“We swear ourselves to you, Selena. And to your clan. We were renounced by our society and were explorers, hoping to find a new beginning,” V’dim announced.
“Now the Stars and the Fates have answered us, and we shall serve you, your clan, and the Aldawi Empire,” Z’fir swore.
They baffled me. I felt uncomfortable by their display as both of my nestmates joined their comrades. I was just giving them a part of the gift Zirene gave me. It would feel wrong to have a home to go to and have them part ways, not knowing when they would have a place to their own. Especially after they spent all these years searching and did not find anything to fit their needs that wasn’t already claimed.
“Get up, all of you. There is no need for this.” They all glanced up, confused by my reaction. “You guys broke the first rule of the room. Seriously, get up. If you are so thankful for this, then help me come up with infrastructure for theDestiny’s crew. I am lost when it comes to everyone’s needs.”
“We could use the dreamdome to plan. I can relocate enough dream-engineers to have everything built by the time theDestinyarrives. It would take ten days. That would give the princes time to organize where the crew would stay.”
“Dreamdome?” I asked, confused.
“It is something Aldawi use to build blueprints in their dreamscape, along with other things. Dream-Engineers take the blueprints and enter them into a fabricator, which takes a fraction of the time needed to build the designed object. The only restriction is the planner's imagination.”
“How is that possible?” I asked, unable to comprehendthe capabilities needed to do such a thing. If the Aldawi had this power, what stopped them from taking over the whole galaxy? Why did they allow minor species to continue like the Circuli to live in their territory?
“Aldawi technology. Something no other species has in CEG. They keep trying to steal it but are never successful. The Aldawi are the only species with the ability to dreamwalk—other than you, Selena,” Royak explained.
“And you have a dreamdome here?”
Zirene nodded and tilted his head toward the doors behind him.
“The Royal Aldawi Commons has the only one available on the space station. It is through those doors. We could enter it now and make plans.”
“Who would watch our cubs?”
“Vikvez, Pavryn, and I can,” Royak volunteered. “If there are multiple powerful Aldawi in the dreamdome, it can cause issues with getting things mapped out since they can all effortlessly control the dreamscape—even unconsciously. This is between you, Zirene, and the princes,” Royak chuckled. “Besides, I plan to visit often.”
“Do you even know how to take care of cubs? I thought males typically aren’t around females and their cubs?”
Royak glanced at Pavryn as Vikvez answered, “If the male has a Seedbearer, he can take the cubs from her to raise once they are weaned. Royak may not have the experience, but I have aided many high-ranking males in taking care of their newly acquired cubs until they are old enough to have a hunting mentor and go to the academy. That is where Pavryn comes in. Between the three of us and the supplies you have in this room, we won’t fail to care for your cubs. They are the future of the Aldawi Empire, in one form or another.”
His reasoning was sound, but I hesitated, realizing this was the first time I was consciously leaving my cubs behindwith someone outside of my clan. I knew Zirene trusted them, which helped ease my anxiety. My excitement trying something new—which sounded amazing—overrode my doubts. I hoped the cubs behaved while we were in the dreamdome.
“I trust you. It is just my motherly instincts kicking in.”
All the Aldawi males laughed loudly. I watched them in shock, along with the rest of the room.
“You are funny, Selena. An Aldawi female with new cubs would be highly aggressive and wouldn’t even allow any of us near them or their cubs. You have been tame—even with your outburst earlier,” Zirene chuckled. “Not that voicing your feelings to us was uncalled for. Even other females in other species wouldn’t allow this many males around them at this vulnerable time with newborn offspring. You are making everything easier on us by being as relaxed and understanding as you are.”
“That is because I haven’t had the chance to sit down and process everything,” I shrugged.
“Let’s see this dreamdome of yours.”
CHAPTER NINE
Selena
“Lie back, close your eyes, and relax. Send your mental threads to me, and you will fall into a relaxing sleep as I guide you through the dreamscape,” Zirene explained calmly.
I followed his instructions and laid back in the massive chair—which seemed as if it would eat me alive—and closed my eyes. I willed myself to relax. I knew what to expect and trusted Zirene with the procedure. It was surprising to hear that Zirene would accept all the mental threads from everyone but me, at the same time. Xylo explained that other species had other forms of telepathic abilities, and many of them were more powerful than the Circuli. For Zirene to accept the mental threads from both princes and Xylo—who were among the most powerful members of theDestiny—along with Odelm and the three healers, he had to have a very powerful mind, especially if he was going to take all of us into the dreamscape world together.
Suddenly, my consciousness slipped into a blackened space before it turned into the dreamscape world I had known for the last nine years.
It was a tropical paradise filled with a kaleidoscope ofcolored plant life, which thrived under the bright yellow sun in the clear blue sky. The sounds of lilac-colored waves crashing onto the white-sanded shore brought peace to me as I leaned against the stone railing of the villa’s porch overlooking the island.
I didn’t have to wait long for the others to appear as, one by one, their presence filtered in moments before they arrived. First Xylo and Odelm, followed by V’dim and Z’fir. As they inspected their bodies and each other, Chyox, Usthu, and Ayces appeared. Their reactions were filled with shock as they spun around with their vines and tentacles out in a defensive position—as if they were about to be attacked. Lastly, I felt Zirene’s powerful presence shift next to me before he appeared. Instead of the clear black flame-like body, he looked as he did moments ago.
As if he knew I was staring at him, he looked down at me and smiled. “Like what you see?”
