by Regine Abel
The horrified look on the Magnar’s face had us all bursting into laughter. “We do not have time for this,” he said in a firm tone.
“We have time if I say we do,” Mercy said, giving him the kind of look that told a man not to press his luck if he valued his life.
I almost felt sorry for Ravik, while smug satisfaction rose from Ghan.
“I am not dancing half-naked in front of my men and the First Division,” Ravik hissed through his teeth.
“They have to dance, too,” Zhara said, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
“You’ll dance when the time to dance comes, or you’re not getting any for a year,” Mercy deadpanned.
“Aunt Mercy!” Amalia exclaimed, before casting a meaningful glance at the children.
From the sound of her mother’s voice, Zhara, ever the troublemaker, guessed there was some naughty underlying meaning she hadn’t caught.
“He’s not getting any what?” Zhara asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
“Oh Goddess,” Kamala said, covering her mouth with her palm.
“Honey covered cherries,” Mercy said, dead serious as she held her mate’s glare.
“Oooh! I love cherries!” Zhara exclaimed.
“Me, too!” echoed Mercy’s twins, Lissy and Garruk.
“Let’s go ask Jhola if we can have some!” Lenora said to her younger cousins.
“Okay!” they said in unison.
“You go greet the family first, and then you can go ask for cherries,” Mercy scolded her children.
“Yes, Mama,” the children said, apologetically.
Ravik put Zhara down, and the rest of us were finally able to greet the Magnar and his Dagna.
After we’d entered the house and settled for a large feast in the garden of the mansion, my gaze landed on Maheva. Pride, love, and gratitude radiated from her, watching over her children, their mates, and her grandchildren. In that instant, I finally realized how powerful the once six-year-old girl who had spent sixty-one years of her life as a slave had become. My people had been so obsessed with the growing threat of Eryon’s bloodline that they never stopped to consider that it was in fact the bloodline of Maheva Fein—now Maheva Volghan—that was poised to take over the world.
Her firstborn daughter, Mercy, had not only inherited from her father one of the greatest wealth of the Guldan Empire, but she’d also founded and operated one of the top defense and advanced technology development firms in the galaxy. Through her marriage to Ravik, she was now the queen of Braxia whose giant men were reputed to be the fiercest and bloodiest warriors of both the Eastern and Western Quadrants. My gaze flicked to her youngest daughter, Aleina, who had built the most powerful army in the Eastern Quadrant and forged a deep alliance with the Xelixian Army, thanks to the union of Amalia to the General of the First Division. And through her granddaughter’s children, Eryon, and me, Maheva would now also have the elite force of the Korlethean army serving her bloodline.
Our Oracles and Seers had been so obsessed with dissecting any vision pertaining to Amalia’s children that they’d missed the one whose future they should have truly been studying: the source, the mother of them all. Maheva.
My gaze lowered to her son, the ultimate child of her bearing years, and sole heir of Dr. Minh. The boy wasn’t a Titan like the others, nor was he a Warrior. Despite his barely two years of age, the young boy of the Scholar breed looked at the world with the same yellowish-brown eyes speckled with green of his mother but gleaming with an otherworldly keen intelligence. What destiny awaited him? What great power would he also lay at Maheva’s feet?
The weight of my woman’s stare drew me. Our eyes connected, hers questioning. I shook my head, indicating nothing was the matter. She narrowed her eyes at me. Naturally, with our empathic bond growing stronger each day, she could sense something was troubling me. But considering her dislike of my people’s constant need to prod at the future, how would she feel if she knew I was seriously considering asking my aunt to explore the paths of Fate for both Maheva and her young son? Would Aunt Venya have gotten the same insight I just did had she not, yet again, declined Amalia’s invitation to share in the meal?
I shouldn’t have secrets from my mate.
It shamed me that I’d even considered doing it behind her back. A lifetime of secrecy and covert work would take time to shed. But this isn’t how I wanted to start my union to my soulmate.
