Taking Mercy Read online

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” he laughs, “really. They were all due for a check-up anyway. I figured this way you could see the various progresses in an Athion pregnancy.”

  I’m nearly giddy with excitement. When I first arrived, there were no pregnancies at the facility, but in the six months that have followed, more and more women have found suitable mates or relationships with the Athions working and living here.

  Our first patient is Adele, age twenty-three, from France. She’s five months pregnant and accompanied by two men. One, Damin, a light-blue skinned Athion, with a slim frame and dark brown eyes. The other, Adrius, has a darker complexion, maybe from the Southern Tip. His eyes shimmer like amber. They both hover attentively over Adele from the moment they enter to the moment they leave.

  The instruments used on Athion are far more advanced and less intrusive, which is less stressful on the mother and baby.

  “Adele,” Dr. Kane says, while I assist, “I need you to stretch out on the examination table. Mid-wife Ladd will coat your belly in this gel and we’ll start your exam.”

  It’s similar to an ultrasound but the quality and picture are far superior. Within minutes of placing the monitor on her slightly round belly, the forming baby is visible.

  “Would you like to know the sex?” Dr. Kane asks, rotating the device.

  The three look at one another. At the same time, they say, “Yes!”

  “It looks like you’re expecting a girl and everything looks healthy. As you can see, the heart has an extra chamber—this is normal for Athion embryos--and there’s a small nub at forming on the backside. Also normal.” He looks at the men. “Is this a common trait in one of your families?”

  “On my mother’s side,” Adrius says emotionally. Dr. Kane nods. “Well, your mother’s genetic material has been passed on.”

  I wonder for a moment if Damin will be upset but he takes Adele’s hand and kisses it, smiling happily at Adrius.

  Dr. Kane glances at me. “Mid-wife Ladd, do you have any comments?”

  “Heartrate for baby and mother are good. Your blood is flowing well. Are you having any problems?”

  “My nausea is mostly over and I’m able to get down solid foods.”

  “Are you taking the maka root powder like I suggested?”

  “I am. Thank you, it really helped.”

  The herbal medicines are plentiful on Athion and mixing them with our own processes has made the birthing transition even easier.

  “Good. You need to keep your vitamin D levels up, as well as your iron. I’ll give you a list of things you can get at the apothecary that should hold you over between now and your next appointment.”

  “Great, thank you.”

  Dr. Kane and her mates leave the room. I linger to help her clean up. Once she’s settled, I glance at her, wanting to ask a question but unsure if it’s appropriate.

  Adele frowns. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m—I’m just curious about something but I don’t want to pry.”

  “You’ve been such a help to me,” she says, resting her hand on her belly, “ask me anything.”

  “How did you know they were the ones? That you were ready to procreate with one of them?”

  She smiles and it makes her look younger—happier. “There’s something about these males that are different from the ones at home. It’s not that they aren’t lustful or filled with desire but it’s balanced by a respect and adoration that I’ve never experienced before. I’d thought I’d been in love on Earth, but what I feel for Damin and Adrius…it far exceeds any relationship I’ve had before. I feel safe with them. Treasured. I want them,” she confesses. “I thought I understood what lust felt like before but no, I want both of them all the time. Even while pregnant. I have a spark in me—a thirst I can’t quench.”

  “And it isn’t strange to be with two men at once, you know, emotionally and physically?” I blush at the last question. It seems too forward. Adele doesn’t seem to mind.

  “No—it feels right.” She grins. “It’s hard to explain. You’ll know how to navigate it if you ever have the opportunity.”

  I squeeze her hand. “Unfortunately, I think I’m married to my work, but it makes me happy. You’re going to have a wonderful family.”

  I leave her to finish changing, knowing our next patient is waiting. I consider what she’s said, that feeling of thirst—the spark. I’ve felt the flickers myself when I dream of Kai, or when I was alone with Dimka and our hands touched. When I feel the heat of Alex’s eyes protectively watching me. I think of Dr. Kane and how I’ve learned so much from him—the way he’s taken me under his wing. All of these are unfamiliar to me yet thrilling all the same. I wonder, if we were under different circumstances, if one of these men could be my future mate.

  Or maybe, I think, walking to the examination room, maybe more than one.

  “Do you ever get homesick?” I ask one night. It’s past midnight and I’m still not tired. My cup of tea sits on the table between me and Alex, along with a tablet where we’re playing tic-tac-toe. “Do you miss Earth?”

  “I miss some things,” he says. “Food. Comfort items. Smells—like my mom’s Sunday dinner or fresh cookies from the oven. Grass after a summer rain.”

  “I think I miss the way things were before—not the way they are now.”

  “That’s not very specific.”

  “Fine,” I say, leaning back in my seat. “Every week growing up, we’d go to the Dairy Queen in town and get sundaes. I liked peanuts and hot fudge and two cherries.”

  “Two?”

  “Yes, two, specifically.” I sigh. “I know I’ll never get one of those again, you know?”

  “Yeah.” He nods in understanding. “It’s hard for me to remember those things. I was a solider on active duty for several years, living off MREs and in a dusty tent.”

  “So, you traded up for space exploration and the exciting world of playing tic-tac-toe at three a.m.?”

