He felt her loneliness, the fear that she was all-alone, might die alone. The perpetual darkness and being alone in it. That hurt the most. Because even after he rescued her, he left her alone. It was like being imprisoned all over again. It would be a wonder if she did not truly hate him. What damage had he caused?

  After the images flickered and died, the emotions in the room did not. Bri’aque automatically made copies and stored them in case they were needed. Torin sat and stared into emptiness. Karia had gone through so much in her human life. The worst things that ever happened to her happened in his ruling space. His house. He owed her much. He owed her freedom. It was too much to ask, to link her life to his. He had already taken so much as it was.

  “She is truly a remarkable woman,” Bri’aque said solemnly. “Brietta has suffered as well. I can understand her mistrust.”

  “Yes, truly.” Torin looked at his friend. “I have wronged her further.”

  “You didn’t know. You acted in the capacity as First Son to the Order. Your duty was to your people first.”

  “I knew in my heart…”

  “That would not have stopped her execution. The Order does not consider emotions in trials. You know that. You had to pursue this course, this way. She can live freely among the people now.”

  “Why would she want to?” Torin questioned.

  “That I cannot answer,” Bri’aque replied. “It has been a few hours since I allowed Brietta to start her visit. I will retrieve her now. She probably has driven her guard insane.” Bri’aque shook his head thinking of the woman.

  “Yes, I should probably seek out Mother, see what she is up to. Until later,” he said to Bri’aque. They both went their separate ways.

  “Just talk to her,” his mother whispered, shoving him into the relaxing room with the fire pit.

  “Mother, I have talked to her in the past. Truly what do you think has changed?” He was frustrated and tired and he wanted to see Karia. He needed to talk to her, but he definitely needed to get her out of the house first.

  “She’s older now,” his mother stated, as if that changed the level of the girl’s intelligence.

  “Very well, but on the condition that you leave with her in tow, and leave me to consider her as a mate. After all, Mother, I might be attaching myself to this woman for life. Surely you will allow me some time to consider?”

  The First Mother squinted her golden eyes at him shrewdly before she smiled.

  “You are just like your father. I agree. But you must promise to give it an honest try.”

  “Agreed.” Torin smiled. He honestly would try to get her out of his face as soon as possible.

  “I’ll go amuse myself, take a look around. See what changes you have made to the House. I’ll have my personal servant ready us to go as soon as you and the girl are done with dinner.”

  “Dinner…” Before he could finish, his mother kissed him on the cheek, shoved him the rest of the way into the room and closed the door. He beheld the relaxing room with a table that had been brought in full of the finest foods and no doubt wine. The Niahne girl sat at one end of the table looking at him adoringly. Or perhaps she was seeing him as the prize in the ultimate game. Either way, he wasn’t playing by her or his mother’s rules.

  “Hello again,” he said pleasantly, and seated himself in front of the table of food he had no appetite to eat.

  “Hello, First, it has been much too long,” the girl replied.

  And so began the longest, most boring evening Torin had the misfortune to have since—he couldn’t remember when.

  Three ticks later, Torin knocked joyfully on his mother’s door. It was done with excruciating pain, but he kept his end of the bargain.

  “Come in.” his mother answered cheerfully.

  Torin walked into the room to see his mother playing with the oddest-looking creature he had ever seen in his life.

  “Mother, what is that?” He approached the animal. It was very colorful, but without benefit of arms or strong legs. Its legs looked like small sticks, with even smaller ones wrapped around his mother’s wrist.

  “It’s called a–a, let’s see.” His mother tapped her finger against her lips thoughtfully. “Oh, now I remember, it’s called a bird—a macaw, I believe. Isn’t it beautiful?”

  “A bird?” He remembered Karia telling him of these creatures. “This thing can fly without benefit of a machine, correct?”

  “Why yes!” His mother appeared delighted that he knew something of her new pet. “These are its wings, it’s how it flies.” She pointed knowingly at the creature.

  “Mother, where did you get such a creature?” Torin looked at it closely. What appeared to be its mouth looked awfully wicked.

  “That’s what I was going to tell you. You see your fathers’ attention was called to a planet just short of the Space desert. Adara, I think it is. There was an unauthorized landing many, many moons past, but your father couldn’t get away to check it out. You know the problem the Gaurans have been lately.

  “Anyway he went and came back with this creature, said it was given to him as a gift from, ah,” she searched her memory again before she went on, “Earth people. Really, son, I can’t remember everything. Something about their planet exploding and them needing a home. Which reminds me…”

  Torin briefly let his mother prattle on. His mind otherwise engaged. Someone on the opposing side must have had survivors as well. Karia was not the last of her kind. She would probably be interested in knowing this.

  “So I sent them to live among their own kind,” his mother rattled on “ I let one of the pilot guards use my Away Pod.”

  “Mother, what?” His mother’s words snapped him out of his thoughts.

  “The human you had here, I accidentally stumbled into her room while touring the House for changes.”

  They both knew she did not stumble into Karia’s room. More than likely she saw the guard and demanded to be let in. It wasn’t as if the guard could tell her no.

