The walls shifted once again to surround me and separate me from my family before the left wall moved, showing me Selmay.
Her hands were covered in nicks and bruises as she hacked at the walls. A few nicks scoured the surface bathed in her blood. “What happened?”
I ran forward and grabbed her wrist as the wall opened behind us.
Marin and Zanth joined us. Marin dashed to my side and pulled me against him. “Are you all right?”
Zanth surveyed the room.
Selmay growled. “We need to get out of here, now. This is a trap.”
The boys didn't ask questions. Selmay seemed off. She followed me without a thought, her eyes down. Marin stooped to move carefully. I rammed into his back.
“This is not a time for caution. They know we are here. Run.”
Marin and Zanth took off, trusting me. The walls pressed in even more. Selmay let out a sob behind me but kept running. I felt her blood-slicked hand in mine and squeezed.
We can do this.
We ran full out. I kept expecting someone, something to pop out and stop us, the walls to move and surround me, but it was the same damn dark, dank passage as before. Yet everything was different. We dashed out into the open area where Werner, Hana, and Prog waited.
“Go.”
No questions were asked. Werner stuck something into the rock and the lights flickered.
We dashed into the open field, and I lengthened my stride and ran. There was crashing behind me as my team kept up, but I didn't slow down.
Zachary Camden. My dad.
He took part in my capture, my torture. A sob slipped out as I ran.
My dad, smiling at me, throwing a ball then frowning when I missed. “You have to do better, Beta. There is no other option.”
“Don't cry. Don't ever cry. It is a weakness.”
“Control.”
The last got to me. Always control. Control your environment. Control your thoughts, actions, emotions. Don't feel. Achieve. No after-school activities for me. I needed to learn. Now I knew why.
I fell to my knees and dug my hand into the silt and ash. A scream tore out of me as I leaned back. Goddamn you, Zachary Camden.
“What is going on?” Marin asked urgently. He put his hand on my head but remained standing, scanning for threats. Prog flew overhead. The rest of the group panted around me.
I took a deep breath, two. Control. A bitter laugh escaped me. The thought had new meaning now. Control. “We will discuss it in a little bit. I just want to get away from here. Needless to say, Xade is not our only enemy right now.”
Chapter Twelve
We travelled an hour before stopping for water.
Selmay said promptly, “What did you mean earlier?”
“One of the other Progenitors is here, Texxak, and we need to leave fast. I will explain later.”
Marin ran his hand down the back of my neck. “Are you all right?”
I nodded and stood, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “We can talk about it as a group later. I want to go home.”
Marin ran his hand down my cheek, watching me with a loving look in his eyes.
This man would never betray me. With a growl, I kissed him hot, hard, with a nice little nip at the end.
Marin growled and gripped my ass approvingly. “What was that for?”
“I love you.” And I wanted to get out of here, back where I could think, but not now. Now I needed away from my dad, Texxak, everything.
Selmay grabbed my shoulder and swung me around.
Our eyes locked and I straightened, growling. “Home! We will discuss this at home. Right now, we need to get out of here. They are giving us two weeks to think and time to escape, but I get a strong impression that Texxak could change his mind any minute, and there aren't just clones after us now.”
Zanth nodded. “Fine, but we discuss this tonight?”
“No, please, I need to think. We will discuss this back at town.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I had been so sure we'd find Finn this time. He was still out there suffering, and it was my fault. Actually, my father's fault. Grandfather’s fault. What did that make me?
Selmay walked up to me. “What are you thinking, little girl?”
“I had hoped to find Finn.”
Selmay glanced around us. “Me, as well. There is something I have been meaning to ask you. How do you feel about my grandson?”
I glanced away from her shrewd gaze. “We are friends. Lovers once but he was focused on a blood line and I’m human. He planned to marry someone else and be with me.”
“And what is wrong with that?'
“Nothing. It’s just not me.”
“But you are not just human. I believe you know this now?”
My jaw clenched. “So, you knew and didn't tell me?”
“I knew what he planned to do. I was not sure until you just said, though. From your face after we left Texxak's hold, I figured you had found out the truth. He took all of you specifically. The ones Xade brought back. The ones resistant to the virus were all marked. Your DNA is part E'mani.”
“That would have been nice to know last week.”
“Xade watched the human race for a long time. He liked to use your words and expressions. One of the first successful merging was with the human race. All of the people here are here either as prisoners, as I am sure is the case with the Avaresh prince, or they are like you and Erin and Dela. Mixed breeds. Experiments.”
“How could he do that? I lived on Earth.”
“How much did you know about your mother and father?”
“I grew up with my grandparents and mother.”
“What about your father?”
“He was an only child, never knew his parents.”
Selmay raised her eyebrow. “He was E'mani and human. Not raised on Earth. Your mother was raised on Earth. She grew up with your grandparents. I knew your grandmother. Matea.”
“My nana?” She died when I was so young, all I remembered was gray hair and soft hands.
“Yes. That is why I like you.”
