by Raine Thomas
Kyr sat still for a moment, trying to get her racing heart to settle down. Since it wouldn’t cooperate, she released her harness and got to her feet as Ty rose and lifted their satchels and the canister over his shoulders. It was a cumbersome process due to his air canister, but he managed.
“Please stay here, Peryl,” she instructed the pilot. Her voice sounded mechanical through the ventilator.
“Sorry, Ma’jah,” he responded as he rose from his chair and stood on her other side. “But I’m afraid I’m going to have to disregard that order.”
Immeasurably touched, Kyr reached out and brushed her fingers over his arm. The sound of the vessel’s door opening had her straightening and watching the ramp descend, offering a view of the darkness beyond.
Shelvaks started boarding in droves. They all wore black armor that covered them from head to toe, and moved so swiftly and soundlessly that it made the fine hairs on Kyr’s arms stand on end. She and Ty both opened their minds to the group, but they couldn’t pick up so much as one stray Shelvak thought. Kyr realized that she would only be able to communicate with them if they willingly “spoke” to her.
Great, she thought.
They waited for the boarding party to search the vessel. None of them said a word as the Shelvaks began off-loading equipment and cargo. It wasn’t their ship, after all. As far as Kyr was concerned, if it helped pave the way with the Shelvaks, they could offload everything but the engine.
Tension built between Kyr’s shoulder blades as they waited. After a few more minutes, all but six of the Shelvaks disembarked. They moved to encircle Kyr, Ty, and Peryl.
Ty and Peryl moved closer to Kyr as the Shelvaks produced begothias, dark weapons similar to a Mynder’s de’llum. The poison from the weapons would kill an average Alametrian with even a shallow wound. Kyr knew Peryl was thinking of this as he faced the Shelvaks unarmed.
Kyr jolted when she felt Ty move. Reading his thoughts, she picked up that one of the Shelvaks had tried to grab the canister of the Gift.
“Sorry, but you can’t have this…yet,” Ty said, stressing the last word.
None of them dared to breathe as the Shelvaks exchanged looks. Kyr knew they were communicating with each other. It was incredibly frustrating not to know what they were saying. Eventually, the Shelvak standing directly in front of Kyr looked right at her.
You must come with us.
Nodding, Kyr started forward. Ty grabbed her arm.
What are you doing? he asked.
She blinked in surprise, then processed the fact that he hadn’t heard what the Shelvak told her. Apparently, Shelvak thoughts were impervious to their connection. She would have to convey what they thought.
He said, “You must come with us,” she explained.
The Shelvaks didn’t like their hesitation. They moved closer, bringing their begothias uncomfortably close.
“We’ll come willingly,” she said, lifting her hands in a sign of surrender.
You must come alone, the Shelvak replied. Your companions will be unharmed as long as the La’run commands it.
Ty was already shaking his head, picking up the thoughts this time because Kyr was directing them to him. He stepped closer to the Shelvak communicating with her. “She isn’t going alone. I’m her amanti. Her partner. I’m going with her.”
She comes alone. The La’run commands it.
Kyr figured this La’run was a leader, and the person they had come all this way to see. Turning to Ty, she placed a calming hand on his upper arm.
Ty, I have to do this. I agree that you’re my partner and should be by my side, but the Shelvaks don’t understand our ways. Not yet. If we want to get out of here alive, we have to do this on their terms.
Kyr…
I know I’m asking a lot of you, she pressed. If our roles were reversed, I would feel the exact same way. But I’ve got to do this. I’m the Ascendant. The lives of our people are at risk. We’re running out of time, and this is our only option.
She felt him wrestling with this. He had spent his entire life thinking of the Shelvaks as their enemies, and now his amanti wanted to place herself and their unborn child right in their clutches.
I’ll be all right, she thought.
Both of them sensed her doubt, but neither of them had a better solution. Keep your thoughts open to me the entire time, he told her. Remember what you did back there in the hangar if you feel you’re in any danger.
I will, she assured him.
Giving him a quick hug, she turned and walked down the ramp with the group of Shelvaks. Four moved on with her and two stayed at the base of the ramp to ensure Ty and Peryl stayed where there were supposed to. Ty’s mind remained connected to hers, easing her fear.
The air was damp and cold, generating a fine mist on Kyr’s goggles. She did her best to wipe them clean and looked around as they walked, conveying everything to Ty. With four Shelvaks towering over her by nearly two feet on any side, it wasn’t all that easy to see anything. Her enhanced night vision came to her aid. She doubted she would have seen anything without it. As it was, all she could really determine was that the planet was rocky and mountainous. The landing dock seemed to be in a large cavern. They headed from there into a series of tunnels.
She felt Ty making a mental map as she sent him images, so she paid closer attention to every turn and landmark she could make out. She tried not to think about how deeply underground they were going. At least it wasn’t as cold, she mused.
She nearly plowed into the back of the lead Shelvak when he stopped unexpectedly. A gasp escaped through her mask as she brought herself up short and tried to figure out what had happened. She watched as the lead Shelvak approached a panel within the rock wall and held his gloved hand over it. A series of beeps and clicks resulted, followed by a low rumble as the rock in front of them lifted to reveal a room.
