“We are,” the grizzled spokesman stepped forward, followed closely by the rest of their number.
“Good, good,” she said distractedly. “Well, you will be happy to know, thanks to Oigr’s assistance, I’ve been able to access the database and one of the many samples I took from the magvedorsha upon his passing. It turned up positive for engorash.”
“What is this engorash?” another elder asked, shifting forward.
“Glad you asked. It is a plant native only to Mora2. A desert planet in our system, not unlike our own. It is highly toxic. Even the smallest dose is fatal. The Morith have used it for generations as a hunting poison. They apparently also brew liquor with it, as they can consume it without issue even though it is poisonous for all other native lifeforms. Strange species,” she snorted.
“Even if there was a plant, there is no proof that it was Elglor,” another elder reminded them.
Oigr turned to a young warrior among those standing over Elglor.
“Go to his rooms in the paliad and look among his belongings. He would not have left anything incriminating for anyone to find; I am certain he has it hidden in his rooms. Look for a plant material that is unfamiliar to anything you’ve seen on Vrol.”
The warrior gave a sharp nod of his head and sprinted into the paliad, several other warriors falling in his wake to assist in his search. Oigr faced off calmly with the elders who milled about in agitation. Deena glanced up at him with concern, but he gave her a reassuring smile.
The warrior returned after a few minutes, holding a carved box in his hand. Bowing, he presented the box and lifted the lid. Inside, for all to see, was a dull golden cluster of fronds. Oigr glanced down at his comm to verify it with the healer.
“Messil, is this the plant you speak of?”
The healer squinted at.
“No question about it.”
“Thank you for assistance, Messil.”
The female bowed and the hologram on the comm winked out.
A low murmur of unease rippled through the crowd.
“So, the magvedorsha was murdered,” and elder observed, his head hanging with sadness. “And by his own brother’s offspring.”
The news swept through the courtyard like a flashfire, voices raising and becoming angrier, more violent in their protest. It warmed Oigr’s heart that they wanted to rip Elglor apart themselves, but order had to be maintained. He stepped away from Deena and raised his hands, drawing the attention of the crowd as warriors came forward to drag the half-unconscious male up from the ground. Everyone fell silent, eyes fastened upon him.
“Elglor, my cousin, tarnished his name by the terrible misdeed he wrought. Sanctuary will be given to his mate and any young bred as directed by our ancestral traditions. All here know what our laws are for such crimes. Although my father was a beloved magvedorsha, we will keep to the law.”
A sound of discontent swept through the crowd and he narrowed his eyes on his people as he looked upon all of them. One by one, they dropped their gaze, yielding to his dominance. The crowd slowly bowed before him, and a chant rose up, quiet but quickly gaining power.
His people called out, their fists upon their hearts, “Magvedorsha.”
Chapter 11
DEENA’S EYES WIDENED as she heard the chants of the crowd. They were already acknowledging him as their chieftain. When he’d publicly claimed her as his mate, she’d allowed herself to hope, but that was before she saw the looks of distaste when she ran forward to meet him. Sure, Oigr had put a stop to it, but whether they liked it or not, she would never belong on Vrol.
The people wouldn’t accept her. That much was obvious.
Goral gave her a sympathetic look. She’d tried to warn her, after all. Why couldn’t her foolish heart have listened?
Somehow, she’d gone and done it—she fell head over heels in love with an alien she barely knew. It was wonderful and it was terrible. It was never to be. She blinked back tears as she watched Oigr acknowledge the crowd. He looked regal in his black leather and gold. Even the strange bone earrings looked right. This was the male he’d been and who he was destined to be.
A hand touched hers and she looked over and met Goral’s pale eyes. The female smiled.
“Don’t lose hope. My brother has a tendency to surprise people.”
Deena ducked her head and shook it.
“No, he belongs here. Look at him.”
Goral drew back her head and tilted it to the side, her smile widening.
“I have looked at him, and I see a male who gave up everything for a babe and who would give up everything and more for the female of his heart.”
“I can’t ask him to do that.”
Goral shrugged.
“No doubt about it, he would be a fine chieftain, just as our father was. Strong and wise.” She slanted Deena a curious look. “He would also have his selection from among the females to attempt to form a mate bond with. No one would turn down the honor. “
Deena scowled at the thought. She couldn’t stomach the idea of him calling another female his mate or looking at her the same way he looked at Deena.
“But no,” Goral continued, “I am not so certain that my brother would be happy here. He has been away from the rigid ways of Vrol for too long. And his heart sings with yours. Vrooduk males may have thick skulls at times, but not a one is foolish enough to give that up. You say you won’t ask him to give this up—I doubt you will be able to stop him. You will see.”
With a mysterious smile, Goral stepped away and returned to her mate’s side, leaving Deena to her thoughts. She didn’t even notice that Oigr had returned to her until she felt a pull on her being and an answering spark inside of her responded to it just seconds before he set his large, warm hand on her arm.
Deena’s heart jumped. Was this what Goral meant?
His big hand slid down her arm to grip her hand as another rose to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His yellow eyes were as warm as the golden light of the summer sun on Earth as he looked at her.
