by Laurel Night
Emily’s eyes widened, and she looked between Todd and me before directing her gaze back at Mick. “I… I don’t understand. Why?”
Mick’s voice was gentle. “For us, offspring are difficult. They take a long time to mature, and most females can only bear one or two despite our very long lifetime. Our population has been on the decline for a long time. Having to move here and losing so many only sped up the inevitable. My mother has not shared the news of your pregnancy with the rest of the council because it was held in confidence—I take that back, I accidentally brought it up with my father in the room so he knows—but this information proves that pairing with a human is a true brashule. That you are already with offspring, who will probably develop faster than vimpiri, is incredible. It may be enough to sway Shanii, if she wasn’t already on our side. My mother would never say anything without your permission. I am asking you to give her permission to share this.”
A dark flush crept up Emily’s cheeks. “Can’t you just tell her? I’m okay with that if it’s just your sister.”
Mick studied her carefully. “I think it would have a greater impact if you told her. You represent this ‘other’, this alternative that people are afraid of; it would show your compatibility with our ways. Forgive me, but in our culture, this is not something a female would send someone to relay for her. Offspring are a gift, and we are proud to share this information.”
The implication of his statement hung in the air. It explained Todd’s satisfied expression when Shaline told us that Emily was pregnant and also highlighted his restraint and that of Shaline. She had known this entire time that this was important news but hadn’t pressured Emily to reveal it to anyone. Todd was ecstatic but likewise had put no pressure on Emily to talk about it before she was ready. Emily hardly discussed it with me, so I did not understand how she really felt about it. Knowing Em, she just shoved it down and tried to forget about it until she was ready to deal. That she had years probably made it very tempting to avoid the topic for at least a month or two.
Emily turned to Todd, silently asking for help. Todd stretched his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “It’s okay, baby. If you’re not ready to talk about it you don’t have to.” Todd’s brilliant blue eyes dimmed slightly as if Emily’s hesitancy tempered his fire. And I understood: No matter how excited he was about the prospect of his own offspring, Todd worried about Emily above all else. He would smother his own happiness if that was what she needed.
Em appeared to understand. She glanced from Todd to me, then back to Mick. “No, it’s okay baby, I’m okay. I’ll go. Of course I’ll go, if it’ll help Mick and Lucy, and all the other Lost Bachelors.” Her voice went from slightly unsure to powerful in just a few sentences. She planted a kiss on Todd’s cheek then rose, shaking him off to join Mick. Todd stood and stepped forward as if to join her, but Mick interrupted him.
“Todd, I think it’s best if she goes without you.” His jade eyes were dark, serious.
“Dude,” Todd sputtered, “I’m not going to make her go in there alone to-”
“She won’t be alone,” Mick interrupted. “She’ll be with me; I promise I won’t let her out of my sight. But you know our way. You know they’ll respect her more if you’re not there holding her hand. Shanii, and Drake.”
“I don’t care what Drake respects,” Todd spat, suddenly angry. “She is my mate, carrying my offspring, I should be there with her!” His eyes flashed, his entire face contorted. I’d never seen Todd angry before; he was always so laid-back about everything. Now he was upset. His shoulders heaved with his heavy breaths, and his hands were clenched in fists so tight they turned his knuckles white.
“It’s not about you,” Mick replied softly. “It’s about Emily and establishing her as a member of our people. If you’re always holding her hand, they will always see her as too weak to have a real place among us. Her, and your offspring.” His words were a warning, a reminder to Todd that there was more at stake here than just this moment.
Todd’s eyes dimmed, and the color that had crept up his neck faded. He sucked in a deep breath and held it, then released it slowly. “Okay. If that’s what she wants, I will stay here.” Turning his gaze to Emily, Todd asked gently, “Baby, do you want me to go with you? Or do you want me to stay here?”
Emily had watched this exchange with wide eyes, but now her gaze narrowed as she considered what Mick said. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Todd’s waist. “I love you, baby. But I think Mick is right; you should stay here and I’ll go talk to Shaline and Shanii alone.” Her face pressed to his shirt, and she hugged him tightly.
Todd’s hand rose to cup her head. “Okay, baby. I’ll stay.” He kissed hair then stepped back, forcing her to release him. “Go on, I’ll be here when you get back.”
I stood and gave her a quick hug for support. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Em squeezed me back. “Whatever it takes,” she whispered, reminding me of our conversation from the night before. With a quick smile, she pulled away, then turned and followed Mick out the door.
***
MICK
Emily trailed me silently through the hidden passageway, cavernous salt caves, and narrow hallway beyond. When we reached Mother’s sitting room, I paused.
“Emily, are you okay? I mean to say, are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to,” I wanted to give her a way out, in case she changed her mind.
She shook her head, raising her chin defiantly. “No, I’m not backing out. If this will help your case, Lucy’s case, then it’s time we talked about it. It’s not the kind of secret you keep to help people. It seems like it’s causing more harm than good, as secrets tend to do. Hopefully, the truth will help.”
“Okay,” I nodded, then knocked swiftly at the door. A faint, “Come in,” sounded, and I opened it, ushering Emily in before me.
