by Regine Abel
“Because together we would have failed,” Mother said with a tired sigh. “After you escaped, I asked him why he wouldn’t just let me be free. The Oracle had told him that only one would succeed. If two left, either both would be recaptured, or one would have to be left behind at some point.”
I snorted. “He was blowing smoke and you bought it. He just wanted to keep you for himself.”
“No, Aunt Aleina,” Amalia said with a faraway look. “It was very hard avoiding detection just by myself. I doubt I would have made it off the dock if I also had someone else to worry about. And even if we had succeeded, I found only one cloak in the staff locker room. One of us would have been stuck without a disguise and therefore would have been forced to stay behind.”
Sitting, legs crossed on my mother’s bed, I hugged my midsection, still struggling to make peace with any of this.
“I don’t expect you to understand or accept my relationship with Gruuk, but I did love him. I pursued him.” Mother said, looking at me with both sympathy and determination. “He never forced himself on me or pressured me in any way. I’m sorry if it hurts you, but it’s the truth. Mercy was not just wanted, she was planned. She is the fruit of our love.”
Mother walked over to my older sister sitting on the desk chair and caressed one of her horns. Mercy looked up at Mother with adoration. And for the first time, I realized that a large part of my resentment actually stemmed from jealousy. Mercy was a child of love, even if the sire had been a male I considered a monster. My own father had been a weak, sniveling bastard who hadn’t wanted either Sevina or me. In one of his last encounters with my Mother before his death, he’d actually told her that he wished all Veredians had been wiped out after the natural disaster that killed our males and made it difficult for us to reproduce.
That didn’t stop my Mother from truly loving all of us. Veredians considered any child as a blessing from the Goddess. But it still stung knowing I only existed through coercion and from two people who hated each other.
“I have hated Gruuk for what befell Sevina,” Mother continued, “but the truth is, he never meant her any harm. No one could have known things would go so wrong. Sevina died because it was the Goddess’ will. Her death enabled you to be rescued by the Tuureans and to turn them into the most powerful army in our galaxy.”
She kissed Mercy’s forehead before coming to sit next to me.
“Does it ever cross your mind that Veredians still exist and thrive today because of what Gruuk did? At the time, every other Guldan just wanted to make quick credits selling us. Without Gruuk’s reproduction fortresses, in a few decades from now, the last Veredians of my generation would die, and our species with it. I don’t expect you to love him or respect him but remember that he also largely contributed to saving us.”
CHAPTER 18
Ghan
The last couple of days had been intense, both physically and emotionally. Aleina tried to keep up a brave front, but she remained mentally bruised by the recent revelations and struggled to come to terms with them. While she didn’t regret having her new sister, she couldn’t accept her Mother’s secret relationship with Gruuk. I hadn’t seen it coming, although I should have, and it didn’t shock me much. Once you examined Maheva’s situation from a rational standpoint, this outcome became predictable. That Aleina couldn’t see it troubled me.
The rational, stoic way in which my mate always approached problems and conflicts had been one of her greatest appeals. But of late, she’d been responding to most situations in an impulsive, visceral manner. I barely recognized her anymore. I wanted to believe her season to be the cause of her erratic behavior. With only a couple days left, I hoped to see her back to her old self soon. Aleina refused to drink Rehmannia tea unless she had some official business to attend. It helped control her aggression by regulating her hormonal secretions, which also meant reducing the amount and strength of her oxytocin. While my Taint had shown no sign of growth, Aleina wanted me to get the most concentrated doses of her hormone as frequently as possible during her season.
Still, I tried to be as supportive as possible and leave the matter of Maheva’s relationship with Gruuk alone… for now. I wouldn’t let her distance herself from her mother over this. I barely had any relationship with my own mother and didn’t wish that on anyone.
