Chapter 17

After dinner that night, back in the main room of their quarters, Antaska and M. Hoyvil sat on the large couch with Potat in between them. M. Hoyvil noticed the little cat’s loud purring. She flicked her tail against first one and then the other of the humanoids. But M. Hoyvil was too distracted by what Antaska was saying to pay much attention to Potat.

“I’ll be going out to the gym soon to practice with the other humans in my class,” Antaska told both M. Hoyvil and Potat.

M. Hoyvil felt uneasy about that. He hadn’t stopped worrying about Antaska since Eegor’s aggressive behavior in gym class. Now he was convinced that Master Mytaar was in denial about his human pets. Things could only get worse before they got better.

Even though M. Hoyvil was against calling human companions “pets,” he thought that Eegor and Tilde’s animal-like behavior had earned them that title. But M. Hoyvil respected Antaska as a sentient humanoid. He wouldn’t give her orders as if she were a pet. Still, he tried to talk her out of going.

“Are you sure you’re up to that tonight after what happened today?” M. Hoyvil asked her. “I’m kind of worried about you. Maybe it would be better for you to stay here and rest tonight.”

“After what happened today, I have to go,” Antaska answered.

M. Hoyvil could hear the determination in her voice.

“The others are being targeted too, and someone else might get hurt tomorrow. I could never forgive myself if that happened, and I could have made a difference. I know there’s only so much we can do if those trainers really want to hurt us, but learning some defensive moves seems to help.”

M. Hoyvil sighed in resignation. But Potat growled and dug her small claws into Antaska’s leg.

“Ouch!” said Antaska.

M. Hoyvil watched her gently removed the claws and stand up. Then she went into her room to change into exercise clothes.

Antaska had always felt safe walking alone through the tall, curved hallways of the space ship. The Verdante space ship was enormous, and it was a long way from their quarters to the classrooms and gym. Usually, Antaska liked the exercise on the long walk. But on this night, a nervous chill crept up her spine.

She told herself that M. Hoyvil and Potat’s behavior had spooked her, and there was nothing to worry about. She tried to calm down by focusing her mind on the soothing humming noise that was always heard softly throughout the space ship.

The hallway was empty. Antaska tried to ignore the feeling of increasing dread that tightened her chest. She approached a dark shadow along the wall.

That’s nothing. It’s just the door to the astronomy classroom, she told herself. It’s always open.

Antaska passed by the doorway. She turned and peered nervously into the darkness. But nothing was visible except the vague outlines of empty desks.

Suddenly, a large figure erupted from the doorway. With superhuman speed, Eegor, who had been hiding behind the inner edge of the door, lunged out at Antaska. He wrapped both of his long arms around her. At first stunned, Antaska overcame her shock and began to yell, kick, and twist, but he easily pulled her into the classroom.

“Yell as loud as you like. No one will hear you,” Eegor said in a voice that made her feel sick.

Antaska stopped screaming, but she continued to fight uselessly. Eegor dragged her past the desks to the clear space at the back of the class. It was well out of the sight of anyone who might pass by, although that was unlikely at this time of night.

Eegor pushed Antaska down on her hands and knees. He bent himself over her, taking the same position they had been in earlier in gym class. Antaska felt and smelled his hot breath. Eegor spoke with a panting voice into her ear.

“Things will be different this time, now that your Verdante is not here to help you.”

Antaska swooned in terror and disgust. She felt overwhelmed by the repeating nightmare she found herself in. She had escaped from Eegor earlier that day, but now she was trapped again. And this time, the situation was a hundred times worse.

Just before Eegor tightened his arm around her chest, Antaska shouted as loud as she could. “Help!!”

Back in the squeeze of Eegor’s vice-like arm, Antaska once again experienced a terrifying shortness of breath. But through her pain and fear, all she noticed—strangely—was the clear sound of a woman’s voice saying, “bite, bite.”

If Antaska wasn’t so overwhelmed by her situation, she would have told herself, as usual, that she wasn’t really seeing Potat’s face in her mind. But there was no place for the luxury of denial in this situation. Then Antaska saw Potat’s small mouth open to reveal tiny, sharp teeth.

“Bite, bite,” Antaska heard the words again.

Antaska was desperate, and she didn’t hesitate. She turned her face up toward Eegor’s closest available skin surface. It happened to be near the underarm, revealed under his short-sleeved workout top.

All the fear and other negative emotions that swirled through Antaska’s heart and mind focused into her intention. Then Antaska bit with all her strength into Eegor’s pale, white skin. She was surprised that his skin was so soft and easy to pierce.

Something wet dripped on Antaska’s mouth. She noticed the metallic smell and taste of blood. That was quickly followed by the release of Eegor’s grip around her chest.

“Arghhh!” He pulled away with a loud cry of rage and pain.

Antaska spat repeatedly. Then she wiped her mouth roughly on the short sleeve of her tan workout t-shirt.

Eegor dropped down onto the floor. He moaned and glared at Antaska as he cradled his left underarm in his opposite hand. She stood up and backed away from him.

Eegor wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of pain, and he didn’t handle it well. He sat on the floor recovering and thinking about the best way to punish Antaska.

He heard the sound of rapid pounding feet out in the hallway. The sound grew louder, closer, and Tilde came flying through the door of the classroom.

Oh, great. Just what I need, thought Eegor. I thought she seemed suspicious of my reason for going out tonight.

Dressed in his gym clothes, he had told Tilde that he wanted to go to the gym and work out alone to calm his mind. He had used this story many times before when he was going out to meet another woman. But in the past, she had always believed him or acted like she did.

Why would she come looking for me this time? She’s been so busy flirting with the Earth males in class. She’s been acting like she doesn’t care what I do. Could that be an act to make me jealous? he wondered. Yeah, that must be it. She seems to hate Antaska more than the others. She wouldn’t just stop caring. And this shows that she hasn’t.

Eegor smiled and waited to see what Tilde would do next.

Just inside the door to the classroom, Tilde paused to look around. Her beautiful face twisted in fury.

“What!” she shouted at Antaska. “You have harmed my mate? You inferior Earth woman?

Still sitting on the floor, Eegor held his upper arm and moaned. Tilde charged across the short distance to where Antaska stood. The enraged Tilde stopped in front of her, grabbed Antaska’s upper arms in her powerful hands, and shook her roughly.

“You! You! You!!” she shouted. “You slut! I can’t decide whether to punch you or kick you because the urge to strangle you is so strong.”

Tilde’s tight-squeezed, twisted mouth marred the beauty of her fine-boned face. Her eyes pushed together, making a deep indent in her forehead.

Eegor sat watching and waiting. Antaska looked drained. She stood still as if frozen.

She must realize it’s futile to struggle, thought Eegor.

Finally, Tilde made her decision. She released one of Antaska’s arms. Then Tilde pulled back her own powerful, lean-muscled arm. She balled her hand into a fist and aimed it straight for Antaska’s nose.