by Bianca D'Arc
Finally, Sinclair Prime stopped, a huge grin on his face as he turned to face Grady and very deliberately spread his wings.
“Does this help?” He cocked one eyebrow and grinned. Grady Prime laughed in answer.
“I apologize. I am simply fascinated by your wings.”
Sinclair Prime stood still, his wings outstretched while Grady Prime got a good long look. The tawny color was not uniform. The long feathered shafts had patterns on them of gold, brown, white and rust. The pattern had elements in common with that of other birds of prey Grady Prime had seen both on this planet and on his homeworld of Alvia Prime. Yet somehow, it was different. Chevrons of color danced down each extra-long shaft, interspersed with smaller feathers here and there.
“Your wings are truly amazing,” Grady said after a long moment. “What happens when you lose feathers? I assume as a soldier you’ve run into injuries from time to time.”
Sinclair Prime folded his right wing along his back, bringing his left wing forward so he could touch the feathers with his hands.
“Look at this one,” he pointed to a particularly thick shaft. “This one broke off a week ago, and I glued it back on as a temporary measure until the new shaft grows into place. It’s not ideal, but it works. Sometimes you can’t save the broken shaft and you just have to fly with a gap until the new plumage grows in. And we molt every once in a while. When we’re young, the new feathers come in every year until we reach adolescence. Then the process slows. We’re out of commission flying-wise every decade for a complete molt. Otherwise we only lose feathers occasionally, never grounded unless we receive very serious injury such as a broken bone.”
“Fascinating,” Grady Prime said, inspecting the broken feather at the other man’s invitation. The whole idea had him captivated.
Sinclair Prime tucked his wing back behind him and resumed the tour. He showed Grady Prime the barracks and the guest room he’d been assigned, where his pack had already been stowed. Sinclair also showed him the mess hall, break room and other facilities, introducing him to a few others as they went through the various public areas. All of the winged soldiers seemed surprised to see non-winged Grady Prime in their sanctuary, but they were welcoming for the most part.
Not all were of the Sinclair bloodline. Grady Prime met a few Hanlons, a Shaugness, a Lear and some Malens as well. Each had wings in varying shades of blond and brown with otherworldly markings along the long shafts of improbable feathers. The men were soldiers, well built and long of limb with varying lengths of wing that would support them in the air. Grady Prime also noted patrols flying or resting in the trees, watching over the compound below.
“You run an impressive operation here, Sinclair Prime,” Grady complimented the other Prime with genuine admiration as they neared a structure set apart from the others.
“We do all right, though we sometimes miss the company of females. None were created with wings. The Patriarch brings some of the non-winged brethren to visit us here once in a while. Some among them are female and do not object to our altered bodies. And of course Mara Prime has his lab techs who see to us on a regular schedule.”
Grady Prime didn’t comment on the new, chilly feelings he got when he remembered his own encounters with lab techs and the few women who didn’t mind servicing soldier stock. Every encounter except that last one with Jaci 192 was tainted in his memory. But Jaci 192 had given him something none of the others had ever shown him. She’d given him a glimpse into what sex could be like between beings with feelings. She’d been under the influence of the gene-altering agent at the time, though nobody had known then about the laboratory accident that had exposed her. She’d begun to feel. She had shown him true responses of a woman who enjoyed what her partner demanded of her and participated fully in both the physical and emotional side of lovemaking.
Later, when he’d found her frolicking with her true Resonance Mates, she’d given him hope. He despaired of ever finding a woman who could resonate with him on such an intimate level, but now that he had emotions, he found he couldn’t kill the small kernel of hope that insisted on living in his previously cold heart.
The one-story square structure they entered was different from the others. Grady Prime felt the echoes of something…strange…in this new building as he entered. There was a small outer room that led to a large, bare, rectangular hall that had a very high ceiling and no fixtures to speak of. One long wall was covered with mirrors and the opposite wall was made up of floor-to-ceiling doors that were open to a fenced-in courtyard beyond.
