Guard (A Sci-Fi Alien Romance) (6 page)

The train pulled into a dimly lit platform and came to a stop. Simo leapt to his feet and took my hand. We walked through the station in silence. I was amazed by how quiet it was. There was none of the hustle and bustle I’d seen there years before. It was empty except for small groups of Erostrians making their way into or out of the station with brisk, long strides.

Outside, the streets were busier, but it was still nothing like the city I’d remembered.

“Where are all the people?”

Simo looked at me as if I was crazy. “The ones that are still here are probably asleep.”

“The ones that are still here?” I echoed.

“The specialized workers. Of course,” he muttered. “How would you know? All the others were sent to factories in smaller cities.”

“Why?” I asked, out of breath already from keeping up with him.

“I’ll tell you everything I know when we’re safe, Clem. Save your breath. We’ll get there faster.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence. I was still out of breath when we arrived – it was impossible to walk at his pace and not be.

“This is the Empire State Building,” I gasped, craning my neck to look up at the huge building I had visited once before.

“It was.”

We walked through the doors. This time, there were no uniformed ushers to tell us where to go, and no crowd of tourists queueing to board the lift to the top of the building. The lobby was empty except for two Erostrians, who were standing behind the reception desk on the other side.

“Is there no security?” I whispered.

Simo shushed me. “Don’t say anything. It’s not safe. Don’t speak again until I tell you to.”

I was about to open my mouth to protest when we reached the reception desk. Then I understood.

One of the Erostrian receptionists looked me up and down with utter distain.

“What is your business here with her?”

Simo stared at him impassively. “She is my brother’s zeepa. He asked me to bring her here to him.”

“Why?”

“Why? He is Saman of the higher council. Who are you?”

The receptionist took a step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. Go ahead.”

The elevator doors opened and we walked to them in silence.

He finally spoke when the doors had closed on us. “It’s different here. There are so few humans that your presence in the city during working hours is suspicious.”

The elevator whizzed through the core of the building, making my ears pop. When it began to slow, I glanced at Simo. He had a sad look on his face. It looked like he was a million miles away.

“What are you thinking about?”

He glanced down at me, still distracted by his thoughts. “Both our lives are about to change, and neither of us has any control over what they’ll become.”

I shrugged. “So? Compared to what my life with Kefi would be like, it’s a change for the better.” I watched his handsome face. “How about you? What have you given up?”

The elevator doors opened with a hiss before he had a chance to answer. I stepped out into the corridor but he put him hand on my arm, stopping me from going any further.

“I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s a change for the better.”

I wanted to fall into his arms after hearing that, but he held me at bay.

“We’ll talk later,” he whispered. “When we finish talking to Saman, I’ll show you the city.”

“I’ve seen it before.”

“Okay, it was just an idea.”

“Oh,” I whispered, realizing what he meant. I glanced up at him. “I’d like to see it again. With you.”

He smiled down at me and took my hand.

“Have you been here before?” I asked as we stopped to study a floor plan.

“In this building? No.”

“You’ve never been to see your brother?”

He shook his head.

“Why?”

“I was assigned to the guards shortly after we seized power.”

I shuddered to hear it described that way. “Wouldn’t you have preferred to stay in New York?”

“I guess.” He looked down at me. “But now I’m glad I didn’t.”

I squeezed his hand as we walked to Saman’s office. On the floorplan, it looked like the biggest suite on this floor, and we knew which one it was as soon as we got around the corner. Unlike the others, it had ornate double doors and several anterooms.

Simo reached for the shiny brass handles but paused at the last minute and knocked. When there was no response, he opened the doors quietly.

“Where is Saman?” he said, stepping inside and stopping at the small, tidy desk just inside the door.

I knew from the floorplan that this room was dwarfed by the one beyond it. Saman’s assistant glanced up impatiently.

“He’s busy.”

“When will he be free?”

“He’s always busy.”

“I’m his brother.” Simo put his hand firmly on the table.

“I didn’t know he had one.”

Simo flinched.

“You’re not a very good secretary then,” I bristled.

The assistant glanced up at me, seeing me for the first time. “And who is this?”

Simo glared at him. “None of your concern. Is my brother in there?”

The assistant followed Simo’s gaze to the huge gilded doors that dominated the wall opposite us. “He doesn’t wish to be disturbed.”

“Then we’ll wait.”

The other man face screwed up in distaste. “Fine. You can go wait in the library.”

“Wher—”

“Through that door,” he pointed without looking at us.

“How much longer do we need to wait?” I groaned.

Simo shrugged. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“It feels like forever.”

He came and sat next to me. “I know. But he’ll be finished soon.”

“How much time do we have before…”

“Hours yet.”

I relaxed as much as I could with Simo sitting in this close proximity to me. The tension between us was starting to drive me crazy. “What if he leaves without seeing us?”

Saman shook his head.

“But you saw his assistant. He looked down on us. I bet he hasn’t even told Saman we’re here.”

He stood up.

“What are you doing?”

“Finding my brother.”

I stood and took his hand. Before we’d even made it across the room, the door flew open. I did a double take: the Erostrian standing in the doorway bore a remarkable resemblance to Kefi.

I looked up at Simo in alarm. Instead of fear though, he was beaming. I tugged his arm.

“Brother!” Simo let go of my hand and crossed the room to where the horrible being stood.

“Simo,” he said coldly, stepping away to avoid Simo’s warm embrace.

“Saman.”  I could hear the confusion in his voice. “Don’t you recognize me, brother?”

“I’m not your brother,” Saman hissed. He glanced at me. “And
what
is this?”

Simo glanced at me, his brow furrowed. “That’s Clementine. My friend. Saman, what’s up with you?”

