Star Kissed

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

She didn’t remember falling asleep but awoke with the medallion still clutched in her hand. Shouting came from outside her room. She pulled on the sock-like shoes and walked out, shocked to see what looked like an all out battle raging around the auditorium. She recognized the men in black as Urik’s and those in silver as Akkadi’s. There was a third group of men in green she took to be the Ishta.

They all fought each other with weapons that made no sound but burst with light. Men fell, indicating there was some sort of impact from the light weapons. Her eyes sought Urik and Pinal, but they were impossible to find in the melee.

A figure in green vaulted onto the block before her, and she scrambled back from the edge of the stairs. It approached, tall and thin, with its head covered in some sort of hood and mask.

“Urik!” she cried, backing into her room.

“Mandy, stay in –” Pinal bellowed from somewhere in the auditorium.

She darted into the room and looked around wildly for something she could use as a weapon. Her heels met the back wall. The creature in green reached for her. She squeezed her eyes closed.

Now would be a good time to wake up.

She didn’t.

He flung a hood over her head, bound her wrists before her and grabbed her arm, leading her out of the room. Suddenly, his grip fell away, and she heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the stone floor. Before she could react, someone else grabbed her and yanked her a few feet before he, too, released her and fell to the ground.

Mandy was still, listening to the scuffling around her without any ability to see what was going on. The sounds settled and someone took her arm again. He hurried her through what felt like a maze of hallways. Finally, she felt the heavy breeze and the dampness of fog, indicating they were outside. Her abductor slung her over his shoulder. The breeze disappeared, replaced by the sensation of being in an elevator that lasted for a few minutes.

He began walking again but didn’t go far. She was deposited in a heap on the floor. He removed her hood. She recoiled. Pinal was a half-lizard; this creature was a full lizard. He released her hands and stepped away. A glass-like door closed behind him.

Mandy shivered. She looked around and found herself in some sort of cell with transparent walls. The transparent cage was six feet square with no sign of a door or a window. There were different variants of half-human, half-alien creatures imprisoned on either side of her. The one on her right was staring at his feet.

She followed his gaze and gasped.

The cages dangled over an open bay leading into space. Far, far below was the Earth, empty space filling the area between her and the planet. Suddenly dizzy, she fought back her sense of nausea. She wasn’t normally afraid of heights, but there was nothing normal about dangling in the middle of space.

Movement in front of their cells drew her attention. Cloaked and hooded figures lined the small chamber, the openings of their hoods facing the cells. One of them in a green sash paraded in front of the mysterious figures, pointing to cages as he gave a speech muffled by the cell walls.

Mandy pressed her hands to the front of her cell, trying to determine if Urik or Pinal was among those there. When she saw no one familiar, she focused on trying to open the door. There were no hinges or knobs or levers she could see. Panic growing, she ventured a look down and almost threw up.

Calm. Stay with Urik.

Yeah, she wasn’t following Akkadi’s instructions at all.

The robed figures spoke from the shadows of their hoods. Every once in awhile, one moved, lifting a hand. She watched for a moment before realizing they were at some kind of auction, and the auctioneer with the green sash was going down the row of cages, raffling off the prisoners.