Thankfully, the flurry of activity to organize the raids on the fortresses had us all far too busy to dwell on somber thoughts. I wasn’t quite sure why Gruuk had forced us to move so quickly. He could have staggered the ‘abandon ship’ messages or the reveal of the bases. Then again, as we all assumed Varrek didn’t know his father had given away all this information, if we didn’t move very fast, he’d realize what was happening and move the females before we reached them.
This would represent the largest troop deployment we had ever performed, even greater than during the Frespian war. We discussed calling our Dantorian allies for aid, but after further consideration decided against it. The risk of leaks were too high, and we couldn’t allow Varrek to get wind of our plans before we were on top of each fortress.
Aleina struggled more than ever with her need to be in control of everything. Even now, some of our troops were already being deployed as they had a much greater distance to travel to reach their targets. With fifty-seven fortresses to raid, each strike team, composed of a mix of Tuurean and Xelixian ships, would be expected to complete two raids in the same day. The Tuureans’ five battlecruisers would be deployed in a central location to easily offer assistance to the twelve fortresses closest to it. Although we didn’t expect any resistance, we wouldn’t take any chances. The huge, impregnable ships would also serve as temporary shelter for all the females rescued from each fortress.
After weeks of careful work with the drones, Valena had released two dozens of them with a clean bill of health. They didn’t possess any usable knowledge about Varrek’s organization. However, they knew most of the Sisters who had also been part of the training program and would be able to recognize them on sight, preventing deplorable incidents. To our relief, they confirmed that to their knowledge, no Korlethean had been put through such a program.
Despite Aleina’s reassurances, Tayana, the silver-haired Veredian that had almost killed her, still felt guilty and wanted to fight in the raids and help to identify others. Her insistence on being part of my mate’s team so that she could keep her safe made me uneasy at first. However, Valena confirmed it was genuine and out of the need to make amends.
With only a few hours before we had to set off as well, Khel, Camelia and Larissa agreed to indulge Aleina’s need to get involved in the impending meet-and-greet. We had intended to be present for the first one but would be off on these raids instead. It was too last minute to postpone the first one without raising questions. We would be stretched thin but still felt confident we could keep the Veredians safe.
So while Khel and the girls gave my mate a rundown on the security measures and the planning of the event, I paid a visit to Minh in the medical clinic Khel had built for him inside the compound on the estate. I felt better than I had in years, or ever for that matter. Before her season, Aleina’s oxytocin had felt nice, but since it started, each drink gave me a huge kick. Not only were the effects significantly more potent, but I had also started feeling a change within me. I felt stronger, faster. It came nowhere near the levels Khel and Lhor had achieved with Amalia’s hormone, but it was undeniable. Remembering how the toxicity of Khel’s venom had increased to the point he’d almost killed that Terran who attacked the compound, I’d been monitoring my own venoms, and indeed, they’d been enhanced.
I’d also asked all the warriors involved with Tuureans to track their own and adjust the dosage accordingly when using their venom in combat situations.
When I walked into the medical lab, I found Minh taking some fluid samples from Eryon. My respect and gratitude for Amalia’s sire grew even further. Out of love for a child he had never even met, he had renounced everythin
g. Since Mercy had freed him, he’d contacted the Korlethean Empire twice. Both times, they told him in no uncertain terms that he was to return to Korlethea and avoid any further contacts with Veredians. Failure to do so would be construed an act of treason. When he refused to comply, he was forbidden from contacting his family and sons still living on Korlethea lest they, too, be deemed traitors.
Eryon had hinted that Korletheans had somewhat played a part in the tragedies that befell both the Veredians and the Xelixians. Just how remained unclear to us. After all, the Veredians’ infertility and death of their males had been caused by the fallouts of a solar storm, a natural disaster. As for us, our own abuse of our environment through bioengineered ryspak seeds and fertilizers had given birth to the Taint. So where did the Korletheans come into this?
