by Regine Abel
“Varrek’s mother. It’s her.”
Zhul recoiled, his eyes wide with disbelief. He shook his head slowly. “That’s not possible, my darling. That’s Fhara Zirthen, Ambassador Bhek’s mate. The Zirthens are lifelong friends with the Praghan family.”
“I’m not mistaken,” I snapped back, feeling my anger swiftly rising. “For years, I’ve heard her voice. Years! I’d recognize it anywhere. There is no question. It. Is. Her.”
* * *
It was another three hours before the new captives arrived. Sheb let them in and sealed the door behind them without a word.
Amalia was even more impressive in person than I had imagined. Despite my six-foot-one, Amalia had me beat by at least a couple of inches. Her yellow eyes, sparkling with fury, widened when they landed on me. Her gaze softened and she smiled.
Sister…
My heart seized in my chest. It had been too long since I had seen another of my kind. The precious cargo in her gloved hands drew my attention.
An old soul stared at me through the dark-purple eyes of the little boy clinging to Amalia. My knees felt weak being in the presence of this miracle. I placed a hand on Zhul’s stomach and gripped his tunic. He wrapped his arm around me in support.
The gesture didn’t go unnoticed.
Amalia’s expression hardened as she looked at Zhul.
My every protective instinct surged forward and I moved slightly in front of him. Zhul tried to pull me back but I resisted. Amalia raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, observing us.
Electric-blue eyes drew my attention. My breath caught in my throat and my skin flushed. I had admired Lhor’s beauty more times than I could count since regaining my eyesight, but nothing prepared me for the real thing. He was ridiculously perfect.
Amalia clearing her throat snapped me out of my awed state. My eyes flicked to her face – she didn’t look amused. My jaw worked but I couldn’t seem to form words.
“Hello, Lhor,” Zhul said. “Seha Praghan.”
He bowed his head in greeting.
“Zhul,” Lhor said, returning the gesture.
That seemed to break the ice. Amalia took a few steps towards me and I met her halfway. Zhul stood back, no doubt figuring she wasn’t ready to have him near her son. I understood why she would be suspicious of him, but we needed to set the record straight and work together to escape this nightmare. Trust was paramount.
“Hello, Valena.”
Her husky voice was music to my ears. For a moment, I feared my voice would betray just how star-struck I felt in her presence.
“Hello, Sister.”
She beamed at me. Shifting the boy to her side, she placed her hand on her heart before holding her palm facing me.
“From my heart to yours,” Amalia said.
My lips quivered and my eyes prickled. It had been too long since I’d last experienced the cherished greeting ritual of my people. I emulated the gesture and placed my palm against hers.
“From my heart to yours,” I repeated, my voice breaking on the last words.
Vahleryon tilted his head like his mother had moments before, then lifted his palm towards me. Amalia burst out laughing while Lhor chuckled. She dropped her hand and I looked at her questioningly. She nodded, still smiling. Heart pounding, I placed my palm against Vahl’s tiny one.
Whatever the Goddess had in store for us, nothing could take this moment away from me.
I had just touched a miracle.
I had just touched hope.
* * *
We ate dinner while catching each other up on everything. First, I made sure to clear up Zhul’s role in all of this. Lhor didn’t hide his relief that he hadn’t been played for a fool. While Amalia’s attitude loosened up, she remained reserved around him. That wouldn’t do. When we got out of this mess – and we would – I needed Zhul’s name restored.
As much as the news about Fhara shocked Amalia, it devastated Lhor. Finding out Bhek’s ignorance of his mate’s relationship with Gruuk and Varrek, however, put a balm on his heart. Both he and Khel loved the Ambassador like an uncle – a father, even. Bhek worshipped his mate. It would crush the poor male once he discovered Fhara’s treachery. The Goddess only knew what it would do to him to realize the child that made her barren and that she claimed to have lost had, in fact, been Gruuk’s offspring.
