Again Lauren felt a huge rush of relief. At last she was going to be free to go back to Xairn! But the hands holding her in a vise-like grip didn’t relax. Instead, Blix number one tightened his grip and laughed nastily in her ear.
“Come now, my dear. You didn’t think I’d give up as easily as all that, did you?”
And then someone was shouting, “Here I am! I’m coming, Xairn.”
Lauren nearly fainted when she saw yet another look-alike come running up. She pushed her way past the seed clones and threw herself into his arms, sobbing much as Lauren wanted to sob herself.
“Lauren?” He looked down at her uncertainly and released the second Blix, which promptly merged with the third one.
“Oh God, it was awful!” the new pseudo Lauren gasped. “He grabbed me and held me and I was so afraid I’d never get back to you. Oh Xairn!” She stood on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, clutching him tightly.
“She’s quite good, isn’t she?” Blix muttered into Lauren’s ear. “I know you’re wondering why she’s so different from the others—it’s because she’s a true clone, not a seed clone. I hate to tell you, my dear, what it cost me to bribe Slk’s stupid servant to get me one of your fingers so I would have enough raw material to grow her, but it was well worth it, as you can tell. Besides…” He squeezed her tighter. “You can pay me back during your first year of work.”
Lauren had gone rigid with shock at seeing the new clone but now her knees felt like rubber. She was sure if Blix hadn’t been holding her so ruthlessly she would have collapsed. My God, she looks and acts just like me! He’ll never know the difference. He’ll leave me here and won’t find out until too late that she isn’t real. But if she’s such an exact copy, why do they need me at all?
“Because the original is always better than a copy, especially for making other copies, my dear,” Blix said, answering her thought. “And because I’m able to charge so much more for a night with an original splice whore. Their reactions are so much more… satisfying and unique.”
Tears sprang to Lauren’s eyes. Was this how her life was going to end? A hundred thousand light years from home, trapped into prostitution on a planet no one on Earth had even heard of?
“Indeed, this is to be your fate, my dear,” Blix purred in her ear. “But don’t worry, I won’t give you over to the customers before I put you through your paces myself. I always like to make sure my girls are well trained.” The hand holding her throat slipped down to cup her left breast and squeezed it roughly. Lauren gave a muffled gasp and tried to kick him but it was like kicking a brick wall. “Don’t struggle so, my darling Lauren,” Blix murmured. “You should be enjoying your last sight of your Scourge paramour. He’s about to leave with that pretty little clone and no one will ever be the wiser. Even your own mother won’t be able to tell the difference between her and the original when he gets her back to your home planet.”
Despair washed over her like a cold wave and Lauren knew he was right. Even now Xairn was holding the clone close, his face buried in her hair as he comforted her. Me, that should be me that he’s holding! she thought desperately. But there was nothing she could do but watch. Nothing she could do but—
“Get away!” Suddenly Xairn pushed the clone to one side. “You’re not her either. Where is she? Where is Lauren?”
Behind her, Lauren felt Blix stiffen. “How in the seven hells—?”
“I know she’s near.” Xairn was moving in a circle, his head high in the air as if searching for some scent only he could smell. After a moment he seemed to catch it. He pushed the clones out of the way and headed toward to the empty stall where Blix was holding her.
Blix began dragging her backwards, deeper into the shadows but Lauren fishtailed her body desperately, fighting with renewed desperation. His hand on her mouth slipped and she was able to clamp down on his fingers. To her disgust, they came off in her mouth, wiggling like worms.
Lauren spat them out and screamed, “Xairn! Here—I’m here!”
“Lauren!” He rounded the corner of the empty stall where Blix had been concealing her just out of sight. “Let her go!” he roared, his eyes flashing red-on-black. “Or I’ll rip you into so many fucking pieces you’ll never be able to reassemble yourself!”
At last Blix released her and Lauren stumbled forward into Xairn’s arms. He snatched her up, holding her by the waist and buried his face in her hair. Lauren felt his broad chest expand like a bellows as he inhaled, breathing her in just as he had when he held the clone.