Whisper in the Dark

by Charlene Perry

  His gaze snaps to Gideon, who looks back at him. They appear to be communicating through their Links, so I stay quiet, waiting.

  “Tarek’s never questioned our bond. He’s never wanted to be free or be anywhere else. He’s loyal...”

  “I’m sure that’s true. But I’m also sure he’s felt a nagging pull whenever he’s gotten near another Shifter, like a forgotten memory he can’t quite grasp. And when he sees you with a woman. I bet he feels a surge of anger, even though he doesn’t know why.” I look at Tarek, and his eyes are closed. “It’s because we aren’t meant to be isolated from each other. We’re meant to live and work together. We’re meant to find mates, real mates, and make our own families.”

  “Taking human form is illegal. The Shifter brain can’t handle the deeper levels of thought and emotion.” Gideon defends the actions of his kind with practiced lines. The same ones we all bought.

  “The more time I spent in this form, the more my mind adapted. Now, I can think clearly in all my forms. My bond with Whisper is broken. I am my own man. I am not a weapon or a prop to display human power. Your people are killing my people... enslaving our males and murdering our females. Will you stand by and do nothing?”

  I look directly at Tarek as I present my call to action, and he doesn’t hesitate. His massive form compresses until a man takes his place. He lands on his knees, fists braced against the concrete.

  His head is bowed, a mane of blond hair falling around his face. He’s wearing cargo pants, steel-toes, and a black muscle top revealing a set of arms that give me the sudden urge to do some push-ups.

  Shit.

  My mental image of my human form mostly came from bits and pieces of Whisper’s comments over the years. I didn’t really think about it. I instinctively took the form that would please her eyes. This guy’s clearly been fantasizing about some Greek mythology.

  Even Gideon steps back, both of us watching Tarek as his monstrous back expands and contracts with labored breaths. He’s trying to make sense of it. He’s processing and sorting the flood of thoughts and emotions, as everything he’s ever seen and heard comes rushing to the surface to take on new layers of meaning.

  It’ll get easier. It won’t stop anytime soon, though. I still find my vocabulary and my knowledge is expanding, as Whisp’s memories blend with my own. I might not have had a life before her, but I benefit from all that she learned. It’s comforting to know that connection can never be taken away.

  Tarek raises his head, his emerald eyes meeting mine. He uncurls to his full height; easily six inches taller than me. If he decides to go apeshit on us, I’ll have to shift to something bigger to take him on.

  “Your bond will start to break down now. Little by little, the more you take this form. You’ll become independent, able to think for yourself and live your own life.”

  His broad, over-muscled chest heaves with each breath. His hands are clenched into fists that could take me out with one hit.

  “Are you sure about this?” Gideon asks.

  “Would you rather he stays as a servant, his life depending on yours?”

  Gideon shakes his head, lowering his eyes as an expression like shame clouds his features.

  “It’s good to meet you, brother,” I say to Tarek, and an awkward smile spreads across his face.

  Silence surrounds me. Even the wind seems to be holding its breath. I open my eyes, tilting my head up just enough to see the wall of muscle and metal surrounding me.

  The Pharaoh’s men stand in a tight circle, surrounding me and their very dead god-king. Their weapons are drawn, held stiffly in front of them. But they aren’t moving.

  I stand, dread slowly replacing the calm. I had been prepared for a quick death. Tobias said they don’t think much of trials and juries here... that an outright act of murder would get me beheaded on the spot.

  I was ready for that.

  When I reach my full height, the men move. They swing their swords above their heads, the hilts glowing with an eerie red light. As one, they thrust downward, imbedding the tips into the ground as the red glow flashes along the blades.

  They kneel. Heads bowed, palms on the ground.

  What. The. Fuck.

  I just stand there like an idiot. I can’t even...

  “Great Pharaoh. Our lives are yours to command.”

  I don’t know which one of them spoke, but he’s bat-shit crazy.

  “Your Pharaoh’s dead.”

