by Eva Brandt
I had a new family now. My mother might have reneged of me, but my unit and my chimera never would.
Royal Command
Brendan
“This is ridiculous, Brendan. I don’t understand your insistence in refusing the inevitable. We’d make a perfect match.”
I suppressed an exasperated sigh and wished, for the millionth time today, that I could fast-forward through sections of my life. “Lady Welton, I don’t know why you persist in this useless endeavor. I’ve told you countless times that I’m not going to marry you.”
Today, I’d been invited—or better said—ordered to come to the palace, for yet another mysterious meeting with my father. I’d known from the moment I’d received the summons that it would go poorly, and so far, my guess had been confirmed.
Penelope had intercepted me the moment I’d gotten off the shuttle and she’d clung to me like a limpet, refusing to go away. I hated being rude to women in public, and she took shameless advantage of that.
We’d ended up waiting for my father in the lounge, with her once again trying to bring back our old argument. “It’s not a useless endeavor,” she said. “Your father has already given his approval for our union.”
“Did he really? You’ll find that no matter what he might have told you, he’ll always listen to me more. I’m his heir. You’re nothing. In the big picture, you’re meaningless.”
Penelope pressed her lips together so tightly they went white. I didn’t enjoy saying such things to her, but it wasn’t as hard as it would’ve been once. Her attitude toward Selene had made me dislike her even more than I already had. And she kept making it worse, every day.
“You can’t be king if you don’t have a wife. And no offense, Your Highness, but your Terran is hardly an appropriate match. She can’t even give you children.”
My irritation with her flared into outright anger. At the back of my mind, Typhon snarled in draconic fury. “This woman is overstepping, hatchling. How much longer will you allow this disrespect?”
I didn’t answer Typhon. Instead, I glared at Penelope. “You can’t give me children either, Lady Welton. Because you know what? I’d rather chop my own dick off than stick it inside you.”
I smiled, and I knew it was a very unpleasant expression. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into here. You’d best be off now, before you end up accidentally depriving your family of a daughter.”
By the time I finished the final sentence, my words had turn sibilant. Penelope paled and stumbled away from me. “With your permission, Your Highness. I’ll take my leave now.”
She tripped over her own feet in her haste to escape. The sight shouldn’t have filled me with as much satisfaction as it did. Her fear didn’t really help me. She’d return, or if she didn’t, my father would try to throw someone else at me. But at least I’d gotten her off my back, for the moment.
It was better than nothing and it improved my mood.
“You should terrify these insects more often, Brendan,” Typhon advised me. “It’s very cathartic.”
“Yes, but not very conducive to my long-term goals. I actually do plan to become a king, remember?”
“You can become a king and terrify people. I can’t believe one of my hatchlings is so obtuse.”
“I’m not being obtuse and you know it. I wish things were as simple as you claim, but they’re not. I have to be careful, or I’ll make a bigger mess than I already have on my hands.”
Chimera tamer or not, I had no desire to become a dictator. I’d try to accomplish my goals through regular methods before turning to drastic ones.
“I just think you’re fooling yourself, hatchling,” Typhon replied. “Sooner or later, you’ll have to make a choice. And the moment of reckoning is approaching.”
I knew what he meant and I didn’t blame him for mentioning it. Since the tournament, I’d been reassessing the validity of my more treasonous plans. I’d never been inclined to shy away from the idea of committing patricide, and any regret I might have felt over it had completely evaporated. My father had basically tried to kill Selene, and for that, he needed to pay.
But I had to be careful. If I didn’t, if I made a bad call, I’d be the one to fall, and my lovers would be left without my protection.
As I mused over my dilemma, the door to the lounge opened and my father walked inside. Today, he was wearing a crisp, almost simple uniform, and the only thing that identified him as the king was his metallic coronet. Studded with shards of Tartarus diamond, it was the symbol of our dynasty and of everything I hated most in the world.
“Ah, Brendan. You’ve arrived. Wonderful, wonderful.” He sat down on a low couch and crossed his legs. “Please, come sit with me.”
I shot him an unimpressed look and ignored the offer. It was rude, but I didn’t have the time and patience for his games. He’d been notified of my arrival the moment my shuttle had entered the airspace of our private asteroid. If he hadn’t come to see me at once, it was just because of one of his stupid power plays.
“You wanted to see me, Father?”
My father pursed his lips in displeasure, but nodded. “Yes. Since you’re going to be uncooperative, we might as well get down to business. It’s about the Grand Chimeras.”
That was unexpected. I’d thought that he’d intended to bring up the future of the dynasty—or worse, Selene. “What about the chimeras?”
“I’ve received some alarming reports. The engineers tell me they have no estimate on when the Charybdis will awaken again. Is that correct?”
“Yes, Father. She’s gone dormant. It’s impossible to determine how long she’ll stay this way.” And he knew that very well. Had he really summoned me here just to rehash information we were all well aware of?
“Then it behooves me to take steps at once. We have to make sure the chimeras are fed—the hard way.”
My blood froze in my veins as I finally understood what he was getting at. “Father, you can’t be serious. That’s much too dangerous.”
