After that's done, I pull up a map of the facility and then spin back to the crowded hallway, scanning for Rowan and Tr'lani as we race toward the docking bay.
They are here somewhere; I just need to find them. Pushing past the throng of people, I hold Liana tight to my chest as we run through the corridors.
When we reach the docking bay, I'm surprised to see not only smaller transports but several large and expensive ships. Anger floods my veins when I realize these must belong to prospective buyers that are here to purchase slaves or partake of their services.
"Soran!" I hear my brother's voice cry out.
I turn toward the sound. He holds tight to Tr'lani as they push through the crowd to reach us.
Rowan's eyes go wide as he looks down at Liana's still form in my arms. "What happened?"
My eyes dart to the two puncture wounds on her neck, and Tr'lani gasps when she follows my gaze. "Talel attacked her," I explain before turning my attention back to the rest of the escaped prisoners. "Have you seen Grex or Abby?"
She shakes her head. "Not since the escape pods."
Rowan scans the bay and then motions off to the left. "We must hurry. We need a ship."
We race toward the closest one and rush up the ramp, sealing the door shut behind us. When we reach the bridge, Rowan spins up the engines while I strap Liana in a chair next to Tr'lani. Just outside the viewscreen, chaos reigns as the rest of the former slaves frantically board the other ships and gliders in an attempt to get away.
I don't know where Talel is hiding, but we don't have time to look for him now. This ship is large and crawling with Anguis and Zovian slavers. We need to get as far away from here as possible.
We lift off, and Rowan carefully maneuvers our vessel toward the exit, careful to avoid colliding with the dozens of other ships that are escaping too. As soon as we pass through the force shield, our consoles light up, and alarms begin to sound with a proximity warning. My jaw drops as a massive cruiser comes into view.
Tr'lani cries out excitedly. "That's my brother's ship!"
Rowan looks to her. "You are certain?"
"Yes."
He nods and spins back in his chair, typing into the console to send out a hail.
Within moments, Al'aneo appears in the viewscreen. His eyes go wide as they meet his sister's. A low hum of greeting sounds in the back of his throat.
Tr'lani answers him with her own. "Thank the Creator you are here, Al’aneo."
He opens his mouth as if to reply but quickly snaps it shut as someone approaches behind him, whispering in his ear. His gaze darts off to the side, a slight frown tilting his lips as he studies something we cannot see from our viewscreen.
He turns his attention back to us. "Stay where you are. We are sending a team to take care of the slavers so that we may liberate their cargo." He narrows his eyes. "Their executions will be swift. When we are finished with them, you may dock with us.
He leans forward to cut off the viewscreen, but I stop him abruptly. "Talel, brother of the First Prime of A'kaina is on that ship."
Surprise followed quickly by anger flashes across his expression. "It matters not who he is. He was trafficking slaves, and he will meet the same fate as the others."
"We need him alive."
Fury burns in his eyes. "Why?"
I gesture to Liana's still form in my arms. "Because he has information that could help us locate my Ashaya's home world. Once we extract it from him, I will kill him myself. I swear it to the Creator."
Drawing in a deep breath, Al'aneo gives me a quick jerk of his chin. "Fine. But only because he has information about my sister's home world."
His reply catches me off guard, and it takes me a moment to realize he is speaking of Liana. They truly do consider her part of their clan.
He reaches forward, and the screen goes blank.
Chapter 35
Liana
When I open my eyes, it's to a brightly lit room. Sterile walls and the faint hum of a scanner at the head of my bed tell me I'm in a med center, but I don't know where. My gaze travels over my surroundings, and I find Soran asleep in a chair beside me. His large, hulking form barely fits in the seat. He looks terribly uncomfortable, and I wonder how long he's been there.
As if sensing I'm awake, his eyes open, and a wide smile spreads across his face. He stands and leans over me, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead as he stares down at me with a strange mixture of panic and devotion. "You're awake." He takes my hand gently in his own. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," I whisper. "Thank God you're all right."
"Of course, I am." He gives me a teasing grin. "I am a big, strong Mosauran warrior."
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head softly and a short puff of air escapes me as I laugh.
He presses his lips to my mouth in a brief kiss. When he pulls back, his eyes search mine in concern. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? Do you need anything?"
I'm surprised that I'm neither thirsty nor hungry. But there is something that I need to know. "Where are we, and what happened to Talel?"
"We are safe and on board Tr'lani's brother's ship. The Aerilon have Talel in a holding cell."
I stare up at him in confusion. "How did we end up here?"
He explains everything that happened after I passed out, including how Grex and Abby were the first ones found by Al'aneo's ship. I need to speak with Talel, but before I can say anything else, Tr'lani's brother Al'aneo enters the room. He begins to hum in friendly greeting. "My sister. It is good to see you are well."
Tr'lani steps forward and takes my hand before leaning down to wrap her arms around me. "I'm so glad you are awake," she whispers in my ear.
I’m so happy to see her, it’s difficult to hold back tears of joy as I return her embrace. “I was so worried about you. What happened? Where did you and Rowan end up after the glider?”
