“And if the council finds out about us?”
“Then we will seek our far mother-kin in the Blowing Sands,” he growled, his eyes snapping open to meet hers. “They will give us refuge. We leave them in peace, knowing that they cultivate in their mines the wealth of our people even as we extend our protections and resources from other parts of our territory to them. We keep their locations secret and our trade routes among the sands known by only a few. They do not trust anyone else but their mother-kin, and so we will be safe among them until we can leave.”
A shudder rippled through her as she tried to imagine being out in the wilds among strangers even more brutal and terrifying than those within the household.
“Very well,” she whispered as she allowed herself to be cocooned in her mate’s arms.
There, she took solace and grabbed whatever peace she could as her heart attempted to stitch itself back together and heal. She would find a way to trust him again so their bond could be repaired once more, just as he had to find a way to make amends for it.
They owed that to themselves—and to their daughter.
Her eyes dropped to Harahna, her innocence clutching tight to Terri’s heart. Their family would survive this.
24
Normally, the arrival of a daughter of the line, especially one destined to someday be Ahanvala, would be a huge affair. All the minor households of their line would have been invited to the compound as well as the Ahanvala of neighboring territories. This could not be the case for Harahna, and Veral was irrationally angry about it even though it had been his decision. Only those of the household were in attendance in the central gathering room, their expressions lit with curiosity as they drew in close to meet Harahna.
His daughter should have been traditionally greeted, and he could not ignore the fact that excluding the minor households was a grave insult, but one he hoped to remedy with the visual record he was taking of the event. Their entire line would know and bear witness to Harahna’s arrival, even if they could not attend in-person.
He wanted them to know her. Harahna would not have the same opportunity. She would mature far from his mother-kin.
It was a disservice to his daughter, but it could not be helped at this time. As tempting as it was to remain and allow Harahna to be reared among her people, he was too aware of the dangers to allow it. He would teach her and prepare her all he could—and perhaps engage in occasional covert visits—so that she would someday be ready to take her place when she came of age.
That would mean submitting her name to the registrar, but Tarik was handling the data so that her name was legally within Argurumal’s databases. It would be unpleasant to deal with the registrar official. Whomever the offices sent would be there for Veral’s seal as the Ahanvala on all completed official documents, and there was no way to circumvent that. At least with Tarik’s data, he did not have to worry about unauthorized data-leaks regarding his offspring. It was all sealed in the medic files that would require council override to access or his own seal of approval to open.
All the registrar office would have access to would be the most necessary data regarding her vitals and her name. Terri’s name would be withheld from all documents in the record, her presence reduced to an unlisted mother. Only his people would know who she was. He liked that even less than concealing his daughter. He was proud of his mate, but the secrecy was necessary. The officials would not think anything of it since it was not uncommon for females to carry young with the donated genetic material of mateless males. The council, of course, would know differently, all too aware of the fact that he mated outside of his species. He hoped that they would be away from the planet before they discovered his parentage on Harahna’s file.
His daughter… his offspring. He would protect her and her mother with everything he had. With his life. If that meant never returning to Argurumal, the sacrifice was worth it. He had never planned to come back anyway, although this would be the first time that there would be no option unless he were willing to risk them in a war against the council.
He was not.
Veral glanced down at his daughter, her delicate, round face relaxed in slumber. She was unlike any other Argurma infant on Argurumal and yet, despite her apparent vulnerabilities inherited from her human parentage, she was all the more precious to him. With both a mate and a daughter to care for and adore, he was having trouble restraining his emotional output. He even had the disorienting experience of his vision, and other vital sensory systems, shutting down late at night during one such emotional surge. Although it had taken 8.4 seconds to reboot, he had been caught off guard by it while he held his mate close to him and listened to the soft, even breathing of Harahna.
Terri’s arms shifted to support their daughter’s sleeping head at a more comfortable angle as she gave him a wry glance.
“So how long do the baby meet and greet showings usually last?” she whispered low enough for just his ears.
He bit back a chuckle. She was understandably overwhelmed by being surrounded by so many of his mother-kin. With the exception of the day they arrived, and the visit from the head of the guard, she was unaccustomed to being around so many of them. All around her were the honorary gifts sent for her. A shaft of tharwal grain that grew in the protective canyons of Argurma’s far northern reaches, a soft fur of the amakhal to keep their offspring warm during the cool desert nights, a delicately carved cup to represent the cool springs hidden deep within the caves, and a golden distaff.
Each of these gifts of the firstborn children of Kalithan: Ashanhara, the lord of the crops who developed the first seeds within all males and planted the first crops; Tarihi, who fashioned all beasts from mud and water and taught Argurmas the art of hunting and husbandry; Ehanel, the goddess whose body fed the springs and who was the spirit of Argurumal; and Kathan, the youngest among them, who taught their people all manner of technology. Of all these gods, only Kathan was half-remembered as the educational centers, the kathanvals, were named for him. Terri, as a female, the living embodiment of the great mother, sat with their daughter upon her knee among the divine gifts.
