“You’ve got this. Don’t be afraid.”
There’s no point trying to deny it as our bond gives my emotions away. I offer him a tight smile and a terse nod, clasping my hands in front of me while focusing on Glennev’s welcoming speech. When he calls out my name, I step forward in a line with my guys, watching the various expressions of those in the crowd as Glennev introduces us.
When he’s finished, he steps back, motioning me forward with a sweep of his hand. I step up close to the edge, taking his place as I skim my eyes over the assembled masses. The auditorium is full to capacity, and there is only standing room left. An air of expectancy settles over the room as I clear my throat.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Alinthia, and these are my four protectors. I hope your journey here was a pleasant one, and I thank you for your attention today. I’ve been looking forward to talking with you, and I hope to get the opportunity to know some of you on a one-to-one basis in the days ahead. Some of you are already acquainted with me from the time I spent incarcerated in the government’s Iowa facility.”
Low murmurings spread around the room. “For those of you who don’t know me, I hope you will give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“Why should we?” someone shouts out.
“Because the reason you are here today,” Dane says, cutting in, “the reason you are free, is thanks to Alinthia. She negotiated with the human government on your behalf.”
“Why?” someone else asks.
“Because I made a promise to free everyone when I escaped,” I confirm, “and none of you should’ve been locked up in the first place. We’re working with Glennev and his team to organize transport home for all of you in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I need your help.”
I wipe my clammy hands down the front of my pants, walking the length of the stage as I compose my words carefully in my head. “I’m assuming most of you didn’t see my live stream last night, so I’ll tell you what I told everyone else. My parents sent me to Earth from Verron when I was a baby to protect me from General Arantu. He has spent considerable effort trying to find me because he wants to use my powers to take complete control over the galaxy. I’m not going to allow him to do that, but I need the support of your home planets to help me stop him. I need us to band together, to create a formidable force, to confront Arantu and end his dark reign for good. We’re looking for volunteers from each representative race to act as a liaison with the relevant authorities on your home planet.”
“What exactly are you asking those representatives to do?” a female in the middle of the crowd asks.
“To open a channel of communication so we can appeal for support. Right now, Arantu and his supporters hover above the Earth, preparing to attack. We need superior resources to force him to withdraw. After that, we’re looking for soldiers to form an army. An army we’ll lead into battle with Arantu. If we join forces, we’ll have enough firepower to tackle him head on, and my plan is to strip him of the dark magic protecting him and end his reign of terror on the galaxy.”
“How can you stop him?” An older male at the front asks, leveling wary eyes at me. “You’re only a girl, and an untrained one at that.”
“I’m the only one with the potential to take him down.” I convince myself it’s not a lie if it’s partly true.
“Alinthia is the savior of the galaxy and the subject of the prophecy we’ve all learned about,” Cooper says, struggling to contain his contempt for the male for daring to question me. “She may have been shielded from her heritage, but her abilities have always been inside her, and she’s working hard to harness her powers.”
I stop pacing and step down from the stage onto the floor, moving closer to the audience. My guys follow me without question. I walk right up to the male. “I understand your concerns, and if I was in your shoes, I’d feel the same.” I roll my sleeve up and flip my wrist over, showing him the tattoo on my skin. “This is the mark of the prophecy. Only the Chosen One and her protectors bear the symbol. Only the Chosen One can defeat the general.”
He scoffs. “That hardly proves anything. Skin can be inked. How can we be sure you’re the savior? That you aren’t an imposter or someone chosen as a figurehead to lead us all into a battle that will end up with more lives lost? Sanuva’s persecution started with the fall of Verron. We were a peaceful species until Arantu arrived and decimated our planet.” His eyes blaze with long-remembered suffering. “Why should we trust you now even if you are a descendant of the Verronian and Nantor Royal lineage? Our alliance with Verron only brought us pain and suffering. Who’s to say that won’t happen again?”
“And what’s the alternative?” I inquire, tilting my head to the side. “Your people continue to be persecuted and undermined by Arantu’s forces and you stand by and watch as he takes more and more control until he holds ultimate power, and what will he do then?”
“He’ll destroy those planets that offer him nothing,” Beck says. “Millions will be wiped out, and those that survive, wealthy nations, those who live on planets rich in natural resources or those species with abilities that offer him something, will cease to have any free will. They will become puppets to a slave master who places little value on life.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” the male continues to argue.
“That is true, but everyone knows nothing will change if we don’t take a risk,” a familiar voice says, and I turn to my friend with a grateful smile.
Tav stands, walking to my side. “I have gotten to know Alinthia these past few weeks, and I can confirm what she says is true. I have seen what she is capable of. Seen the demonstration of power beyond anything I’ve ever known, and that is before she awakens and receives supreme power.” He eyes the crowd. “I understand your fear and your uncertainty, but Alinthia is our only hope. Our only chance at freedom. We have all studied the prophecy. We know what it says.” He scans the crowd, and the glyphs on his face are going crazy. “This moment right here is where history is made. Where we decide our fate and the fate of our nations, our families, our friends. We are on the cusp of something monumental, and it’s up to each one of us to play a part. Isn’t it worth taking a risk? Isn’t it worth standing up to the male who has destroyed our homes and killed our loved ones? No outcome is guaranteed, but nothing is won without sacrifice.”