“I will tell you everything later,” I promised.
Kamala’s expression softened, and she smiled affectionately with a tinge of gratitude. Even though she’d probably end up kicking my ass when I did reveal my thoughts, in my heart, I knew this to be the right course of action.
The children having all but inhaled their food were asking permission to go play. As they’d be in our line of sight in the backyard, their parents agreed, leaving us to more adult conversations. Mercy took an almost sadistic pleasure in describing some of the more barbaric hunts and tournaments on Braxia, or making her mother squirm with embarrassment with vivid descriptions of the kinky and decadent lifestyle of the obscenely wealthy clientele that sojourned in the Venus Hive pleasure barge of Anton Aldriss.
“Speaking of which,” Mercy said to Amalia, “Anton’s son sent Zharina another present. It was too big and too heavy a box for me to haul around with me.”
“I’ll bring it to you after the meal,” Ravik said gently to Amalia.
“Again!?” she said, before lifting her eyes to the sky in a sign of despair. “He spoils her too much. By the time they are mated, she’ll be beyond entitled.”
“Just like her mother,” Lhor deadpanned.
“Hey!” Amalia exclaimed while her mate grinned teasingly at her. “Keep that up, and you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“Good,” Khel said. “More room for us. He snores too much anyway.”
“I don’t snore!” Lhor retorted, casting an offended look at his Gem.
We all laughed while Khel passed a possessive arm over the backrest of Amalia’s chair.
“Seriously, though,” Amalia said, sobering. “This whole fated-to-be-mated business between my daughter and Anton’s son is a little overwhelming to me. I know they are great parents, and Gavin seems like a very good child. But I don’t want my daughter to think courting is about how many gifts a male gives you, and how expensive they are.”
Ravik nodded, a sympathetic look on his face. “Anton had to rein in Gavin. The boy would have spent every dime of his allowances buying half of the Braxian gift shop on Venus Hive to shower your daughter with.”
“Indeed. Grace had to tell Celia—the shopkeeper—not to let Gavin buy anything without her blessing,” Mercy said fondly. “She’s been getting her son to send more personal gifts, like poems he wrote, paintings he did, holographic vids of him speaking to her. The poor boy is completely smitten by Zhara.”
“He is. You Veredians certainly have a way of enthralling us,” Ravik said, casting a heated look at Mercy.
She smiled and winked at her mate, before running her fingers through his long, black hair, the same raven color as hers. Drawing his face down, she gently kissed his lips and rubbed her nose against his.
“You never get used to it,” Kamala whispered, having correctly guessed how confused I was by the unusual couple. “But if anyone could have tamed that beast, Mercy was it.”
Straightening after ending the kiss, Ravik caressed Mercy’s right horn with a massive hand strong enough to crush a man’s skull.
“If we had known you were moving to Tuur… I’m sorry, to Veredia,” Ravik said to Aleina, “I would have brought you a few karvelis. In fact, I have a few foals I wanted to gift the children. They can establish a stronger bond with the creatures if they grow up together. If you consent, I will have my son Keran bring them to you on your new home world in a few weeks. We—”
An urgent message buzzed on my com.
All conversations stopped with every eye turning towards me as I fumbled to get my com out
of my dhalla’s pocket. As soon as I saw the name of the sender, I shot to my feet and hastened away to listen to it privately.
“Xevius!” Kamala called out, standing up as well.
Tension poured out of her in droves, and steadily rose in every member of her family around the table… of our family. My mate knew the message was from my brothers. The others suspected it as well. They were not the enemy, and yet… I couldn’t swear the message wouldn’t send the wrong signal and completely turn my new family against them. The General had not yet committed to aid any Korlethean who came here. With Chana Bremhin still missing and no proof as to who had been her handler, I couldn’t blame him for remaining suspicious and overly protective of his family.
“They are my brothers,” I said in a tone pleading for her to understand.
“And we are your family,” Kamala said. “If they are the men you say they are, then you have nothing to worry about.”
