Burette pointed in the direction where they had seen the geron fly away. "Because those things are still around. Obviously the gerons won. We saw one of the aliens' black ships where it crashed over on Perennial Street. If the aliens aren't all dead, then they've been driven off this planet, and there's a good chance they won't be coming back."
"Or they'll be one more thing the gerons will hold over our heads," Hawse remarked sarcastically. "Obey us, or we'll sic the aliens on you."
Ignoring the remark, Gleesar turned to Kell. "What about you? What do you have to say? After all, you're her mother. Should we go after Emmala and bring her back?"
Kell sneered at the man. "I'm her mother in biological terms only. Weren't you there when she denounced me on the platform? Weren't you there to see how she treated me? She doesn't care for us. She doesn't care for her own family! Her own father and brother are dead because of her!" Huge tears rolled down her heat-reddened face, and her breath hitched in her chest. "My s-son is dead, and it's all her fault."
Hawse spoke out. "You all took her side when she claimed I hurt her! You all turned against me. But look who fought for you. Was it her? Did she even try to stop the attack? She Paired with a fucking geron, yet she did nothing to prevent them from attacking us! She doesn't care about you. About any of you! She would be content to have nothing more to do with us, her own people! Her own kind! But I'm here! I fought alongside you! So who do you believe now? Whose side are you on now?"
"Let's go get her!" someone yelled from amid the crowd.
"I second that!" Kell yelled back, raising a fist. "I say we go to her mountain cave and bring that little bitch back here to face village justice. She must be made to answer for her duplicity. She must be punished for what she did to us!"
For the third time, the mob roared in reply, most raising fists into the smoky air.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Gleesar inquired once it was calm enough to be heard.
Grinning, his face streaked with dirt, soot, and blood, Hawse stepped upon the boulder, forcing the councilman to stand down. "Easier than you might think, Gleesar. She told me where she lives. She told me how to find a big boulder of alagalite at the foot of the mountain that marks the trail leading up to her cave. All we have to do is follow it."
"When do we leave?" another voice called out.
"I say we leave now!" someone else answered.
Hawse nodded. "I agree. We leave now."
Gleesar held up his hands to speak. "I'm sorry, but I cannot be a part of this. And I know there are some of you here who agree with me." Facing Hawse, he added, "If you wish to lead this mob to the mountains in order to abduct Emmala because of some private need to get revenge, I can't stop you. But I can object and refuse to collaborate." Facing the group once more, the councilman finished. "If you are of like mind with me, stay and let us begin to try and regain some semblance of humanity from this tragedy." That being said, he turned and walked away. Burette and a few villagers followed him, but the rest of the crowd remained gathered around Hawse.
"It's daylight," a female voice pointed out, finally breaking the silence. "Won't they see us coming?"
Another female voice added, "Gleesar has a point. We're tired, and many of us need medical attention. Plus we need to eat to keep up our strength."
A male voice responded. "But we need to go now, while they're unsuspecting. While they think we're still licking our wounds and trying to reassemble what's left of our lives. If we wait much longer, those gerons could spot us coming and warn her. And take her away where we'll never find her."
"What Marturik said makes the most sense," Hawse agreed. "The longer we wait, the less chance we'll have to capture her. No, I say we go now. Do it now, and bring her straight to justice. We go now!"
The crowd gave its wholehearted approval and surged toward the edge of the village where the rock perimeter lay in ruins. One by one, they crawled, leaped, and stumbled over the strewn boulders, to reform into one long line marching two to four abreast. At the head limped Hawse, with Kell by his side. He felt lightheaded from loss of blood, but once Emmala was their prisoner, all the suffering would be worth it.
Another smile slithered across his face. Yeah, the bitch had it coming to her, and he would make sure she'd suffer in the worst possible way for what she did to him.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The Essence
"Zon, answer me something?"
"Anything, Emmala. I will withhold nothing from you. Not any longer."
"I always wondered why you weren't an Elder. You were old in geron terms, right?"