  “She told me why she was held prisoner. Of course I didn’t want to bother you and the Niahne girl, so I had Bri’aque brief me. He said she was not a danger. So I decided she and the other human would like it better among their own kind. Your father has allowed the humans to live there, so long as they agree to trade. That’s why he couldn’t make it, he was tired from all the…”

  “You sent her away?” Torin bellowed at his mother.

  “How dare you raise your voice? You’re scaring Bob!” his mother snapped, trying to soothe the bird.

  “Bob?” Torin bit out.

  “The bird,” she replied irritated. “The humans named it Bob. I rather like it don’t—”

  “Mother do you realize what you have done with your meddling?”

  “I only allow this tone of voice because you are my son, but do not push me, Torin.” She stroked the birds’ feathers lovingly.

  “Push You? Mother, that human that you sent away, is the enemy of those people. When they learn who she is, they will kill her on sight!”

  “Well that’s unfortunate, seeing that there aren’t that many left. Caleb—that’s the human’s name—seemed interested in having the women there. Do you really think he would harm them? Seems counterproductive when you think about it.” His mother truly could not see what this had anything to do with his anger. “This business with these humans, it deters you from your responsibilities. Son, you were going to send her and the other one to the slave market any way. You would have never seen either one again. What difference does it make?”

  “The difference, Mother, is this particular human carries my seedling!” Torin roared. “She is my mate.”

  Torin realized as he said it that he would have never let her go. He would have never put her to death had it came to it. He now realized the investigation for what it was—stalling. Stalling for time to come to terms with what she meant to him. A way to keep her here with him. He would have renounced his legacy and disappeared with her. He knew the moment he saw her in that cave, she was the one. He ignored all the signs.

  “What have I done? Why did you not tell me? This is my point, Torin, you never tell me anything. Do you really think I would have done this on purpose had I known?” She wiped her forehead in frustration.

  “How much time do they have on us?” he demanded, while he summoned Bri’aque on the big screen.

  “Perhaps a tick and a half. I sent my Second Generation child to its death…” She was pale, her golden eyes huge in her beautiful face. “I told the guards to simply deposit them and leave. I honestly thought I was helping.”

  Torin felt his heart go out to his mother. It was true she never meant any harm. She would have never done this had she known.

  “I will find her, Mother.”

  Bri’aque’s face appeared on the screen moments later. Torin noted the anger in Bri’aque’s face when he learned that Brietta too had been sent away. Interesting, considering she drove him crazy.

  “I’m getting the coordinates from Mother now, Bri’aque, have the ship ready.”

  “Consider it done.” Bri’aque nodded briefly to the First Mother respectfully though his anger was apparent. Torin turned to his mother

  “There is still the matter of the Gaurans at hand. Perhaps you will be better suited to help me solve that problem.”

  After getting the exact coordinates of the planet Torin heard his mother’s words as he left. “What have I done?”

  You and I, Mother, Torin said to himself. What have we done?

  Chapter Eight

  “Do you trust these people?” Brietta whispered none too silently while she eyed the large guards.

  “Not really. There was one I thought I could but… I don’t want to talk about this.” Karia’s pain was too new to share with Brietta. She was just glad to have her as company. “Are you sure you’re up to taking this trip so soon?”

  “I’ve been sleeping ‘a moon cycle’ as that bastard phrased it.”

  “Bastard? Bri’aque?”

  “Oh yeah. That’s the most insensitive, egotistical, womanizer I have ever had the displeasure to meet.” Brietta formed her face into a rather formidable scowl.

  “Wow, that’s a mouthful. He couldn’t possibly be as bad as Torin.”

  “You promised to tell me about him.” When Brietta saw the set of Karia’s chin, she immediately relented. “In your own time, of course. We have a lot of catching up to do. Bri’aque told me you were being investigated, which is why I couldn’t see you right away. He told me, Torin believed you innocent.”

  “Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t know what they found out. I wasn’t sticking around for it. If they found me guilty, I’d probably be swinging already. No, this was a good thing. The First Mother provided us with a good opportunity.”

  “I guess so. She was awfully vague though. She just said it was people we’d want to be around. Do you suppose others from our group survived?”

  “Maybe. Torin said he thought everyone was dead. They found no other people alive.”

  “Well, maybe someone else found them.”

  “Could be.”

  “Karia, I know you don’t want to speak of this now, but there’s something I have to tell you. Something I promised your father I would do.”

  “Don’t sound so grim, it can’t be that bad.”

  “Well, I don’t know, Karia. I should have told you when we landed on Fallon One but I didn’t know how you’d take it. I was looking for the right moment and there never seemed to be one.”

  “Just say it. Did he give you something to give to me?” Karia hoped that maybe her father explained what he did to her and why, and she wouldn’t have to go on guessing.

  “No. Okay, here it goes. Our fathers worked closely together. I know those creatures that attacked us. I mean, I’ve seen them before on Earth.”

  The silence that followed was deafening. She could swear she could hear Karia’s blood boiling. She had wanted to tell Karia about the experiments, but she didn’t know how. She wanted Karia on the Prometheus just as much as her father, and she was willing to keep quiet about it.