At least his mate had received some reprieve. Many of his mother-kin had been eager to hold Harahna, the first among which had been Malraha. She had inspected his daughter with a careful curiosity as if searching for something. Perhaps some sort of answers that she thought his offspring might have. Navesha, in contrast, did not touch Harahna at all, and instead eyed her shrewdly with an almost fearful reluctance that Veral could not decipher. What did a large warrioress have to fear of a baby?
“Not much longer, anastha. Ninety-seven percent of the household has paid their respects. Food will then be brought out, and equan liquor, but we are not required to stay,” he murmured. “We can have food and drink delivered to our quarters. It is expected for a new mother to rest with her offspring, regardless of the effectiveness of our healing technology.”
He paused as Larth approached. The male’s eyes fastened on Harahna curiously. Since Veral and Terri had been sequestered with their offspring for the initial days following their daughter’s birth, he too, like everyone, was seeing the newest member of their line for the first time. Veral’s vibrissae puffed out proudly. Larth was of his close mother-kin. He was among the last who would greet Harahna since the closest of their household would be welcome to linger nearby and even escort them to their chambers when they were ready to leave.
“How strange,” Larth observed, eyes narrowed with fascination as he brushed a fingertip against the back of Harahna’s hand. “The first of our kind to be born mixed with another species. I would have dismissed such claims before you returned to Argurumal with your mate. Now here the evidence is for us all to witness.”
“Well, everyone present,” Terri corrected with a soft laugh.
“This event is being recorded for the minor households to be distributed to them later. They will share in this momentous occasion, if from afar,” Veral amended.
&n
bsp; His mate glanced up at him, her brows rising with surprise, but she did not object. She understood. They had spoken earlier of the matter and his inability to properly include those among his extended line. This was the only viable solution.
Larth’s lips thinned as his focus shifted to Veral, his head tilting at the slightest of angles in consideration.
“What of the other households? This is too great of importance to keep among ourselves,” he stated, his voice harsh with incredulity.
“My mate and I owe nothing to all of Argurumal,” Veral replied stiffly. “We are programmed to adhere to the welfare of our line.”
“And to serve Argurumal!” Larth leaned in and growled. “You may have broken that programming when you left our planet, but it is still there. Our people require this knowledge. The Council uses our inability to develop mating bonds and breed outside of our species as a method to control us and our reproduction. They already do so by encouraging early mating, but this is another facet. They wield this data to discourage us from mating with other species with claims that it is unnatural and to do so would be a reckless endangerment to our own survival. Yet at the same time, they tell us that our mate-bonding is an unhealthy, primitive process that impedes our ability to form strong, productive households. It is all misdirection to achieve their own purposes. It is our responsibility to correct it.”
Veral glared, his body becoming rigid as his vibrissae rattled in clear warning. He stepped forward just enough to partially block his mate and offspring as he stood in visible confrontation with the male. Although he could feel eyes turning toward them, he did not back down but met his cousin’s indignation with his own suppressed anger.
That Larth dared to suggest that Terri and Harahna belonged to his people in any sense infuriated him.
“You are suggesting that I expose my mate and offspring to our entire population when it is my imperative to keep them away from the council as long as possible?” Veral snapped.
Larth threw out in a hand in the first sign of frustration he had ever seen from the male.
“If the council were successful, they would terminate you and take your female and offspring without anyone knowing of their existence, and without the wider implication being understood—that we can develop intense mating bonds outside of our species, and that such bonds are natural. Whether we are able to breed or not, that possibility will change the lives of many Argurma. If the council were forced to accept interspecies mating with the human species, it would open the door to interspecies mating planetwide.”
“What about Earth?” Terri asked, her voice breaking through their argument effortlessly. She looked at them both curiously, her jaw tightening. “Although it is clear that it is impossible to keep Earth a secret, as Azan and Kaylar both have shown us, if the Argurma species knows that humans are compatible… what’s to stop them from going there to harvest what remains of our population?”
She glanced up at him, her lips twisting wryly.
“Not that Earth has anything to recommend it at the way it’s falling apart, but to take women and men from our homeworld without rules or some kind of protection doesn’t sound like it would be very beneficial for my people.”
Larth inclined his head in acknowledgment, though reluctantly.
“You are correct. However, no one will consider taking the matter before the Intergalactic Nations if no one knows about it. Argurmas can protect humanity if we are allowed to do so without interference from the council. They seek to eradicate the necessity of mate-bonding from our species entirely. Too many of us are relying on artificial means of starting the bonding process due to the efforts to diminish it. Only the council has knowledge of this outside of our line. There is no circulation among regular communication lines—or even private underground lines that I have access to—that one of our own successfully bonded and bred with another species. We require knowledge, not silence,” he said wearily. “I just ask that you consider it, Ahanvala.”
