by Regine Abel
“I will not discuss your mother with you,” my father said coldly, regaining a sliver of the spine he once had.
“She’s the reason you took this deal! The reason my entire future is now in jeopardy. So you will discuss whatever the fuck I tell you we discuss,” I snarled back.
“You will not address me with such disrespect in my own house!” he shouted, jumping to his feet.
I let out a sad laugh.
“Your house? Have you already forgotten that you don’t own a house? That you in fact don’t own anything since you’ve lost it all to gambling? Remember well that the only reason the family estate still belongs to a Dervhen is because I bought back everything you lost. You have a roof over your head by my mercy. So sit down, Father, and listen well.”
The shame and humiliation on his face as he sat back down tore at me. I crushed the feeling. He’d hurt us too many times for me to fall for that again. Walking over to the bar, I poured myself a glass of water. I wasn’t thirsty, but this whole ordeal left a bitter taste in my mouth that nothing would ever fully wash out.
“The next time V contacts you, tell him that he’s no longer to speak to you, ever again. He speaks directly to me. Is that understood?”
My father nodded, relief painting his face.
“Somehow, I will get our family out of this latest predicament. But consider yourself warned,” I said, pointing a menacing finger at him. “If I find out you’ve gotten yourself involved in some other shady business to earn quick credits and it backfires, I will throw you out of the house and sever all connections. I’m done paying for your weakness. Is that clear?”
Once again, he nodded silently.
“One last thing,” I said, downing the last of my water, “Lelah’s custody transfer agreement will be ready on Friday. You and Mother will sign it without a fuss.”
My father’s face twisted with anger. “She’s my daughter. Whatever our disagreements, you don’t get to take her away.”
“You and Mother are unfit parents.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I interrupted him. “Do you think I’m unaware of the offers you’ve been entertaining?”
He paled and had the decency to look embarrassed. “They are just talks. She’s getting older now.”
“She’s not chattel to be sold to replenish your credits reserve,” I shouted.
“I’m not selling her!”
“Really? Then why are you taking bids?” I asked, slamming my empty glass down on the bar.
Careful with that. No point cutting my fingers off, too.
I had enough problems as it was.
“I’m just… just making sure whoever mates her will have the financial stability to take proper care of her.”
The look of contempt I gave him said everything I thought of his pathetic justification.
“You will sign,” I said in a controlled voice. “And you tell Mother that if she hasn’t signed by end of day Friday, she will no longer receive the allowance I’m paying her on your behalf.”
My father swallowed hard, but said nothing.
“Good day to you, Sehr.”
I left without another word.
The five-minute walk from the main house to my private mansion on the estate did little to clear my head, but at least it lessened the fury that raged within. It was a good thing Lelah had been at school – she didn’t need to see any of this. I wanted her in my house and under my care as soon as possible. As she blossomed, our parents’ appalling example would be the worst kind of influence for her.
Despite the severe losses we sustained due to the Taint, our family ranked among the wealthiest on Xelix Prime. My ancestors had proven ruthless in acquiring good lands for next to nothing once the Property Laws were instated. As per the law, a Tainted male had to be mated by the age of thirty or forfeit his lands to be auctioned off to the public. By the second post-Taint generation, females had already become a rare commodity, especially Prime ones. Countless families watched helplessly as their lands were stripped from them.
Our financial success was somewhat offensive considering my greedy ancestors were largely responsible for the Taint to begin with. They had been the staunchest defenders of the extensive use of the bio-engineered ryspak seeds, synthetic pesticides, and fertilizers to boost our production. They amassed a fortune during that time. When it appeared, the Taint hit our lands the hardest. Less than half of our huge property remained usable. It would take a few more decades for the land to heal.
A financial crash rocked the nation in the wake of the Taint. However, the clean and fertile lands my ancestors acquired from the Tainted allowed us to bounce back quickly. With ryspak being our main source of export and therefore, revenue, many families went bankrupt. Their Tainted fruits were unfit for consumption or trade. My great-father left tremendous wealth upon his untimely passing. My father managed it responsibly for the first few years thereafter, until the fateful day he mated Ruthy Rawlhin. She was beautiful, refined, and a social butterfly – the perfect mate for the rising Councilor and Ambassador.
He fell hard for her.
She fell hard for his wealth and status.
Mother loved to organize social gatherings on the estate for the elite or foreign delegations passing through Xelix Prime. While the Council reimbursed a number of expenses, they were soon forced to cap these amounts as my mother’s extravagance increased exponentially over time. At first, my father happily footed the bill to keep his young mate happy. But soon, the strain on our finances became tangible.
He could have managed had it only been the social gatherings. However, Mother was high maintenance: couture clothes, shoes, and accessories; regular visits to fancy spas; more jewelry than she could wear in a lifetime; dinners in fancy restaurants, exotic trips, and so on. At age twelve, when my twin brother Rhal died, savaged by wild beasts, my mother drowned her sorrow with endless bouts of shopping frenzy. Before long, my father was forced to find new sources of income to supplement his revenues. My mother spent more credits per week than the family earned in a month.