Kyr looked around the Shelvaks and caught a glimpse of the room beyond the doorway. She spotted what appeared to be an examination table and medical implements. The thought immediately flashed into her mind that they intended to experiment on her like Vycor and his Inquisitors had likely done to Shelvak prisoners in the past.
One of the Shelvaks behind her shoved her forward. She braced herself on the door’s rocky frame to keep from ending up inside the room. There was no doubt now that her instincts had been right.
When another Shelvak moved towards her, fear shot through her.
No!
The command was issued from her mind, but the same power that had flowed through her in the Alametrian hangar rushed through her now. Light shot from her gaze, making the Shelvaks shield their eyes and back away from her.
I agreed to see the La’run, so you’re going to take me to see the La’run, she demanded. If not the La’run, then take me to the Shelvaks I aided on my planet.
She knew now how foolish it had been for her not to get the names of the Shelvaks she had helped. It seemed elitist of her not to bother. But she had been so focused on battling Vycor and trying to fulfill her role as the Ascendant that she hadn’t considered it for even a moment. For all she knew, those Shelvaks hadn’t bothered to return to their planet or were off on a mission somewhere.
The glow in her gaze remained steady while she awaited the decision of the Shelvaks serving as her escort. Eventually, they turned around and marched her in another direction. Her command had worked.
That helped calm her down. It also reassured Ty, who had nearly decided to overtake the two Shelvaks standing outside their vessel so he could rescue her.
She returned her attention to their surroundings so Ty could continue his mental map. Ultimately, she was led to an open-air cavern with a rather stunning view of an expansive canyon beyond the opening on the far side. Some kind of protective seal over the opening kept the wind and chill outside.
In front of the long opening sat a wide, crescent-shaped table. The ends of it curled around the center of the room, which was where Kyr was led. She counted twen
ty-five Shelvaks sitting at the table, one in the center in a large throne-like chair, and twelve on either side.
None of them wore armor, she was surprised to note. They just wore clothing like she would expect on Alametria…everything from formal robes to shirts and pants.
This was some kind of governing council, she decided. The conclusion surprised her. She had expected less organization among the Dark Ones. Everything she had been taught told her that the Shelvaks were a disorganized and barbaric species. It was said that because they didn’t speak with other races, they weren’t as evolved.
That was completely wrong, Kyr realized as her escorts carried a stool sculpted of polished stone into the center of the half-circle and left it for her. At least in some key ways.
As she sat on the stool, her gaze moved from one Shelvak to the next, noting subtle differences in their physical appearances and wardrobe. She was certain that she faced a mix of females and males.
The figure in the center of the half-circle was a male, she noted. A male who looked familiar enough that she felt compelled to open a dialogue with him.
Deciding that it would be rude to force her thoughts on them when they weren’t doing so to her, she spoke out loud. “Thank you for allowing me and my companions safe passage. I confess that I don’t know the best way to communicate with you without offending you.” Her gaze settled on the male in the center. “You, sir, know that I can communicate with you by using my mind if you allow it.”
The Shelvak nodded his head in acknowledgement. “I was not sure you would remember me, Ascendant of Alametria.”
She barely contained her surprise at the sound of his voice. It sounded rusty, as though it wasn’t used much.
So much for the belief that Shelvaks were incapable of speech, she thought.
She did remember him, of course. He was one of the Shelvaks she had rescued from the Judgment Chamber…and he was apparently the La’run.
Now she would find out whether her actions had been enough to save her and her people.
Chapter 43
“You may conserve your air,” the La’run stated. “The climate has been adjusted to suit your needs. May I have permission to scan your mind?”
Kyr considered the abrupt request as she removed her mask. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of letting anyone into her mind. At least he had asked, she tried to convince herself.
“I mean you no harm, Ascendant,” the La’run said. “This will merely allow all of us to quickly and easily understand your intentions. It will save time.”
That was good, she reasoned.
I’ll remain in your thoughts, Ty told her. I won’t allow more than a basic scan.
“All right,” she agreed.
She felt the La’run enter her mind. Less than three seconds later, he left it.
“You have grown much stronger since we last met,” he said, folding his hands in front of him on the table. “I see that your relationship with your protector has progressed, and that it has enhanced your abilities. He is, of course, welcome to join us. My people will grant him safe passage.”
Thank you, sir, came Ty’s thought. I’ll be there shortly.
The La’run tilted his head. “Impressive. That was from some distance. Very few of your kind can do that.”
Kyr realized that Ty had managed to convey his gratitude directly to the La’run. She almost smiled with pride, but caught herself in time.
“Between your bond with your protector and the children you have created,” the La’run continued, “your abilities have heightened to an admirable and concerning level.”
She understood that he meant that others would envy and covet her abilities, and at the same time, fear them. Considering everything Vycor and Shaya had put her and Ty through, this came as no big news.
Then she focused on what else he had said.
“What do you mean, the children that my amanti and I have created?” she asked. “We haven’t had any children.”