Zhul told them about Whil’s betrayal. It confirmed what Lhor had suspected since Whil’s first appearance in the Council. He hoped the new Councilor would come here again, leading the warriors trailing him straight to us. I doubted it and said as much. Varrek was far too cautious when it came to comings and goings to any of his places of business.
We were halfway through the meal when the newsfeed playing in the background shutdown. A sustained shrill sound came out of the speaker and the vidscreen went black. In the center, the image of a stylized, copper phoenix appeared. It had a diamond-shaped head, wings and body all straight-lined, and its long tail in the shape of a sword. Along the wings and tail, dark stars – dots? – formed a single line.
“What is that?” I asked, startled.
“The Tuurean flag,” Amalia said.
She carried Vahl, who’d been curled up on her lap, toward the sitting area to get closer to the screen. We followed in her wake. No sooner had we taken our seats than the armored silhouette of a Tuurean male flanked on either side by a Tuurean female, replaced the flag. They appeared to be standing on the deck of a ship.
The synthetic sound of the male’s androgynous voice echoed through the room.
“People of Xelix Prime, I am Admiral Lee, military leader of the Tuurean Empire. Earlier today, a vicious crime took place. Two soldiers of the First Division’s Elite Squad were seriously injured in a cowardly attack. Then Amalia Praghan, Lhor Kirnhan, and their son, Valheryon Praghan, were kidnapped. We demand they be returned, immediately.”
Admiral Lee clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin defiantly. His tone hardened. The metallic hollowness of his voice sent chills down my spine.
“If they are not returned, we will retrieve them ourselves. Our fleet is currently orbiting your planet.”
The view changed to display part of the fleet, framed by two suns. Among them, three battlecruisers loomed menacingly. Those massive warships possessed insane fire power. With their advanced technology, the Tuureans were nearly immune to every type of damage. A single one of those ships had ripped apart a Guldan armada.
“What you see is but a fraction of our fleet. The majority of the others are cloaked. Pray that they remain so.”
The view switched back to the Admiral and his officers.
“Within the hour, our ships will enter your atmosphere and scour every inch of your planet until the Praghans are found. If we need to investigate your property, you will cooperate or face our wrath. Any interference will be considered an act of war.”
The Tuurean leader took three steps forward. The black surface of his helmet gleamed as his faceless head filled the screen.
“If any harm comes to Amalia, her son, or her mate, we will burn your cities to the ground and obliterate your planet. No ship may leave or enter Xelix Prime without first being scanned by us. Attempt to evade us and we will shoot you down. May the Goddess have mercy on you, for you will get none from us.”
The Admiral turned and walked away. We watched his receding back, followed by his officers, before the screen switched back to the regular feed.
Oh Goddess!
“Oooooh shit!” Amalia whispered.
“Gharah’s teeth…” Lhor breathed out.
“Praghan won’t allow it.”
Although Zhul worded it as a statement, his eyes sought confirmation from Lhor.
Lhor snorted. “To get his mate and son back? Khel will help Lee burn this world down.”
“Even if Khel tried, it’s not like he could stop the Tuureans,” Amalia said, stroking Vahl’s hair. He had perked up at seeing the Admiral on screen. “But however creepy h
e may seem, Lee is a good guy. He won’t harm innocents.”
I didn’t find the Admiral creepy, but he intimidated me. Worse, knowing I could never read him, whether through his facial expression or by touch, scared me. It felt like being completely blind all over again.
Nikha came back on screen, pale and wide-eyed. In my five – nearly six – years on Xelix Prime, it was my first time seeing the superstar reporter flustered and uncertain. Despite putting up a good front, the slight trembling of her voice could be heard. She confirmed that the Tuureans had somehow managed to take over the feed of every station, on every communication platform, to broadcast their message.
Barely fifteen minutes later, Nikha interrupted her news coverage for an emergency press conference led by First Officer Ghan Delphin and Detective Behn Gravhin. The packed room led me to believe that conference had been called long before the Tuureans hijacked the airwaves.
He had known they would do this.
Considering the apparently close ties between the General and them, it would make sense.
The reporters assaulted Ghan with a barrage of questions regarding the Tuurean threat, how the First Division would respond to any attack, and how civilians should react if confronted by one of the aliens.
