Remembering the hope and determination that had filled him in the days leading up to their mission reassured Jonah that he had made the right decision staying on Earth rather than returning to Penthos. It wasn’t a decision that he made because he was afraid or that he didn’t want to be involved in the conflict that was threatening not only his kind but those who had freed them from the horror of the Covra. Instead, this was a decision that was made by a heart and mind still linked tightly to the past. It was as if he was getting another opportunity to make this right. He couldn’t save the lives of those who had already been lost, but he could save their memories. And for those who were lingering on, and who they had met along the way, he might be able to save their futures.
****
The anger coursing through Ryan was so intense that he couldn’t even bring himself to express the violence that burned in his veins. He sat in his chair, his hands gripping the arms until his knuckles ached and the wood cut into his palms. He could sense the presence of the Valdician man standing close behind him, but he didn’t turn to look at him, and the creature said nothing. Finally, he brought enough control into himself that he was able to speak.
“How could they allow them to leave?” he asked.
“They fought,” the Valdician replied.
“There should have been chaos,” Ryan said. “The anger and the energy of the battle should have made the Klimnu insatiable. The Denynso wouldn’t have been able to tolerate it and they would have killed him. All hell should have broken loose.”
“They’re healing him,” the Valdician said.
“Healing him?” Ryan asked.
“The Klimnu is nearly whole again. The Denynso healer has been working with him.”
“That would be excruciating.”
“I suppose after what you’ve put him through, he was able to tolerate it.”
“Reprogram the survivors,” he said. “I want full forces on Penthos. Maxim and Kyven must be destroyed.”
There was a moment of hesitation and Ryan could feel that the Valdician was trying to come up with a way to tell him something. Ryan’s grip tightened on the chair further and he felt his heart pounding even harder in his chest.
“Kyven is no longer on Penthos,” the creature said. “And there are no survivors to reprogram.”
“What do you mean?” Ryan asked.
“The ship was able to escape from Penthos.”
“How is that possible?” Ryan roared, the control that he had been able to maintain shattered by this revelation. “Their ship was sabotaged. How would they be able to navigate it?”
“The one they call Rain is from Nyx 23. She remembers the first attack and was able to overcome it. They headed back toward Uoria.”
“They’ve gone for reinforcements,” Ryan said.
“We believe so,” the Valdician said. “They brought those who had been wounded in the battles with them, including Kyven.”
“And there are no survivors from the battle when they left the laboratory building?”
“There were survivors,” the Valdician clarified, “but they didn’t get back inside the building. Pyra and his followers took them and brought them to the transportation bay with them. I can only assume that they are on the ship headed for Penthos now.”
Ryan began to laugh, the sound bubbling between his dry lips so that they cracked, but the pain and faint taste of blood only made him laugh harder. The sound filled the space around him, reverberating off the walls. The Valdician didn’t react. He stood completely still in his place by the door until the maniacal laughter stopped.
“They think that they are so powerful being able to escape, but they are running scared. They are so terrified that they have to go gather up as many others as they possibly can just to try to stand up to us. They are desperate and they have only seen a few of the army. When they are faced with the full forces, there is nothing that will bring them to victory, and it will be all the sweeter that we can destroy all of them at once and leave their bodies to be forgotten on Penthos forever.” He paused and laughed again. “At least those that I don’t want to use for myself.”
“What instructions should I give to those still on Earth?” the Valdician asked. “Should I prepare them to go to Penthos?”
Ryan thought for a few moments, then shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Send them to the other facility. When the battle on Penthos is over, there will be a lot of work to do and I want to be as prepared as possible.”
“Very well, Sir,” the Valdician said.
Ryan heard the creature leave the room and settled back into his chair again. For days, he had been staring at the same wall and now the surface seemed to be changing, the plain white surface seeming to swirl into color as it formed the images that inhabited his mind.
Chapter Four
The music was still blaring around the small lounge, fueling the celebration for Bannack and Loralia’s tying ceremony that was still going strong even long after the couple had slipped away. Rilex felt like he might have been the only one who had noticed that they left. The others were too invested in enjoying the party, lost in the music, dancing, and delectable food that turned the ship’s lounge into an experience that was more festive than anything that Rilex had experienced since he left his own stream. The music around him was just as unusual. It was like nothing that he had ever heard and he wasn’t sure that he was enjoying it as much as the others.
Rilex stood toward the back of the lounge, watching the celebration as it continued on in front of them. They laughed and danced, savoring the treats that Ty had created as they celebrated the union between Bannack and Loralia. The longer that he watched them, however, the more he wondered if it was only the tying ceremony that had filled them with such mirth and excitement. While he knew that all of them, particularly those who knew and loved the couple, were excited and happy to see the ceremony, and were touched by the lovely surprise that Bannack had created for her with the help of some of his friends and Loralia’s father, he felt like it wasn’t just their union that was keeping this party going for as long as it was.
