“Are the Elders voting on this, or is it just a discussion?” I pressed.
“Impactful decisions are always made with a vote,” he told me.
“What’s your vote?”
I was prying into business I shouldn’t have, and I was probably crossing some invisible civilian-Elder line I wasn’t aware of, but I couldn’t help myself. Moving to an entirely new planet was a dramatic enough ordeal for one lifetime, and I could hardly imagine what life with a second race of aliens would be like.
Venan pulled gently on my waist to urge me to lay back down with him, but I resisted. He sighed. “I cannot tell you that,” he said regretfully.
“Okay, but can you at least tell me your opinion on it?” I wheedled.
He chuckled, closed his eyes, and clapped a hand over his face like he was mentally exhausted. With a heavy sigh, he said, “If I am to be honest, my opinion varies by the hour. And I must admit I am swayed by what I imagine the Dhal’atian citizens desire.” He spread several fingers to peer at me through them. “I am getting the distinct impression you disapprove.”
“Not exactly. It’s just that everything I’ve heard about them has been bad. I don’t think I could tell you a single thing the Novai have done that’s good in their time on Albaterra,” I confessed.
Venan removed his hand completely from his face and stared at me like I’d just quoted the most profound statement made by the most profound person ever to live. I blinked back at him.
“What?” I asked dumbly.
“I am embarrassed to say I had not made that realization myself,” he admitted. He sounded slightly sheepish, and I was compelled to lean down and kiss him on the cheek for the cuteness of it. “I have been so focused on whether or not our two races are compatible living alongside the Novai, as well as revisiting the numerous troubles we have encountered with them, that I failed to take into consideration the positives. And I believe you are right in saying there are none.”
I shrugged casually, disregarding the fact that I’d just helped an Elder understand something important. “They’re not necessarily bad creatures, I guess, but the things I’ve heard about them make me wonder if they’d be happier on a planet of their own, all to themselves, you know?”
He nodded slowly, so slowly it almost looked robotic. Then, his arms shot out, wrapped around me, and he yanked me on top of him, covering my cheeks and lips and nose and forehead with kisses. I squealed and wriggled against his hold, but he gripped tight and refused to let me go. As I dissolved into a series of giggles and squirms, he purred, “You have helped me yet again, you mysterious girl.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Venan
I had never walked into P’otes-tat Ulti with so much confidence before. It was still the same imposing castle it had always been, but I no longer felt the waffle of intimidation. With cropped hair, squared shoulders, and a solid decision firmly planted in my mind, I strode through the detailed double doors and into the chamber to take my seat on my designated throne.
This time, the pit was left open without the platform on top, and in the center roared a reaching fire. It cast orange light on the faces of the other Elders who had arrived thus far, and through the glow, I was pleased to see I was not met with any disgruntled expressions. Only two of the eleven chairs were empty, but the chamber was silent as if I had been the only person to make a presence. Even Rex and Dane were not speaking, an unusual anomaly as they were likely the closest members of the Council to one another. After only several minutes, the remaining absent Elders entered, and Forum began without a hitch.
Vi’den stood from his seat as he always did when at the beginning of Forum, and he looked around the room with his arms spread wide in the inviting gesture he offered to all he encountered. “I would like to thank everyone for their punctuality tonight,” he began. “As you know, this Forum is one of great importance, and our decision will affect every single resident of our dear planet. For this reason, I hope you all have taken the time necessary to truly examine all sides of the choice we are due to make and how it will affect the citizens of your respective kingdoms.”
A handful of murmuring circled the fire, but I remained quiet and listened intently. I knew not how the Elders would take what I had to say about the matter at hand, particularly because it was not a simple yes or no vote, but I found myself enlightened in my unconcern. I was certain I had stumbled upon the best course of action for A’li-uud, humans, and Novai alike.
“We could make this a simple meeting,” Vi’den went on, “but I do not feel a topic as complex as this thought to be handled simply. Thus, I will ask each member of the Council to speak their thoughts and express the conclusions they have reached regarding the permanent settlement of the Novai on Albaterra. If you will begin for us, Ma’ris…” He looked to his left.
“I feel this decision has been easier for me than perhaps many of you,” Ma’ris said. His bubbling voice, forever sounding as if he were engulfed under a deep tsunami of crashing water, was deep and growling, but he sounded as genuine and thoughtful as always. “The Novai taking residence here would likely affect Maquaria and its civilians minimally, as the Novai are not underwater dwellers. That being said, it is my humble opinion that the Grand Circle gifts our lives with that which we are destined. I believe our paths crossed with the Novai for a sacred purpose, and perhaps the resurrection of their race is said purpose. We have much to offer here, and I have always felt pride for the generosity and open-minded spirit of the A’li-uud. Therefore, it is my belief we should open our arms and welcome the Novai as cohabitating residents of Albaterra.”