“It’s more dangerous to wait and do nothing. Other than the Sphinx and the Cerberus, your unit is on the brink of falling apart. If that happens, we’ll have no real defense against the apsids. Our star fleets are powerful, but not good enough.”
“And we wouldn’t be having this problem if three-quarters of the people in the tournament hadn’t attacked us,” I shouted at him. “Or did you think we wouldn’t notice?”
“Yes, that was… unfortunate. But to be fair, Brendan, none of the other competitors expected you to receive such damage. Your chimeras are much too powerful, so much so that just one of you could have fought them off with ease had you been in top form.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he wasn’t wrong. Typhon had been almost unresponsive that day, and because of that, he’d lost several heads. Scylla had been in a similar situation. That should’ve never happened in a tournament battle with human warriors. But I wasn’t ready to agree with him, not yet.
“If the Charybdis was damaged, it’s because of your stubborn insistence to make things unnecessarily difficult for me. You hate Selene so much you organized a tournament just to remove her. And now you’re complaining about the results.”
My father shot to his feet, finally losing his temper as well. “Don’t be ridiculous, boy. I don’t need to throw a contest to get rid of one Terran whore. If I wanted her dead, she would be dead.”
I hissed in fury, the insult making me want to throttle him on the spot. “Don’t talk about her like that. She’s not a whore.”
My father glared at me, completely unaware of how close he was to causing a disaster. “Are you even listening to me, Brendan? She doesn’t matter. Your chimeras do. And if you don’t step up and do what’s necessary, they will die.”
His answer chased away my anger and forced me to process what he was really saying. My head started to spin. I was more aware than ever of Typhon’s presence lurking at the back of my mind.
He’d never c
omplained about possible damage stemming from a poor diet, but come to think of it, he had been a little more volatile and prone to anger lately. I hadn’t realized this might be the reason.
Had I missed something that was right in front of my nose? Had I been so distracted by my quest that I’d failed my friend?
“It’s not your fault, Brendan,” Typhon said. “This sort of thing happens, and we’re always prepared for it. We have a limited life expectancy. We know that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped at him. “There has to be something we can do.”
“Not really. Your father thinks he can bring back the past, but the suggestion he’s about to make won’t help us. It’s a temporary solution, at best.”
Oblivious to the exchange between me and Typhon, my father continued to speak. “Brendan, you’re a good man. I know you want to protect our people, and that’s a worthy goal. But sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”
“Right,” I replied, feeling numb. “And who will have to pay the price this time around?”
“We haven’t decided yet. I’m still discussing it with The Grand Judiciary. It’ll be a tough choice. The Terrans might be generally worthless, but no one is fond of the idea of genocide. I’ll let you know when we make a decision. In the meantime, you need to be prepared for what it’ll mean for you and your unit.”
I nodded and forced myself to stay calm. As much as I hated my father, I had to prioritize. I’d have to tell at least some of my fellow Chimera Warriors about this.
I couldn’t share the information with Selene. She already had enough on her plate without worrying about this. I could pick up the slack for her if it was necessary. “I understand.”
“Excellent. It would be a bad idea to spread the word about what we’re doing throughout the school, so when the time comes, we’ll pretend you’re taking some additional lessons from me.”
Once again, I agreed. That would work well with my plan to hide this disaster from Selene.
“Good,” my father finished. “I’m glad you’ve seen sense.”
I’d never been irrational. It was just my father who failed to understand my logic. He still did, but for the moment, I had to play along and follow orders, for the sake of my family.
I knew better than to believe him on his word, so I’d have to look into this personally. I still thought the incident at the tournament was very suspicious, no matter what he might have claimed. But I had a little time. The Grand Judiciary hadn’t made any decision, so I’d take advantage of that to put together a plan of my own.
As expected, my father wasn’t done ruining my day. “Oh, and Brendan… Whatever you said to Lady Welton, do apologize to her. The poor girl is terrified. I understand your lack of inclination to socialize with women, but they’re necessary to perpetuate the dynasty.”
I mentally counted to ten and sought refuge in the induced waves of serenity I could feel coming from Typhon. “I already have a woman, Father. I don’t need anyone else. When the time comes for me to have children, I can discuss it with Selene. Considering the exceptions and drastic steps we’re taking, I can’t imagine lifting the reproduction ban on one Terran is such a big deal.”
“No, I suppose it isn’t. Very well, Brendan. Have it your way. Just be careful and don’t make any rash decisions.”
At that moment, I didn’t think I’d hated anyone more. He’d killed my mother with his stupidity and carelessness and now, he was acting like I was the one who was unreasonable.
He’d just outlived his usefulness. As soon as I made sure the chimeras were safe, I’d have to remove him. In the meantime, I would stall and pretend to cooperate.
“I’m never rash, Father. You disapprove of Selene, but she is a far better match for me than one of our women could ever be. Compared to her, Penelope is weak and pathetic. She might carry Tartarus’s power in her veins, but it is latent. Selene, on the other hand, is powerful in her own right. I have no doubt that our children will take the dynasty to unprecedented peaks.”
