The ancestral Nubis energy forms had merged with their selected human targets with ease. However, the unmated male’s ability to recognize and merge with his feminine partner was lost—swallowed up by the powerful structural genetics of the human race. The newly formed species began to flounder in its ability to reproduce. Foemina Mortem wasn’t the only event that had almost annihilated his entire race. Just as they now sought a way to replenish, the ancient world had done the same.
Insedivertus called out to every unmated male while they dreamed. Caught between wakefulness and sleep, they arrived in droves and entered a deep fissure opened by the very fingers of the gods. Deep into its bowels they ventured, until they were awakened by the grinding and gnashing of the cavern walls as it pushed the fisted rock within their reach. The males fell to their knees in supplication as Dii revealed its presence and gifted each one with the catalyst to replace what had been lost during their genesis. As the god began to fade away, it left behind a mark upon the cavern wall as a reminder of its benevolence—the head of the elusive fera, its token animal. The jaws were stretched wide to reveal its massive fangs, an unmistakable symbol of its power. As the years stretched by and the populace grew in strength, the mark’s location faded from memory. Only the protruding gifts remained as proof that the deity still watched over their fates. Caelius took a deep breath and sent a prayer out to that very deity and asked for a change in his.
Six years had passed since he’d visited the Talesius Mines, yet it felt as if he’d stepped back in time. His stomach flipped at the thought. He felt a warm grip to his shoulder and glanced back. His father smiled and patted the satchel hanging over his broad shoulder.
“Go on, son. Begin your walk. I have your tools ready.”
Handing over his flashlight, Caelius grimaced. “I need to be careful. I have to find the right one this time. How will I know?” His father’s brows lifted in surprise. His turquoise eyes were troubled.
“How did it feel last time? Before, I thought to leave you in peace as you conducted your search. Perhaps I should have been more diligent. Describe what you felt.”
Caelius couldn’t stop the full-body shudder that struck him. “It was like bolts of lightning were trying to enter my skin at one time. It was a biting pain, as if it wished to tear at my flesh. I took that as a very forceful sign to take it from the wall. I’d forever heard that the necklace would ‘bite’ when the Occasio was located. I assumed this applied to location as well. I nearly passed out while trying to chip it from its bed. It stopped once the shell released into my hand.” Caelius watched as his father’s eyes filled with regret and he slowly shook his head.
“Ah, gods, Caelius. I failed as your guide. I should have been with you. Had I told you of the euphoric feeling that would have passed throughout your body, then you would have known to continue your search. Can you ever forgive me?”
Snatching his father into a hard embrace, Caelius wanted to chase away that look of unhappiness as quickly as possible. “No, don’t dwell on that at all. I was amazed that you were even able to bring me here. Mother hadn’t been gone for more than a week. I remember many fathers lining the interior tunnels as they awaited their son’s return. You all had that same devastated appearance. Many young males came alone. You have no idea how much I admire you. I love you. Please, don’t think of that time anymore. Let’s make this a new memory to replace the old. Shall we?” He smiled at the hard grip around his shoulders and the soft kiss to the side of his head before he was released.
“Most assuredly, let us make a new memory.” He gestured to the walls and smiled, unable to mask the sheen of tears threatening to fall at any moment. “Please, begin. I’ll be right behind you.”
Turning, Caelius took a deep breath and approached the closest wall. He lifted his palm and passed it slowly across every formation he encountered. Several meters in, tingles began in the center of his chest and his heartbeat increased. Familiar strikes of electricity beat against his palm and told him that he was at the location of his first conprobatus find. The intensity grew as he proceeded forward and finally reached a level that had him pulling back entirely in order to steady his breathing. He pointed to several indentations in the rock.
“Here is where I worked to free the shell. I definitely don’t want to stay in this area. I’m having the same reaction as before.” Turning, he moved to the other side of the cavern. “I’ll try this side and work my way back around.”