  “I was looking for a new adventure, I guess. I wanted out of the war and Kai promised me this assignment would be calmer.” He smiles at me and marks an X on one of the outer boxes. “He was right about that.”

  “I was tired of being scared all the time,” I confess. “I hated the paranoia of not knowing who to trust, of feeling like I was a victim waiting to happen.” He frowns while I say this, concern etched on his face. “I’d lost my sister to the Trads and I just…I just couldn’t face it happening to me.”

  I make a circle on the grid with my finger and reach for my cup.

  “You don’t feel that paranoia here?” he asks. “Because the Athions are just as eager for a mate.”

  “True,” I agree. “But it’s not a mate the Trads want. It’s a vessel.”

  I feel his eyes on me and look up to his intense gaze. “I agree, their interest is genuine, but there are other things they do differently than back home. You’re aware they believe in poly relationships?”

  “I am.” I think back to the family in the examination room that day. “It’s nice. There’s a lack of competition. They fall in love with who they’re supposed to—even if it’s not just one person.”

  “So you’re agreeable to that kind of relationship?”

  “Me?” I laugh. “Sure, I’ll push the horde of interested suitors out of the way.”

  The frown line between his forehead is deep and creased. He shakes his head and makes a final mark on the tablet. Securing the win. “Don’t be so sure about your lack of suitors, Mercy, I just told you, things work differently here.”

  I pause, confused. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not a courtship like back home. There’s no mingling at bars or set-ups by well-meaning friends. The Athions can sense your chemical make-up, their attraction clicks in place, like a missing piece of the puzzle.”

  I recall Dimka’s hand touching mine, and Kai’s gesture of the sunset—his scent that stirred my dreams and woke me. I study the man across the table.
The human. “And where do you fit into these differences?”

  “At first I didn’t get it. Share a woman? We don’t really do that back home. Even cultures that have polygamy typically have one man and multiple wives. But living here, becoming friends—no brothers—with Kai and Dimka? They’ve taught me how to view women differently. Value you and your beauty and mind and body in a whole new light.”

  It’s the use of the word “you” that rocks me. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s referring to me. It’s in the way he’s looking at me. The way his jaw tightens and his chest puffs forward. It’s in the slight strain of his voice.

  He checks his data pad and grimaces. “I need to go on patrol.”

  “O-okay.”

  Nothing else comes out.

  He walks around the table and passes me, but I don’t miss the slight graze of his fingers on my neck or the chill that runs down my spine in reaction.

  A million questions sit on the tip of my tongue as I watch him leave. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? That these men, all three are interested in me? I flash to Dr. Kane. Does he feel the same? A knot in my belly tells me no—not after he warned me away.

  I sit in my chair until daylight, until my tea is gone and sunlight streams through the windows, pondering this new world and everything it holds. Athion seems ready for me, but I wonder if I’m ready for it.

  13

  Alex

  I step outside the command building and feel the sharp sting of wind against my cheeks. I’m pushed back a foot, landing against Dimka’s solid chest. He holds me upright.

  Kai shouts over the wind but I can’t hear him. My com crackles in my ear.

  “I’m going to check on the outer perimeter. I’m getting a damage report. Dimka, secure the educational wing. Alex, make sure the dorms are secure and everyone is in their rooms. The buildings are safe. We just need everyone inside.”

  We part and I brace myself against the pummeling wind to make the two-hundred-yard walk across the facility. The storms on this part of Athion are like a series of massive tornadoes back on Earth. The wind is vicious, the sandy landscape makes flying debris common. Cyclones tear through the air.

  Thankfully, the pathways are clear of civilians and I only have to dodge one flying container as I duck into the residence hall. The doors are locked and I use my security access to gain entry. At the front desk, a Custo stands over the data pad, lowering the window shutters and checking each room.

  “Everyone secure?”

  The pad shows each room, red lights signaling the occupant. A few dots are still in motion, moving from the bathrooms or down hallways. My eyes go directly to the fourth floor, room 418.

  Only one dot is in the room.

  “Call the room. Ask who’s missing.” My heart lodges in my throat.

  The Custo does as I ask, calling into the room’s intercom system.

  “This is Rose,” a voice says. I picture the dark-haired girl.

  “What is the location of your roommate?”

  “I don’t know. She never returned from the clinic.”

  “Lock down the dormitory after I leave. Don’t open it again,” I declare, heading toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” the Custo asks.

  “To locate the occupant of 418.”

  “Don’t you think she’s secure?”

  I don’t answer. It doesn’t matter what I think. The wind knocks me backwards as I step outside. It will only matter when I find her and make sure Mercy’s safe.

  14

  Mercy

  This isn’t the first storm I’ve experienced since arriving on Athion, but with every passing moment I think it may be the worst. I’d left the building when the alert sounded, notifying each of us via our devices and the security systems to take cover in the residence halls.

  “Be careful,” Dr. Kane calls, heading north toward the staff housing. “Get inside. Quickly.”