  I turn, looking at each of the twenty-four lethal warriors that surround me. I look past their bowed forms to find the girls are gone. Probably herded back into their stalls after the kill.

  “You test us, Great Pharaoh.” The voice comes from a warrior in a blue kilt, his white hair hanging in thick braids. He doesn’t look up. “You are everlasting. This we know. We may not understand why you chose this form, but we will not question your wisdom.”

  I stand there stupefied, but they just wait. “So, ah, just to be clear... I killed your Pharaoh. So, that makes me the new Pharaoh?”

  “We do not doubt your wisdom, Great Pharaoh. You chose to abandon the body of Kle’Tar, in favor of this human female. We will guide her and protect her, so that your mind may fully meld with hers to accomplish your holy purpose. We do not doubt your wisdom.”

  Okay. I think that... Maybe if I... Fuck. Think, Whisper. They believe their god inhabits a mortal host, who can only be killed if the god allows it. Or if the god wants to possess that new person instead. So, that’s me now. I’m their god-king. I’m the Pharaoh of Gliese.

  No fucking way.

  “Stand.” I say the word with all the authority I can manage, and in one smooth motion they all obey.

  I take a deep breath. The men around me have their eyes fixed on the ground. My mind is spinning in a million different directions.

  “Take the body away. Give him an honorable, ah, funeral. As per your, our, customs.” The circle breaks up as they move to do as I’ve asked.

  I catch the eye of the blue-kilted warrior, the one who was speaking to me, and motion for him to come closer. He obeys, bowing low when he reaches me.

  “How many men do I command?” I ask, hoping such ignorance doesn’t give me away as a complete fraud.

  “Great Pharaoh, you command all of them.”

  Okay, try that again. “How big is my territory?”

  “Gliese is yours, Great Pharaoh. Past, present and future. No one would question this.”

  I’m going to vomit.

  I swallow repeatedly, feeling sand in my throat and snakes in my stomach. And then I start to laugh, which sounds like a gag, which turns into a coughing fit.

  “Great Pharaoh?”

  “This body is weak from travel.” I pull the excuse out of my ass, hoping that’s not an invitation to off me and take the role for himself.

  “Come, I’ll guide you to your chambers. You will be undisturbed while you recover.”

  I let out a long breath and follow his lead. Behind us, the other men busy themselves with their fallen leader’s body. My eyes move to the barn. There must be a hundred girls in there.

  I wanted to be an Elite. To get out from under the heels of men. When that failed, when I realized such an idea didn’t exist, I thought that was it. That was the end of the line.

  Now I’m a Pharaoh. A living deity in the eyes of an entire planet. I’ll be worshipped. My every word obeyed. I wanted power. I wanted control. I have more than any human could ever dream of. I can send word to Earth, to the Elders, about the change in management. My brothers, my father if he still lives, everyone I ever met or worked with... they will all learn what I’ve done. They will all know how wrong they were to doubt my abilities.

  I can bring Damon here...

  “Did Kle’Tar have a wife? A mate?”

  That question makes him stop and turn, giving me a quizzical look before schooling his expression and averting his eyes. “Great Pharaoh, all are servants to you. The Pharaoh can take any he... she... choses
, at any time. It would never be required that you commit yourself to only one.”

  Well... perks of the job, I guess. We’re half-way to the immense A-frame. Close enough to see that the walls are made of stone, the windows so black they’re like mirrors. I want to finish this conversation before more ears are near enough to hear it.

  “Do you have a wife?” I hope I’m not botching the terminology... I didn’t come here expecting conversation.

  “Of course.”

  “But I could still... take you? If I chose?”

  “Of course.”

  “And your wife would be okay with that?”

  “Of course, Great Pharaoh. We are all in service to you. Our lives are yours.”

  How sweet, except for the little fact that the moment I die you’ll latch on to the next in line and forget me.

  “What if I wanted to take just one. A King.”