"Yes."
"So why weren't you ever an Elder?"
"An Elder is a geron who has returned to spend his second life again as a geron."
"And those are the Elders? No wonder they looked so young, but you revered them anyway. Do all gerons come back in their second life as gerons again?"
"Some do. Not all. As I said, many remain as formless entities."
"Have any other gerons come back as humans?"
"I strongly suspect I am the first." His laughter rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her back. Emmala rolled over to face him, cuddling so that skin touched skin.
"Did you break any rules, coming back as a human?" She punctuated her question with a light kiss to his chin. A chin that bore no stubble.
"I do not know," he honestly replied. "I guess we will have to wait and see, but I am certain that if I was, I would not have been able to reduce my essence to obtain this form."
"Well, you need to work on your form if you want to blend in with the other humans."
He smiled at her, but his next words came with a serious tone. "Why would I care if I blend in with them?"
"In case we go back to the village."
"Do you wish to go back?"
She didn't have to think about her answer. "No." She added a shake of her head. "No. At least, not now. Not yet. Not until I'm ready. Not until I feel I can face them without being afraid. If they ever find out who you really are..."
"Was," Zonaton correct. "Who I was is not who I am now."
"Yes, but I will still call you Zonaton. Wouldn't that be enough to get them curious?"
His smile broadened. "Do you wish to rename me? In a way, it would be right, considering I am no longer in geron form."
Emmala dropped her chin in thought. He took the moment to press a kiss to her scalp where her hair parted. He liked being able to kiss her, not just nuzzle. He had been restricted from anything other than a gentle rubbing because his beak prohibited anything more loving. But nuzzling was nice, too. Different and nice, now that he had a nose separate from his mouth. He caught a whiff of their bodies, and the scent of sex that wafted between them.
"Let me think on it," she finally answered him. "I've known you as Zonaton for two-thirds of my life." Raising a smile to him, she added, "Do you have a middle name?"
"Sorry. One name per geron."
"What if another geron decides to name her offspring Zonaton?"
"It will not happen. The Elders assign our names to us. Our parents are not allowed to make that decision."
"The Elders name you? Well, I guess it makes sense. Since they're on their second lives already, I assume they also have the knowledge of the world at their beck and call?"
"They have the full knowledge and history of our world and our species at their command, yes."
Emmala sighed and stretched, lifting her arms as she arched her back. Her body slid against his, and his own body reacted with a hard, physical demand. As she lowered her arms over his head, to rest them on his shoulders, Zonaton sought her mouth again. Eager to explore its depths and the sensations it brought to him. Happy to learn with her the joy and perfection of taking each other's bodies.
Heat permeated his skin, and he rolled on top of her. Emmala eagerly complied with the new position by spreading her thighs, enabling him to nestle his hips against her.
"Mmm. Are you going to take me
again, Zon?" she whispered against his mouth.
"I want to."
"I want you to, too."
"You two just keep on doing what you're doing. We'll stand here and watch, and wait," a voice suddenly broke in.
Zonaton suddenly rolled away from Emmala and got to his knees to face whoever had managed to sneak up on them. Behind him, he heard her gasp in shock.
"Hawse! What are you—"
The next instant, his surprise matched hers as more people came up behind the figure standing at the mouth of the cave. So many people, they blocked much of the sunlight coming through the opening. Hawse grinned as he casually patted the blade of his knife against the palm of his hand.
"Looks like you didn't waste any time getting someone else to pop your virginity, did you? Hey, you! Blondie! Not that I'm jealous or anything, but I suggest you put your clothes back on and get the fuck back to whatever village she took you from."
"Why are you here?" Zonaton demanded, getting to his feet. Several people in the crowd appeared uneasy with his state of undress. Some tittered. None of that bothered him. Nothing except for the fact that they were here when there was no cause, no reason for them be at the cave
"None of your business, lover boy. Now, go." Hawse's voice was dark and threatening as he stopped playing with his knife, and gripped it instead.
