by Laurel Night
I stopped dead, and Emily and Todd paused behind me. Turning, my eyes met Emily’s, “We were wrong. It wasn’t Mick, it was Drake. Drake is Jakob’s offspring.”
Emily’s eyes widened, comprehension dawning across her face like the sun. “Oh my God. It makes so much sense now.”
Mick’s look of confusion didn’t change. “What makes sense?”
I glanced between the ship and the hallway we had just exited. “We have a few minutes before the meeting starts, right? We need to talk. All of us. Can we use your mother’s reception room?”
Mick shrugged again, “Sure.”
We made our way against the flow of the crowd, pressing ourselves to the wall of the salt caves to squeeze past the dozens heading toward the ship.
When we arrived at the right door Mick knocked quickly and receiving no response opened it and ducked his head inside. “No one’s here,” he said, leaning back out of the doorway. “Come on.” We all entered the room and sat on the assembled furniture. It felt a little strange to be here with none of the council since I’d only ever been in this room with them. However, now I was glad they weren’t here.
“Okay,” Mick said, his gaze leveled on me. “I know there’s something going on here. What is this all about?”
Emily nodded in encouragement, and I took a deep breath. “How well do you know Jakob?”
***
MICK
“How well do you know Jakob?” Lucy asked carefully.
“Jakob? He’s been close to my family for some time. He grew up with my mother. Apparently, there was some speculation that he might be her mate when they were young. That didn’t come to pass, but they remain close. Then, when Drake paired with Shanii-”
Lucy exchanged a long look with Emily before turning back to me. “And I’m assuming Todd filled you in on what happened while we were… talking… in the meeting room?” I nodded. “So, is it normal for Vimpiri to call a vote the way Jakob did?”
“No,” I admitted, my brow furrowing as I considered it. “That was odd. I didn’t hear what he had to say, but Todd said it was tantamount to suggesting that allowing Lost Bachelors to pair with human females was betraying Vimpiri kind.”
“That’s what Emily told me. Why do you think he would say such a thing?”
“I can only imagine he truly believes this rumor and hopes that the ship carries our salvation in the form of a few hundred Vimpiri females.” I shrugged. “I don’t think it’s a problem. He said his peace, but once my mother announces her decision, it will settle the matter. We just need to hope she decides in our favor.”
“What if it’s not that simple?” Lucy’s tone was still careful.
“What do you mean, not that simple?” I asked, even more curious now. Where could this possibly be leading?
“What if Jakob is trying to stir up unrest to change things?”
“Change things how? You said this before, but I’m telling you, there’s no reason for him to do that.” I couldn’t conceal the suspicion in my voice now. This sounded more and more strange.
“Well, we thought… Jakob might be trying to set Shaline up. If she has an impossible decision to make, and he twists it so no matter what she decides many of your people would be unhappy, would the Vimpiri ever revolt?”
“I don’t understand, why would they revolt? We’ve always just done as the queen commanded. We’ve never dealt with any kind of unrest or revolution. It’s not who we are.”
Lucy shook her head, impatient. “I understand, but you have to understand that your people are facing imminent extinction. It’s not immediate but with your impending population decline, that might cause people to get desperate. To become scared. To be willing to listen to someone who says he has a solution.”
“But what kind of solution could Jakob possibly offer?” Todd asked. “He’s arguing for what amounts to wishing on a star and hoping the wish comes true; meanwhile telling the Lost Bachelors to pass up potential mates that could help our people by reproducing with the local population.”
Emily spoke up. “He’s offering them a pie-in-the-sky solution and telling them if they don’t believe they’re race-traitors. They feel pressured to agree with him to prove their loyalty, and once he manipulates them to paint Shaline into a corner, he’ll get what he wants and then flip it around, offering them the answer they are refusing to listen to now.”
“What corner? What do you mean, get what he wants? What is it you think he wants?” I was truly lost now, and more than a little annoyed they were speaking in riddles.
“We think,” Lucy said slowly, glancing at Emily again before returning her gaze to me, “that Jakob is trying to over-throw your mother, the whole matriarchy, and put Drake in charge instead.”
***
LUCY
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mick scoffed. “Drake is part of our family; he already sits on the dais. He has the ear of the future queen, he helps shape her decisions! What more could he want?”
I tried not to let his skepticism offend me, but the heat sizzled in my chest. “What if that’s not enough?” I countered. “What if he wants to be the one making the decisions? Or if he doesn’t agree with her decisions? In the end, it’s up to her to decide, right? Maybe he’s given her his thoughts, and she’s ignored his advice one too many times? You’ve seen how rude he is to us. I thought it was because we were human, or whatever Todd and Emily are now, but now I wonder… what if it’s because he’s jealous, of you?”
Mick threw up his hands, his tone coloring with disdain as he stared at the ceiling. “This keeps getting more ridiculous. What could he possibly be jealous of me about? He is the mate of the future queen! There is no higher status in our society for males, save the mate of the queen. I am a single male, a Lost Bachelor. In our society, I literally have nothing of value without a mate.” His eyes turned to me, enigmatic and gleaming. His tone was softer when he added, “I am nothing without a mate.”
