He’d briefed Lexi on the Tryb’s customs and now she made a slight bow. “Mother Eva, I am honored to be the first to bring greetings from Earth to your Tryb.”
Behind her, Lexi heard Nadina’s gasp. Eva’s surprise was evident on her face.
On his knees, Ayron and Eva were face to face. She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I knew you were good, my son, but I didn’t think your skills included advanced language instruction.” Then she turned to Lexi with an equally formal reply. “I bid you welcome, Alexis Sims.”
Visibly shaken, Eva walked back into her room and sank down on a nearby bench. “Please, come and sit by me, Alexis Sims.” She motioned to the spot next to her.
“Thank you, Mother Eva. And please, call me Lexi.” She sat down, allowing the old woman to maintain the pretense that her moment of weakness had been a planned gesture of hospitality.
“Our Tryb, too, traveled here from Earth,” Eva was saying. “So long ago our memories of that world are now nothing more than myths told and retold over millennia. But we are sisters under the skin. Tell me how you came to Iridia, child. And tell me how it is you know our language so well.” She gave Ayron a look out of the corner of her eye. Lexi had a feeling he’d be called on to explain once she was out of earshot.
Lexi complied, telling how she’d arrived on Iridia due to an anomaly in the Portal. Slowly at first, scanning her mind for terms she was sure Eva would understand. As she went on, Eva murmured a word of sympathy or encouragement from time to time. But she didn’t interrupt, allowing Lexi to tell the story at her own pace.
Lexi told it all, from her first frightening moments on Iridia to the Tellex chip that allowed her to communicate to taking refuge in the grotto cave during the hunt. With a glance at Ayron, she skipped the part where Eli had been on the verge of claiming her as his own, saying only that he and Ayron had found her, then battled, and Ayron emerged the victor. She said very little about their days alone in the grotto afterwards, only remarking that Earth did not have a place half as beautiful.
“We had to delay our return to your city when the sandstorm hit. We stayed in the grotto until Ayron deemed it safe to travel.”
When Lexi finally quit talking, Eva was silent for a few moments.
“You must be exhausted from your long journey, child. I have many questions, but they can wait.” She waved to her attendants. “Nadina, take Lexi to bathe and get her something to eat before she sleeps. Mara, bring food and drink here as well. I would speak with my grandson before he takes his rest. Privately.”
Mara’s face fell. Her disappointment at not being privy to any more juicy details was so evident Lexi almost felt sorry for her. She allowed Nadina to take her hand and lead her away. She couldn’t bear being around Ayron for another moment, keeping up the pretense. His cold, distant attitude hurt more than his harshest spanking ever had.
* * *
Ayron told Eva as much as he dared, leaving out the details of their intimate relationship.
“She’s truly amazing, mother. Incredibly smart, yet innocent in so many ways. Her people don’t believe in touching or hugging, even their children. And they live cut off from nature in great cities filled with plants and trees that never grow or die.” He shook his head. “You should have seen the look on her face when I took her into the flower grotto. She’d be there still, if I hadn’t dragged her back out.”
A faraway look came into Eva’s eyes and she smiled. “Ah, yes. I remember the first time your grandfather took me to the flower grotto.” She took his hand. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you this happy.”
The light in his eyes disappeared. “Happy? I’m just glad to be back home and have all the nonsense of your epic hunt over with. Honestly, Eva, you’ve got to stop creating these dramas. Had it not been for the hunt, Eli would still be alive.” Ayron stopped, appalled at what he’d said.
Eva had a pained expression on her face. “I grieve for the loss of a life. But Eli had a cruel streak and I saw it growing as the years passed. Had it gone on, we would have been forced to banish him. You did what had to be done for the good of the Tryb and I thank you for it.” She stood, signaling their conversation was over. “I must rest now, child. Tonight the whole Tryb will gather to celebrate your triumphant return and witness the claiming.”
