by Enid Titan
«You remind me of my mother. You’re a bit thinner.»
«She was human?»
«Yes. I haven’t met another human in a long, long time.»
«Neither have I.»
Prometheus grinned.
«I don’t look like what you expected.»
«No… Prince.»
«You can call me Theo. Just you, though, human. What are you doing aboard this vessel?»
«We were captured, then we captured it.»
Prometheus nodded and out loud he said, “I will speak with the human girl alone once we’ve teleported. The rest of you will have chambers. My soldiers sent a message to the Academy and they expect your urgent return.”
He didn’t wait for an affirmative response. Penelope felt the uneasy teleportation process begin. Before she could get too upset, she was alone with Prince Prometheus. His deep cerulean skin differed from the other Devorans she’d met, a unique shade of blue that perhaps had warm, human undertones to it.
«Can you communicate telepathically?»
«Yes... Er... Prince Theo.»
He smiled, which helped his features appear less intimidating.
«Good. I much prefer it to speech. Tell me, young human, how did you end up on Vortha? I am more of a soldier than a politician. Perhaps my siblings were responsible for you ending up here?»
Poppy explained how she got to Vortha. Prometheus was easy to talk to.
«This will be faster if you show me,» he interrupted when she got to how she first arrived on Vortha.
Prometheus edged closer to her. Penelope shuddered. He was so warm and large and… looming.
«Don’t be afraid.»
He touched the sides of her head and Poppy shared with him. He saw everything that happened to her, from her experiences with Daphne and The Order, to her summer with the Fengari. He pulled away and nodded.
“Thank you, child.”
“You understand, then?”
“You have filled in the gaps. The Order wants the child, Daphne. Jason’s sister. They wouldn’t mind getting their hands on your power. The Order intends to attack Vortha again, but they are patient. We can’t know when.”
«You want me for something?»
Prometheus nodded.
«Perhaps the Fengari sent you for a reason.»
Penelope doubted it. The Prince had no idea how uncharitable The Fengari could be.
«Why?»
«Perhaps they are dying and they need us. I've heard rumors that their civilization is crumbling. All things must end, including cultures with deep power.»
Poppy couldn’t believe that. The Fengari were powerful, too powerful to need anyone. They’d lived for millions of years and they’d just saved Earth. How could they be dying?
“Not in your small, human lifetime, perhaps. But soon,” Prometheus answered her question out loud.
«What do you want from me?»
«I want you to graduate from the Academy.»
«Fat chance of that happening. It’s my first year and I’ve already been stranded on the tundra.»
«We will need you as The Order strengthens. I have royal blood and special insight. They will lose this battle but the war against them isn’t won.»
«Do you think I’m like them, then? A dark telepath?»
«We all have darkness in us, Penelope. I see you’ve mated to Devorans. They are still young boys, but your love for them is strong.»
«Yes, I love them.»
«Let nothing shake that love. You need it for what’s coming.»
«You’re like Sibyl. What is it about you royals and your mysteries?»
«You speak frankly.»
«Sorry. We don’t have monarchs on Earth anymore. We beheaded them all.»
Prometheus laughed.
«You are so much like my mother.»
«Thanks.»
«Do not leave Vortha, Penelope. Stay, no matter what happens there. At the end of it all, you are needed on my homeworld.»
«I don’t want to be a hero or a martyr.»
«You might not have a choice in the future.»
«Everyone knows my future except me.»
«My mother felt the same way before my father captured her.»
Penelope raised an eyebrow. Captured?
«It’s a long story.»
«If I do this for you, then you have to do something for me,» Penelope asked boldly.
«Hm?»
«I need you to protect Daphne from The Order.»
Prometheus laughed.
«You are more like my mother than I ever could have thought possible,» The prince replied.
34
I Would Die To Keep You Safe
Poppy didn’t know how anyone expected her to focus on classes at the Academy. When she got back to campus, everyone gathered around the royal transport and applauded their arrival — the survivors. Why had they been the ones to make it? The attention twisted Poppy’s stomach into cruel knots.
Why had it been her, and Oz, and Jason, and not Eros or Galene or Lyric? No one in the crowd cared to answer that. No one in the crowd knew what they’d been through. It wasn’t right for her to be here, Poppy thought. There had been beasts and the Order and despite the warning from her father’s people, no one came for her. She’d been in danger by chance because they wanted to hurt Jason and Cas. They couldn’t tolerate the whispers.
They’d left the tundra with trimmed locks which had been bad enough, but the sprouts of straight white hair drew attention and whispers. The whispers were worse than the growling beasts. Poppy never expected to live amongst the beasts, but they had to live amongst the whispers.
It was hard to imagine that all this had been because of The Order pursuing Daphne. The defector. Poppy couldn’t stop hating Jason’s sister, not so soon, but she could at least feel sorry for her. She could at least admit that she didn't want anything to happen to her. Daphne learned her lesson. She spent time in isolation. She tortured no one after what she'd done.