Emmala stood, holding the pallet blanket in front of her nude body. Zonaton sensed her moving forward to stand beside him, but he stuck out an arm to keep her back. They traded quick looks, but remained silent.
"Emmala."
Zonaton jerked his head around the same time Emmala gasped.
"Mommy, why are you here?"
"It's time you atone for your actions," the woman responded as she took a stance beside Hawse.
"What actions? I don't understand. What have I done that would make you come all the way up the mountain?"
Zonaton smiled to himself. She was afraid, but it didn't show in her voice. The attitude she presented was defiant and brave.
"You're a traitor," Hawse replied. "You brought those aliens in their black ships to our village to destroy us."
"What? You're crazy! I did nothing of the sort!"
"She speaks the truth!" Zonaton spoke up. "The aliens must have been planning to attack the village all along. They were simply waiting for the right moment. A moment you provided when you killed m—...the geron."
The decision not to reveal himself was not made consciously. He had mulled over it ever since he left the crevasse to go in search of Emmala. He knew he would tell her, that he would have to tell her in order for her to believe he was whom he claimed he was, but no other. That secret would have to remain just between themselves if he ever planned to integrate himself among the villagers at a later time.
"Yeah! When you killed my Zonaton!" Emmala angrily called out.
Hawse didn't appear to notice the near slip of the tongue. "I didn't kill anyone. I never fired a weapon at your precious geron. In fact, I did nothing to that beast, but that thing attacked me. It attacked me!"
Kell held up her hand in front of Hawse. "Let's not go down that path again. Not right now." Turning toward her daughter, she explained. "We have more important things to do at the moment, and the main one is to have you come back to Genesis with us and stand trial for your actions."
"What actions? What trial?" Emmala demanded.
Zonaton cut in. "If you're thinking she is responsible for the devastation caused in the village, or for all the villagers who died in the attack, you're wrong. The aliens saw the discord between gerons and humans. They saw their opportunity, and they took it, or do you not notice how the gerons fought against them? How they defeated the aliens to protect you?"
He observed how Hawse pointedly studied him from head to toe before acidly replying. "Looks like you don't have a scratch on you. Guess you managed to sneak away before the attack began. If that's the case, how can you claim to know what happened? How can you stand there with your dick hanging out and claim to know the truth about the attack, when you weren't even there in the first place?"
Someone nudged Hawse from behind. The young man looked back as an older man in the crowd commented. "What if he conspired with her?"
The question made Hawse smile. "You're probably right, Vayhoff. The bitch's boyfriend is probably just as guilty as she is. Time's up, Emmala. It's time you and blondie there faced our court of justice for what you've done." He started forward, stepping further into the cave. The crowd followed behind. From the looks on their faces and their body language, it was clear they meant to take two prisoners instead of one.
* * *
Emmala dropped the blanket and hurried to stand at Zonaton's side, knife held out and ready, determined to slice anyone's hand or arm that reached for either of them. Her nudity no longer bothered her. In truth, she hoped it would provide a distraction.
Hawse's claim was bogus, but the other villagers didn't seem to care. It was as if they needed somebody to blame for the destruction of their village. For the deaths of their loved ones. For their own pain and suffering. And she was the perfect scapegoat.
She chanced glance sideways to tell Zonaton to run for safety, but realized before she opened her mouth that the man would not leave, no matter how much she begged. He would stay. He would try to protect her.
But he's powerless. There's nothing he can do! He doesn't even have a weapon!
Hawse walked straight for them. The others, including her mother, were right behind. Hawse noticed how they remained to his rear, and waved an arm to them.
"Surround them! Come around on both sides to cut them off!"
The villagers silently obeyed, lining up on both sides in case Emmala and Zonaton tried to run. Emmala noticed how her mother led the group aiming for her, and her grip tightened on her knife.
