by Jade Waltz
“Got it.”
“Understood, Sire.”
“Oh, and Q?” Zirene asked, a smug look on his face.
“Yes?”
“Just because you are now mated to B, doesn’t mean you can slack off,” he chuckled. “When Kaede returns and hears about you two together, be prepared for some brotherly love.”
“When Kaede returns with Selena, the only thing he’ll care about is ravishing her on every flat surface in the villa, not caring who feels or hears their mating,” I challenged, smirking.
His eyes darkened to pitch black, and a loud snarl ripped from his lips. “MINE!”
I knew I was pushing my luck by teasing him when his Nova had just been stolen. Shadows slowly lost hold of their sanity the longer they went without their Novas.
I was glad I lay in the safety of Destima’s base and not in his palace. I wouldn’t be as bold if I were.
However, Zirene had to be reminded of the truth.
Selena wasn’t just his; she was connected to four other males, and a fifth had recently declared his undying love for her. Zirene had to be missing her desperately and wondering if she was well, but so were her other mates. Once she returned, each male would need time to hold her and remind himself that everything was okay.
It was only fair.
B leaned over, blocking my view of the wristband and, more importantly, Z’s view of me.
“He was only teasing, Sire,” B pleaded. “He didn’t mean what he said.”
“Yes, I did,” I challenged. “It may not be my place since I am not part of your clan. But Selena currently has two nestmates in critical condition while the other two are struggling to manage the island. Then you decided that was the best time to kill your father and take over the throne. Selena will have much to process when she returns. I pray to the Stars above that the five of you make it, or Kaede will be picking up the pieces of her broken heart. Your clan has timers above your heads, counting how long each of you can survive without her. Rather than worrying about competing for time with your mate, you should be wondering how to keep your family alive until she returns.”
“Sire, I—”
“No, Q is right. These last few days, I have tired myself out with worry instead of taking care of my clan,” he sighed. “It’s just that the ringing never stops… I’m afraid to fall asleep and wake up to silence. That I will miss her last breath.”
“You need to sleep, Sire,” B begged. “Not just for her, but your people. If you tire yourself out, someone could challenge you while you’re not in top form. Or you could pass out from exhaustion, leaving Prince Royak to clean up the mess you and your sire left behind. The future will be difficult, but you need to become the leader everyone knows you can be before you get replaced.”
“You are right,” he muttered, the echo in his voice faded to almost nothing. “I’ll try to meditate in hopes of calming my mind enough to get some sleep. Report to me once you receive word from your sisters. Z out.”
B slammed her wristband shut and rounded on me.
“What in the Stars was that?” she demanded, putting her wristband in my face. “I was in a meeting with Z—who, I would like to remind you, is the ishing Sovereign—and you rudely interrupt, acting as if the call were yours.”
“If your meeting were so confidential, then you would’ve taken the call somewhere else,” I replied calmly. “In the beginning, Z addressed me, so he was well aware I was listening in; therefore, I was in my right to address him. You’re upset I like to cross the thin line between friendship and work, and I understand, but sometimes Zirene needs to hear some tough love when he’s wrong. I am only glad that I wasn’t around him in person while his voice held that creepy echo. I have a feeling Selena’s disappearance is making him lose himself.”
“Tough love, huh?” she purred, lowering her arm. “So tell me, when will I get some of that?”
“Once we disembark, of course,” I smirked. “Right now, we have orders.”
Ten
Bryeca
After rearranging some cargo, I decided to take my ship Furious on this mission. She was one of the fastest and most reliable ships in the fleet, equipped with advanced cloaking and extra weaponry.
The only downside was that it didn’t have a large infirmary like most of the other ships within the fleet, so if we were the ones who found Selena, I might not have the equipment needed to take care of her.
However, my gut instinct told me to take the Furious, and I was willing to gamble on it.
“I think that’s all,” Qran said, descending the ramp. “Is there anything else you think we’ll need?”
“I want to visit the villa’s infirmary and get an update from Kaica about Xylo and Odelm’s conditions before we go,” I muttered, sadness creeping in as I glanced at the sunset over the ocean.
Only the Stars knew when I would see a sunset on Destima again.
“Then let’s stop by before it gets too late,” he said, stepping beside me. “We have an early takeoff tomorrow, and I don’t want to be late on my first mission back on duty.”
I rolled my eyes. “You act as if you’ve never been on a mission before.”
‘“Not paired up with you, I haven't.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “I have to impress both my boss and my boss’s boss.”
“You forget that you’re now mated to your boss,” I said pointedly, crossing my arms.
“Did you say you forgive me?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
I felt awkward entering a villa that was usually full of life but now felt cold and empty.
Most of its occupants were either gone or lay injured in the infirmary, adding to the melancholy aura.
Holding Qran’s hand tightly, I entered the infirmary’s spacious, welcoming lobby.
Against a corner, two couches were pushed together, forming a makeshift nestbed. Both Circuli princes slept curled together, their appendages reaching toward the infirmary beds.
LUO’s tracking system told me Kaica was further inside.
