“Let’s hope you never have to do this for me.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Odelm
Waves of unfamiliar emotions crashed upon him, pulling him from his deep slumber. He knew they weren’t his, nor were they his nestqueen’s or clan’s. The memory of what Vowels had said about sharing the web’s core jolted him awake.
Sitting up, he blinked hard, trying to recall what had happened while he’d been in the psychic construct.
Somehow, Selena had taken over the moon’s mental web entirely from her princes, and now she was the sole leader, making him and his nestbrothers her core.
Being a member of a nestqueen’s clan was an honor in itself—the highest a Circuli male could accomplish outside of being the nestqueen’s Favored. He loved the swell of acceptance washing over him as the newest nestmate was pulled into the fold. Each male experienced an ineffable sense of belonging—that they mattered enough to be claimed.
Odelm had barely survived being rejected once, but never in his wildest dreams had he fantasized about joining a clan with a loving nestqueen and ranking among the clan’s core. Selena had deemed him a Favored, but his insecurities had denied him his place as a Second, something he had regretted the moment he showed his slight hesitation.
He wished he could take that moment back.
“Things happen for a reason,”Xylo said, his soothing mental voice sounding as drained as Odelm felt.“The Stars led us down this path, and now our nestqueen is Destima’s Queen, making us a part of the web’s core. Who could’ve thought providing comfort and aid to a pregnant female in need all those months ago would result in this?”
“Thank the Stars for this path.”
Expanding his awareness, he could see his improved connection to his nestqueen and the new mental strands that had formed with his nestbrothers, tying them together in a protective core. They had become the center of Destima’s web, protecting Selena as the focal point.
Every point of their clan web had a strong aura, signifying how healthy his clanmates lying beside him were. He traced his strengthened thread to Selena and was almost blinded by her aura’s golden brilliance.
She had become stronger since she had last graced his sight.
A dark flame hovered behind her like a shadow, almost drowning all the colors she projected in that direction. Their light and dark auras danced intimately, pushing and giving ever so slightly wherever they touched.
“A Nova and her Shadow,”Xylo explained.“Even I can see their auras, and I’m Wudox. I can only imagine how detailed they seem to you. Our Queens kept their inner workings a secret, not wanting their offspring to grow a following and challenge them. Who knows if this is normal for a Queen’s clan?”
“It’s not,”Z’fir chimed in. The interruption shocked Odelm, who had thought his conversation with his clanbrother had been private.“I wasn’t able to see V’dim’s aura even though we were clanbrothers when we ruled theDestiny’s web. However, Selena is more than just a Queen ruling her clan and web. She isn’t Circuli. She was designed to mimic the traits of her mates, and now that she’s paired with her symbiont, Euouae, it’s no wonder that her adaptive abilities have made her this powerful.”
“She was powerful before I joined with her,”Euouae protested. His mental voice felt like a caress over Odelm’s shields as if he belonged there with the familiarity of a life-long companion.“I’ve only enhanced what was already there, guiding her to become a better version of herself.”
“How are we able to see each other’s auras?”Xylo asked as a wave of uncertainty radiated from him.“I shouldn’t be able to see anyone besides my clanbrother and nestqueen, but I can see the others’ auras within my clan, including Zirene’s.”
“You are a part of Selena, as the Sovereign is,”Euouae replied as if that explained everything.“She has each one of your mating spores inside her, connecting you on a molecular level. Just as your body, mind, and soul instantly know she is yours, the same goes for her.
“Mentally, her species are natural Shielders with defenses almost impenetrable to outside forces. She doesn’t know it, but she subconsciously attempts to protect those connected to her, which is why you’ve always been shielded from those outside the clan. As her mental strength increases, you will benefit as an extension of her.
“I sense only two pairs in existence within your clan’s network, but you should remedy that—and soon. Form more clanbrother connections. You are already starting to feel the effects of your new mental strength due to your position within the Circuli mental web and your connection to Selena. The stronger the foundation of your mental web, the harder it will be for outside forces to interfere with what she’s built. It’s your job to protect her.”
“What are you saying?”Odelm demanded, concerned by this warning.“Is there something you know that we don’t?”
“We aren’t completely healed yet, and I still lack most of my appendages from protecting my nestqueen from danger,”Xylo spat.“What has been happening while we’ve been unconscious?”
“You have nothing to be concerned about—yet,”Euouae warned.“She has always been a person of interest, an easy target to weaken the Aldawi Empire because of her connection with her Shadow. While no one on the moon currently wants to challenge Selena for Queen, I can’t say what will happen once news gets out about the ambassadors she brought home. I saw what happened on the Assembly floor through Selena’s memories. The Circuli princesses wanted to take over Destima’s web by mating V’dim and Z’fir, though Selena saved them from that dire fate. There is another galaxy of species bordering ours, where both the Yaarkins and the outsiders reside. Who knows if more of Ryzen’s kind, the Verya, and their Federation of powerful psychics will want to face off against the CEG? We have to be prepared for anything.”
Odelm didn’t like that train of thought, but he was grateful that Euouae had warned them about this. He hadn’t thought about what may await them beyond the near future. Now that Selena was not only the queen of Destima but the Beacon of the Aldawi Empire, she would have a larger target on her back. If someone knocked her out, Destima’s Circuli population would drop into a spiral and Zirene would go insane, inciting a civil war within the Aldawi.
Even after losing his tentacles, he would gladly sacrifice his life if it meant Selena could live on. As devastating as it would be for her to mourn the death of a nestmate, she would have the others to comfort her as she led her citizens to a brighter future.
Odelm patted the ground below him as he tried to figure out what he was lying on. The surface was silky to the touch and too soft to be a medical bed or stasis chamber. From Selena’s memories and her explanation of what had happened while they were unconscious, he knew he shouldn’t be on a cushion.
“It’s about time you guys wake up,” Kaede whispered directly above his head. His voice held a hint of annoyance. “You’ve slept the whole day away, and it’s now almost dawn.”
“Where are we?” Odelm opened his eyes, taking in the ring of spheres radiating bright light. They surrounded an unfamiliar nestbed on some sort of island. The rest of his clan were lying clustered tightly together, seeking comfort from their nestqueen, who was nestled in the center. His nestbrothers’ bodies glowed alongside his, skin displaying their unique detailing—a symbol of how much they had healed while they were unconscious within the psychic construct. Selena’s spots radiated a purplish pink so bright that she cast a glow on Zirene’s dark fur where his body wrapped around hers. “This isn’t Selena’s master bedroom.”
