by Roxie Ray
Vuks bowed his head, and then he sank to one knee in front of Quatix. “My King, I have failed you. Forgive me.”
I sensed the rage burning inside Quatix, but none of it was aimed at his men. “Rise, Vuks,” Quatix said solemnly. “This is not your fault.”
“I should have been able to protect the Gnosees,” Vuks said, remaining on his knees. “I should have prevented those bastards from taking them. They didn’t just breach our planet — they breached our walls.”
“They have a powerful arsenal of weapons at their disposal,” Quatix said. “And the beings among their ranks have a number of special abilities. They have been planning this for a long time.”
“It does not matter, My Lord,” Vuks continued. “I was charged with protecting Svante and I failed her… and you.”
I stepped forward and put my hand on Vuks’ shoulder. The only way I was able to reach it at all was because he was kneeling in front of me.
“Bis’er had one of his men get inside my head,” I said, willing myself not to falter. “He picked the location of the Gnosees out of my thoughts. If anyone is to blame, Vuks, it’s me.”
Vuks’ eyes were filled with astonishment at my bald-faced admission. “My Queen, this is not your doing. You were powerless against him.”
“As were you,” I said gently. “We cannot blame ourselves, Vuks. There are only two things we can do now: One is to fortify our borders and make sure this never happens again, and the second is to find the Gnosees and bring them back where they belong.”
I could feel emotion wafting off Quatix in great peals. He was not only impressed by me, he was proud too and that made me feel as tall as Vuks.
“Stand, Vuks,” I said.
This time, he rose to his feet and nodded at me in gratitude. “Thank you, my Queen,” he said fervently. Then his eyes travelled up and landed on someone just behind Quatix and I.
Terrox and the rest had joined us, but I noticed that Brags was nowhere to be seen. I glanced at Terrox questioningly.
“Brags disembarked from the alternate exit on the other side of the ship,” he explained. “He’s taking Sophia’s body to their quarters.”
My heart ached every time anyone mentioned her name. Quatix squeezed my hand, and I knew he knew what I was feeling.
“We must make preparations for Lady Sophia’s funeral,” I said, raising my voice slightly. “I will speak to Brags and help him plan it.”
“He asks only that it be a private funeral,” Terrox said.
“Of course.” I nodded.
We moved out of the landing pad and made our way toward the steps of the castle. Antallon and Lexor left their positions in the guard placement and walked toward me; I greeted both of them with muted smiles, and they bowed to me.
“We are glad for your safe return, my Queen,” Lexor said fervently.
I acted on instinct, walking right up to both of them and hugging Lexor first, and then Antallon. Both aliens stiffened in response to my hug, but I ignored their reactions and continued anyway. I was aware that it wasn’t exactly appropriate for me to be hugging my personal guards, but I didn’t really care. I was a new kind of queen, and I would do things differently.
When I turned back, Quatix was looking at me with a small amount of amusement in his eyes. I felt for a moment as though I could actually read his thoughts.
You’re not supposed to do that.
I shrugged in response, and he suppressed a smile. “My love, I have to convene my council. We have much to discuss.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“Would you like to join us?” Quatix asked.
I froze. “You want me to join the council meeting?” I asked. “I thought council meetings were reserved for the Protectors alone.”
“They are,” Quatix nodded. “But you are my queen, and I intend to rule with you at my side.”
I was sorely tempted to accompany him to the council meeting, but my mind strayed to Brags and the pain he was suffering through. Quatix took my hand and kissed it gently.
“It’s okay,” he said quietly, without even hearing my answer. “Go back to our chambers and do what you need to do. There will be many more council meetings in the future for you to join.”
I nodded, kissed him on the cheek, and headed toward the Northern gates of the castle with Lexor and Antallon at my back. I felt an odd sense of calm settle over me as I walked into the castle. Was this what it felt like to come home?
“How did it happen?” I asked, looking back at Lexor and Antallon.
The two Svantians exchanged a weary expression. “We were alerted of their presence only once they were inside the castle,” Antallon replied. “Somehow, they had managed to get past all our defenses.”
“All the defenses in this castle are magical, aren’t they?” I asked.
“Yes.” Antallon nodded.
“That was why they could get past them,” I said. “The Sives are made up of species from all over the galaxy, each species has their own set of abilities and used in combination with one another, I’m sure they were able to cloak their presence long enough to get into the castle. What tipped you off to the Sives’ presence?”
“Anytime the Gnosees get overly agitated or excited, the magic holding them gives off increased energy,” Lexor explained. “The guards charged with feeding them were not due to go down for at least another hour, but everyone in the castle could feel their magic. A small group of guards went down to check, and…”
Lexor trailed off, and his expression told me how deeply regretful he was of everything that had come to pass.
“Did we lose men?” I asked.
“Three,” Antallon replied. “And two more are badly wounded. The Sives wanted to get out immediately the moment they had the Gnosees, otherwise it would have come down to a battle. I don’t think they wanted to risk it.”
I nodded.
