* * * * *
Indigo put down her fork and looked into Chandar’s eyes. “Are you ready to tell me why you’re sulking?” They sat in the eating area, sharing a late lunch. Raina had been so engaging, they’d chatted well into the afternoon. It felt wonderful just to be frivolous for a few hours, but Raina was worried about Ashley, so Indigo encouraged her to go check on their friend. “You’ve barely spoken all day.”
“I’m not sulking. I’m bored.” She set down her half-eaten sandwich and wiped her mouth. “My memory is returning bit by bit, and it’s made me restless.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but I suspect that Raylon having done little more than greet you in the past three days has more to do with your mood than boredom.”
“Raylon isn’t interested in me.” Chandar averted her gaze as soon as the words passed her lips.
“But you are interested in him?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She shoved back her chair and rushed from the dining room.
After quickly dumping their dishes in the recycler, Indigo hurried after Chandar. “Have you given him any indication that you—”
Angry voices and stomping feet drew their attention toward the archway. Indigo had been practicing with her com-bots. She could alert security if the disruption came any closer.
Chandar instinctively moved toward her suite then something made her stop. “They’re coming for you. Should I summon Raylon?”
“Not yet.” She didn’t need to ask who “they” were. Apparently, her other top matches had finally received their notifications. “I can handle this.” Zilor had suggested she wear a skirt that morning, so reluctantly she’d agreed. Sort of. She’d donned one of her most provocative outfits, a mini-skirt, low-cut tank top, and thigh-high boots. If she’d known she was going to have visitors, she would have chosen something less sexy.
The ruckus stilled and Indigo looked at Chandar. “Did they change their minds?”
The harbinger shook her head. “They’re arguing, but they don’t want you to hear them.”
“Are all eight of them out there?” Actually, with Garin and Zilor gone, there were only six.
“Eight?” Chandar’s eyes widened as she shook her head again. “There are a whole lot more than eight.”
“Shit.” Dread dropped into Indigo’s stomach as she crossed the courtyard. The railed walkway beyond the entrance was narrow. If there were seventy-one soldiers waiting to see her, she better do some crowd control fast. Tension coiled around her chest like an anaconda as she approached the sea of black and gold. It looked more like twenty-five than seventy, but that was still more than enough for concern. They huddled around two men who had faced off in the middle. “May I help you?”
The crowd turned toward her, then one of the spokesmen shoved his way to the front. “I’m Kaden Lux. Are you Indigo?”
“Will you leave if I say I’m not?” She softened the sarcasm with a smile. It was hard not to enjoy the attention when her basic personality urged her to soak it in like sunshine. Kaden Lux was the second name on her I-want-to-unlock-my-magic list, and third on the I-only-want-a-mate side. If she remembered right, he commanded the Intrepid. But, knowing her choice was already made, she’d barely skimmed the profiles.
“You reek of Nox, but I don’t sense his claim.” Kaden moved far enough forward to separate himself from the crowd yet he was obviously put off by Zilor’s scent. “Are you going to give any of us a chance or are we wasting our time like Dorett says?” He motioned toward the other spokesman, who remained a step behind.
“Honestly?”
He smiled though resentment gleamed in his dark eyes. “No, lie to me. Tell me you’ll carefully consider each of us before making your final decision. That’s the way it should work.”
“None of us will have a chance until all of them have had their pick.” Dorett took a step forward, but Kaden grabbed the railing on either sides of his body, blocking the other man’s path. “Every female so far has gone to a high-ranking officer.” Dorett leaned to the side, nearly climbing onto the railing to make sure she heard him.
“He has a point,” Kaden agreed. “Even your prioritized list is filled with officers.”
“None of it was intentional,” she stressed. “I didn’t come here looking for a mate. It just sort of happened.”
“Like it ‘just sort of happened’ for Bandar Nox and Commander Tarr?” Kaden’s brows arched, emphasizing the challenge in his words.
Agreements rumbled through the crowd behind him momentarily drawing Indigo’s attention. The others were being surprisingly well behaved, though they clearly listened to every word. “I know how it looks,” she said to the crowd at large, “but they are not hand picking their females.”
“Kran zatta na tee,” Dorret snapped. Apparently, there was no English translation for the obscene phrase.
Dorret seemed more agitated than the others. He also seemed a bit familiar. She moved closer to the railing and faced him, more or less. Kaden’s solid forearm still provided a comforting level of separation. “I’ve seen you before.” She searched her memory and didn’t come up with a specific situation. Still, only one location made sense. “Do you work with Dr. Irron?”
“Yes.” Bitterness filled his tone and twisted his expression as he added, “I’m a lowly medic, apparently unworthy of consideration.”
He had access to her information and he’d likely heard most of her conversation with Dr. Irron. Suddenly, the cause of the stampede became crystal clear. “You notified everyone, didn’t you?”
“All of us have the right to know, not just a chosen few.” His voice grew louder, feeding the restlessness of his comrades.
“The top ten were chosen, yes, but not by General Nox or any of the other leaders. How were they chosen, Dorret? Explain it to everyone.”
