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SHE’D TWISTED HER ANKLE coming down on her final spin. Emily winced with every step, but she didn’t want the aliens to notice. She didn’t think it was broken or sprained, but it was the worst it had felt since she’d started performing a few months ago.
Darn it!
It had to get better. She’d seen what happened to the humans who got taken off the performance roster. They were cycled through every test and treatment the aliens could throw at them and left as hollowed out husks in a matter of weeks. She’d thought she needed gymnastics to survive when she was a kid, but now that was actually true.
Luckily she didn’t have handlers shepherding her back to the resting area tonight. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t, but things must have been too busy to pay any mind to her now. She’d take it.
The place did seem quieter than normal. She could hear the audience cheer as whoever was performing did something particularly eye catching. Normally she would have run into another human and more than a few aliens, but today she felt almost alone.
Was something going on?
That question was answered when she got to her destination. She opened the door and Joel Gibbs was waiting. She didn’t know him as well as Lena or Zac, but she knew he was part of the escape crew. He was older than Lena, possibly in his forties, and had dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was also only three inches taller than Emily, but unlike other short men she’d met, he didn’t have a complex about it. He’d had a beard she first met him, but not anymore. And he’d been just as desperate as the rest of them to get home.
“Is it—”
“Yes.” Joel led her out the door and down the hall. He walked with confidence, as if they weren’t in the middle of a long planned escape, and Emily tried to do the same. She didn’t need to be told that they couldn’t attract alien attention. Lena would leave them behind. She’d have to. And Emily couldn’t hold that against her.
But whatever was keeping the aliens away let them cross through the backstage area to where Lena, Luci, and Zac waited. There would be no one else escaping with them. Lena had chosen this group, and Emily was happy to be invited. She tried not to feel bad about leaving everyone else to their fates. They’d never make it out with everyone.
No one said anything, silent anticipation lacing the air. Whatever the plan was, Lena was the only one who knew all of it, and even now Emily doubted she’d reveal it. If this thing went sideways, she’d want as much preserved for a second attempt if the chance ever came.
“Are we—”
“Wait—” it was barely more than a whisper, but Lena’s command sank into Emily’s bones.
Someone screamed.
“Now!” Lena moved, and the rest of them followed. Emily couldn’t tell if the scream had been human or alien, and she could ask later. Clearly this distraction was going to be used to get them out.
And it worked. By some miracle Lena led them to a door and they were out in the fresh air of the alien night in a handful of minutes. They walked into a parking lot that would have looked human if not for the alien vehicles. They didn’t have the same shapes as cars and motorcycles back home, but she was sure they served the same basic function.
“Head for that blue vehicle.” Lena pointed to something that sort of looked like a van. “Keep Luci in the center.”
“Le—” the girl tried to protest, but none of them would let her be harmed.
They moved as a unit, jogging through the lot. Emily’s heart beat rapidly, sure this was going to go wrong at any moment. They weren’t hiding what they were doing. If there were cameras out here someone had to see them. As far as she knew, this planet didn’t exactly have humans roaming around. And while the aliens didn’t look that different from humans, it would be obvious up close.
A door banged open behind them and someone yelled at them to freeze.
They didn’t.
The van was getting closer. If they could get there, they could get out. That had to be the plan. There had to be one safe place for them on this entire planet, and there had to be a way home. Emily hadn’t come this far to fail now.
She felt electricity crackle in the air.
Oh hell no.
“Move!” she yelled. She didn’t want any more electricity sizzling through her veins. She knew exactly what these aliens could do with it and she was sure they could make it hurt even more.
Lightning struck, but not from the sky. Luci gasped, but they all kept moving. But when more sparks crackled at their side it became clear that they wouldn’t be making it to their destination anytime soon. The group ducked between a vehicle and some bushes, careful not to touch anything that looked like metal. Emily met Lena’s gaze and she saw the fear there. They had no weapons, and the plan had hinged on making it to the van before they were caught.
“We’re not giving up,” Emily said. “We’re outside. We can do this.” She would have suggested they duck through the bushes and take their chances on foot, but the bushes backed up to the building they’d just escaped from. There was no hope of escape there. They had to make it to the edge of the lot.
“How many of them are there?” Zac asked, craning his head back but not quite far enough to get a good look.
Lena leaned further, and looked for longer than Emily would have been comfortable with. The woman’s nerves were made of steel. “Four, but only two are wielding lightning.”
“Only,” Joel muttered.
He had a point. Five on four might be decent odds, but not when two of those four had magical powers.
Lena took a deep breath and seemed to come to a decision. Emily’s stomach sank as she realized what the other woman had to be thinking. Lena reached into her pocket and held her fist out to Emily. Emily took the small device and shoved it in her own pocket. Directions, she guessed, and maybe a way to get into wherever they were going.
“Make for the van,” Lena said, getting up into a crouch. “You won’t have much time.”
