Page 3 of A Monster's Light
She was the most beautiful female I’d ever seen.
She wore her golden brown hair in a knot at the top of her head, held up with a stick. Several wisps of hair fell forward to frame her face. Instead of fear, there was curiosity there. There was no doubt that she knew I was awake now.
“Why are you on the ground?” asked the guard, breaking the silence.
The female yelped, her hand going to her chest. “You scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to. Just surprised that you’re on the ground.”
I kept my eyes half-closed, peering through my lashes.
“I’m trying to feel more grounded,” she lied. “I do that when I’m nervous.” She got back up and sat on the chair.
The guard seemed to believe her. “Right, grounding. My legally bound partner talks about that. She says it helps her feel connected to the planet. Doc said he adjusted the dose remotely, and he should be waking up soon. The dose will go back up in ten minutes.”
Sure enough, I started feeling a little stronger. Would it be enough to break out of these chains? I stopped the thought. Even if I did, there were still three solid doors and several guards with tranquilizer guns between me and the open skies. I was weak too; the weakest I’d ever been. Now was not the time to attempt to break out. It would only give away the fact that my body had developed a tolerance for the drug they’d been using to sedate me.
I lolled my head to the side before lifting it slowly and blinking exaggeratedly as if struggling to wake.
“See, he’s waking now.” The guard’s hand went to his weapon.
I made him nervous. Good. He should be. If I wanted to, I could break out of these chains now and tear him apart. But as satisfying as that would be, it wouldn’t help me escape. I did, however, rattle my chains a little to make him nervous.
My action managed to put the guard on edge as expected, but not the female.
The room seemed to brighten as the female turned her gaze at me and grinned. “Hi, my name is Dana. And I’m here for Omnia Pictures, Nova Vita’s most trusted news source.” The linewas clearly rehearsed, and by the slight eye roll, which was well hidden from the camera behind her, I had a feeling she didn’t quite believe it. Interesting.
Her eyes darted quickly to the side where the guard stood leaning against the door to my cell, and she frowned. “Can you guard me from outside in the hallway? There’s no way I’m going to get any decent information out of him with you glaring at him like you’re going to shoot him for replying.”
The guard frowned. “I can’t leave you alone in here with him.”
“The guy’s chained up. And It’s bad enough that I couldn’t have my recording devices inside and have to write everything down by hand. Come on. Work with me here. Do you think I want to be here any longer than I have to?” She stood from her chair and took the guard gently by the arm. “I’ll scream if I need help. You look so strong and capable in that uniform. I can trust you to keep me safe, right?”
“Of course I can keep you safe.” The guard stood a little taller, preening at her compliment.
“Great. Then stand just outside. I only have ten minutes, remember? We already wasted three.”
“Fine. But don’t go past the red line.”
“You don’t need to tell me again. I’m not suicidal.”
The guard stepped outside, and the heavy door slammed shut behind him.
“Now, where were we?” The female pulled out the stick that held her hair in a bun, and her tresses tumbled down in waves around her shoulders, showing lighter golden pieces that looked bleached from the sun. The scent of her shampoo filled mynostrils, reminiscent of summer fruits. Why did human women enjoy putting food scents in their hair?
Was it to distract us? Because it was working. The added scent highlighted her natural perfume, reminding me it was spring and the rut was near. I forced myself to focus.
She placed the tip of the stick on the clipboard, and I realized it was a writing instrument.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Why are you here?” I asked back, not answering her question.
The humans never let females near us unless they were the ones they’d sent us for the rut, back when the treaty was still valid, but it was clear the colony thought of them as disposable. Many of them arrived cowering and crying, believing they’d been sent to their doom.
This female was not crying or cowering. She looked directly at me, analyzing me from head to toe. I could feel her gaze like a touch as it skated down my body, and I cursed the fact that I was at my weakest. I wanted her to admire my virility; I did not want her pity.
Our eyes met again when she looked back up at my face, but I saw no pity there, only interest.
