Page 26 of Lorrd


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Chapter15

Wren didn’t understand.Why would the Prophet himself spend one hundred thousand galactic credits to try to keep her on Earth?It didn’t make sense.She was just another Harmony runaway.Only about half the escapees were captured and brought back, so it would stand to reason that the Prophet didn’t make a habit of going to extreme measures to capture runaways.

She considered the Prophet’s strange, lingering stares, especially his tendency to gaze at her bosom, as well as his habit of standing uncomfortably close to her.A shiver rushed down her back.She’d heard whispers that the recently widowed Prophet, whose real name was apparently Amos Stanley Elrod, would be taking another wife soon.She thought of how her mother always encouraged her to bring meals to the Prophet, and ice filled her veins.

What if…

She didn’t want to complete the thought.But it was there.In the back of her mind.A deep, dark suspicion.

What if her father had arranged for her to marry the Prophet?What if that was the reason the Prophet was going to so much trouble, and expense, to keep her from leaving Earth?

The more she considered it, the more it seemed like a reasonable explanation.

She gazed at Lorrd as he furiously worked to repair his ship.They were seated on the bridge of theKerrla.Should she tell him of her suspicions?

He appeared deep in concentration, however, and she didn’t want to interrupt him.The sooner he repaired his ship, the sooner they could depart Earth.

“Good news,” Lorrd said.“The virus has nearly been expelled from theKerrla’ssystems.I was able to use the data from Poseidon’s most recent transmissions—those that I allowed to infect the decoy drone I told you about—and create kill command codes to better target the virus in my ship’s computer.”He gave her a comforting smile, and it brightened her spirits to see him looking more positive.

“That is good news.”She returned his smile.“Well done.”

“I think we’ll be able to leave before midday.”

“That soon?”Relief filled Wren.She was eager to be as far away from Earth, and the Prophet, as possible.“Oh, you are a genius, Lorrd.”

His eyes glinted with humor.“Thank you, little star.That is sweet of you to say.”His hands continued flying over the console, and he focused his attention on a nearby screen as he squinted at a series of strange symbols.Vaxxlian, she supposed.

A worrying thought suddenly occurred to her, though in all fairness, it paled in comparison to the current predicament involving Poseidon and the virus and the Prophet.But she couldn’t stop thinking about whether she would face a language barrier on New Vaxx.From what she understood, most humans—those in the outside world, anyway—spoke Galactic Common.It was also her understanding that most aliens who regularly interacted with humans, such as the Vaxxlians, also spoke Galactic Common.

She had just started to learn the universal language in school when her parents suddenly whisked her away to the compound.Since the Prophet thought the universal language was the tongue of demons, the school in Harmony didn’t teach Galactic Common.

Human females from all over the world signed up for the VAMOB program.Not all of them spoke English, which was the only language she knew.Would she have difficulty fitting in because of her lack of knowledge?Would she struggle to communicate with the other human females and therefore have trouble making friends?

Doubts started to plague her.

“Little star?”Lorrd paused his work at the main console and turned to face her, his face drawn with concern.“Are you all right?When I said I promised to keep you safe, I meant it.I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“I’m okay,” Wren said.“I’m just thinking about…” Her voice trailed off.The particular worry with which she’d suddenly become preoccupied wasn’t a matter of life or death, and she felt silly that he’d paused his important work because he’d noticed her change of mood.

“Is it your family you’re thinking of right now?”His visage softened with compassion.“Do you think perhaps your parents are responsible for getting Poseidon to send the dirty transmissions to theKerrla?”

“No, I’m not thinking of my family, and no, I do not believe they could be responsible for paying off Poseidon.Like everyone else who joined the Order of Harmony, they turned over all their assets to the compound when we went to live there.”She frowned.The truth was, she hadn’t given her parents much thought since she’d escaped Harmony, and perhaps she ought to feel guiltier about that.But over the years, as they’d fallen further under the Prophet’s spell, they’d become like strangers to her.

“What is it that has you looking so forlorn, then?”The concern gleaming in Lorrd’s green eyes deepened.

“It’s rather silly.”She forced a smile.“I’m just worried that since I don’t know Galactic Common, I might have difficulty communicating with Vaxxlians and other human females in Starzzia.”

“Ah, I see.”He leaned across the space between their seats and grasped her hand.He laced his fingers through hers and gave her an affectionate look.“While you might run into some Vaxxlians and human females who don’t speak English, many of them do, and besides, you won’t be the only human female to arrive in Starzzia with no knowledge of Galactic Common.”

“Okay, that makes me feel a little better.I’ve only been absent from the outside world—the real world—for nine years, but I feel like I’ve missed so much.I wish I could speak the universal tongue.”

“Well, I’m pleased to tell you that there are Galactic Common language classes offered daily in Starzzia, and all are welcome to attend.After we arrive on New Vaxx and get situated in our home together, I will show you around the main city, and I will help you sign up for the language classes.Does that sound acceptable?”His eyes shone with hopefulness.

“Oh, yes, that sounds very acceptable.Thank you, Lorrd,” she said in a gushing tone as joy bubbled up inside her.Galactic Common language classes sounded perfect.Not only would she finally get to learn the universal tongue, but she suspected the classes would be a great place to make new friends.

“Excellent.”He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand, then he straightened and held her gaze for a lingering moment.“I wish I could hold you right now, little star.I wish I could toss you over my shoulder, carry you to my quarters, and ravish you thoroughly.”He cast an annoyed glance at the console.“But I suppose that will have to wait until I’ve finished these repairs and piloted theKerrlasafely through the Eshunna Passage.”

A wave of tingling heat cascaded through her, and she found herself squirming in place as the achiness built between her thighs.The visual he’d painted—tossing her over his shoulder, carrying her to his quarters, and ravishing her thoroughly—had caused an instant throb of excitement in her core.