“I know our courtship has been a bit... strange. A little fast...”
“Kidnappings,” she interjected, her lips twitching.
Oigr laughed.
“Kidnappings,” he agreed. “It seems improbable for it to have happened already, but I feel it.” He set his upper-left hand on his chest. “I feel the songs of our spirits singing to each other. Without you, my song is nothing but a sad string of notes begging for the rest of its melody. You are a part of me, and I want our spirits to sing together for all time.”
Deena swallowed thickly as she ducked her head.
“Oigr, your people... they need you.”
A third hand pushed her chin up, drawing her eyes up to meet his. His eyes crinkled at the corners with humor. He shook his head, the golden wires in his hair bobbing and catching the light.
“No, my heart. I do not belong on Vrol. I haven’t for a long time.” He raised his head and took a deep breath, a sad smile on his face, before looking down at her with certainty in his eyes. “There are things about Vrol that will always be home—the smell of the sand, the heat of the sun, the spirits of my ancestors and the land—but I haven’t belonged to Vrol for a very long time. I belong among the stars, and I want you with me.”
She stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief until that faded and was completely replaced with joy.
Choking back a happy sob, she raised a finger in warning. “If we’re going to live among the stars, I insist on taking Brutus.”
“Who?”
“My dog. He’s the most adorable little furry baby.”
Oigr grimaced. “That useless animal is neither adorable nor a baby.”
Deena folded her arms over her chest and arched her eyebrows at him.
“But I will gladly pretend otherwise if his presence will make you happy,” he added.
“In that case, I’ll be happy to be your mate. We won’t have to leave Earth right away when we get back, will we? I know y
our crew is there, but I need time to say goodbye and arrange some things.”
Oigr laughed and swept her up in his arms, his lips capturing hers in a deep kiss. What he lacked in finesse he more than made up for in enthusiasm. The tusks were an unfamiliar pressure against the corners of her mouth but not unpleasant. His lips were warm and soft. Deena leaned into him, losing herself in the kiss until her lungs screamed for air. Her entire body felt consumed flames that seemed to radiate out in bursts from her center, melting her right into his large, solid frame.
When they finally broke apart, she looked up at him in a daze. Even Oigr seemed to be stunned, his fingers reaching up to touch his lips in wonder. That was all the warning she got before he was on her again, his mouth fastening to hers, drawing her back into the abyss of their shared desire until the crash of lightning sounded above them. Deena gasped and pulled away, she and Oigr both staring up at the heavens above. Another bolt flashed brightly as it skittered over the surface. It was accompanied by the deep moaning howl of the wind as it struck and slid over the surface of the transparent dome.
Deena squinted, certain that she saw something playing among the lightning. Though she only had experience with spirits that could sometimes be spied playing among the waves, in the shadows of the city, and in various wild places on Earth, they were as wholly alien to her as the Vrooduk. They resembled something caught between a humanoid form, their bodies twisted with features that she could only suspect were similar to various lifeforms of Vrol.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the wind died, and the spirits danced away until finally the lightening itself withdrew. Deena stared at the sky for many moments, her heart thudding at the terrible faces of the beings. Oigr stroked her arms and back comfortingly.
“The season is soon upon us,” the elder seeress stated. Her faded eyes were sharp, but she didn’t seem all that concerned; rather, her lips firmed as she saw something within it that Deena, knowing nothing of Vrooduk culture or Vrol, had failed to. The female settled her gaze on Oigr. “This must be resolved and the caravan united.”
Oigr inclined his head and turned to face the woman, though he did not relinquish his hold on Deena.
“Agreed, elder. I am ready.”
The seeress smiled warmly, and another elder stepped forward to clasp Oigr’s hand only to frown at his firm grip on Deena. The elder attempted to remove Deena’s hand from Oigr’s grip, but the nodes at the sides of Oigr’s throat began to swell and the skin around his neck extended into a bright blue frill. The hiss of anger from the vibrating skin was audible. The elder snatched his hand back and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“What of your... female?” His eyes slid away from her dismissively. “You know the laws of Vrol.”
Oigr’s eyes were narrowed on the elder, and only when the male retreated to a suitable distance did he relax, his frills flattening a dull red against his throat once more as his disposition returned to a more agreeable one.
“I do,” Oigr said in a calm voice.
“Very good,” the elder said. “I know a reliable warrior who can transport her back to her homeworld and we will proceed—”
“I’ve made a decision, but I said nothing of staying or rescinding my claim on my mate,” Oigr interrupted.
The elder’s mouth hung open, though the seeress’s smile broadened with smug satisfaction. Deena got the impression that not everyone among the elders gave her much opportunity to voice her opinion outside her duties as a seer. She looked just shy of giddy.
“I-I don’t understand,” the elder muttered. He shot the seer a baffled look. “What is the meaning of this? You said...”
“I said the magved would return bringing with him momentous change; he is here. I said through the magved only would the spirits find the magvedorsha; this is fact. I said nothing about him staying on Vrol nor anything about Elglor’s ridiculous challenge,” she sniffed.
“Then who...?”
Oigr, losing his patience with the whole thing, interrupted.
