Kept for Their Use

by Ivy Barrett

“Of course we do,” Celeste shot back. “But what will the Yashonty want in exchange? I’m not convinced the deal we made with you was actually worth it.”

  Undeterred by her hostility, Bron asked, “You really think death is better than submitting to a dominant male?” He chuckled, then added, “I know all sorts of males that would be happy to change your mind.”

  Celeste ignored the suggestion and looked at Zilrath. “When are you meeting with Ram again?”

  “Day after tomorrow. My first obstacle is the gatekeepers. If they won’t support us, the rest of this is moot.”

  “If this works out as you’ve suggested, all of this might actually end.” Celeste shook her head as if struggling to absorb the implications. “I gave up on that dream a long time ago.”

  “And it’s still a long way off,” Bron cautioned. “First things first. Zilrath has to win over the gatekeepers.” Bron looked at Zilrath and said, “I presume you want to speak with them all at once.”

  “Absolutely. Vikrin already tried running back and forth between their locations. If you could send a message to each gatekeeper, making it appear as if Vikrin has summoned them to...” He thought for a moment. His gaze drifted toward Jasmine, and he smiled. “Send them to Hanging Lake.”

  “Outside Camp Accord?” Bron asked.

  “Yes. It’s secluded and only accessible from the air, so we shouldn’t be disturbed,” Zilrath elaborated. “I’ll speak with Vikrin before the meeting to make sure he’s onboard. As far as he knows, I arranged this with Kellan, but no one else knows.”

  Bron easily read between the lines. “You don’t trust the Prime Gatekeeper?”

  “I don’t have a specific reason to mistrust him,” Zilrath admitted, “but I can’t shake my suspicions. I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

  “I’ll send the messages,” Bron assured him. “What else do you need from me?”

  Zilrath shrugged, looking tired, and the mission had yet to begin. “I don’t think there’s anything else you can do. It’s all up to them.”

  “No, my friend,” Bron corrected. “It’s all up to you.”

  * * *

  Zilrath fidgeted on his seat in Chancellor Savator’s personal shuttle the following afternoon. The small transport was holding a tight orbit over Hanging Lake. There was just enough room for the shuttle to set down, but eight portals would open in quick succession as the gatekeepers arrived. Bron didn’t want to risk detection or the massive surges of energy interfering with the ship’s operation, so he chose to remain airborne.

  Bron and Kellan sat in the first row of seats, Jasmine and Zilrath behind them. The third and final row was occupied by Celeste. The envoy insisted on being included in the mission when she learned Bron and Kellan were planning to supervise the negotiation from the chancellor’s shuttle. Camouflage shielding would prevent the gatekeepers from knowing they were being observed. And of course, when Jasmine heard that Celeste was going, Jasmine insisted on coming too. The danger really was minimal. Still, Zilrath would have preferred a smaller audience for this all-important negotiation.

  “What time is it?” Zilrath asked after they’d completed several orbits of the mountaintop.

  “We’re early,” Kellan assured him. “You still have at least fifteen minutes before Vikrin is scheduled to arrive.”

  Zilrath just nodded. He should try to meditate, but there were too damn many people, and he was too agitated.

  “So Bron, there’s something I’ve meant to ask you for a while now.” Kellan’s semi-cryptic tone drew Zilrath’s attention back to his podmate.

  “So ask.” Bron pulled his hands out of the control matrix and pivoted toward Kellan. “Why do you sound so serious all of a sudden?”

  “You want Tavorians to integrate with the population of Earth, maybe even claim human mates.”

  Bron’s dark gaze narrowed, green lines shimmering. “I think it’s important. Don’t you?”

  “I do, but I’m confused by the directive. Zilrath will be able to bond with Jasmine because of the changes in her DNA. Correct?”

  “Your point?” Bron ground out the two words.

  “Is it still going on? Did the High Command pick up where Minister Zapt and that human bitch left off?” Kellan didn’t try to hide his anger. “I thought we were better than that.”

  Bron didn’t even flinch or shy away from the accusation. “There’s a massive difference between our program and theirs. Every female volunteers for our program and gives consent for each phase of the transformation with full knowledge of the risks. Jasmine was transcribed without her knowledge much less her permission.”

