Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 31

Ava

Scourges clad in black chase us through the pet park gates. Rigel grips me so tight it hurts.

I don't think we have a chance. But the scourge pet owners stand in a line in front of us. It's like witnessing a battle with everyone joining the fight: Glow Ball's owner trips a big scourge, and Snuffy stands on the scourge's back.

My brave angel flies over the scourges. When we hit the ground, he hurtles through a second gate and down a hallway. Heavy scourge footsteps pound along the metal floors behind us.

The large door of the hangar opens. Like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, the Firefly is the length of a football field away. We're almost there. We're going to make it. We—

The largest, most muscled scourges I have ever seen step out from behind a ship. Shoulder to shoulder they stand.

Suddenly, what seemed like a short distance to our escape stretches: this is impossible.

The Firefly lifts into the air. Are Tarak and Kayla leaving without us? What will happen to us now?

The scourges step closer. I cling to Rigel so tightly. My brave Rigel's wings are wide, and he shows no sign of backing down.

From out of the Firefly comes Tarak, zooming over us thanks to that machine he has on his back.

A burly scourge charges at us. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for impact. Except I don't feel the hurt or pain from a scourge smashing into me and instead, my stomach does somersaults and—

I open my eyes. Rigel has thrown me into the air and Tarak catches me, flying with me over the heads of the scourges and into the Firefly.

I lean out the open hatch where I can see my angel. "Rigel!"

Tarak bellows and Kayla shouts about how I need to get away from the door.

Scourges surround Rigel on every side. He is beautiful, beating his luminous wings and flying straight at me. I open my arms.

Rigel hovers a few feet away from me, eyes wide with an expression of pain. He does not come any closer.

"Rigel!"

On the floor below Rigel, an Enforcer holds a taut rope that leads upward—a scourge has lassoed Rigel's foot! No matter how much Rigel beats his wings, he won't be able to get to us. Rigel is falling away from my outstretched hands.

Tarak pulls me away from the open hatch, dropping me into a seat at the helm. When I try to scramble back to Rigel, Tarak roars at me.

Human to human, I direct my plea to Kayla. "The scourges have Rigel. We need to help him."

When I try to get out of the chair, Tarak bellows.

"Must protect humans," says the voice in the wall, as if Tarak is calmly stating that.

"We can't leave Rigel," I shout back.

Tarak growls. The voice in the wall crackles, "Close the hatch."

"No!" I shriek.

"The Enforcers wanted you, not Rigel. They won't hurt him," Tarak tells me through the ship's wall.

Kayla sits next to me. "Rigel would want us to do what's best for you."

I am crying, wiping tears away. "Don't I get a say? I just found Rigel and I can't lose him. Not again."

"Staying in the hangar puts us in danger. We must leave," says Tarak.

"Let me off then, please," I plead and to Kayla, I ask, "What would you do if that were Tarak out there? Would you leave him?"

Kayla looks between me and Tarak. "Tarak, maybe we should reconsider..."

Kayla and Tarak go into the hallway. Only a few feet away from the helm, they argue, Kayla's voice rising and Tarak's tail slamming.

Why are Tarak and Kayla wasting time by arguing? What might be happening to Rigel down below?

I am so desperate, I'm begging. "Can't we at least try to fly the Firefly and get Rigel back?"

Tarak and Kayla don't even look in my direction, deep in their argument.

"Destination and flight parameters needed," the voice from the wall says.

"What?" I ask.

"Destination and flight parameters needed," repeats the ship's wall.

I side-eye Kayla and Tarak, still arguing.

Oh. The ship needs input, and I need Rigel. I've seen Kayla use commands on the Firefly, so I'm not completely helpless.

"Viewport, show Rigel."

Rigel's beautiful wings beat like mad, but a net is over my angel. It is as if the Enforcers clipped his wings.

That's when I see movement and a flash of something silver. What is that?

I get closer to the viewscreen where I saw the glint of silver. "Enlarge."

Through the viewport I see that scourge kid, Seth, raising his clenched fist. It looks like Seth has a claw or...

I desperately tap at the wall. "Enlarge, enlarge, enlarge."

Finally, I can see, and I gasp.

Seth is holding a knife.