“I refer to the two fetuses in your womb.”
The calm statement nearly knocked Kyr from the stool. She gripped the edges to keep herself upright. The news so shocked her that she didn’t even think to ask how the Shelvak could have possibly found out about her pregnancy within a three-second scan.
“I heard your children’s thoughts,” the La’run explained, either hearing her thought or reasoning out why she looked like he’d dropped a brick on her head. “They will be very powerful, like their parents. The cusp of their power now flows through you.”
She felt Ty’s equal shock and emotion over this news. She longed to see him with a fierceness that almost had her leaving the stool to go meet him. Fortunately, he jogged into the room before she gave into the urge. For the first time, she saw him winded. He must have run like lightning to get there so fast, and on an injured leg to boot.
He hurried over to her and took her hand. They shared a look that conveyed a thousand thoughts.
“I will address your other concerns now that your mate is here,” the La’run said. “You are curious why I was among those who hunted you on Earth. The explanation is simple. I had lost enough of my people in our attempt to stop you from fulfilling the prophecy we believed would bring death to our planet. My people are not natural warriors, and indeed, we have evolved beyond physical skirmishes. You have probably noted our lightweight builds, which are the result of centuries of less physical activity than other races. Our minds are so developed that speech is unnecessary, so the bulk of our activities center on those that stimulate the mind.
“Yet when our most intuitive Seers prophesized that you would bring death to our people, logic dictated that you must be killed if our people were to be spared. We trained to the best of our abilities and set out to end your life. After many failed attempts, losing a number of my people in the process, I felt it only right that I take action myself, much as you have done in coming here to save your people.”
Kyr understood that only too well. Her arms prickled with goose bumps over the comparison as she realized they were more alike than she had ever envisioned.
“You, Ascendant, not only spared my life, but the lives of my two eldest children. It was in that moment that I understood the Seers had issued a self-fulfilling prophecy. You see, by trying to kill you, we had brought death to our own planet.”
Silence filled the room after that heavy statement. Kyr swallowed hard as she considered what the La’run must have felt when he reached that conclusion. How would she feel if she led her people to their deaths for no good reason?
It would devastate her.
“You see now where I was when I returned to my home planet,” the La’run continued. “I will show you the same courtesy that you bestowed upon me by not harming you or your children.”
There was a much longer pause, during which time Kyr decided it was her turn to speak. “Thank you, sir. I confess to being surprised by all of this. Why do you allow misconceptions about your people to proliferate among the other planets?”
“It served our purposes. When others think you are unintelligent, they tend to speak more freely around you. It is also easier to get close enough to read thoughts. The truth is, we are more enlightened than even the V’larians, who hide behind their mental abilities and conniving ways.”
“Conniving?” Kyr prompted.
“It was the V’larians who led us to Earth,” the La’run clarified, confirming Ty’s hypothesis. “They lured us with a truce, claiming they also wished you dead. Everything was going according to plan until your protector arrived and thwarted us.”
Kyr exchanged a brief glance with Ty. Memories from those days before her transition back to Alametria came back to her in a rush. They felt like a lifetime ago.
“When he arrived,” said the La’run, “things began to unravel. The V’larians quickly turned on us, making us out to be the sole enemies while the V’larians looked like saviors. We attempted to explain this to your Inquisitors, but t
hey did not believe us.”
Of course they hadn’t, Kyr mused. Vycor had told them not to believe a thing the Shelvaks said because he was in league with the V’larians. An enormous sense of injustice raged through her. She was happier than ever that she had trusted her instincts and let the Shelvaks go.
Ty had been right about everything, she realized. The V’larians had played both sides, and in so doing, they were about to get crushed in the middle.
“I’m sorry that you or any of your people suffered at the hands of mine, sir,” she said at last. “That is not how I intend to rule Alametria.”
“I can sense that. It pleases us.”
“So you know why we need your help.”
He nodded. “We are sympathetic to your situation, Ascendant, but as I’ve explained, our people are not fit for physical battles.”
Ty spoke at last. “This battle will involve the mind just much as physical engagement.”
“Sir,” Kyr added, “Shelvak numbers are legendary. Together, we’ll be more than enough to subdue the V’larian forces while my amanti and I deal with Vycor.”
The La’run didn’t comment for a long while. Kyr gained the impression that he was communicating with the other Shelvaks at the table. She tried not to fidget as she waited for him to respond.
At last, he said, “Perhaps the Seers were not so wrong, after all, if you wish to introduce my people to probable death, Ascendant. We see no reason to get involved.”
“Vycor won’t stop with Alametria,” Ty pointed out. “He’ll turn against the V’larians the moment he’s achieved what he wants, and then he’ll turn his focus on Shelvak. He seeks power and dominance above all else. If we act now, we’ll have the element of surprise on our side. Vycor won’t be prepared to face your forces in addition to ours.”
In the silence that followed, Kyr sensed the La’run hesitating. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but her senses felt accurate. She decided it was time to sweeten the pot.
“I don’t know if you picked this up in your scan,” she said, “but the canister Ty carries contains an energy source many times more powerful than tajeria.”