Saman shook his head. “Don’t speak to me like… like you’re one of them.”

“I’m not, Saman, what the hell?”

“There you go again.”

“What are you talking about, brother?”

Saman took a step closer to him. Simo had at least half a foot’s height on him and was noticeably fitter and stronger. Yet he shrunk back like he was the weaker of the two. “I’m not your brother. Don’t make me correct you again.”

Simo’s face fell. “What are you talking about?” he croaked. “You’re my…”

Saman was shaking his head dismissively. “We share a father, boy. That doesn’t make us brothers.”

“Actually, it kinda sorta does,” I sneered, walking to Simo’s side.

“Don’t address me.”

Simo looked deep into my eyes before he grabbed me and pulled me behind him.

“Is that what you’re doing now? Fraternizing with human whores?”

“She’s not a whore.”

“And you have the gall to call me
brother
.”

I bit my lip to stop myself from speaking. Proud, strong Simo was standing up to his brother, but this close, I could see the slump in his shoulders. I wanted to slap Saman. Saman, Kefi. All of them.

“You are my brother,” Simo said, sounding exhausted. “I don’t know why you deny it, but do what you want. You’ll always be my brother.”

Saman snorted. “My mother was a proud Erostrian. Yours was a whore.”

Simo’s shoulders shook. I took a step toward Saman again but Simo realized what I was doing and held me back. He took a deep breath.

“I need your help,
Saman
.”

“So does the rest of the city,” Saman said, sounding bored.

“You don’t understand. I’m in trouble.
We’re
in trouble.”

“Why are you speaking to me and not your commander?”

Simo shook his head. “It’s way too serious for that. I needed to come to you.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“No, luckily. I bumped into one of the guards from the prisons unit before we caught the train, but I don’t think—”

“I mean here, in New York,” Saman snapped. “Did you tell anyone you were on your way to see me with that wh—”

“Careful Saman.”

“With
her
in tow.”

Simo shook his head. “Only your assistant.”

Saman muttered under his breath.

“It’s okay, we still have time to escape before anyone realizes.”

“It’s not you I’m concerned about. The President of the higher council returns to Eros next year. What do you think it’ll do to my campaign if other members of the council hear about my father’s half-human son?”

“What?” I gasped.

Saman laughed, cruel and humorless. “She didn’t know?”

Simo shook his head. “Not many people do.”

“You can’t hide what you are.”

“I never wanted to.” Simo took a deep breath and stood up tall. When he finally spoke, he sounded calmer. “I don’t know what’s happened to you Saman, but I don’t like it.”

I stepped to one side and watched Saman. I would have chosen almost anyone else to decide our fate. His face was scrunched up in utter disgust. He couldn’t even look at me without flinching.  “What have you done?” he said finally.

“Clementine was mated to a member of the city council, Ke—”

I elbowed his side as hard as I could. “Shut up,” I hissed. “Don’t tell him.”

Simo looked down at me, confused.

“I don’t trust him,” I whispered as quietly as I could.

“We don’t have a lot of options.” He stroked my face gently with his fingers. I glanced up in time to register Saman’s reaction. Unsurprisingly, he looked thoroughly outraged.

“She was mated to a member of the city council, Kefi,” Simo continued.

“Was?”

“There were some complications during the ceremony.”

“Explain.”

“I couldn’t stand by and watch that monster take her.”

“So you took her for yourself?”

Simo shook his head. “Not like that, no. I helped her escape.”

“This Kefi. You killed him?”

“No.”

“Surely he would have raised the alarm?”

“I drugged him. He’ll be out cold for hours.”

Saman tapped a fat finger against his chin. The whole world seemed to stand still as he deliberated.

“What do you want me to do?”

Simo exhaled loudly. “Help us. Get the record of her mating deleted. Help us escape.”

“You’re asking a lot.”

“You’re my brother, even if you refuse to admit it.”

“Like I said, you’re asking a lot.”

“We don’t have time for this. Can you do it?”

Saman shook his head slowly.

“What?” Simo cried.

Saman walked to the door. “I should have you arrested. Instead I’m allowing you to leave.”

“It’s the same thing,” Simo whispered.

Saman shrugged.

“We grew up as brothers. If you won’t help me as my brother, then do it for our father.”

With two long strides, Simo was across the room at his brother’s heels. Saman spun around.

“What are you doing, you fool. They’ll arrest you if you touch me.”

“Who?” Simo grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly. “There’s no one to help you here.”

Saman laughed. “So you’re going to kill me?”

“No. I’m just trying to make you see sense.”

“My mind is made up. I won’t jeopardize my campaign. I’ve worked too hard to get this far.”

“And that’s it. You’d let me rot for your precious career?”

Saman shrugged. “That’s life. I’ll allow you to walk out of here without raising the alarm.”

Simo let him go. “That’s noble of you, big brother.”

I was still staring at Simo in disbelief long after Saman had walked out and banged the door behind him. “That was your brother?”

“That’s not the Saman I know.”

He came to me and took me in his arms. All I wanted to do was rest my face against his chest but reality gnawed at me. There was no way I could relax even if there was nothing we could do. I pushed away from him.

“What are we going to do?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“How can you be so calm?”

“I’m not.”

I watched him, waiting for him to come up with a solution. “Well?”

“Clem, I don’t know. I was sure Saman would help us. I haven’t seen him in two years. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you. Let’s get out of here.”

I followed him to the door. “Where are we going to go?”

“I don’t know. But we need to get out of here.”

“Before Kefi raises the alarm?”

He glanced back at me suddenly. “Maybe. Maybe we can get to him before he does.”

He closed the door behind me. We walked slowly and soberly past Saman’s assistant. The moment the door was closed behind us we started to run.