Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Suddenly, it all made sense. Her dog of a lizard-man husband had been cheating on her with this little hussy with the purple fringe!
Cassie felt a hot flash of anger…followed by a cold wash of despair. There was no way he was going to speak up for her now—no way he would try to save her. Not when he already had another mate lined up who was hot to bear him lots of young—or “lay him a large clutch of eggs,” as he put it.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to go.” One of the guards stepped forward and took her by the arm.
“He’s right, unfortunately.” Sskarth made a sad face, as though he’d just found out the entertainment vid he wanted to watch was going to be delayed or the gortha steak he’d ordered had been overcooked. “There’s just no place for a washed up, has-been human who’s losing her fertility in the New World Order that’s coming,” he said.
“But…but you promised—you swore during our Joining ceremony—” Cassie began desperately.
“All vows taken in happier times must be declared null and void during this time of trauma, I’m afraid,” Sskarth cut in smoothly. “You understand, darling—extenuating circumstances and all that.”
“But—” Cassie began again, but she was already being dragged away by the guard who had grabbed her arm.
“Hey, let me go!” She fought and twisted, trying to get free. If only she could escape her captors, she could run and hide somewhere. They’d already started rationing food in the Crystal City, but she was sure she could find enough to eat to survive until she could contact the Kindred somehow.
However, it wasn’t to be. A second guard joined the first, grabbing her other arm and the two of them marched her to the gates of the city.
The Crystal City had a triple-locking gate with three different sections to ensure that no Infected could enter. Even if they had managed to get past the three locking sections, they would have been stopped by the slippery, crystal wall that surrounded the entire city complex. It was a hundred feet tall, rising to the sky in glittering splendor—the best defense anyone could wish for against the brainless, ravenous Infected, who couldn’t figure out how to turn a doorknob, let alone scale a steep crystal monolith.
Which was why I thought I’d be safe! Cassie thought desperately as they airlocks whooshed open one by one and the guards dragged her through the three, interlocking gates. Even when the sickness overran the entire planet, I was sure I’d be safe in Crystal City!
How wrong she had been. She shouldn’t have been fearing the zombie hordes but her own cheating bastard of a lizard-man husband all along. Sskarth hadn’t been a bit reluctant to part with her—on the contrary, she’d gotten the definite feeling that he was happy to get rid of her so neatly so he could be with his lizard mistress.
And then they reached the last airlock and all other thoughts were wiped from her mind as the guards waited until the gate was barely open and thrust her through it.
The minute she was on the other side, they shut the gate again. It closed with a hiss of air being re-pressurized and Cassie realized something horrible.
She was on her own and no one was coming to save her.
2
CASSIE
Panic took over, buzzing in her brain like a trapped insect.
“Sskarth, don’t do this! Let me back in—please, somebody, let me back in!” she wailed, pounding on the gates.
Behind them, she heard the sound of hissing laughter.
“Scream louder, off-worlder,” one of the guards who had put her out said. “The Infected love the flavor of terrified flesh and you’re bringing them right to you.”
That was enough to shut Cassie up. They were right, she realized belatedly—as incapacitated as they were by the horrible Hunger Virus, the Infected had acute hearing. They would be alert for the sounds of someone screaming or crying.
Have to get someplace safe—have to hide! she thought desperately. Surely she could find someplace where there was still food and shelter. There must be other Visskous, who lived outside the city, still hiding from the Infected.
Right, like they’re going to take you in, whispered a skeptical little voice in her head. You’re an off-worlder—remember? And you’re of no use to them since you can’t breed with one of the males to make offspring or lay them any eggs.
Cassie knew the voice was right, but she had to at least try—she wasn’t ready to die yet. If anything, being in perimenopause had made her more determined to live. She wasn’t going to die until she got her hormones regulated, damn it!
She turned away from the gates…only to find that she was too late. There was already a herd of Infected coming up over the hill. Their horrible white eyes were fixed on her and their sharp teeth were gnashing. Chunks of flesh were falling off their bodies in places but they were moving pretty quickly, for all of that.