Page 53 of Rescuing Mara

“O’Rec?”I try again, but there is still no answer. For a moment, I feel lost, alone, and powerless. The familiarity of the feeling burns inside of me but also lifts me up. I am not that powerless slave girl anymore. Ananta does not control me anymore. I skim my fingers over my tattooed wrist. I belong to me and only me.

CHAPTER33

O’Rec

There is something clouding my mind. I feel groggy, and it takes a lot of effort even to open my eyes. Lifting my head, I try to open them again, but my head wobbles and falls back, feeling way too big for my body. What the fuck is wrong with me?!

Instead of trying again, I use my other senses to scan my surroundings. Silence hangs heavy in the air. I cannot hear a thing, not even the rustling of engines. I slide my fingers over the floor, it feels cold and smooth, similar to my cage in the ship. I use my tail to explore a bit further, and it hits a soft wall. Definitely not in the cage on the ship anymore.

“Marra,”I try to reach out to my mate.

“O’REC!”Comes the immediate response, combined with a wave of desperation.“Are you okay?”

“Where are we?”

“At the Mothership, oh O’Rec, I couldn’t reach you for at least a day. Please tell me you’re okay.”

“Yes, I think they drugged me. I do not remember anything of travels or torment. They gave me a bottle of water to drink…”

“That must be how they drugged you, okay, don’t trust the food or water again. I need to figure out where you are and see if I can smuggle something to you.”

Despite my predicament, I smile.“You are a very clever mate, my Zarra. How are you? Can you tell me what happened?”

“Well, uhm, we landed on the Mothership. The High Commander welcomed Ananta. He is feeling extra proud and pompous these days.”She pauses.“O’Rec, almost the entire Sternotheri force is here. I have never seen anything like it before. They have planned a public execution for you, beheading, I think, it’s going to happen in two days. TWO DAYS O’REC!”

“Ssssh, it will be okay, Marra.”I try to comfort her.

“I hope so. Having all those footmen here will definitely make it a lot harder to get away. I have been locked away in Ananta’s quarters since we came here. I know how to sneak out, but I didn’t want to risk it without knowing where you are. So other than we are on the Mothership and we are fucked, I have no update for you.”

“You sound quite fierce, my mate.”

She gives me a little mental huff.“That’s entirely your fault, you know, now try to describe your surroundings. Every single detail.”

I take a deep breath, reaching for my calm. When I am centered, I try to open my eyes again, this time successfully. The light is blinding, and I need to blink my eyes a few times before I can see clearly. I try to move my limbs, and I manage to sit up straight.

“I am in a rectangular room. Bright lights are shining, and I am sitting against a padded wall.”I look around, soaking up every detail.

“One of the walls is made of glass. I cannot see what lies beyond the glass, so I guess they are either one-way see-through only, or the lights are out in the next room. There is a door on my left, which is also padded. A green light blinks above it, which makes me feel like I am being recorded.”I look around again.“The room is white, and everything is white. It is also completely empty.”

There is no response, and I begin to doubt my connection.

“Marra?”

“Sorry, yes, I’m here. I know where you are, and it’s not good, but it could be worse. They have put you in research cells. Which will probably mean they will torture you some more, but this time in the name of science. Do you think your tracker will stay unnoticed if they submit you to tests and other… stuff?”

I shiver. She does not paint me with a bright future.“Yes, I am positive. It is a very advanced stealth technology we developed on the Ring.”

“Okay. The research cells are much more accessible. I know how to reach them, and if I steal an access card, I can easily break you out. We need to find out when they’re going to execute you. It’s the last unknown and a flaw in the plan.”

I understand what she means. If we do not know when they will come for me, she cannot sneak in just a little earlier to free me. They could be heading towards me right now, so maybe we should move as soon as possible.

“Could they be on their way now?”

She is silent for a while before she responds.“No, I don’t think so. The High Commander was boasting about getting some special guests who were to arrive soon. It’s late in the evening now. I will explore when Ananta sleeps and see if I can figure it out.”

“And if you are wrong?”I cannot help but paint the worst-case scenario.

“If I’m wrong and they come for you, you shout out, okay? I will come for you at your cell, and you will kill all the guards that came for you.”

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