by Abel, Regine
They seemed stunned but touched by this show of appreciation. I didn’t quite know how to react to that. Bane saved me by picking me up in his arms again while expressing his thanks as well to the Miegly, then flying away.
The second offshoot hallway brought us to what could have passed for a beehive, with the face of the rock carved like a giant honeycomb. Each alveolus appeared to be a single dwelling. In front of them, a surprisingly lush garden—though limited in colors—was thriving despite the absence of natural light. A shiver ran down my spine at the sight of at least fifty Scelks divided into more or less equal groups, each forming a circle in the garden. Bane’s arms tightened around me, and his consciousness brushed against my psychic mind in a soothing caress.
They all appeared to be in some kind of a trance. A few meters from them, a handful of female Scelks—or rather, of Janaurian females modified to be compatible with them—were chitchatting, some of them doing some sort of craft work. To my shock, a couple of the females had young Scelk toddlers—naturally born Scelks and not host-stealing parasites.
It terrified me even more to know their population wouldn’t die out with this first generation of parasitic Scelks but would endure through their offspring.
“What are they doing?” I asked, hating the slight trembling in my voice.
“Each group is different. Did you notice the colored disk in the middle of each circle?” Bane asked. “It indicates the focus of their collective mind-walk,” he explained after I nodded. “The red circle is battle related. Whatever virtual world they are currently in, they are either doing combat training, fighting in a war, or hunting some wild beast. It depends on how aggressive they feel and if they need to vent some of it to function peacefully with others. A blue circle means some sort of formal study. The darker the blue, the more technical the lecture is. Green means a whimsical or entertainment mind-walk. It could be exploring a new planet or going on some random adventure. White means a formal meeting of some kind. The circle will vary in gradients of grays and black. The whiter the circle, the more restricted the access to that meeting. Basically, by invitation only. But darker shades mean anyone can pop in to attend or check it out. The Scelks around it right now are Varnog’s lieutenants. They are discussing their contribution to the upcoming war.”
“As their leader, shouldn’t Varnog be part of those discussions?” I asked, surprised, although impressed by how orderly and disciplined this all looked.
“He did, earlier. The others are ironing out the details and running potential scenarios. They are good people, Tabitha,” Bane said, his voice taking on a serious tone. “They didn’t ask to be born the way they are, but they strive to be better. I understand the losses the Vanguard has sustained because of the other Scelks, but in a war, all sides suffer. Even if they had been part of the Scelks that have killed your people—though they are not—they would have merely been soldiers of the General, carrying out the orders. The General is the one who deserves your hatred.”
“And he gets plenty of it,” I said in a clipped tone. “I understand well what you are saying, Bane. But human feelings do not have an off switch. It will take time for me, and everyone else in the Vanguard, to build trust. However, I will try. I am trying.”
“That is all any of us can ask,” Bane said with a grateful smile.
He leaned in to kiss me, then caught himself and backed away, pursing his lips in annoyance. That made me laugh.
“That’ll teach you to show off, Mr. I-can-shoot-acid-darts,” I teased, despite being disappointed at not receiving that kiss.
“I’ll just be twice as voracious when the Crinax finally wears off,” Bane said with a heated look that made my toes curl.
“I just might hold you to it,” I said.
I loved how easily flirting with him came to me. How sexy and desirable he made me feel, and above all, how secure I felt about his intentions towards me.
“I’m counting on it,” he replied with a rumbling voice before rubbing his nose against mine.
“Wait!” I said when he turned around to leave.
“I must go back. Dread has been asking me to come for the past ten minutes at least and threatens to come drag me by my Deynian horn if I don’t hurry,” Bane said in an apologetic tone laced with mild annoyance.
While sorry to see him go, it actually served my purpose.
“It’s okay,” I said, caressing the dark scales on his cheek. “I would like to stick around here for a little bit.”
Bane immediately tensed, casting a wary look at the Scelks before examining my features, as if they could reveal to him my motivations for wanting to stay behind.