“What?” Luci clutched Lena’s arm. “No. We go together.”
Lena gave the girl a sad smile. “I’ll meet you. When I can. Now go.”
Emily didn’t think they could make it without Lena. She’d put the whole thing together and she deserved to make it out. But she wasn’t going to let the woman sacrifice herself for nothing. “Come on,” she urged the others. “We can make it.”
Zac, Joel, and Luci didn’t seem so confident, so Emily did her best to make up for it. It was just like performing through the pain. Slap on a fake smile and pretend everything was okay. She could do this. She had to.
The air behind them rustled and there was a shout from the guards. Lena was drawing them away.
Emily moved along with her companions. They kept low, dodging between vehicles to stay out of sight. If the guards realized they’d split up, they’d never make it out of there.
Lena’s first scream almost stopped them in their tracks. That kind of pain tore at her soul. But Emily took it inside herself and used it to push forward. They couldn’t fail Lena now. Not when she’d given them this chance.
The van was within sight. They could do this. They had to.
Electricity was heavy in the air, so thick Emily could barely breathe without feeling the crackle in her lungs. When they made it to the van she was almost afraid to touch the door for fear of the shock, but she slid the door open and urged the others in.
Then she looked back. Lena wouldn’t want it, but she couldn’t stop herself. If there was any hope of going back for the woman, Emily would do it in a second.
But she didn’t see Lena.
She didn’t see the guards.
What had happened?
She took a few steps away from the van, trying to figure it out. She could hear the others calling for her, just as nervous as she was. Every second exposed was a second this thing could go even more wrong. She was two vehicles away from the van when she saw the hulking figure, shoulders way too broad to be a single person.
Emily hadn’t seen an alien shaped like that yet, and she didn’t want to get a better look.
She stumbled back, making her way to the van, but by the time she got there, the figure had stepped out of the shadows.
“G-grace?” What the hell was she doing here? And why did she have Lena slung over her shoulders?
“Come with me if you want to live.” Grace dumped Lena in the back of the van and opened the driver’s door. “We don’t have time.”
Emily scrambled inside. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe Grace was about to betray them, but there was no fighting it anymore.
The doors slammed shut and they were off. Emily rolled Lena over and looked for wounds. Her skin was a bit bruised in places, but there were no cuts. She was clammy and cold, but her chest rose and fell. “She needs medical attention,” Emily called forward.
“Obviously,” Grace muttered back.
Helpful.
Emily held Lena’s hand, hoping it might help, and settled in next to Zac. He was whispering something to himself and she was pretty sure it was Harry Potter.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
He swallowed and gave her a wan smile. “Lena said to have a goal. I’m going to finish the series when I get home.”
“You haven’t finished Harry Potter?” She could remember sneaking the books after lights out when she was little. She’d wanted a flying broom so badly.
Zac gave her a strange look. “Who has?”
Had she somehow missed one of the books? Before she could ask, Lena moaned and Emily leaned forward to see what she could do to help.
The drive took forever and at the same time was over in a blink. They arrived in front of a squat building that didn’t look special and Emily wondered why Grace had chosen it.
“Come on,” said Grace, “time’s running short.” She hustled them up the front walk and knocked on the door.
Lena was held up between Zac and Emily, not quite conscious but able to keep her feet under her. But when the door opened, Emily almost let go as shock ripped through her.
“Oz?”
***
SIX HUMANS, ONE OF them Grace. This wasn’t the plan. Oz couldn’t take his eyes off Emily for a moment, but when she almost dropped the woman she was half supporting, he rushed forward to help. Emily flinched and shielded the dark-haired woman from his grasp.
“You’ll be safe here,” Grace assured the humans. “As safe as you can be, at least.” And then she melted back into the night before Oz could try and stop her.
He looked back to find Solan watching him, a curious expression on his face. They didn’t have anywhere to store injured humans, and Cru had made his thoughts on the matter clear. But they couldn’t exactly leave them sitting on the front stoop. Vanen was a free city. They didn’t need to worry about guard patrols catching them. But they had neighbors, and a pack of humans was bound to be noticed. Eventually.
“Please, come in,” he said, stepping out of the way.
Emily stared at him. Well, no, she glared at him. And Oz couldn’t blame her. She’d heard him try to buy her the day before. Why would she trust him now? But she clearly didn’t have another choice.
Was Grace getting the humans out? Or was this some other plot that she’d stumbled upon? Whatever it was, it meant they’d have to work faster. If the Apsyns didn’t want escapees, they were sure to be upset at losing nearly half of their stock.
“What happened to her?” he asked as he led them to the spare bedroom. The injured woman needed a doctor, but both he and Solan had basic field training and their med kit was well stocked. They’d do what they could to help.
Emily pulled the covers over the woman and studiously ignored him.