Pulling back, she gives me a warm smile. "You should rest. We have plenty of time to talk about it later. We are almost to Mosaura, and it is only a few solars travel after that to Aerilon. Your new home," she adds. "I'll let Abby and Grex know you're up. They came to check on you less than an hour ago."
Al'aneo moves to her side and I catch his attention. "I need to speak with Talel."
He and Tr’lani are twins, and it is easy to recognize the warmth in his expression. "We will arrange it. But right now, you must rest. I will take you to him first thing in the morning."
"No, I need to speak with him now. He's the only chance I have of finding Terra."
He gives me a pitying look. "If Talel knows the location of your home world, the A’kai have probably already conquered your people."
I shake my head. "He doesn’t know where my planet is, but he knows someone that does."
His brow furrows deeply in confusion. “Who is it?”
Soran interrupts. "Liana overheard Talel speaking with his mate, and while she did not see her face, their conversation made it clear she is not A'kai. She mentioned a city on Liana's home world. Her people have made contact with theirs. Because the female did not see Liana and never mentioned her planet by name, Talel is unaware of the connection. He does not realize how close he is to finding Terra."
Al'aneo looks to me again, his golden eyes studying me intently. "Is there anything you can tell us about your home world that might help us locate it?"
"My people have never ventured beyond our planetary system. Terra is the third planet of eight orbiting a yellow dwarf star. We call our galaxy the Milky Way. I scanned many of the stellar maps on the glider, but so far, nothing looks even remotely familiar to me."
He rests a hand on my forearm and gives it a gentle squeeze. "Do not give up hope, Liana. We will not stop until we find your planet. But as for Talel...you are still recovering. Our people are already interrogating him. We will find out who his mate is. Please rest so that you can regain your strength. I promise you may see him in the morning."
Tr'lani takes my hand. "He's right. You should re
st. We are almost to Mosaura." She darts a glance at Soran. "We will continue on from there to Aerilon."
Soran's gaze drops to the floor, and I open my mouth to speak to him, but Al'aneo interrupts me. "Tr'lani told me you are a pilot. That you were interested in seeking similar employment on our world."
"Yes, I did talk to her about that." I glance at Soran, but his expression is unreadable. "Would you mind if I had a moment alone with Soran?"
"Of course," they reply and quickly leave the room.
Sadness flashes briefly behind his eyes as he stares down at me. "You still wish to go to Aerilon?"
"I don't know. I thought I did, but now with you—”
Abby and Grex walk in, interrupting us. Abby rushes toward me. "You're awake." She smiles brightly and takes my hand in her own.
I smile back, but my eyes drift to Grex as he pulls Soran aside. "Your mother, the Empress, has contacted the ship. She is waiting to speak with you."
Soran turns to me. "I will be back as soon as I can."
My first instinct is to ask him to wait—to stay and tell me why he's acting so strange. Does he think I'm going to go to Aerilon without him? While that may have been the plan before, everything has definitely changed now that we're together. He told me he was mine and I was his. Now, we need to discuss what happens next. Once we've figured that out, we'll talk to Tr'lani and Al'aneo.
The words are just on the tip of my tongue, but I cannot force them past my lips. Despite how much I want to know why his eyes look so sad, his mother is waiting to speak with him. I don't want to keep him from his family. How long has it been since he talked with her?
He and Rowan had already been away from Mosaura at least a week on their journey to V'lora to negotiate a new trade agreement for L'sair crystals for the Empire. Several weeks have passed since then, and so much has happened.
We won't arrive at Mosaura for a few days. We'll have lots of time to discuss all this later. I nod. "All right."
With a subtle inclination of his head, he leaves the room.
I sit up in the bed and turn my attention to Abby.
She lovingly cradles her hands over her very pregnant belly. Grex's tail wraps protectively around her abdomen as his large palm settles over hers. My heart melts when he presses a tender kiss to the back of her head.
"How's the baby?"
She’s practically glowing as she answers. "The Healer says she's perfectly healthy."
"What happened to you two after the escape pods?"
"We landed on this amazing world with pink sandy beaches and lavender oceans." She shrugs. “After everything we’ve been through, it was almost like a mini-vacation.”
I have to force myself not to purse my lips. Of course, they landed on a beautiful tropical island while Soran and I were struggling to survive in the alien version of Alaskan winter. But as my eyes drift to the large swell of her abdomen, I'm grateful they didn't land on the same planet we did. Although it was nice, it still must have been terrifying for them to be alone, especially with a baby on the way.
She continues. "There were these strange dolphin-looking creatures, and they would jump out of the water...they were so friendly. It was amazing, Liana. And—it didn't take long for Tr'lani's brother to find us."
"Al'aneo found you?"
"Yes. They came looking for us." She pats Grex’s arm around her waist. "They even offered to allow us to make our home on Aerilon. They said the same for you and Soran, since he's going to be Outcast now."
My eyes snap up to hers. "Outcast?"
Her brow furrows. "He didn't tell you? His people—the Mosaurans—they don't believe in mixed-species pairings. Any who take a mate outside their race become Outcast from their society, and they cannot return home."
I look to Grex. "And—your people? The Lacerta?"