Ayron knelt and kissed her hand, then headed to his home at the top of the city. He knew what Eva’s devious mind had planned but he had no intention of going through with the claiming. The ceremony was very different from that of mating. Mating was cause for celebration, but the actual claiming by the male was never done in public. When a female was claimed, a man of the Tryb took her as his property, stripping her naked and penetrating her right there on the platform in front of the crowd. Sometimes, he invited friends to partake as well, to demonstrate his mastery over her.
The females who were claimed came from other Trybs that had banished them. There were no prisons on Iridia. When a crime was committed, the Tryb’s mother convened a council to hear testimony from all concerned. They came up with the punishment and their decision was final. Small infractions required restitution, sometimes a period of forced servitude to the injured party. Sometimes, the guilty person was stripped naked and the one he or she wronged was given the right to administer a public paddling. For minor criminals, the experience of being stripped naked, bent over a stone bench and tied up, then spanked by an angry victim in front of the entire Tryb was usually enough to discourage any further bad behavior.
But if the crime was serious—inflicting bodily harm on a child or a weaker Tryb member for example—the sentence could be as severe as banishment from the Tryb. The men were cast into the outlands to live or die as the gods willed. The women were sent to another Tryb to be claimed, destined to live out their lives in forced servitude to whatever master that Tryb chose for them.
She might not be a member of his Tryb but Ayron knew he couldn’t subject Lexi to the humiliation of a claiming. She hadn’t committed any crime. She didn’t deserve that fate.
* * *
Ayron pulled Lexi to the center of the platform and dropped to one knee. The drumbeats rose to a crescendo, then fell silent. “Mother Eva, in honor of all our Tryb, I present to you this tribute. This prize, this treasure. In your name, for this competition I have hunted her down. Rescued her from certain death in the outlands. Battled the mightiest hunters in the Tryb to win her. Defeated them all and emerged victorious.”
The crowd roared. He waited until the noise died down. “I relinquish my right to claim her and give her to you freely, as a gift. She will serve only you in thanks for all you have done for me and for our Tryb.” His voice lowered dramatically. “And in the name of our brother Eli, who gave his life during this hunt for the honor of our Tryb.”
He’d already decided to keep some details of Eli’s death a secret. No good would come from confessing he’d attacked Eli when he found him on the verge of claiming Lexi. Taking the life of another was punishable with exile, except in self-defense. He knew if Eva had heard that part of the story she’d agree he had no choice. But now that Eli was dead, it would do no good to destroy the reputation of a brave hunter the young men looked up to.
Eva gave him a sharp look, then took his hand and raised him to a standing position. “Behold the winner—our mightiest hunter! I congratulate you and accept your gift in the spirit in which it was given.” She led the applause, less enthusiastic now that the throng discovered they weren’t going to witness a claiming after all. “Now let us all celebrate the return of our hunters—and the memory of our fallen hero.” She waved a hand and half a dozen young men appeared, bearing casks of wine and liquor from her private stock.
She made her way slowly off the platform to mingle with the Tryb. After the drinks began flowing and the drums took up their sensuous beat again, she led Ayron down the long passageway to her private quarters.
She shut the door and whirled around. “What in all the gods was that?”
&
nbsp; He’d never seen her so angry. Not even as a child when he’d snuck out one night to take her pet relis for a romp in the outlands. The poor thing had been snatched by a pack of roving huracas and torn to shreds. When he returned home, sobbing and shaking, Eva had smothered him in a huge hug, dried his tears, and then proceeded to give him a scolding he’d never forget.
“You’re not happy with your gift?”
“Don’t treat me like I’m some doddering old fool! I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think no one’s watching. And as for the female…”
“Her name is Lexi.”
She glared at him. “My point exactly. You dared to interrupt me, to correct me. For her. And she’s besotted with you. Looks at you with so much love in her eyes. It reminds me of the way…”
He interrupted her again, his voice cold. “Don’t you dare say it. Don’t compare her to Naia.”
