Read Star Kissed for Free Online

than we are. Your pure human blood makes you valuable but it renders you vulnerable to our world.”
    Burning sands. A poisonous river. Foam Twinkies.
    “We can’t just ask Akkadi? He seemed decent to me. Maybe he’ll understand?” she asked, feeling ill at the description of their path.
    “If he didn’t kill you, there’s even more reason for us to flee fast,” Urik said. “He might be tracking you to find us. I don’t trust the Naki-gods and definitely don’t want them knowing where I am.”
    “If they catch you, they’ll peel your skin and melt your eyeballs,” Pinal said. “Do you want that?”
    “No, of course not,” she replied, confused. “But if he wants something from me, like my genes or whatever, then why not bargain for my trip home?”
    The two laughed.
    “Even if we knew where to find him, his kind would kill us long before we got near enough for you to speak to him,” Urik said, smiling. “No one survives an encounter with Akkadi.”
    “I did,” she pointed out.
    “That worries me. I can’t take you to the clouds. But I might be able to get you to the star gate.”
    She mulled his words and looked up, unable to see the clouds beyond the black fog. They were convinced of her danger from Akkadi, but she wasn’t. He had more than a chance to do whatever he wanted to her and rather than hurt her, he comforted her.
    “The star gate is no good with no power to make it work,” Pinal said.
    “What do you mean?” she asked. “Even if we get there, I can’t get home?”
    “Energy is always in short supply,” Urik said with a sharp look at the half-human.
    “You’re right. We have to survive the journey first.”
    Mandy looked between them, her hope of leaving wavering.
    “We’ll do our best to get there and worry about the energy shards later,” Urik added at her look of dismay. “We’ll leave in the morning. Eat and sleep. You will need your strength.”
    “Come, human,” Pinal said, not unkindly. “I’ll take you back to your room.”
    He led her off the rooftop. Mandy went, not sure how they thought she could sleep after such news. Pinal left her with more edible space foam and another lunch box of water. The lights dimmed as she lay down again and stared at the ceiling.
    This was real. Her one hope to get home lay with a lizard-man and a stranger, and even they weren’t convinced they could help her. Mandy’s hand wrapped around the shard Akkadi had given her. The way it changed temperature made it seem alive.
    She wanted to think she’d wake up on the plane, but she knew now that wasn’t likely. No, she was stuck ten thousand years in the future on a dead planet filled with diseased half-aliens.
    I need a drink.
     

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