Selena
After paging my other two mates to tell them what I planned, I entered the infirmary with my Circuli princes beside me. Since my other mates could teleport on a whim, I expected they could gather here easily.
Xylo’s fathers and Oeta were already in the infirmary’s Cryopod chamber, working at their stations. No one looked up as we entered the room. Judging by their frantic paces, I assumed Kaica and her clan had warned them what I intended and were on their way, too.
As expected, Kaede and Zirene appeared beside me.
Kaede scanned my face. “Are you sure about this? You don’t have to rush.”
“Look at V’dim and Z’fir,” I replied, pausing at the center display table. Crossing my arms, I watched Kaede and the rest of the room pause to study them. “Vowels was able to expedite their healing some by using the extra life energy around him.”
“How?” Suvax approached Z’fir with a scanner, waving the wand over his body. “I’ve never heard of such technology, beyond using the healing well.”
“Healing well?”
“It is an underground lake located at the base of a mountain on Circul; the same area researchers believe our species originated. Only the Queens’ clans and their close supporters may enter the well. Our royalty guard it jealously, believing the common folk will somehow taint the water,” he replied, frowning as he studied his scanner’s readout. “But, even the healing well could not have helped your princes’ progress as far as they have now. It’s impossible to recover this much overnight.”
“It’s not impossible; it just hasn’t been done to your knowledge,”Vowels said, materializing beside me.“I am quite capable of healing many things; it is the energy source that is the problem.”
Suvax dropped his scanner. The room fell silent as Xylo’s fathers raised their appendages into a defensive position, seeming dumbstruck no one else was reacting.
“Who are you?” Suvax blurted.
When I opened my mouth to respond, the infirmary doorsswooshedopen, revealing Kaica and her mates. A gasp escaped her lips, and her clan dropped into protective stances around her, looking equally confused and shocked.
“Everyone, meet Euouae—I like to call him Vowels,” I announced with a smile, hoping to calm some nerves. “He was the gem in the necklace Zirene gave me. Turns out he’s an ancient energy-based lifeform who specializes in healing. He now lives within me as my symbiont.”
“How did that happen?” Yuwal asked, scanning my body. His gaze hitched on the scar between my breasts, and his jaw dropped. “What barbarian put him inside you?”
“That barbarian would beme,” Kaede hissed, stepping in front of me. “She was bleeding to death at the time. I decided to save her life at the cost of becoming a host. To share the burden, I placed one in me, too.”
At that very moment, REI’s teal, translucent form appeared beside Vowels, nodding her head at Kaede. “I am REI, Kaede’s symbiont. I’m responsible for his more advanced technology—”
“And my teleportation.”
“I don’t believe I need to say this out loud, but I will,” Zirene spoke up, trying to take control of the room. “The existence of the Oetsae is a secret we must keep from the CEG and the Aldawi empire. I will not give the galaxy a reason to ally and invade us to steal the Oetsae from the depths of Destima’s cave system. Until we figure out how to provide them with willing hosts, you are to act as though they do not exist. Do I make myself clear?”
The room filled with affirmatives from those gathered, all of whom stared at the glowing forms beside me.
Glancing at my Shadow, I wondered how our time last night had affected him. He seemed calmer, but there was still a deadly undertone to his words, even though he didn’t use his dominant aura.
Had he given up on using that ability to demand respect and order? Or had he restrained himself here, out of respect for my clan?
His eyes had lightened to royal purple, but they still hadn’t returned to the amethyst coloring I had grown to love. The black ethereal flames were subdued, now that we had slept together, but I couldn’t help wondering whether they would reappear if he became angry or lost contact with me again.
Now that he was the Sovereign, there was so much I didn’t understand, including whether he had gained more power when he rose in rank. Destima’s mental web had been thrust upon me once I officially became the Queen of the moon. Had he gained similar abilities to help him ensure empire-wide obedience?
“Why are we here, Selena?” Zirene asked, giving me his full attention. “Kaede and I were going over reports when you called. What do you need?”
“I want to wake my Favored,” I announced, studying his reaction to the news. When no rebuttal came, I closed my eyes and sighed, happy he wasn’t questioning me for once. “I believe I’m strong enough to bind them, like I did my princes last night. Vowels should be able to heal Xylo and Odelm over time, as long as he is provided with enough life energy. I don’t want to keep them in cryostasis any longer. I need them with me. I want us together, supporting each other as we move past everything we have been through.
“Xylo and Odelm are in the worst condition of any of us. If I wait until the rest of us heal before we wake them, they will believe they are a burden on us, especially without their appendages. They will need all the love and support we can give them, because I know their disabilities will gut them more than their injuries have aggrieved me.
“Zirene, Ineedthem,” I begged, grabbing his mane and staring deep into his eyes, hoping he could see the desperation I felt. “I’m not trying to test my limits here; I just need my whole clan together again. It’s bad enough our cubs are gone, and there’s no way to bring them back without causing problems. I just want my mates back.”
“Are you sure?” Zirene asked, combing my loose hair back behind my ears. “Do you really want to rush into this?”
“Yes, if it means my nestbed will be filled with all of my mates.” I bit my lip, fighting the urge to cry. I didn’t want to appear weak. “Last night, it feltwrongleaving them in this room while we retired across the hall together. Even if waking my Favored complicates our journey, I would rather do that than leave them again.”
