17. Vanessa

Chapter 17

"Damn fucking crystal gods," I bellowed, smacking the top of the closest pod over and over with Aizor's dagger. The weapon just bounced off. The sharp end didn't even mar the surface. Even worse, the woman inside remained asleep. If her face wasn't pink, I'd think she was dead. "Open, damn you! Open!"

"Van-eesa," Aizor yelled, dismay clear in his voice. "You mustn't do this." He snatched the blade from my hand and held it high enough overhead I couldn't reach it.

That didn't stop me from jumping, trying to grab it again. "Give me a better weapon if this one won't work. Anyone got a sledgehammer?" Tears streamed down my face. "Don't you see? They're trapped inside these . . . awful things. Look at them. Look at them!" I collapsed on top of the clear roof of the closest one, gazing at the woman lying inside. She looked relaxed. Like she was sleeping beauty just waiting for her prince to come and give her a kiss to release her from this glass trap. "This is Talia. Or Maggie. I'm not sure which. But see her long black hair? She has beautiful brown eyes, and no one may ever see them again."

"You know these females?" he asked, walking around, studying each person lying on her back, dressed in the same sheer nightgown I was wearing when I arrived.

"I don't. Not really. They were on the ship with me that left Earth. When your crystal god woke me, it sent mechanical arms to carry me to my pod. I saw them then, also being carried to these pods. I only heard a few of them calling out to each other." I wiped the tears from my eyes and walked among the pods, pointing. "This is Maggie. She and Talia are sisters."

I couldn't believe they'd stolen this many women from Earth.

"They don't appear to be in distress," he said, coming over to stand with me, his hand dropping onto my shoulder. He rubbed, and he must be trying to give me comfort, but nothing was going to make me feel good about this.

"Not in distress?" I scowled up at him. "Would you like to be lying in a glass pod waiting for . . . who knows what?" Probably to begiftedto an alien. "What if there's an earthquake or a big storm? They could die inside these stupid things." I brought my fist down hard on the top of the one holding a woman with curly blonde hair. "I remember her, but I don't even know her name. There are eight of them here and other than Talia and Maggie, I don't knowanyof their names." Wait. "There was a red-haired woman . . ." I looked around, but I couldn't find her.

My knees gave out. I only remained upright because I clung to the closest pod. "She's gone. Is she dead?"

"I don't know," he said softly. "We could ask the gods to free these women."

She must be dead. The poor thing. "We'lldemandthey free them. None of these women deserve this."Ididn't deserve this. I snapped my head around, but I didn't see anything that might be a god standing nearby to be screamed at. No statues. No altars. "Take me to your gods, because I have a few choice words I'd like to say to them."

"Please be respectful."

"I'll be as respectful as they were with me when they kidnapped me from my home and everything I loved."

His shoulders fell. "You loved someone there?"

I shook my head. "I had an ex-boyfriend, but he was a total jerk. I stole some of his money and ran away after he hit me."

A snarl ripped up Aizor's throat, and he tightened his big hand on his sword jutting up his spine. "I'll ask the gods to send me to your world, and I'll kill him. How dare he hurt you?" His fingers traced down my face. "No one will ever cause you harm again. I'll make sure of this."

"I appreciate your willingness to defend me, but he's back there and I'm here. There's no need to beg your gods for a ship to take you there to kill him. If you did something like that, you'd be arrested. They'd hustle you to Area 51 and conduct experiments on you."

"Why would they examine me in such a way?"

"Because you're not from Earth. My people have a bad reputation for doing things like that. Or we assume they do. On Earth, no one knows if aliens are real or not, let alone what the government does with one they happen to catch."

"I'll take you to the gods," he said. "And Iwillask them how I can seek revenge for what your hex did to you."

He led me away from the women slumbering. Waiting for whatever might come next.

Aizor had treated me well so far. Spoiled me, if I was being honest. But no one should be given to a male without her consent. We weren't objects or pets.

On the far side of this enormous building, arched entries led to alcoves along the far wall. Back home, I'd think they were offices or places where they might store goods. Here? Who knew where they led? Maybe even to an alternate reality.

I was living the alternate reality.

He stopped outside the opening on the far right. "When the traedors gathered and decided to ask the gods to help save our people, we came here. Never in my memory has anyone been allowed to pass through this entrance unless they have urgent need of the gods."

"It's an open doorway."

"It only appears as such. When one of my people tried to enter, they were repelled."

"You mean like . . . they were shocked or something?" I wasn't sure about this now.

"They walked into a wall they couldn't see."

"Something invisible, then."

"I don't know that term."

"It means something physical that's there, but you can't see it."

"Yes, an invisible door. But when we decided to speak to the gods, a few of us were appointed to come here to plead with them. I was one of them."

Aizor had many admirable qualities. I could see why the traedors would choose him to join them in their quest, though I hadn't met anyone other than those within his clan.

"Then," he said, "the gods allowed us to enter the room. Inside, you'll find enormous blossoms."

I frowned, trying to picture what he meant. "Flowers?"

He nodded. "If the gods are willing to speak with you, you'll be absorbed within one of them."

I wasn't feeling the love for being absorbed into anything, but this might be my only chance to plead with Zuldruxian gods who I was beginning to suspect were actually a superior alien species instead. Not that I was an expert in things like that. I only went to church a few times when I was little, and I'd taken care of my own religion after that—which was almost no religion at all. Who was I to say that these beings weren't actual gods?

"You don't need to go inside, assuming the gods will allow you entrance," he said. "You could remain out here while I speak with them for you."

I appreciated that he was willing to do this for me, but I was a big girl. I could handle it. "I'm jumping into a blossom. Is there anything else I need to know?"

He smiled, though it held a touch of sadness. "I already told you to be respectful. My only other suggestion is that you listen to what the gods have to say, that you don't just shout at them."

"I never shout."

He snorted.

"Does it hurt?" My teeth chattered already. Was I really up to this after being pretty much swallowed by a giant fish then regurgitated on shore?

"No. The gods are kind. Benevolent even."

So said the male who was gifted with a woman.

"Full speed ahead, then." I started toward the open doorway, but he took my hand and held me back, turning me to face him.

Then he cupped my face and kissed me.