by Raine Thomas
It didn’t take speech for Kyr to know that she had grabbed the attention of the entire Shelvak council. Some of them reached over and took the hands of their companions. She imagined if they had wanted to use their vocal chords, the room would be buzzing.
“If you help us,” she continued, “I’ll see to it that you receive enough of it to fuel your planet for years to come.”
The La’run didn’t speak for several more minutes. Kyr forced herself to breathe as she awaited his decision. Then the council stood as one and bowed.
“You have your army, Ascendant,” the La’run said. “Now we have to figure out how to keep the Seers’ prophecy from coming true.”
Chapter 44
Ty knew Kyr felt the weight of the La’run’s words squarely on her shoulders. She didn’t want to bring death to the Shelvaks, but she didn’t know how else to protect the Alametrians.
He pulled her into his arms and just held her for a moment, not caring about the silent eyes on them. He wanted to help ease her worry, and he thought he might know how. A plan had started forming as he listened to the La’run and more clearly understood how the Shelvaks communicated with each other.
As the Faire-Amanti, he had heightened abilities that could help protect the Shelvaks and teach them to protect themselves. He could share tips with them on fighting and strategy in less than a minute.
Ty, Kyr thought, looking up at him with wide eyes. That’s brilliant. Thank you.
He smiled, relieved to ease some of her worry. This was how it should be. As her amanti, he shared this responsibility. He halved the weight of it, and would share all of her worries from now on.
Yes, she agreed. You’re my perfect match.
And she was his heart. Soon, they would have a family, and twice as much love to share. It was more than he had ever dreamed to have, and there was no way he was going to let Vycor or Shaya take it from him now.
“How long will it take you to mobilize your forces?” he asked the La’run.
“Word has already been sent out, so it will not take long.”
“Good,” Ty said, keeping his mind open to the Shelvak leader. “I’d like to communicate with everyone before they board their vessels.”
Picking up Ty’s thoughts, the La’run nodded. “An intriguing idea. I approve. However, in order for you to accomplish such a massive broadcast of thought, we will have to heighten your mental abilities beyond where they are now.”
Ty considered this. It sounded like it would involve mind intrusion. After what Vycor had done to him, he wasn’t eager to attempt it again.
“Influencing another is against everything that we believe,” the La’run said. “However, if another being requests it for purposes such as this, I can make an exception. This would not come without risks, though. Human minds are intricate and fragile. But you two are stronger than most.”
Shaking his head, Ty said, “Kyr doesn’t need to go through that.”
Before she could object, the La’run said, “Yes, she does. She is the source of your power as you are the source of hers. What is done to one must be done to the other.”
Ty, your idea could make the difference in this battle, Kyr thought. I really feel we have to do this.
But is it worth risking our sanity? If we don’t bring the Shelvaks back, Alametria is lost.
And if we bring them back untrained and unprepared, there’s every chance both Alametria and Shelvak are lost.
He knew she was right, or he wouldn’t have suggested this in the first place. He just hadn’t known the risks.
Nothing worth doing comes without risk, she philosophized.
“All right,” he said at last. “If we’re going up against Vycor and the enhanced abilities he received from the V’larians, I suppose we could use every advantage we can get.”
The La’run rose from his seat and walked around the table until he stood in front of Ty and Kyr. Kyr climbed off her stool and waited by Ty’s side. Both of them had to tilt their heads back to look into the La’run’s depthless black eyes.
“I will handle this myself,” the La’run told them.
He touched their foreheads.
The next thing Ty knew, he was sprawled on the ground. His position was awkward due to the satchel and canisters strapped to his back, but he made out the ceiling and part of the window leading outside.
Cascades of whispers whooshed through his mind, crashing against his senses like the Savyaan waves against the cliffs. Dizziness threatened to send him back under. The room didn’t want to hold still. It rotated enough that he felt a little ill. He was grateful he hadn’t had time to eat much earlier.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, letting everything settle. He remembered his name first—and had to struggle for that. Then he remembered exactly who he was, where he was, and what had brought him there.