  “You knew about the Gaurans?”

  “Is that what they’re called? Then yes, I did. Their ship burst through our atmosphere. Your dad, of course, retrieved them. My dad was in charge of all animal experiments, so those things fell under his care. He showed them to me one day, and your dad was there. They told me what to look for if you exhibited odd behavior.”

  “All that time? All that time before we left, you knew I was a freak?” Karia could hear the shriek in her own voice.

  “Not a freak. Different. Stronger. I wanted you to come. I knew if you found out, you’d stay on that dead rock. Your dad would have never forgiven himself for failing you as a father. He wouldn’t have forgiven me for telling you.”

  “And what about my forgiveness? Did anyone think of what I would do when I found out?” Karia turned to her best friend in the whole world. Literally. “What if I can’t forgive any one of you?”

  “We were all willing to take that chance as long as that meant you were alive.”

  “Do you know what was done to the Gaurans?”

  Brietta let a large tear roll down her cheek. “No, Dad just kept saying they were smart for animals, a smart species, but he thought they had the potential for greater intelligence. I should have told you, I just couldn’t. I was afraid you’d—”

  “Not forgive you?” Karia finished for her. She slumped back in her seat. It wasn’t as if Brietta could have stopped her dad. She had done it out of love.

  “It’s okay. I figured out most of that on my own anyway.”

  “How?” Brietta wiped a tear, daring a small glance at her friend. Karia proceeded to tell Brietta the latest events, leaving out the personal things between her and Torin. That was still too painful. With Brietta’s jaw in a rather impressive slack, the pilot announced they were approaching Adara and would be landing soon. Brietta and Karia clasped hands and hoped this planet and its inhabitants were more agreeable than the last.

  “What was that woman thinking?” Torin spat out and not for the first time. “Sending them away like that.”

  “She thought she was helping.” Bri’aque passed Torin as they crossed each other, pacing on the ship. “I had no idea what she was planning when she asked me about them. I was duty bound to answer her questions. Had I known she would do this…”

  “She was trying to get rid of her. She thought she was keeping me away from finding an Attachment. Distracting me, perhaps.”

  “Well, in all honesty she was doing just that.”

  “She is the Attachment.” Torin declared.

  “It is about time you admitted that out loud.” Bri’aque smirked at his friend, who now began to pace around him.

  “You, my friend, have no room to jest.” Torin stopped in front of Bri’aque.

  “What do you mean by those words?” Bri’aque looked truly offended.

  “You seemed to be in denial about the other woman, Brietta.”

  “I have never denied she was beautiful.”

  “Yes, but it’s what you’re not saying that you’re denying.”

  “You sound like a woman, riddling your words!”

  “Very well then, you fancy the human as I do Karia.”

  “That’s one very offensive accusation, my friend.”

  “Yet, you have not denied it.” Both men stood toe to toe. Eyeing each other closely, until one of them finally broke.

  “I will admit. I kissed the human,” Bri’aque said. “She was asking for it, no woman looks that beautiful unless she wants me to kiss her.”

  “Bri’aque, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Yes, that’s what she said as well. She struck me. Then she kissed me. That woman is confusing.” Bri’aque was clearly flustered.

  “She has not fallen for your charms as the others have. Yes, no doubt she is attracted to you, but I don’t think she will be at all an easy lay, let alone someone you can toss aside once you are done with the carnal pleasures.”

  “Nor I for that matter. What of Karia? Do you think she cares for you?”

  “I do not know. I can’t blame her for leaving at the first chance. I’ve caused her much grief.”

  “Not intentionally, and not all of it your fault.” Bri’aque laid a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Brother of Heart, only take the responsibilities that are yours, for they alone are burden enough.”

  “If they harm her or the seedling in any way, I’ll wipe out the remaining humans.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” A sinister smile crossed Bri’aque’s handsome features. Though they both smiled, they both knew the truth of the words.

  The pilot’s voice came over the system. “First, we’re approaching Adara. We’ve made good time, the Away Pod is no match for a full fledged battle ship.”

  “Scan, see if you can pick up my mother’s Pod frequency.” Torin began to put on battle gear. He and Bri’aque would be prepared to fight if necessary. He didn’t know a lot about humans, so caution was key. His soldiers stood armed and ready as well.

  “I found the Pod, First. I am also picking up plenty of heat signatures. There are at least fifteen humans in the area.”

  Torin ground his teeth. “If they hurt her, this planet will be wiped clean.”

  Bri’aque grunted his agreement.

  “Land us, pilot” Torin ordered.

  “Okay, so this was supposed to be better than Scyrillis?” Brietta growled into Karia’s ear.

  The guards just handed them over to the humans and left. Probably figured they’d be welcomed with open arms. Ha. Brietta lost all feeling in her tied up hands behind her back.

  “You’d think these people would have enough sense to know that the war is over, no one won. You’d think they’d want to preserve all traces of human life,” Karia spat out loudly, stumbling on a funny looking rock.

  “I can’t believe they had a ship too. They started the damn nuclear war. Then again, I guess that makes sense.”

 

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