Page 91 of The Red Woman on Mars

But she had no time to catch her breath as the remaining Arcadian soldier fell at her feet, clutching his belly. His opponent grabbed Vivian’s arm abruptly. “Let’s go. We won’t hurt you if you come quietly. A better life awaits you on Catena.”

He thought she was pregnant, Vivian realized, and wanted to use her like they’d used Delilah. She easily shook off his weak Martian grip. “Hell no.”

The Catena soldier raised his bloody sword and pointed it at her chest. “That wasn’t a request. You’re removing this barrier and coming with me. Now.”

Vivian considered the sword pressed against her. Perhaps her Earther rib cage would protect her, but more likely the man could kill her with one blow. The version of Vivian who’d eked out an existence at the Sumter Refugee Camp would have lifted her hands in surrender. She would have followed instructions. Tried to find the best choice out of a series of bad options.

But she was no longer that woman.

With her bare hand, Vivian knocked the sword aside. Under the force of her blow, the blade clattered to the ground.

And then Luz was there. She pushed the man hard enough to send him crashing to the floor at Camille’s feet. Camille lifted her skirts, took one dainty high-heeled foot and stepped down hard on his face.

The man’s face flattened under Camille’s shoe. His ruined mouth gurgled with bubbling blood, and then he was still. “Oh, I’m gonna be sick,” Camille gasped and took several steps backward before falling to her knees and vomiting on the floor.

Vivian swallowed her own wave of nausea. She’d known about the risks of sprained finger bones or a cracked pelvis. But had she known how easy it was for an Earther to kill a Martian? After knocking Silas out with a single punch, perhaps she should have realized how dangerous she could be.

Vivian tore her gaze from the dead man’s mutilated face to take stock of the situation. They were alone in the chamber again—the invaders who’d made it into the room were all dead.

Xavier stood clutching his fallen opponent’s sword, fixing his eyes on the barricaded entrance. The Red Mothers were arrayed behind him on the Council floor, knotting their skirts up around their waists and pulling back their hair as they faced the door. And above them, the other Martians remained huddled at the highest point in the chamber, staring fearfully down at the scene.

The floating cameras hovered around the room, and Vivian realized uncomfortably that their actions were likely being broadcast throughout the dome.

“Camille,” a voice carried over the chamber. “Come back up here. You know you haven’t been well. Please, love.”

Camille rose and wiped her mouth. She looked up at her partner. “Theo, babe, I say this with love. Stay the fuck away with your weak-ass bones and let my sisters and me handle this.”

Theo’s mouth twitched, and he raised his hands in surrender.

Felicia made a noise of agreement, and a few of the other women laughed nervously. Vivian took hold of her red dress and tied a knot on one side to free her legs. It took her several tries to get the luxurious silken fabric to stay in place.

“Remember to tuck your thumb under your fist when you throw a punch,” Shiloh said to several of the women. “Not inside or you could break it.”

“What do they want with us, Viv?” Felicia asked as she pulled off her hat with the hibiscus flower attached and tossed it to the ground.

“They’re from the Catena dome. They want to use us to breed their own Martian children.” Vivian tasted bile. “They ripped Delilah’s fetus from her body to study it.” Around her, the women hissed in shock and dismay. Raising her voice, she called, “Intelligence, where are you?”

The orb zoomed down from the counselors to her side. “Here, Vivian.”

“What’s happening outside?”

“Fifty-seven Martians wearing the insignia of the Catena militia have surrounded the Council building and are holding the civilians hostage. Thirteen are currently inside the building attempting to penetrate this room.”

“Do they have guns?”

“No guns. If they’d had guns, we would have detected the invaders the moment they’d arrived. The Catena militia is armed with swords, knives, and improvised small explosives.”

“No Earthers?” Vivian asked, looking at the grim-faced women surrounding her as they grabbed the few swords abandoned on the ground, yanked up table legs to use as clubs, and practiced their punches with firmly planted feet.

“No Earthers.” The orb’s light flashed. “The first Arcadian reinforcements have arrived at the outskirts of the conflict. They’re outnumbered. One has died. Three.”

Vivian wiped sweat from her upper lip. Her hand came back bloody. Raising her voice, she said to the women, “The Arcadian soldiers aren’t enough to save us. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to let the Catena militia take us.” She met Felicia’s eye, then Luz’s, looking around at the familiar faces of the twenty-eight women. They’d been through so much together. “Each of you is strong. So strong. Together, we’re going to stop them.”

“Damn straight,” Camille agreed fiercely.

“Seven Arcadian soldiers have died,” the Intelligence said.

The makeshift barricade rattled.