“Yes, my Prince. I am on my way.”
When Xylo arrived at the floor for the Royals—the topmost floor in the ship—he strode unseeing past the dining hall that overlooked the terrarium, heading directly for Prince Z’fir’s Royal Suite. It was designed to house the prince and any clan he might one day have and overlooked the terrarium. Prince V’dim was housed in an identical suite.
Xylo sent another brush—the mental equivalent of a knock—to Prince Z’fir as he approached the suite door.
“Come in.”
Xylo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to prepare himself for the coming conversation. Releasing the air slowly, he reopened his eyes, then walked through the door as the light above flashed green, and it opened for him.
Prince Z’fir and Prince V’dim were in the common room, sitting relaxed on the settee. Prince Z’fir’s vines and Prince V’dim’s tentacles were loosely tangled together behind them.
Xylo felt honored the princes were comfortable enough to show affection in front of him. They were much less formal than their Queen mothers, and many on the crew had grown close during their voyage.
The Queens had believed this mission to be a waste of resources and had been unwilling to put anything toward it, though they had not outright forbidden the venture. The princes had remained persistent and had drawn on the Aldawialliance to obtain an old ship—an appreciation for the assistance defending the territory during the Yaarkins war. They had struck a deal with the Aldawi to travel in their territory as long as they used the voyage and their crew to report any unusual activity in the sections of space they explored.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Prince Z’fir questioned as he gestured to the chairs in front of them. “Have a seat. You are welcome to use our dispenser if needed.”
Xylo smiled and bowed his head. “Thank you. I would appreciate a drink.”
Prince V’dim tilted his head, eyeing Xylo. “Your aura seems different. Explain,” he demanded.
Xylo froze, forgetting the drink.
His vines contracted around his torso. He was disappointed in himself. Of course, the princes could to see a change in him—they were the most powerful telepath and empath on the ship. Prince Z’fir would be able to see the nascent bond-strand connecting him to Selena, and Prince V’dim would be able to see a change in his aura.
Xylo wasn’t an Ulax, so he did not know precisely what the auras they saw looked like—though they had been described as a glow of colors radiating from each sentient being. Wudox saw feelings as colors; they could “see” emotional thought.
“I have been honored. A female has accepted me into a courting bond,” he stated, hoping to ease them into the discussion. He was not sure how to discreetly broach the subject of being bonded with Selena, his patient.
Prince V’dim’s gaze skimmed Xylo’s body, and he could almost feel its weight.
“Your aura is surrounded by an unusual sphere as if it is being protected. It is dim, but I have not seen the like before.”
As Prince Z’fir’s eyes narrowed, Xylo was struck by an impending sense of doom. It grew as he felt Z’fir probing his mental shields.
“Your mental shields have strengthened too. I can still enter them, but they are stronger than before,” Prince Z’fir added, his statement devoid of emotion.
“Why is this? Who is your nestqueen?” Prince V’dim questioned, locking his turquoise eyes on Xylo’s.
Another mental push from Prince Z’fir made Xylo wince.
He looked away from Prince V’dim, toward the terrarium window. “I could use a drink now. A hard one.”
“Get three. Then you are going to sit down and tell us who your nestqueen is,” Prince Z’fir commanded.
Xylo bowed his head and turned to the drink dispenser. He ordered three glasses ofXowyn, a silvery fruit concoction. The color reminded him of Selena’s silver hair, and despite the tension, he smiled to himself.
Glasses in hand, he strode back to the princes and handed each their glass, avoiding eye contact. Xylo took another deep breath and let it out before sitting on the chair closest to them. Gaze on the glass in his hand, he swirled theXowynbefore taking a sip. The liquid silver had a sweet fruity flavor with the sharp bite of alcohol as it burned its way down his throat.
“The female human we saved has woken. It seems I was right, humans have the ability to mentally shield. I tried penetrating her shields to soothe her panic upon waking—and find a way to communicate—but failed. As you know, I am as strong as most of the Wudox females aboard this ship. Only you and a select few have greater mental ability than I do, but I do not believe either of you have the strength to break through her shields,” Xylo finally answered, keeping his eyes on theXowynhe continued to swirl.
“You bonded with her. Is that why you are shielded now? How?” The strain in Z’fir’s tenor voice was apparent.
“Based on my research, humans seem to be social, affectionate, and at times, sexual. When we finally succeeded in communicating our names and she perceived no threat from me, she placed her lips on mine, something commonly called ‘kissing’ that quite a few of the Children indulge in. Afterward, she placed her forehead against mine as my vines wrapped around her. That is when I felt the courting bond form. And only then could I see her emotions and hear her loud thoughts as she spoke to me mind-to-mind. My bond thread to her bypasses her natural shields, but it does not allow me to probe into her memories or anything we might normally be able to do,” Xylo explained.
“This complicates things. The Aldawi want us to deliver her when we arrive at CEG HQ in about fourteen days. We now have two options—either you find a way to break the courting bond and deal with the aftereffects, or you find a way to complete the bond and see if the Aldawi will let you go with her. Do you know the status of her pregnancy?” Prince Z’fir questioned.
Xylo stilled the swirling of his drink and finally looked up to meet Z’fir’s solemn gaze.