Quietly, they moved forward, and Caelius waited for a feeling, any sensation, to let him know he was close. With each minute that passed without a blip of recognition, Caelius felt frustration crawl through his gut. Surely he was in the right area of the mines. Perhaps he misjudged the internal urge to enter this particular cavern? As he ducked around a low-hanging lip of craggy rock, his chest lit up with a blast of warmth and snagged him from the building angst.
Intrigued, Caelius looked up and found several formations stretched across the top of the protruding rock. Lifting his palm, he hovered over each ball until one finally brought him to his knees. A blast of energy entered the top of his head, bounced around inside his torso, and traveled out the soles of his feet. It was if a path had been opened to receive a gift—and a wondrous gift it was.
Clasping his chest, Caelius arched his back and accepted the most sublimely wonderful feeling he’d ever experienced. It was as if he was bathed in a bright white light that carried every beautiful emotion with it. Acceptance, love, hope, and desire flooded his system. His cock grew and strained to full length and girth as his core awoke and recognized what was being bestowed. It sought out something solid to merge with, to take, to own. It had to settle for kicking hard against his jeans as he fought to control his seed.
Excruciating minutes ticked by, and the suffusion of energy finally settled into a harmonic balance, easily melding with his core. It became a part of him, eternal and unfailing. Falling to his hands, Caelius took several deep breaths and looked up. His father was leaning against the rock wall and nodding. A large grin split his face.
“Oh, yes. I believe you have found your true conprobatus, my son. There is no doubt of it now. You have the same look upon your face that I’ve seen upon a thousand others.”
Rising to his feet, Caelius smiled back. “I had no idea. It was so beautiful. Nothing like before. It’s mine, truly mine.” He watched as his father approached, laid the tool bag at his feet, and began unpacking the contents. Several sharp silver rods of various sizes, a small hammer, and a mallet were laid out on a cloth and presented to him.
“Here, Caelius. Go take what Insedivertus has gifted to you. This is a momentous time, the true day to mark your transition. I cannot wait to see what is revealed from within. Hurry now.”
Time seemed to stand still as he meticulously tapped the rock away from the edges of the shell. Gradually, he was able to make a large enough gap to begin using the larger rods and mallet to hurry along the process. Within minutes, he heard a distinctive snapping sound, and the conprobatus ball rolled easily into his palm. It felt right. It belonged to him. He held it up and studied the outer shell. Coated with chips of precious gems, it glittered and twinkled upon the slightest movement. His father’s excited voice echoed off the walls and pulled him from the mesmerizing sight.
“Come. Let’s make our way to the jeweler so he can finish this.”
Moments later, they were standing in a modest room carved into the side of the main cavern. It was filled with comfortable chairs, couches, and the jeweler’s abundant extraction equipment and polishing tools. Two other males had just pushed out of the main door, bearing large smiles on their faces as they proudly displayed their new necklaces glittering against their bare chests.
Caelius remembered that look. He hadn’t really felt like a fully-grown male until that prize rested against his bare skin. He’d gone without a shirt for two weeks until his father had ordered him to don clothing or he’d not be allowed to leave his room again.
&nb
sp; He approached the jeweler studiously cleaning his equipment and placed the shell upon the counter. This Insedi had been the master jeweler for over two hundred years, just as his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him. If he had a son, he, too, would assume the role upon the male’s passing. Despite his age, he appeared to be in his prime.
“Do you have time for one more, Master Nilus?”
Looking up from the equipment, his winged brows lifted over coal black eyes, and then he frowned. Despite his scowl and gravelly voice, Caelius knew him to be of a friendly nature.
“Caelius Meron. Why have you returned? Have you already lost your necklace?” He glanced over to his father. “What has happened to our young? They cannot seem to remember as well as their elders. I’ve threatened to permanently embed the conprobatus into their chests if they cannot keep track of them. Such a shame to treat this gift so lightly.”
Caelius snorted. “No, I wish it was something that simple. My other was flawed.” That got his immediate attention, and he stood from his chair.
