"That is not your path," the woman said, and Anya rolled her eyes in aggravation.
"Fine. What—in as clear and noncryptic a way as possible if you please—is my damned path?" she asked through clenched teeth.
The Dreamer smiled and said, "You are the light that guides the way to the True Path. Without you, it will not be found, at least in this millennium. Without you, humans will not be a part of Harmony at all."
Anya stared at her for a long, blank moment before commenting, "You just can't help yourself, can you?"
The Dreamer laughed softly and leaned forward to pat Anya on the arm. Her fingers were cool and her touch gentle, but Anya found herself resenting the condescension that motivated it. "To make it more plain, without you and what you do here, humans will become extinct." Anya shuddered at the finality in that soft voice, but she wasn't done. "Without you, humans will not find their place among the other sentient races. Without humans and their idiosyncrasies, the other sentient races will not find the balance that leads to harmonious relations."
"Just…just what exactly do you expect me to do?" Anya whispered, horrified by the enormous responsibility the woman seemed to want to place on her shoulders.
"Nothing," the Dreamer said with a small shake of her head, her eyes pools of calm color. "Nothing but be who and what you are. Nothing more is expected of you."
"What the hell does that mean?" Anya exclaimed, past the edge of patience.
"That means that you are what you need to be. Were you not aware of the looks and comments of the people that we passed on our way here?"
"Yes," Anya sighed, rubbing the back of her neck irritably. "The captain circulated some nonsense about me being some kind of hero. Now everybody thinks I'm going to somehow save them from the wrath of Central."
"You see, it has already begun. You light their way. Others will follow as events progress."
"She does not understand," the Queen pronounced, and Anya forgot her fear long enough to shoot the enormous creature a disgusted look.
"No kidding! I'm not sure how I'm supposed to with her going on about lights and paths and other nonsense."
"I will explain," the Queen declared in her booming, mechanical voice. "When your female leader defies her leaders, those who follow them will come to follow you. They will swarm to you, little queen. It is what you were made for."
"So," Anya asked slowly, "when the captain breaks from Central, you think others will join her because of me?"
"Yes," the Dreamer said simply. "They will trust in you."
Anya stared from one to the other, aghast. "That's nuts," she said in a flat voice, making no effort at diplomacy.
"Perhaps, but it has already begun. They will believe in change because you will show them the way."
"You think my being some kind of figurehead is going to be enough to make human civilization change beliefs thousands of years in the making? I'm sorry, but you're deluded. What do you expect, that I'll flash a smile, sing a rousing hymn, and they'll all throw their hands in the air and say halleluiah-what-a-great-idea-let's-do-it?"
The Dreamer's laughter was high and clear, like sunlight dancing over water. Anya felt a dull flush rise in her cheeks and watched her with mutinous aggravation until she finished.
"I believe," the Thlassnian said, "that we have exhausted this line of conversation." Looking up at the Queen with a rainbow sparkle in her eyes, she continued, "Do you not have something to show our little queen, Star Shadow?"
The Queen made a rumbling noise, lowering her head. Her feelers drifted over Anya's skin, the acrid scent of her filling the air in an almost visible cloud. Anya held her breath and remained very still, eyes locked on the pincers that hovered so close.
"Very well," the Queen announced and lifted her head. Bracing her enormous legs on the floor of the chamber, she heaved her heavy body into the air. In the dim light, her underbelly became visible and Anya could see what she guessed was the egg sack trailing away into the gloom. It bulged and shifted and Anya guessed that there were thousands of eggs within it, waiting to be delivered.
But this wasn't what the Queen had meant for her to see. Closer at hand, in a recess that had been hidden by her massive bulk, were three eggs, their surface shiny and black like the Queen's plating. While they were visible, the Queen made a hissing noise, thunderous in the echoing chamber, and Anya huddled on the hard ground, very aware of her frailty.
"My daughters," the Queen stated as she settled herself back over the top of the eggs, her head weaving back and forth as if in protection.