I swallowed, the heat dripping from my chest to pool in my stomach. I struggled to keep my focus when he looked at me like that, and I needed to focus right now. “You are the offspring of the queen. I know in your society, the male offspring don’t have the same status as the females. But, if he was to make a case that males should be in charge,” I cut off his angry protest with a raised hand, “Just hear me out; if he was to make such a case, wouldn’t you agree that—in that case—you would have the better claim? He is mated into the ruling line, but you are born of that line. Un-mated, you have the same DNA as your mother and father. Shanii’s is mixed with Drake’s, therefore no longer as ‘pure’ as yours. Not to mention,” I added, “That being a Lost Bachelor makes you the same as two-thirds of the vimpiri population. They are male, and they are your people, in the same situation as you. So if Jakob, backed by Drake, was to argue that Shaline was unable or unfit to rule—that it was time for new leadership that better understood the needs of the majority of the population—is it more likely that a paired male would be chosen as a new leader, one that is only mated into the ruling family? Or do you think it would be more palatable to the Vimpiri to present you as an option?”
Mick shook his head. “I don’t understand. What exactly are you trying to say, that they want to overthrow my mother and place Drake in charge, or is it me? You’re talking about two different scenarios now. This whole thing is so convoluted you don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“No,” I said calmly, despite my desire to snap at him, “I know exactly what I’m saying. Jakob and Drake want you to be upset with your mother. They want her to order the Lost Bachelors to wait for the drifting ship. Once she does that, they want you to be angry she forbade you to pair with me. Then you’ll do one of two things: Obey her orders and resent her, or disobey and be cast out from vimpiri society. Either way, you are no longer here, supporting Shaline, when they act. Once your scientists determine there is evidence the ship is not carrying the Lost Warriors, Jakob will turn it around and call her jud
gment into question. Your people will be even more panicked about their dying population—no one will care that Jakob was the one who made it an issue; it was her decision alone and she will take the blame. Then he will find some way, some method, to argue her out. The next logical choice, you, will not be here. That leaves Drake, who is paired with Shanii, already has experience, and—we’re assuming—the support of his experienced mate, should the tides turn. It’s diabolical and convoluted, but what other motivation could Jakob have for all of this? It makes little sense otherwise.”
Mick sat silently, his jaw working as he considered what I said. I guessed he was thinking about our previous conversation, where we had fought and he accused me of not understanding his people. He clearly was trying to avoid that result now.
“So, if your suspicion is correct, what do you think they will do if the queen allows the Lost Bachelors to pair with humans?”
“I suspect he intends to argue that she’s not listening to the will of her people. That was the purpose of the vote last time; he made a point to show her, by deceit, that the people wanted what he was arguing for. It doesn’t matter if he didn’t frame it fairly—if she decides the opposite, he can argue she doesn’t care about what her people think.”
“And then what? Do you imagine they will pull out guns and shoot her there on the stage?” His tone was sarcastic, and I knew I needed to tread carefully.
“No, I don’t. However, it is enough to sow doubt. Once that’s established, secret conversations will start cropping up in back rooms and alleyways, and then it’s only a matter of time before he confronts her on something else. Your people live for millennia. He’ll spend however long it takes to get people riled up; then, like a pile of tinder, when the time is right he’ll throw the match on top and set it all on fire.”
***
MICK
I considered Lucy’s theory. I still didn’t believe Jakob, or Drake for that matter, could be up to something as twisted as this. However, Drake’s attitude lately was questionable, and there were a number of things Jakob had done in the last several weeks that were questionable. As far-fetched as it seemed, this was still a plausible explanation.
“For now, I don’t think we should speak of this to anyone. Let’s go to the meeting and see what the queen has decided. Hopefully, this will go in our favor, and then we will address any potential backlash after. For all we know, her decision might be all we need to end this little conspiracy, whether it is what you suspect or something different.”
Lucy glanced at Emily, her expression questioning. Emily nodded slightly, and Lucy returned her gaze to me.
“Okay, I guess that’s the best option for now. Let’s go see what the queen has decided.” She stood, brushing her jeans off as if to wipe her hands of the situation. I understood the feeling; Hadn’t I just gone through that with my mother? I threw out my best argument, and then I had to wait to find out the result.
I reached for her hand, and Lucy slid hers into mine; the smile on her face was tight but warm. She was pleased I listened to her but nervous about the result of the meeting. I was getting better at reading her expressions, understanding her feelings. The urge to pair with her continued to grow stronger, and I refused to consider how I would react if my mother denied us the chance. I focused my energy on getting the result we desired, and the one that might stave off a civil war… for now.
THE QUEENS DECISION
LUCY
We wove back into the crowd which had thinned considerably. There weren’t as many bodies between us and the ship, and when we passed through the hallways on board they were nearly empty, only a few stragglers besides us.