Penelope also worried about Jason. He didn’t talk about his sister but he still loved her hard. Jason couldn’t love any other way but hard.
They’d become the survivors overnight. Poppy hated that word and she’d never thought of herself as a survivor until their bittersweet return to campus. Their rescue meant that she’d somehow found another way to become the girl everyone talked about. She was the new girl.
She was the girl with three blue alien mates. She was the slutty, stupid outsider with three mates, the ability to get pregnant, and no knowledge of their culture, and now — the survivor. Label after label, her difference never ceased.
Devorans died out there, but Poppy hadn’t. It made sense for everyone at school to hate her. Even if they didn’t really, Poppy sensed deep down some of them must. Oddly enough, Oz was being nice to her. Antigone ignored all of them. She wanted it to be over.
Headmaster Achilles gave the survivors a break on their work. They didn’t have any penalties for the classes they missed and a wide berth when it came to missing more class if they needed to “recover”.
Poppy wanted anything except more breaks. She scoffed at the idea that spending time alone with her thoughts would lead to recovery. When she was alone for too long she could hear the tundra howling around her head and feel the telepathic beast that clawed its way into her head. Class was much better.
If trudging through the snow to math, chemistry, literature, telepathy, and P.E. across the Vortha Gifted Telepath's Academy tundra could make her feel normal again, that was what she wanted more than counseling or feeling special and different.
Hecate tried her best to be a good friend, but since Penelope’s return, she wanted little to do with Hecate or anyone else — even the boys. Especially the boys. Seeing them only reminded her that she was going to lose one of them. Not everything Sibyl said would end up being false. She’d been too lucky out there in the snow and the knowledge that her luck would run out throbbed in the back of her mind
. Her luck couldn’t last forever.
Her dreams were as violent as her wandering waking mind. The agony of worry and memory combined never stopped. She numbed her pain with mathematics, with telepathic study, with skating until she tasted blood, but nothing worked. Nothing stopped that voice nagging her — “You’ll lose one of them. You’ll lose the love of your life. And then what?”
She couldn’t recover from that. She could hardly recover from this — the aftermath of the tundra. After class, she’d spend time skating with Ajax, Jason, and Cas. The boys wanted to make the hockey team next year. Poppy didn’t want anything.
They knew something was wrong, but she was getting too good at hiding from them. So good at it, that the distance crept up on her, and she didn’t realize how much she dreaded the togetherness she’d once craved.
A long time ago, a Fengari told her that Devoran bonds wouldn’t work on her because of her alien blood. Maybe the Fengari were right. Two weeks passed since the prince brought them back. Penelope stole away to the library to research The Order. She’d avoided researching them as much as possible. She would do anything to forget. The idea of losing the boys hurt so much that she had to do something, anything to feel in control. Learning about The Order appeared to be the best way to get things done. The boys never wanted to talk about what happened out there in the snow. Ever.
Poppy snuck off after hockey, telling Jason that she was studying philosophy, even if she hated philosophy and lying to Devorans never really worked. On the top floors of the library where the seniors studied, Penelope hunched over an old book about The Order. Devoran history books were so disgustingly unappealing.
She sensed Ajax before he poked his head around the corner of her study spot.
“How did you find me?” Poppy said, not meaning to sound as snappy as she did.
Ajax leaned against the wall.
“I have to tell you something. I just told the boys, but I have to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Poppy’s mouth went sandpaper dry.
“I’m leaving the Academy. I’m joining Prince Prometheus’ royal guard and beginning training next year.”
“What?”
“I wanted you to hear it from me.”
“You can’t leave!”
“I won’t leave right away. I’ll have time to come back to you often. I’ve already discussed it with the Prince.”
“What about school?”
Ajax grinned.
“I’ve always been a bit of a brute for the Academy, no? Not as academic as you, Jason and Cas.”
Poppy leaped up and wrapped her arms around him. Hearing that he was leaving sent a warm wave over her, a reminder that she loved the hell out of those boys and she didn’t want to lose any of them to war, to the Order, to anyone. She pressed her nose into his chest. She barely came up to his neck.
“Don’t go,” she whispered, refusing to free Ajax from her tight hug. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips, brushing them with his thumb and smiling tenderly.
“I’m doing this for you, my mate. I would die to keep you safe.”
35
Poseidon’s Heart
“You’re scared,” Ajax whispered.
Poppy had been hiding her feelings from all of them since their return. Once they’d returned from the tundra to a “normal” life, it didn’t seem right to worry them about what the Fengari said, and the unknown future.
“I’m not,” Poppy said, her sniffles an obvious tell.
Ajax scowled.
“What are you reading over there.”
“It’s nothing.”
Poppy hastened to cover the cloak with her book.
“It’s not nothing.”
“Ajax, stop!”
Ajax lifted her over his shoulder and she screamed, pounding her fists into his giant meaty back.
“Put me down, you sadist!”
“Sadist? Hm.”
He grabbed the book and flipped through it. Poppy sensed his discomfort. He plopped her down on the table and she squealed and landed with an “oof” sound.