Anya shuddered, looking wild-eyed at the Dreamer. The other woman looked back in apparent calm, her face serene. "I see that you have guessed her intent. Soon the queenlings will hatch and grow to a size where they will need to swarm to a place where they may begin their own hives. Captain Jamison has promised the Queen such places within human space in return for her cooperation."
"Oh my god," Anya whispered, horror draining the strength from her limbs. What had Marta done?
The Dreamer eyed her curiously, head tilted to one side. Whatever she saw in Anya's face must have brought her to some conclusion. She straightened, looking up at the Queen with a decisive air. "Thank you for your audience, Great One. I believe it is time for us to go."
Rising, she leaned forward and caught Anya by the elbow, pulling her to her feet as the Queen said, "You have been proper guests. You may leave."
What a relief, Anya thought acidly, but only part of that thought was sarcasm. She was more than happy to leave. They had an escort on the way out, she noticed. The Shrieks repeated their performance from her last visit, rushing them to the exit and then posting a guard to make sure they would leave.
"I am sorry," was the first thing the Dreamer said when they gained their freedom. "I did not realize how frightened you would be by her. I believed you had the right to know, but I did not foresee your reaction."
Anya couldn't think of a single thing to say to that as she leaned against the blessedly familiar corridor wall and caught her breath. The woman seemed contrite, but Anya couldn't work up enough energy to answer. Three. My god. Soon there would be three of those creatures in human space.
"Let me explain why I brought you to see her and had her show you what she did. Such knowledge would be disconcerting, I realize. But I felt that you needed to know what was to come."
"You talk as if…there's no way to stop it," Anya muttered breathlessly.
"There isn't," she said with a kind of inevitable calm that made Anya feel like throwing up. "But she is not entirely uncontrollable. Do you remember how we were able to walk through the Hive? None of them stopped us. Why do you suppose that is?"
She spoke just like the captain, in precisely calculated twists and misdirections. Anya wondered if the Thlassnian had taught this to Marta or if it was the reverse. Instead of answering right away, Anya took a deep breath and straightened, looking into the exquisite ripple of colors in the other woman's eyes. Pressing her lips together, she resisted the fascination that tugged at her and concentrated. How were they able to get in? The Queen had obviously been alarmed by it. But they hadn't been sneaky at all, walking in without any effort to hide what they were doing.
"You have—some kind of control over the Shrieks?" Anya guessed in a hesitant voice.
"In a way. Perhaps you have also noticed how humans react to my kind."
"Yes, your people are very attrac—" she broke off abruptly, staring at the Dreamer with something like shock as an idea struck her.
The woman smiled with a hint of apology. "Yes, we are attractive to humans because you are very sensitive to our pheromones. Some of that is beyond our control. But we are also able to change and control the release of certain chemicals in our bodies. These can mimic the chemical messages that Shrieks give to one another. When we entered the Hive, they saw us as one of their own. And I was able to sooth the Queen's alarm readily enough when I was able to approach her. So you see, she is not without her
limits."
Anya studied her with careful concentration, both impressed and disconcerted by what she'd learned. "Why tell me?"
"You have misgivings about what the captain has planned. I wanted to reassure you that all is not as it seems, that there is cause to hope. In this way, our people have been able to keep a halt on the Shrieks, to stop them from simply taking over all known space. Their instinct is to breed and grow, as it is with all species. But they are much too formidable to allow this to happen unchecked."
"You're controlling another sentient species. Doesn't that bother you? Haven't they figured out what you're doing yet?"
The Dreamer shook her head, the light cascading over her scales in a ripple of color that made Anya's breath catch. Pheromones, indeed.
"We do not control. They go where they will. They do as they will. We simply slow their progress enough to contain their growth. As to why they have not discovered this yet…" She shrugged, the movement as smooth as liquid silk. "They seem unable to grasp it. As I imagine you are having trouble fighting the effects of what it is that I do to you." Her knowing smile made Anya flush and look away. "It is quite like what you are able to do, actually. Even if someone knows of your talent, would they be able to stop feeling what you make them feel?"
