by Lexi Ander
"Dargon," Zeus said, bringing his attention back to the conversation. "I do not want you to be coerced into wanting me because of hormones. You despise humans."
Dargon understood Zeus's concern, but at the same time, he could not take his eyes off of Zeus's mouth. Zeus was the first to kiss him and would be the last now that Dargon had allowed himself to imprint. He would be whatever Zeus would allow him to be: a friend, confidant, bodyguard, or lover. His loyalty would be to his Marked. Their relationship did not have to be sexual. He knew of others who were no more than comrades, good friends, but he wanted more than a close relationship. He and Alpha wanted to be everything to Zeus. The lust and desire was strong between them, but so was the potential for great affection, something he had never thought he would have in his life.
Zeus had said he would like to see where this relationship between them would go, but just in case he changed his mind after Dargon revealed their purpose, Dargon wanted another kiss. He thought he might like kissing.
Tenderly he brushed his lips across Zeus's already kiss-swollen ones. For a second, Zeus stiffened under him, but just when Dargon thought to pull away, Zeus opened his mouth and moaned his pleasure. Dargon did not hesitate. He needed to taste, and he lapped lightly at Zeus's mouth. A tongue came out to duel with his and soon the exploration turned into a burning melding of mouths.
Eventually, Dargon pulled away, breathing hard. Zeus stared at him with a half-lidded gaze, red, swollen lips slick with saliva. What a stunning sight.
"If we stay here much longer, I will beg you to mate me," Dargon said. "First, I want to answer your questions."
Zeus gradually came back to himself, although he still vibrated with suppressed desire. He agreed with Dargon, and they rose from the sleeping platform. Dargon showed Zeus where the clothing Hadon had been carrying was stored. It was presumptuous on his part to hang them next to his uniforms, but Zeus did not comment on it. Dargon had to admit, Zeus looked fine in the green Mar'Sani dress uniform.
"I trust you did not hurt Hadon," Zeus said.
"Your bodyguard is fine. He put up a hell of a fight. The Ursid brothers have taken an interest in him." Dargon smiled as he remembered Al'haska's behavior when he had checked on the Battion. "We will stop by so you can see for yourself."
Fastening the buckles on his boots, Zeus asked, "If you are not a pirate—I know you are not a merchant—what you are then?"
"I am Captain Dargon Kal-Turak of the Imperial United Galactic Defense, director of the personal guard to Crown Prince Malek tut de Luuk."
Zeus stilled and stared at him, eyes narrowed. "You mean the Prince Malek, heir to one half of the United Galaxies, combined under the Haven Anihellic Pact, betrothed to Crown Prince Vipre des de Vorn, heir to the other half of the galaxies?"
"Yes. The people on this ship were personally handpicked by both Prince Malek and Prince Vipre. We were sent in search of the Fal'Amoric."
Zeus started braiding his dark hair into one plait from the base of his neck, leaving the strands woven with the beads free. "Are not the Fal'Amoric the people who bind the two imperial houses together according to the pact? They are essential in order to defend against the V'Saar?"
Dargon fingered the beads in Zeus's hair, making a mental note to change two and add one. "Yes, they must form the circle in order to protect the allied galaxies against the insect horde. Over the last thirty years, whole Fal'Amoric communities have been disappearing, leaving no traces as to where they have gone. Some of the communities show signs of conflict. We were not sure if the Fal'Amoric were being systematically massacred, enslaved, or had gone into hiding. If they were hiding, then the question became: from what? Why did they not contact the royal houses?
"With the Fal'Amoric vanishing, the imperial betrothal was delayed. The current emperors are old and the time swiftly approaches to hand over the power to the next generation, but they cannot without the Fal'Amoric prince. If they do not find the one who was promised to them, and wed him by the time the next blue sun rises on Valespia, the Imperial Defense Grid will begin to deactivate and the galaxies will be invaded by the V'Saar."
Zeus watched the air about Dargon change as he donned his captain's uniform, buckling a wide hyde belt at the waist of the floor-length, pleated skirt, and with each piece of clothing, his voracious lover transformed into a male of strength and power. The softness he had shown in bed was put aside and buried under his responsibility. Zeus found the change titillating and had to crush the desire to drag Dargon back to bed.