“If they are calling for aid, then you will not be able to assist them on your own,” Khel said stoically. “I respect your loyalty to your people, but for the foreseeable future, Korlethea is your past, and we are your future. You must learn to trust us to do right by you, the same way we have chosen to trust you.”
“You had Valena’s mind-reading ability to help you make that choice,” I snapped, immediately feeling petty for it.
Khel smiled. “The choice was already made the minute Kamala claimed you as her soulmate. Valena merely provided the confirmation. As a father, I am bound to perform all due diligence when the safety of my children is involved. If not for that bond, I would have hunted you down and killed you, no questions asked.”
The truth of his words—or at least his conviction in them—rang loud and clear through my empathic perceptions. Whatever his concerns and misgivings, he had accepted me as part of his family and as a trustworthy male. That he allowed me to stay alone with his children and to play with their psionic minds as I shared my knowledge with them had been further proof of the tremendous leap of faith he had taken in me.
“You have sacrificed much, Xevius,” Kamala said softly, something shifting inside her. The hurt and betrayal that had initially emanated from her was now fading, replaced with compassion, understanding, and protectiveness. “If you feel bound to shield your brothers’ message, then do what you must, and then share with us what you can. We’ll be here.”
She smiled and resumed her seat, thus giving me her blessing to leave. To my utter shock, while torn by my mate’s decision and disappointed in my stance—in me—the rest of the family honored Kamala’s decision. My heart swelled with love and gratitude for my Sareema, and the respect I held for the people gathered around the table grew another notch. In that moment, something settled inside of me.
“This is not easy for me,” I said clutching my com as if my life depended on it. “They are good people. I just want to keep them safe.”
I searched for more words to explain how I felt, but none seemed adequate. After opening and closing my mouth a few times, I gave up. Addressing a silent prayer to the Goddess, I put my com on speaker before playing the message. My family stared intently at the device as the familiar voice of my friend began to speak.
“Xevius, by the time you receive this message, we will have just left Korlethean space,” said Febus over the com. “Two thousand three hundred and twenty-four of us have defected. As I’m recording this, the Agency—what remains of it—and the Enforcers are preparing to launch their pursuit. We do not wish to kill our brothers, but they have been given the order to kill us.”
Stunned expressions could be read around the table. However, Kamala, Ghan, Khel, Aleina, Mercy, and Ravik had that look I recognized well; the hunter or warrior already strategizing and preparing for battle.
“There are too many of us to travel together. We’d make far too easy targets, especially since most of our ships are not of military grade,” Febus continued. “We are dividing into different groups so that the Enforcers, too, will have to split their forces. A little over two hundred of us are non-combatants. They are heading straight for Veredia where they will seek asylum.”
“What?!” Kamala and Aleina simultaneously exclaimed.
“Killian is leading them,” Febus said. “They are Seers, Oracles, educators, and crafters. They are not fighters and will not attempt to land until the Veredians have performed whatever security verifications they must. Despite your banishment, you are one of the Hands of Fate, Xevius—a protector of the People. I am counting on you to intercede with the Veredians to keep our civilian brothers and sisters safe.”
My mate and her sister exchanged a look, and a silent communication passed between them. Kamala whipped out her com. Her fingers flying over the tactile interface, she sent out a message, no doubt to her Tuurean troop leaders.
“Part of our warrior group will go to Dantor. Others will head to Avea before turning back to catch up with the rest of us coming to Xelix Prime.”
It made sense not to land on Avea that had too weak of a military to challenge Korlethea if it came to that. Aveans were also quite trigger happy with deportation and would therefore not offer much hope of asylum.
“Eryon was right, and so are you. What he has accomplished with the boy…” Febus’s voice said, fill with awe and disbelief. “We are coming at long last to reunite with our daughters and to answer the call of the young general. The Goddess willing, we’ll see each other again in two days. If not, I wish you long life and hope we meet again in her halls when your thread has run its course.”