Mother appeared surprised to see Emily and me alone. Her face remained neutral, but I saw the one eyebrow raised, the only tell of her curiosity. She was in her crown and white ceremonial clothing again, which confirmed my suspicion that they were preparing to call another meeting. Shanii, Drake, and father were also there, and also in the same ceremonial garb they wore at the previous meeting. Mother came forward and greeted Emily before me, the others following suit.
Once we’d exchanged kisses, mother gestured to the settee for us to sit. Emily sank onto the cushion stiffly, her back straight. Her eyes drifted to me, unsure of her cue.
“Mother,” I began, “Emily has something she would like to discuss with the queen and future queen.” I started formally, carefully acknowledging the importance of this moment. By stating the Emily was here to inform them both, I made it clear the matter was to be known by the entire council.
“Indeed,” she answered. “Please, Emily, go ahead. What do you need to speak with us about?”
Emily swallowed, glancing at me once more before beginning.
“Ma’am, first I would like to thank you for allowing me this time, I’m sure you are busy. Also, I would like to thank you for keeping my confidence when I came to you for advice a few days ago. It was a lot to take in, and I appreciate you allowing me time to consider all the implications.”
Mother dipped her head slightly, acknowledging Emily’s gratitude.
Emily sucked in a deep breath, then continued. “However, I have decided that it is time for the entire council to consider the implications of my… situation, in confidence. If the knowledge could help the council decide regarding the Lost Bachelors, I think it’s important to share it.”
I glanced swiftly around the room. Mother’s lips turned up slightly at one corner, hinting that she was pleased about where this conversation was going. Father’s face remained neutral, and Shanii and Drake looked curious, if slightly confused. Mother nodded, encouraging Emily to continue.
Another deep breath and Emily's eyes drifted to Shanii as she spoke. “When Todd and I returned home last time, we knew Todd had changed, but
we didn’t suspect that I had. A series of strange events showed us it had also altered me. However, we were most surprised to figure out I was pregnant… or with offspring, as you say it.”
Shanii’s eyebrows raised, and Drake sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s not possible,” he hissed between his teeth.
Mother’s smile grew. “I assure you, it is. We ran many tests to confirm that not only are they compatible, physically, but Emily is with offspring.”
Shanii’s head whipped towards her. “And you didn’t tell us?” Her tone was accusatory.
“Daughter, as you know, they approached me for advice. It was not my place to share this information until she was ready. She has come before us now, willingly, so we may discuss it.” Mother’s voice remained smooth, calm, but there was a hint of an edge to it. A reminder.
Shanii remembered her manners, and her tone was softer when she spoke again. “So this offspring has been confirmed. What kind of offspring is it, exactly?” Her attempt at delicacy didn’t mask her skepticism.
“Emily and Todd appear to be a mix of vimpiri and human; somewhere in the middle, but we believe slightly more vimpiri than human. That said, we will need to run more tests as her pregnancy progresses.”
Shanii studied Emily for a long moment. Emily’s eyes dropped to her hands, clutched tightly in her lap, as they spoke around her. Now that she’d said her part, she appeared relieved. The weight was off her chest. Shanii turned to Mother again, unrestrained excitement in her voice.
“This is incredible news. They have only been together for a period of months, and she is already carrying offspring. Do we have any idea how long the cycle will be?”
Shaline shook her head slowly. “It’s impossible to determine for sure, we will have to monitor her progress. However, if we compare human and vimpiri reproduction models, halfway between would place it around nine human years.”
“Nine years? And humans can reproduce indefinitely, so with her extended life cycle she could potentially bear dozens of offspring-”
“Whoa, hold on,” Emily’s voice interrupted Shanii’s musing. “I’m not having dozens of children, I don’t care how long I live.”
“I apologize for my daughter,” Shaline spoke up quickly, looking pointedly at Shanii, “She was just considering the implication of an improved reproductive rate, not suggesting that it was your responsibility.”
“Of course, I’m sorry,” Shanii added. “It is an exciting prospect, that a human-vimpiri combination could be the answer we’ve been waiting for. Our declining reproductive rate is tantamount to a long, slow death of our people, that we have no way to stop. This could very well be the solution we were hoping for.”
Drake, who had been silent during this discussion, suddenly roared to life. “This is NOT a solution! She’s not vimpiri! For that matter, neither is her mate! Even if they can reproduce, which I’m uncertain I believe, that still isn’t vimpiri. It’s something… else.” He spat the last word as if it disgusted him.
“Drake,” Shanii said in a low voice, “you know our situation. You’ve seen the numbers. Despite our lengthy lifetimes, we are not reproducing at a fast enough rate to even replenish those we lose. We left home with many older vimpiri who had already born their offspring and are incapable of carrying more. Since we arrived here, there have only been a dozen new offspring in over four hundred earth years. We have had that many deaths in the last century. This may be the only way a part of us will live on.”
“That’s why the Lost Bachelors need to wait for the Lost Warriors to arrive,” Drake insisted, his features set in stubborn denial.“Most of those females were un-paired. Even a hundred of them would turn the tide.”