Eventually, he confronted her about her excess. She threatened to leave him for a mate less stingy if he didn’t accommodate her needs. As per Xelixian law, a female could leave her mate whenever she pleased, no justification required. A male, however, was bound to his female until death, unless she committed one of a short list of unacceptable offenses. Afraid to lose her, Father caved in. That marked the beginning of the end. He should have let her go. Instead, he created a bigger monster.
Back then, I was drowning in pain over the loss of my other half. I didn’t see the rift growing between my parents since the death of my twin and the birth of my precious little sister the previous year. By the time I did, the damage was beyond repair. Lelah kept me sane over the following years. After her birth, Mother refused to have any more offspring, considering she had fulfilled her duties. She also started ‘spending time’ with other wealthy males who could compensate for my father’s declining finances.
Our mother only loved credits. Making sure Lelah would never be anything like our mother gave me a purpose.
Stepping up to the porch of my mansion, I felt twice my twenty-seven years of age. How the fuck would I pull myself out of this mess? Gharah only knew. My only blessing was that Praghan no longer held the Council seat. He’d passed it to his cousin and consort, Lhor Kirnhan. Him, I respected and could handle. But he would never agree to lift the Guldan embargo – not after the way they’d come after his mate. I needed to earn his trust and somehow turn this mess around to help shut down the Blood Houses once and for all.
The question was how?
As always, entering my house gave me a sense of peace. This was my haven, my refuge from the insanity of this world I despised. I’d built it with the inheritance from my great-father. The funds were awarded to me on my twenty-first birthday. As stated in my great-father’s will, should either Rhal or I die before we came of age, the surviving twin would inherit the other’s share. I put those
extra funds towards acquiring new lands, buying back my father’s share in the family business, and attempting to replenish whatever he’d lost to gambling.
It was a typical Xelixian home, all in white and greys since we stopped producing dyes after the natural resources used to make them had also became Tainted. In addition to my bedroom and Lelah’s future room, the house contained three guestrooms, all of which were located on the second floor of the two-story mansion. On the ground floor, the reception area lay next to my office, with a large family room beyond it, a cozy dining room and, of late, a fairly neglected training room. I long debated whether to have a pool in the back but eventually decided against it. Not only would it be scarcely used, but I would want a natural pond which wasn’t recommended on Tainted lands.
Until a few months ago, my home epitomized Xelixian purity with the sparse furniture in shades of white or light grey. Then the Praghans gave an open-door tour of their home on the national network. The explosion of color that greeted the viewers when they reached the second floor of their estate shocked me. At first, it struck me as garish and vulgar. But as the tour extended, it grew on me. By the time the show ended, my home felt cold, clinical, and impersonal. The warm and vivid colors brought life to their home and spoke volumes about Amalia, Lhor, and Khel’s respective personalities in each of their rooms. And so, color wormed its way into my home, most of it imported.
I marched into my office and made a beeline for my own Blackwood desk. It sat in the far left corner of the room by a large window overlooking the front of the property. Aside from my little sister, I had few visitors. If people dropped by unannounced, I wanted to view their approach, especially since I was alone in the house. As our finances declined over the years, I grew accustomed to us not having house staff anymore. Now, although I could afford them, I liked the peace and quiet.
A couple of Tainted males in the final stages of the sickness came twice a week to clean the house and do any light yard work needed. As they could no longer perform the hard labor that was standard employment for Tainted, this allowed them to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Nhim, another advanced stage Tainted, came every day to prepare my meals unless I chose to do it myself or ate out.
As well as thinking I’d murdered his parents, General Praghan held another misconception about me. A year ago, when Khel dismantled the first Blood House, he presented a motion to reinstate minimum wages on Xelix Prime. After the Taint broke out, the Xelixian economy collapsed, making it near impossible for business owners to pay their staff. A temporary measure was put in place called Fair Compensation According to Means. Essentially, it meant an employer could pay his staff whatever he deemed fair based on his ability to pay. This usually fell well below minimum wages. In some cases, the employees weren’t paid with credits but with food, clothes, free lodging, or whatever other options their employers had.
It was meant as a temporary measure. Decades later, although most business owners who hadn’t gone bankrupt had now recovered, it was still being used – make that abused. From the moment I took over the family business, I enforced the minimum wages rule with annual raises based on performance. And yet, to my shock, I was called out for being one of those who abused it the most. According to the accusations, my employees’ daily wages equaled the amount I charged them per day for food and lodging on my orchards and mines.
Obviously, that had been a lie. Therefore, true to my petty nature whenever Khel Praghan was involved, I challenged his motion. However, I wouldn’t have tried to prevent the passing of the motion when it came to vote.
Except, it had not truly been a lie.
After leaving the Council Hall that day, the thought that there might be some truth there gnawed at me. Although he hadn’t accused me of abusing my staff, the implication had been plain for all to see. Khel was a prudent male. Despite being convinced I’d murdered his parents, he never openly accused me. He lacked proof and defamation was a serious crime on Xelix Prime. He wouldn’t have made such innuendos about my employees without being confident he had the right of it.
