"You can't simply kill an entire species based on what they could be," Ivy said. "You can only judge them based on what they are. They have done nothing to prove that they are anything but peaceful. How can you justify killing them based off of what a small portion of them became?"
"Even Ulli betrayed us," Zsilvia said.
"Don't speak his name," spat Pyra.
"Why? Because you don't want to hear it, or because you don't want to admit to yourself that one of your kind, one of your warriors, the closest people to you, could turn his back and become something that you would ever have expected him to be?"
"Everyone has the potential for darkness," Zuri said. "That exists in each one of us. It doesn't justify preemptive killing."
Chapter Six
"You can't listen to them, Pyra," Vax said.
Pyra turned to the warrior and stared at him. He had never been the same after the attack from the Covra that left him trying to tear the other warriors limb from limb. Something in him had gone, like it had been torn away the moment that the sharpened black point of the creature's leg dug into his back.
"Pyra," Vax said again, his hand tightening around the throat of the man he was holding in place beneath him," these things will destroy us. If you show them even a moment's leniency, you are offering yourself and your family to death. They will become Klimnu and they will infiltrate our compound. They know more about us now and will be able to torture and kill us without a second thought. If we don't kill them all now, we won't survive."
"Stop it. All of you."
The voice was powdery, but powerful enough that everyone turned. Loralia stood at the back of the room behind everyone, the faint pearlescent glow of her skin seeming to grow stronger as she looked out over them.
"Loralia, please," Bannack said, trying to take a step toward her, but Loralia held up a hand to stop him.
"I have never felt such fear and hatred in a single place. Never have I been so overcome by such a feeling of pure, blind instinct for survival. I was at the last battle between the Denynso and the Klimnu. No one knew I was there, but I watched as the men fought. I witnessed a level of absolute disdain for another living being that I didn't know existed and have not seen rivaled until I heard of the Covra. It is impossible to think clearly and really know what choices you are making when you are so absolutely overtaken by this type of turmoil. The decisions that are made here must be the ones of men, not of emotion."
Pyra felt Loralia's words burn into him. He looked around at the people in the room, registering all of their emotions, their body language, where they were looking. Though he would have hoped to see a united front among his warriors and submission and control through Rey and his men, he realized that he didn't see either. The warriors had scattered through the room, those with mates hovering close to them, others looming over some of the men, and others pulling away from the others, seeming to withdraw from the situation. Though the disgust was evident on the faces of those who were already gripping the necks or arms of the men near them, there were questions in the eyes of some of the others. He noticed that most of the warriors with human mates hadn't said anything and were standing somewhat apart from the rest, not like they were aligning themselves with Rey and his group, but also not like they were fully invested in what Pyra was saying either.
He knew that Loralia was right. It was his responsibility as the leader of the Denynso warriors to lead with strength and honor. He couldn't act rashly. The experience with Ulli and the Klimnu, and then the Covra had proven that what he first thought he knew and believed was not always what was. Though he was steadfast in his belief that these precursors of the vile Klimnu should be eliminated before they had the chance to cause more problems, he also knew that making that decision when he was this angry and when his men were so divided was not in keeping with his role as their leader, or with the responsibility and trust that Creia had placed in him when he stepped up into the role that he was born to assume.
"Loralia is right," Pyra said.
He could hear the tangle of discordant voices rise in the room, expressing the conflicting emotions and opinions of everyone in the well.
"You can't be serious, Pyra!" Vax shouted. "You are just going to let them be so that they can slaughter us all?" Pyra stared at him silently, not feeling the need to justify his decision. "Well, I'm not going to."
In one fast movement Vax lifted the man who he was holding by his throat and tightened his grip until the man thrashed and fought for breath, his hands clawing at Vax's arm in an attempt to release himself from the much larger man's hold. Before Pyra could take a step toward him, Vax flew backwards, the sudden movement causing him to drop the man he was holding. Vax slammed into the wall with a deep grunt and slid to the carpet where he huddled.
Pyra turned sharply and saw Ty staring at Vax, his eyes focused so intensely it was as though he were looking through the man. He knew that it was the young warrior who had caused Vax to slam into the wall, releasing the captive that almost certainly would have died in moments by Vax's hand crushing his throat.
"You will do as Pyra says," Ty said.
"All of you will," Pyra said. "From this moment I am taking over official command. Rey and all of his men will be quarantined here in the meeting hall until a final decision is made regarding their future. I will lead this settlement and everyone who is in it. If anyone has a problem with that or does not intend to comply with my leadership, you are to leave now, but be warned that I now consider us to be in a war state. Anyone who leaves this settlement will no longer be under the protection or assistance of anyone who remains. You will be on your own."
Pyra fell silent for several seconds, letting his eyes scan over the room so that he could watch the reactions of everyone. No one moved. He couldn't tell if it was because no one wanted to or if it was simply that those who did want to leave were too wary of what may happen to them as soon as they took a step toward the door.
"How will we keep them quarantined?" Gyyx asked.