"The blue sun rises over Valespia in about two standard years. They are cutting it close," Zeus said to himself. He scowled. Something niggled at him, words from a forgotten memory—or dream.
Dargon handled the beads in his hair, and a wave of possessiveness rocked Zeus. He was embarrassed that he had mauled Dargon earlier, but he could not make himself regret the encounter. The attraction between them was strong, and he had allowed himself to be swept away by it. Dargon would have given him time, but Zeus had wanted to taste him.
No, he did not regret his actions, but he needed to consider his next move more carefully. Dargon had imprinted on Zeus and made him his Mark. What he had read in the database mentioned the honor of becoming a Dar Massaga's companion. Even though their relationship did not have to be sexual, their mutual desire could move them toward a committed, as well as intimate, partnership if that was what both of them truly desired. Unsure what he wanted, Zeus understood they needed time before they stepped up to that level of commitment. He refused to lead Dargon on; therefore, they would refrain from sex until he made a decision.
Their first stop was the Ursid quarters where Hadon had been kept. Zeus spoke with him briefly to confirm that he had not been harmed. From the possessive actions of the Ursid brothers and Hadon's flustered appearance, he suspected his bodyguard had been treated very well. Pursing his lips together to hide his knowing grin, he promised to speak to Hadon at length later.
Leaving Hadon with Al'haska and his brother, Zeus followed Dargon down the corridor to wait for the lift. Dargon picked up their earlier conversation regarding his current mission. "With the disappearances of the Fal'Amoric, the Galactic Princes began to search for any who remained. Upon discovering only abandoned villages, they sent out investigation teams. Patrol always seemed to be one step behind or arrived too late. We came to the conclusion someone close to one of the princes was feeding information to those working against them. In response to that suspicion, two years ago, my team was assembled, and we went undercover as merchants to trade with the human colonies. We had a Chi-Lin psi-tracer who tracked the last known abducted clan. Every man, woman, and child had been taken."
Zeus followed Dargon onto the lift. "We discovered a couple of the companies that run the human society and governments had been kidnapping the Fal'Amoric. We found large facilities on a penal colony where the people had been experimented on. The Terrens started a breeding program and a DNA genome program. They were trying to isolate certain strains of Fal'Amoric DNA and map it over to the human DNA. They had not been successful when we found the facilities." Dargon set the destination.
"We freed a Chtichlian who had been abducted. The humans were trying to coerce the Chtichlian to share their genetic knowledge. On that one planet there were close to ten million Fal'Amoric captives. We had to wait six months for the Imperial Legion to arrive with an evacuation armada." The lift doors opened to a new level. Dargon entered the corridor, glancing left then right. Satisfied with what he saw, he allowed Zeus to exit the lift. Zeus followed, listening intently and cataloging information on the ship as they went.
"When we went in, we killed the humans who resisted and arrested those who surrendered. All Fal'Amoric were transported to the armada and hyper-jumped to the Haven system." Zeus nodded to Dargon as he listened and noted the scout ship had been refurbished to give the appearance of a merchant ship. He could see past the façade to the military influence. Hidden cameras were everywhere, and the secur
ity system appeared to be top of the line.
"We were delayed when we found a pocket of the Fal'Amoric royal family. We barely had time to retrieve them before the humans' Planet Killer arrived and destroyed the penal colony. All that was left was a debris belt of rock." Dargon halted next to the doors of a secured bay.
"Unfortunately, the Terrens employed a psi-tracker of their own, and they have chased us across the galaxies. We have to get these people to the crown princes. They may know where the Bespoken is."
Zeus's blood ran cold as he recalled the dream Shaneva had sent him. Surely this Bespoken was not the same as—no, he refused to believe it. Even as he denied the connection, tendrils of panic grasped him.
Dargon entered the security code, and the door chimed before it opened with a soft swish. A dry goods cargo bay had been repurposed. Over fifty beds, a couple of seating areas, and a dining area with a low table surrounded by colorful cushions filled the space.
