Page 16 of Rescuing Mara (Warriors of Arracate #2)
CHAPTER 16
Mara
S afe, I breathe in, inhaling O’Rec’s intoxicating scent. I have been on several planets. Usually, we stayed in private residences and closed compounds. Ananta made deals and did important things, and I stayed behind in her room. My hand involuntarily touches the band on my neck. Safe. As strange as it is, the slave mark I hate so much always kept me safe.
I feel my heart rate rising. This time, the band won’t do anything for me. Ananta isn’t here to keep me safe. How will I know if I can trust these people? I breathe in again, using O’Rec as an anchor to keep myself from panicking.
“Breathe, Marra,” he whispers in my ear. “I can feel you are scared, but you really do not have to fear anything or anyone on Novarron. The people are good; their queen is an example to us all.” His arm sneaks around me, holding me to him, and I melt into him. Surrendering myself to the calming effect his nearness has on me.
“How can you be so sure? How do you know they are not… bad?”
O’Rec lets out a small laugh. “You will see my star,” he says before he shifts his attention to his controls. I feel something pulse deep inside my chest at the use of the nickname. Like a heartbeat, but it’s something much more.
Sighing, I close my eyes to focus on my breathing. I feel the ship shaking, but I keep my eyes closed. I am determined to keep the anxiety at bay for as long as I can.
“Open your eyes,” O’Rec whispers in my ear. I automatically obey.
We have obviously passed through the atmosphere because before me is the most beautiful planet I have ever seen. It’s a combination of blues, greens, and large stretches of pink. No clouds are surrounding the planet, and I gasp at its beauty.
“Stunning, isn’t it?” he says. “Arracate was like this. We did not have as much water as Novarron, and we had bigger mountains, but it was just the most beautiful palette of all the green you can think of.
He looks lost in thought, so I turn toward him. “You must miss your planet and your people very much,” I say softly.
His sparkling eyes darken with grief, and his voice gruffs when he speaks again.
“Yes, we all miss our planet every day. We are lucky to have found a place where we can live together again after being hunted and divided for so long.”
My mind spins. Hunted? Divided? By who? But I think I know the answer. The Sternotheri, but why? Why would they destroy an entire planet and hunt the survivors down like their goal is to eliminate their entire species? My throat constricts because that is precisely why I am here. What Ananta wants me to do. Have them take me to their secret place, then betray them so she can kill them all.
Suddenly, I can’t breathe. Panic threatens to overflow me, so I do the only thing that makes sense right now. I throw my arms around O’Rec and hold on to him tight.
He stiffens, making me panic even more. What did I do? But before I can let go, his arms lock around me, cradling me against him. My breathing turns rapid, showing my panic. I can’t let her kill them, can I? I start trembling at the thought of even defying Ananta when O’Rec pulls back and lifts my chin, leaving me no choice but to look into his eyes. Fierce protectiveness shines through as he cradles my cheek.
“You are okay, Marra. You are safe. I will not let anything happen to you. I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you. You know you are everything to me, and if I cannot be everything to you, at least let me be something to you. Let me be your protector. Let me be the one who keeps you safe. Let me be your Warrior.”
My breath falters, and it feels like my heart just stopped beating. He misinterpreted my reasons for panicking, but his words are everything I have been longing to hear all my life. They leave me raw, exposed, and vulnerable, and I know I have to make a choice. I know I have to choose between him and Ananta. I can’t right now, but someday, I will.
Blinking away tears, I swallow. I can… I can try, maybe? I want to, I want to so badly… “I want to.” My voice is hoarse, and I hate how broken I sound, and how broken I am. “But…”
He silences me by laying a finger on my lips. “That is enough for me, my Zarra.”
Tears stream down my face as we stare at each other, and I feel as though the chain bonding me to Ananta is cracking, and one of the links has lost its strength. I shudder, and that weird pulse inside me is back. Stronger than the last time, I rub my chest. Wordlessly, O’Rec pulls me into his arms again, and I surrender.
“Will you hurry up and kiss her already?” Someone nearby shouts, and we immediately break apart. Somehow, I missed D’Var and Lauren entering Command while forgetting T’Rak was always there. Embarrassment creeps over me, making me blush, but O’Rec just laughs, pulling me into his arms again for one last hug.
We make the descent, and I quickly dry my tears with my shirt. His arm is a steady caress around me, and I’m firmly rooted on his lap. Lauren and D’Var are happily chatting, D’Var pointing out stuff to Lauren, who is also seated in his lap.
“Feel better?” O’Rec asks, and I nod. He gives me a little squeeze, and then we look at the pretty picture Novarron makes as we approach its surface.
* * *
The landing is soft, and while the ship shuts down, we make our way towards the airlock.
“The vents need to air out before the ship can open the airlock. The atmosphere is friendly, so there is no need for protective gear,” O’Rec explains as we stand before the airlock, waiting for the ship to complete the process. T’Rak stands at the front, with D’Var and Lauren at his right flank, and O’Rec and I are on his left.