When he finished, I anticipated whisperings at the very least, if not outright cries of protest. There were none. Nobody expressed approval or disapproval for Ma’ris’ assertions, and Vi’den simply nodded his silent thanks for Ma’ris’ candor and moved on to the next Elder. One by one, I heard opinions both in agreeance with Ma’ris and completely opposite. When Vi’den indicated to Rex it was his turn to speak his piece, Rex said very little about how he reached his conclusion but spoke very insistently about the purpose of the Council and its duty to ensure the well-being of the A’li-uud above all else. Dane almost identically mirrored Rex's words, and he too voted to reject the Novai settlement.
Finally, it was my turn to speak, and as I opened my mouth, I had never felt so certain of anything in my life.
“Though I do not wish to make this decision more difficult than it already is,” I began, “I am afraid I do not have a black-and-white answer for you.” I swiveled my eyes around the room, looking into the faces of each individual Elder with unabashed confidence. “I have heard all of the opinions thus far, and mine happens to fall somewhere in between.”
The expressions on my comrades’ faces were many and varied in their response to my warning. Some were interested, Vi’den in particular, some were amused, and some were clearly irritated. Ma’ris was amongst the latter. It was evident he had developed a distaste for me since our confrontation at our last Forum. I did not allow his glare to halt me or waver my determination, though.
“When the Council accepted the proposal for a Novain colony on a trial basis, it also accepted a responsibility to care for the Novai placed in our charge,” I explained. “The trial has come to its end, but I do not believe the obligation upon us to care for them has ended. The Novai have undergone drastic changes since beginning their residency here. When the sun-sickness swept through their numbers, it was not a mere hurdle they had to jump; it altered their very genetic makeup to better suit them to planetary life. If we were to send them away now to return to a space-bound existence, we very well might be condemning those strong enough to survive their transformations to their deaths.”
“You are advocating for their permanent residency, then,” Ma’ris interjected from across the circle.
I cocked my head. “Not exactly, no. They have demonstrated alarming levels of aggression since the beginning, and we have been met with our fair
share of trials since intertwining our world with theirs. Whether they are truly accountable for their behavior or not is another topic entirely, though it is arguably relevant to this conversation, but it seems to me they are victims as much as they are offenders. What they have become is an unnatural mutation of their former selves, and I doubt very much that the mutation would bring with it only physical changes while leaving their mentalities intact.”
“What are you suggesting, Venan?” Vi’den asked. He was curt but not unfriendly.
“I am suggesting the Novai should neither be dismissed nor invited to live here,” I replied. “Every ounce of logic I possess indicates they would best be suited to a planet of their own.”
“Of course they would,” Sevani barked from his chair. I turned slightly left to look at him. “There is no race in existence that would not be suited best to a planet of its own, but the Novai have been searching for centuries with no lasting results.”
Vi’den held up one hand in Sevani’s direction to quiet him and gestured to me with the other to resume speaking. I nodded and addressed the Pentaban Elder directly. “Yes, Sevani, but they have been doing so under the constraints of limited resources and virtual isolation, not to mention consistently dashed hopes and ever-fluctuating desperation. If they were provided an ally who could offer capable assistance, their chances of success in commandeering an unoccupied planet compatible with their biological needs increase immeasurably.”
A beat of silence passed through the chamber before Vi’den placed a finger to his chin and tapped it as he murmured, “How interesting a notion.”
“You surely cannot be considering such a travesty of an idea!” Sevani exclaimed to Vi’den, throwing his hands up and bringing them back down with a smack on his armrests.
“I assume you intended to vote the Novai away, then, were you?” I commented conversationally.
Sevani whipped around to face me. “Certainly!” he cried. “It has been in my kingdom they have lived and wreaked their havoc for a year! It was my warriors who have been attacked while performing routine security checks! It was my people who were at greatest risk when the sun-sickness first took the Novai, and we feared it would spread to any and all it reached!”
“It was my Elder who was attacked and consequentially killed at my hand, for which I am still paying penance,” I venomously shot.
There it was, hanging in midair like a heavy mist, the real travesty of the Novai. No amount of hatred or compassion for the dragon-race would ever take away the truth of Elder Kharid’s death, and no amount of denial for its happening would lift the weight of the sorrow. I gazed at Sevani unblinkingly, unflinchingly, no longer afraid of confronting those who were wrong simply out of respect for their rank.
“If there is anyone in this room who should wish to see the Novai sent away forever, it should be me,” I said coldly. “And I think sending them away without so much as a helping hand would only further ruin that which has already been ruined.”
Sevani said nothing, though he glared daggers at me as if hoping his eyes could pierce me straight through to the heart and silence me forever. I kept my chin lifted and chose to ignore him.
“So, Venan,” Vi’den said, his tone disarmingly light for the heavy tension in the chamber’s climate, “it is your contention we deny the Novai integration into our society but aid them in finding a home and developing a society of their own, yes?”
“Yes,” I said with an affirming nod.
“How interesting,” he said again. The final syllable seemed to reach up the cavernous tunnel to the ceiling for an unnaturally long time before he refocused and swung his eyes to the Elder on my left. “I think this is a suggestion we should consider, but we will do so after everyone has had their say. Let us continue.”