“Of course, if that is your wish,” Bane said with obvious reluctance.
My brow shot up. “What? No question? No challenge?” I asked, taken aback by his reaction.
“You’re an adult woman, in an environment devoid of hidden dangers. You do not need anyone’s permission to make decisions on your comings and goings,” Bane said, matter-of-factly.
My respect for him grew another notch. Seeing how dragon blood gave both the hybrids and the Warriors an excessively protective nature, and considering Bane’s dominant personality, I’d expected him to be a bit controlling. This was beyond refreshing and, in fact, quite the turn on.
“You know, Mr. Dragon, you’re making it really hard for a woman not to like you,” I said teasingly to hide how much his respectful ways touched me.
“I don’t care about any other woman but you,” Bane said, sobering.
The intensity on his face made my stomach flip-flop. As he flew down to the edge of the grassy area of the Scelks’ hive, his gaze lingered on my lips, his desire plain to see. Once more, I cussed that damn Crinax that deprived me from tasting my man. The sliver of a taunting smile revealed he knew I was getting hot and bothered.
“Call me if you want a ride back,” Bane said as he landed and put me back on my feet.
“I’m sure I’ll find my way back,” I said, my eyes flicking towards one of the female Janaurians with a baby.
“Sumin is a delightful young lady,” Bane said in a soft voice, understanding at last what had held my interest.
“I remember her from Janaur,” I admitted. “She had been reluctant to come with you rather than taking her chances staying with her people.”
“She had,” Bane conceded.
“Does she regret following you in the end?” I asked.
Bane gave me a mysterious smile. “Ask her yourself.” Leaning forward, he rubbed his nose against mine again, then flapping his wings, he started flying away backwards, his gaze never wavering from me. “See you soon.”
I waved, and he turned around before speeding away to whatever duty called him. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Sumin. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed all the females were staring at me. Swallowing hard, I sauntered towards them with pretend nonchalance.
Despite the chitin plates that now graced the side of her neck and part of her chest, Sumin and the other females’ Janaurian origins were unmistakable. The amphibian species possessed a pasty white skin and looked like what a white dolphin might have become if it had grown legs and arms, and their faces had flattened to more or less emulate that of a human’s. Their previously yellowish eyes had darkened to an almost black color. Sitting directly on the mossy grass, they were beading some necklaces with strange black stones.
“Hello, Tabitha,” Sumin said, gesturing for me to sit next to her.
“Hello, Sumin,” I said, happy to comply.
The others quickly introduced themselves.
“Do not feel bad if you forget our names,” Sumin said with a kind smile. “There will be plenty of time for you to get to memorize them now that you’ve become Bane’s Queen.”
I instinctively opened my mouth to argue that I wasn’t his Queen but ended up closing it without saying a word. That earned me an approving smile from Sumin. I realized then that they were evaluating me the same way I’d come to assess them—or rather to
draw info out of them about the Scelks.
“We understand well what it is like to be attracted to something other than what we are, or that we had been taught to fear or even hate,” Sumin said in a sympathetic voice. Her gaze roamed over the Scelks still standing in their trance. “I hated them for how they had come to be, for being parasites that killed so many of my people. And I hated myself for having been turned into one of them. I couldn’t go back to my people, and I didn’t want to go with Bane to live with the other freak experiments he had rescued.”
She snorted in self-derision and rubbed her palm on the beautiful pattern the scales had formed on her bald head. Looking sideways, she stared at the baby lying on his back on a pale mat spread out on the grass. He was sucking and chewing with determination on an object that reminded me of a giant hockey puck made of a soft but sturdy, inflated material.
“Most of us were suicidal in our first few weeks on Umbra, the Dragons’ previous homeworld—if we can call it that,” Sumin continued, pensively. The other females nodded in agreement at that statement. “Despite our denials, the Scelks knew exactly what thoughts were crossing our minds. You cannot lie to a Scelk. They instantly know what you are thinking or feeling. It’s so annoying.”
