Tania Read online

  Wuylir’s arm wraps around my back. “This is going to be very interesting, don’t you think?”

  I huff out. “Very scary.”

  “Spaceships are safe,” Wuylir says. “You’ll love them, sweetheart, I promise.”

  We move forward and step onto a wide board of a silver colour that leads us inside the spaceship. Red flashing lights make me feel dizzy as a humming sound settles in my ears. I see a goddess. She has blonde hair like my mom, but she’s as tall as Wuylir.

  “You must be Wuylir,” she says and her full lips curl into a seductive smile.

  “Yes, I’m Wuylir.”

  I want to kill her. She shoots me a warning glance.

  I think I will kill her.

  “Very short-tempered that human of yours,” the goddess says.

  “I’m a fan of short-tempered humans,” Wuylir says.

  “And so are we,” the goddess says. “Prometheus’ wife was like her.” Sadness clouds her eyes. “He’s still looking for her.”

  “In the meantime, he’s managed to produce three sons with three goddesses,” Wuylir says with sarcasm.

  “Yes, your grandmother can’t wait to see you at last,” the goddess says.

  We pull forward. I look over my shoulder.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  “Athena, sweetheart.” The goddess winks at me.

  A god starts walking at my other side, his ancient aura almost tangible, and I recognise him as Prometheus.

  “Rest and come to the captain’s bridge.” Prometheus strokes my hair with his enormous rough hand like I’m a child. He looks at me with concern then his eyes travel to Wuylir. “She has cancer in her left thigh. I need to fix this. Nothing to worry.”

  “How do you know this?” Wuylir explodes. “There’re no cancer cells in her body, I’m sure. I checked her out.”

  “It hasn’t started yet, but I can already sense it,” Prometheus says as he grabs my husband’s wrist and removes the cuff with a small tool that looks like a hook. “When you’re my age, you’ll be as good as I am.” He strokes my back. “Your cabin is behind the red door.” He points his finger to his right. “Good, I have a big spaceship to accommodate your whole family.” He nods and grunts. “We are family people. We like picking up other people.” He pats Wuylir’s shoulder and pulls forward.

  Wuylir stops and presses a yellow button. We enter a room that looks like a prison cell.

  “Horrible,” I say.

  “But there’s a wide bed.” Wuylir nudges my chest with his elbow.

  “Will do.” My eyes sweep over the mattress placed in a niche with an arched metal roof.

  “And there’s a shower cabin.” Wuylir grunts. “Fancy a shower with me?”

  We exchange glances and start peeling our clothes off. Our lips meet hungrily. I want to devour him, and he wants to devour me. Our hands dance and grope and absorb. We move into the shower cabin that looks like a shed formed by three pink misty walls, and a warm damp fog of a dark pink colour envelops our naked bodies.

  “What the fuck?” I growl.

  “It’s better than the water in the shower cabins on Earth,” Wuylir says.

  Yes, I feel like all the dirt and blood just dissolve and my skin feels clean and fresh like never before.

  Wuylir grips my waist and lifts me off the floor. My arms and legs wrap around him.

  “I wanted to be a gentleman,” he says.

  “What is a gentleman?”

  His mouth latches on mine, and he slams me on the misty wall. I yelp and stiffen, expecting to fall down, but no, the wall turns solid and my back hits the warm surface of it. I feel Wuylir’s hard cock push at my entrance. I suck in a breath, and he buries his manhood in my cunt, balls deep.

  Blackness covers my vision. My pussy feels like it’ll split in half.

  Wuylir starts thrusting. My body rocks against the wall as my glance meets his dark insane eyes.

  It hurts so much, but I know he needs it like this to shake all the fear about me off. I yield myself to him. I accept every punishing thrust. I take the pain.

  His face sharpens, and his primal growl travels in the air. His cock thickens inside me, and he fills me up with his hot cum.

  Our lips meet in a deep desperate kiss.

  “Tania.”

  “I’m here, baby. I’m here for you. I love you.”

  “I love you more than anything.”

  “I love you more, Wuylir.”

  “I need you again.”