My father arched a brow at me, as if surprised by my comment. “Interesting. You truly think so? You’ve spoken to her about this possibility?”
I shook my head. “It’s much too soon. We have to finish our schooling first. But I’m setting the stage and I know she’ll listen to me.”
“And the other members of your unit won’t be a problem? I don’t want succession to be an issue if you choose to continue this… unusual relationship of yours.”
“Father, we’re perfectly capable of using protection when we have to. And like I said, Selene is strong. I’m sure she can give birth to as many children as we need, assuming the others want heirs of their own.”
“You might be right,” he mused. “Gaia’s Gift does make Terrans far more fertile than our women. If the ban is lifted… Yes, it might work well.” He offered me a small, smug smile, one I wanted to slap off his face. “So be it. You have my permission to court this woman.”
I hadn’t expected him to agree with me so readily on the topic, but I didn’t show my surprise. “Thank you, Father. I appreciate the support.”
He waved a hand, dismissing my gratitude. “I’ll always support your decisions, as long as they’re for the greater good of our people.”
I would’ve had no problem with that, except for the fact that he and those bastards from The Grand Judiciary were the only ones who had a say in what was good and what wasn’t. But soon, I’d make sure that was no longer the case.
Much to my relief, he dismissed me shortly after that, perhaps realizing I had no desire to spend any time with him. I made my way back to the shuttle, already going over possible options and ways to do damage control.
“He’s not making this up, is he, Typhon? You really do need to feed.”
“I’m afraid so,” my chimera answered, “but for the moment, you don’t need to worry about it too much. We can take care of ourselves too. We won’t force you to do something you don’t want to.”
“No, Typhon. I appreciate the offer, but I’m the leader of The Grand Chimera Unit. I’m responsible for your well-being, as much as I am for that of the tamers. I will protect you. Nothing is more important than that.”
“Very well,” Typhon said with a sigh. “There are other ways that wouldn’t involve mass murder of your people. It’s just that this method is more convenient for The Grand Judiciary and less dangerous for you. I advise you to discuss it carefully with your broodmates before you make a decision.”
As I entered the shuttle, I listened carefully to Typhon’s suggestions and felt a dark hope surge inside me. Maybe we could do this, after all. Maybe I didn’t have to bend my knee to The Grand Judiciary’s insanity, just so that I could protect the people I loved.
All throughout the journey back, I hovered between dread and excitement. As always, Typhon knew exactly what I needed, because when the shuttle landed at the academy, the others were already waiting for me.
Knox took one look at me and went rigid. “Who do I have to kill?”
The irony of his words almost made me burst into laughter. I miraculously managed to refrain. “No one. I’m just a little tired.”
It was a huge lie, and they knew it. They accepted the excuse anyway and trailed after me as we headed back to the dorm.
“Scylla said your father asked you to do something very serious,” Pollux prodded. “She was very mysterious about it.”
“It’s Selene, isn’t it?” August asked. “He wants you to break up with her.”
I shook my head, happy that I had at least one piece of good news. “No, not really. I convinced him she’d be a good asset to the dynasty. For now, he won’t get in our way, although Tartarus only knows how long he’ll believe my excuse.”
Knox frowned, still concerned by my apprehension. “Oh. If that’s not it, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that he’s planning to commit genocide against the Terrans, and I might have to contribute.”
; As I explained the situation, my fellow Chimera Warriors listened to me in silence. By the time I was done, Knox was pacing like a caged animal. Pollux had gone white and August was taking deep breaths in an attempt to remain calm.
It was Pollux who recovered first. He’d taken the news badly, but that wasn’t surprising, since shit like this reminded us of what had happened to his sister.
“We’re with you, Brendan. If Typhon thinks this other solution will work, we’ll support you all the way.”
“And if that fails,” Knox piped up, “I can always take over. Cerberus and I are better at killing people than you are.”
I grimaced, but silently acknowledged he was right. The Typhon was the most destructive chimera, but the firepower I had at my disposal made it more suitable to use against other vessels or structures. The toxic fumes Typhon could emit were a more discreet method, but they were almost impossible to control. They could do permanent damage to the environment, and we tried to avoid that, for Terra’s sake. Cerberus had an easier time hunting people, which was why he was the only Grand Chimera sent on missions like destroying terrorist groups.
“I might just take you up on that, but let’s hope it won’t be necessary. In any case, we have to keep this from Selene.”
“I agree,” August said. “She already has enough to handle without worrying about this too.”
“How are we supposed to keep it from her, though?” Pollux asked. “She’s telepathic, remember?”
Fuck. I’d completely forgotten about that detail. “She avoids using those powers against us, but she does slip up when we’re having sex. We’ll have to come up with a way to make sure she can’t do that.”
It was easier said than done, but I had a few ideas on how it could be accomplished. Selene was still very new at using her telepathy. If we distracted her through sensual means, she might have trouble focusing, which would make it impossible for her to read our minds.
I barely got the chance to explain my tentative plan to the others. Mere minutes later, the door opened and Selene walked into the room.