I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.Grief and relief warred within me. Poor newbie. She didn’t deserve this. None of us did. I rubbed at the tears streaming down my face and pulled the cover back over her lifeless body. It felt like hours past as I sat there and cried. But eventually, I wiped my cheeks. I couldn’t waver my focus from my sister.Please let her be okay.“Valunteehuh?” This time, the word sounded a little closer to normal.
“Your sister? I haven’t seen her. Nowbe quiet. If you make noise, the guards will come,” Nieve said as she furiously scratched her scalp.
Gracias, Dios. Gracias.I slumped, my cheek resting against the dusty floor. My short trek exhausted what little energy I had left, but I forced myself to sit up.
The room only spun marginally this time.
I sucked in a few deep breaths, determined to figure out where the hell I was. It looked like a dirty cave or… a cell? The room was as big as my dorm back home, sans furniture. Black stone marbled in gold covered walls, floor, and ceiling. The rock looked smooth but flaked quickly when touched, turning into a fine powder. About ten pounds of it had lodged up my nose.
We were the only ones in the cell, but it was clear we weren’t alone. Weird squawks and high-pitched squeals and grunts filled the space. No sounds of breaking glass, but the noise was definitelyother. As soon as my muscles started working again, I was determined to break free of this joint.
“Wherr awh wee?Ship?”
“What ship? There was a ship? Do you remember a ship?” Nieve looked at Querida.
My stomach clenched as I tried to tamp down my imagination. The idea of my sister, tranquilized and trapped on that conveyor belt, made me crazed. But if she stayed behind on Earth, would that be any better? Who would take care of her? She had no way to make money, at least not any way I would approve of. We had no parents. Ourabuela, the woman who raised us, died six months before. Valentina didn’t even have a place to stay.
Fucking Freckles.If I ever saw him again, I swore for the eleventh thousandth time, I would destroy him.
“Hera. Answer me. What ship?”
I squinted at Nieve, unsure about how to proceed. What should I share with them, and what should I hold back? These women had inflicted countless injuries on me—and I, the same on them. But shouldn’t we humans stick together? I looked over at Nieve and opened my mouth—
“Hello?Ship?” She snapped her fingers in my face.
Nope. Can’t do it.I smiled and shrugged.
“That’s it.” Nieve clenched her fists. “It’s official. I’ve died and gone to hell. It’s the only explanation for why I ended up in some alien penal colony.With you.My punishment is seeing your lying, liar face for the rest of eternity. Stay away from me.” Nieve scratched her head and sat beside Querida, grumbling as the redhead continued sharpening her sticks.
Not gonna lie.Her annoyance gave me the briefest moment of satisfaction. Thatpendejahad almost ruined my life, wrenching my shoulder out of its socket seconds before I crossed the finish line. If I’d won that previous race, I wouldn’t have been in the stadium during the alien abduction, and none of this would have happened.
“Growl, rawr.Damnroarearthers.Pain in my ass.”
A giant of an alien, nothing but black leather, spikes, and swirling cranberry eyes, shouted through an invisible force field that coated the opening to our cell.
Querida grabbed Nieve and dragged her toward the back of the cave.
Too drained to move, I stared. Fifty-pound weights felt strapped to my body. Eventually, I made it to my knees. My whole frame shook. I scratched at my head and tried to make it over to the girls. But all I could do was sway.
“Bugs.Infested.” He growled.
What? Did he say infested?
I hate bugs.
The seven-foot spikedaliencalled through the force field, “Earthers. Follow.”
I glanced around furtively, slightly relieved that I might be leaving. No way in hell would I remain in a cell, cave, or…whatever, with bugs.
The spiked demon from hell manipulated an onyx staff, runninga six-fingeredhand over it, and then slammed it into the ground. The force field shimmered and disintegrated, and he strode through the opening.
Before I could scream, a second alien joined him. This one wasn’t quite as tall nor as brawny, but he was still big.Estrellas.Their shoulders were stacks of muscles, twice as wide as a normal man’s shoulders. The new guy had just as many spikes but had one purple eye and one red one.
Why does he look so familiar?
A wide grin split his lips, showing off two sets of three sharp fangs under his upper lip. “You made it! I am so glad you did not die an excruciating death. Tontoh conducted terribleroarwa.” He looked past me and focused in on Querida and Nieve. “I forgot you humans can’t understand most of what I am saying.”
Is this weirdo talking to me? And I understand him just fine.
