The shipmaster laughed and so did Surkah; even Mikoh’s lips twitched.
“So that’s why you’re posted outside this room,” I said in understanding. “And why you keep popping in? You’re guarding her?”
Mikoh nodded. “We just tell the Hailed Mother my assigned job of jara is to protect Kol and Surkah just to appease her. She loves all her sons, so their safety matters just as much, but Surkah is my only real charge. Kol does not need protection; it would be an insult to his Elite status to suggest otherwise.”
I assumed the Hailed Mother was the title of the queen—Surkah’s mother.
“Who is Kol?” I quizzed. “And what is an Elite status?”
“I am Kol,” the shipmaster replied. “And being an Elite means you’re a highly skilled warrior and part of the Guard that protects the people. It is the highest status a warrior can obtain. To be a member of the Guard is an honour, to be an Elite in the Guard is a treasured duty.”
Oh.
I couldn’t look the Maji in the eye—his gaze was too much—but I allowed my mind to repeat his name over and over.
Kol.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m Nova. It’s … nice to meet you all.”
“That is a stupid name,” Mikoh informed me. “Why would you be named after a star reaching maximum brightness before fading?”
“Because it also means ‘great energy’ and my Pa said when my mother carried me, I was very active and kicked a lot. Is that a good enough answer for you, fucker?”
Surkah grabbed a little black object from the top of a machine next to her and threw it at his head. He avoided it easily but couldn’t dodge the elbow Kol rammed into his side. Mikoh growled and rubbed the spot.
“Imauni” he bellowed at Kol.
The word was alien, but it was pronounced ee-mah-oo-nee.
I looked at Surkah. “What does that word mean?”
“It is an insult that does not translate well because it has so many meanings,” she whispered. “It depends on the tone in which it is said. It can mean either waste canal, the dirt on the ground, a foul smell or something that is completely useless and stupid.”
I snorted and looked back at Mikoh, who shoved Kol and demanded, “What was that for?”
He sure didn’t talk to Kol like he was his prince.
“What is our mission?” Kol rumbled, his glare terrifying. “Answer me.”
Yeah, what is your mission?
Mikoh straightened up. “The mission is perfectly fine. She—”
“Doesn’t like you because you’re being insufferable.”
“I apologise,” Mikoh grunted to the shipmaster, not to me. “It is because of Surkah’s presence; I’m growing … impatient to have her.”
I looked at Surkah and saw she rolled her eyes.
Kol clapped his friend on the back. “Eight more moon cycles and she is yours, my friend.”
“That is when my lifelong prison sentence begins,” Surkah whispered to me.
The others heard her whisper, which told me just how good their hearing was. I laughed when Kol had to restrain Mikoh, who looked like he wanted to paddle Surkah’s ass. She grinned at him, and amusement flashed in her beautiful pink eyes over his annoyance. She clearly liked pissing him off, and he wanted nothing more than to rip into her because of it.
“You have a beautiful smile,” Surkah said to me.
I blushed. “Thank you.”
“I am glad you are no longer scared—”
“Imauni!” Kol suddenly bellowed, cutting his sister off. “That broke the skin!”
“It was payback for your elbow. I think you cracked a rib!”
I screeched when a ground shaking roar filled the room. I jerked my head in the direction of Kol and Mikoh and was horrified to find them both on the ground, beating the ever-loving shit out of one another. I’m talking hard punches, kicks, headbutts, and it even looked like there was some biting going on. I could have sworn I saw dark red liquid smeared on Kol’s arm. My instant reaction was to flee and protect my life but being bound to the bed meant I couldn’t move a muscle. My heart pounded against my chest as fear and worry consumed me. Before I realised what was happening, my eyes rolled backwards, and I began to lose consciousness.
“Nova!” Surkah gasped. “Nova!”
I felt a hand on my head. A delightful shiver ran the length of my body, and a relived sigh left the one touching me.
“She is fine,” Surkah said, exhaling a deep breath. “She just … fainted.”
I heard Mikoh’s humourless laughter.
“And you say humans are the salvation of us Maji?” he sarcastically asked. “Watching us grapple has caused her to lose consciousness. They’re not meant for us.”
I practically felt Surkah’s growl.
“Sister,” Kol rumbled. “Watch over her. She is going to need all the rest she can get if she is to stand with us … and Mikoh, if you bite me again, I will break your nose in a place it will not heal correctly.”
“Your sister has a better chance against me than you, my prince.”
“One more word, Mik. That is all I need.”
“Look at the bright side. The human fainted out of fear this time and not because of your ugly face. Isn’t that progress?”
I heard more roaring, Surkah’s sighing, and the sound of my own heartbeat before I blacked out completely.
Chapter Three
When I awoke, the room was not bright anymore. There was light, but it was dim, and it was quiet. Too quiet. I lifted my hand to my face and rubbed the crusted sleep out of my eyes. I lowered my hand back to my side and released a gratified sigh. My body felt so relaxed, and I knew it was because of the bed I was lying on. I smiled and lifted my hand back to my eyes and rubbed at them again. I paused mid rub, though, and opened my eyes to look at my hand.
It’s free.
I quickly sat up and lifted both of my arms and bent my legs. The black straps that tied me to the bed earlier were gone, and they left no marks on my skin, even though I had struggled to get them off. I looked around the room and found it empty. No Surkah, no Mikoh, and no Kol—the mysterious shipmaster I couldn’t bring myself to look in the eye for more than a couple of seconds. I turned to my right and let my legs dangle over the side of the bed. I gripped the bedding and carefully lowered myself to the floor.
I was extremely surprised to find the floor of the medical room was heated. I had heard that the rich and powerful had heated floors and walls to protect them from the soul-splitting cold on Earth during the harsh winter months, but I never expected them to feel so wonderful. A shiver ran up my spine, and a sigh of delight left my lips.
This feels good.
I shook my head and focused on my main objective. I needed a weapon, and I needed one now. My eyes scanned the room, and I could see nothing that I could use to defend myself. I shifted my stance and momentarily lost my balance. I accidentally bumped into my bed, causing a thudding noise. I jumped when a bright light suddenly filled the room. I squinted, looked up, and saw the door to the room was open, and … Mikoh was standing in the way.
“What are you doing?”
Lie, Nova.