Some people lay in bed, obviously ill or injured, attended by the diminutive Gaziniti medic. Some beds had sheets used for privacy curtains. The humans glanced over as Dargon and Zeus entered.
"I do not understand." Zeus scanned the faces. "Where are the Fal'Amoric?"
Dargon chuckled. "They are the Fal'Amoric."
Zeus scowled at Dargon for jesting with him. The people stilled. In ones and twos they drifted closer to Zeus and Dargon. All of them were similar, dark hair running to the deepest of blacks, pale rosy complexions, and eyes in various shades of blue ranging from the color of dark sapphires to glacial ice. One or two people sported eyes almost white like his own, but not quite.
"Dargon, this is obviously a family of humans."
"No, Zeus, these people are the Fal'Amoric. They may look human, but their DNA is not. When the Ancients created them, they were fashioned as the species that encompassed all the species. They are … blenders. They are Asani and Battion and Catalani and Chi-Lin and L'Eema and Orion and Polaria and Keygan …" Dargon sighed. "Do you understand? The Haven Imperials are the building blocks of the universe personified, and it takes the three of them to defend and protect us."
The people moved closer and began to murmur as they stared at Zeus.
"Because they are all species, they have the gift of language. They do not have need for a translator." Dargon reached up and brushed his fingers behind Zeus's ear. He did not bare a scar because a translator chip had never been surgically implanted. He had forgotten to get one before he left Atlainticia, and when he reached the station, he realized he did not need one. He had not thought it was unusual.
"They look human," he whispered. Zeus began to crumble on the inside, but his external façade of calm held.
"In their oral history, the Ancients went to the human race and asked for volunteers so they could create blenders. One hundred and fifty thousand came forward, half of whom were shunned by the humans because they were of the third sex the humans called hermaphrodites. The Fal'Amoric are more than human now."
A man twice Zeus's age approached. "Prometheus?"
Zeus smiled hesitantly. "I am sorry, sir. I do not know Prometheus. I am the Mar'Sani Prince, Zeus Vondorian."
Further back in the crowd, a woman gave a soft cry. "Zeus? Oh, thank Haven, Zeus has returned to us!" The woman pushed her way through the crowd, not stopping until she broke free of them and flung herself at Zeus. He had no choice but to catch her. "Haven has smiled on us and given you back to us!" she sobbed into his ear.
He untangled from the woman, who was about ten years older than him, and held her at arm's length. Long dark hair spilled around a beautiful heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, and eyes the color of glaciers.
Zeus did not know what to do, but obviously the young woman was someone of importance. "Please, honored one, I do not know what you are talking about. I have lived my whole life on Atlainticia. I do not know who you are."
Her wide smile dimmed. "I am your sister, Athena. You and Prometheus were evacuated before our home was attacked. No one heard of you two again. We had hoped you escaped capture. Where is Prometheus? He was supposed to take care of you?"
Numbness crept into Zeus, and he swayed on his feet. "No, I am not your brother. I am sorry for your loss."
"But you look exactly like …"
"Dargon!" Zeus called sharply. Immediately Dargon was at his side. An arm wrapped protectively around him right before his legs went weak from shock.
The others pulled Athena back into their mist, still watching Zeus carefully while they consoled her. He could not be there. He felt as if the walls had begun to close in on him.
"Please," he begged Dargon.
Dargon needed no other words and steered Zeus out of the room. Zeus did not want to think about the Fal'Amoric or about the woman who was almost the mirror image of himself. Dargon whispered into his ear, but Zeus could not make out the words.
He blinked and they were naked, lying on the sleeping platform, Dargon curled around him, chest thrumming soothingly. Zeus missed his brothers beyond mere words at that moment. What he would not give to hear his mother's laughter, or to feel his father's heavy hand rest on his shoulder.
The Mar'Sani were his family, not the strangers who had been abused by a distant human greed. Growing up, he had never wondered where he had come from, never wished for another family. Even with the animosity from a couple of the Noble Houses because of his appearance, he had been happy and content. He might have wished at times to appear and be more Mar'Sani, but he loved his planet and adored his people.