Reading between the lines, I came to the conclusion that Eryon believed Korletheans to be both the catalyst and the cure. He was protecting his people by keeping some things secret. As much as he wanted to help us, and clearly he did, Eryon remained Korlethean and wouldn’t betray his people. As a fiercely patriotic male myself, I could respect that.
With him, we finally had access to the guidance we desperately needed with the children and with biological samples from a pure blooded Korlethean.
“Greetings, Eryon, Minh,” I said, walking into the room.
“Ghan,” Eryon said, lowering the white sleeve of his traditional robe.
“Come in, son,” Minh said while putting the freshly harvested samples into an analyzer.
I repressed a smile. He’d occasionally called me that in the past, but since my mating with Aleina, he’d fully embraced the role of stepfather, the same way he had fully claimed my mate as his daughter. Having grown up without a father, I couldn’t deny that Minh’s apparent desire to play that part in my life soothed an ache I had buried deep decades ago. Since he had no offspring of his own, we also compensated for his needs of fatherhood.
“We were just completing some tests,” Minh said.
“Found anything good?” I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice.
While Aleina’s oxytocin would allow me to live a normal Xelixian lifespan, as a non-Geminate, I still couldn’t give her a child. All our hopes now rested on Eryon. Not all Korletheans were Geminates, yet they all managed to impregnate Veredians. What was the missing key?
Minh, hesitated, appearing to reflect on how to phrase his response. My heart sank.
“I’ve run a number of comparative tests between Eryon, Khel, Lhor, and Zhul. The main difference between them is the size of their pineal gland. Eryon isn’t a Geminate, but the other three males are.”
Minh put down the analyzer and picked up his datapad. He tapped a few instructions on it before looking up at the large vidscreen on the wall across from us. Holographic side views of eight male heads appeared on it. A somewhat circular shaped form highlighted in red around the center of the brain.
“The four at the top belong to Khel, Lhor, Zhul, and Rhik, another Geminate male. Their glands are all of a similar size and bigger than Eryon’s which you can see here. These three glands, even smaller than Eryon’s are yours, mine, and Sohr’s.”
“What does the size mean?” I asked.
“It means how much they produce a certain hallucinogen called dimethyltryptamine, DMT for short. Eryon produces small amounts of it daily, and larger amounts during intercourse or when in a state of extreme euphoria,” Minh said. “You, Sohr and I hardly produce any. I’m Prime, he’s Tainted, and you’re now a Norm. Yet our glands are of a similar size, so the Taint has nothing to do with it. Like Eryon, we produce it during sex or when extremely happy, but never passively every day like he does.”
I nodded slowly, parsing the information received.
“So what does that DMT do? Why is it important?” I asked.
“It is essential for the development of babies with psi abilities, or for them to even take root,” Minh said. “The male passes it on to the female through body fluids.”
“Can you make ours grow?” I asked, already knowing a disappointing answer would follow.
Minh’s sympathetic smile made my heart sink further. He shook his head.
“Not at the present time, although Dr. Yhul Murkhin is also helping me try to synthesize DMT and injecting Xelixian males directly with it. We believe it might also be the key to the Taint.”
This time, excitement had my heart leaping.
“How so?”
“In a male’s bloodstream, DMT enhances the effectiveness and adherence of oxytocin. So a Tainted male would need a lot fewer drinks for more effective and longer lasting effects.”
“All this from a tiny gland smaller than a pea?” I asked, though it was more of a statement.
“On Korlethea, it is said that the pineal gland is the seat of the soul,” Eryon said, with a smile. “Where Terrans talk about eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Korletheans say a bitter vryer makes a lousy seer.”
Eryon smile faded and he straightened abruptly, like someone who’d just remembered something important.
“What is it, Eryon?” Minh asked.
“The vryer root could be the key.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
His face took on a pensive look as he recalled all he knew about the root.
“On Korlethea, vryer is like ryspak to Xelixians. Well, almost,” he amended with a teasing smile. “No one is as obsessed with a particular food as you Xelixians are with that fruit. But we do consume vryer regularly, at least a couple of times a week though most people will have it once a day or every other day.”