According to those who had already made the journey, they had only a matter of hours between leaving Earth and arriving on Penthos where they were to reunite with the rest of the group and face off against the hybrids and Valdicians on the battlefield. This brief time would have been better used sleeping, eating, and restoring their minds and bodies than it was in the loud, energetic party. Even knowing this, though, Rilex still hadn’t left the room. It was like he was drawn to the room, kept in place by the energy of the people who filled it. He knew that he should be resting. He should be eating the nutrient-dense rations that they had brought with them from the emergency chambers. He should be trying to prepare his mind for what they were going to face when they reached Penthos. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to pull himself out of the protective, reassuring barrier that the party seemed to create. They weren’t just celebrating the love and union of the Denynso warrior and his mate. They were also celebrating the very fact that they had made it onto the ship. After the torment and fear of the laboratory building, they had made their way out and though they were now on their way toward what was likely to be an even more challenging conflict, it was a step to have come this far, and one that filled them with excitement and joy.
Even as he was watching those around him dancing and enjoying themselves, there was something missing for Rilex. He hadn’t seen the hybrid woman who he was so drawn to since they had gotten to the celebration after the tying ceremony. Though she had been there during the ceremony, and walked alongside him to the adjoining lounge were Ty, Jem, Leia, and Samira had worked together to design the celebration for Bannack and Loralia, she seemed to have disappeared in the time since. He could understand why she might not want to be there. Even he had known these people for longer than she did, and with the life that she had had, she would have no way of understanding what was happeni
ng around her or why everyone was filled with the joy, excitement, and hope that the tying ceremony had given them.
The thought made Rilex wonder if the hybrid woman even understood the concept of love or sharing life with another person. This made his heart tighten painfully as the depth and extent of the pain and destruction that Ryan had caused became even more clear. The horrific physical conditions and torment that these hybrids suffered was awful enough. But, delving into the emotional suffering and loss that they had experienced simply by merit of coming into existence was intolerable.
Rilex swept his eyes across the lounge and felt his breath catch in his throat. As if his thoughts of her had summoned her to him, the hybrid woman stood just inside the door to the lounge, alone and looking around the room uncertainly. It was obvious that some of the women had taken her under their wings, showing her the tenderness and consideration that she so desperately needed. She had bathed carefully, washing the blood, dirt, and sweat from her skin and hair, and her hair had been brushed so that it lay thick and soft down her back. The front was pulled back away from her face, and when she turned to look to the other side of the room he saw that that portion of hair had been braided and styled so that it twisted around and in on itself before resting in the center of her mane. The dress that she wore was delicate, the long sleeves and layer that covered the soft pink fabric thin and ethereal.
She was breathtaking and Rilex felt himself pulled toward her. He couldn’t resist her, even if he told himself that he shouldn’t have these thoughts for her, that she would never be able to understand what he was feeling or that she was made to feel the same way. None of that mattered to him, he just needed to be close to her. Keeping his eyes locked on her, he crossed the room carefully. He didn’t want to startle her, but the way that she looked around the room made him hopeful that maybe she was looking for him again.
He was a few steps from her when she turned back and their eyes met. Something close to a soft smile touched her lips and she glanced down as if unsure of what she should feel or even if she should be there. Before she could get frightened and leave, Rilex stepped up to her.
“Hello,” he said.
She looked up at him and he saw a soft blush of color across her cheeks. It only worked to make her more beautiful and appealing.
“Hello,” she said softly.
“You look incredible,” he said.
Though the music was still loud around them, he kept his voice low, wanting to create a private space around them and show her that he was focused only on her. He wanted her to know that she mattered and that, for the first time in her existence, she had a voice.
“I don’t understand why they wanted to do this,” she said.
“Don’t you like it?” Rilex asked.
She hesitated, but then nodded.
“I do,” she said. “It feels wonderful to be clean. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I was able to take a bath or wore clean clothes.” She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. “They brushed my hair.”
“You are beautiful,” Rilex said.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
He wasn’t sure about asking her, not knowing if she knew what he was asking or if she would even be willing to accept his touch. She hesitated for a moment, looking around at the others.
“Is that what they are doing?” she asked.
“Yes,” Rilex said. “They’re celebrating.”
“I’ve never danced,” she said.
“That’s alright,” Rilex said. “It’s not difficult.”
He reached for her hand, carefully tucking his fingers beneath hers so that hers rested lightly against his skin. It was a soft, fleeting touch, but the light contact of their skin would be enough for him for now. He didn’t want to push her, to attempt to force her beyond what she could tolerate in these first moments and days of freedom.
