“Historical context, personal conditioning,” Lorian continues, rising suddenly from his chair. “To ensure you can handle the psychological pressure of representing humanity before the galaxy's most powerful elite.”
Lorianmoves around the table with fluid grace, approaching me directly.
I force myself to remain still as he stops close enough that I can smell the exotic scent emanating from his skin. What did Lira call it?Starfire oil. The scent makes me want to lean closer, even as every rational thought screams at me to step back.
“You're fascinating, Eve,” he says. “Most humans would be begging for relief from the Venus Lock by now or weeping at learning about Denise's fate. But your composure under pressure is remarkable.”
I feel Lorian’s presence behind me, too close to be professional. I can feel his warm breath against my neck. “You dream, don't you, Eve?”
Have they been watching my dreams?“How do you?—”
“The neural scanners in your suite,” Rafe says. “They monitor everything.”
“We know when your fingers brush over the Venus Lock, seeking relief that can never come,” Lorian adds.
Mortification floods through me, followed by an unwanted feeling of sexual excitement at his intimate knowledge of my most private moments.
“Your arousal is spiking, Eve,” Rafe observes from his seat, consulting a display. “Don’t feel self-conscious. It's a common female response to psychological dominance.”
I want to die of embarrassment.
“Are you up to the challenge of being our human liaison, Eve Eden?” Lorian asks. His finger lightly tracing an invisible collar around my neck. “One hundred and fifty days of intensive training with us?”
“Respectfully, what if I fail, Sovereigns?”
“Then Tribune Jin Kol will shut down the Championships publicly, meaning that it will be worse for humans as the Championships will go underground with no rules. At the moment, it has the possibility of turning into something real, with a future where humans actually do choose to compete,” Rafe says matter-of-factly. “But if you fail, the progress we've made toward legal human employment would have been fornothing.”
“The choice is yours,” Lorian adds, circling my neck with his finger again. “You can be part of humanity's evolution toward true freedom, or you can let fear govern you, serve out your contract as a mere receptionist, and then go back to Earth.”
“I understand,” I say finally, although I don’t think I have a choice. “I'll do my best to fulfill the role of liaison as required.”
“Excellent,” Rafe nods. “We'll begin your training tomorrow.”
“One last thing,” Lorian says, not stepping back from my personal space. “The training will be... comprehensive. We'll push your boundaries and test your limits. We’re not going to be as lenient as we were with our first human employees.”
As I look between them, I feel as if time has stopped and is waiting for me to say something, to make a decision that will affect the rest of my life.
“I'm ready,” I lie.
“Good. It’s so good to start out optimistically,” Lorian says.
“One more thing, Eve,” Rafe says. “This concerns your safety and our claim. This morning, you were given a draught reserved for those under our protection. Do you know what you consumed?”
“No, Sovereign.”
His grey lips curve faintly. “It was us. Both of us. Our seed, sanctified by Imperial rite, poured into your cup, and the Spire’s employees watched you consume it. In our culture, to drink what we give you is not indulgence; it signals devotion.”
I can’t breathe now that I know what I drank—their semen. And everyone knew but me.Heat sears my skin, shame and arousal tangling until I don’t know which is stronger.
I shouldn’t find that sexy.
“And we watched you from our private room. We watched the way your lips closed around the rim of the goblet and savored everyswallow you took until you finished it all. Make no mistake, you are ours.”
Lorian traces his fingers around my neck once more giving me goose bumps. “Every time you are given it to drink, you’ll drink it, with your eyes open and looking at us if we are in the dining hall, and you will remember who you belong to.”
I’m so stunned I don’t know how to respond. All at once, this is everything I have ever dreamed about, and at the same time, a terrible erotic nightmare.
Lorian pushes my head down. “Bow, little Eve, and say thank you.”
