He didn’t attack Sister Katherine. He refused to speak to her. He merely gestured to another guard, sending her to talk to an obvious underling, who stared at Katherine with something approaching fear. Not as if he worried she’d attack him, but with the awed trepidation a lowly peasant might watch an approaching queen. It might have been funny if he hadn’t been as capable of breaking the nun in half as the first Kalquorian.
Tina wiped her cheeks and glanced at the supposed leader again. She was startled to see him staring at her with unwavering intensity. Exactly as she’d imagined. Though her voluminous sleeping gown concealed her from throat to toes, his attention left her feeling exposed. Naked before that burning regard.
She turned away, her face warming. She didn’t dare to check to confirm if he still watched her.
Such a big, strong man. Fear mixed with odd but shockingly pleasant sensations, confusing her. Upsetting her. Another round of sobs threatened. She swallowed, forcing them down before lending them a voice. At least she could control that much, unlike the tears that refused to end.
She hated the weakness, but that was the situation, wasn’t it? The women in the dining hall were all weak, as they’d been taught they were. Weak in body, weak in mind, weak in morals, as Mother Superior had warned them, exhorting them to keep themselves as pure as their susceptible souls would allow.
Tina hadn’t agreed with her assessment, though she’d never argued against it outside of her own mind. But it was true where physical strength was concerned. The Kalquorians had swooped in and overcome the convent in a matter of seconds, taking its residents prisoner.
Mary Anderson had stopped screaming several minutes ago. She slid close to Tina, sniffling but under control. She whispered, “What does Sister Katherine think she’s doing?”
Tina stiffened at the accusatory tone. Despite being attractive, with a glorious, perfect mane of chestnut hair even when sleep-tousled, Mary was a girl of rough edges. Those edges rubbed a lot of the others wrong. Her querulous voice and constant fault-finding had made her unpopular. The current situation demanded they band together, but Tina had to force herself to remain near her fellow aspirant.
“She’s trying to find out what’s going on. To learn where Mother Superior, the other nuns, and the younger girls are. Did you notice they’re missing?”
Their present danger couldn’t keep Mary from judgment. “She should keep her distance. Fraternizing with Kalquorians will get her in trouble.”
“She’s not fraternizing, Mary. She’s trying to protect us, like she always does.”
Tina kept her tone from being sharp. Not for Mary’s benefit, but for the other aspirants scooting close to them to listen.
Tina scanned the faces around her. She was surrounded by those her age or older, but in their terror, they resembled the convent’s littlest children.
Weak.
Tina wished Sister Bernadette was with them instead of Sister Katherine. Kindness wasn’t called for in such a situation. If Mary had rough edges, then Sister Bernadette was a well-honed blade, as sharp and no-nonsense as a woman could be. Only Bernadette could be counted on to take her own life rather than forced to surrender to the enemy. If the Kalquorians hadn’t been quick to react, disarming her and rushing her out of the dining hall as she screamed and fought with fearless defiance, she’d be triumphantly dead.
Where had she gotten the knife? More importantly, where had they taken her? Tina wished she had told Katherine to ask.
“This is the end,” Mary groaned. “We’re doomed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They’re just standing there, keeping us in one place. They must have thought this was a military installation or something along those lines.”
“Why do you say that?” Sabrina asked.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? They didn’t take us straight to their ship.” Tina gained courage from the idea hatching in her mind. “If they were going to do—what Earth says they want to do—then they’d have done it already, right? Right?”
A few managed hopeful expressions, nodding at her theory. Mary scowled.
Tina ignored her. “They knocked us out instead. Now they’re trying to figure out their next move, because a convent isn’t what they came here for.”
As she gained steam, she recognized the many holes in her theory. If the Kalquorians had shown up by mistake, why hadn’t they left as soon as they realized it? And why were all the minors and elder nuns missing?
They separated us from the rest. Those of a certain age. That couldn’t be an accident.
At least most of the young women looked somewhat comforted by her idea. Naturally, Mary stole that taste of reassurance.
“None of it matters. Even if the Kalqs goofed up by coming here, they’ve sentenced us to death.” Fury and terror mixed freely on her features.
“Why? We haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Yeah, Mary. We’re the victims.”
“The Church doesn’t care.” Mary insisted. “We’re in the presence of Kalquorians. Sex-slaving, demonic Kalquorians. We’re tainted in the eyes of the Church and the Holy Father whether we’re violated or not.”
“Mary!” Tina gasped.
“It’s true. We don’t have to lie with them to be judged unclean. It’ll be assumed. We’re as good as executed for lewdness.”
The furious scowls and whispered reprimands, filled with unkind words, were enough to send Mary away. She sat alone, her head hanging down so that lush mane of hair hid her face. Her shoulders shook. She was crying again.
It wasn’t the first time she’d spoken crudely. The ideas that awful girl had!
Yet the visions her assertions had birthed sent that odd, warm swirly feeling through Tina again. It took everything she had not to see if the Kalquorian leader still watched her. He, with his broad shoulders, muscled biceps, brooding aura.
Instead, Tina glanced at Sister Katherine. The nun still spoke to the Kalquorian with only two silver bars, her expression pleading. It didn’t seem she was making much headway with the brute, who continued to gaze at her with a strange wonderment.
Before she realized what was happening, Tina’s traitorous glance moved to the four-bar Kalq. He stared at her, and goosebumps rose on her flesh. His expression was intense, as if he considered speaking out to her.
Her stomach lurched. That bizarre warmth within increased and spread at the dangerous alien’s stare. Tina couldn’t look away, though a part of her screamed for her to. She was caught in those strange purple eyes. The heat in her belly grew, and clandestine flesh clenched. Tina’s breath caught.
We’re in the presence of Kalquorians. Sex-slaving, demonic Kalquorians. Mary’s assertion echoed in Tina’s mind.
Then the moment was over. The Kalquorian’s expression reverted to its former unreadable mien. His chin dipped, a nod of acknowledgement. His attention moved to the door at the other end of the room as it opened. Two men entered, one carrying a small bin.
Strangely, the first thought that entered Tina’s mind was they’re not so bad.
Compared to the guards, who appeared somehow feral despite the worried expressions they wore, this new pair was downright human in demeanor. One, a ruggedly handsome sort who’d be at home starring in the last western she’d seen, wore a cheerful expression, at least until he noted the tearstained faces turning towards him. Then he appeared worried too.