“She fought the guards,” the other woman said. Oz looked over, and he should probably be disappointed in himself that he hadn’t paid much attention to the others. It had been a split second thing. He’d looked at the group, assessed they weren’t threats, and split his focus back between Emily and the injured woman. The one speaking seemed young, with delicate skin and a slight frame. Her dark hair was cut short, making her cheekbones stand out even more from her light brown skin. She looked... fragile.
“Keep away from him, Luci,” said Emily. “He’s not our friend.”
That hurt. It hurt more than he knew it could. Oz had to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. He shouldn’t expect any less. He’d tried to do something despicable. And he needed to earn Emily’s trust back. No, not back. He’d never had it in the first place.
“We won’t harm you,” he said. He tried to meet Emily’s eyes, but she wouldn’t face him.
Solan bustled into the room, carrying the med kit. “There are too many people in here. Let’s get something set up in the store room. We can’t have you bunking down in the main room just in case we have visitors.”
“Your friends won’t like us?” The taller man scowled.
“None of the Zulir in this city are our friends,” said Oz. It was a risky thing to reveal, but they needed something to get the humans on their side.
“Zulir?” asked the shorter man.
Oz and Solan shared a look. “Perhaps you know them as Apsyns?” Oz asked.
“We know you as stupid aliens,” said Emily. “Never needed anything else.”
“And not like they told us anything,” muttered the girl, Luci.
This was worse than he thought, but he should have expected it. Apsyns didn’t see others as people. Why would they give their test subjects a history lesson?
“Let Solan tend to your friend here, and I can explain some things,” Oz offered. He could see that Emily wanted to fight. There was a fire in her eyes that he never wanted to see extinguished. But the others were looking to her, following her lead. If he couldn’t convince her that he truly wanted to help, that he meant her no harm, then the others would never trust them. “I wanted to help you,” he said. “I saw no other way to get you out of that situation.”
Solan looked at him, and Oz knew any hope of keeping the secret was long gone. “What did you do?” he demanded.
“He tried to buy me,” Emily spat. “Wanted me for his own. I’m a person, not property.”
“Ynstit,” Solan scowled. If he’d been any closer he’d be slapping Oz or worse. “You jeopardized all for...” Solan sucked in a breath. Then he turned to Emily and her friends. “Neither of us are supporters of the slave trade, no matter what my companion did. I realize you have no reason to believe me, but I promise you we mean no harm. Now, your friend needs medical attention. You are welcome to stay and observe as I treat her, but there are too many people in this room.” He reached into his belt and pulled out a knife. “This is the only weapon I have on me.” He held it out to Emily. “Please.”
She glared, but took the knife. Solan looked at Oz expectantly and Oz reached for his own, handing it off to the taller human man. “Would you give us your names?” he asked.
He was sure Emily would say no. Why would she agree? But she surprised him. She nodded at the woman on the bed. “That’s Lena. Luci is the other woman. Then Zac,” that was the taller man, “and Joel,” the shorter one. “How do you know Grace?”
That was information they couldn’t give, not when the asset had run back to the facility, probably to put her final game into play and smooth over whatever trouble Emily and her friends had caused. “Let Solan tend to Lena and I’ll answer what I can,” Oz promised.
Emily looked at Lena and then at Solan and the med kit in his hand. Finally she stepped from around the bed. “Okay. But I’m feeling really stabby today and none of these people will stop me if you screw up. Got it?”
She was going to kill him if he smiled. Oz knew that, and still his lips wanted to betray him. She was fierce, this fearless acrobat. He would give her that. “I will keep that in mind.”
He led the rest of the group to the store room at the back of the apartment. It was big enough to set up beds for each of the humans with room to spare. He and Solan didn’t have much to store, seeing as they weren’t supposed to be in the city for long. The windowless room wasn’t exactly homey, but it was safe. It would have to do.
Luci stood close to the shorter man, and the taller one reached over and patted her on the shoulder. Fear was coming off of the three of them in waves, and Oz wasn’t sure how to fix that. If he could find a way to get through to Emily, then maybe they would feel better, but she had every reason to distrust him.
This wasn’t going to go well.
There were blankets on the shelves and Oz reached for them, handing the fluffy piles over to each of the humans. Joel took Luci’s blanket for her, and she didn’t look at Oz while she sat down and wrapped herself in it, leaning against the wall.
“I’d set up more comfortable beds, but unfortunately our supplies are limited.” Inspiration struck. “My bed can fit two, so if you’d—”
“What the hell?” Emily’s eyes were on fire again and the air crackled with her anger. She took a step towards him, ready to do violence.
And Oz realized how she had heard what he said. “Two of you!” He held his hand up in surrender. “I can sleep in here or in the main room. Not with me!” She stopped advancing on him, but he didn’t know how long it would last. He had to start explaining before things got even worse. “Please, sit. Let me tell you a story.”