“I wish they had,” Lexor said through gritted teeth. “We would have destroyed them all. The only reason they got as far as they did was because they took us by surprise. If only we’d been warned —”
“They’d scrambled all our coms systems,” I explained. “We thought the messages were going through, but none of them reached Svante.”
“They are much more powerful than they used to be, aren’t they?”
“They are,” I nodded. “But at least we know what we’re dealing with now.”
We came into the private solar that led to the royal chambers. Antallon and Lexor stopped outside my door, and I pushed it open and walked inside.
“You’re dismissed,” I said.
“My Queen, we’re on high alert now,” Antallon said. “We should guard your room —”
I turned around and gave them a reassuring smile. “I appreciate that,” I said. “And I’m grateful. But the Sives got what they wanted. They have the Gnosees, and they’re not coming back to Svante any time soon. I will be perfectly safe. Now go.”
Antallon and Lexor exchanged a glance, but they nodded and headed back down to the main floor of the castle through the elevator. I took a deep breath and shut the door.
“My Queen.”
I turned to find Meri-Dana standing by the gilded table a few feet away from me. Her gold irises were dull with sympathy as she bowed to me.
“Meri-Dana,” I sighed.
I was surprised by how comforting it was to see her. We had been gone only a few days, but it felt like months to me. I stepped forward and hugged her. She returned my hug willingly, and when we broke apart, she was looking at me with concern.
“Are you alright, my Queen?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I think I’m just tired — really, really tired.”
“May I draw you a bath?” Meri-Dana asked.
“No, I had a bath just before disembarking the Zernike,” I told her. “I think I’ll just change my clothes.”
I was wearing the dark pants, painted vest, and steel bracelets associated with warrior gar
b. They made me feel strong and capable, but there was nothing as comfortable as the traditional Svantian sheaths that I had been uncomfortable wearing just a few days ago. I had grown accustomed to their sheerness quickly, and now I actually enjoyed the powerful freedom that came with baring your body and not having anyone care.
Meri-Dana led the way into my large wardrobe and pulled out two options for me. “The blue gown with green inlay? Or the yellow gown with gold floral accents?”
“The blue,” I said, picking it because the colors soothed me.
I removed my warrior’s clothes and slipped on the blue gown. I removed the bells and chains from my hair, letting it hang loose around my shoulders. Feeling much more comfortable, I went back into the main solar with Meri-Dana.
“Where were you when they came, Meri-Dana?” I asked.
“I was in my quarters when the alarm sounded, my Lady,” Meri-Dana replied. “In those situations the staff is told to remain where they are. When I emerged from my quarters, the Sives had already left with the Gnosees. It was only then that we were aware that the Gnosees were within the castle this whole time.”
“They were a closely guarded secret.” I nodded. “A necessary precaution.”
“They are creatures of chaos,” Meri-Dana said reverently. “They are not to be trifled with. This being, Bis’er, he is ambitious, but my father used to say to me all the time, ambitious beings are almost always fools.”
“Almost always,” I repeated. “What if he’s the exception?”
“Your king is twice the man Bis’er is,” Meri-Dana said. “He will find the fiend and bring home the Gnosees.”
I smiled at her gratefully. “Meri-Dana, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, my lady.”
“I want to know about Svantian funeral customs,” I said. “What are the rituals? How do they usually go?”
“I believe on Earth, the bodies of the dead are buried?”
I nodded. “They are.”
“On Svante, the dead are burned, my Queen,” Meri-Dana told me. “It is the same with my people. The body is never kept longer than forty-eight hours. It is not good for the soul. Usually the hours before the burning are reserved for all the closest friends and family to come forth and pay their respects.”
I smiled sadly. “It’s not so different from my people,” I said. “There are many Earthlings that burn their dead, too.”
I sighed deeply, imagining what it would be like to see Sophia’s body burst into flames. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I desperately wanted to be alone to process my grief.
“Why don’t you go down to the kitchens?” I suggested. “Eat something, rest a while. I’d like to be by myself for a bit.”
I thought she might insist on staying with me, but perhaps she saw the fatigue in my eyes, because she nodded, bowed to me, and then left my chambers. I took a deep breath and walked to my bed. I sat down on the edge and concentrated on the invisible bond that I shared with Quatix. It was an ever-present feeling. Before experiencing it first-hand, I might have thought of it as claustrophobic, but now I knew just how comforting it was.
I lay back against the soft sheets of my bed and stared at the vaulted ceilings that hung over me. I would consult with Brags about Sophia’s funeral in due course. If Meri-Dana was right and Sophia needed to be buried within forty-eight hours, we didn’t have all that much time left; we had barely twenty-four hours left.
I must have dozed off at some point during my reverie, because the next thing I knew, a loud banging at my door bolted me upright. I rushed to answer it and froze when I found Brags on the other side.
“Brags?”
His eyes were swollen and red, darkened by grief, and his body was hunched over, as though he had aged fifty years in the last twenty-four hours. I remembered what Quatix had told me about the effect of losing a mate on Svantians who had completed their soul bond. Some had been known to lose their minds directly afterwards. I wondered if Brags’ presence here was a conscious choice or an irrational impulse.
