The man flung her across the floor of the kitchen and she landed heavily on an elbow. There was nobody else in the house. The cook would arrive later, the cleaner in the morning. At this time of day, the afternoon, Zara was usually alone with Bisma. Please, come back, Bisma!
“You want water,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “Let me get you a drink.” She pointed at the water cooler.
He nodded and touched his mouth. In the moment of calmness, she managed to pour him a drink without spilling it. Cautiously, she held out the cup, ensuring she maintained a full arm’s length distance from him. He drank with greedy gulps, then lifted his chin and poured the last few mouthfuls down his throat. He’d a scar on his neck. Close up, she saw his uniform was torn in places, and there was dried dirt and blood on the pants and along the sleeves. He smelt as if he’d been sleeping rough and out in the open. She wrinkled her nose and backed away.
He threw the cup over his shoulder and it smashed against a wall. His eyes shone brighter and he smacked his lips together. “I’ve not had a woman in a while,” he said, moving closer.
She wanted to be sick. The fear was almost too much to bear. “I’m Galen’s,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“The judge.” He snorted. “He’s taken a human. Claimed you? I admire a man like that. All humans should be slaves.”
That wasn’t a promising statement. “You’re a soldier?”
“I was.” He patrolled the kitchen, opening cupboards, peering inside aimlessly and then slamming them shut.
“How did you get in here?” She needed to distract him and find some way to call for help.
“I climbed over the wall. Judge’s homes are like castles. They’re also good for hiding in.”
A soldier on the run? It didn’t make sense. “Who is looking for you?”
“Curious, aren’t you.” He moved toward her. She’d nowhere to go; her back was already pressed against the wall behind her. “The huntsmen are the ones who come for men like me.”
A fugitive. “Shouldn’t you be with your unit?”
He loomed over her, his black eyes wilder than ever. “They won’t fight. We should never have surrendered to you.”
He meant humans. “You didn’t,” she rasped.
He planted his hands on either side of her head. “But neither did you humans. The Vendu conquer and enslave. We don’t make treaties. We don’t allow our enemies anything.”
A renegade. She was building a picture of him and it wasn’t a good one. Some Vendu refused to accept that humans were necessary for the future survival of their species. There was a few like him among her people, too. Sacrifices had been made, especially by the Australians, who’d lost their homeland and been evicted. There were those who wanted to continue the fight, however futile. They made trouble, but had little success. It must be the same for the Vendu warriors who believed all worlds should be crushed and subjugated.
“We take everything. And that includes you,” he growled, bringing his nose to a hand’s width from her face.
She swallowed, fighting the terror rampaging throughout her body. She had to hold on to her flagging courage. Humans didn’t give in to barbarians. They fought and… Except, he was seven feet tall and built from bricks. She didn’t stand a chance.
He picked at her collar and pulled it down. His other hand was loosening his pants.
“What’s your name?” she said quickly.
He furrowed his thick eyebrows. “What?”
“Mine’s Zara. I’m twenty years old and I have a little sister called April.” She had to make herself as real as possible and not a thing.
He slid his hand behind her neck and grasped her hair, yanking it down. She was forced to look up at him. “I’m Karrow. I’m the destroyer of humans. The bringer of pain.”
He was mad. Insane. His neck and temples bulged with pulsating veins that looked as if they might burst any second. He pulled up his tunic, attempting to strip one-handed and she saw a flash of red. He was bleeding from a puncture wound in his belly.
“You’re hurt. Let me help you,” she implored. “Then… then you can take me. You can’t fuck me while you’re bleeding.”
“I can,” he said in her ear. But, he winced as he bent over and grimaced. “However, I could fuck you longer without it.” He staggered back and clutched his belly. “Fuck. I must have caught it on the barbs.”
The wall around the ground was barbed with spikes. Why he hadn’t been detected by the sensors when he’d climbed over, she didn’t know. Perhaps he had. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Less than ten minutes had passed since he’d grabbed her in the garden. It felt like a lifetime, but it wasn’t. She listened, hoping to hear sirens and alarms. However, there was silence. That didn’t mean anything; there were silent alarms that alerted the police. Time, she had to buy herself more time.
“I’ll find a medi kit and bind you.”
“No,” he snapped. “You’ll stay here, where I can see you.”