Planet Athion: The Complete Series by Angel Lawson

7

Mercy

Sleep eludesme and it’s not the first time since arriving at Athion. Although there’s no science to prove it, I’m convinced the six-month journey was enough sleep for a lifetime. Four hours a night seemed to be enough for me no matter how hard I tried.

Since the dormitories are locked down overnight for safety, I’ve taken to setting up in the first-floor lounge with a book. I’m not the only one awake in the middle of the night. Alex, the Custo assigned to overnight duty, sits at a small desk when not on patrol. Tonight is no different, although I can sense he’s on alert.

There’s something different about Alex from Dimka or Kai, and not in the way they’re different from one another. Alex is a human—a man from Earth—which is something that surprised me when I first got here.

I’d encountered him one of the first nights after I arrived when I timidly approached the lounge. My room felt suffocating and I couldn’t sleep. I grabbed my data pad, loaded with thousands of books, and crept downstairs to avoid waking Rose.

I saw Alex, with close-shorn dark hair and a tan face, before he saw me, and for a moment I froze, scared. On Earth we’d become wary of handsome men. The Trads took their form as a way to infiltrate society, seduce women. My reaction, at the time, was instinct, self-preservation. After a moment he looked up and saw me.

“Can I help you?” he asked, standing from the desk near the front door. I saw his uniform, the one similar to the other Custos I’d seen around the facility.

“I’m just looking for a quiet place to read.”

His blue eyes softened. “You’re welcome to sit down here.”

I didn’t move.

He frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re human?” It came out as a question.

“I am.”

“And working with the Custo?” It seemed weird. Like a trick.

“I am. They recruited from Earth’s police and military. I applied and joined up.”

I could see why. His shoulders were broad and his chest obviously muscular under his uniform. There was a sense of calmness about him, although there was little doubt of his strength. Not just from the weapons on his belt but the confident way he carried himself.

I didn’t stay downstairs that night, too shaken, but after confirming that Alex was indeed a human and a Custo, a series of sleepless nights and the claustrophobia of my room drove me back downstairs.

He’d given me a small smile and a nod, not bothering me as I curled onto a soft chair and read until dawn.

Since then, I’d done the same at least three times a week. Over time, we’d begun opening up to one another. Small chit-chat at first that turned into talk about being back home. Despite his imposing demeanor, I learned he’s a bit of a teddy bear.

A teddy bear with a laser gun.

I step into view.

“I wondered if you’d make an appearance tonight,” he says once he spots me. He reaches for something on his desk. A mug. “I went ahead and made you a cup of tea when I made my own. Thought I may have to drink it myself.”

“I stayed up a little later talking to my roommate—then tried to sleep.” I sigh. “Didn’t happen.”

“Well, you’re always welcome to come down here and keep me company.”

I laughed. “I think it’s really the other way around and you know it.”

I take the mug from him and feel the warm heat on my hands. The Athions have amazing crockery—that heats and cools depending on what you put inside. The tea would stay warm as long as it’s needed. There’s no need for a lid other than storage, so I take a sip of the delicious tea as I sit in my favorite chair.

“How was the clinic today?”

“Pretty standard. Mostly examinations for women processing out soon. A few actual health concerns. Nothing serious, though.” I take another sip and feel the warm liquid warm my belly. “What about you? I heard there’s been some security issues.”

He visibly tenses. “Where did you hear that?”

We stare at one another for a moment. Finally, I say, “I overheard something. You Custos aren’t always as discreet as you think you are.”

He thinks on this for a moment, arms crossed over his chest. “There has been a security issue. A woman went missing—vanished right off the streets.”

“Gossip says there was a breach.”

His eyes narrow. “Possibly. It’s hard to tell. The lab is processing evidence right now. What we do know is that she’s gone. If it was willing or not—that’s the concern.”

The Custos are not just focused on their job when it comes to the women on Athion. We are their passion—in a way that’s almost hard to understand. They cherish human females. Our bodies, our minds. It’s a conflict to even what life was like back home. There’s no doubt in the way Alex speaks and carries himself that he has those values, too.

For me, I know my worth comes from my ability to work with the fertile women, the ones that can save this planet. They don’t discriminate in value here—and I’m okay knowing they care for me because of my skills. I’d worked hard to attain them.

“I’m sure you’ll figure out what happened soon,” I tell him.

What Alex does next surprises me. He walks across the room and takes my hand, lifting me from my chair. My blanket falls to the floor at my feet.

“I need you to promise me that you’ll be careful.”

I nod, slightly unnerved by his closeness—his intensity. “I’ve already told Kai and Dimka that I would. I go nowhere without a Custo, not that they would let me.”

“They’re good men. I’m glad they’re keeping an eye on you.” His hand balls into a fist by his side, and at this proximity I can’t help but notice how soft and pink his lips are.

I swallow. “They’ve been very protective.”

“I’m not surprised. You…” he inhales, “you’re a gift to this planet, Mercy.”

Ah, right. The midwifery.

I give him a tight smile. “It’s my calling—I’m here to help keep the women of Earth safe, just like you are.”

There’s a beat between us—a current—one I don’t exactly follow. He looks at the screen on his wrist. “Time for me to make my rounds.”

I hold up my data pad. “Time for me to read. Thanks for the tea.”

“Of course.”

He walks away from the seating area, turning just as I’ve covered myself again with the blanket. “If you see or hear anything else, let me know, okay?”

“I will.”

I watch him leave the lounge, already missing his company. It makes sense for two refugees from Earth, both here to work to make this a safe place for all of us, to want companionship in the middle of the night.