As she spoke those words, Sumin’s voice oozed with a world of aggravation that had me and the other females laughing. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to interact with someone who knew everything in your head while you were left to guess and speculate what was in theirs.
“Varnog had rightly guessed that I was the most at risk,” Sumin confessed. “It wasn’t a risk; it was a fact. He always showed up at the right moment to stop me, but in a way to let me save face. It took me a while to realize it. The moment I would reach for a knife, he would conveniently appear and stick around, forcing me to pretend I’d picked it up to cut up some fruits or vegetables. If I managed to get my hands on a blaster, he would walk in just at that moment to thank me for finding one of their misplaced weapons and relieve me of it. He never called me out on it, but we both knew. He was always there, watching in the shadows, protecting me from myself.”
Reaching out a hand, she rubbed the rounded belly of the still pudgy infant. He giggled and gave his mother a toothless smile.
“And that’s how he seduced you,” I concluded, somewhat surprised. For some reason, I had not believed him to be mated.
Sumin and the other females all burst out laughing, startling me.
“Oh, Maker, no! I am not his mate,” Sumin said, looking at me as if I’d said the silliest thing in the world. “I cannot wait to see what female will tame that beast. Don’t get me wrong, Varnog is the best of men, with a soft heart behind his harsh exterior and sarcastic tongue. But he needs a far stronger female than any of us is. Tremak is my mate. I’d grown so desperate in my attempts that I needed constant surveillance, which wasn’t viable for Varnog, considering his other responsibilities. Tremak imposed himself as my guardian. He wasn’t as subtle as Varnog and flat out told me to stop being a fool. I didn’t get to take my own life. Maker, how I hated him!”
Once again, we all laughed at her exaggerated exasperation laced with a world of affection.
“As we say on Earth, there’s a fine line between love and hate,” I said with an indulgent smile.
“Is there ever,” Sumin replied with a wistful grin. Then her expression sobered, and she gave me a serious look. “They were created to be monsters. It is forever a part of them as these scales are now a part of me that never should have been. I do not read minds like they do, yet I know and understand your fears. The mindless, bloodthirsty parasites they started as seven years ago died with their host’s soul. With Bane as their mentor, they have developed the moral values of upstanding people. They fight with their monster, but they are no longer monsters themselves. If I could grow to love one of them—and I do with all my heart—I hope you will get to see the beauty within them as well, despite how they came to be.”
I nodded slowly.
“Our mates may not be Dragons like yours, but they are just as loyal,” said Yolen, another of the modified Janaurian females. “They consider the Dragons, the Miegly, and the Mimics as part of their hive, even though Silzi is the only Mimic we’ve encountered. Even now, they are planning the rescue of the other Mimics trapped on Zekuro, knowing that many of them will likely die during that mission. There is no rebirth for us.”
My lips parted in shock, and I looked at the Scelks with new eyes. Bane had told me about the Mimic Silzi. I still had a hard time not holding grudges considering she had caused our capture on Jaylon, and indirectly been responsible for the permanent death of Xenon. But like Bane had said, could I fault a soldier for executing orders? For fighting for their side of the war? And above all, could I blame her for doing anything in her power to save the last few survivors of her species on the verge of extinction?
We continued to chat for another twenty minutes. They gave me an overview of their lives with the hybrids’ extended family, among the Scelks, raising the first naturally born sentient Scelks, and their hopes for the future. When I took my leave, they made me promise to return to visit them before we all departed for war.
As I walked past the circles of Scelks, my small hairs stood on end from the amount of psychic energy they were expending. A part of me almost wished I could take a sneak peek into their mind-walks to find out firsthand what they were doing. My gaze lingered on them until I had to all but break my neck to keep looking over my shoulder. When I turned to face ahead, the dark silhouette of Varnog walking in my direction startled the living daylights out of me.
