Chapter Six
Mandy watched Akkadi’s mother leave, feeling the loss more than she expected. By the way Helen spoke, Mandy almost thought she was another human from her time. The serene woman had appeared borderline ecstatic to meet her, despite Akkadi’s attempt to dull her enthusiasm. Besides, who else in this time would know anything at all about California?
Akkadi glanced towards her, away then back when he saw her watching him.
“I need my rest,” he said. “Don’t disturb me.”
She sighed, not impressed by his blunt commands. For a few moments when he held her, he’d been approachable, sweet, the way he was when they met. Now he was back to himself.
He stripped off his shirt and tossed it beside the round bed before lying down. Mandy’s gaze swept over his muscular frame. He had the body of a soccer player, lean and ripped, from his wide shoulders to the ridges of his abs. His trousers were slung low on his hips, revealing the ridges of muscles gripping his hips as well. He folded his arms beneath his head, oblivious to her inspection or how the position showed off the rounded muscles of his shoulders and thick biceps.
She’d felt how solid and strong he was with his arms wrapped around her; seeing it was even more of a turn on. She fanned herself. He had the body of Roman god. If only he didn’t have the personality of a space Twinkie …
Mandy shook her head. She felt the sudden need for fresh air and lamented briefly over the fact there was no such thing anymore.
Akkadi’s breathing deepened, indicating he had fallen asleep.
Mandy eyed the door his mother had exited. She approached it and stuck one hand through it to make sure it wasn’t solid. The door was open. A robed and hooded, ten-foot tall guard stood in the antechamber. Mandy tensed, waiting for him to alert his master or stop her.
He did neither. She stepped from the antechamber into the corridor, looking at the lighted walkway anew. How many of the paneled walls were entrances into other quarters? Did any of the doors lead straight into space?
She chose a direction and began walking. Half a dozen feet down the corridor, she froze at the sudden realization she had no idea how to tell Akkadi’s door from anyone else’s. She turned around, unable to recognize which paneled wall was the one she went through to get back to Akkadi’s quarters.
Not that she wanted to go back, she told herself, angry with the inhospitable alien who wasn’t willing to open a star gate. With some trepidation, she began walking again. She felt lost the moment she left Akkadi and wished she knew what it was about the frustrating man that made the world seem less scary.
There were no markers on the walls to indicate which panels were doors and which were walls. Confused, she continued walking, hoping to find a map or signs or something that would tell her where she was and what her options were to escape. She passed a few people in robes and hoods while others wore the same grey uniform she did. They ignored her.
She walked for half an hour then stopped again. There were no intersections or signs or even an end to the bizarre hallway. It reminded her of being in a Fun House at a carnival, where mirrors were used to distort the distances and appearances of everything around. There were no mirrors here, and it was definitely not a carnival.
Mandy turned around completely with a frustrated sigh. She approached one wall and reached out to a panel. This one was closed. She moved to the next. It, too, was inaccessible. On the third try, she found a door and stepped through, entering someone’s quarters. It was vacant of aliens and small, nowhere near the size of Akkadi’s rooms.
She retreated to the hallway, disappointed, and continued walking. More people passed without acknowledging her. She gauged she was getting closer to some common area; a steady stream of people began to walk by her.
“You are the new slave Naki-prince Akkadi bought,” one said.
Mandy turned at the voice to see a man half a head shorter than her with grey skin and abnormally large eyes.
“I guess I am,” she said, agitated by the reminder.
“We haven’t seen you in the slave quarters.”
“I can’t find my way anywhere,” she complained. “How do you navigate these hallways?”
He tilted his head to the side, as if uncertain how to take her words. After a moment, he pointed to the floor. She looked. There were faint cuneiform markings, lines and dashes engraved along the edge of the corridor.
“Okay,” she said, studying the unfamiliar writing form. “I can’t read them, though.”
“You don’t really have to read them,” he answered. “I’ll show you.”
Mandy glanced around, half expecting Akkadi to rescue her and take her back to his quarters. She wasn’t certain why she wanted him to when they seemed to end up upset at each other whenever they talked.
“Okay,” she repeated.
“I’m Belo, another of the Naki-prince’s slaves. I can show you to the slave quarters.”
Slave. The word made her want to scream.
“I’m Mandy. I’d appreciate that.”
“You look very pure on the human side, above eighty percent, even,” Belo said, peering up at her. “Naki-prince normally avoids the more human slaves.”
She shrugged, uncertain what to say. Akkadi had been clear about not telling anyone she was purebred. When she didn’t respond, Belo motioned for her to follow him.
“Did he take you as his consort?” he asked.
“Uh, no,” she replied. “He seems to hate me.”
“It is his way. The other Naki-princes prefer the more human consorts. I thought maybe he changed his taste from Naki to human-like.”
“Not that I know of,” she grumbled. “I just got here, though, so I wouldn’t know.”
He walked for a short distance then through a wall. She followed, surprised to see what looked like a small barracks just beyond a sloping ramp guarded by two of the ten feet tall creatures. The open bay was lined with round beds, at the foot of each was a trunk. There were several other people in grey sleeping while a few more gathered in a break area. Belo led her past them to what looked like a break area, where two more aliens sat on white block serving as couches. The two ceased talking at Belo’s approach. One was a woman with yellow eyes, the second a man with a scarred face.
“I found her,” Belo said. “She has been wandering the halls. This is Mandy, our Naki-prince’s newest slave.”
“He traded five ships for you,” the woman said, looking her over. “I’m not sure why.”
“Neither is he,” Mandy quipped.
The woman looked startled then smiled.
“It is a lot to trade for a woman a man doesn’t intend to take as a consort,” Scar-Face said.
“Trust me. He wants nothing to do with me,” Mandy said and sat across from him. “The feeling is mutual, unless he decides to send me home.”
