3. Chapter 3
On the morning of the third day, Carl appeared, looking happy with himself and having no clue that his days on his planet were numbered. Soon, he would find himself on Vandruk, at my mercy.
I managed to keep my hate for him hidden. I was sure he was the leader of the humans and behind the deaths of our gallies, but I had to be certain, which, unfortunately, took longer than I had anticipated due to the language barrier.
In the meantime, I learned some of their strange customs, like that they ate three times a day. The meals were prepared by unseen hands and surprisingly tasty. Carl spent most of the days with me, showing me pictures and what he called videos of Earth, which I had to admit looked quite fascinating—not just the pictures they showed but the humans' ability to capture them and show me.
Some were hard to believe, like the metallic birds that transported hundreds of humans from one place on their planet to another. Carl called them planes. He named many things for me: trains, subways, high-rises, cities, towns, and so on. On the second day, I realized that my original plan of simply killing Carl was becoming much more complicated. The human population counted into numbers I didn't even have a name for. As many as there were stars in the sky, I estimated and realized it would be much more important to learn more about them than to simply kill their leader.
On that third day, Carl did have a surprise for me: something he called a translator. It was a small device that, when he clicked on, translated his words into my language and vice versa. Fascinating.
It was just a small capsule that was set in one's ear, but once activated, it translated Carl's words into my language—with a short delay that was a bit dizzying—and my words into his.
It was on that third day that I learned more about him and humans than during the previous two and realized that killing Carl might bring some satisfaction, as he was the inventor of the wormhole that brought devastation and tragedy to Vandruk, but he wasn't alone. There were others who had financed this enterprise who sent warriors to kill us.
It was through Carl that I found out that Khadahr Tzar-Than had first contacted them and brought a hundred human gallies to Vandruk. I also discovered that Khadahrs Dzur-Khan and Dzar-Ghan had sued for a peace agreement under which another hundred human gallies had been sent to Vandruk. This last batch included Jenna McKenzie, who I supposed was Dzar-Ghan's new khadahrshi, the one who was going to open the cave or most likely already had. It took me another two days to digest this new information and decide how it affected my plans and how I might need to alter them. In the meantime, I absorbed all the information Carl was giving me. The humans were very different from us. Many different races spread out over their world.
It made me question something I'd never considered before. None of us had ever ventured across the waters that surrounded Vandruk on all sides. After seeing images of Earth, I couldn't help but wonder—could Vandruk also have other continents or islands? And if it did, were they inhabited? Could there be others living on Vandruk besides us?
We had always believed that there was only water and nothing else. That, however, was something to ponder later.
Another day passed. My breakfast was brought, but Carl didn't show up. I wasn't a prisoner in my surprisingly comfortable room, and I did have a translation device with me. I could have wandered out and talked to other humans, but I didn't like the way they stared at me on the occasions I had done so. The gallies especially looked at me through fearful eyes.
Gallies , I mused, so many of them . I had long forgotten what it was like to enter a room filled with males and gallies, to hear their chatter in their higher-pitched voices. The few who hadn't been killed during the cave-in or who had been children when it happened were not only highly sought after but under close watch. Most were at the Temple, awaiting who the priests decreed their mates would be.
Driven for most of my life by the force of seeking revenge, I hadn't given mating much thought. Most of all because it required me to bow to the priests and request a mate. A khadahr didn't bow or request! And yet that was what the priests required, besides a large gift for their services.
Just as I was trying to figure out what to do with my day, the door opened, and the man I hated most entered, followed by the most stunning gallis I had ever laid eyes on.
"And this, my dear, is Khadahr Ghan-Zahr, our guest." Carl introduced as my translator picked up his words. "Ghan-Zahr, this is Rachel James, a reporter. You do remember what I explained about reporters?"
I swallowed down a biting comment. I wasn't some youngling he explained weapons forgery to. I was a grown male and a khadahr, and I didn't need his condescending attitude. So I stayed quiet, taking in the breathtaking gallis from head to toe.
Auburn hair was bound into a ponytail that swished with every step she took. Red-brown eyes took me in just like I was taking her in. High cheekbones gave her an aura of nobility. Her full lips were turned into a smile that exposed dimples by the sides of her mouth, and a long, elegant neck was slightly leaned to the side. Her posture was open and friendly, and she looked astonished at seeing me. I also noticed she was leaning away from Carl. Interesting.
She was a little taller than him, but still, she would barely reach my chest.
Well-toned arms peeked out from underneath her top, as well as the swell of the most amazing breasts. A narrow waist tapered off into wide hips and long legs, covered by a pair of black pants, which I had found out the gallies of this world seemed to prefer in their clothing choice.
Her feet were stuck into a pair of black shoes that I doubted would be comfortable, making her appear taller than she was.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said in a melodious voice that sent shivers of desire down my back. The emotionless voice of the translator picked up her words to make me understand them, but I hated the way the machine sounded. I liked her voice much better.
But then my ever-present fury rose from my stomach to my chest. "What is she doing here?" I demanded. I wasn't some kind of animal shown off to random people. The sooner Carl understood that, the better.
"She has been on this story since the beginning. She was here when Khadahr Tzar-Than first came to us with his request. She will make you famous with the people of Earth."
I narrowed my eyes. "Famous for what?"
"For being here"." Carl squinted as if my question didn't make any sense to him.
"Why would I want that?"
Carl cleared his throat and looked at the gallis. "There is some coffee and other refreshments out in the hall if you would like something…"
Her red-brown eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, but then her lips curved into a deep smile, exposing perfect white teeth. "Oh, that sounds marvelous. A coffee is just what I need right now. If you would excuse me for a moment."
The moment she turned, I noticed another male holding up a camera, standing behind her the entire time. Odd , I thought, how did I miss him ? The gallis had demanded all my attention, so much so that I had missed him. Nothing like this had ever happened to me, churning my anger levels.
Carl didn't give me any time to dwell on my remiss senses. As soon as the door closed, he started talking. "What I'm offering you is the key to a kingdom."
I had learned enough about the humans to understand what kingdom meant. "I already have a kingdom ."
He shook his head. "You are the king of your demesne. I intend to make you king of all of Vandruk."
I laced my fingers behind my back to stop them from turning into fists. It took a good amount of self-control, but I managed to keep an even face. "And how would you do that?"
His posture relaxed slightly. "You and I can come to a mutual understanding. You allow me to harvest what I need from your planet, allow me to build some structures, and in return, you will become the uncontested king of Vandruk."
He was finally showing his true self and revealing his plans. I knew I had to keep him talking, but as much as my fingers itched to lace around his throat, bringing his plans to the light of day seemed much more important. Soon , I promised my fingers, very soon, just hold out a little bit longer .
"You could live here on Earth, too," Carl continued. "You have no idea about the luxuries I can offer you."
He had shown me images of his so-called luxuries and I realized now that he had been grooming me for this moment.
"And if I decline?" I had to know.
His smirk deepened into something ugly. "There are forty khadahrs on Vandruk, right?"
"Right"." I nodded. It wasn't a secret. I had divulged that, among some other things, to keep him talking over the last few days.
"I'm sure there will be another khadahr willing to take what I offer if you won't."
That was all I needed to hear.