I braced, knowing attempting to avoid him was futile, and prepared mentally for what would follow. For some reason, he had a way of getting under my skin, and he clearly took pleasure in it. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm and, this time, there would be no Bane to come to the rescue.
“My Queen,” Varnog said, with that provocative tone he always used with me. “How kind of you to have come visit your subjects.”
“I came to visit the people that will soon be residents of Khepri,” I said, refusing to take the bait.
“That’s still considerate,” Varnog said, moving one step closer to me, right at the edge of propriety. “Or is this merely out of a sense of duty.”
“One doesn’t necessarily exclude the other,” I replied with a shrug.
“A considerate and dutiful Queen. That certainly has an appealing ring to it. Except, you were truthful in saying you actually aren’t our Queen,” Varnog said in a defiant, almost cold tone.
My stomach dropped at the sudden shift. What had prompted this change? Had he taken offense in me speaking with their females? Had something else occurred? Trying to keep a neutral expression on my face, my mind raced to come up with a proper question to get him to clarify his meaning. But he spared me the trouble.
“You haven’t bonded with Bane,” Varnog said, staring at the smooth skin of the fleshy part of my shoulder, exposed by my wide neck t-shirt. “How can you be so strong in battle but so weak in your personal life?”
I recoiled at the impropriety of the topic and at the contemptuous way in which he casually threw the insult at me.
“Excuse me?” I asked, disbelieving, my temper flaring.
“You stood fast in battle, facing the onslaught of a Drone Swarm like the fiercest of warriors. But you fear committing to a Dragon who has given his hearts to you because you’re pining over another who was never meant for you?”
“First off, I’m not pining over anyone,” I said between my teeth. “Second, my relationship with Bane or anyone else is none of your goddamn business.”
“You cannot lie to me, little human,” Varnog said. “Your thoughts are like an open book to me. I see the tears, the pain, the bitterness, the fear—”
“Then maybe your vision isn’t as clear as you think,” I said with a measured voice, refusing to let him get even more of a rise out of me, which was exac
tly what he wanted.
Although Sumin had mentioned it, it disturbed me how deeply he could see into my thoughts and memories. Yes, I had pined after Rage and agonized over losing him, but I was truly over him. There would always be love in my heart for him, but I was no longer in love with him. I had always thought that Ayana and Liena had known too quickly that their mates were ‘the one’ for them, until I’d met Bane.
This morning, I’d already decided I was ready for us to commit to this relationship, to commit to a future with Bane. We’d handle whatever hurdles might get thrown in our path, hundreds of siblings and extended family included.
“Rather than concerning yourself with my relationship with Bane, you should focus on the war ahead and help alleviate our concerns about relocating you to Khepri,” I said in a severe tone.
“Ah yes, your precious Coalition and mighty Warriors are terrified of our powers,” he said mockingly.
“I am not afraid of your powers,” I retorted defiantly. “I have faced off against your kind before. Your powers aren’t as infallible as you think.”
Although I meant every word, I regretted speaking them as soon as they came out. They sounded like a challenge, and he clearly took them as such.
Taking a step forward, Varnog invaded my personal space, his dark eyes boring into mine. Without being flat out menacing, his stance was intentionally intimidating. And yet, even as I braced for whatever he would do next, I didn’t feel any real fear. A part of me knew—or at least strongly believed—that the Scelk leader wouldn’t try to harm me.
However, even as those thoughts crossed my mind, the alien feel of his consciousness brushed against mine. My vision blurred with the start of the mind-walk Varnog was pulling me into. For half a second, I considered fighting it, erecting my psychic shields or even striking him physically to interrupt him, but decided to play along instead.
Varnog was testing me, and through me, the Vanguard as a whole.
The reddish-brown, fleshy membranes of the hallway of a liveship formed around me, its unpleasantly familiar musty scent tickling my nose. The corridor stretched about two hundred meters in front of me and endlessly behind me. There didn’t appear to be any other passages branching off of it or even any doors alongside it.