I sighed, steeling myself for the worst.
I may not fear death, but I hated experiencing loss or seeing others in pain. Every time I glanced at Qran, I mourned the horrible things his crew had done to him—and how I had misjudged him at first.
Now I had to see the destruction the former Sovereign had done to two gentle, kind males whose only crime had been standing beside their nestqueen.
Stretched out on two infirmary tables pushed together lay Xylo and Odelm, face-down with their bare backs exposed.
I covered my mouth and let out a sob at the scene.
Gone were all of their appendages. Their backs were each marred by two deep claw marks, skin stitched together with absorbent thread. Xylo’s petal wings were torn to shreds, only the topmost panel still intact.
“I will have to cut the remainder of his wings off and hope they regrow,” Kaica whispered, surprising me. “I did the best I could closing their wounds, but the absence of their nestqueen has slowed their natural healing. I’m just glad their bodies didn’t reject the stitches I sewed in. They’ve been resisting almost everything other than the sedatives, though I have a feeling Oeta has been helping me keep them under.”
Qran’s arm hugged me tighter as I laid my head against his soft, downy chest. Kaica narrowed her ice-blue eyes at our display.
“When did this happen?” she asked, confused. “Don’t tell me—while I’ve been working endless nights to keep these two alive and stable, you’ve been fraternizing with him?”
Lifting my head, I narrowed my eyes at my normally-shy sister.
“If you had read the report I sent through our network, you would know that I was responsible for interrogating Qran and finding proof that he was an innocent victim, just like Selena. He allowed Oeta to scry him, and she declared he was telling the truth.”
“That doesn’t explain this hand-holding . . . thing,” she commented, studying him. “Or why he’s lost hi
s feathers.”
I looked to the ceiling and groaned, sending a prayer to the Stars above.
“I know you’re busy right now, but next time you have downtime, you should go over all reports you’ve missed. I went over this multiple times in mine,” I sighed. “Unfortunately, just like Odelm and Xylo, Qran was also a victim of torture. His crew betrayed him and plucked his feathers in hopes of selling them for profit.”
Instantly, her expression softened as she stepped closer, raising her hand to touch him. “May I?”
Qran shrugged. “You are a healer. Perhaps you will find a way to help me.”
I watched as Kaica gently traced the blue, downy feathers on his arms. She circled him and paused, heading to her cabinets and pulling out a medscanner.
“Can you spread your wings for me?” she asked softly. “I want to make sure you didn’t suffer any other damage when those savages plucked you.”
Without a word, Qran fully extended his bare wings, a pained impression crossing his face. I knew being carefully examined had to be difficult when all he probably wanted was to hide aboard our ship until he was fully healed.
However, I appreciated Kaica’s help. I had forgotten to check Qran’s medical records at the palace, naively believing that he had been treated there. Now I was angry with myself for not making sure he’d been well taken care of, especially before we left on our mission tomorrow. What if my oversight became the reason his feathers grew in wrong, or he suffered permanent internal damage?
“We leave tomorrow,” I whispered, afraid of waking the sleeping Circuli. “Is he fit to travel? Do I need to leave him here with you?”
She glanced away from her scanner UI, and her eyes found mine. Her mouth opened slightly, a sign that she was in deep thought, making calculations with her AI’s help.
Blinking a few times, she shot me a quick smile. “All looks well, but I am afraid his skin may dry out and crack while his feathers come in. It’s essential that he avoid hot, steamy showers or baths. Keep his skin slathered in healing lotion until the feathers return.”
I sighed in relief. The last thing I wanted was for my negligence to result in permanent damage.
“Do you happen to have any more of that lotion in storage? We only have one box aboard my Furious, and it may be a long trip. I don’t want to have to stop planetside to restock or run out far from any civilization.”
Kaica raised her hand as she stared into the distance.
Lowering it, she said, “We currently have ten boxes in storage. Feel free to take up to half; we’ll need a little in case we decide to use some on Odelm and Xylo. I’m thankful we get a steady supply since everyone seems to be getting injured lately.”
“May I fold my wings in now?” Qran asked, looking over his shoulder. “I can leave them open; it just seems like you’re done inspecting me.”
“Oh, sorry!” The blue scales on her cheeks turned a light purple in embarrassment. “Yes! You may fold your wings. I’m not used to having so many patients to handle at once.”
“What? Are the Circuli princes injured too?” I asked, gesturing to their sleeping forms by the far wall. “Is there a reason they’re clinging to each other?”
“That’s just what they do.” She shrugged. “Their nestqueen has gone missing, shattering their clan. The only support they have at the moment comes from each other, and whatever aid Oeta can provide to shield them from the cacophony of the island’s mental web.”
“It’s only natural for them to seek out their nestmates unconsciously, especially their bonded nestbrother. The princes probably have the strongest bond in the galaxy,” Chyox explained, entering the infirmary. His eyes softened when they landed on my sister. “I am here to relieve you of your duties.”
“Thank you, Chyox,” Kaica replied, smiling at the Senior Healer. “Did you rest well?”