Rumblings break out as people talk among themselves, and I glance at Dane with troubled eyes, wondering if I should do what I’m thinking of doing.
“Go for it. You’ve nothing to lose,” he says, and I push up off my feet with my arms out to the sides, soaring elegantly into the air.
Heads stretch, necks crane, and the crowd mutes again as everyone looks up at me. “I don’t know what to say or do to convince you I am who I say I am. I can show you the things I can do, but even that won’t be enough to persuade some of you.” Heat flows through my body as I summon my fire power, and flames dance atop my palms as I fly overhead. I’m restricted in what I can do because I don’t want to hurt anyone or damage the building. “And this male is right. I’m only a girl. A girl who has grown up on Earth ignorant of any prophecy or my true birthright.”
I blow gently on my hands, sending small streams of fire billowing over their heads. “I only found out who I was a few months ago, and I’m still struggling to come to terms with it, but I know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I was born to do this. This is my legacy to fulfill.”
I fly back down to the ground, letting the flames die out as I land between Dane and Coop. “I’ve watched people I love die.” My voice wobbles as I think of my beloved father. The pain is still raw, and I haven’t had time to properly mourn his loss, but I miss him every day.
I think of my birth parents. Parents I never got to know. Parents who sacrificed their lives for mine so that I could achieve my destiny.
I remember the guards who lost their lives on Xzanthar, and I remember Jack. I may not have been his greatest supporter when he was dating Kenzie, but he didn’t dese
rve that fate. I remember how distraught I was when I thought Alandra had killed Jensen. There has been so much loss, suffering, and pain already, and I know it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Especially if I can’t convince this crowd to support me.
“And I don’t want to see anyone else harmed or killed. I might not be what you’re expecting, and I’m not perfect, but I promise I will give everything to this battle. For all of you and the trillions of others who languish in persecution in the galaxy. I believe in freedom and the right to choose for yourself, and I won’t rest until every being has those choices. I will only stop fighting when the last breath leaves my body, and I give you my word that I’m committed to ending the general’s control and restoring peace to the galaxy. I have no ulterior motives; I just want peace.” I gulp over the lump in my throat. “I’m asking you to trust me. To support me. To give me a chance to prove I’m worthy of your loyalty.”
“There is one truth we know for sure,” Maddox says, stepping up behind me. “Alinthia cannot defeat Arantu without more support. If you stand by and do nothing, you doom all of us.”
CHAPTER 10
“What if that male is right?” I ask, rubbing my throbbing temples as I share a private lunch with Glennev in his chambers after the session ended. We spent another hour in the auditorium being bombarded with questions, and I left feeling like I’d made a mess of everything. “What if I can’t do this? How am I expected to meet with leaders around the galaxy and convince them to support me if I can’t even convince a room full of prisoners I’ve helped to free?”
“The dissenting factor was in the minority,” he says, patting my hand. “We’ve already had several males and females sign up as representatives, and advances are being made to their home planets. As far as I’m concerned, it was a success.” He pauses for a minute, and his features soften. “I’m more concerned about you. Where is all this self-doubt really stemming from?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s like that person I was back on Xzanthar is a distant memory. Or maybe the enormity of everything has only hit me.” I shrug again.
“Can I speak bluntly?” he asks, pinning me with earnest blue eyes.
“Absolutely. I only ever want to hear the truth.”
“I’ve spent a long time studying every facet of the prophecy, and the ceremony of light has always fascinated me.” He leans his elbows on the table and an awed look is etched upon his face. “I’ve always believed it’s one of the most magical aspects. Think about it. All five of you were born at the same time. All independently to different mothers. I’m not sure if I disclosed this previously, but I was there that day—I was at the ceremony.”
My eyes bug out of my head. “You never told me that.” The memory resurfaces in my mind, and my brain churns through images. I gasp. “You were the man in the black and gold uniform!”
He nods. “I snuck back into the room and watched the ceremony. It remains, to this day, the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed.” His eyes glaze over. “You were only tiny babies, so small, wriggling on the floor and crying in unison until the elder started the incantation, and you all quieted as one. The light that arose from each of your chests was so bright, so pure and unadulterated, and when it merged, the burst of energy sent shockwaves throughout the planet.”
He clamps a hand over his chest. “I felt the energy wash over me, and it filled me with unprecedented joy.” He takes my hands, and I’m startled to see tears welling in his eyes. “It’s so hard to describe how euphoric I felt. How hopeful I felt in that moment. How I just knew that these five babies were going to right everything.” He squeezes my hands. “Your lights all entangled together into one combined lifeforce, forming one solid strip of light, and it barreled into your chest like a bolt of lightning, and you soared off the ground, bathed in this golden glow.”
It’s the most animated I’ve ever heard the Elder.