I stumbled forward, head whirling. This was all too strange. “How?”
“She grew up here like I did. When Xade first started his experiments, I convinced her to join. She travelled to Earth in one of the first vessels.”
“Her eyes. I would have noticed if she had split eyes.”
“Surgery does wonders. In a way, I feel responsible for you. Matea was one of my best friends. Mary, her daughter, was her world. And then her daughter fell in love with an E’mani. And they were in love, you know.”
“My father never loved us. He left us.”
“Texxak probably made him.”
“As much as I would wish that were the case, I doubt anyone told Zachary Camden what to do.”
“You would be surprised.”
Zanth walked up. “What are you two so serious about?”
“Nothing.”
Selmay kept her mouth shut and turned her back to Zanth.
The next morning, Marin looked around. “We are near home. We made much better time than we anticipated.”
I groaned. Thank God. I needed a shower.
Selmay said, “I plan on taking a bath and taking Thorn as soon as I get home.”
Eww.
Marin whipped around to confront her. “You are with Thorn?”
“Yes. What business is it of yours?”
“He is betrothed to Zara.”
“Is she not the one with Near?”
“Yes but...”
Selmay shrugged. “They are adults.”
Marin ran his hands through his hair. “I feel sorry for her. She lost her dad and has an awful infatuation with Thorn.”
“Poor baby keeps trying to go after other women’s men,” I muttered.
“Elizabeth,” Marin said in an exasperated voice.
I walked ahead of him, huffy, and linked my arms with Hana. “Marin is pissing me off.”
“Boys
tend to do that.”
“True. How are you?”
“Missing Jace.”
“We will see him soon. How is he doing?”
“He wants to mate,” Hana blurted out then covered her mouth with her hands.
“That’s great.” I hugged her. Hana remained limp in my grasp. “Wait, that is great, right?”
“I am not sure. I love him, it is just—I liked having someone else to play with occasionally.” She blushed as she said it but then made sure to meet my eyes. It was the Fost way.
“The bond doesn't mean you can't be with anyone else does it? As we know, Jace is open for you having other playthings.”
Hana's eyes brightened. “I do not know. Let me ask. That would be perfect.”
“Is that why he did not come with us?”
“He is mad that I did not accept right away. He thinks it is because he is not good enough and has moved out.” She hung her head.
I stopped and hugged her. “Oh, Hana. Why didn't you tell me?”
“You have your own things with Marin and with Finn.”
I pulled her forward into a stroll again. “You are my friend too.”
“I did not want to bother you.”
“It isn't a bother. Let’s figure this out.”
“Plus, I might be pregnant,” Hana said in a rush then covered her mouth again.
“Pregnant!” I reached out and touched her belly. “Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have brought you.”
“I am not sure yet. And well, with everything with Hope, I have been scared to tell you.”
My mouth quivered as my mind drifted to my daughter. Her light blue eyes and happy smile. I never saw her in real life, but in my mind's eye, I got to kiss her and say good bye. My heart twisted. “I would never begrudge you your happiness, honey. I love you.”
She put her arms around me. “I love you too.”
“As soon as we get back to Center, you are doing the leaves test, honey, and talking to Jace. We should be there by tomorrow. Thank the lands.”
That night was quiet on patrol. The brush near me rumbled and growled. I knew that sound.
“George.” I whispered.
I held out my arms and my coreck ran out. No longer a baby. He was close to eighty-five pounds now, and he was still growing into his feet and teeth. When he was a baby, he followed me around like a puppy. Now that he was older he roamed, no longer content in my cabin, but I always could tell when he was about. He checked in on me often.
His gray-brown fur was mottled. I started to comb my fingers in his hair and pet the sweet spot under his chin, making him purr. His tongue stretched out and rubbed along my face. His breath nearly knocked me out. “Oh my god, kitty, what have you been eating?”
I held him close and settled back on the rocks until the bushes moved again. This time I was up, my knife out of its scabbard.
Marin walked through the bushes and smiled. “Nervous are we, my love?”
I sagged in relief then vaulted into his arms. “You are not on guard right now.”
“We need to talk. I do not want to hear tomorrow what you saw in that building. I need to make plans.”
I whistled. Hana turned from her post on guard. I pointed to Marin. She waved me away and smacked Prog next to her. He grumbled and stood up, walking to take my place.
We moved back into the bushes.
Once we were far enough away from camp, I stopped and grabbed Marin’s face. His beloved face. My lips met his and clung. Marin. Male, mine. His hands cupped my ass and pulled me closer. Our lips were so busy all I could do was think, “Mine.”
He heard me, of course he did. “Yours.”
“Are you okay?” Marin asked when we came up for air.
I nodded, enjoying the pure sensation for a moment more. “Not really.”
He tipped back my head. “What is wrong?”
“Everything. I saw my dad.”
Marin blinked. “How is that possible?”
“He is an E'mani, or part.”
“What?” Marin’s hands dropped on my ass for a second, then tightened even harder and yanked me up against him.