“As well as anyone could during these trying times,” he muttered.
“Did you try taking some of my sleep tea?” she asked, a little too sweetly for my liking. “Perhaps you need a nice swim to burn off all of your extra energy.”
“Trust me. It’s not that,” he sighed as his regular green coloring turned a nervous yellow. “If something happens to the princes, we are all doomed.”
“What do you mean?” Qran asked, wrapping his arm around me once more. “Z won’t let anything happen to this moon. You’re safe here.”
“That’s not what I am worried about,” Chyox retorted. “There are rumors that the Circuli queens are planning to notify the Assembly that Selena is missing and their sons—the princes—are unfit to rule without their nestqueen. They plan to petition for their daughters to rule the moon in Selena’s place, to save Destima’s Circuli.”
“Can they do that?”
“When so many lives hang in the balance, they can,” he replied.
“They will have to get past me first,” Oeta purred, entering the already-crowded infirmary. She smirked as she studied the room. “I made a promise to Selena to keep Destima safe, and I will. As much as I don’t want to, my father taught me to cast a temporary mental web over the island, instead of operating within the one established by the Destiny's crew. By recasting the web, I could rule Destima temporarily until Selena returned.”
“You can’t do that!” I spat. “I understand you’re powerful like your father, but that doesn’t give you the right to abuse your power like this.”
“I am not!” she snarled. “Do you think that I want to be responsible for thousands of citizens? I came here to conduct fertility research with Xylo and his team, not govern a moon. I’ve heard enough complaints from my father about managing his CEG space station and resolving its citizens’ drama. No, thank you! I would rather sit at a desk all day, studying samples.”
“Hopefully, you won’t have to take over.” Qran shrugged. “I wouldn’t want you fixing something that isn’t broken. Destima’s mental web isn’t broken; its rulers are just navigating some hardships.”
“Z is on the warpath at the moment. For the Circuli’s sake, I hope their Queens don’t challenge Selena. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to dethrone them,” I warned the room. “He won’t be afraid to conquer the planet and install a puppet government favoring the Aldawi until the Circuli princes—or Stars, Xylo and Odelm—produce princesses to replace those corrupt Queens. If they were smart, they would not pick fights with the Sovereign of the territory surrounding their one, puny star system.”
“Stars, Kaede could probably wipe them out if they spark his temper,” Qran chuckled.
I studied the Senior Healer as his coloring rapidly turned a worried orange and panicked bright yellow. “If you want your home planet to stay intact, tell your Queens that they shouldn’t anger someone who has little left to lose.”
Oeta accompanied Qran to the storage garage to help load his healing lotion into our shuttle, while I remained behind to chat with Chyox and Kaica.
I stared at Selena’s comatose Favored and wondered how she would feel if she were standing in my place, watching her loved ones struggle to survive.
“Do you think they will ever heal fully?” I asked the room.
“It’s hard to say,” Chyox began, stepping closer. “During the war, Circuli rarely survived losing one appendage, and they’ve both lost all of theirs. If their nestqueen were here, their chances would certainly improve, but even then, there is only so much trauma a body can take before it’s unable to regenerate. Their wounds, combined with the massive blood loss, spell disaster . . .”
“And Selena’s absence narrows their chances down to nothing,” I concluded. “Although Qran has been hurt badly too, he will heal as long as he continues to apply lotion. It’s not fair that they must suffer like this.”
“I won’t lose faith, sister,” Kaica swore. “This is my chance to prove that I’m capable of making a difference. I’ve already made contact with Odelm’s fathers and told them that their timeline has moved forward and that they need to bring Xylo’s fa
thers to Destima as soon as possible. Xylo’s fathers wanted to finish training their senior replacements, but with the life of their only son dangling by Fate’s thread, they have already officially retired from their positions. Their ship should be arriving tomorrow, about the same time you are scheduled to leave.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps together, you will find the answers to help them.”
“Xylo’s fathers are well-known on our home planet,” Chyox explained. “If anyone could find a way to save them, it would be them. I had the privilege of studying under them as a junior healer.”
“They’re that old?”
Chyox shook his head and grunted. “I keep forgetting how young all of you demi-humans are . . .”
“We may be young, but at least we keep things entertaining around here,” I mumbled.
I hadn’t missed the shy stares Kaica and Chyox had given each other all night. Perhaps this assignment would work out well for Kaica in the end.
Approaching her, I pulled her into a tight hug as her arms wrapped around my lower back. Resting my chin on the top of her shimmering, iridescent hair, I squeezed her, sending a silent prayer to the Stars for my return.
“I’ll miss you, K.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
“Promise me you will send updates through our network.” I pulled away, locking eyes with her. “I want you to keep me informed about Destima and everyone’s health. Do you think you can do that?”
She smiled. “I will try. If we make a discovery, it may delay my updates, but things have slowed down some since that initial hectic day. I will try and make sure to read all reports and update you daily.”
“Thank you,” I whispered before I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Letting go, I shot a glance at the Senior Healer, who was staring at us in confusion.
