kenan, and he’s holding my leash and looking pointedly at me. I know from experience that he always keeps it in his pocket, but I try to hide my disappointment that after the horrific events of today, he still expects me to wear it on our return home.

“Katrina will live. The doctor has assured us she will make a full recovery.”

“Thank God,” Helena says, clasping her hands to her chest as she glances up to the ceiling.

I’m so relieved and thankful I could cry, but I hold my emotion in and whisper a quick goodbye to my human companions, give Joanna a hug, and then approach my mate. Kenan’s dark purple eyes gleam with tenderness and concern as he places the leather around my neck, making it difficult for me to remain upset with him for forcing me to wear it. He turns to exit the house and I follow him into the street. The crowd has dispersed and Vonn’s body is gone, though the street is stained red with his blood.

Kenan says nothing during our short journey home, and I am glad for the silence. Though witnessing him execute another Kleaxian had been upsetting, I remind myself that no one forced me to watch and Vonn very much deserved death for what he’d done to Katrina.

Green shimmers around us as we step onto the front patio. Kenan removes my leash and shoves it into his pocket, then places a soft kiss on my forehead. Though I’d just witnessed him kill a man, I still melt at his gentle touch. He would never treat me as Vonn treated Katrina, of that I am certain.

But would he still beat me severely enough to draw blood, as he has threatened before?

I pretend he won’t, I pretend today has changed him enough to realize that punishing me at any level of severity is wrong, as he places a second kiss on my lips.

He brushes my hair behind my ears. “I’m going to clean up, and then we can spend a quiet day together, Laylah. I’m sorry for what you witnessed in town today. This is the first time in the years that I’ve been guardian of Dennian Mountain that a male has inflicted grievous harm to a female. I assure you Vonn’s behavior is not the norm.”

“What will happen to Katrina after she recovers?” I clear my throat and press on, determined to ensure she is given time enough to recover both physically and emotionally before she becomes a servant or is taken as a mate again. “She will be frightened of Kleaxian males, no doubt, and wary of being claimed by another male. Her spirit needs time to recover, not just her body.”

“I have decreed that she will remain in Zandek’s household for a year. After that time, I will personally select her mate from among my warriors. I will choose a male I am certain will be mindful of her past trauma.”

It’s the best answer I can hope for, and I smile at Kenan and stroke the side of his face. “Thank you.”

 

After Kenan showers and dresses in a clean black uniform, I curl up on his lap in the sitting room and we listen to Kleaxian music. The particular songs he selects are tinged with sadness, but are also interposed with unmistakable glimmers of hope. A servant brings us a large mug of yinsiza wine, which we end up sharing. He tips the cup to my lips several times, and I’m grateful for the almost instant calming effect of the alcohol.

Eventually, I fall into a trance in my mate’s arms, thankful that he hasn’t left me alone. After the frightening scene I witnessed in town, I only want to be held, and he strokes my back and glides his fingers through my hair, helping to quell my inner storm. Once again, I think I might love him, but I still can’t voice such thoughts aloud. Fear has too firm a grip on my tongue.

“Have any of our servants ever touched you or tried communicating with you in any way, Laylah?”

His sudden question throws me off-guard, and I scramble to say, “No-no, of course not.” I try to ignore the sickening guilt that rolls through me for lying, but I can’t possibly tell the truth, even though Kenan will likely punish me if he discovers my deceit. Heggal is my friend, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him, or for him to be sent away.

“Good. Now, I take it Joanna has visited you before?” he says a short time later, during a quiet moment of a song.

“Yes. She visits on some mornings. I realize she is a slave, and perhaps I am not supposed to speak to her, but she has become my friend. She reminds me of my grandmother.”

“I will fix the force field to permit her entrance, but she must have her master’s permission before she comes into our house. I suspect Zandek will grant such permission. She might be a slave, but I know I can hardly expect you to view her as one, since she is also from Earth.”

I gasp and wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Thank you, Kenan. I was worried you would be angry. I didn’t tell you about her visits because I wasn’t sure how you would react.”

“If someone ventures up the mountain near our house, it is hardly your fault, Laylah, though in the future, when I inquire about your day, I expect you to tell me everything from now on. If you have a visitor, I would like to know.”

“Of course, and thank you again.” I suspect he might’ve at least scolded me for keeping Joanna’s visits a secret for so long had it not been for this morning’s events, and though I feel awful that it took a human woman getting beaten to within an inch of her life for Kenan to display such understanding, I am hopeful that he’s capable of change, and I have never felt more optimistic for our future together.

The seriousness of today’s events seems to weigh on his mind as much as mine during the next few hours. Though Kenan isn’t usually talkative, he is even quieter than normal, especially as we take a long walk in the forest, venturing down stone paths he hasn’t yet showed me. Normally during our walks, he points out wildlife and landmarks, but today he is introspective and content to walk with his arm around me in virtual silence. He’s put the leash on me, but still guides me to step next to him, and my heart swells to finally walk side-by-side with my mate, even if we are completely alone in the woods.

That night he doesn’t make love to me, but he holds me close under the covers, caressing every inch of my body until I fall asleep in his strong embrace. By the time I awake to the sound of birds chirping the next morning, I feel calm—truly at peace—in my mate’s arms. I snuggle deeper against his chest, listening to him talk in Kleaxian in his sleep.

When the morning sun warms our bedroom, and sends bright rays of yellow across the floorboards, he finally awakes. His eyes light up and he smiles at me the instant our gazes meet.

Heggal enters with our breakfast, and for the first time since Kenan has claimed me as his mate, we eat breakfast in bed together. He delights in feeding me berries and other fruits by hand, teasing me occasionally by snatching the morsel of food away just before I try to bite. I giggle and playfully smack his chest, only to be given a faux stern look that makes the lower portion of my stomach clench with need. He even turns me over and delivers a series of light playful slaps to my bottom, before allowing me to finish breakfast.

The Kenan who yanked me out of the cage in this very bedroom would’ve never joked around with me like this. It’s the simplest, silliest thing, eating breakfast in bed and teasing each other, but I think it’s one of my most favorite moments with Kenan thus far.

Please let there be more days like this.