“And then everything turned chaotic as guards loyal to Arantu came knocking. I will never forget the anguished cries coming from all of you when you were ripped apart and separated.” He shakes his head, and a single tear rolls down his cheek. “Where I had felt such immense hope, I now felt huge despair, and I realized then that my emotions were being manipulated by the energy field in the room. I truly believe I was feeling what you all were feeling that day. And the devastation each one of you felt when your life connectors were wrenched apart has stayed with me ever since.”
He stands abruptly, his chest heaving as he walks to the sideboard and pours two drinks. I know he has more to say, and I wait patiently for him to say it. “Most beings struggle to understand the concept of the prophecy, especially the part that relates to you and your protectors, but none of them had a front row seat like I did.” He smiles as he hands me a glass of juice. “Your bond transcends life itself. You truly are all parts of one another, and for you to be whole, all the life connectors must be united. I noticed your confidence visibly grow when you all held hands yesterday at the live streaming. How did that feel?”
“Amazing,” I admit. “I felt content and happy and like I could climb mountains.”
He nods eagerly. “I have nothing to back up my theory, but I strongly believe part of the key to your success lies in the strength of your bond.” He eyeballs me sincerely. “And I firmly believe your dwindling confidence is because that bond is not strong enough. I see how Dane holds himself back from you, and I see how badly that hurts you.”
Tears prick my eyes, tumbling down my cheeks before I can stop them. “I love him. I love him so much, but he won’t let me in.”
“Because of what happened to him on Xzanthar?” he softly asks.
“That’s a big part of it, but he kept his distance even before then. He had doubts about me, and I think he still does even though he claims he trusts me.”
“We have a trained psychologist on the staff. I can schedule him some time with Dane?” he suggests.
“As much as that might help, if you suggest it, he’ll lose his shit. He’s in denial, and until he’s ready to admit it to himself, he’s not going to admit it to some stranger.”
“Part of the psychologist’s role is to coax the admission from the patient.”
“Dane is the most stubborn male I’ve ever met. Trust me, if you suggest it, he’ll dig his heels in. I appreciate the offer, and I’ll think about it, but I don’t think now is the best time to approach Dane with this.”
“Is there anything else I can do to help?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I’m the only one with a shot at getting through to Dane, but so far, I’ve failed miserably. The more I try to get close to him, the more he backs off.”
“Yet his touch comforts you,” he muses, staring off into space.
“Very much so.”
“It’s not a stretch to imagine your touch comforting him too. He’s got to feel the same things you do, so why is he denying himself that?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” I say, rolling my tense shoulders from side to side. “And I’m all out of answers.”
“What the hell is that stuff?” Coop asks, pointing toward the shiny, quivering walls, as we enter the training room later that afternoon.
“It’s an alien substance embedded over the walls to deflect Alinthia’s power,” Donovan says. “Don’t ask me where Glennev got his hands on the stuff, but I’m grateful if it means we’re not turned into a pile of crispy, chargrilled bones.” He waggles his brows in my direction.
“I can still fireball your ass outside this room, so maybe you should speak more nicely to me,” I tease, poking my tongue at him.
“You have met me, right?” he asks, and I giggle.
“I want you in the gym first,” Maddox says, barging his way into the conversation as he materializes from the side room. “You need to warm up before we get started.”
He’s wearing a muscle shirt and training shorts, and his biceps bulge as he walks toward us, carrying a towel and a bottle of water.
My libido takes notice, and I lick my lips as I drink in his delectable form. “I know a better way of warming up,” I half joke.
“Tempting, princess, but we’re here to work that ass, so get your lush booty moving.” He slaps my ass with the towel, and I stick my tongue out before sauntering toward the door he just came from.
“Sweet,” Coop says, and I squeal as he lifts me up from behind. “What machine do you want to use first?”
“The treadmill,” I say without hesitation. “I miss running. Not that this will even come close.”
“You should go running with Mad at night,” he suggests, plonking me on a treadmill before jumping onto the one beside me.
“That’s a great idea.” I power the machine on and crank the speed up to the max. “I always wanted to visit Egypt, and I hate that I can’t go exploring.”
“If you want to go exploring, we’ll go exploring,” Coop says, running at high speed beside me.
“A girl can dream,” I say, because in all honesty, when the hell will we have time to do the tourist thing.
“It’s my mission in life to make all your dreams come true, so consider it a given,” he says, and I blow him a kiss.
“And that’s just one of the reasons why I love you so much.”
I switch to telepathic communication as I push my limbs hard on the machine. Although it’s not as good as running with the wind swirling around my face and the scent of the farm tickling my nostrils, it still feels good to stretch my legs. “I just found out that Glennev witnessed our ceremony of light.”
“Yeah?”
I nod. “You should’ve seen the look of awe on his face when he was speaking about it.”
“I remember every detail of it,” he admits, surprising me.
“I wish I did.”
“Maybe it’s one of the memories you’ll recover.”
“If I ever find the key to unlock them.”
“We’ll find it,” he says with more confidence than I feel.
The Chosen One Page 8