She drew herself to her full height and stared into his eyes a foot and a half above her head. “Sit down and shut up.” She pointed to a stone bench. Ayron took two steps back and sank down on it, feeling once again like a naughty little boy.
“It’s high time I quit coddling you,” Eva went on. “You need to face the truth. Your mate is dead. And your son, my beautiful great-grandson, is dead as well. You’re not the only one who misses them. I trained Naia from the time she was a child. She was to be my successor one day. Mother to the Tryb. I grieve her loss every day.”
She sat down on the bench beside him. “But she’s gone. And you’re still here. You have another chance at life, with a strong, passionate woman. You’re still young enough to have fine sons and daughters with her. Do you really think Naia would want you to spend your remaining days pining and whining? If she were to appear before us right now, the Naia I knew would tell you to seize this chance at happiness.”
Ayron shook his head. “You don’t know Lexi. She may look like us, but she comes from a different world, Eva. She’s told me about it. One where the people aren’t struggling to survive. She lives a life of luxury and ease, where her every need, every desire, is seen to. She could never be happy here… with me.”
“Did you give her the choice? Did you ask her to be your mate?” When he didn’t respond, she went on. “I don’t think it’s Naia’s memory you’re trying to protect. I think it’s your own heart. You loved and lost. And it caused you pain. Now, deep down, you’re afraid to love again. You think Lexi will leave you the minute she has the chance to go back to Earth and you’re not willing to risk feeling such pain a second time.” Her eyes flashed. “But I didn’t raise you to be a coward.”
She took his hand between her gnarled ones. “Thank the gods for Naia, because she taught you how to love. You’ll treasure the memories of her and love her for all your days, as I still love your grandfather. But life goes on, my child. And our capacity to love is infinite. Open your heart. Take a risk. Accept this gift the gods have sent you. Choosing to give your love to Lexi won’t take away any of the love in your heart for Naia. Take what she taught you and honor her memory by sharing your love with this woman. Shower her with it. Show her what it means to be cherished. And allow her to love you in return, for as long as fate allows.”
She stood and pointed to the door. “Go and claim your mate. I’m not long for this world and I want to hold a babe in my arms who is flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood once more before I die.”
“First anger, now guilt? Have you no shame, old woman?” His words were stern but they both knew he didn’t mean it.
“I will do whatever it takes. Besides, it’s time to stop lecturing you as if you’re still a lad. There’s a woman longing to feel your arms around her. Go. Be a man—her man.”
He stooped and kissed Eva’s cheek. “You’re wrong about one thing, mother. It wasn’t Naia who taught me how to love. It was you.”
He headed for the door but before he reached it, Mara burst in without knocking.
“The female—she’s gone!”
Chapter Eleven
Lexi stumbled through the outlands, tears blurring her vision. He’d given her away. Wanted nothing more to do with her. Their time in the grotto had been a farce.
For the first time in her life, she’d known what it was to be in love. Thinking, foolishly, that he felt the same way about her, she’d opened her heart—as well as her body—to him. Back on Earth, love was considered an archaic sentiment, one that impeded the rational performance of one’s duties in life. Now she understood why her people had given up the concept along with all its forms of expression. If such intense pain and sorrow came along with the indescribable pleasure, the price humans paid for the experience of physical love was far too high.
Swaddled from head to toe in her cloak, she made her way slowly through the darkness in the opposite direction of the grotto. She had no real plan in mind when she sneaked out of the city. Only to get as far away from Ayron as possible. Now, the simple act of putting one step in front of the other seemed to restore rational thought. Dawn would be breaking soon. She needed shelter.
She bypassed the dark yawning mouth of a cave. Ayron had taught her a place like that was most likely already the home of a large animal. She needed a smaller space to hide. A niche without coal-black tunnels leading off in every direction, hiding who knew what kind of creatures.