  “You’re still fucking with their genetic code,” Kellan objected. “That never turns out well, and you know it.”

  “As with any medical procedure, there are risks.” Bron was every bit as stubborn as Kellan, and each male thought he had ‘right’ on his side. “This gives us an opportunity to undo some of the devastation left by this damn war. The Ventori are not the only species who’ve been left with a disproportionately male population. If we stop trying to rebuild those species, the Skarilians win.”

  “Come join the fight, and we’ll give you fertile females ready prepared to mate with you? Is that the new recruitment strategy?” Kellan’s tone grew sharper, his expression tighter with each word he spoke. “This is wrong, and you know it.”

  Bron’s support came from the most unlikely place.

  “I agree with the chancellor,” Jasmine said calmly. “If the Ventori deserve to be rescued from extinction, so do other victims of the Skarilians.”

  Kellan stared at her in confused silence, mouth slightly open, eyes wide. “You’re the last person I thought would approve of this.”

  “As long as each female knows exactly what she’s volunteering for, I think we should help as many as possible.” Jasmine looked at Zilrath, apparently worried about his reaction to her unexpected position.

  Zilrath paused. He’d heard both sides of the argument, and each side had valid points. Still, when he examined his own opinions and considered the greater good, he was also surprised by his conclusion. “I agree with Jasmine,” Zilrath said. “Expanding the program parameters is a worthy endeavor—as long as the females are true volunteers.”

  Kellan shook his head, still looking rather annoyed. “This conversation didn’t turn out like I planned. Let’s focus on the mission. Zilrath, you better get down there. Vikrin should arrive shortly.”

  Zilrath mol-ported to the widest part of the rocky shore, and looked around for the best place for the gatekeepers to gather. The lake only had an actual shore on one side. The other was a solid rock cliff.

  Vikrin didn’t keep Zilrath waiting long. The Prime Gatekeeper stepped out onto the shore not far from where Zilrath stood and closed the portal with a flick of his wrist. “This meeting is unnecessary and extremely dangerous. I had the situation well in hand.”

  “Really?” Zilrath arched his brow. What did Vikrin gain by lying? There had been no consensus as of this morning. “You secured the cooperation of all the other gatekeepers?”

  “I didn’t say that. I have a majority. I was going to ask Ram for more time.” Vikrin’s chin came up a bit as he stared back at Zilrath.

  “This must be settled now,” Zilrath told him. “The Yashonty have taken captives, female captives. An alliance is our only hope of getting them back.”

  Vikrin didn’t seem surprised by the news, nor did he have a reply. His bland reaction reinforced Zilrath’s doubts regarding Vikrin’s character.

  “I have a question for you.”

  The sudden sharpness in Vikrin’s tone snapped Zilrath’s attention back to the gatekeeper. “What?”

  “How did you summon the others without Ventori assistance?”

  Zilrath had expected this question, so his answer came easily. “I told Kellan. You knew I would. But our plans went no farther than him.”

  “You can’t be sure of that,” Vikrin sneered. “Kellan is close frie
nds with Savator.”

  “I know it stopped with Kellan, but what difference does it make? The point of all this is to bridge the gap between the rebels and the Protectorate. Isn’t it?”

  “Yes. So let’s focus on that,” Vikrin suggested.

  Happy to oblige, Zilrath asked, “Who are the holdouts?”

  “Afron Lenks and Prath Estarnet. They both lost close family members, including mates and children. I honestly think they’re too grief-stricken to make any sort of decision.”

  Zilrath knew Prath casually, but he’d never met Afron. “I might need to incite their anger to penetrate their grief. Will you support me even if they break down?”

  Vikrin tensed, his strange blue gaze drilling into Zilrath’s. “I have serious concerns about this entire situation. War is not the Tavorian way. We revere peace and consider all life sacred.”

  The phrases were familiar, but something about Vikrin’s tone sounded artificial. As usual, Zilrath couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his concern. “What would you have us do? We cannot continue on in limbo indefinitely.”