Sinclair Prime led him around the edge of the large open space to the outer wall and into the courtyard that was sparsely populated with long, cylindrical plants reaching for the heavens only on the perimeter of the walled area. In the center of the outdoor space, a long table had been set up with several chairs and laden with covered platters, plates and place settings. It looked like a feast had been prepared.
“Welcome, Grady Prime. We dine well this night, in your honor. I have long admired your work.”
The Patriarch had snuck up on him again and Grady didn’t like it. Of course, if anyone were going to sneak up on him, it wasn’t too distressing that the fabled Zxerah Patriarch would be the one able to do it.
“Thank you for your invitation, Patriarch,” Grady Prime said politely. Behind the Patriarch, two more winged soldiers filed in, followed by two without wings and most shockingly, a small human woman.
Grady Prime tried not to stare. Something about the woman set off all kinds of internal alarms in his mind.
“Please be seated in the place of honor, Grady Prime.” The Patriarch indicated the place opposite as he sat at one end of the long table.
Grady Prime moved to the other end of the table, as requested. He waited to be seated until everyone else had found their places, as good manners demanded of the lower ranked. Then they all sat at once. He was pleased to find the woman seated on his right and Sinclair Prime on his left. The others ranged down the table, toward the Patriarch.
All eyes turned to the Patriarch as he signaled to them to join hands for the ancient prayer. It was unusual, but some Alvians still practiced the old ways and Grady Prime had witnessed such ceremonies before. He took Sinclair Prime’s hand with only slight hesitation. He was eager to touch the pretty human female’s skin. The eagerness alone was something to savor—a precious emotion he’d only just learned to appreciate.
It shouldn’t have come as such a shock then, that when he took her hand, a delicate, musical Hum reverberated through the air. Grady Prime’s heart stopped as his eyes widened. He looked at the beautiful woman, then to the Patriarch who recited the ancient prayer, speaking of the forefathers and the blessed home crystal of Alvia Prime. A slight nod from the Patriarch was the only indication Grady had that the other man had heard the miraculous Hum. It was obvious the human woman heard nothing—the tone was most likely too far out of her natural range of hearing. But the other Alvians all had varying degrees of interest on their faces as Grady Prime looked down the table and started to breathe again.
The prayer ended and he, regrettably, had to let her go. Immediately the Hum ceased.
“You are no doubt surprised to find a human among our number, are you not, Grady Prime?” The Patriarch didn’t mention the Hum as the covers were removed from the serving dishes. They all began to hand the platters around the table, serving themselves.
“I am, Patriarch.” Grady Prime took his cue from his host. If the Patriarch didn’t mention the Hum, neither would he. “Of course, until today I had no idea the Zxerah Brotherhood still existed. This seems to be a day of discovery for me.”
He couldn’t keep his gaze from the lovely creature sitting on his right. She had dark hair and eyes, her features angular and fine, her bone structure neither symmetrical nor ordinary. Instead, she was extraordinary in almost every way. Her petite frame was lithe and sleek from what he could tell under her plain dark clothing. He wondered what her skin would look and f
eel like without the concealment of cloth and felt himself grow unaccountably warm.
“Well said, Grady Prime. Allow me to introduce Gina, the first human I encountered on this planet. She was the first of their number to be inducted into the Brotherhood, but hardly the last.”
The woman turned to look at him fully, and Grady Prime’s mouth went dry as their eyes met. She spoke, and her voice sent shivers down his spine. He’d never reacted so strongly to any female—but then he’d never Hummed with any female. Ever.
The Hum was the first of the resonance tests. If a couple Hummed, they could then proceed to the next tests to see if they were in fact, Resonance Mates. While a male might Hum with more than one woman, few would pass the second test—the Kiss. And it was said only one woman for each male would receive the Embrace with a positive result, confirming that they were indeed, true Resonance Mates.
