“This. Is. Your. Fault,” Master snarled, his body shaking with anger. “Nicah escaped with the aliens, and Iona is dead.”
At that moment, I knew no number of credits would save me from being raped and possibly murdered by this man. Hatred burned within his soulless eyes, hatred for me. Mama was dead because he had taken her life. I had to get away and go somewhere he would never find me. I had to listen to what Mama said and go with the aliens. They took Nicah, and something told me that they would take me too if I asked.
With that thought in mind, I looked up at Master, and said, “I am yours no more.”
“Ye’ll always be mine, bitch. I own ye.”
I lifted my chin, straightened my spine, and for the first time in my life, I mustered all my bravery and spoke my mind.
“No, you filth, you don’t.”
I chose that moment to lift my knee and ram it into his groin. His eyes widened, spit slobbered down his chin, and in a matter of seconds, he released me and fell to the ground with a thud. As I stood over him, a glance at my mama’s body drew a hate-filled roar from me as I grabbed his blaster from the ground. I didn’t know how to use it, but it was heavy.
“I hate you!” I bellowed as I kicked, stomped, and smacked Master’s body with the blaster. “You’ve taken everything from me! Everything!”
He cried out and shouted inaudible words and only stopped when I swung the blaster down hard on his head. I drew in a sharp breath and stumbled away from him as he lay still and unmoving. Blood streamed onto the dirt from the head wound I inflicted. He looked like Mama … He looked dead. I switched my gaze from him to Mama, and another wail climbed up my throat as I backed away from her battered body.
“I’m sorry, Mama,” I said to her. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I’ll love you forever. Please, wherever you are, wait for me.”
With one final whimper and one last glance at her beautiful face, I turned and ran in the direction of the port. I dropped the blaster and screamed for the others to follow me, but none of them did. They saw what I had done to Master and that he lay dead on the ground. Every single one of them got up and fled the pen and ran towards his house. I knew they were looking for anything they could find to arm themselves. One of them even ran for the blaster I had dropped. I hoped they fleeced his money and possessions and somehow started a new life away from the one they had always known.
They, more than anyone, deserved it.
The spacecraft that the aliens arrived in was still sitting at the dock, so I focused on that and sprinted towards it. I could no longer see Nicah or the blue alien who had run to her, but I did spot two large Maji dressed in those black armoured suits jogging towards the ramp of the craft. I screamed like a banshee until they heard me. Both of them stopped and turned to face me.
“Wait!” I shouted, stumbling after them. “Please, take me with you!”
Chapter One
Levi
Present day on Ealra …
I jerked awake, shooting into an upright position. My heart slammed against my chest as it rose and fell rapidly. I tried to catch my breath. My mother’s haunting screams mixed with my memories and ran like wildfire through my mind. Suddenly feeling suffocated, I pushed my blanket from my body and turned, letting my legs hang over the side of my bed. I heard a creak come from somewhere close by, and I froze.
Master.
A sensation of dread washed over me for a few seconds until I gathered my thoughts and remembered where I was. I wasn’t on The Farm back on Earth. I wasn’t with Master or Mama anymore. They were both dead, and I was on Ealra with the Maji now. I listened intently for minutes, and when no other sounds could be heard, I relaxed.
Master is dead. Mama is dead.
I repeated the words over and over in my mind until I remembered them to be true. The former made me feel elated, yet the latter cut me like a blade. I missed my mama so much that the very thought of her caused my chest to ache as misery cut deep into my bones. I had been with her every day of my life up until she took her last breath in my arms. Living without her made my existence feel lonely and pointless, but I continued to survive because of her. She wanted me to live free and be happy. The former came true when the Maji freed me. They were truly on a rescue mission when they came to Earth. They had saved many human women, myself included.