The message ended, and I looked at my family, staring back at me.
“If I received this message now, then Febus must have sent it a little over two hours ago,” I said, my mind racing. “Korlethea will send the brunt of our remaining Agents and Enforcers to bring them back or eliminate them. My brothers will not be traveling in the same top military ships as their pursuers. They will not make it without assistance.”
“We cannot engage the Korletheans for taking measures against their own people for treason,” Khel cautioned.
“No, but we could prevent the Korletheans from killing the defectors if they request sanctuary on the basis of persecution,” Kamala said. “Whether the argument holds up in court is irrelevant. By the time the hearings begin, they will be safely here on Xelix Prime… or on Veredia,” my mate added, turning to look at me.
“That would work,” Ghan confirmed. “But they need to formally request it first.”
His meaningful stare my way made it clear what I needed to do.
“Ashara confirmed we have a battlecruiser fourteen hours away from Korlethea,” Kamala said, glancing at her com device. “With some of the defectors moving in their general direction, our women could meet up with them in a few hours. We have no qualms standing up to your Enforcers as we have no diplomatic agreements with Korlethea.”
I looked at my mate with gratitude. She winked at me, and her love flowed to me through our empathic bond. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve her, but I silently praised the Goddess.
“President Frebhin has already signed a blanket grant of asylum to any Korlethean who requests it,” Lhor said, looking at his Gem. “Zhul and I are the only Councilors aware of it. I can have a copy sent to whomever will represent the Xelixian troops.”
“Captain Lendhen’s ship is not too far from Dantor. He can move to provide assistance to those headed that way,” Ghan said. “I will verify the current troop assignments to see who else is near the others.”
“Ashara is getting the Tempest ready. We should be able to depart within the hour to meet the Korletheans coming to Xelix Prime,” Kamala said.
“To Xelix Prime? Not Veredia?” Aleina asked, visibly stunned.
While her body remained neutral, my mate’s expressive face revealed her sudden self-doubt, which she quickly dissimulated. Although her own face didn’t show it, I could feel Aleina inwardly kicking herself for publicly undermining my mate’s already shaky confide
nce in her ability to fill the shoes of Admiral Lee. Still, my heart soared with pride as my mate squashed her insecurities and plowed on through.
“Jezaya has the brunt of our forces defending our home world,” Kamala said. “They will be able to handle a small incoming fleet without problem, especially since the message said they are all civilians. Considering the number of other combatant defectors coming to Xelix Prime, if they are up to no good, we will need the firepower of a battlecruiser to take them out. If they are indeed seeking refuge, then their pursuers will need a major deterrent. The Tempest makes everyone think twice before messing with us.”
Aleina smiled at her sister. The glimmer of approval in her eyes had my mate melting from the inside out.
“We had planned on only staying for a couple of days, but I am happy to take my fleet wherever you wish for support,” Ravik said, earning himself a grateful smile from Mercy.
“That would actually be welcomed,” Khel said. “If we deploy too many Xelixian ships, I will have to communicate the reason for it to the Council, and it will draw the attention of the media. Until we have secured the Exiled, it is better to remain as inconspicuous as possible.”
“Unless you have any objections, Kamala,” Aleina said, “I would like Ravik’s fleet to go to Veredia, and I’ll tag along with them. I will need to be part of the asylum discussions with the Korletheans, which will not be efficient from here because of the transmission delays. With the Braxian’s firepower on our side, Jezaya could send out more of our Tuurean ships wherever you would have sent the Magnar’s ships.”
Once more, my respect for Aleina grew another notch. Kamala had told me how much her sister used to struggle with the need to control everything. I hadn’t witnessed that side of her since my arrival here. Although I could feel her natural urge to take over, she was giving my mate the space to play her role as their military leader.
“That works for me,” Kamala agreed.
“It’s settled then,” Khel said. He rose to his feet, and everyone followed suit. Smirking, he locked gazes with me and said, “Let’s go get your people.”