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.
He reached the cell beside hers. No one raised a hand for the prisoner. Instead of moving on, the auctioneer touched the front of the cell. The floor dropped out from under the prisoner, sending him into space. Horrified, Mandy covered her face. The prisoner’s scream ended abruptly. She dared not look at what happened to a body dumped into space. Her breathing was ragged and loud in her ears by the time the auctioneer reached her cube.
Mandy gripped the medallion, heart somersaulting in her chest. He spoke and gesticulated, paused then spoke again.
No one bid for the human. The creature in the green sash approached her cube.
“No!” she cried.
Just as his hand moved towards the invisible button that would dump her into space, someone bid. And then someone else. Suddenly, everyone’s hand was raised. Mandy sucked in a breath, staring at the display. The bidding slowed, until only two still had their hands raised. One fell.
The auctioneer bowed his head then stepped to the next cube. Mandy released her breath, sinking into a corner, trembling. No one bid for her neighbor, either. She closed her eyes at the sound of his scream. Four more prisoners were released into space. Mandy stayed in her corner, willing this nightmare to be over at last.
Finally, the raffle ended.
The auctioneer and most of the bidders filed out. Those who’d won approached the cubes. A
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.
He reached the cell beside hers. No one raised a hand for the prisoner. Instead of moving on, the auctioneer touched the front of the cell. The floor dropped out from under the prisoner, sending him into space. Horrified, Mandy covered her face. The prisoner’s scream ended abruptly. She dared not look at what happened to a body dumped into space. Her breathing was ragged and loud in her ears by the time the auctioneer reached her cube.
Mandy gripped the medallion, heart somersaulting in her chest. He spoke and gesticulated, paused then spoke again.
No one bid for the human. The creature in the green sash approached her cube.
“No!” she cried.
Just as his hand moved towards the invisible button that would dump her into space, someone bid. And then someone else. Suddenly, everyone’s hand was raised. Mandy sucked in a breath, staring at the display. The bidding slowed, until only two still had their hands raised. One fell.
The auctioneer bowed his head then stepped to the next cube. Mandy released her breath, sinking into a corner, trembling. No one bid for her neighbor, either. She closed her eyes at the sound of his scream. Four more prisoners were released into space. Mandy stayed in her corner, willing this nightmare to be over at last.
Finally, the raffle ended.
The auctioneer and most of the bidders filed out. Those who’d won approached the cubes. A
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