The doorway to the meeting room remained open, with one toga-wearing vimpiri in natural form standing outside; serving as a lookout or a guide, I wasn’t sure. The rumble of a crowd spilled out of the doorway, and when we entered, I noticed the seats were nearly as full as the last meeting, despite the short notice. Shaline and Shanii, and Benjamin and Drake stood near the stage, watching the doorway. Shaline appeared relieved when her eyes landed on Mick, and as we made our way down the staircase, she turned and spoke to the others briefly. By the time we settled in our seats in front (they had remained empty—I suspected they were reserved despite Mick’s insistence on ‘getting good seats’) Shaline mounted the steps to the dais, followed by the rest of the council.
A hush fell over the crowd immediately. I turned to look back, surprised at the number of faces that appeared to be grimacing. This was not good—they appeared angry. She hadn’t even given her decision, how could they be angry already?
Shaline continued to stand on the dais while the rest of the council seated themselves behind her. Again, she began speaking in Vimpiri, I assumed greeting everyone. After a few moments, she switched to English again, gesturing to our corner.
“We all know why we are gathered here, and I will continue in English so as not to exclude our guests. Todd and Emily have paired, and over the past several days we have been seeking a solution whether we should allow other Lost Bachelors to pair with humans.”
A harsh rumble reverberated through the room, angry voices responding to the assertion that Todd and Emily were paired. The energy in the room was tangible—it felt like static electricity floating in the room, and one wrong move, one foot dragged on the carpet, would get you a shock.
“Peace, please,” Shaline said firmly. “We have explored the possibility that there may be a ship, potentially holding unknown numbers of Lost Warriors, that may present an opportunity for us to renew our efforts to save our race.” At this the rumbling began again, sounding slightly more positive than before. Shaline’s voice rose again. “AND we have discussed the possibility that it may not even be a ship, but it would be close to a human century before we could be sure.” More angry rumbling, like the buzzing of bees, circled the room.
“And so, as a council, we have heard your words. We have met with Todd and Emily, we have met with our physicians, and consulted with The Records. Is there anyone who wishes to speak before I announce our decision?”
Shaline’s eyes drifted over the crowd and landed on an individual, and every head turned to see the person whose hand was raised. Jakob stood, smiling indulgently, and spoke in a gentle tone.
“Friends, fellow vimpiri, and honored guests,” he gestured in our direction. “I know we are all thrilled for Todd and his… mate…” he glanced around the room with another indulgent smile, implying he was just humoring the idea that Emily was actually Todd’s mate. The smattering of snickers died down before he continued. “However, the fact remains that without a true brashule, and without offspring, we would just be allowing our Lost Bachelors to throw away their lives with any human who catches their eye, and not taking care of our people. It is our duty to see the continuation of the Vimpiri, and any Lost Bachelor should consider it his most important mission to see that the Vimpiri live on.” He gestured to Emily, who glared back at him defiantly. “She is very pretty, for a human; but she cannot assure the continuation of the Vimpiri, and as such is simply a distraction that will cost us dearly. I should hope that the rest of our Lost Bachelors would hesitate to follow in Todd’s footsteps, knowing the result would be the death of the Vimpiri.” Jakob sat to a healthy round of applause.
So that was how he did it. Pairing with a human was self-indulgent and weak and holding out for the possible Lost Warriors was a noble sacrifice for the Vimpiri people.
Shaline raised her arms and spoke over the noise, her voice amplified as she said, “Peace, please. Peace.” When the crowd settled, she spoke again. “Thank you, Jakob, for your continued interest and concern for our people. I know we are all grateful you care so deeply for the future of the Vimpiri.” Another round of applause. “If I understand correctly, you are arguing so strongly for the Lost Bachelors to wait, because you do not believe a union between human and vimpiri can result in offspring, and as such is not a true brashule. Is that correct?” Shaline’s voice was
carefully neutral, her expression sedate.
Jakob stood. “Yes, my queen. Without offspring, the pairing of our Lost Bachelors to a human makes them a dead end, since they would be tied to the life force of their mate and unfortunately, humans live such pitifully short lives. They wouldn’t be able to pair with a vimpiri female after even if they survived. The Lost Bachelors should wait for the opportunity to provide offspring for the future of the Vimpiri.” Another round of applause, another self-satisfied smile as Jakob sat.
Shaline smiled benevolently through his speech, and at one moment cast her eyes pointedly in our direction, holding her gaze on Emily, before looking back up at Jakob and waiting for him to finish his speech.
“Thank you again, Jakob. You have given us a lot to consider.” She glanced back at Shanii, who nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue. “Is there anyone else who wishes to speak?” Shaline cast her eyes around the room again, her gaze landing on Emily for a moment, then traveling on. Why did she keep staring at Em? “In that case, I will announce our decision. After discussing at length with the council, I have decided that I will allow the Lost Bachelors to pair when, and with whom, they see fit. It has never been my place to restrict our people from that which would make them happy, and I will not place any restrictions on their happiness now.”
The angry outbursts began immediately. People shouted in multiple languages, some arguing loudly with each other, but even more yelling at Shaline on stage. A glance behind me told me they were incensed. Some were shoving each other as their arguments turned physical, and others were pushing to make their way to the stage. Shanii and Benjamin appeared surprised by the reaction, Drake had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, and Shaline was staring wordlessly at Emily.
