He was cooing and babbling, waving his arms, which reflected golden in the sunlight. Ollie was his name. Technically, it was Kollix’an, but that was a mouthful, so the human women simply called him Ollie. And he was thesweetestthing.
Vaxa’an looked down at Erin. She marveled that she hadn’t recognized the similarities between him and Jaxor. They had identical eyes, for one. And while Erin had thought Jaxor looked familiar to her, she hadn’t known Vaxa’an very well, or studied him very long, to make the connection.
But now, it was undeniable. It was evendifficultto meet his eyes.
Vaxa’an jerked his head in a nod, powering down the hovercraft and jumping down. Erin released the nervous breath she’d been holding.
Kate touched Vaxa’an’s arm, looking at Erin, and said, “I’ll leave you two alone.”
Vaxa’an watched as she disappeared into Lainey and Kirov’s home, where Erin had been staying. Most of the women gathered there during the day, to spend time with each other, to marvel at Ollie, and talk and laugh and eat. Erin had to admit…it felt good. To be with her friends, to not think of her time in the dungeon, or her heartbreak. It was a welcome distraction. She’d been out of Privanax’s labs for two days, but every moment that passed, Erin grew more and more restless, more and more anxious.
“We have not found the time to talk,” Vaxa’an said, returning his gaze to her. “I regret that.”
“You’ve been busy. You all have,” Erin said. She’d been waiting for Vaxa’an’s hovercraft most of the morning, sitting outside, though she felt a little sweaty from the heat. Even still, she vastly preferred the blinding sunlight and the warmth…to anything.
“You wish to speak about my brother,” Vaxa’an knew.
“There is a chance for a pardon during his trial, isn’t there?” she asked, not even embarrassed that she didn’t want to waste time with pleasantries. Vaxa’an was a difficult male to pin down, considering he was the Prime Leader. Given everything that had changed—the attack on theMeviraxand the Jetutians, the decisions that needed to be made afterwards, the stress of Jaxor’s trial, and the fact that Vaxa’an had a newborn baby—he was a busy, busy male.
His nostrils flared, which she didn’t take as a good sign. Even still, he said, “It is possible,tev. Likely? I am not so certain.”
“But you’re the Prime Leader,” she said. Because even after everything Jaxor had done, the thought that he could be sentenced to death or exile for his actions was…unfathomable. Even excruciating to think about. It kept her up at night. “Don’t you have some sort of veto power?”
“Veto power,” he repeated. Then he shook his head. “Matters of justice are handled by the elder council. It is our way. They know my feelings and desires about the trial. I have made that abundantly clear.”
“And what do you want to happen?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“He is my brother,” he told her softly, spearing her with a look that almost made her gasp…because he looked so much like Jaxor in that moment. “Of course I want him pardoned.”
“Even after everything he’s done? To you?” she tested.
He let out a short exhale. “You know Jaxor as well as I. You know his motivations. I told him I have forgiven him for his actions because Iunderstoodthem, but I fear that he will never be able to extend that same forgiveness tohimself.”
Erin stilled.
“He wanted revenge on the male who killed our mother. Our sire. So many Luxirians. He wanted to help the females that survived. Those motivations are just…but what he is truly on trial for are two things. Endangering you and Crystal—”
“But he—”
“And knowing that Jetutians were entering our atmosphere undetected,” Vaxa’an continued. “The council would have been likely to pardon him for this second offense, given that his aid led to the vaccine. But the first…”
“Because of Crystal and me?” she said, shocked. She shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. He didn’t hurt us.”
Well…at least not physically, she amended silently, thinking about the constant ache in her chest.
“The council sees it another way. Crimes against females are not taken likely.”
“Can I talk to them?” Erin asked, her eyes pleading up at Vaxa’an. “And I know that Crystal will offer the same. I mean, because of Jaxor, she has Cruxan now. She doesn’t have any lingering feelings about it. Besides, how is it any different than what Vikan or Kirov did? They both took Taylor and Lainey from the Golden City without your knowledge! But are they on trial for it?”
She didn’t mean to throw her friends’ mates under the bus, but she was trying to make a point.
Vaxa’an’s lips pressed together. “I never said the trial was fair.”
A drop of sweat ran down her back. There was a long stretch of silence between them.
“Kat told me you don’t plan to leave on the vessel for Earth,” Vaxa’an broached quietly.
Erin’s brow furrowed, confused why he was bringing that up now. “No, I don’t.”