Pyra glanced around the walls of the room, noticing that there were several doors along them, each of which led to hallways he assumed contained more rooms and possibly exits out of the building. It would take every one of his warriors to guard these exits and even then there would likely not be enough men to keep them under supervision.
"Let me," Loralia said.
Pyra watched the ethereal woman walk slowly down the steps of the well, keeping her eyes focused ahead of her rather than watching where she was stepping as if she just knew that everyone she passed would move out of her way as she walked. She climbed onto the platform beside him and looked out over the well.
"What are you going to do?" Pyra asked.
"I will block off half of this room so that the men have access to part of the building during their quarantine, but that they will be limited and only a few of the warriors will be necessary to guard them. This way not all of the men must be on duty at all times but Rey and his men will be kept completely under control."
"Why should we do anything that you tell us to do? What makes you think that we will just let you tell us where to stay?" one of the men asked.
"Because you have no choice," Loralia said. The sternness in her voice was startling to Pyra and he found himself speechless. "Bannack," she said, turning to look at her mate, "I'm going to need your help."
Chapter Seven
Ivy could feel herself trembling and even though Maxim tightened his arm around her to support her, her body shook with fear and anger. This was not what she wanted out of her experience on Uoria. These were not the images that she had had in her mind when she was in the shuttle, filled with anticipation and excitement. Part of her wished that Creia had not listened to what George had to say about her and simply put her back on the shuttle so that she would be back on Earth away from all of this turmoil. The other part of her, however, could not imagine drawing in another breath without Maxim and was willing to go thro
ugh anything to keep him close to her.
"Ivy."
She looked up at the sound of her name and saw Loralia staring at her. Bannack was standing beside her and both held their silver compacts in their hands.
"You have to go," Maxim whispered in her ear.
"No," she said, shaking her head and holding him closer.
"Go," he said again, gently pushing her toward Loralia and Bannack. "You have to. You don't want to make this any worse. Everything will be fine. I promise. Go."
Finally Ivy complied, stepping away from Maxim and allowing Loralia to take her gently by the wrist and pull her behind her. As she stepped past her, Ivy noticed Loralia's striking lavender eyes meet hers briefly. There was something in that gaze that she didn't quite understand, but that gave her a moment of calm.
"Everyone go to that side of the room," Loralia said.
Ivy watched as the other men climbed onto the platform and then past it so that they were scattered on the other side of the steps. Maxim remained in place, standing strong in the center of the platform where he didn't take his eyes off of her. Ivy felt another hand on her wrist and she looked over her shoulder to see Zuri standing close behind her. She followed the guidance of her hand as Zuri led her off of the platform and up several of the steps along the side of the well.
"What is she doing?" Ivy asked, watching Loralia look around the room carefully as if looking for something very specific.
Before Zuri had a chance to answer, Loralia leaned over to whisper something in Bannack's ear and they both opened their compacts, tilting them carefully. Ivy watched in fascination as they moved the mirrors in minute amounts, shifting them slightly, staring into them, and then shifting them again. Suddenly they stopped moving the compacts and Ivy saw the glow of Loralia's skin pulsate slightly. Between blinks a wall appeared in the center of the room, crashing down to the middle of the platform so that it cut the wood and molded to the shape of the steps, creating a tight seal.
Ivy screamed, pulling herself out of Zuri's hand as the larger woman tried to grab onto her and hold her back. She ran up onto the remaining half of the platform and slammed her hands on the cold, solid white wall. Tears burned into her skin, stinging as they dropped onto her chest and blurring her vision. She ran along the length of the wall, running her hands across the surface, desperately trying to find a door, a window, any opening, but there was nothing but the solid white expanse.
"Ivy," George's voice said from behind her, "Ivy."
She felt his strong hands wrap around the tops of her arms and she thrashed, trying to shake them loose, but finally relenting and allowing him to guide her back until she sat on one of the steps. Ivy dropped her head forward onto her thighs, gasping for breath and trying to force down the sickness rolling through her.
"It's going to be alright, Ivy," Zsilvia said as the Denynso woman settled down beside her. "He's not gone. He's right on the other side of the ceiling."
The sentence startled her and she looked up at Zsilvia.
"The ceiling?" she asked.
Zsilvia nodded and glanced up and then back at the solid white wall. Ivy followed her gaze and realized that every detail of the two surfaces was exactly the same.
"It's a reflection," Zsilvia told her. "Loralia made it to divide the building. The other side of the room is still there, and Maxim is fine."
"But they have no food, no water, nothing that they are going to need to survive. How long does Pyra plan on keeping them in there?"
"No one knows anything that Pyra will do, but there are doors on the outside of the building that the Denynso warriors will guard. We will use those doors to bring them the supplies that they need when they need them."
Ivy stood and rushed back up the stairs to the wall, pounding her fists on it.
"I need Maxim," she said, the tears beginning to trickle from her eyes again.
"Ivy?"
The muffled sound of Maxim's voice came through the wall and Ivy gasped, pressing her hands harder against the surface in an effort to be closer to him even through the solid expanse.
"Maxim?"
"I'm right here," he said, "I'm fine."
