“Good,” Gai says and it sounds too much like Rafe, which twists the knife in my heart even more. “Don’t move unless I tell you to,” Gaisays sharply, but he doesn’t touch me. “I’ll let your behavior slide for now because I know this is Rafe and Lorian’s fault. They didn’t tell you. They didn’t even have the strength to bring you here themselves. They created an unhealthy bond with you, Eve, and I’m going to help you break it, and heal yourself. To be the best human you can be, given the circumstances.”
“Commander,” Lira says and bows, “if I may, the Sovereigns were busy; that’s why they were unava?—”
“Pah, you think I don’t know my sons?”
“Not at all,” Lira says and then, to my astonishment, continues, “I’m simply stating the truth. You are, after all, an older man. It’s sometimes difficult for fathers to acknowledge that their sons have turned into independent men with responsibilities. Men’s emotions can cloud their understanding of situations.”
“Don’t try to talk down to me just because I’m a man,” Gai replies, but Lira stands her ground.
This is the first time I’ve witnessed the matriarchy in action, and it’s shocking. This large man explaining himself to a much younger woman.
“Now where was I?” Gai looks over at me. "For now, you'll share a room with Autumn. She'll teach you proper pet behavior." He moves his hand between Autumn's legs, stroking the golden hair there with the same detachment one might pet an animal. No doubt, he’s calming himself after the exchange with Lira. “You'll eat from bowls on the floor. Speak only when spoken to. Exist only to please. And if I hear you speaking any human language between the two of you, you will be punished. Do you understand, little terrorist?"
"Yes, Commander," I manage in Imperial.
"Good. Perhaps you're not entirely hopeless. Now, for your training, I’ve looked over your file. We must start over from the very beginning. You need to be reborn into Imperial life. Earth didn’t give you the right start in life, and I mean to correct that. I like to do thingsproperly and from the beginning. Now I’m going to prepare; I don’t believe in putting things off.” He turns to leave, then pauses. "Oh, and, Eve? My sons will visit for their court-ordered conjugal and punishment visits with Tribune Jin Kol; I believe it was once annually. And if you’re not perfect by then, he can take you away, so work hard and trust in my methods. It would be a shame for such a beautiful human to die in a mine or, worse, be sold to a trainer like Aefre.”
I’m dumbfounded as I watch him walk out of the room.
What does he mean by start at the very beginning?
"I'm sorry," Lira says, breaking my train of thought. "I'll check on you quarterly, to ensure you're?—"
"Unmolested?"
“Surviving,” she says simply.
“I don't want to stay here.”
She squeezes my shoulder, and her green eyes bore into mine. “I know, but for the moment, this is the safest place for you. The Sovereigns can’t keep you safe at the Celestial Spire. Rumors were started that you weren’t really being treated like a pet. It didn’t help that you went missing with Lorian for three weeks. That gave your enemies all the evidence they needed.” Then she leans closer. “And Eve, everyone knows that you and Lorian almost killed each other.”
“But we didn’t. And we didn’t break any rules.”
“No one knows that,” she says. “Commander Gai is what he is, but you won’t die here. I can promise you that, because he believes humans are the Lost People.”
“Who?” I ask, remembering the name, but I’m so frazzled I can’t remember from where.
“It’s what some Imperials call humans. It’s based on a religious myth about an Imperial ship that crashed on Earth, and had to survive by breeding with whoever was on the planet at the time. Then humanity was born.”
“That seems far-fetched. But what does this old myth have to do with me exactly?”
“Commander Gai believes in the Imperial religion, so if humans are the Lost People, even if they are a watered-down version of Imperials, he still can’t let any of them die if they’ve done no wrong because they are also children of the goddesses. And I don’t think he thinks you’ve done anything an Imperial woman wouldn’t have done in the same circumstances, but you just got caught.”
“Oh,” I say, “I guess that’s something,” feeling more confused by this culture than ever.
Lira nods. “It ensures life. And you will survive this, Eve. You’re stronger than you look. Be brave and remember, no matter what happens here, being a pet won’t kill you.”
I am speechless as I watch my only friend in the galaxy leave me naked in a strange alien house like a newly adopted puppy.
62
REBORN IMPERIAL STYLE, EVE
Two house guardsenter the room without speaking. Their hands are cold as they pull me between them.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask in my slow Imperial.
Autumn says, “Don’t fight them. They’re taking you to the shrine to be reborn. Just let it happen.”