“That hurt!”
“Why are you studying The Order?”
“I’m not!”
«Don’t lie to me, Penelope.»
“Why aren’t you! They could kill us all and you and the others would only care about hockey!”
Poppy’s outburst made her pleased that by chance the other seniors on the top floor of the library had all finished their studies. It was just her, her books and her angry giant mate.
“I should talk to Cas and Jason about this. You haven’t handled returning well.”
“Who are you to say that? All you want to do is act normal. People have fucking died! People that were your friends. YOUR people!”
“And yours,” Ajax said softly.
He pressed a warm, firm hand to the top of Poppy’s shoulder. He could melt her in an instant but fuck, she wanted to be angry. She wanted to hit and kick and scream and release all the shitty terror that bubbled beneath the surface.
«I understand, little pet.»
“You don’t,” Poppy whispered, her shoulders slumping over.
Ajax leaned forward and kissed her.
“I do. This weekend, we will go to our home together and we will be together. We miss you.”
“I’ve been there,” Poppy said weakly.
“No. You haven’t. It’s time for us to take you — kicking and screaming.”
Poppy rolled her eyes.
“Such gentlemen.”
“You don’t want gentlemen, Penelope. You want beasts. Big, burly, terrifying, horny beasts.”
Ajax pulled her hair away from her face and thoughtfully kissed the top of her forehead.
“Jason and Cas think you do not find them attractive anymore without the hair.”
Poppy gasped.
“That’s not true.”
“Then prove it. Be a good girl this weekend.”
Poppy smirked.
“I think you’d prefer if I was anything but good.”
“Whatever works for you, little pet.”
He planted a wet kiss on her forehead and left her feeling much better. It was only when he’d been gone for a while, it hit her. Ajax wouldn’t be here next year. He’d leave and it would only be her and Jason and Cas. Without him, they’d be incomplete.
Poppy curled up in her chair and reopened her book. The weight of it on her lap had lightened just enough. Poppy kept reading until she heard voices as seniors ascended the stairs. She caught Poseidon’s eye and quickly resumed reading, thinking he’d ignore her, as usual. Poseidon dropped his bag next to the senior boy he’d arrived with and approached her. Poppy didn’t look up from her book until he sat across from her.
«Will you ignore me, foreigner?»
Poppy glanced over the pages.
«No. I won’t. Hello, Oz.»
«How are you holding up?»
«Better than you, judging by your behavior,» Poppy said.
Poseidon grinned, the tops of his pointed ears wriggling. Long tussled hair fell in front of his shoulders.
«What’s wrong with my behavior?»
«You’re being nice to me. Is that a trauma response?»
Oz laughed. Poppy had never heard him laugh so deeply before, a gurgling laugh from the pit of his stomach. He leaned back and stretched his legs out.
«I should be looking out for you, little first year. So I am.»
«Thanks, but I don’t need looking out for.»
«Judging by the book you’re reading, you do.»
«I didn’t ask for an opinion.»
«I don’t care if you asked.»
Poppy slammed her book shut. Oz grinned. He loved getting a rise out of her.
“What do you want, Poseidon?”
His grin faded and Poppy saw a recognizable distant look cross his annoying face. She saw that look in the mirror each morning when she heard the distant howl of tundra winds and when she remember
ed.
“I miss Lyric. She was my best friend and she’s gone. I knew Galene when she was a first-year. They weren’t my mates but… they mattered to me. Antigone won't talk about it. She wants to forget. It... it hurts.”
Tears welled up in Poppy’s eyes and she stuffed them back down.
“We have to try and carry on.”
“You’re lucky,” Oz said, “You have the three of them. They understand you. They get what happened to us out there. My friends haven’t got a clue.”
Poppy sat in stunned silence. He hadn’t come over here because she needed it. He did. She let her Fengari telepathy reach over and she saw that Oz was truly fucking lonely, almost as lonely as she was. But he was right. She had the boys and he had no one.
“I am lucky.”
“The Order wanted Daphne. Why did you ask the Prince to protect her?”
“She doesn’t deserve what would happen to her.”
Oz scoffed.
“I would have given her up in a heartbeat, especially after what she’d done to you.”
Poppy nodded.
“I’ll see you around, foreigner. If you need help with any of your classes, you know where to find me.”
“Oz?”
“Hm?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Right. Enjoy your book. It looks horrible.”
36
Meant To Take Another Mate?
Poppy sat on the couch with Castor’s head on her left thigh and Jason’s on her right. Their legs hung over the arms of the couch, lolling about like giant oars of a boat. She stroked Castor’s short, prickly hair. Jason snarled when she tried to touch his head.
“It’s nice,” Castor mumbled, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt your hand on my scalp.”
“Don’t tell me you’re getting used to this,” Jason grumbled.
Their bald heads were nearly touching. Ajax stood in the kitchen making cups of warm tea.
“I worry about Poseidon,” Poppy blurted out.
“Why?” Jason grumbled, “He survived like any of us.”
“I think he’s lonely.”