"Everyone is to leave the meeting hall now," Pyra commanded. "Rain, tell the people who were not here what happened and ensure that they understand I am in charge now. This situation will remain under control. I will no longer have any tolerance."
"I don’t want to leave," Ivy said through the wall to Maxim.
"Ivy, you need to come on," George called to her.
Ivy shook her head and rested it against the wall, closing her eyes so that she could focus on the presence of Max so close to her.
"I said everyone," Pyra shouted from the back. "I will have compliance or the Denynso will leave and continue on our path around the planet. We will seal the doors and let the life leave them slowly."
"Go," Max said to her again. "I promise you, everything will be fine. Please just go."
Ivy turned away from the wall and climbed to steps, her eyes searing into Pyra as she went. All fear of the man was gone. Now she felt only disdain. He followed her eyes as she walked past him, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing a single tear fall. She would comply with his commands, but he would not control her. She would find a way to overcome him and leave with Maxim.
She stepped out of the building and into the bright day. The tension inside the meeting hall had been so intense she had forgotten that it was only morning when they went inside and now the blazing light of an afternoon sun was beating down on her face. She closed her eyes and let it warm her, drying the tears on her cheeks and soothing the chill that had seemed to settle into her bones.
"If only you didn't believe that wall was there. Just for a moment, if part of it would simply fade away."
Ivy heard the words but it was as if the wind had spoken them into her ear. She looked over her shoulder and didn't see anyone, but as she turned in the other direction she saw Loralia walking slowly down the street, her fingers lightly intertwined with Bannack's. The words sank into her, digging into her heart until she felt a stab of pain go through her. On their surface they seemed like a cruel taunt, but the more she thought of the tone behind them, the more they seemed like a veiled message, something that Loralia wanted to tell her but couldn’t risk saying.
The day crept by in painful near-silence. A heavy, almost palpable cloud of tension had fallen over the settlement and everyone moved through it as if fighting the air, pushing aside the suspicion, accusations, and worry that hung in simply so that they could breathe. Everyone had worked throughout the day, tending the gardens that they had started, gathering food from the trees at the edge of the settlement that still bore fruit, and sorting through the homes of those who had died in the Covra hatching to find anything useful. Ivy felt like she was picking their bones, giving them a final indignity in a death that was already almost too gruesome to bear, but Rain had broken through the suffocating silence for a few moments to reassure her that those who had died would have wanted to help the survivors in any way that they could. Even then, however, it felt like another exertion of control.
There was a sense of relief when darkness finally fell over the settlement and Ivy stepped into the bedroom where she had been sleeping, closing the door behind her so that she could be alone. She peeled off the clothing that she had been wearing all day and stepped into the small bathroom alcove on the side of the room. Touching her hand to a panel on the wall she released a stream of water over herself, allowing it to rinse away the dirt, sweat, and tears coating her skin.
She closed her eyes as the water glazed across her skin and pooled onto the floor beneath her feet before washing way into the purification drain beneath her feet. For a moment she didn't want to see the purple color of the Uoria water. She didn't want the reminder of where she was and everything that she was going through. For just a moment she wanted to pretend that she was back home, grabbing a fast s
hower in one of the tiny university laboratory showers on one of the long nights that George insisted that they continue working hours after everyone else had left. As she stood there, the water beginning to cool as she used up all of the reserves in the solar tank, her mind wandered back to what Loralia had said to her when they left the meeting hall.
If only you didn't believe that wall was there. Just for a moment, if part of it would simply fade away.
She let the words run through her head and across her skin like the water, moving them around in her mind, separating them into letters, into sounds, into different phrases. Finally she brought them back together and whispered them. The cool water touched her lips as she formed the words and suddenly, as if the droplets of water had brought the memories forward, she remembered something that the women had told her during their walk toward the settlement. It had been an offhand detail, something that was part of a much larger story Elianna told her as they hid in the caverns away from the raging storm.
She forced herself to remember everything that Elianna had said. The memories were hazy, colored and fogged by the tense emotions of that journey. As she was listening to that story she was also worrying about Zsilvia and her reaction to her, and George and how angry he seemed. All of the heat ran out of the water, but she continued to stand in it, allowing the biting cold to clarify her mind and sharpen the memories. She could see Elianna crouched in the cavern, her small body tucked close to a fire that Loralia had built in the center of the floor, trying to get dry after the sudden deluge above ground. She could hear her talking about going down into that place when they first found it and how the sky had seemed so terrifying to her as it stretched across the ground.
She remembered Elianna talking about the first time that she had seen Loralia reflect something, creating the stone floor out of the wall behind them. This had been what had seemed familiar about the white wall appearing in the meeting hall, but the fear and disgust that tormented her when it appeared had washed that thought from her mind. Now the memories flowed in more rapid succession. She heard Elianna tell her about watching others walk across the stone floor and about taking her first steps onto it. Then she heard Elianna's voice, clear and almost tangible as if she were standing right there in the room with her.
Alien Romance Box Set: Uoria Mates II Complete Series (Books 1 - 10): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance Page 43
