Materfamilias

by Wendie Nordgren

  She shrugged. “Rovek ran out of here like his ass was on fire.”

  “The cadets,” I said as I put my cup down and hurried outside. Guilt washed over me. I had barely spoken to them since learning of my pregnancy, but in my defense, I hadn’t been feeling well. Scanning the horizon, I spotted Rovek standing on the end of the dock and jogged out to him. “What happened?”

  Calmly, he stated, “Cadet Cedrenus had an incident.”

  Fitz’s yacht was coming closer. As it slowed, I saw that my husbands were onboard along with my team. However, Cedrenus looked pale. I had never seen him in such pain. He made a point of never showing it. Phillip was tending to him. Rovek leapt aboard and handed Phillip a case.

  Quickly opening it, Phillip injected Cedrenus with the contents. “Respiration is improving. Heartrate is returning to normal. Hey, you’re okay, kid. I’ve got you.” Phillip tucked a blanket around Cedrenus. “He’s stabilizing. Let’s move him.”

  Nico and Drex operated a hover gurney onto which Cedrenus had been secured. I stayed out of the way as they lowered him to the dock and took him to the house. When the others joined me on the dock, I asked, “What happened?”

  Fitz said, “He caught a spine from a venomous fish. He’ll be fine. It just hurts like a….” He didn’t finish with what I assumed would be a really good bad word.

  “How long has he been in pain?”

  Dario said, “It only happened a short time ago. We immediately sped back here. He’ll be fine. He’s tough. Not so much as a whimper out of him.”

  Fitz shook his head. “I cried when one got me one time. Damn, that hurt.”

  Frowning, I followed after Phillip. As soon as I was allowed to do so, I gave my teammate my attention. Phillip had already sterilized and bandaged his wound. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

  Cedrenus shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He looked like a helpless little boy who was trying to be brave, reminding me of Niklos when he had skinned his knees a few days ago on Daphoene. Thunderdrop, Pierce, Lorca, and I couldn’t protect the children from everything.

  “That’s not what Fitz told me. He almost used a bad word to describe the agony of it. Poor baby.” I smoothed his hair away from his forehead and kissed it.

  “It is dreadfully painful, but I would never forgive myself if I were to cause you an upset.” He let me see the pain in his face that he had been hiding.

  “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can get for you?” I felt his forehead.

  Phillip was setting up an IV. I cringed at the needle going into my friend’s arm.

  Weakly, Cedrenus said, “Water?”

  “I’ll get you some. I’ll be right back.”

  Binder and Ross were in the room and seemed to share my concern. Hurrying to the kitchen, I made a glass of ice water and stuck a straw into it. Rushing back to Cedrenus, I waited as he struggled to sit up and then held the water for him. Phillip gave him a look.

  “What time did you leave to go fishing? I didn’t know you all had left or even that you had planned to go.”

  Phillip said, “Around three this morning. Did you want us to wake you?”

  “No. I’d much rather sleep in a comfortable bed than be tossed around on a boat. Ugh. I don’t even want to think about it.”

  Cedrenus said, “I just wanted to help provide for you and the other ladies.”

  The end of my nose started to tingle. Covering his wrist with my hand, I said, “You are so thoughtful. I’m so sorry you were hurt.”

  “Please, don’t cry. Rovek must not know,” Cedrenus whispered.

  “Why? It would hurt anyone.”

  “He would look at it as weakness. I will be fully recovered in a few hours. I swear it.”

  “If he says shit to you, I’ll kick his ass,” I promised.

  Cedrenus chuckled at me and shook his head. Phillip snorted.

  “What? You don’t think I could do it?”

  Phillip gave me an innocent smile which made me worry. “Cupcake, I heard that yesterday a music box took you out, and you had to be fished out of a ball pit.”

  I felt my face turning red. “Spinning things keep making me faint. How was I supposed to know that those little fish would be jumping in and out of the waves?”

  Cedrenus said, “Both of us were taken out by fish.”

  Nodding, I patted his hand. “The children are waking up. I have to go.”

  Binder and Ross bowed to me as I left the room.