Finally, he sat up. Slowly.
His gaze immediately fell on Kyr, who lay immobile beside him. He experienced no sense of alarm, though. He instinctively knew she was sleeping. Her mind was at ease.
He got to his feet and bent down to pick her up, taking care not to dislodge her air canister. She roused enough to put an arm over his shoulder and murmur some vague words of affection. It took him a moment to realize that the “murmur” had come from her mind. It had sounded so much like speech that he hadn’t been able to tell the difference.
Thank you, he told the La’run, who by then was the only Shelvak left in the room. As the thought left him, he realized it had never occurred to him to speak.
The La’run nodded. I am pleased that you both made it through the process unharmed. Now that you are awake, I must don my armor. You may return to your vessel.
You intend to fight?
I, too, have a score to settle with your Advisor. He and his Inquisitors tortured and killed a number of my people, an atrocity for which he must answer.
I understand, Ty conveyed.
And he did. He wasn’t about to argue with the male who had just given him and Kyr a gift, even if only temporarily.
Still, it was troublesome to learn that he might have some competition when it came to stopping Vycor once and for all.
* * *
Ty let Kyr sleep through his time training the Shelvaks and their launch back to Alametria. He could only imagine how tired she must be, gestating not one, but two babies in her womb. When all of this was over, he was sure the thought of figuring out how to take care of two babies when he didn’t really know how to care for one would send him into a panic. For now, it brought a huge goofy grin to his face.
Eventually, he had to wake her. He opted to kiss her until she opened her beautiful eyes. She blinked as consciousness returned, then gave him a sleepy smile.
It’s time?
Yes.
Okay.
Within a snap, she was awake and alert, clearing the sleep from her eyes and running her hands over her hair to see how disheveled she was. He knew why she was taking the time to repair her appearance. She intended to look commanding, put-together, and in control. So he helped her secure the loose hairpin she was fiddling with and ran his fingers through his own hair.
Well? she asked.
You look stunning.
It had been Zasha who insisted that Kyr needed to be properly clothed before undertaking this dangerous mission. She revealed that some of the Wrym had prepared clothing for Kyr that never made it into her closet, and so it hadn’t been damaged by Shaya. She had taken it upon herself to search for some of that clothing and bring it to Kyr.
As a result, Kyr not only looked stunning, she looked like the Ascendant of Alametria.
The purple gown she wore had a flattering bodice bedecked with glittering gems. It hugged her petite curves to her ribcage and then flowed into a skirt that brushed the tops of her shoes. Over it, she wore a long-sleeved shrug made of sheer, shimmering purple fabric decorated with delicate scrollwork.
Her hair was pinned up in a simple style that Ty tho
ught made her look both regal and edible. He had to fight against the urge to feast upon her neck where it met her shoulders.
Later, she promised.
He leaned down to kiss her, lingering a little longer that he intended before they turned to the communications console. Peryl had given Ty the coordinates earlier, so they now entered them and signaled Alametria.
A Mynder that neither Ty nor Kyr recognized appeared on the screen. He started to say in a bored tone, “V’larian vessel nine-zero-two-four, hailing planet Alametria. What is your—?”
When he actually glanced up at the screen and saw Kyr and Ty, his mouth flopped open. Even as he began stammering, another Mynder stepped within view to address the transmission.
Judging by the first Mynder’s reaction, Ty deduced that he wasn’t under Vycor’s control, or at the very least, he was unaware of what had been happening. This second Mynder, however, glared at them.
“You’re approaching Alametrian airspace,” he snapped. “I strongly suggest—”
“I’m well aware of that,” Kyr interrupted coolly. “And as the Ascendant of Alametria, I expect safe clearance for my vessel and the vessels of my companions.”