  “I know.”

  He is still hard inside me, his body taut against mine.

  “Fuck me,” I say.

  He thrusts into me, his cock stroking the point of pleasure inside me. I feel like I’m rising. Wuylir fucks me harder. Faster. Pain and pleasure mix in my tummy. I tremble violently as my orgasm rolls over me.

  Wuylir moans his satisfaction.

  “I love you,” I say.

  “No, I love you more. I love you so much I just fucked a baby into you. Happy?”

  “Wow.” My jaw drops open.

  The pink mist slithers into my mouth and, fuck me, it starts cleaning my teeth. Wuylir opens his mouth and bends his neck back. The mist cleans his teeth too, I guess.

  He kisses me and carries me to the bed. We slip under a thin blanket that feels like feathers against my skin.

  “You don’t want to be a mom, Tania?”

  “I want to. Really. It’s just…”

  Too dangerous to have a baby now.

  I realise Wuylir doesn’t want to dig around in my head.

  “I know you wanted your family to be safe, Tania. It was visible. You were nice to me because—“

  “No, baby, stop it. It’s not like this. I love you. Really. I love you for caring for my family and I love you for being you. It’s just that… kids now, you know.”

  “Our baby will be safe, I promise.”

  I stroke his cheek. “You are my me’zzy.”

  “And you are my z’onny.”

  Chapter 8

  Tania

  Everything is grey or white in here—the tables and chairs are white; the food dispensers are grey. The engines hum like the greyness of a river in the distance, as the laughter and chattering of our companions waft through the air—pearly and loud, glittery and husky.

  Wuylir covers my hand with his and leans towards me, kissing my temple.

  Isabella rolls her eyes. “Two lovebirds.”

  I kick her foot with mine, and she hisses. Arnau grins and juts his chin out towards Wuylir. They exchange glances, stand up, and walk off.

  Isabella puts her elbows on the table. “Is he good to you?”

  “Very good. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  My eyes slide over the enormous window at the farther end of the café. The space is black and glittery. Threatening. Mysterious. But I want to explore it.

  We’re heading towards the station built inside of one the craters of the Hollian Moon. Wuylir said we’d be safe in there, but the station is not very big, so it will feel like we’re in prison. Well, at least we’re all alive.

  The Hollian Moon will be our accommodation until Prometheus decides where he wants to send us to next.

  We’ve been travelling for three weeks now as my mom calls twenty-one lunar triads.

  “Are you scared of this new life?” Isabella asks.

  “Yes and no.”

  “We’re together. Alive. That’s all that matters.”

  I see my mom walking towards us. She drops into the chair beside me, her hands clenched on the table.

  “So, are you excited about your new home?” she asks as though we’re going on a holiday.

  “Yes and no,” Isabella says.

  “Girls,” my mom says, “you’re witnessing wonders, you’re learning about great mysteries.” She squeezes my hand in hers and then Isabella’s. “Have courage. This is a wonderful journey.”

  Her strength diffuses into me. “Who would expect that one day we’ll be
on the deck of a real spaceship?”

  “With a bunch of dicks,” Isabella says.

  “Those gods saved my life,” I say. “And my husband’s.” I swallow thickly. “And my baby’s.” I press my hand against my tummy.

  Prometheus fixed all my future health problems with a red coffin on the first day, as soon as Wuylir and I stopped fucking. Yes, we fucked like two rabbitas. Prometheus put me inside the coffin and kept me in there for fifteen minutes. It was warm and tingly.

  Isabella squeaks, and my mom throws her arm around my back, kissing the top of my head.

  Our men appear in the café to join us. My dad is holding my little brother in his arms as Maya’s walking beside him. She turns her head in every direction. Arnau’s son is following them.

  Maya’s only twelve but she’s very excited about our new home.

  She tears her hand away from my father’s and darts towards the window. Darts into Samael. Oh fuck.

  My mom squeals quietly as my heart stops beating. Silence layers the café and it seems like everybody holds their breaths.

  Samael kneels on one knee and puts his forearm on his thigh. My little sister raises her hand and pulls at his long hair.