  As soon as Peter opened his eyes, he saw me and reached for me. “Good morning, my love. Let’s go get you changed.” He blinked sleepily at me.

  Neema was sound asleep with her butt in the air. Niklos was sprawled out on his back with his foot propped up on a stuffed animal. Seeing that I was officially on duty, Thunderdrop climbed down from his web and went to the kitchen. Niklos’ green and gold eyes slowly opened, and he grinned at me. With a clean and dry Peter on my hip, I went to him and kissed his little face all over until he was giggling.

  “Stop, Mommy. I got to pee.” Sliding on his tummy to his feet, he walked to the bathroom.

  “Yes, please be potty trained,” I whispered.

  I had Niklos and Peter washed and dressed by the time Neema woke up. She was more challenging than her brothers, refusing both of the outfits I suggested. “No, Mommy. I want this.” She showed me a picture of pirates from one of the many books in the room.

  After digging through some of her clothes, she agreed on blue bloomers, a red shirt, and her toy blasters, belted and holstered around her waist. “If you ask Xavier, he may have an eyepatch you can borrow.” Excited, she ran off.

  “Teagan,” Nico called.

  “In here!” I had just finished returning Neema’s clothing to the drawers.

  Smiling, he bent down to Niklos and picked him up. “Hey, are you ready for breakfast?”

  Niklos said, “Yes, sir.”

  Nico grinned at me. He was up to something.

  Peter and I led the way to the kitchen where Finn was at it again.

  Nico said, “Since our plans have changed and we are near Apellan, we thought we might do some hunting there.” He helped Niklos into his chair.

  Neema, the pirate princess, was sitting on Xavier’s lap. She was eating toast and getting the crumbs all over him.

  “Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!” Thunderdrop showed me images of the forest on Nico’s property.

  Yukihyo, Fitz, Andy, the clone, Drex, and Dario studied my reaction.

  I said, “I guess it’s settled. I know you need to visit your base, especially now.” He would need to be certain his troops were ready for a possible war or to defend Apellan from a Militia strike. “Has there been any news?” Desperation was clear in my voice.

  “We have no knowledge of this probe. It isn’t ours. Since it isn’t ours, the question becomes more serious. Is some unknown political faction attempting to destroy our peace, or does it belong to an alien species which threatens us all? We must be prepared,” Finn said as he placed a plate in front of me.

  Fitz shook his head at me. “Teagan, not all of us are in agreement about traipsing off to Apellan under the ruse of a hunting trip. You’re strong enough to look at the facts objectively.” He held my eyes with his own. “Until we have more information, the safest place for you, the ladies, and the children is on Parvac. It’s in the center of our universe. Apellan is on the outer reaches. I want you to take the children and return to your father.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. He was deadly serious.

  “I won’t force your compliance,” he said, but his brown eyes said that he wanted to.

  “Chirp?” Thunderdrop crawled down from the table and went outside. He suspected he was about to be confined in a starship and wanted to play while he had the chance.

  “If you think it’s best, I’ll return to Parvac.”

  Fitz looked relieved. Walking over to me, he kissed my forehead. Momma had listened to every word and looked frightened. I so
othed her through our bond.

  Quietly, Dario asked, “Would you object if I were to return to Daphoene?”

  Looking down at my plate, I shook my head. “No, I understand.”

  Dario came to my side, stared into my eyes, and then kissed me. “I love you, Teagan. Fitz is correct. Emperor Probus will keep you, the Empress, the children, and your ladies safe on Parvac. Nico and I have duties and responsibilities to the Empire.”

  “Be safe and return to us. We need both of you.”

  Chapter Six

  Less than an hour later, Dario and Nico had said their goodbyes to us. Dario was taking Nico to Apellan in his warship.

  “Where did Daddy go?” Niklos asked.

  With a smile I didn’t feel, I said, “Daddy had to go to work, but we’ll go home and play with Gapa. Okay?”

  Niklos stared at me with his green and gold eyes. Then, he hugged my neck before going off to play.

  When I had a moment alone with Yukihyo, I said, “Hiroshi won’t be meeting us on Ephors. Will he?”

  Yukihyo shook his head.