Coming home, I double checked the payment records for all staff and wages. To my horror, I realized my father had been pocketing half of the staff’s wages. The whole time, everyone thought that order came from me. I almost threw my father out on the street that day, severing all ties.
It had been but one of a series of blows which saw my power within the Council dwindle while Praghan’s rose. Today, however, thank the Goddess, it was with his cousin Lhor I would need to contend. Obviously, he didn’t have too high an opinion of me, either. I needed to win him over, not to grant V his wishes, but to bury that bastard and his Blood Houses without bringing my entire family down with them. With Lhor on my side, Khel would back off.
Firing up my computer, I started digging through the upcoming motions to be presented in the Council Hall. It was time Lhor Kirnhan started seeing me as a collaborator rather than an enemy.
CHAPTER 3
Valena
The flight from the Blood House to the abandoned house I would now call home took thirty minutes. Ghil won the right to be the first to guard me in the Wooing Nest as I called my new prison. Ghil was nice – well, nice for a male who made a living ensuring unwilling females allowed customers to have their way with them. In that sense, I envied my Sisters in the breeding compounds. While the males they mated with were imposed upon them, those males were also slaves, forced into this situation. Although no love existed between them, they could empathize with each other’s plight. In my case, I would have to lie with the very males who kept me imprisoned in this hellish life.
We landed in an abandoned field. From what little I could see, flatlands surrounded the silhouette of a building – my new home – which I could make out ahead. A soft breeze caressed my skin as I stepped out of the shuttle. It carried a subtle touch of the ryspak’s sweet scent. An orchard must lay in the vicinity, but at a fair distance. I couldn’t hear any birds amidst the chirping and buzzing of the various insects and critters scurrying about. Not surprising in light of the absence of trees nearby.
Ghil grabbed my upper arm with his gloved hand and led me into the house. I wore a similar pair, provided by Varrek to block my ability. He couldn’t risk me mind-controlling his minion while out in the open. An intricate locking mechanism at the wrists prevented me from removing the gloves. Tinkering with it caused tremendous pain. It could only be deactivated by a voice command from Varrek or a remote control my captors held. Although I could use my ability with other parts of my body, it was extremely slow and imprecise. But worse, it often caused a buzzing sensation at the back of the target’s head, warning them of my attempted influence. With my hands, it was instant. Unless they used a neural inhibitor – or built up resistance over time – no one could resist my compulsion.
As we reached the front porch of the house, Ghil warned me about the three steps and upon opening the door of the small building, a stale, musty smell greeted us. Someone had opened the windows and activated the air filtering system, but the unpleasant odor would linger a while longer. Ghil let go of my arm and I used my cane to navigate my new surroundings. The front door opened on a vestibule that gave way to a tiny living area. It contained one large couch, a low table, and a dark shape on the wall I assumed was a vidscreen. A work desk sat on the opposite side of the room. Beside it, a narrow corridor gave access to a closet-sized kitchen with a table large enough for two. Across from it, a bedroom with enough space for a single bed and a puny fresher with a toilet, sink, and particle shower. I hadn’t used one of those since leaving the breeding compound nearly ten years ago.
In spite of the house’s less-than-fragrant odor, the blankets on the bed smelled fresh. There was no dust and the citrusy scent of cleansing product still lingered in the fresher and kitchen. The cooler contained enough food to last one person for a few days.
Having completed the short tour, I realized that Ghil had stepped outside while I explored
my new domain. Stalking after him, I heard him speaking with someone whose voice I didn’t recognize.
“What am I supposed to tell Zhul? That wasn’t part of the deal!” the stranger said.
“You can take that up with V,” Ghil said. “The girl stays here until new arrangements can be made.”
“And when will that be?” the stranger asked.
“Whenever it will be.” Ghil sounded bored.
“Why is she here to begin with? Are you going to start bringing those other poor females here as well?”
“Why she’s here is none of your concern. And no, there won’t be any other females,” Ghil said. “She won’t be any trouble. Don’t meddle and there won’t be any problems.”
I couldn’t quite make out the big shape moving behind the stranger. Without thinking about it, I took a few steps forward hoping the blurry shape would become identifiable.
“Oh Goddess!” the stranger said, sounding horrified. “She’s Veredian! You’ve brought a Veredian to my property! Are you insane? Do you have any idea what Praghan will do to my family if he finds out?”
The stranger’s voice climbed with each word, ending in a shout. Of course, he would be shocked. Before Amalia, the world believed Veredians were extinct. To be discovered holding one captive would bring down the wrath of the Galactic Council, not to mention that of General Praghan and the Tuureans. The stranger’s obvious distress seemed to upset the blob behind him. It emitted a sound halfway between neighing and growling.
Oh Goddess! A cavas! A real cavas!
I was so blown away that Ghil’s response didn’t register. With a mind of their own, my feet moved forward.
“What is she doing?” the stranger said, his voice dripping with worry.
“Valena, come back here.” Ghil’s voice was stern and tense.