  He stops in his tracks, turning to look me directly in the eyes.

  Shit. I fucked up.

  “Great Pharaoh,” he says the title slowly, uncertainty creeping into his tone. “If this is a test, I assure you that I know your word as surely as I know my own name. There is no equal to you. You would never take another as your equal. Your core commands have been unchanged for as long as our world has existed and will remain unchanged for all eternity.”

  He’s still staring me straight in the eyes. I hold his gaze, getting the distinct impression that looking away first would concede something vital.

  “Perhaps this human body is still too weak to absorb your full greatness. Rest. Review the scriptures you wrote for us when we were mere figments of your imagination. You will emerge strong again.”

  Wow. Dodged a bullet there. “Your loyalty will be rewarded.” That sounds like a godly thing to say.

  He bows, continuing to lead the way to my new home.

  Far From Home

  “It is blasphemy-”

  “Silence!”

  “But Tor’Heel, you must see. This cannot be what the Great Pharaoh intended.”

  “Who am I to question what the Great Pharaoh has intended? Who are you?” 

  “I don’t question the Great Pharaoh. I question you. Is that not a wife’s prerogative?”

  “Come, we will talk in my office.” 

  I remove my ear from the door as footsteps fade away. The blue-kilted warrior, Tor’Heel, led me to this opulent lounge with surprisingly high ceilings, considering the stature of its usual inhabitants. Rest, he said, as if I could even sit still while processing all this. I don’t need rest. I need an instruction manual for how not to fuck this up. 

  He filled me in on a few more details along the way. This is my house, but not only mine. Kle’Tar lived here along with twenty-four warriors and their families. The heads of the entire planet’s military. Traditionally, the Great Pharaoh chooses one among them as successor, which basically means one of them murders the current Pharaoh.

  And I thought the Elders were sketchy.

  There’s just no way they’ll keep this up. Tradition or not, a Terran woman as their leader makes no reasonable sense. The smart thing for them to do is pick a warrior and have him off me to claim the title for himself.

  I pace the room, carving a path over coarse carpeting. Around the room, past sculptures, vases, paintings and even bones under glass casing. The couches might look comfortable, but the overall vibe here is closer to a museum than a home.

  I walk for what feels like hours, my mind spinning and calculating and trying in vain to figure out all the potential outcomes. My thighs are burning when there’s a soft knock at the door. I answer it immediately, not caring who it is, just eager for something to happen.

  “Great Pharaoh.” A woman, as stocky and pale as her male counterparts, bows as I open the door. Blue beads are threaded through her close-cropped dark hair. She’s wearing a simple dress in the same color and pattern as Tor’Heel’s kilt, and when she stands, her red eyes are bright and intelligent.

  “Hello.”

  “I am May’Na. Wife of Tor’Heel. It is an honor to meet you.”

  “I… you as well.”

  She stares at me, waiting. She’s looking at me like my next words carry a weight and purpose even before I’ve spoken them. This is more power than I could ever have imagined possessing, yet all I can think about is Damon. What is any of this without him? The sorrow on his face when I left… I would give anything to see that turned to joy.

  Everything I need to do next comes to me in a rush. It makes my head spin and I grip the door frame to steady myself.

  “You don’t agree with the Great Pharaoh’s choice.”

  May’Na’s eyes widen, fear making a vein in her neck flutter beneath her powdery skin. I wait, allowing no emotion to filter through my eyes as I attempt to channel the confidence of a deity. We both stand a little straighter.

  “I am troubled with doubts about your intentions. I am concerned about what this means for our culture and our faith. I expressed this to my husband, hoping he would also see reason to doubt you.”

  “Do you believe your husband would be a better choice?”

  “I do.”

  Shit. She’s not trying to backpedal or make excuses. She’s owning her opinions and standing ready for the consequences. I let that sit for a bit, until the air between us is nearly sizzling with the tension.

  “That’s good. Because he is my choice.”