Anya shook her head, feeling awkward and just a bit humiliated.
"I have upset you. I am sorry. That was not my intention. Will you forgive me?"
There was that formal tone again, odd and not a little compelling. Anya frowned, looking up at her with some suspicion. But the woman had given her more information that she'd had before and had shown remarkable trust in doing so.
With as much dignity as she could muster, she answered, "Of course. Thank you for sharing these things with me."
"It was my pleasure," the Dreamer said with a smile and pulled the hood over her head. "Will you return with me?"
"Certainly."
Their return trip to the Thlassnian's quarters was as quiet as their journey from it. This made Anya wonder how often the Dreamer sought out the company of others, human or otherwise. She had an idea that the woman didn't get out much.
They entered the quarters only to discover that Anya's friends had already left. Hrn inclined her head as she said in a regretful tone, "I am afraid that one of your friends was not feeling well, so they felt it necessary to leave."
Suspicious, Anya asked, "Which one?"
"The female with the scarlet hair."
Anya relaxed, eyeing the green-scaled woman wryly. "I don't suppose she caught sight of one of your male colleagues, by any chance?"
Hrn lowered her eyes, but her mouth curved in answering amusement. "That was the case. Bayl meant only to assist me in entertaining our guests."
"Well, Ces tends to be a little more susceptible to your, um…influence, and to men in general, than the rest of us. I'm sorry if she caused you any trouble."
"She was no trouble."
Anya thought that was rather generous of the Thlassnian—she could just imagine the scene Ces had caused, being in this dreamy environment and confronted by one of those delectable males. "I'm glad. Well, I should be going." Turning to the Dreamer, she put on her best polite face. "Thank you for seeing me."
"Thank you for accepting my invitation and giving me the pleasure of your company. You are welcome to return at any time."
The Dreamer was using that formal tone again, and by the startled lift of Hrn's head, Anya gathered that she didn't make such an open invitation often. She supposed that she should be flattered, and in a way she was, but she also knew she would avoid another visit. The woman made her uncomfortable, both because of her beauty and because of her ambitions. It was hard to be easy in the presence of someone who was doing her level best to manipulate not only Anya's life, but all those around her as well.
"You're very kind," Anya murmured and tried her hand at a bow, because it seemed the proper thing to do with this formidable person. She didn't think she did too badly with it.
"Until we meet again, Anya Vaedrin," the Dreamer said with a ring of certainty in her voice, as if it was a foregone conclusion.
With an uncomfortable nod, Anya beat a hasty retreat. Out in the corridor, she breathed a sigh of relief and braced a hand on the wall. Her body felt drained, and her mind was in a jumble. She needed a nap. But when she began moving again, it wasn't towards her quarters. There was something else she needed more than sleep.
Chapter 28
Jason was in his office when Anya entered, but he wasn't alone. Frank and a few people she didn't recognize were there with him. There was a tension in the room that made the hairs at the back of her neck rise, and she frowned. All of the faces that turned to her had a keen edge to them, as if every one of them was coiled for violence. But they had been speaking with quiet calm when she entered, and Frank smiled to see her.
"Hey, Ani," he said, putting down the viewer he'd been holding and coming to her side. "Good to see you up and about."
"Hi, Frank," she murmured, leaning up to give him a peck on his cheek that made his rough skin redden. "How are you?"
"Never better," he answered with an easy grin, before glancing over at the group of people clustered around Jason's desk. As if his look was some kind of signal, they all began moving towards the exit, smiling and murmuring greetings as they passed her.
"Wait, you don't have to go," Anya said, grasping Frank's arm as he turned away. "I just wanted to see Jason…"
"We needed a break anyway," he responded with an affectionate pat on her hand. "Yell when you wanna go back at it, Jace."