“Although he should be resting to recover from the grievous injuries he sustained,” Ghan said, “General Praghan is currently in discussions with the Tuureans. He’s negotiating a peaceful way for our joint forces to conduct the search while keeping the Xelixian population safe from undeserved retaliation.”
“The General’s mate, son, and Gem are the victims here,” a female reporter argued. “Will he be objective enough in these negotiations to look after the best interests of the general public and not only those of his family?”
“If he weren’t, he wouldn’t bother negotiating, but would merely sit back while the Tuureans trampled their way through this rescue mission,” Ghan said. “We should all thank the Goddess that General Praghan has earned the friendship and respect of Admiral Lee and the Tuureans as a whole. Only he can help ensure peaceful collaboration between our peoples.”
A gangly young reporter in the back rose from his chair. “How do we know you will follow Xelixian procedures when you don’t even wear a veil in public, as is the law?”
Deadly silence descended upon the press room. The other reporters sat so still waiting for Ghan’s reaction that they appeared frozen in time. Despite the impassive look on his face, I didn’t need my ability to know Ghan itched to bash the rookie reporter’s head in. Having realized his blunder, the young male swallowed hard.
“First,” Ghan said, his voice dangerously calm, “it isn’t the law, but merely a courtesy Tainted grant the rest of you to spare your selfish sensibilities.”
“Go Ghan!” Amalia whispered.
Lhor snorted. Zhul did a sharp breath intake. I was too flabbergasted to emit any sound and stared instead, mouth gaping.
“Second, if it disturbs you so much,” Ghan continued, “why don’t you come put one on me?”
Amalia threw her head back and burst out laughing. Vahl observed his mother as if she was a curious creature. Both Lhor and Zhul chuckled. My mate shook his head in disbelief, an undeniable look of respect in his eyes.
The reporter withered where he stood. Head bowed, he resumed his seat.
“If there are no other questions,” Ghan said, “Detective Gravhin will share with you the protocols to observe should you find yourself interacting with a Tuurean.”
The conference went on for a few more minutes while the detective shared guidelines and recommendations to avoid incidents. Afterwards, Nikha came back on screen, repeating the events that had occurred earlier today. We muted her but left the screen playing in the background in case new developments drew our attention.
Zhul and I didn’t know much about the Tuureans, but both Amalia’s and Lhor’s enthusiasm gave us hope. They firmly believed the Tuureans would find us in a matter of days or, worst case, a couple of weeks if they scoured every inch of the planet.
The biggest issue was that Lhor confirmed we were in Xelhon, the one district that had not participated in anything Blood House related. The chances Xelhon would be scouted first were slim to none. Still, two or three more weeks of captivity were a far brighter prospect than a lifetime of servitude.
Vahl seemed to shrink into himself. A look of deep sorrow twisted his delicate features. This sudden mood swing clearly saddened Amalia but didn’t seem to surprise her. Lhor rose from his seat and picked up the boy. Vahl rested his little head against his father’s heart, gripping his tunic with the energy of despair. Lhor walked away towards the reading area, and gestured with his head for Zhul to tag along. It pleased me to see the seed of possible friendship blossoming between the two males. Zhul held deep respect – and maybe even affection – for Lhor, in part influenced by his similarity to Rhal.
Amalia frowned at Lhor’s invitation. She struggled with trusting Zhul, especially so close to her son. We needed to fix that. Without Amalia’s buy-in, we’d never get Khel to stop thinking of Zhul as a murderer. The Praghans weren’t people you wanted as your enemies. Moreover, they were the only other Veredians here. If I were to make a life with Zhul on Xelix Prime, I would want our families to be close.
With Zhul away, I pulled off my gloves to let my hands breathe. Amalia eyed me with envy. Her gloves were permanently locked, both to protect the guards from her claws and also to shackle her hacking ability. Otherwise, she could override the security systems and get us out of here in no time. Despite that, and our current circumstances, Amalia was an oddly cheerful and optimistic person. Smiling and teasing came easily to her.
