Page 16 of Time Forged


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“Drink,” he ordered, shoving a liquid packet at her.

She obeyed, uncaring if it was poison.Her tongue had stuck to the roof of her mouth.Unwilling to take the time to figure out how to open the packet, she ripped it with her teeth and drained it.

“Eat,” he said, tossing a bar at her.

She needed answers, but she was starving.Four bites later, despite the plastic-and-bitter taste, she covered her mouth to burp.“Sorry,” she said.“Ate too fast.”Then scowled at her politeness.He’s my…abductor, for fuck’s sake.

“Good.”He inched toward the door.

“Wait,” she said, scrambling to her feet.Her gaze caught on the dissolving wrappers.One moment they were there, the next… Poof.“Um, where are you taking me?How…” She rubbed her face and winced.“How long have I been here?”

“We are descending.If you behave, I will not stun you.”

“Huh?”She frowned at him, unsure how bad a stun could be.Did he mean tase?“Listen here, Lizu, what the hell’s going on?I’m a human, and I have rights.”

He laughed, hissing and gurgling.“You are entertaining, little one.It is unfortunate that you will not survive what is to come.”

“What?”she squeaked, closing the distance between them.

He shuffled back, matching her movement.“You will be on Iphara.The kuliriji has not been successful so far, but as a Yithian, I do find you appealing.I hope he succeeds with you.”With his menacing black eyes, he ran his gaze over her body.

Her skin itched under his none-too-friendly perusal.

“So far, Earthians cannot survive our venom.But I am intrigued by your…kissss?Am I saying that correctly?”He shrugged.

“Lizu,” someone shouted.Behind him appeared another Yithian, a woman draped over his shoulder.“Do not tell her everything,” he snapped.

“She might live.I would like her to think of me favorably.”Lizu scooped up Wren and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of dirty laundry, her hands dangling past his ass.

And without taking her wants into consideration.She pummeled his back then gave up when all that it gained her were bruises.

“This isn’t endearing you to me,” she said, holding herself up with splayed fingers across his fishlike skin.She tried not to shudder.

What he’d said awaited her and the other women sounded like experimentation.No way was she staying complacent for that.

“Iphara?Where is that, Lizu?”she asked, keeping her tone light even as panic clawed up her throat.

“A small island near Mascroba.”He juggled her, slapping her stomach against his solid shoulder.Each time, pain lanced outward and snatched her breath.

“And that is?”she managed to ask.

“The Royal City of Yithia.”

“Fuck,” she whispered, her voice strangled.She was heading to another planet.Not Pluto, Mars, or any of the ones she knew of.A foreign, hostile Yithia was their destination.She shivered when chills raised the goose bumps across her skin.

Focus.She drew in a breath.Island meant having to steal a boat to escape.But where was safe?How could she survive when the plant and animal life were unknown?Some planets had acid instead of water.Yithia could be one of those.Which left getting off-world her only choice.She’d need a ship.And a pilot, but the one ally she had was her abductor.

“Lizu, why me?”she asked, then frowned.“Wait, how long have I been with you?”

“Fourteen days,” he said.

She swallowed her tongue.Two weeks?Her family would believe she was missing.All would know she’d been hitting the splice, and worse, the chance of a rescue was in the negatives.She doubted anyone had seen her get taken.But she refused to give up hope.There had to be opportunities, and when they arose, she’d grab them.

Staying friendly with her would-be suitor had to do, for now.

“Lizu,” she whispered, peeking at the other Yithians.Their hostages were limp.Shit.No help from that quarter.And she wasn’t sure she could save them either when her future was as bleak.“Will you let them hurt me?”

“If it makes you compatible with me, then yes.”