  None of us were in the mood to play in the ocean, so the next day, we boarded the Empress. Captain Ricimer set our course for Parvac. Once everyone was situated on the Imperial Deck, I noticed Sparrow. She was deeply troubled. I sat beside her on the couch. Her brown curls tumbled around her face. Xavier sat to her other side and held her hand.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, worried it was the baby.

  Xavier answered for her. “She tried to call Gary, and all she got was a screen with the Galaxic Militia insignia.”

  Disbelief and then fear consumed me as the meaning of his words sank in. Trembling, I activated the large, wall-mounted vid-screen and called Quaid. It didn’t go through. The same image Sparrow had seen covered the screen for everyone present to see. I tried to call Eric, Gram, Simon, and Hiroshi. It was all the same. “They’ve cut us off.” My throat closed up, and my eyes burned. “But, you said it wasn’t our probe!”

  Eli said, “It isn’t. We are unable to learn more. The comet is on the other side of Galaxic space, and our operatives have been detained.”

  My jaw dropped. “They caught Flavian and Maxim?”

  Eli nodded. His eyes were dark and dangerous.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “The Emperor has decided in the interest of peace to take defensive actions only. If we wanted to destroy the Militia, we easily could, but the citizens of the Galaxic Expanse would rebel against us at every turn.”

  I started to pace. Rovek watched me for a moment before settling his attention on Tracy. She had tried and failed to call her mother and brothers on Aurilius. Only Tracy’s fear and disappointment had the ability to affect him.

  “How were Flavian and Maxim even captured? I know from personal experience that it is no easy task.”

  Eli said, “Commander Bosh and Captain Alaric arrested them. Along with other means, they hunted them down with a team of Laconian elite soldiers.”

  I held onto the back of a chair when my pacing started to make me dizzy. “Speculation?”

  “Since at the time of their arrests, our governments were still amicable, I can only assume it was personal. Bosh has a score to settle for our treatment of you.” Eli looked as though he was expecting Quaid to retaliate against him at some future date.

  My eyes grew wide. Yukihyo met my eyes and smiled. Quickly, I turned to watch Sue in her tank. Yukihyo had known all along that Quaid intended to make them suffer for what they had led me to believe. Obviously, Yukihyo approved. Beating the Inquisitor bloody in the ring evidently hadn’t been enough.

  “Why hasn’t Quaid contacted me?”

  “And risk a court martial?” Eli asked. “Currently, the Galaxic Government sees us as the enemy.”

  “Teagan, enough of this!” Momma cried. We all turned to her. “No more talk of the Galaxics! For years, I suffered at the hands of those cruel monsters. Now, they attack us anew! Why won’t they leave us alone?”

  I rushed over to her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her while she sobbed. “Come with me, Momma. Everything will be alright.” I led her to the Imperial suite reserved for her use. Once there, I kept my arms around her after we had sat on a couch.

  “Oh, Teagan, all of this talk of war terrifies me. What will become of our empire? I have no doubts as to our success, but one of the prices of victory would be a profound loss of innocence. Countless soulless eyes would look out from the faces of young men such as Cedrenus, Binder, and Ross. A war of such magnitude could last decades. It will drain the economy, destroy worlds, and end numerous lives. Why? Over an information gathering device? What empire might your children inherit then?”

  I had no answers to give. I stayed with her until she fell into a troubled sleep.

  Drex waited for me outside of her door. My eyes filled with tears, and I found myself in his arms. “Everything will be alright, dearest one.”

  “How? How can any of it be alright? If we go to war, I could lose you, Eli, Nico, Dario, and Quaid. You are each high-ranking members of the Warrior Caste.”

  “Take a walk with me.” Drex gave me his arm and took me up to the Command Deck and into a meeting room where Eli and Rovek waited.

  Eli came to me and blotted at my eyes with a silk square.

  Rovek said, “Lord Yukihyo didn’t seem surprised to learn of our team’s capture.”

  Drex held out a chair for me.

  “Do you have any proof of my husband’s involvement?” I stared into Rovek’s eyes. I would leave the Empire for Yukihyo, and each of them knew it.

  “No.” Rovek poured me a cup of tea. “Maxim and Flavian are being held on Epopeus.”