“We don’t know how many survived, if any. We will have no way of knowing for decades if there is any truth to this hope of a derelict ship with Lost Warriors. I hope as much as you do that more of our kind will find their way to us. However, the fact is that even if a fraction of the Lost Bachelors can pair and produce offspring with humans, we could already be in a population boom before we know if the rumor is true. There still wouldn’t be enough Lost Warriors on that ship for all the Lost Bachelors.” Shanii turned towards Emily, her eyes dark as she calculated in her head.
I took that as our time to leave. “Mother, Sister, I believe we should depart and allow you time to consult with your council.” I stood and Emily followed suit, making our way to the door.
Mother spoke, the smile in her voice matching the one on her lips. “Thank you for bringing this information before our council. I promise that we will consider it thoroughly before we reach a decision.” She inclined her head in a sign of respect to Emily, who copied it, then looked at me for guidance.
I nodded and reached for the door, holding it open to allow her to pass through. A final glance back into the room told me all I needed to know. Mother and Shanii were quietly discussing, father was listening patiently, and Drake was staring angrily at the floor, his arms crossed and his body turned away from the others. I exited and closed the door quietly behind me.
“Do you think it worked? I wasn’t sure exactly what I was supposed to say. It felt like maybe there was a certain way to say it. I should have asked you first.” Emily fretted, striding down the hall toward the exit.
“I think you did wonderfully,” I answered, “All we can do now is hope they see the importance of it.” And hope that Drake didn’t influence Shanii. I didn’t know what his issue was, but he was clearly against pairing Lost Bachelors with humans. I just didn’t understand why.
AND THE WINNER IS...
MICK
We didn’t have to wait long to find out the council’s decision. Emily and I had scarcely returned to my apartment and updated Lucy and Todd on the meeting when a message came through on my phone. Todd’s buzzed a moment later.
“Guys, this is it. The decision has been made, we’re to make our way to the meeting room immediately.”
Lucy’s eyes met mine, sudden terror replacing the curiosity of a moment before. “Is that a good sign, or a bad one?”
I grasped her hand and squeezed it. “I think it’s a good sign. Emily’s statement excited mother and Shanii. They see how this might save our race. It’s not perfect but it is our best shot, and it’d be stupid to deny anyone the opportunity to find their mate when it might turn out so well.” I smiled as reassuringly as I could. “Come on, I want to get good seats,” I teased.
Once again, we took the elevator to the apartment that concealed the secret stairway. I held Lucy’s hand for the entire journey, releasing her only when we had to descend the narrow twisting staircase to enter the caves, and reclaiming it once we passed through the voice-activated door at the bottom.
I hoped it was reassuring to her, and that I appeared confident. In truth, I was nearly as worried as she had looked a few moments before. My heart pounded in my chest, and my blood rushed through my body causing a roar to echo in my ears. What if it wasn’t enough? What if they weren’t convinced it was the best course? What if they decided we should still wait to confirm whether the ship carried Lost Warriors? Did we do enough to convince them?
As we passed through the salt palace with its intricately carved walls, I stole glances at Lucy. Even having been here multiple times, she still cast her eyes around, taking in new details. Her light brown hair was loose except for a section clipped back above her face. The sharp, observant nature of her hazel eyes caught me every time. They seemed to pierce me, understand things I didn’t say, question me continuously. I felt the glow begin behind my eyes as I watched her, a warm tingling sensation that strengthened as I continued to stare. Mate, it said. Love. Pair. Mine. My hand tightened on hers, and she glanced at me curiously, smiling to catch me watching her. She squeezed my fingers back; the smile remaining on her lips.
Even if I received an order from my mother, the queen, how could I possibly give her up?
***
LUCY
We joined the crowd making their way
towards the ship, blending in now that we weren’t with the queen and future queen. Mick’s enigmatic eyes flashed to me occasionally, and his warm hand issued gentle squeezes from time to time as if reassuring me he was still there.
Todd and Emily were behind us, and I heard them talking together although I couldn’t make out their words. We followed the vimpiri down the hall until we emerged in a large open cavern. I glanced around the chamber but my eyes were drawn to the crystalline ship. It’s beauty still amazed me, appearing like a gigantic, sparkling formation of crystals. I tried to imagine it flying through space, but I couldn’t get past the images in my head from science fiction movies of enormous metal constructions. Vimpiri technology was still beyond my understanding.
As I studied it, taking in the gleaming edges of the craft and trying to determine where its propulsion was, I glimpsed red hair. I realized that it belonged to Drake, Shanii’s mate; he was tucked around a corner, partially hidden, talking with someone. I watched him curiously—I’d never seen him without Shanii—and after a few steps I glimpsed the person he was speaking to: Jakob.
I nudged Mick. “Hey, is that Drake, talking to Jakob?” I gestured with our joined hands. Mick looked in the direction I was pointing. “Yes, looks like it. So?”
“So, don’t you think it’s weird? Why are they hiding back there talking?”
Mick shrugged, nonplussed. “Drake is Jakob’s offspring, it makes sense for them to converse occasionally.”