  We’d been the last two to leave the clinic and I took two steps before muttering, “Shoot,” and pausing at the door. I left my data pad on the counter and the last thing I wanted is to be in a storm lockdown with nothing to read. I look up for Kane, but he’s gone already, rushing home. I know I should get home, but I swipe my card and rush back in, grabbing the pad before going back into the building storm.

  The alarm buzzes on my wrist, notifying me of the danger. “I know,” I grumble, ducking my head and trying to blindly follow the path. My hair whips around my face and the edge of my sweater trails behind me like a sail. The wind is insanely strong, pushing me back with every step I take. Like a shroud covering the planet, the sky turns dark with sand and debris, making it feel like night. I reach the statue of Emperor Elrin outside the entrance of the building and crouch, flattening my body against it. There’s no way I’m making it to the dorm. I need to get back to the clinic, but it’s too dark and too far away.

  I turn, holding my hair out of my eyes, listening to the wind and yelp, feeling the sharp sting of something pelting my face. I look down and see the round orb—the size of a golf ball. Hail.

  I use my hands to cover my head, the hail raining down from the sky. The ice hurts and I curl into the side of the base of the statue, listening to the howl of the wind, praying to the god I grew up with and the one ruling this planet, that I’ll survive.

  Minutes pass and I feel my skin peeling from the wind. This is idiotic, I think. Dying in a sandstorm, feet away from my building. What a waste of my life and resources. I feel the sting of tears prick at my eyes—this is not what I came here to do.

  I don’t know how long I stay there, couched and balled against the statue, hoping the great Emperor’s spirit protected. When I feel the tug against my body, I’m exhausted and have no energy to resist.

  It’s not the wind that lifts me, but strong arms that cradle me against a hard chest. Shivering, I sink in, unsure who has me but knowing in my heart I’m with someone safe. I peer out into the darkness and see another figure and soon I’m handed over into a second set of welcoming arms. We’re out of the storm, somewhere low, I hear it roaring overhead, followed by the clink of a door being secured.

  “Can you stand?” the man holding me asks in a muffled voice.

  I nod, then reply, “Yes. I think so.”

  I’m lowered to the ground, feet steady. I turn to see my savior but find a figure cloaked in black, face covered with a heavy mask. Fear rolls through me; was it a trap? A trick? Is this what happened to the last girl that went missing?

  A regrettable whimper tumbles from my lips.

  The masked man tears off his mask.

  Kai.

  A sob of relief claims me and I lunge forward, flinging myself in his arms.

  “Sorry it took so long to find you. Some of the equipment went down in the storm and you were tucked beneath that statue.” His arms hold me tight, like he’s afraid to let go.

  “Thank you for coming,” I say, after swallowing back my emotions.

  “Are you injured?” he asks. His hands lay on my back.

  “No, I don’t think so.” I haven’t let go. “I was just so scared. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

  “We don’t have storms like that back home—not really,” another voice says. Not leaving Kai’s arms, I look to the side. Alex. “No wonder you were frightened.”

  “The wind was so strong and the hail.” I hold up my shaking hands.

  Alex reaches for one. He’s been wearing gloves and his skin is warm against mine. “You’re bleeding.”

  Kai frowns and steps back, looking at my other hand, then up at my face, pushing back my hair. He rubs a thumb over my cheek and I grimace. “Sorry. You’re bruised.”

  He and Alex exchange a look but before they can speak, a figure appears in the dark entrance. Dimka. They all came for me. All of them.

  “I think we’ll be on lockdown for a while—the storm is moving slowly and only gaining in intensity.” His eyes assess me. “You can clean up and I’ll make some
food.”

  He turns, and along with Kai and Alex, I follow him down a hallway and into a small, open area. Comfortable seating is in the middle. A small kitchen to the side. There are two closed doors. Shelves with supplies line the walls. “What is this place?”

  “There are emergency bunkers all over Athion. They’re for storms like this or enemy attack,” Kai says. He hasn’t moved an inch from me since we got down here. “There’s a cleaning facility over there. You can bathe and change.”

  Alex removes his storm jacket, revealing a gray fitted shirt and bulging arm muscles. I swallow and nod. “Thank you. I will.”

  “Once you’re done, we’ll doctor your wounds,” Dimka says. “I found some potions in the supply closet.”

  I nod and enter the small bathroom off the living quarters, feeling a rush of nerves and adrenaline. Some is surely from surviving the storm, the rest is different. It’s a warm feeling that starts in my belly and travels to my chest. I stare at my wild hair and bruised face in the small mirror adhered to the wall and wonder how the fates tossed us into a situation like this.

  Then I remember the men I’m speaking of. The fates don’t rule their lives.

  They do.

  And something tells me that being down here alone isn’t completely an accident and that maybe I should take advantage of the situation while it lasts.

  15

  Mercy

  I don’t know what to expect when I walk out of the bath, but it’s not the sight of Dimka in a tight shirt and thigh-hugging shorts. His muscular, blue-tinted legs stretch to the floor—his feet bare. There’s a scattering of freckles along the bridge of his feet.

  He looks up when I enter, a round bowl in his hands.

  There’s a shift just outside the door and I glance over. Alex is in similar garb, hanging his storm uniform on a hook on the wall.

  “Excuse me,” he says, skirting past me into the bath.