"Will do," Jason murmured, but his eyes were on Anya as he leaned back in his chair.
Feeling uncomfortable, Anya watched Frank go before taking a couple of uncertain steps into the office, holding her elbows. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
The slow smile that curved his mouth made her forget her uncertainty. "Come here," he murmured, holding out a large hand.
She came, passing around the end of the desk to slip a slim hand into his. He promptly pulled her closer and lifted her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing his face in the hollow of her throat with a sigh. Anya shivered with delight and relaxed against him, wrapping her own arms around his broad shoulders and cupping the back of his dark head with one hand.
"Did the doc release you or did you sneak out again?" he asked in a muffled voice, his lips moving against her skin in a way that made her eyes close with pleasure.
"Bit of both," she answered, before pulling back a little so she could see his face. "Everybody seemed awfully tense when I walked in. Is there something wrong?"
"Not a thing," he said promptly. He was lying.
She sighed, curling her fingers in his hair and giving an admonishing tug. "Jason, why do you keep forgetting that I'm an empath?"
He scowled at her. "Why do you have to be so nosy?"
"I'm not being nosy. I'm in this up to my eyeballs, in case you forgot." Her tone was a tad more caustic than she'd meant it to be, but she'd had a long day already.
"That's one thing I can't forget," he said quietly before jostling her into a more reclined position. She couldn't complain—in her new position, she could snuggle against his chest and bask in the comfort of his arms around her. "I suppose it's too much to hope that you've been resting?"
"I went to see the Dreamer," she answered, bringing a hand down to his chest and spreading her fingers across the hard-muscled surface. His heart beat strong and steady against her palm and she smiled. "She took me to see the Hive Queen again. I suppose you know about the three queen eggs."
His grip tightened, fingers pressing into her soft flesh. "Did they hurt you?" he asked in a harsh voice.
"Of course not," Anya said wryly. "I'm their puppet, their dancing marionette. Why would they hurt me?"
He made a rumbling growl in his throat that she felt as much as heard. "I don't know how to keep you safe," he said in a fierce, slightly desperate voice.
>
"I can't be any safer than where I am right now," she whispered, snuggling her face against his throat and kissing him, the taste of his skin a visceral pleasure.
His laugh held a note of irony, but his arms relaxed a bit as one hand found her hip and explored the length of her thigh. "If I could keep you here forever, I would. Wouldn't get much work done, though…"
She chuckled, curling closer and slipping teasing fingers under his collar. "How much time will Frank give you, do you suppose?"
With a little groan, he caught her fingers and brought them to his lips. "Not enough, damn it."
She knew that would be his answer, but she still couldn't help a sigh of disappointment. Being held in his arms was wonderful and completed her in a way that was almost mystical, but the urgent, burning demand of her body was hard to ignore. She shifted on his lap and, hearing the sharp hiss of his indrawn breath, knew that he was having similar difficulties.
Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "Tonight you're not getting away with just sleep; I hope you know that."
Playing with her fingers, he said in an offhand tone, "You sure you're up to it?" But his heart had picked up speed against her.
She drew back enough to see his face and smiled into his eyes, feeling every inch of her skin flush and tingle with anticipation at the dark heat she saw there. Pulling his head down to hers, she whispered, "Are you kidding?" against his lips.
She felt a tremor go through his large frame before his arms closed around her with crushing force and his mouth took hers with a possessive hunger that made her tremble with longing. Then she was gasping with keen disappointment as he abruptly lifted her off his lap and set her away from him.
"Sweetheart, you're gonna be the death of me," he growled, his eyes hot and hungry as he looked up at her.
"Yeah sure, blame me," she muttered, as she scooted back to lean against the desk and catch her breath, slanting him a frustrated look. "Makes sense, since I forced myself on your lap and refused to let you lock the door."
He rested his head back against the chair and gave her a lazy grin, eyes traveling over her possessively. "Stop giving me ideas and go get some rest. You'll need it."
Angels and Ministers of Grace Page 29