I mutter distractedly, steadying myself before reaching down to hold him. My eyes are glued to Lisa as she rages at Ival.
“You are the reason I’m here! You sent me away from Hank! You took me off Earth!” She shoves his shoulder and I am impressed. Ival is a scary looking guy, and with the way he’s glaring at Lisa, I’d be hesitant to yell at him, let alone push him.
When I hear Ival growling, though, I know it’s time to step in.
“Lisa, calm down.”
“Calm down! Are you serious? Do you not know who this is?” She turns around to face me, her shrieking voice echoing loudly around the tunnel.
“I do know who this is, but you don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand. He’s part of a different race. He’s the reason we’re stuck on this planet. His people control those machines!” Lisa is yelling at me now, her eyes wide. I can’t tell if she’s about to break down and cry, or try to hit me.
“I know who he is, but he’s not here to hurt us.” In my mind, I finish that sentence with right now .
“What do you mean?” Hannah moves to stand by Lisa, her gaze glaring over Ival before she stares at me.
“There are worse people who are trying to hurt us, ones who control those awful creatures.” My heart starts to pound, and I panic knowing I might have to admit who Marduke is, and maybe admit that I’m pregnant.
How will they react? Will they call me a traitor? A slut? Ival has already told me I am, already admitted that Marduke’s race would view me as such.
“Who cares? They’re all the same!” Lisa cries.
“They’re not. Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you can trust Ival.” I hug Logan to me tighter, a cold shiver running over me as it hits me that this conversation might not go the way I need it to.
“Why the hell do you trust him? What did he do after he sent me away?”
“He hurt me and I was bleeding and I was so scared. You said I would see Daddy, and I wanted to see him, but I wanted you to come with me. I didn’t want to go alone,” Logan whispers against my shoulder, but his voice carries to all of us.
I gulp, forced back into that awful memory of watching Logan bleeding out in my arms. His shaking voice and trembling body takes on a whole new meaning to me now. He might be scared of the creatures and machines, but there is a monster in this tunnel with us who he fears just as much.
“He won’t ever hurt you again, Logan, I promise,” I tell him, rubbing his back and hoping my promise offers him some comfort. There is no way I’ll leave Logan alone with Ival, not for any reason.
“He hurt Logan?” Lisa gasps.
“Please, he’s not going to hurt any of you,” Marduke speaks up from behind me, his hand resting on Logan’s head, whose tears are soaking my neck again. It breaks my heart to know he’s so distressed.
“How do you know?” Hannah crosses her arms over her chest but stumbles when Lisa pushes past her.
“Wait a minute,” she says to herself, peering carefully at Marduke. “I didn’t notice it back on Earth, and I hadn’t thought about it before, but…” She gasps then, her eyes staring directly into mine. “He’s one of them.” She states it, not asking me directly, but she’s gazing intently at me. I know she’s trying to figure out if I knew this already.
I nod, knowing there is no point lying about this. If it wasn’t going to be Marduke’s accent that gave him away, then it was going to be the fact that he and Ival are clearly related. Not to mention, Ival would have blurted it out anyway just to drive a wedge between Marduke and the others.
“But you… you were meant to be good. Hank and Mattie saved you,” Lisa accuses Marduke, the betrayal she’s feeling obvious.
“He is good, Lisa. He’s saved my life and Logan’s a bunch of times. He helped save Hank’s, too,” I rush to say.
“We do not have time for this. We have… to move,” Ival grunts.
“I’m not moving until someone tells me what
“You are the reason I’m here! You sent me away from Hank! You took me off Earth!” She shoves his shoulder and I am impressed. Ival is a scary looking guy, and with the way he’s glaring at Lisa, I’d be hesitant to yell at him, let alone push him.
When I hear Ival growling, though, I know it’s time to step in.
“Lisa, calm down.”
“Calm down! Are you serious? Do you not know who this is?” She turns around to face me, her shrieking voice echoing loudly around the tunnel.
“I do know who this is, but you don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand. He’s part of a different race. He’s the reason we’re stuck on this planet. His people control those machines!” Lisa is yelling at me now, her eyes wide. I can’t tell if she’s about to break down and cry, or try to hit me.
“I know who he is, but he’s not here to hurt us.” In my mind, I finish that sentence with right now .
“What do you mean?” Hannah moves to stand by Lisa, her gaze glaring over Ival before she stares at me.
“There are worse people who are trying to hurt us, ones who control those awful creatures.” My heart starts to pound, and I panic knowing I might have to admit who Marduke is, and maybe admit that I’m pregnant.
How will they react? Will they call me a traitor? A slut? Ival has already told me I am, already admitted that Marduke’s race would view me as such.
“Who cares? They’re all the same!” Lisa cries.
“They’re not. Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you can trust Ival.” I hug Logan to me tighter, a cold shiver running over me as it hits me that this conversation might not go the way I need it to.
“Why the hell do you trust him? What did he do after he sent me away?”
“He hurt me and I was bleeding and I was so scared. You said I would see Daddy, and I wanted to see him, but I wanted you to come with me. I didn’t want to go alone,” Logan whispers against my shoulder, but his voice carries to all of us.
I gulp, forced back into that awful memory of watching Logan bleeding out in my arms. His shaking voice and trembling body takes on a whole new meaning to me now. He might be scared of the creatures and machines, but there is a monster in this tunnel with us who he fears just as much.
“He won’t ever hurt you again, Logan, I promise,” I tell him, rubbing his back and hoping my promise offers him some comfort. There is no way I’ll leave Logan alone with Ival, not for any reason.
“He hurt Logan?” Lisa gasps.
“Please, he’s not going to hurt any of you,” Marduke speaks up from behind me, his hand resting on Logan’s head, whose tears are soaking my neck again. It breaks my heart to know he’s so distressed.
“How do you know?” Hannah crosses her arms over her chest but stumbles when Lisa pushes past her.
“Wait a minute,” she says to herself, peering carefully at Marduke. “I didn’t notice it back on Earth, and I hadn’t thought about it before, but…” She gasps then, her eyes staring directly into mine. “He’s one of them.” She states it, not asking me directly, but she’s gazing intently at me. I know she’s trying to figure out if I knew this already.
I nod, knowing there is no point lying about this. If it wasn’t going to be Marduke’s accent that gave him away, then it was going to be the fact that he and Ival are clearly related. Not to mention, Ival would have blurted it out anyway just to drive a wedge between Marduke and the others.
“But you… you were meant to be good. Hank and Mattie saved you,” Lisa accuses Marduke, the betrayal she’s feeling obvious.
“He is good, Lisa. He’s saved my life and Logan’s a bunch of times. He helped save Hank’s, too,” I rush to say.
“We do not have time for this. We have… to move,” Ival grunts.
“I’m not moving until someone tells me what
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