And that was contagious.
I found myself relaxing around her in a way I hadn’t in what felt like a lifetime. As any true Veredian, Amalia spoke with her hands. Each gesture had its reason, whether to emphasize, describe, or express emotion. A sense of well-being descended upon me. It didn’t quite feel like being with my mother again, but it felt like home. Amalia touched a lot. This was also a common Veredian trait. My circumstances had taught me to keep my hands to myself. Yet, as our conversation became more animated, I found myself unconsciously emulating her.
Funny how easily repressed instincts come back to the surface at the first opportunity.
Although I was dying with curiosity to hear about her story, we mostly talked about mine. I knew it was both out of genuine interest on her part but also to gather information that could, hopefully, help us out of here. She already knew about my mind-control abilities. I assumed the females they’d previously rescued from the other Blood Houses had told her. To my surprise, I found myself confiding to her how and why I had lost my eyes. She seemed deeply sympathetic and interested in any other secondary ability our Veredian Sisters had displayed.
“Your ability is pretty insane, though,” Amalia said, pensively. “When we get out of here, we need to capture one of those Guldans alive. You could draw the locations of the breeding compounds from them. Can you imagine how many Sisters we would free?”
She grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. Her golden eyes sparkled before taking on a faraway look. Fleetingly, I wished no glove covered her hand. What must a mind like hers be like?
“With the help of the Tuureans,” I said, “it looks like it might soon become a reality. I mean, Goddess, the way they healed your mate is beyond miraculous.”
Amalia’s eyes took a haunted look. “Yes,” she whispered, then stared beyond my shoulders, unseeing. “I have never been so scared in my life. It wasn’t just losing my First Mate, but Lhor as well. And Khel’s body… I still can’t believe he lives.”
She clasped her hands on her lap. A violent shudder ran through her, as if reliving those dreadful moments. I placed a comforting hand on her forearm. She gave me a wan smile.
“I can never thank the Goddess enough for bringing the Tuureans into our lives,” she said.
‘And for my foresight abilit
y that made him fall back far enough that he actually survived the initial blast. For Ghan’s presence of mind to bring Khel to the estate rather than the clinic. And above all for my wonderful Nana and the lovely Korina, without whose abilities Khel would have died, despite Minh’s brilliant medical skills.’
The flood of Amalia’s thoughts shocked me. First, because I hadn’t meant to read her – at least, not intentionally. Second, the cold shards of deception and betrayal stabbed at me. I had openly confided all my secrets to her. She’d kept hers close to her chest. Worse, she’d deliberately misled me.
Whatever expression currently sat on my face made her realize something was off.
‘What’s wrong? Why is she…?’
Amalia’s gaze dropped to my hand still resting on her wrist.
‘She’s reading me!’
I pulled my hand away from her skin as if it burnt me. Her eyes flicked back up to mine. All warmth left them. The green specks in the sea of gold glimmered as her irises darkened.
I went on the attack.
“You lied to me,” I hissed.
“I did not.” Amalia’s voice could cut through stones.
“I bared my soul to you, told you everything.” My voice was gravelly, almost growling. My season made me more aggressive. “You not only kept secrets, you deliberately answered in a way that allowed me to continue believing in lies.”
“You did bare your soul,” Amalia conceded with a stiff nod. “And while I appreciated it, that doesn’t make you entitled to reciprocity. My secrets are mine to give when I see fit, not yours to take at your convenience. You of all people should be repulsed by the mere thought of violating others.”
My cheeks burned. Her words echoed too closely those spoken by Zhul.
“I hadn’t meant to read you. It was an honest accident,” I bit back, refusing to be shamed into silence. “It was wrong of me, but you misled me on purpose. Why would you hide the presence of other Veredians from me?”
“Because those are not my secrets to give,” she snapped. “If my Nana wanted her presence known, do you think she would remain confined to the estate? Secrecy is the only thing that guarantees that those of us who have been freed remain so. You may be Veredian, but I don’t know what kind of brainwashing you’ve been exposed to.”