Grady wanted to try the next test with this human woman, and he wanted to try it now. It was so unbelievable that he should find any woman to Hum with him, that he wanted desperately to see if she could make the crystals glow like the sun, confirming their resonance. That could hardly be done at the dinner table, especially on such short acquaintance. He’d have to find a way. Soon. Or go mad.
The Patriarch introduced the rest of the people at the table, but Grady Prime heard little. His attention was focused almost entirely on the woman and thankfully, the Patriarch and the others left him mostly to his thoughts while they ate. The others talked among themselves, occasionally directing questions to Grady, which he answered gladly. Otherwise, he did his best to engage the woman—Gina—in conversation.
She wasn’t shy, but she wasn’t forward either. He found her utterly charming and her conversation interesting. They talked on many general subjects and laughed a great deal before she looked at him with curious eyes.
“You’re not like other Alvians.” Suspicion sounded in her low, melodic voice. “Are you a throwback?”
Grady Prime put down his fork and turned to face her. This was too important. He wanted to see her reaction to the news of his altered status.
“I was not born a throwback, but due to some recent changes, I now have emotions. Sharp of you to notice, Gina. If I may ask, what gave me away?”
She tilted her head to one side in a way he was coming to love. In fact, he was charmed by everything about her. Her laugh, her smile, her sparkling eyes and her quick wit were very attractive.
“You smile more than any of them, even the winged ones. And you seem to have a better understanding of humans than most Alvians.”
“I have been around humans many times in my duties even before I gained emotion. I did not truly understand them until recently.”
“You captured humans?” Her tone was accusing and sent a shaft of shame and regret through his heart, but he couldn’t lie to her.
“I did. I have superior tracking skills. I was only sent after the hard cases. Others did the bulk of capture detail. I will admit that even before I could feel as I do now, I never enjoyed what came after the chase ended. I liked pitting my skills against a worthy opponent and coming out the victor. In those days, the echoes of exhilaration, satisfaction and even a small amount of triumph were the closest I could come to true emotion.”
“So you’d be the kind of fisherman to go after a shark, land him, then throw him back to fight again another day.” Her lips curled in amusement, and he was sidetracked by the sight until he got himself in hand. It wouldn’t do to make a fool of himself with the first attractive female to actually Hum with him.
“I have never fished for shark, only small fish to eat while camping, but I think I understand what you mean.”
“Do you like camping? I never did as a child, but the great outdoors has grown on me since living with the Zxerah.”
“I love sleeping under the stars, or the tree canopy as it sighs overhead. I even like the patter of rain in manageable quantities when I have suitable gear with me.” His small attempt at humor met with success as her lips lifted in that lovely smile once again. “Tell me, do you like your life among the Zxerah? Would you not rather be among humans?”
Suddenly her answer took on great importance to him. Would she prefer the company of her own kind or could she be happy among Alvians? He had to know.
“I didn’t do too well with the other humans I encountered during my first few weeks in the wilderness. Then I ran into the Patriarch and all in all, I celebrate the day we found each other in the woods. The more I think about it, the more I believe God must have led me to that place and played a role in our meeting. Few women were trained as I was, and I don’t think someone with lesser skills could have impressed the Patriarch enough to take a second look at us humans.”
“Of what skills do you speak?” Grady Prime was pleased by her answer. He wanted to know everything he could possibly learn about this beautiful creature.
“She has a mean right hook and her flying roundhouse kicks are a guaranteed concussion if you don’t duck fast enough,” Sinclair Prime put in from across the table. The man chuckled and Gina followed suit, sharing a glance with the winged warrior that made Grady Prime feel an altogether new emotion—jealousy. He didn’t like the feeling.
“You are a warrior?” he asked, regaining her attention. Frankly, she was so petite in comparison to a typical Alvian that he doubted the claim. Perhaps Sinclair Prime was teasing her.