As the rest of the Council offered their own opinions on the matter, I was very aware that Sevani was still scowling in my direction. I did not meet his gaze again, and I realized it was not because I was frightened of him or worried he would have severe words for me later; it was merely because I no longer needed his or anyone else’s approval to know how I felt about myself.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Octavia
I was pleased to discover Edie was far from upset that I’d been so occupied with Venan. She’d been spending a lot of time with the Corporal, and she had a lot to tell me about him, but her excitement about her own life wasn’t enough to quell her excitement about mine.
“You have to tell me everything!” she exclaimed the moment she walked into my hut.
I was sitting on the couch as usual, but for once I didn’t have a book open in my lap. I knew she would’ve had something to say about it if I did and, frankly, I was rather excited to hang out with her too. It made it easier knowing Venan was going to be away anyhow for Forum. Though it was still in the back of my mind what the Forum was about and what it would mean if the Elders decided the Novai could live on Albaterra with the A'li-uud and us.
“Tell you everything about what?” I asked, playing dumb.
Edie threw a playful glare at me and jumped over the back of my sofa to plop on the cushion. She wasn’t in her scrubs, but her hair was extremely messy like she’d been doing something physical. I hoped it wasn’t something with the Corporal, or I’d have had to ask her to wash her hands.
“You know exactly about what, missy, now spill it,” she gushed.
I laughed and shook my head. “You first,” I insisted. “I’ve been the one neglecting our friendship, so I should have to be the one who listens to someone else’s relationship for a little bit.”
She scooped her legs up beneath her and propped her heels under her rear, bouncing on them. “But I want to know about you and the alien!”
“Why do you say it like that?” I chuckled. “’Alien.’”
“Because I think it’s totally cool that aliens and people can be together,” she admitted. “Not that I’m unhappy in my relationship or anything, but not too long ago being with someone like Venan would’ve been something we could’ve only imagined in a movie or a book. Now, it’s reality. Don’t you think that’s awesome?”
I did think it was awesome, but not in the way she did. I thought it was awesome Venan and I had the connection we did, and I thought it was awesome I finally felt like I had a good relationship instead of a questionable one. The fact that I was a human and Venan was an A’li-uud barely grabbed my notice most of the time, except for when topics like Forum and the Council came up.
“Yeah, it’s great,” I agreed, deciding not to go into the differences in our opinions. “Okay, what do you want to know?”
“Everything!” she cried again. She bounced more energetically, and my body was jostled by her movements. “Is it official? Do you have titles on each other? Have you even kissed him yet?”
“I don’t know, no, and yes,” I answered without hesitation.
Her bright, sparkling eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Okay, we need to talk about all of that,” she yelped.
Edie was like a child on a sugar high, overly enthusiastic and extremely energetic. If I could’ve compared her to any animal, it would’ve been a young puppy with its tail wagging profusely until it was finally pet, although she would’ve been the kind of puppy who wouldn’t have calmed down even then. She could be exhausting at times just because she possessed the kind of energy allotted only to the Energizer Bunny, but it was a good kind of exhausting. I liked her company, and I liked that she was genuinely happy for the achievements and successes in others’ lives. Thankfully, I’d never been injured or sick since I’d come to Albaterra, but I imagined it wouldn’t have been so terrible if I had because she was a nurse and it would be extraordinarily difficult to be unpleasant about anything with someone like her tending to me.
“So, you don’t know if it’s official,” she reiterated, now pulling her legs upward to prop up her knees and rest her chin on them.
“No, we haven’t talked about that,” I said. “We don
’t really talk about the terms of our relationship. We just know there is one.”
“Well, are you exclusive?”
It was a strange question, not in and of itself but because it was one I used to be obsessed with back on Earth. With Venan, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that we weren’t exclusive. I obviously wasn’t seeing other people, nor did I have any desire to do so, and I was pretty sure he wasn’t either. More than that, it seemed completely impossible to imagine seeing anyone else—ever. He’d mentioned the Grand Circle to me a few times, which was an A’li-uud version of the human blend of God and fate, and what he’d told me about it in conjunction with what we had between us made a believer. We didn’t have to discuss such things as exclusivity because we were just right together.
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly, “but not in the way you’re thinking.”
Her face fell, her pretty mouth turning downward and her eyes drooping a bit at the corners. “Don’t tell me he’s sleeping with some alien bimbo,” she said darkly.
“No, of course not!” I retorted, grabbing one of the throw pillows I’d propped up behind me and smacking her across the legs with it. She snagged it from my hands with a grin and threw it back at me.
“Well, I don’t know! You’re not giving me much to go on here! You’re being really vague, and vague is usually a bad sign.”
I shook my head. “I’m not being vague, I’m just…happy. I don’t know how else to put it. We’re together, and we’re happy.”
Her wagging-tail expression returned to her face in full effect, and she pressed her cheek to her knees as she whined a long, drawn-out, “Awwwww.”
Venan: A Paranormal Sci-Fi Alien Romance: Albaterra Mates Book 7 (The End) Page 16