She never expected Zonaton's next action. Crouching slightly, he suddenly surged forward to rush Hawse. Hawse registered the attack at the last second before Zonaton plowed into him, butting his head into Hawse's chest and upper belly. At the same time, he threw his arms around Hawse's waist, and both men crashed onto the rock floor.
The hard jolt knocked the knife from Hawse's hand, but the young man was too busy trying to push Zonaton away to go after it. A balled fist caught him in the face, and Hawse yelled in anger.
The villagers paused to watch the fight, certain that Hawse would dominate. Sadly, Emmala believed it, too. In his new form, Zonaton didn't have a chance. It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but that Hawse was more sure in his body. And undoubtedly well-practiced in beating the crap out of anyone who got in his way. She regretted ever allowing the man to touch her in the first place.
There was a soft crunch, and she heard Zonaton grunt in pain from the contact. Hawse managed to shove Zonaton away and get to his feet as Zonaton struggled to stand. The man lunged toward him, hoping to trap him beneath his own body weight.
"Watch out!"
Her scream went unheard. Zonaton managed to roll out of the way before Hawse landed on the floor, missing him by inches. Both men got to their feet, both of them breathing heavily.
"You're outnumbered, lover boy. Might as well surrender," Hawse taunted. He glanced to the side, and Emmala looked down. The man had spotted his knife. So had Zonaton.
Hawse was mere feet away as the two men sized each other up. When Hawse moved, presenting his back to her, Emmala's next decision was automatic, and she leaped toward the villager, her knife raised and ready. Jumping onto his back, she plunged the blade into his shoulder. Hawse screamed and tried to shake her off.
Immediately, many pairs of hands grabbed her and jerked her off of him. Hawse whirled around, backhanding Emmala across the cheek. Pain lanced through her face, forcing her to cry out.
She didn't see Zonaton rush the villager and throw himself against Hawse. The two fell sideways and rolled several feet across the floor. They stopped by the edge of the pool where Hawse ended up on top.
H
e began pounding Zonaton in the face and head. Zonaton tried to fight him off, holding up his hands and arms in a vain attempt to deflect the blows. One fist went wide, and Hawse yelped when it connected with the floor. Zonaton gave a hard push, and Hawse slipped sideways, off of him.
Emmala struggled against the people holding her. Tears blurred her vision, and she shook her head to clear it. When Zonaton rolled away to try and put some distance between him and Hawse, she saw the bright pink blood streaking his face and neck, and the dark marks on his skin.
Pink blood. She blinked, but her mind refused to register the implication.
Hawse threw out a hand and managed to wrap his fingers around Zonaton's ankle. He jerked, and Zonaton fell onto his knees, grunting in pain. A second later, Hawse began dragging him toward him.
Zonaton kicked. His heel caught Hawse in the face, and there was a soggy crunch as heel met nose. Hawse yelled so loudly, it rang inside the cavern, but his fingers relaxed enough to allow Zonaton to scramble out of range.
Slowly, gradually, Hawse rose to his feet. Blood poured from the wound in his shoulder, rolling down his arm until the redness dripped from the tips of his fingers. He reached behind him with his uninjured arm and tried to reach the knife to pull it out, but without luck.
"Torvar! Get this gut sticker out of me!" he ordered one of the villagers. Pointing a finger at Zonaton, he growled. "You, blond boy, you're going to pay for this."
One of the men in the crowd made his way over to pull the blade out of Hawse's shoulder. Emmala took advantage of the moment as everyone's attention was on Hawse's condition. Instead of trying to jerk her arms out of the crowd's grasp, she dropped to their feet. They weren't expecting her to make the move, and she broke free from their grip. Rather than get to her feet, she scrambled on hands and feet toward Zonaton until she reached his side.
He gave her a brief but sad smile and waved her behind him. "They have us outnumbered," she whispered over his shoulder. He nodded but didn't reply.
Hawse laughed to see the couple now trapped in the far rear corner of the cave. Sunlight behind the crowd streamed into the cavern, highlighting the two naked people who remained defiant and on guard.
Zonaton Page 16