“The E’mani planted him there on Earth long ago to get more offspring.”
“So you are part human and E'mani.”
“And Fost.”
“Fost? How.”
“My grandmother is a friend of Selmay’s. Matea, taken long ago from the Fost.”
Marin blinked and rocked back. “Matea? She was Stein’s mother.”
Oh god. I was related to Stein. That was horrible.
Marin gave a choked laugh. “You should see your face. Stein is not that bad.”
“Says you. So I guess Finn was right when he first met me outside Groos. I am an E'mani.”
“It does not matter. You are still you and I love you.”
“My father was not alone.”
“Who else was there?”
“Just Texxak. The Progenitor leader.”
Marin closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. “That is not good news.”
“No, and it only gets better.”
“Tell me.”
“He offered the Fost, well everyone, an ultimatum. We give up and let him take me and the Remains, and he will leave the other races alone, leave this planet, in fact.”
Marin responded automatically. “That is unacceptable.”
I grinned. There was no doubt of his response. “I know. I don't want to go, but I don't want to see anyone hurt as well.” I didn’t know if I was good enough to be that self-sacrificing. In fact, no, I couldn’t. My stomach churned.
“The E'mani will never keep their promises, regardless.”
True. “But what if?”
“I will never give you up, so this discussion is useless.”
“I have to tell them.”
“About the offer? You may, but the outcome will remain unchanged. We need to come up with a plan to take care of the E'mani.”
“And we only have two weeks, well, twelve days now.” I closed my eyes. “I fear that Texxak is not a man of his word.”
“What does that mean?”
“Texxak may be lying.”
“That goes without saying.”
“I said it anyway.”
Marin's eyebrows creased before he tugged me close. His chin rested on the top of my head.
I sucked in a deep breath. Marin, male, mine. God, I loved the scent of this man. “I want to mate again.”
“Is that just because you think you’re going to die?”
Yes. “No.”
I felt Marin shake his head no. “After.”
If there was an after.
Chapter Thirteen
The amphitheater was packed. Fost, Avaresh, a few new Rocians, and cats of all shapes and sizes filled the rows.
My nerves tightened and my fingers went numb as I stared at the people entering the room. Marin bumped me with his shoulder. “No reason to be nervous. Just tell them the information, and we will decide as a group.”
A group. That reminded me. Where were the Remains? I stood on tiptoe and looked around. “Where are Erin, Dela, Roger, and Vale?”
“Still at the lab.”
“They need to be here too.”
Marin nodded. “They hate leaving the lab.”
“Just get them here. This involves them.”
“I wish you had told me more last night.”
I blushed. “We were busy last night.”
He grinned and kissed my nose. “Yes, we were.” He raised his head and wind blew past my ears. I heard nothing but knew Marin was talking to the others.
I relaxed into his side, my face in his chest. The noise of the room washed over me as I reveled in the strength of his arms around me. It was hard not to think about what I was going to tell them. And my response. I knew Marin wouldn't agree, but the others I had doubts about. I had never fit in one hundred percent. But I couldn't throw the Remains under the bus, nor myself for tha
t matter.
The thought of being in E'mani hands again. My stomach twisted. I couldn't do it. I wasn't that good. Or selfless. I would fight. I just didn't know if the Fost would fight with me.
Marin ran his hand down my back, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced up and met his eyes, his fierce, fabulous eyes, little blue and green sparkles in the warm brown depths. His pupils contracted and his breath blew across my lips.
“We are ready,” Zanth said as he stood smiling right next to us, interrupting.
Marin growled and turned to him.
I smiled and looked out at the crowd again. This time the Remains were there. Erin waved and I nodded back.
Marin stepped forward and held out his hands. “Everyone. Quiet.”
Silence settled and my nerves twisted once again. I held a hand to my belly and stepped forward.
“Hi. I know most if not all of you, and most of you should know me. Recently, I went to find Finn, but instead I found someone else.” No reaction. “The E'mani are ruled by a group of Progenitors. Xade is one of those Progenitors, but it turns out not the leader. The leader is a man named Texxak, and he offered us a deal. In exchange for me, the Remains,” I waved my hands at Erin, Roger, Dela, “he will leave the rest of the world at peace. They apparently have their own planet separate from the other races we don't know about.
“I thought I should let you know. We have two weeks to decide.”
Marin moved to my side. “I am, of course, against this, but Elizabeth felt that everyone should know their options and discuss it.”
Zara spoke up from the right. “So we give them you, and we get to live in peace. What is there to think about?”
Thorn glared at her. “We are not giving up anyone. It is not our way.”
Near put his arm around Zara in support. “Our way is not working anymore.”
One of the Naen elders smacked him upside the head.
Near flinched away but continued, “What? It is not. We are hiding in a cave. Hoping not to be found.”
Marin placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “If the decision is made to send them, I am telling you right now, I will leave as well. I do not want it to come to that. You have a choice.”
Distant Memory: She remembered everything (Solum Series Book 3) Page 8