moment. “What happens if I refuse?”
He was unsurprised by her question. He had anticipated as much when he talked with Dar earlier. He couldn’t allow her to make that choice, not with all that vitality in her. He couldn’t allow a spirit such as hers to vanish from this world. With that thought in mind, his upcoming lie weighed less on his soul.
“ If you choose to refuse my offer, you will also condemn the other women to the same fate.” He knew full well the misinformation was a low blow.
Sara’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “You mean to tell me that if I choose to die, the other women will be left to die as well?”
Archail stared straight into her deep-blue eyes, and knowing he was lying through his teeth, he said as steadily as he could in a cold, steely voice, “Yes.”
She shot up from the bed and paced around the room. Obviously, carrying the responsibility for all those lives weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Archail regarded her carefully from his seat. He knew he had placed a heavy burden on her, and he didn’t like to see her so troubled, but he had to press on. Her decision was important to him, so he continued in a cold voice, stopping her in her tracks. “Will you be responsible for those women’s deaths when they have already decided to live?”
Seeing her stillness, he rose from the chair and walked decisively toward the bedroom door. He paused for a minute, but didn’t turn to face her. “Make sure you choose well, Sara, because your decision will also affect the others. You have three risings of the moons to give me your answer.” He was ready to leave the room without saying another word, but Sara stopped him dead with her next question.
“Is that what you did to the other women before us? You gave them the same ultimatum, and they refused, so you let them die?” she asked accusingly, in a deathly-cold voice, and waited for his answer.
Archail’s resolve became as hard as steel when he turned to face her. “What else would you expect from a monster?”
Chapter 9
The morning sun hid behind the grey clouds that covered the land. Soft raindrops fell to the ground, moistening the soil and revitalizing the thick trees which seemed to raise their branches thirstily toward the water. The change in weather matched Sara’s heavy mood as clouded thoughts had haunted her for the past three days.
She had gone out for a walk, taking shelter under the long tree branches. As she trudged slowly through the forest, her burdened eyes surveyed the rich, leaf-covered ground. She had come to a decision, but she still doubted whether it was the right one.
Her past seemed to haunt her in this lifetime as well, in more ways than she could imagine. She recalled her early adulthood back on Earth, when she was just eighteen years old. She had also been forced to make a decision back then. Another decision that had affected others. Her mother had been critically ill, and without money to continue her treatment, they would almost certainly lose her. Sara’s only other option was to marry a widower with two children who had agreed to pay for her mother’s treatment. Sara had to help her family survive, so she accepted the offer. Choosing otherwise would have made her and her father homeless. Her mother would not have gained the extra two years she did from the treatment. Sara had made her decision then, and she made a similar conscious decision now.
It wasn’t her decision that bothered her conscience though. It was the agreement that followed it. His thick voice came to mind as she remembered him saying, “…agree to carry my child.” She couldn’t help but wonder what her Pradorian captor would do to her when he discovered she was as barren as the desert that apparently lay beyond the edge of this thick forest.
Archail had kept a watchful distance since that night. He spent his nights in another cave nearby, and every morning, he would bring her food and drink. He had
He was unsurprised by her question. He had anticipated as much when he talked with Dar earlier. He couldn’t allow her to make that choice, not with all that vitality in her. He couldn’t allow a spirit such as hers to vanish from this world. With that thought in mind, his upcoming lie weighed less on his soul.
“ If you choose to refuse my offer, you will also condemn the other women to the same fate.” He knew full well the misinformation was a low blow.
Sara’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “You mean to tell me that if I choose to die, the other women will be left to die as well?”
Archail stared straight into her deep-blue eyes, and knowing he was lying through his teeth, he said as steadily as he could in a cold, steely voice, “Yes.”
She shot up from the bed and paced around the room. Obviously, carrying the responsibility for all those lives weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Archail regarded her carefully from his seat. He knew he had placed a heavy burden on her, and he didn’t like to see her so troubled, but he had to press on. Her decision was important to him, so he continued in a cold voice, stopping her in her tracks. “Will you be responsible for those women’s deaths when they have already decided to live?”
Seeing her stillness, he rose from the chair and walked decisively toward the bedroom door. He paused for a minute, but didn’t turn to face her. “Make sure you choose well, Sara, because your decision will also affect the others. You have three risings of the moons to give me your answer.” He was ready to leave the room without saying another word, but Sara stopped him dead with her next question.
“Is that what you did to the other women before us? You gave them the same ultimatum, and they refused, so you let them die?” she asked accusingly, in a deathly-cold voice, and waited for his answer.
Archail’s resolve became as hard as steel when he turned to face her. “What else would you expect from a monster?”
Chapter 9
The morning sun hid behind the grey clouds that covered the land. Soft raindrops fell to the ground, moistening the soil and revitalizing the thick trees which seemed to raise their branches thirstily toward the water. The change in weather matched Sara’s heavy mood as clouded thoughts had haunted her for the past three days.
She had gone out for a walk, taking shelter under the long tree branches. As she trudged slowly through the forest, her burdened eyes surveyed the rich, leaf-covered ground. She had come to a decision, but she still doubted whether it was the right one.
Her past seemed to haunt her in this lifetime as well, in more ways than she could imagine. She recalled her early adulthood back on Earth, when she was just eighteen years old. She had also been forced to make a decision back then. Another decision that had affected others. Her mother had been critically ill, and without money to continue her treatment, they would almost certainly lose her. Sara’s only other option was to marry a widower with two children who had agreed to pay for her mother’s treatment. Sara had to help her family survive, so she accepted the offer. Choosing otherwise would have made her and her father homeless. Her mother would not have gained the extra two years she did from the treatment. Sara had made her decision then, and she made a similar conscious decision now.
It wasn’t her decision that bothered her conscience though. It was the agreement that followed it. His thick voice came to mind as she remembered him saying, “…agree to carry my child.” She couldn’t help but wonder what her Pradorian captor would do to her when he discovered she was as barren as the desert that apparently lay beyond the edge of this thick forest.
Archail had kept a watchful distance since that night. He spent his nights in another cave nearby, and every morning, he would bring her food and drink. He had
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