  “Why are you so scary?” Maya asks in a breathy voice.

  “Maya,” my dad growls. “Come here.”

  “Your daughters are as brave as you are, Vahan,” Samael says and my dad bows his head at him.

  “They’re my daughters,” my dad says, his voice full of power as though he’s speaking to his equal.

  We are proud people. We’re not afraid to speak to gods or winged creatures. My mom seems to be overwhelmed each time she sees Samael. She thinks he’s some fucking saint, but I don’t think the same.

  Maya pulls a feather out of Samael’s wing and closes her little fingers around it. “Can I keep it?”

  “What if I say no?” Samael says.

  Maya giggles. “You’re funny.”

  “You’re funny too,” Samael says.

  She giggles again, pulls the feather to her chest and darts towards my mom, falling into her arms.

  Samael rises to his feet as his wings vanish with a rustle. He drops into the chair at the table occupied by Prometheus and Lydia, one of the two goddesses travelling with us. She raises her hand like she wants to stroke Samael’s cheek but his evil glance stops her. His eyes travel to a human woman, one from Arnau’s tribe. Then he watches one of Isabella’s friends from her school. He picks another.

  The rumours say that he doesn’t touch married women, but his bed is never empty. He’s fucked every single woman on this spaceship.

  He doesn’t fuck clones either—there’re five of them in here. They are like silent blue shadows—our cleaners, our cooks and our waiters and waitresses. I don’t know whether to regard them as women and men or machines. Prometheus gave them shelter and freedom. Choice. Future. I’m learning about them.

  Samael comes and goes. But that’s not my job to understand.

  Samael doesn’t know this yet, but Maya will soon grow up. And she’ll enslave his heart.

  Isabella tilts her head to me. I flash her the most devilish of my smiles. I can’t wait to listen to her story. Our men are occupied with themselves so I move towards the dark grey couch that stands by the window.

  “Tell me everything,” I say.

  Isabella’s cheeks turn red. “Arnau…”

  “Yes, Arnau and you.”

  “You know, the plan was very simple, but there were complications.”

  Chapter 9

  Isabella

  Four moon cycles earlier.

  Arnau pulls forward. He looks over his shoulder, his fierce green eyes meeting mine. “We still need to speak to your father.”

  I catch up with him. “You still need to speak to my father. I’m gonna stay far away. You know, in case my dearest daddy is very pissed off.”

  Arnau chuckles as he grabs my hand, and we start walking with our arms touching. His fingers lace with mine, as his calluses scratch my skin. We move at a fast pace until I see the back door that leads to the kitchen. We enter it, and Vosgi shoots me a curious glance. Wrinkles appear under her eyes. Wrinkles I love so much.

  “Hungry?” she asks as her eyes slide over Arnau and travel to his hand entwined with mine.

  I free myself from his grip and kiss Vosgi’s cheek. “No, math’ca. We’re just passing by.” I stroke her pregnant belly. “The baby fine?”

  “Fine,” she says, joy ringing in her voice. “Sebas is so happy. We’ve waited so long for it, and Sebas is so sweet now, even sweeter than he ever was before.”

  “I bet he is,” I say.

  “Your father has a guest over,” Vosgi says.

  “Who is it?” Arnau asks.

  “The god.” Vosgi’s voice stirs and she rubs her fist against her heart area as though she wants to deter a spectre.

  “Why is that dickhead in here?” I say.

  Vosgi frowns at me. She’s so scared of the gods. “I don’t know.” A loud sigh escapes her mouth. She glances at Arnau, her palms on her swollen belly. “Why are you so happy?”

  “None of your business, woman,” Arnau says.

  Vosgi glances at him and then at me as her eyes narrow. She shakes her head. “I knew it.”

  “You knew what?” Arnau snaps.

  “You think I’m blind, Arnau?” Vosgi raises her hands and rolls her eyes.

  Arnau growls and grips my arm. “Women. Prying like a bunch of rabbitas. Always prying. Nosey rabbitas.”

  “I’m not a rabbita,” Vosgi says with reproach and smoothes a hand over the messy bun made of her grey hair.