  Her forehead creases as her pale tongue flicks out to moisten her lips. I wait, letting her absorb what I’ve said.

  “Forgive me. I do not understand.”

  “There is a problem that only this woman can help me fix. When I no longer require her, I will abandon her and embody your husband. No blood needs to be shed and the Terran woman can go back to her home planet. Will you help me with that?”

  May’Na swallows, breaking eye contact for the first time to glance over her shoulders as if she is worried someone might overhear. 

  “Yes,” she nods, clasping her hands in front of her waist. “I don’t know how I can, but I will do as you ask, Great Pharaoh.”

  “You can start by convincing your husband.”

  From high above the trees, I confirm we’re still headed in the right direction. My hawk dives down, disappearing into the canopy to land on the forest floor with human feet. The six Shifters following my lead are waiting patiently, although they keep their distance from each other.

  “We’re getting close, brothers.”

  I shift to my panther form to continue leading the way.

  Three wolves, a lion, a cougar, and a grizzly follow my lead. All of them trusting me to lead them into a future they couldn’t have imagined just a few weeks ago. It’s a heavy responsibility, and one I can no longer imagine turning my back on.

  Whisper’s last gift to me.

  I glance up at the sky, flashes of blue through the green canopy. She’s out there somewhere, I feel it in my soul. I don’t know what that means, though I suspect it may just be my mind’s way of coping. I couldn’t survive if I knew for sure she hadn’t. But I can cling to this thread of hope. I might see her again.

  I force my thoughts away from her, and back to the Shifters behind me. The bear’s been taking human form the longest. He was the first one Tarek reached out to. His Agent worked closely with Gideon. I approached the timber wolf and the grey wolf shortly after. We managed to get the lion and cougar alone outside Base.

  With each it was the same. The moment we shifted to human form in front of them, a light came on in their minds. We told them the truth. After a few days of taking human form every chance they could, not one of them considered staying with their Agents. Even the lion, bonded to his Agent for twenty years, walked away without hesitation.

  It took so much more than that for my bond with Whisper to break. Probably because I had no real desire to break it. I had nobody to tell me it was even possible.

  I look behind me as I walk, making sure everyone still fo
llows. Tarek isn’t with us. He revealed himself to an eagle the night before we left. As much as he wants to see the Meadow for himself, it was too soon to leave the newb without some support nearby.

  A few more hours of walking, and I know we’re close. The heavy scent of the forest begins to change, and my sensitive nose picks up hints of cut wood, smoke, and roasting meat. I’m not surprised when a low growl emerges from the brush ahead, a warning and further proof that I’m in the right spot.

  I shift to my human form, and a gold-furred wolf emerges from the brush. The slope of the forest floor gives him the higher ground, and as he stares at me with bared fangs and narrowed, yellow-green eyes, I suspect I know exactly who it is.

  A few growls join in from behind me, the cougar stepping up to my left. I raise a hand, gesturing for my companions to stay back.

  “It’s okay. Everything’s fine,” I say with false confidence. “Luke’s just here to welcome us. Isn’t that right?”

  He shifts to his human form, bare chested and wearing the same drawstring pants. His expression is one of clear disdain. “What do you think you’re doing?” His eyes move from me to the other Shifters in turn.

  “I showed them the truth. They need a safe place to live.”

  “You what?” He steps forward until his face is inches from mine. “What the fuck gives you the right to think you can use this place as your own personal pet shelter?”

  I swallow my anger, refusing to rise to his challenge. The last thing I need is for this to turn into a fight. “Is this not what you do here? Help Shifters live free of human control?”

  “What we do to help our people is none of your business, pet. Last I saw, you were running back to your master with your tail between your legs.”

  I will not hit this asshole. I will not take my dragon form and watch him shit his pants before I crush him into the dirt.

  “I want to speak to Hope.”

  He smirks. His face is still close enough that I could break his nose with my own head; a move I’ve seen Whisper pull on a couple occasions with cocky fuckers like this.