She relented to the touch, allowing Rilex to guide her a few more steps forward until they were just at the edge of the center area of the room that the others had taken over as their dancefloor. The woman stood still and Rilex stepped up to her. He rested his hands to her hips, taking his time with every touch so that he could gauge her reaction and be prepared to step back if he needed to. As his hands settled onto her, though, he could feel her relax beneath the touch. He took another step forward so that their bodies were only a few inches apart. After a few moments, the woman lifted her hands and let them rest on the fronts of his shoulders. Her hands were trembling slightly, but he saw less fear in her eyes and more soft, awe-filled questions as she began to explore thoughts and emotions that she could never have even fathomed.
Chapter Five
“Ellora,” Athan said as he stepped into the kitchen.
Ellora wouldn’t turn around. She didn’t want to face him right then or deal with anything that he might have to say. Instead, she focused on preparing food for those who had traveled from the distant planet to return to Uoria. Though she didn’t want to know more about what they were facing on that planet or the plans that they might have for returning, she could see that they were in need of sustenance that would help them to recover from whatever they had suffered in the time that they were away, and prepare them for what they might need to do moving forward. She could only hope that she could somehow convince them that they needed to let this go, to stop the horror that had been carrying on for much too long.
“Ellora,” Athan said again.
His voice made Ellora’s muscles tighten. Though he had been a treasured and trusted part of her life, as close to a member of her family as she could ever want, he was also a painful reminder to her. Every time that she heard his voice say her name, she could only think of the night that he appeared at her door to tell her that her husband was gone. Aegeus had been precious to Athan as well, but as soon as she had heard this news, Ellora felt like something within her had closed. She wasn’t able to feel the empathy that she knew that she should. She hadn’t been able to reach out to him, to comfort him, or even to fully accept the comfort and support that he had tried to offer her. As much as she would have liked to rely on him more for herself, it was too painful. When she looked at him, she saw the eyes that had seen Aegeus after she had. When he spoke, she heard the voice that he had heard after he had heard hers for the final time. When he reached out to touch her, she could only think of the last time that she felt her husband’s touch and didn’t want to replace it with his.
“Athan, I don’t want to talk about this,” she finally said, knowing that he wasn’t going to back down or leave her alone until she spoke to him.
“You have to,” Athan said.
“Excuse me?” Ellora asked, turning toward him.
“You can’t pretend it isn’t happening, Ellora,” Athan said. “You’ve spent years refusing to talk, and you don’t have that option anymore.”
“And who are you to tell me what I’m allowed to do or what I have to do?” she asked.
“There was a time when you would have trusted me completely,” Athan said. “You would never have dreamed of turning me away or refusing to talk to me.”
“That was different,” she said, turning back to the pot on the large black stove and stirring it absently.
“How?” Athan asked. “How was that different?”
“That was when I knew that what was happening was inevitable and that there was nothing that I could do to make it any different. I knew what was going on and why, and could see the reason behind it.”
“Could you?” Athan asked. “Did you really understand what was going on?”
“Of course, I did,” Ellora replied, even though she didn’t even trust the words coming out of her own mouth. “I always trusted that Aegeus knew what he was fighting for.”
“And did you know what that was?” Athan asked.
Ellora poured the vegetables that she had chopped into the pot and s
prinkled in some of the fragrant herbs from a canister on the counter beside the stove.
“He never gave me all of the details, you know that, but when he told me that he needed to go fight against the corruption in the Order, I knew that what he was doing was right. I knew that he knew what he was doing, and that no matter what he was facing, he was doing what was right for the Mikana, and for Uoria.”
“And do you believe that now?” Athan asked.
Ellora fell silent. She wasn’t sure what she should believe any longer. It had been so many years she couldn’t remember everything that her husband had told her about the struggle that they were facing or what he wanted to accomplish when he went into battle.
“I don’t know,” she said. She looked at him sharply. “Why are you still a part of the Order?” she demanded. “How could you continue to serve the group that was so corrupt Aegeus went into battle against them and lost his life?”
Athan took a step toward her, shaking his head.
“You don’t understand, Ellora,” he said. “The Order is something far beyond each of the people who make it up. It is something that stretches beyond us, beyond the Mikana. It has always been and always will be, and until my death, I will serve it. I was chosen when I was a child. It wasn’t my choice, and I don’t have the choice of whether to continue.”
“But you can betray them?” she asked coldly.
“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice falling softer now that she seemed to have broken through a barrier that had existed silently between her and the Order since he found out about the mysterious organization that her husband served with unwavering loyalty and devotion.
“You gave the vehicles to the Denynso and their team,” she said. “You allowed Maxim, Ivy, and Kyven into the tunnels. Don’t think that the members of the Order who remained here don’t know what you did. They have already been here to question me.”
The Alien's Glimpse (Uoria Mates IV Book 5) Page 3