He lifted his eyes to mine. I wanted to back away from him, but I forced myself to treat him the same way I would want to be treated in his position.
“Are you alright?” I asked gently.
He didn’t answer right away, and I just stood there, waiting patiently. I wanted to reach out and touch him, take his hand, do something, but I didn’t want to upset him.
“Brags,” I said again. “Would you like to come in?”
I saw a spark of recognition on his face, and he nodded in response. He walked in like a zombie, but his eyes didn’t roam around the room. They stayed fixed on me.
“You were with Sophia in her final moments, weren’t you?” he asked. His tone was impassive and monotonous; it frightened me.
“I was,” I replied.
I was standing only a few feet away from him. If he chose to grab me, I had no way to run and no way to fight back.
“Brags,” I whispered. “You can’t know how sorry I am.”
My voice broke, and that seemed to stir something inside him. His eyes flashed across my face as though he were looking for answers. Then his body seemed to cave in, and he sunk to his knees with his face in his hands.
I felt my whole being cry out with maternal anguish. I dropped to my knees beside him and wrapped my arms around his massive shoulders. His head rested on my shoulder, and a second later, he wrapped his arms around me in return. It was slightly painful, but I didn’t care. I could endure this, for him and for Sophia.
“I know,” I whispered to him. “It’s okay.”
I kept talking, speaking in a soothing voice. I don’t think he was paying attention to what I said. I was barely paying attention, but it didn’t matter because all he really needed was for someone to hold him. I understood now why he had sought me out. It wasn’t just because I had been the last one to see Sophia alive. It was because I was an Earthling, just like her.
After a while, his sobbing abated, and he lifted his head from my shoulder. I dropped my arms, sensing that the moment had passed. I glanced at his heartbroken face and waited for him to speak.
“Can you explain to me what happened?” he asked, at last. “In detail please?”
“Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“I am,” Brags nodded. “I need to.”
I started explaining everything, scouring my memory for every little detail that I could offer to Brags. I told him the simplest of details, from the moment Sophia and I had walked into the kitchen to the moment she had fallen to the floor as the Sives had retreated back onto their ships. He didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t stop me at any point. He just let me speak until my story was done.
“Thank you for reliving it for me,” he said, when I was done with my narration.
“I’m sorry,” I said fervently as a tear slipped loose. “I should have just told them where the Gnosees were. Then at least —”
“Don’t,” Brags said harshly. “You will go mad if you do that. The past cannot be changed. Sophia would have been the first one to tell you that.”
“She loved you, Brags,” I said. “You were her whole world.”
“And she was mine,” Brags replied. “And now that she’s gone, I don’t understand the purpose of my existence.”
“She would want you to live,” I said, a sudden fear clutching at my throat.
Brags nodded. “That is the only reason I am still here,” he said.
I sighed. “Her funeral —”
“Plan it as you see fit,” Brags said. “I only ask that it be private and that her ashes be given to me once it is all over.”
“Of course.”
Both our heads snapped up as the door opened and Quatix walked in. His mood was sad, bordering on depressive, but he was trying very hard to keep it together, for my sake and the sake of his people.
“Brags,” he said.
“Quatix,” Brags responded, dropping the formal title and addressing Quatix as a friend
and equal. He slowly got to his feet and offered me his hand so that I could get to mine as well. “I am sorry to intrude.”
“Not at all,” Quatix said, though I sensed an edge of worry and a little curiosity. “How are you, my friend?”
“Broken,” Brags said, without hesitation. “I hope no brother of mine ever has to endure the pain of losing a mate.”
“As do I.” Quatix nodded.
“I am glad you are both here,” Brags said, looking between both of us. “I wanted to tell you myself. After Sophia’s funeral, I intend to leave Svante for a while.”
Quatix frowned. “A while?” he repeated. “How long?”
“I cannot say,” Brags replied. “The truth is, I don’t know. I need time.”
I could tell that Quatix wanted to press him for more information, perhaps even convince him to stay, but he suppressed the urge at the last moment and I was glad. If Brags needed to get away, then we should support that.
“We will always be here if you need us, Brags,” I said, stepping forward and putting my hand on his arm. “We are your family, and this is your home.”
Brags bowed low. “My Queen,” he said. Then he turned to Quatix and bowed before embracing him hard. He left immediately, leaving Quatix and I standing across from each other, trying to make sense of the loss.
“Are you okay?” I asked, breaking the silence that Brags had left us in.
Quatix came forward and pulled me to him. “I’m better now that I’m with you,” he said.
“The Gnosees?”
“All gone,” Quatix replied. “The Sives have more tricks up their sleeves than we thought. But don’t worry, my love. We will get them back, and Bis’er will rue the day he ever thought of crossing me and my people.”
I nodded, gritting my teeth. “We will make him pay for what he did to Sophia.”
Quatix lifted my chin up and stared down at me, determination burning furiously in his eyes. “Yes, we will.”
24
Quatix
I lay sprawled across the soft carpet with my head on Rosa’s lap. She ran her fingers through my hair as she gazed out at Svante’s lush foliage. Her emotions were pulled tight, flitting from happiness to regret to mourning with every heartbeat.