Slowly, the airlock sizzles and unlocks, the doors slide open, and an exit ramp expels from the ship. T’Rak walks forward, and we follow. D’Var has his arm slung around Lauren loosely, her face open and excited. I cling to O’Rec’s arm, my body stiff and my mind on full alert.
The sunlight is blinding, and I blink several times when we walk down the ramp towards the ground. I hear soft murmurs and strange sounds, rustling, whistling, and… singing. I don’t have time to explore my surroundings because O’Rec is guiding me towards a line of people who are standing in waiting for us. T’Rak is already greeting the last person, and D’Var is taking the time to introduce Lauren to the aliens. That leaves me and O’Rec.
The first person we see is a beautiful female with soft features and a delicate but regal posture. She is taller than me, more like Lauren, and her skin is a rich brown. Her hair falls in long black waves to the small of her back, pinned behind her pointed ear on one side and loose on the other. Big golden, cat-like eyes, combined with a warm and welcoming smile, take us in.
“Welcome to Novarron, Prince O’Rec. It is a pleasure to meet you again. Tell me, who is the lovely human you have brought with you?” She greets us, her smile showing off her sharp teeth, but strangely, I don’t feel so scared anymore.
“Greetings Queen Rahna. Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful planet. It is a pleasure to see you in such good health. Might I say you look amazing?” O’Rec says, eyes sparkling.
“You have always been easy to hand out compliments, Prince O’Rec.” The Queen laughs at his compliment, and I feel a burning sensation in my stomach at their easy familiarity.
He shrugs, then pulls me forward. “This is my mate, Marra.” I look up at him, meeting his sparkling eyes, looking down at me proudly.
“A mate?!” Queen Rahna calls out. “That is cause for celebration, congratulations my old friend. I am so happy for you.”
“My thanks, Queen Rahna,” he says formally before he takes a step forward, and they touch cheeks in a formal way.
I gather all my courage and take a step forward. Smiling, the Queen offers me her cheek and I imitate the gesture. She smiles at me when I take a step back.
“Welcome to Novarron, Marra. I am glad you have found your mate in O’Rec. He is the best of males, and I hope you will help him see to this, too, so he can rise to be the great King he is destined to be.”
Blinking, I look at O’Rec, who is already greeting the next person in line. Looking back, I see that the Queen is still watching me. The pulse in my chest is back, and I step forward again, whispering. “What do you mean?”
“You will see,” she smiles. “Just remember, he needs you as much as you need him. A true mating is a partnership of equals.” She gives me a stern look, and I move to greet the next person.
After everyone has been introduced, they guide us to large hoverboards lying on the grassy surface. A smiling Novarron occupies each board. I tentatively step upon the smooth surface, my thin leather boots almost making me fall. O’Rec holds me upright with a smile and a wink.
“Just hold on to me for the ride, Zarra.”
Swiftly, the board rises and hovers in the air. Lauren squeals, and I cling to O’Rec, who inhales deeply before putting his arms around me. His tail slithers around my ankle to ground me, and the touch is weirdly comforting. The board moves forward at a moderate tempo, giving us time to look around, and what I see is mesmerizing.
Our ship landed in the middle of a big clearing, a grassy surface with flowers spread through it. A grassy road leads from the clearing through the forest, where we are currently hovering above. The trees are enormous and all shades of green. The bark is dark purple and somehow reflects the sunlight.
Shielding my eyes, I look up at a giant sun that is so bright that it looks white. The sky is blue and cloudless, though the gassy atmosphere gives the illusion of clouds. The singing I heard earlier is the song of strange birds who fly freely and don’t appear to be scared of us.
The grassy road is vast, and we can see the end of the forest coming closer. I take it all in—it’s like nothing I have ever seen and nothing I can compare it to. I am in awe of the beauty and tranquility surrounding us. The only sounds we hear besides the soft humming of the hoverboards and the murmurs of people chatting are the sounds of the forest.
O’Rec has a blissful expression on his face as he smiles and looks around like he never wants to forget a single detail of this forest. He is so relaxed here. I see it in the easy way he holds himself and in the way he talks to the Queen about her planet and her people.
Exiting the forest, we encounter a large pink plain, which leads to mountains on both sides.
“These are the Pink Plains,” Queen Rahna tells me. “They are pink because of a mineral that seeps into the ground from the mountains. The roots of our Knory trees form a natural barrier, so the pink is enclosed between our woods.”
I respond in awe. “It is stunning!”
“Thank you,” she smiles.
We travel across the plain in silence toward another looming forest. Once we pass the first lines of trees, the forest gives way to an enormous lake, with smooth white bridges connecting the shores in an intricate network. Where the bridges connect, massive towers are built on the shore, forming small villages of skyscrapers, each in its own style.
“Welcome to our Capital,” Queen Rahna says.