  “A pregnant rabbita,” Arnau says and winks at her.

  He moves forward, pulling me behind him. We cross the hall as cold penetrates my naked feet with each step against the marble floor, and we enter the living room. My eyes travel to my mom. Her eyes are red from crying. Panic strangles my throat. My heart starts racing. She must have told my dad about Arnau and me, and he wasn’t thrilled. My dad’s concerned eyes sweep over me. No, he doesn’t look like he wants to ground me in the catacombs or something. He just looks worried.

  “Mom,” I start.

  My mom glances at me and smiles as though everything is fine. Her hand reaches for my dad’s.

  “Vahan, baby, we need to tell you something,” my mom says.

  Arnau clears his throat and shakes his head, giving her a crystalline message that this is his job to speak to my dad.

  “Sorry,” my mom squeaks.

  “Vahan,” Arnau says. “Can I speak to you in private?”

  My dad tilts his head. “In the library.”

  The men leave us, and my mom gestures for me to sit down beside her.

  “I need to tell you something, Isabella. Tania… Wuylir… she…” Her voice cracks, and she takes a convulsive breath.

  My heart stops beating as I watch pallor paint her face.

  “Is she mortally sick?” I shriek. “Or mortally wounded?”

  What else could happen to her? Nassara is safe so my sister must have exited it and found something dangerous. She’s always been very curious and irresponsible. As have I.

  “Mom?”

  “Wuylir took her.”

  “Why?”

  The dick wants to experiment on her. I’m sure. He wants to kill her and dissect her body. Dread fills my veins.

  “Tania will be his wife, Isabella.”

  Rage fills my veins. “That’s…No, no fucking way.” I shake my head as the heaviness of that news pins me down.

  Arnau

  Vahan pours me a glass of wine. I drop onto the sofa that was once Yasen’s favourite spot.

  “How did it go?” Vahan asks.

  “Alyssa was a bit shocked, but it seems like she is not against it.”

  “Good. I was worried she could ruin my whole plan.” He hands me one of the glasses and drops into the armchair. “You marry my daughter and make her forget about that whole revolution.”


  “Nobody will listen to her.”

  “Good.” He nods. “She should get married, start a family and forget about her crazy ideas.”

  “She’s your daughter, Vahan. She’s like you. She wants to change the world.”

  “She’s worse than me.” Pride coats his voice. “Much worse.”

  Silence layers the library as memories enter my head—five moon cycles ago, I was standing in this library, and I was asking Vahan for Isabella’s hand in marriage. He wasn’t surprised.

  “She looks like my Alyssa,” he said.

  “No, she looks like my wife,” I said. “My z’onny. It was written in another dimension for us.”

  “You love her?”

  “With my whole heart.”

  He grinned. “Take her. And deal with her crazy ideas.” He sighed like he was exhausted. “She will make your life very crazy. And very unpredictable.”

  I return from my reverie. My eyes sweep over Vahan’s face.

  “You’re worried, brother,” I say.

  He threads his fingers through his hair that’s streaked with grey wisps around his temples. “Wuylir has claimed my Tania.”

  “Wuylir? They don’t claim human women. They don’t claim women at all. They just use them and trash them.”

  “He came and took her for his wife. He wants her in return for his help many years ago.”

  I nod. “It would be dishonourable to refuse him your daughter.” I met Wuylir many moon cycles ago. He’s not a bad man.

  “Similarly, it would be dishonourable to refuse you my other daughter.”

  I killed a free woman for him. I was his slave then, but he said he’d owe me like I was a free man. When he freed me, I stayed in Nassara. He said he owed me even more. He is an honourable man. And he is a very eccentric high-born man. I just decided to stay in a place that’s been my home for as long as I can remember.

  I spread my hands. “What can I say?” I glide my palm over my shaved head. “Fortunately, I have no daughters.”

  Vahan chuckles. “Daughters are difficult to bring up. Not to mention that you need to find them good husbands when they come of age.”

  I press my fist against the centre of my chest. “I’ll be a good husband to Isabella.”