Taken (Warriors of Karal Book 3) by Harmony Raines Read Free Book Online Page A

when they were in space, the two of them, for long days, and longer weeks, that he might open up and help her understand how things worked on the cruiser.
    They stopped briefly at a checkpoint, and another Karalian came out to speak to Malik. Chrissi couldn’t get over how similar they were. The same dark hair, the colour of real coffee beans, over deep walnut-brown eyes. With their tanned skin, next to the pale humans she had left back on Earth, they looked like big predators, and a tremor of fear passed through her.
    She might have been able to fight off Mr. Murgrove, but she wouldn’t stand a chance against Malik or any other Karalian. Now she was here, she was at their command, and the rules of the lottery became crystal-clear: she was here to breed. Malik’s words came back to her. His mother had been brought here against her will and kept here as a breeding female. Would this generation of the Karal revert to the same way of life if the females from Earth resisted?
    “What are the animals like on Earth?” Malik asked. He sounded as if he was searching for some common ground for them to talk. At least he was trying to make an effort. This must be like an awkward first date for him too.
    “I haven’t ever seen any wild animals, except in books. There are still some cats and dogs on Earth, but mostly those are owned by the pents, the rich people. When most people are struggling just to feed their families, owning a pet is a little too extravagant.”
    “Shall we take a little detour again?” he asked.
    “Do we have time?” she asked.
    “I think we can spare ten minutes to introduce you to some of the pleasures of Karal,” he said.
    Chrissi only hoped the wildlife was the only pleasure he planned to introduce her to. Damn it, she was not going to let herself spoil the day. Just because Mr. Murgrove had tried to force himself on her, it didn’t mean Malik would. But still, his comments about the breeding house were hard to shake off.
    “There!” he exclaimed, pointing out across the grassy plain, which was so green and vibrant she wanted to get out of the space cruiser, take off her shoes and run through it, to feel the living grass brush against her hands, and for her feet to feel the prickly blades as she trampled across the ground.
    And then she saw what he was pointing at, away to the right of them, a herd of animals were grazing quietly. They were small, almost like sheep, but their fleece, if that’s what it was, stuck up, like prickles all over their backs.
    “What are they?” she asked.
    “ Rototos ,” he said.
    “Rototos,” she repeated, liking the new word on her tongue. “They are so strange.”
    “Why?” he asked.
    “All their spikes. They remind me of a porcupine, but they are bigger.”
    “Come,” he said, and to her astonishment he stopped the cruiser and got out of his seat, heading out of the control deck. Pausing, he turned back to her. “Don’t you want to see them close up?”
    “Yes,” she said excitedly, scrambling after him, nearly slipping over in her eagerness. He had to wait for a moment at the top of the ramp while she rolled the legs of her overalls up again so that she didn’t trip over them, and then he led her down the ramp.
    “Come, we must be quiet to start with,” he said. And almost on tiptoe, he walked towards the rototos. One of them looked up, and he froze. Chrissi did the same. The animal went back to eating, and Malik began to move forward again.
    Carefully, stopping and starting each time one of the strange animals looked up, they made their way towards the herd. After a few minutes they were so close they could reach out and touch the rototos, but before she did, Malik said, “They will get nervous when you touch one of them. Whatever you do, stay calm.”
    “You’re making me nervous. They don’t attack, do they?” she asked quietly.
    “No. And I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so I am not going to tell you what happens, but just stay