His gaze narrowed dangerously as if he’d refuse. Then he turned to address the others while keeping her in his peripheral vison. “Sental created a program that compares our personalities and habits. She’s right. Her top choices weren’t handpicked by the leaders. They were generated by a computer.”
More grumbles erupted and another surge of discontent rolled across the crowd. She caught bits and pieces of their complaints, but couldn’t identify who’d said what.
“Sental is the commander’s pet,” someone called out. “We have no way of knowing what criteria he incorporated in the program.”
“They’re just going through the motions to keep us in line!”
Indigo searched the sea of hostile and semi-hostile faces. Despite the tense situation, she couldn’t help but think that human women would gobble them up like candy. “Your time will come.” She was careful not to sound condescending. “As soon as Earth’s females realize how appealing Rodyte men are, they’ll volunteer in droves.”
“Which is your way of saying you’ve chosen Zilor already?” Kaden might be more polite, but he was obviously just as angry as Dorret.
She hesitated, unsure how they’d react if she admitted they really were wasting their time.
“If Zilor hasn’t claimed her,” Dorett projected his voice, ensuring that everyone heard him. “It’s not too late for us.”
Was he trying to start a riot? A fresh wave of fear surged through her system. She took a deep breath, trying to dispel the tension griping her belly. If she didn’t defuse the hostility he’d provoked, this could get ugly fast. Before she found an appropriate response, he continued.
“I say we stash her somewhere until the Nox stench fades.” Dorret’s demeanor changed, growing dark and dangerous. Lust burst through the resentment in his gaze and Indigo took a step back. Worse, his suggestion energized the crowd. “It doesn’t take an officer to seduce a female, just a Rodyte!” The others cheered and Dorret shoved Kaden aside.
Indigo turned and ran back into the courtyard. “Summon Raylon!” she shouted, but the flood of disgruntled soldiers was already in the archway.
Chandar stepped in front of her an
d threw an energy ball at the archway. The front of the throng yelled as sparks showered down upon them, but assault wasn’t Chandar’s purpose. She’d blocked the entrance with some sort of translucent field.
“It won’t last long.” Already she was panting and her hands began to tremble.
Indigo sprinted into her suite and found the pulse pistol Raina had lent her “just in case”. Indigo ran back into the main room and approached the blocked arched way. “Back off!” She pointed the weapon at the angry soldiers. They stopped shoving and their shouts turned into profane grumbles, but they didn’t depart.
Indigo glanced at Chandar, torn by the terror clear in the harbinger’s eyes. “Is Raylon—”
“He’s on his way,” Chandar assured without taking her eyes off the archway.
“We’re fine.” Indigo carefully backed up so she could put her arm around the harbinger’s shoulders while keeping the pistol trained on the men. “You saved me. We’re both going to be okay.”
“Why must men…” Her lips trembled and her words trailed away as tears streamed from her eyes.
Three sharp blasts echoed in the area beyond the archway.
“Break it up!” She couldn’t see Raylon, but she recognized his voice.
“Help is here.” Indigo set the gun down then wrapped her arms around Chandar and pulled her into a comforting embrace. “We’re going to be just fine.”
“This isn’t right!” Dorett shouted. “We’re fighting for the right to be treated as equals. We demand the same opportunities as the officers.”
Indigo shifted to the right, aligning herself with the doorway so she could watch the confrontation unfold.
“The negotiations haven’t even begun.” Raylon’s voice was still loud, but the autocratic edge diminished. He stood on something, the lowest rung of the railing perhaps, elevating himself a few feet above the crowd. “Each female who has joined our ranks so far hasn’t done so to locate a mate.”
“And yet all three are mated,” Dorret persisted.
“Nox hasn’t claimed Indigo,” someone else yelled. “We should still have a chance with her.”
“She belongs to Zilor. End of discussion. The lady made her choice.”
Raylon’s response shocked her, but she wasn’t about to argue the point.
“There will be more females,” Raylon assured them after a tense pause. “You’ll just have to wait a little while longer.”
“Will you have to wait?” The challenge came from Kaden this time. “Or will you be ushered to the front of the line like all of the general’s favorites?”
“We’re still working on the details, but rank will not be a factor in the selection process. And for the record, it wasn’t before. Proximity was the primary reason each female chose her mate. It had to do with their missions, not their last names.”
“That argument might work if their last name hadn’t determined their missions,” Kaden said, though he sounded far less argumentative.
“If the system isn’t rigged, why are so many officers on Indigo’s prioritized list?” Dorret’s voice grew sharp again.
Indigo shook her head. Clearly, the man enjoyed stirring up trouble.
“I don’t know.” Only the strongest of leaders could admit that to a crowd of angry warriors and not be trampled underfoot. Indigo felt her respect for Raylon advance another notch. “But I’ll find out. You have my word on it.”
“This isn’t over,” Kaden warned.
“Indigo has chosen Zilor. It is over.” Raylon’s “enforcer” voice was back big time.
“That’s not what I meant,” Kaden returned. “This is too important. Everyone must have an equal opportunity to impress their compatible females. I fully intend to make sure they do.”
“I understand.” Raylon paused for effect before he growled, “Now get back to work.”