Veral felt the tension uncoil from within his frame as he met his cousin’s imploring gaze, the formal words cooling his blood. His cousin addressed him now not as mother-kin but as the head of their household, reminding Veral of his greater duties. A frustrated growl tore from his throat, but it was the soft touch of his mate’s hand on his arm that diminished the hostility raging within him.
“He makes a good point, Veral. It may be worth the risk to break the silence. It could keep us safer in the long run if they don’t have the option of making us disappear in order to keep their secrets,” she observed, her agreement surprising him. A resigned amusement filled her eyes. “It’s better if there are no secrets, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I agree,” a stern voice broke in.
Featha frowned at all of them as she pushed her way forward, her expression softening only the slightest as she inclined her head to Terri in a gesture of support that surprised him.
“I came to see what was delaying my greeting of the new female only to overhear your argument. While your concerns are valid, Veral, I support Larth and Terri’s arguments. I care little of the people of the Black Stone lands in their towering cities, but we of the Great Dunes struggle the most with finding mates. Despite my ambitions, I do wish Dreth to have the opportunity to find a mate if he cannot find one among the Argurma. I know I am not the only mother in the Great Dunes who feels this way. I have spoken to many females throughout the territories in our correspondences and this is a subject of much grief for our people. Your mate would represent hope for everyone.”
Her lips twisted in the faintest of smiles, and she leaned down and gently touched his daughter’s head. “It has given me hope.”
Veral met the proud female’s eyes, struck by her admission.
“What would you have me do, Featha?”
To his further surprise, her smile grew.
“You have two weeks until little Harahna will be ready to depart. It is enough time to make the Council regret their lies and secrecy. We gather our records, and when you depart Argurumal, we will send out an anonymous signal relaying it over our planet and through Argurma-held space so it is received on all of our people’s open lines of communication.”
Veral closed his eyes against the weight of the decision he was being presented. It was crushing. He knew that they spoke with reason but the fear that clawed through him over the slightest chance of losing his mate and his daughter bit deep into his heart.
Terri’s hand tightened on his arm.
“Veral, you can share the weight of this decision with me,” she whispered. “You’re not alone and don’t have to shoulder the responsibility for everything all on your own.”
Opening his eyes, he met her warm brown gaze, a small tremor running through him with an agonizing crack of pain as some final resistance broke with in his programming. If he were capable of manufacturing tears, he would have; instead, he held her gaze, seeking comfort within it as he drew his family into his embrace.
“I do this all for you, anastha. What course do you think we should take?” he asked.
Her eyes moved, sliding over him, her expression filling with love.
“I don’t think I want anyone to miss out on this kind of love. Let’s do it. Let’s share it with everyone,” she said firmly.
25
Terri smoothed her loose robe with a free hand, her eyes straying to her mate as they walked through the training area. His brow was lowered as he inspected the droids carefully, reviewing their programming. He had been at it for days now.
She didn’t know what he expected to find, but he had been uneasy since the target droid malfunctioned. So much so that he hadn’t allowed her anywhere near the training yard unless he was with her. For extra security, Dreth and Larth trailed behind them, their bodies aggressively tense as they stood, their legs braced wide, just behind them.
Terri sighed and shifted Harahna’s weight in her arms.
“Do you really think someone messed with the droid?” she
asked around a yawn.
As much as she loved the fact that Veral was including her in his regular duties around the compound, she was looking forward to sitting down. She didn’t understand how she was so tired. She had little to do during the day that was demanding—not compared to what she survived on Earth or the often brutal pace of salvaging. She only had to be on hand to care for Harahna’s needs that amounted to little more than feeding and changing her baby every few hours day and night. Taking care of a small baby should have been easy.
Instead, she felt like she was walking half-asleep, with less and less patience for Veral’s fixation on the droid malfunction. For the last week, he had stopped nearly every day to test another idea on the target droids’ programming to see if he could replicate what had happened. In fact, he applied himself to it with more enthusiasm than she had seen him take to anything else in his meetings and duties for the household.
Veral grunted, eyes narrowing as he opened the compartment on the droid in front of him. “That is the question,” he rumbled as he slid his fingers over the inner panel, connecting with the droid’s system. “Malfunctions among droids are common, but I do not like that it occurred with the target droid you were sparring with. You were attacked once before,” he reminded her.
“Yes, she replied. “But even you agreed that evidence pointed to it being an isolated event. I don’t see any connection between the two. Do you?”
His eyes flashed, and he stilled until reluctantly he shook his head and pulled away to promptly turn to the next one.
“No,” he growled, frustration seeping into his voice.
“See?” she said with a small smile. “Anyway, I’m sure if the council knew I was here that we wouldn’t be having this conversation. They would just send in the troops to kill me or disable me in some way so they can get their grimy hands on me. They wouldn’t have any need to make it look like an accident.”
The Sands of Argurumal (Argurma Salvager Book 3) Page 17