“The seer is right: it is time for change. While I could carry it out, I have neither the desire nor interest to do so. I wish nothing more than to live my life peacefully with my mate. Therefore, it is my decision to leave all power and the honors of my station to my sister. Veenagoral shall be the magvedorsha of the Wilip Caravan and reign over the cities of Dormgal and Wolshivan.”
“This is absurd!” the male protested. “No one has ever heard of a female magvedorsha. How would she protect her people? How would she defend herself against challengers?”
“My sister is more than suitable and just as educated as I am. Such has always been the policy; that we never considered female children a legitimate option is our own disgrace. As for challengers, does she not have a mate? It is his right to defend her.”
“Well, yes,” the elder hedged.
The seeress laughed and clapped her hands together, pushing her way forward.
“Yes! The rise of the chieftainess, the signs make sense now.” She strode forward and bowed before Goral. Oigr’s sister looked a bit shell-shocked, but then her confusion melted away and her bearing turned regal as she smiled at the seeress and inclined her head.
The people came forward and bowed one by one, pledging themselves to their new magvedorsha. When the last one departed, Goral turned a hard look on her brother.
“You will do me the pleasure of hosting my brother and his mate for this night, and perhaps you can proceed with those final technicalities to seal your bond.” Her lips with twitched with humor at that and Deena covered her mouth to hold back a giggle.
Oigr grinned at his sister and bowed low.
“Of course, magvedorsha. It would be my honor and pleasure to spend this evening in the paliad as your guest.”
Goral snorted and threw her arms around her brother.
“Never a guest, my brother. You are still first among us in my mind and heart.”
Oigr returned his sister’s embrace, the hard lines of his face softening.
“You are still the treasure of our people,” he murmured, hugging her tight before pulling away. “It is right that you have the opportunity to lead our caravan to a better future.” His eyes narrowed on Melglog. “You will protect my sister.”
Melglog huffed with amusement and wrapped his arms around his mate. “It is my duty and pleasure to protect her. You have my guarantee that as long as the breath of life is within me, I will do so.”
“What of Elglor?” Goral asked.
Oigr shrugged. “That is your duty, magvedorsha. Dispense your justice for our father and our people.”
Just a few yards away, Elglor had regained consciousness and was standing wearily upon his feet between two large warriors. Several others stood in close proximity, keeping a careful watch on him.
Goral returned the smile and reached forward to grip Deena’s hand, pulling her out of Oigr’s embrace. Oigr protested, but his sister merely gave him a haughty look before pulling Deena in among a crowd of females who were watching the spectacle with interest. A few of the females bristled at the sight of Deena but cowed under the threatening snarl rumbling from Goral’s chest. The magvedorsha’s face smoothed out and she smiled pleasantly at the females as she began to address them.
“For generations, it has been our duty to be that conduit between our people and the world of the spirits, to protect our people even as the arm of the males protects our bodies and property. The actions of Elglor have offended everything that we hold dear in the relationship with our ancestors and the spirits of Vrol. He has brought deadly foreign life to Vrol; he has killed his kin and the leader of our people in his thirst for power.”
The females called out their agreement—their thirst for justice. One female holding a small babe in her arms demanded swift action be taken.
Goral held a hand up and the females went quiet.
“We will let him taste the bite of our anger as well as suffer the laws of the people. For he has offended everything that we
hold dear as the mothers of our people. He personally offered the greatest offense to my own mother by slaying her worthy mate” Goral nodded to an older woman with a regal bearing who stood off to the side. An air of sadness lingered around her and yet a soft smile curved her lips. It couldn’t be anyone else other than their mother.
“What shall we do?” another female asked.
Goral smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was filled with the promise of pain and suffering.
“We shall allow the spirits to have their way. We shall exact a curse together that will plague him even in exile for the rest of his days until they are satisfied.” She turned and took both of Deena’s hands in hers. “You, my friend, have been violated personally. I ask that you join us as you joined me in my home. Add your strength to ours to seek your own justice.”
“I’m not from Vrol. Your spirits won’t...”
Goral lifted a hand. “They will. Your spirit song is bonded to Oigr’s. Even without the physical deed, it is strong and pure. They recognized you when you aided me before. They will recognize the debt owed to you now.”
Deena wasn’t entirely convinced but she nodded. She did want a small taste of vengeance. He had not harmed her, and truthfully, she should thank him for bringing her and Oigr together, but he had wronged her. He had frightened her and kidnapped her with the intent to harm Oigr. Something was owed, even if her debt would be settled much quicker than what was owed to the females in her company.
Hand still clasped in Goral’s, she, like the other females, followed the magvedorsha’s lead as they made their way back to the fore of the paliad. Elglor sneered at them, his venomous eyes focused on Goral. Deena squeezed her friend’s hand in solidarity, making Goral glance at her with confusion, but then her face cleared with understanding and she returned the gesture.
Releasing Deena’s hand, Goral folded her hands in front of her as she looked upon Elglor, her face hard and inscrutable.
“Malefekoigr.”
“Veenagoral,” he sneered in return.
A guard brought up the butt of his spear and shoved Elglor to his knees.
A Mate for Oigr Page 9