It took a few moments for the crowd to disperse. Raylon and Kaden spoke a bit longer after the others had gone. Finally, they clasped arms and Kaden departed as well.
With the walkway empty again, Raylon approached the archway. His confident swagger had returned, not that it ever left. “May I come in?” he asked with a smile.
Chandar waved her hand in his direction. What remained of the energy barrier dissipated in a shower of sparks.
“That was interesting,” he muttered as he joined them in the courtyard.
“Are the officers being given preferential placement?” Indigo hadn’t really thought about it until this dustup rubbed her face in the possibility.
“In a way.” He ran his fingers through his hair before he explained, “Your Tandori blood complicated the situation. We need the support of Tandori Tribe and having you bond with one of the rebellion’s leaders could go a long way toward bringing them on board.”
“Why didn’t you explain that to them?”
“They weren’t really in the mood to listen to a long, drawn-out explanation. Besides, it isn’t my secret to tell.” His already serious expression turned downright grim. “I don’t think you’ve realized it yet, but your pedigree makes you a target.”
“The battle born aren’t the only ones who would benefit from the support of Tandori Tribe.” The hesitation in Chandar’s tone made it sound more like a question.
“Yes.” Raylon didn’t elaborate.
“Do you think this ends it? Will they stay away?” Indigo was almost afraid to ask.
“Most will. I don’t trust Dorret. This isn’t the first time I’ve found him in the middle of a disruption. I’ll assign guards to the archway, at least until Zilor returns.”
“Will we be allowed to bond when he does?” She softly added, “I heard what you said.”
“Garin has the final say, but I think it’s pointless to go through the motions when you’ve obviously made your choice.”
She grinned from ear to ear, in complete agreement with his conclusion.
Chapter Fourteen
“Ready?”
Zilor took a deep breath and nodded to Garin. They’d been scanned, subjected to facial recognition, and then patted down before Quinton’s head of security allowed them near the throne room. Any of Quinton’s ancestors would have had suspected traitors delivered to him in chains. But then if Quinton were more like his ancestors, Rodymia wouldn’t be on the brink of civil war.
The massive double doors were pulled open by uniformed guards, allowing the brothers into the opulent throne room. They walked steadily toward the throne and Zilor found himself looking around. It had been decades since he’d been presented at court and he hadn’t been back since. Everything was shiny. Every imaginable color was present in the marbled walls and polished floors, the thick pillars and highly arched ceilings. And the entire room seemed to shimmer with iridescent light.
The crown stirate’s massive throne made Quinton look even less impressive than his reputation. Eight muscular guards flanked the throne, four on each side. Their garish uniforms seemed at odds with their dour expressions. Quinton was rail-thin with a long, narrow face and extremely sharp features. So many had suspected that he was not a full-blooded Keire that the guiding council had demanded a DNA test before they approved his coronation. Quinton’s first act as crown stirate had been to execute every member of the guiding council. And they had not been replaced. It was these infrequent flashes of spirit that had Zilor worried now.
They knelt and bowed their heads as was expected of anyone summoned by the crown stirate.
The guards snapped to attention, suggesting that Quinton stood up. Zilor didn’t lift his head to confirm his conclusion. His job was to be invisible and protect Garin’s back when and if it came down to fighting.
“Stand up and look at me,” Quinton said, his voice a bit unsteady.
The Nox brothers climbed to their feet, then Garin stepped forward and locked his hands behind his back. His chin slowly lifted, but he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.
“You’ve insulted me without speaking a word.” Was that odd rattle in
Quinton’s nasally tone supposed to be a growl? “Where is Bandar? I summoned all three of you.”
“His absence is unavoidable.” Garin didn’t apologize and Quinton’s gaze narrowed.
“Explain.”
“He contracted a virus common to Earth, but extremely dangerous to us. As a result, he’s in medical quarantine.”
“I will check that out,” Quinton warned.
“As you wish.” Omitting the customary sire was a subtle slur, but Quinton didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Quinton prompted.
Because you summoned us, asshole. It was such a stupid question. It was all Zilor could do not to roll his eyes. Garin had drawn Quinton’s attention, but Zilor was spoiling for a fight. He was tired of sneaking around and all the endless planning. They all knew it would eventually come to war. The battle born were bred for action, and Zilor was more than ready for the action to begin.
“Apparently, one of your spies discovered my surprise.” To his credit, Garin delivered the line with an absolutely straight face.
“Your surprise?” Quinton echoed, clearly confused by the response. “What are you talking about?”
“Negotiations with Earth will require a strong position. That position cannot be achieved as long as we’re on the ground. The only choice, as I saw it, was to remain in orbit indefinitely or reopen Lunar 9.”
“So you took it upon yourself to… Wait a gods’ damn minute. What negotiations with Earth? I sanctioned no such negotiations.”
Menace crept into Garin’s expression and he released his hands. “You didn’t sanction them. I did.”
One of Quinton’s guards gasped so loud Zilor heard it. The errant guard’s stoic façade was quickly restored by a glare from the guard beside him.
“Only I have the authority to sanction interplanetary negotiations. Explain yourself.” Quinton paced back and forth, his anxiety growing with each pass.
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