He gestured to Minh’s datapad.
“Look it up,” he told Minh, who immediately complied. “It is known to enhance psi abilities, especially for Seers and Oracles, because it stimulates the pineal gland and the hallucinogen that facilitates visions.”
Minh sighed heavily in frustration.
“As with everything Korlethean, there’s hardly any information about it. It only describes it as some purple root which grows in the floodplains of Korlethea. That’s no help at all!”
Eryon gave us a sheepish look.
“We are indeed fond of our secrets,” Eryon said. “But yes, the root naturally grows near swamps and floodplains, under shallow waters. But we have many farms growing it to meet the demand. When we still opened our doors to strangers, visitors often mistook them for rice farms because of the flooded field.”
Eryon ran a hand through his long hair, then gave me an assessing look.
“Drinking vryer tea daily should help stimulate your pineal gland. We also often eat it pureed with other vegetables, boiled or fried in thin, crispy chips. Oracles often eat a raw piece before giving a reading to enhance their faculties.”
“Where can we get them?” I asked, fingers twitching with impatience.
“That’s the problem,” Eryon said, pursing his lips. “As far as I know, vryer only grows on Korlethea, and they’re not exporting it or really doing any kind of trade with anyone at the moment.”
Seething with frustration, I ran a hand through my own hair, surprised once more by its length. Although still short by normal standards, it felt extremely long to me, the short strands curling in gentle waves. It made me feel undisciplined and unkempt, but my mate loved it so I let it be.
Pacing the room, I explored possible ways of procuring the root without starting a war. Things were already tense enough with Korlethea. They definitely wouldn’t welcome a request for such a trade.
“Any chance we could procure it on the black market?” I asked.
Eryon chewed his bottom lip, pondering. “It might be possible. Most likely on Axios and maybe even Belevar space station, but not in the quantities you would need. The price will also be prohibitive.”
“Price is no issue,” Minh said. “As long as it can lead to a potential cure to the Taint, the Council will spare no expense. We only need a few to test if it works, and then we can try to produce our own.�
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“It will be tricky,” Eryon said, “but feasible.”
“Why tricky?” I asked.
He smiled. “The idiom warns against bitter vryer because there is only a short window during which it should be harvested. Pick it too early, it will be bitter and give you more headaches than visions. Pick it too late, it will be more foul than bitter and give you more nightmarish hallucinations than proper visions. I promise you, neither experience is pleasant.”
“Thank you, Eryon,” I said with genuine gratitude. “You have done so much for us already, with the children and this. I wish more of your people would have answered our call.”
“It is my pleasure and my duty to assist. We are all family now. Korlethea is going through troubled times. But you are right. Sooner rather than later, we will need more Korletheans on our side.”
* * *
We left that same night on our way to Zentar, one of the three fortresses our own strike team was responsible for. Despite the automated warning Gruuk would send his guards, we still hoped to capture a few of them, and in particular, the ever elusive Varrek. Neither he nor his mother, Fhara Zirthen, had been sighted since their escape.
The Axios and Xamora raids had put a dent in their Bliss business, but it remained minimal. With the number of Xelixians still missing and especially the steady growth in distribution of the drug, Varrek clearly had more production plants. I intended to shut them all down.
For now, however, it was my mate I needed to focus my attention on. She needed to get over her hang up with her mother and her constant need to control everything. I’d reserved her a bit of a shock treatment, courtesy of Lhor. While I really didn’t want to know what kind of weird and kinky stuff he got into with Amalia, he possessed a wealth of information on the matter which I took advantage of.
After our last briefing with our strike team, and a conference call with the leaders of every other strike team to make sure everyone had their marching orders, we had supper with Lenora. Aleina then helped her with her Veredian history homework while I followed up with some of our scouts hunting for vryer.