She looked around, frantic. She didn’t recognize a single feature of the landscape. Everything had been altered by the storm. Some boulders were nearly buried in drifts of sand, while others stood out. The thought gave her a ray of hope. If she could find a newly uncovered opening somewhere, she could be fairly confident her hiding place wouldn’t harbor any undesirable roommates.
The moon’s amber-tinted rays shone brighter tonight. The fine particles of dust kicked up by the sandstorm must be settling to the surface. Ahead she thought she glimpsed a darker crack running upward from the base of one of the huge boulders. She picked up her pace.
Slipping off her pack, she squeezed through it and looked around. Perfect. It was a small cave, barely higher than her head, and just big enough to lie full length out of the rays of sun when they slanted down toward the far horizon and penetrated the entrance to the cave. She laid her pack carefully against one wall, sat down beside it. Then she took out the orchid she’d wrapped carefully in damp leaves, and gave way to the heart-wrenching sobs she’d valiantly suppressed ever since she stood on the platform and heard his speech to Eva.
* * *
Ayron ran full out. He didn’t know how much of a head start she’d had. Her tracks stood out in the fresh layer of sand deposited by the storm. She hadn’t even tried to conceal them. The little fool. Where did she think she’d go? The next city was easily five or six nights away. And that was assuming a traveler knew the route.
Nadina said Lexi’s pack was missing, along with two water flasks and all traces of the dinner she’d been served. Barely enough to sustain her for a day out here. When Mara burst in, he hadn’t hesitated. He barked orders to her as though she were one of his hunters in training.
“Pack my hunting gear. Food, water, torches. I’m going home to get my cloak and my weapons. Meet me at the entrance to the city.” He turned to Eva.
“Go,” she urged. “Find her. Bring her home. There’s no time for sentimental farewells between us. It will be dawn in a few hours.”
“I love you,” he called as he dashed out the door.
Now his footsteps pounding on the ground echoed the pounding of his heart. He’d been the fool. Not Lexi. She’d said she loved him, that last night in the grotto. Blurted it out, as though it surprised her as much as it surprised him. He’d said nothing, left her words hanging in the silence.
On the long trek back, he’d gone over every moment they spent together, his soul racked with guilt. If he’d been a better mate, more caring, more attentive, Naia would never have died. Their son would still be alive. He’d failed them both and he had no business becoming responsible for the life of another. He dec
ided then and there to go through with his original plan to give her to Eva.
Now he admitted to himself that Eva was right. He wasn’t trying to protect Lexi as much as he was trying to protect himself. He couldn’t bear another loss, wouldn’t survive the pain. So he’d said nothing, rejected her love. Even gave her away, as though she were nothing more than a possession he no longer valued. No wonder she’d run off.
He’d quit believing in Eva’s gods when they took Naia and Judah from him, despite all his prayers. Eva swore they listened and watched over the Tryb. As a child, she taught him everything that happened was meant for good in their lives, if they would only open their hearts and trust. Now he turned to his childhood faith, offered up an urgent plea.
“Let me find her. Let me hold her again, tell her I love her. Grant me this gift. I will treasure it for as long as it lasts.”
Half a mile later, he saw a footprint heading toward a boulder up ahead, marked by a jagged crack at its base. He squeezed through the narrow opening, barely making out her huddled body in the dim light. Her head snapped up. She bit off a startled cry when she recognized him.
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and he longed to gather her in his arms and beg her forgiveness. But there’d be time for that later. She’d done something foolish again and nearly cost both of them their lives a second time. He was determined to start off right this time, keep her safe for as long as the gods gave her to him to cherish.
He forced himself to stay strong. “So. You’ve ignored my rules again. Run off without asking my permission.”
She swiped a hand across her eyes and glared up at him. “I don’t need to ask your permission for anything. You gave me away.”
“Then you belong to Eva now. Did you ask her permission?”
His to Claim (Alien Masters Book 2) Page 13