  “We should survive as we have always survived. We should put our energy into locating a new homeland, somewhere far removed from this pointless war.”

  Fuck. Had this been Vikrin’s attitude when he approached the other gatekeepers? No wonder he had been unsuccessful. Vikrin wanted to run away rather than stand up and fight. “If all the others want to fight back, perhaps it’s time for a new Prime Gatekeeper.”

  Vikrin’s jaw dropped, and indignation lit his gaze. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “The Skarilians must be stopped,” Zilrath stressed. “This is closer than we’ve ever come before. If you have no appetite for bloodshed, then get out of my way!”

  Before Vikrin could respond, the other gatekeepers started arriving. Portal after portal opened and a lone gatekeeper stepped through. Soon five wary males and two females had formed a semicircle in front of Zilrath and Vikrin.

  “What is he doing here?” one of the females asked Vikrin as she pointed toward Zilrath. “I am here at your request. I want nothing to do with that Ventori spy.”

  Knowing her animosity was counterproductive to his goals, Zilrath went on the offensive. “If it were not for the Ventori, we would all be dead. The attacks were so sudden and catastrophic that there was no time to negotiate with anyone. Few planets in our dimension welcome those who command magic. You know I speak the truth.”

  She stared boldly into his eyes, but hers were filled with terror. “Your response to our narrow escape is to thrust us back into the madness?” She shook her head, gaze darting around maniacally. “I can’t do that. I won’t! The Goddess did not bestow this gift so we could participate in war.”

  “Our participation would be indirect, Afron,” one of the other gatekeepers told her.

  Obviously, Afron was female. Zilrath had pictured both detractors male.

  “I don’t care,” Afron snapped. “I lost my mate and two children already. I will not orphan my last child. My answer is, and will always be, no!”

  Damnit. Zilrath wasn’t sure he could combat a mother’s love for her child. No one could. Parental love was one of the strongest bonds in any dimension. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Scrambling for a new strategy, he looked around the half-circle. Could they form the mega-portal without Afron?

  Before Zilrath could ask the question, the other female gatekeeper stepped forward. Her name was Salitta, and she’d worked tirelessly during the evacuation. “I lost my mate also, Afron. And I knew Ernik quite well. Your mate was brave and loving, but he was also the first to accuse wrongdoers and see them punished for their evil deeds. What would Ernik want you to do if he were still alive?”

  Afron buried her face in her hands and began to sob. “That’s not fair,” she cried between shuddering spasms. “I am not Ernik.”

  Salitta crossed to the other female and wrapped her arm around Afron’s shoulders. “Do this in his name. Be brave one last time so your Ernik can rest knowing the evil that took his life will harm no one else. Do it for little Caskki. Let your daughter grow up safe and secure knowing the Skarilians will never return.”

  Emotion burned the back of Zilrath’s throat, and he had to look away. How had they been reduced to this, asking more of a devastated female, when all she wanted was to grieve in peace?

  To his surprise others joined in, offering Afron encouragements and gentle challenges. It took several minutes of excruciating pressure, but Afron eventually gave in. “I will do this one last thing,” she told him. “But don’t you ever ask for more.”

  He accepted her decision with a solemn nod, then slowly turned his gaze toward Prath. The gatekeeper had a stocky build and neared middle age. His hair had been cut short, a rarity for Tavorians, but an affront for gatekeepers. Their training required very strict rules about appearance and nutrition. What caused him to abandon the traditions? Most clung to any sense of normalcy with desperate tenacity.

  “I will not lift a finger for a Yashonty dog,” he said vehemently. “My twin was murdered by a Yashonty. I want nothing to do with them.”

  Shit! Another heartrending motivation. Zilrath hadn’t expected their objections to be this personal. “It won’t be just the Yashonty,” Zilrath told Prath. “The only way to protect ourselves from Yashonty demands is to bring them into our alliance with the Protectorate. The Ventori will ensure—”

  “We know what the Ventori are ensuring you,” one of the gatekeepers called out. “Can I have a human pleasure giver or do I have to mate with one too?”

  Zilrath had expected this as well. He couldn’t let his private life derail the negotiations. “Is that your price, a carnal companion? I think that can be arranged.”