“Impossible. Antaeus, tell your son it is unwise to jest with me in this manner.”
“Settle yourself, Nilus. He speaks the truth. I discovered it. See for yourself.” He laid the necklace on the counter and stepped back.
Nilus reached out, but Caelius snatched it away.
“No, not yet. I am near beside myself to find out what my new one looks like. If you take this one now, you’ll be too engrossed on trying to solve the mystery to bother with me.” He pointed to the shell.
“That one first, then you can muse all you want over this one.” Caelius dangled it just out of reach and grinned when he saw the jeweler’s lips lift grudgingly into a small smile.
“Antaeus. Your boy has grown since last I saw him. I’m impressed. He fears nothing.” Snorting, he lifted the rock from the counter and seated himself at his cutting equipment. He opened a clear housing attached to a box that looked as ancient as the mines. Carefully, he set the shell on top of a thin band sporting protruding points stretching from one end to the other. He gently placed his finger on the top of the shell to hold it in place. Turning a crank on the side of the machine, the band wrapped perfectly around the rock and locked it into position.
Despite advances in laser technology, this Insedi eschewed the new ways. He didn’t trust a laser with the precious mineral, and preferred to crack the shell as his ancestors had done for centuries. Lowering the housing, he gripped a long rod attached to the band and began pulling down. Caelius watched the large muscles in the jeweler’s arm clench as he painstakingly applied pressure until a muffled cracking sound told him he was successful.
Caelius sensed his father sliding up next to him. Together they leaned forward and waited as Nilus lifted the housing and released the shell. He held the sides together, turned to them, and winked before seeking out his polishing machine. The fastidious jeweler always refused to reveal the contents until he’d reverently chipped away the colored crystals that suspended the tooth within the hollow shell.
The wait was atrocious. Caelius felt like an expectant father waiting to see his swaddled newborn. The ten minutes it took to polish the tooth and attach a new chain felt like hours. Finally, the jeweler came forward, placed the conprobatus on a soft piece of cloth, and stepped back. The pride for being the one to present this symbol of the gods was evident upon his handsome face.
“It’s a fine tooth, Caelius. The brightest golden color I’ve seen in quite a while. The surface is flawless. See for yourself.” Before he could reach forward, Nilus’s palm hovered above it. “The other one, please.”
Dropping it into the open hand, Caelius watched him lift it to the light. It took no more than a few seconds for the jeweler’s mouth to gap open.
“Inferni! I’ve never seen a flaw like this. It’s so small. I’m surprised you even noticed it.” He glanced over. “May I keep this? I want to study it further. In fact, there’s something else I need to check as well. Do you mind?”
“By all means, keep it. It’s worthless to me anyway.” Caelius lost all interest in the jeweler’s ramblings as he took the tooth back to his desk and began rifling through its drawers.
Lifting the beautiful new tooth, Caelius glanced to his father. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I may go into the Occasio surge as soon as it touches my skin. Maxim told me that Severus experienced a full surge while he was alone. The only difference will be that I won’t know who the hell it’s surging for. Can this be any more fucked up?”
“Just do it, son. My heart cannot take much more.”
Closing his eyes, Caelius lifted the chain and slipped it over his head. The tooth slid effortlessly down his skin, rested easily between his pecs, and a thick heaviness immediately sank into his gut. It was cold. A mind-numbing cold. Despite his wish not to be bound to Ashley, it was also further proof that Rhia wasn’t his mate either. He didn’t think that his heart could splinter any more than it already had. He wouldn’t wish this utter hopelessness on his worst enemy. It was too much.
Releasing a shuddering breath, Caelius wobbled over to a couch and plopped onto the cushions. He couldn’t look at his father. He just didn’t have the strength. The male was wise and stayed by the counter to give him space to work this through his mind, but he didn’t want to. It was the same conversation he’d had with himself for weeks. What would be different? He focused on the quiet conversation coming from the counter. Anything to keep from thinking.