Ty barely hid a grin as a look of confusion passed over the Mynder’s face.
“What companions?” the male demanded.
A voice in the background said, “Uh, sir, there are a lot of ships approaching.”
The Mynder frowned and looked off-screen. “What do you mean, a lot?”
The voice said, “Um, hundreds, sir.”
The Mynder’s eyes went wide. When he looked back at Kyr, she said, “Those companions.”
Chapter 45
“B-but—” the Mynder stuttered. “Y-you—”
He was shoved aside before he could say anything else. A resounding, “Get out of my way, ass-munch,” preceded Sem’s appearance on the screen. Kyr felt a wide smile on her face when she saw him.
He grinned back at her. “Well, we’ve been rather productive while you two were off playing. Dad and I have cleared a hangar for you.”
“That’s great,” she said. “Caelys?”
“Taken care of.”
Her shoulders slumped with relief. “Thank Yen-Ki.”
“And me. I had something to do with it, you know.”
She smiled again. “And you, Sem.”
“Right. Well, be prepared for a rude greeting. I’m sure Vycor and Shaya are gathering their troops even now.”
“Sounds like a party to me.” she said.
Sem winked, then cut the transmission. The moment the screen went dark, Kyr’s smile faded. Ty took her hand and brought it to his lips before he helped her into her safety harness so they could prepare for landing.
Kyr took the time to center herself. She took deep breaths, and with each exhale, she released her fear and embraced her purpose. The time for worry and stress had passed. Now it was time for them to eradicate the blight that had torn them from their rightful place. They would protect their people and bring new life to their planet.
She reviewed the plan Ty had established with the Shelvaks while she was unconscious. Because the Shelvaks couldn’t fight for long in direct sunlight, they were timing their arrival in the Vawn megai at nightfall. The La’run was also deploying a host of Shelvaks to the Dark Lands. It turned out that many years before she and Ty were born, the Shelvaks had tried infiltrating the planet from the Dark Lands, figuring the heavy poison in the air would serve to filter the sunlight. The problem was that they couldn’t get through the protections to get to the megais, so they abandoned their efforts.
Now, though, Vycor would have to lower the protections to allow the V’larians through. When he did, the Shelvaks could get through, too. This would allow Kyr and Ty and their allies to approach Vycor’s forces from both sides of the planet at one time.
“Brace yourselves!” Peryl shouted.
Kyr grabbed the edges of her seat. The ship veered dramatically to the left. Her heart throttled into her sternum as she looked out the viewing shield. Blasts of light ricocheted around them.
“They’re firing on us,” Peryl said, his voice calmer now. “Damn V’larians must have brought their projectile weapons to Alametria.”
The same thought occurred to her and Ty at the same time: all of the crates and deliveries to the Dark Lands with V’larian markings on them must have been housing long-range and short-range projectile weapons.
That was as long as they had to process what was happening. Peryl continued to dodge the blasts, which came more frequently the closer they got to the planet’s surface. Kyr fervently tried not to let the scrambling motion of the ship make her lose the contents of her stomach.
An explosion rocked them. Darkness ringed her vision. Faintly, she heard the sounds of alarms blaring. The smell of smoke tickled her nose, made her cough.
Can’t breathe.
Stay with me, Kyr!
Ty’s thought helped tug her back from the edge of unconsciousness. She lifted her head and saw the smoke. It poured into the cabin from a fire that had started somewhere else on the ship. Even as she shook her head to fully revive herself, Peryl flipped a switch. There was a whirring sound and the smoke dissipated. He must have activated some kind of exhaust fan.
Before she could think any more about it, the ship ground to a halt. Alarms continued to peal in nerve-grinding blasts. Kyr watched Ty unharness himself before she realized they had made it safely to the ground. Peryl launched himself from his seat and ran over to her, helping Ty unfasten her harness. He didn’t have to say anything for her to know they were running out of time.