"The same," he replies with a grim expression. "But I'm not like Soran. After the last war, I don't have any family to return to. Abby and our child are all I have left."
His words settle like a heavy stone in the pit of my stomach. Soran would be Outcast if he stays with me. He would lose everything. His home, his family, his title, his people. I can't let him give all that up. I know what it's like to be separated from the ones you love. It's the worst pain imaginable.
It's decided then. I'll go to Aerilon with Tr'lani and Al'aneo. I won't let Soran give up everything for me. I love him too much.
Chapter 36
Liana
Tr'lani leads me from the med center and down a long hallway. I'm surprised at how beautifully decorated the interior is. This ship feels more like a home than a military cruiser.
Elegant trim and crown molding carved in intricate nature designs line the corridors and rooms. Soft glowing light filters down from the panels above. Thick, plush brown carpet covers the floors, and the walls are a comforting shade of light green. In several areas, flowering vines spill over from containers above to drape down the walls in fascinating curtains of bioluminescent purples, reds, blues, and greens.
So fascinated by the design of the ship, I almost run into Tr'lani's back when she stops in front of a set of doors, motioning to them. "These are your quarters."
She leads me inside, and my jaw drops as my eyes scan a cabin that looks much too large and opulent to be aboard a ship. "Tr'lani," I whisper in amazement, "this is gorgeous."
A smile lights her face. "I wanted you to be comfortable. These quarters are reserved for members of the family. Since you are now part of our clan, they belong to you too."
Emotion wells up inside me, and my voice is thick as I hug her tightly. "You'll never know how much it means to me that you've welcomed me into your family."
"You will always be part of our clan, my beautiful sister."
"Thank you."
She pulls back and gives me a warm smile. "I am in the room just to your left down the hall. The cleansing unit is through these doors”—she motions off to the side—“and I've already had clothing placed in there for you." She puts her hands on my shoulders and gives me a pointed look. "You lost quite a bit of blood, and you need to rest while your body replenishes from the injection I gave you. I know you wish to speak with Talel. But rest assured that our people are doing everything they can to gather information from him."
Because the Aerilon know that he trafficked in slaves, I can only imagine the torture being inflicted upon him to give up said information, but I certainly don't feel sorry for him. Not in the least. I just hope he's still able to speak by the time I get a chance to interrogate him myself tomorrow. But first, there is something more pressing that I need to ask.
"Tr'lani?"
"Yes?"
"Did you know about the Mosaurans? That they become Outcast if they take a mate outside their race?"
From the sadness that flashes behind her eyes and the expression on her face, she doesn't have to speak, because I already know the answer. Lowering her gaze from mine, she nods. "It is an old law. One that my people used to follow as well before we became more...enlightened."
She takes my hands in her own, giving them a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "You and Soran are welcome to live with us. Despite the long history of mistrust that exists between our two species, I do not doubt that he will be accepted into the clan if you take him as your mate."
I swallow against the lump in my throat and meet her gaze evenly. "I can't do that to him. I can't ask him to give up everything for me." I place my hand over my heart. "I know how much it hurts to be separated from your family, and I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone...especially not on him. I love him too much."
Expecting her to argue, I'm surprised when she doesn’t. "I understand. As much as I—” her voice catches, and she lowers her gaze as a tear slips down her cheek. Brushing it away, she continues. "As much as I care about Rowan, I couldn't let him become Outcast for me either."
Her words stun me, and my mouth drifts open in shock before I quickly snap it shut. I wrap my arms around her, and she ret
urns the embrace. "Sometimes," she whispers, "the most selfless thing you can do for someone you love...is to let them go."
Unable to speak through my emotions, I nod against her.
When she finally pulls back, she reaches forward to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear as she gives me a pained smile. "If you need me, I am just down the hall."
"Will you please tell Soran where to find me? I need to...speak with him."
She nods.
As soon as she's gone, I explore the room, trying to occupy my mind so I don't think on what I must do. These quarters are larger than anything I've ever stayed in. Tr'lani's family must be really important...unless this is just the status quo for their people. She told me that Aerilon value jewels and precious metals, and it's definitely reflected in not just the décor on the ship, but also in all the elegant furnishings in the rooms.
The large floating bed near the far wall has an intricate metal and wood pattern on the frame depicting an elaborate nature scene. Aside from the fact that it's suspended above the floor by some kind of invisible force, it looks like something that belongs in a castle, straight out of a fairy-tale book.
Allowing myself to fall back onto the puffy cloud-like comforter, everything here seems to be designed not just for aesthetics, but also for comfort. From the plush, thick rugs to the soft, stuffed cushions of the furniture. The window takes up half the outer wall. It's larger than the viewscreen of any ship I've ever been in, and as the stars blur past us outside, it's nothing short of stunning.
Although much larger, the cleansing room is similar enough to the one on the glider that I don't have any trouble making use of the shower. Despite the warm water, my every muscle is still tense as I slip on the silken lavender gown Tr'lani laid out for me. It's soft on my skin, but also so short and low cut, it leaves almost nothing to the imagination. I'm glad when I notice the long, matching robe lying next to it and quickly wrap it around my shoulders.
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