  The heckler looked slightly confused and definitely embarrassed. “I only meant—”

  “I know exactly what you meant. Now either accept my offer or hold your tongue. We don’t have much time.”

  “Vikrin said the Yashonty have no interest in joining the alliance,” Prath explained. “That’s why Ram approached us directly.”

  “It’s in the Yashonty’s best interest to keep the Ventori out of this. It is not in ours. We are much stronger with the Ventori at our backs. As Afron pointed out, gatekeepers were never meant for war. The Yashonty will take advantage of our weakness. We cannot show them any.”

  “The Ventori are no more trustworthy than the Yashonty,” Prath insisted. “I don’t like anything about what you’re proposing.”

  “I wish there were some other way, but there isn’t. The enemy has been located. Now the fighters need our help to reach them. If we tell the Yashonty you will assist them only if they join the existing alliance, then you are protected from further demands. We cannot do this alone. It’s far too dangerous.”

  “I agree,” a silver-haired male said with a heavy sigh. “The Skarilians must be stopped. We should stick with the alliance and insist the Yashonty join forces with the Ventori.”

  They debated other options for almost an hour but Zilrath finally convinced all the reluctant gatekeepers to conform to the majority. Zilrath still had serious concerns about Afron. Was her mental state stable enough for the mission he was proposing? She would need to be watched closely.

  “Then we are all agreed?” Vikrin concluded. “I will tell Ram we will open a mega-portal but only if the Yashonty join the alliance. Do you agree?” He asked the person next to him, then went around the half-circle and got a verbal affirmative from each gatekeeper in turn.

  “You meet with Ram tomorrow?” the silver-haired male asked Zilrath.

  “Yes. Once the alliance is official, I’ll notify everyone regarding our next step.”

  Some offered goodbyes or at least acknowledgments before they departed, but several just opened their portals and left without another word.

  Soon Vikrin was the only gatekeeper left. “That went better than I thought it would.”

  “Are you always such a pessimist?” Zilrath said with a sh
ake of his head.

  “I’m a realist. If it hadn’t been for Salitta, we would have failed. She is brilliant and wonderfully intuitive. If she hadn’t just lost her mate, I would pursue her myself.”

  Zilrath understood Vikrin’s interest. Salitta was impressive. “She deserves time to grieve. They all do. I just wish I could give it to them.”

  Vikrin’s gaze narrowed, but when he spoke, he only asked, “Is Kellan nearby? How did you get up here?”

  “He’s nearby.”

  The Prime Gatekeeper nodded. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow at midday. The location is the same as before.”

  The announcement surprised Zilrath. This was the first he’d heard of it. Then it occurred to him that the only way Vikrin could know was if he’d been in direct contact with Ram or one of his agents. This was the strongest indication yet that Vikrin was a spy.

  * * *

  Kellan opened the blinds and stared out the front window of his living room. The Elizian had a new commander, so this spacious house on the outskirts of Fort Benn—make that Camp Confluence was now his primary residence. The realization didn’t upset him. It just felt strange, unfamiliar. It had been dark for hours so there wasn’t much to see. Similar houses silhouetted by moonlight and the occasional shuttle setting down on a roadway meant for automobiles. Still, it kept him from pacing like a caged animal. So many changes and new challenges, it was hard to focus on one without the others demanding his attention.

  “So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Jasmine asked. As usual, she sat in the corner of the sofa, stockinged feet propped on the edge of the coffee table. She looked comfortable, welcoming, a haven of peace in a turbulent universe. Everything any male could ask for in a loving mate.

  They’d avoided all talk of business during dinner. In fact, they hadn’t discussed anything important since they returned from Hanging Lake. The avoidance had been intentional, a mental break from the looming pressures. But they’d exhausted small talk and polite inquiries. It was time to make decisions and settle on a strategy.

  Apparently hearing the question, Zilrath walked out of the kitchen. He had a dishtowel draped over his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Jasmine prepared dinner, so Zilrath volunteered to clean up. Needing a few minutes to himself, Kellan didn’t offer to help as he ordinarily would. Zilrath didn’t seem to mind.