The second she was free, Ty scooped her up and followed Peryl to the exit. She would have argued, but she knew this was probably quicker than her trying to run in her long dress.
“I landed away from the weapon fire,” Peryl said as they hurried off of the ship. “It doesn’t appear they have any long-range projectile weapons here in the Vawn megai. But the hangar is over there.”
He pointed to a building in the distance. Kyr was about to ask why they were still running when another boom and wave of heat roared behind them. Ty and Peryl never broke stride. Kyr clung to Ty and forced herself not to look back at the wreckage. She vowed then and there that if Alametria didn’t already have a medal of honor for pilots, she was creating one and giving it to Peryl.
They slowed as they neared the hangar. Ty lowered her to the ground so they could collect themselves. Kyr wanted to appear composed and in control when she faced the Alametrians waiting in the hangar with Sem. She also wanted to present a united front. Rather than Ty guiding her protectively by her arm like he did as the Dem-Shyr, he offered his arm so she could hold it as his amanti.
“Peryl, please go straight to the palace,” she told the pilot. “We want you out of harm’s way. You’ve done enough.”
“But—”
“That wasn’t a request.”
She softened the rebuke with a smile. He sighed, but bowed and said, “As you wish, Ma’jah.”
“You have done Alametria a great service, Peryl,” Ty told him. “You have our thanks.”
“I’m happy to have been of service, Ra’jah. If you ever need a pilot in the future…”
“We’ll know who to contact.”
Peryl gave them a half-smile and small salute, then jogged in the direction of the palace. Receiving Kyr’s nod, Ty resumed their walk to the hangar and opened the door. They both kept their sharpened senses open to screen for potential threats. None of the Mynders awaiting them were under Vycor’s influence, Kyr was pleased to discover. Sem had done well in finding these Mynders among those who stood against them.
Neither Vycor nor Shaya was there. They knew it the moment they walked inside. The Mynders who were there, however, stared openly at them as they stopped in the middle of the hangar.
Kyr spoke. “Thank you all for your continued loyalty and support. Please allow me to formally introduce you to the Faire-Amanti, Ra’jah TaeDane
.”
The Mynders all bowed in respect. She was happy to sense their approval and knew Ty was, too.
Sem and Owyn stepped forward, easing her anxiety a notch. Sem hugged her first, then gave Ty a resounding thump on the back.
“You two sure know how to make an entrance,” he declared. “You fell like a fireball out of the sky.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ty replied. “I never want to see another projectile weapon again.”
“On that note,” Sem said, reaching for his waist, “here you go.”
He handed Ty a de’llum. Owyn produced a pair of Oro blades, which he handed to Kyr.
“We’ve only encountered a couple of Mynders here at the palace who had projectile weapons,” Sem told them. “We confiscated them. Not sure how they got them or how many more there might be.”
Ty secured his de’llum to his belt. “My guess is Vycor is hoarding any weapons he managed to smuggle into the palace after I left. He would keep most of them for himself.”
“The bloody selfish bastard,” Owyn rumbled. “You’re probably right about that. So, what’s the plan?”
“First and foremost, we have to warn Gren,” Kyr said.
Sem lifted an eyebrow. “Warn him about what?”
The host of Shelvaks about to land in the Dark Lands, Ty conveyed, just before he and Kyr opened their minds to Gren.
Gren, we were successful, Kyr told him when they connected. You have incoming.
That’s a damn good thing, he returned. The V’larians have gotten through the protections. They’re headed into the northernmost megais. We’re pursuing, but we’re far outnumbered.
Are you on foot? Ty asked.
No, but neither are the V’larians. With their transports, it won’t take them long to cross the planet.
Okay, Kyr told him. Convey your location to us.
When he did, Ty thought, Liaise with a Shelvak named Orun’di. He’s the eldest son of the Shelvak leader, the La’run. I’ve sent him your location. If you open your mind and allow him in, you’ll be able to communicate with him.