He did not want to belong to a strange race of people he did not know or understand. He did not want to be responsible for them. Dargon said they were the ruling family, and the Bespoken belonged to them, but they did not act like a people with a leader. None among them had stepped forward to take charge.
Dargon's fingers followed the lines of the deep scars on his back. One was a brand, placed on him by Rathmar's father, Timsah Gadrius of House Cordyl. He had caught them together. Accused Zeus of bewitching Rathmar with his monkey blood and branded Zeus like an animal with no other purpose than to eat, sleep, and die. The other marks were from the implements of torture Timsah had used on Zeus before Rathmar had snuck in and set him free, spitting in his hair even as he had done so. Rathmar swore he would not have his father killed by the emperor for treason because of Zeus.
Zeus began to tell Dargon the story of how he had left Atlainticia. The need to unburden himself overwhelmed him. He hoped by letting go of the memory of that night, he would find closure and be able to move forward. For the first time since leaving Rathmar, Zeus wanted a lover. He wanted to take back control of his life. He refused to allow his choices to be taken from him because he froze with indecision and fear.
He moved over to allow Dargon to rise when a hail sounded at the door. Dargon donned a spyder robe before answering. The Gaziniti medic, Mayra, stepped in.
"Is he okay? I heard he was not feeling well. Is it because of the blood loss?" Mayra whispered. Zeus almost revealed he could hear them.
"He is fine, a little shocked after meeting the Fal'Amoric. I should not have been dragging him all over the ship so soon after healing from the injury." Dargon stroked the length of his copper braid that lay over his shoulder.
"That is why I came. The test came back." Mayra paused, her glance darting over to Zeus as seemed to search for words. "Zeus is almost an exact match to the Bespoken; I would say they are siblings. You realize, if they cannot find the brother, he will have to step into the Bespoken's place."
The air grew thick with tension. Zeus held his breath while he waited for Dargon to respond. "Are you positive he is related?"
"I am sorry, Dargon." Mayra squeezed his hand in sympathy before she left.
After the door closed, Dargon stood staring, head bowed, shoulders hunched in defeat. Zeus had known for some time that he was different, even from the humans. Now his suspicions had been confirmed, and the emotional overload left him feeling too numb to dre
dge up an appropriate response. He wondered what Dargon thought. What would they do?
"Dargon," Zeus called. Seeing this strong man visibly struggle with the news pulled at him. Dargon straightened and squared his shoulders, appearing to call on who he was. When he turned toward Zeus, despair reflected in his eyes, but there was determination in his stance.
Zeus pulled Dargon into his arms when he finally crawled into the platform. Choices. There were many to be made, and Zeus was not going to idly give up and allow someone else to choose for him.
Dargon had the insane urge to command Axis to plot a new course away from Valespia. At that very moment, he did not care where as long as Zeus stayed with him.
Alpha writhed against him in agitation. "We have to do something. We have just found him, and we cannot let him be taken away. What are we going to do?"
There was not much they could do. The Bespoken was required to protect the Galaxies, or they would be overrun by the insect horde. If the V'Saar gained a foothold in the galaxies beyond the barrier, then the races would fall like dominoes to the invading forces. The Grid was their only protection against a mass invasion.
With the weakening of the current emperors because of their advanced age, small pockets of the V'Saar had slipped through the Grid. So far, the Imperial Legion had been able to track and destroy them, but it was not without a cost. Before being reassigned to find the Bespoken, Dargon had been deployed to Sanaili 4, where a scout had tracked a rogue pod of V'Saar to the planet's surface. That was the first time Dargon had seen a V'Saar insect up close. The military classes had been informative, but there was no way for him to understand the true scope of their viciousness or how close to unstoppable the insects were until he came up against them in combat.
The V'Saar possessed thick armored plating over most of their bodies, three sets of eyes, and an extendable lower jaw of razor sharp teeth. They secreted gelatinous mucus from pores in their exoskeleton that allowed them to be dropped from orbit into the planetary atmosphere without burning up on entry.