“Antaeus, look at this. I remembered a male coming in a few years back to replace his necklace. He had not lost it, but complained that the sheen was unacceptable. I keep meticulous records of every necklace. This was the first one that has ever been returned. I never thought to look at it closely. Other than a dullness to the tip, I thought he was being overly critical.”
“What did you find?”
“Here. Look through the magnifier. It is extremely small. Yes, there along the edge of the tip.”
“Inferni! It looks like the one on Caelius’s necklace. What do you make of this?”
“The only thing I see in common between the two is that they both found the flawed ones within the same week. There was an influx of males making the rights of passage. It was the first time that I had lines stretching through the door. If there had been others with flaws, I had no time to notice.”
Caelius had heard enough. The thought that other males might be experiencing the same anomalies that he had endured sat heavily in his mind. At least he’d rectified his situation, even though the outcome wasn’t as he’d hoped. Something had to be done. Pushing aside his sadness, he rose from the couch and approached the counter.
“Father, you must inform the senate of this so it may be presented to the emperor. Perhaps this was a fluke to just these two, but if not, the ramifications are horrendous. The trust that we place in the conprobatus to lead us down the correct path is sacred. We all need to know how this happened and how extensive it may be.”
Clasping the damaged necklace in his palm, his father nodded. “Absolutely. It must be brought to the emperor’s attention. Let’s get above ground so I can contact them. Nilus, I’m sure the senate will need your assistance. Best prepare your records. They’ll want to see them.”
“Not a problem. I will make sure to double check any new finds before they leave this room. Caelius, where did you locate the first shell? Was the second one found there as well? I need to document the finds.”
“Fourth level, third corridor on the right, and the right wall had the flawed one. I located the new one on the other side.”
Taking the lift to the top level, Caelius was relieved to feel the cool night air cross his face. He’d not stepped more than a few feet away from the entrance when he experienced the insistent pounding for entrance into this thoughts. He felt his eyes widen.
“Hold up, Father. The emperor’s legati is seeking audience with me.” Opening his mind, his greeting was cut short by the insistent words of the empe
ror’s protector.
Caelius. I’m happy that you’ve decided to respond. Where have you been?
His gut lurched at the serious tone. Had something happened to Maxim? I was in the mines with my father. You know that contact is impossible there.
Ah! I didn’t think to seek you out there. Did you lose your conprobatus? Please tell me it didn’t happen on Earth.
No, that wasn’t the reason I returned. It’s a long story. Is something wrong? Is it Maxim?
Eryx’s soft chuckle eased his growing fear. No, nothing tragic has happened. There’s been an incident at the entrance vortex. You’ve been summoned to the outpost. Get here as soon as you can.
What is it, Eryx? How does this involve me?
It’s best that you come and see for yourself. The emperor and I have just arrived. Hurry now.
Of course. On my way. Eryx’s thoughts closed to his and he turned to look into the curious eyes of his father.
“Well, that was interesting. I’ve been summoned to the outpost station. Something has occurred and they want me present. Don’t bother to ask because I have no idea. Father, this is turning out to be the strangest day.”
Chapter 26
Looking around, Rhia figured she was in an interrogation room—white walls, small table, three chairs, no windows, and one locked door. She really couldn’t blame them for sticking her in here. She’d breached their security. What alien planet wouldn’t try to corral a wayward human that threw herself into their vortex without permission? Shit, Rhia! Curiosity…cat? Get a clue. You’re in deep trouble here.
Plopping onto a chair, she picked up the cup of water Kyros had given her and took a tentative sip. If they were going to kill her, surely they would’ve shot her with the pistols latched to their legs. Poisoning seemed a ridiculously slow way to go about it. When she didn’t feel any strange side effects, she downed the remainder of the cool liquid. At least the guys had been nice and apologized profusely for placing her in here. Obviously, they’d gotten the orders from on high and couldn’t refuse.
Fueled by Lust: Caelius (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 22