Anger swirled within me.
“Why humans?” I suddenly demanded to know. “Why us? It is because we’re compatible, or was that a lie too?”
Kol’s set his jaw, and he stared me down. “That was the truth,” he said. “So far, we have managed to rescue two thousand seven hundred and ninety-three healthy human females—”
“What?” I interrupted. “You really have only chosen to save women?”
“We have eight thousand, one hundred and six Maji on Ealra. One thousand, one hundred and fifty-three of those are female. Just 13% of Maji are female, our males make up the remaining 87% of our population. Our females only go into heat once or twice every two decades so we can’t repopulate that fast. More males than females are birthed each year and we need more females to help balance that out to continue our species. The people have struggled since we’ve arrived on Ealra, building our society took a long time and it’s only in the last century that we have had a high number of pregnant females, but it’s not enough. We need human females in our gene pool now that we know you’ll birth full blooded Maji. We don’t need your males.”
My stomach churned as I digested the information.
“This displeases you,” Kol commented. “Do you think us heartless?”
I nodded before I could help myself.
“I am sorry you feel that way, but we need females to ensure Maji survival, not males.”
“What about human survival?” I demanded. “What about my people?”
Kol sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose like I was an annoyance.
“It ensures the survival of the females we have rescued. Maji are trying to save our race, we cannot save every endangered species that needs help. We would if we could, but we cannot.”
“I can’t believe this,” I said more to myself. “I knew this would happen; I knew you Maji would be like everyone else. Just out for yourselves.”
“Stop this, Nova,” Kol angrily demanded. “Earth is going to become uninhabitable in many places, the places humans can survive will likely see a never-ending war for food, water and shelter. We saved your human females, and—”
“You only ‘saved’ us because we serve a purpose.” I cut Kol off, my rage matching his. “Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You’re impossible to converse with,” he stated as he began to pace back and forth like a caged animal. “We’re bringing you to Ealra, a new healthy planet, and we chose to help scared females and give them a life they could only dream about, yet you’re still unhappy? This is definitely a female trait. Maji females are terribly difficult and stubborn at times and seeing it in human females proves it is a flaw possibly in every race.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Almighty forbid I disagree with you.”
“There is disagreeing, and then there is being difficult. You’re the latter.”
“I’m not going to change just because you don’t like it.”
“You will,” Kol growled. “On Ealra, your sharp tongue will not be tolerated. I’ve allowed leeway with you and your fellow females because this is a traumatic event, but—”
“The traumatic event is being kidnapped by aliens.”
Kol snarled at me, and it frightened me to death. I sucked in a breath and remained still.
“Change your attitude,” he warned. “I will not be dealing with you any further if this is your behaviour. You will be rationed on food and confined to the group human holding for the rest of the journey to Ealra if you continue this … defiance.”
Panic surged inside me and so did a fresh wave of anger. He was using my fear of humans against me, and it terrified me.
“You’re horrible.”
“I can be worse.” Kol growled. “Please, make me show you just how horrible I can be.”
My pulse spiked, and my natural sassy response died on the tip of my tongue. This piece of shit knew exactly how to play me, and if I wanted the quarters that he gave to me, then I had better keep my mouth shut and do what he said … at least until I figured out an escape plan.
“That won’t be necessary,” I assured him. “I’ll … behave.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
“You’re infuriating! The second I give in; you throw your stupid quips back in my face. You’re driving me barking mad!”
“Me?” he spluttered. “I am infuriating? Me?”
“Yes, you!”
“Thanas!” He threw his hands up into the air. “You are the barking mad.”
He was wording it all wrong.
“Don’t turn my words—”
“There is no pleasing you,” Kol cut me off with an angry shake of his head. “Maji offer you a haven and a loophole to ensure you and many of your females survive longer than those on your home world, and you’re not happy in the slightest. Humans … you’re ungrateful.”
Before I could defend myself and my people, Kol left the room. The door shut behind him but quickly reopened and revealed Echo … who was glaring at me.
“Hi,” I said, surprised to see her so soon. “Where is your sister?”
“Envi is with the lady healer getting her leg healed. She hurt it when we tried to escape, she’ll be in the med bay for a few hours.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“You can be a real bitch, you know that?”
I felt my jaw drop at Echo’s declaration.
“What’d I do?” I asked, confused.
“You lumped us in the same boat as you.”
I stared at her.
“I overheard your argument with the shipmaster,” she continued, “and I’m pissed at you.”
“Why?” I asked, shocked.
“Because you’re sabotaging our women,” Echo stated. “Where do you get off fighting against a species who wants to save their people and ours? Earth has been a lost cause for decades. Even if it wasn’t breaking apart, it hasn’t been considered safe since long before the war, especially for women. We were treated like slaves by our own people. Humans have attacked me and my sister, beat us, and treated us lesser than animals our entire lives. No other species has done that to us but our own, and you have the nerve to argue against the Maji for saving us from a hopeless fate? What the hell is wrong with you? I’m very grateful for them. Why they want us doesn’t matter because their reasons ensure we have a future, a safe future. You’re bitching about someone saving our lives and giving us a life of freedom. You’re fucking stupid.”
My heart thrummed inside my chest, my abdomen churned, and my palms were itchy with sweat. Echo angrily shook her head as she turned away from me. She climbed into her bed and pulled her blanket over her body.
“And if you scare my sister,” she said as she adjusted her blanket, “like you did earlier, I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”
I believed her, but I didn’t fear her.
“I’m not scared of you, Echo.”
“Upset my sister again, and you will be.”
I said nothing further and neither did Echo, which suited me fine. I got back into my bed, and I kept my back to the wall so I would be facing Echo and Envi, when she returned, at all times. I didn’t believe they would attack me, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. An hour or so passed before Echo moved, showing she had awoken from her slumber. She turned in her bed to face me, and when she saw I was looking at her, she stared right back at me. Echo broke the silence after a few moments.