“In the old world we had a sports contest every four years called the Olympics. The best athletes in many different sports would gather together from every nation and compete for two weeks to see who was the best in the world. I led the Olympic team into the arena and brought home first place gold medals for martial arts, as my father had, many years before me. He trained me from the time I was a little girl, along with my brothers and many others in his world-famous dojo.” Her eyes grew sad and Grady Prime reached out to touch her hand, offering comfort. When the Hum started up, he felt the eyes of everyone at the table turn to them, but he refused to release her. She was so sad. It hurt his heart.
“You miss your family.” He spoke in what he hoped was a comforting tone. Offering comfort was new to him.
“I do. They were the best, and I never was able to find out what happened to them. I was traveling on this coast when the bombardment started. My home and family were on the other side of the continent.”
“I’m sorry, Gina.”
She looked up at him with a searching expression before a small smile lit her eyes. “You know, I actually believe you. Of all the Alvians I’ve met, I think you’re the only one who has ever uttered those words with real sincerity.” She placed her other hand over his on the table, pressing lightly as his breath caught. “Thank you, Grady.”
“What is that noise?” Sinclair Prime asked from across the table. He had his fork halfway to his mouth and a puzzled look on his face.
Grady didn’t know what to say since Gina clearly couldn’t hear it. The Patriarch answered, his words simple and devastating at the same time.
“They Hum.” All eyes turned to the Patriarch at the head of the table. “It is something I have heard only rarely and never among Alvians, I’m sorry to say. A few of the mated human pairs in our enclave Hum. Of course the tone is outside of their range of hearing.”
“What’s this about humming? I don’t hear anything.” Gina looked around, suspicious.
“Precisely, my dear.” The Patriarch smiled at her. “When you touch Grady Prime, you resonate on a level that is outside of human hearing. We can hear the Hum, just below the surface. It is a pleasant sound, actually, and reassures me that there is hope for our people. If we can form Resonance Matings among ourselves and humans, there is some hope for the entire planet—Alvians and humans alike.”
“I don’t understand.” Gina retracted her hands from Grady’s. He was sorry to see her move away and the Hum stopped, but his attention was caught by the Patriarch’s words.
“I know of several true Resonance Ma
tings between humans and Alvians, Patriarch. I have heard the Hum and seen the crystals glow for two Alvians already. I had no hope I could be so lucky. You see—” he turned to speak directly to Gina, “—I have never Hummed with any female. Meeting you brings me hope.” He loved watching the emotions flit across her expressive face.
“Tell me of the Resonance Mates you have observed, Grady Prime,” the Patriarch invited. “I assume you speak of Chief Engineer Davin and his mate, but who is the other?”
Grady Prime considered his options. Nearly overwhelmed by the incredible Hum when he’d least expected it, he wasn’t so far gone that he would potentially put others in danger. Especially not Callie or Jaci. Both women were special to him in different ways and he did not want to see either of them come to harm.
He had to make a decision. Could he truly trust the Patriarch and the people around this table? Could he trust the fabled Zxerah sense of honor? Having little hard data, he had to go with his instincts, his gut. It was something he’d relied on even before he had emotions. The ability had only grown stronger since he’d taken the gene-altering agent. With feelings came an enhanced ability to read people and situations.
Grady’s gut was telling him that these Zxerah—these people out of legend—were exactly what they claimed to be. Grady Prime instinctively trusted the Patriarch. He didn’t understand why he was so certain of the mysterious man’s disposition, or for that matter, the rest of them. His instincts were pushing him harder than ever before to take the calculated risk and speak of some matters that he’d previously kept only to himself.
He wouldn’t go so far as to reveal all he knew, but he would trust them—to a point.
“I am not at liberty to divulge the identity or circumstances of the second pairing. I can tell you that it is a true Resonance Mating between an Alvian female who was exposed to the same gene-altering agent that I took, and two human males. As for the Chief Engineer, I have known his mate, Callie, since she was an infant. What is not commonly known is that there is a second male in their household—a human male¾who is also a true Resonance Mate to Callie.”