  I shook my head. “Then, you won’t be getting them out.”

  Eli touched my hand. “We have men who have the abilities required to free our Inquisitors.”

  Anger filled me to the point of rage. Picking up my tea cup, I hurled it against the wall. Shattering, it left tea to drip like blood down the wall. “You will send my Omnes Videntes on such a mission over my dead body! Do I make myself clear?” My temper didn’t faze them.

  “Teagan, if the Eriopis manage to break through either Cory or Aurek’s mental barriers, the Galaxics will have reasons to declare war,” Eli said quietly.

  “What will they find?” I asked, almost afraid to know.

  “They hunted down each of the Earth Loyalists who insulted the Empress Neema. They made what I did to the miners of Malta who insulted you seem like a gentle slap in comparison.”

  Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my breathing. The miners who had kidnapped and briefly imprisoned me deep beneath Malta’s surface were dead, some in small pieces. I felt no pity for anyone who had abused my Momma. Nathan Green had been executed in the most painful manner possible with reverse nanite technology.

  “The only proof is in their minds. However, for the Laconians, it will be enough. If avoiding war is what you desire, we must rescue them,” Eli stated.

  He was right. Dread became a cold, hard clump in my chest. My thoughts turned to Sparrow and Tracy. “I forbid the involvement of Xavier and Jazon. They are assigned Imperial Guard duty. My friends will never know the excruciating pain of losing a husband. Is that clear?”

  “Zared will not be allowed to volunteer,” Drex said quietly.

  I met his eyes. “Thank you. I couldn’t survive losing Zared or Yukihyo. I just couldn’t.”

  “Hush, dearest one.” Drex pushed back his chair and lifted me onto his lap.

  Hiding my face against his neck, I tried to find some semblance of calm. “Quaid will be furious. This will embarrass him.”

  Eli said, “Not if it isn’t done on his watch.”

  “A diversion would need to draw the Hadrian away,” Rovek said.

  Drex nodded his agreement, messing up the top of my hair as he did so.

  “Drex, none of my Omnes Videntes are disposable to me. You know what it is like to be bound, now. Don’t you? Can y
ou feel my emotions as I feel yours? I am more firmly bound to them than I am to you.”

  Softly, he ran his hand up and down my back. With emotion thick in his voice, he said, “Yes, Teagan. I sense what you feel, and your happiness and joy are emotions which I have found to be addictive.”

  “Why have you not bound me to yourself in this way?” Eli asked.

  Quickly, I glanced away from his face and shrugged. Eli knew the answer. His team hadn’t been alone in betraying my trust. I had forgiven him in my mind, but my heart hadn’t quite entirely let it go. “Be patient. It will happen naturally given time.”

  With something that almost sounded like jealousy, Eli said, “Bosh will learn of this conversation the moment he touches you.”

  “We will deal with that when it comes,” Rovek said.

  “That’s wishful thinking. What if that day never comes? They’ve practically declared war on us.”

  “Don’t cry, Teagan.” To Eli and Rovek, he said, “That is enough. You have your answer. She needs her rest. I’m taking her to her room.” Lifting me into his arms, he carried me away and into the lift. It was effortless to him. Parvac males were bigger and stronger than most other males. “Dearest one, it is imperative that we not speak of those matters again. Understood?”

  What I understood was that he was asking the question as an Inquisitor to an ensign, and not as a husband to a wife. “Understood, sir.”

  Yukihyo watched as we entered the Imperial Deck. My emotions had been clear to him and the others throughout the entire meeting. Xavier and Jazon looked like a juxtaposition of emotions caught somewhere between disgruntled and grateful. Drex placed me on the couch beside Sparrow. I looked at the children’s program currently playing on the wall-mounted vid-screen and was glad the Militia insignia had been replaced.

  Telepathically, I asked, “You heard?”

  Replying as one, they said, “We did.”

  Continuing with our silent conversation, I said, “I don’t want any of you to go. I love each of you.”

  Xavier responded, “We won’t be caught.”

  “You won’t be going,” I telepathically growled. I threw the pain at him that losing Luca had caused me. Xavier took it. “Do you want her to feel that?”