“How could it have followed me? I beamed right into your valley.”
“It must have locked onto your energy signature.”
“It can do that?”
“Yes.” A part of her understood her terseness had less to do with his lack of knowledge and more with the fact this had justbecome her problem. Always had been in a sense, but she didn’t have a solution.
“What else is that thing capable of? Does it have any limitations? We haven’t found squat about these aliens.”
“Because this is the first time Earth’s dealt with them directly.”
“Are you sure? Because the conversation you just had with it seems to indicate otherwise.” He fixed her with a frown, and she realized she’d inadvertently revealed too much.
Might be time to share her secrets. A scary thought, and yet, the threat the Kukakk posed didn’t leave her much choice.
“I don’t suppose I could eat before getting into the details.” Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she’d missed breakfast and lunch.
“Yeah, we can do that. It’s on level?—”
“Unless it’s moved, I know where it is.”
Her reply only deepened the question in his eyes, but he held his tongue. Good because she debated how much to tell him. The truth in all its bleakness? A lie to give him false hope?
Before she could decide, someone took the decision from her.
On their way down the stairs, which she did the normal way this time to the annoyance of her thighs, they ran into a woman, petite and pretty, holding a baby on her shoulder.
One look at Ishtar and her eyes rolled back and the voice that emerged sounded as if it belonged to someone else. Someone who knew Ishtar’s secret.
“Greetings to the queen who was and will be.”
“Er, what?” Reece looked confused.
The woman shook her head, and her expression cleared then turned to wonder. With a smile, she revealed the last thing Ishtar wanted. “Warm welcome to thee, last Queen of Mars.”
CHAPTER 6
At Sage’s announcement,Aquarius practically yelled, “You’re the queen of Mars?” He’d already guessed Ishtar hid a secret, but he’d not expected it to be this big. When he’d imagined the Martian Queen, she definitely wasn’t attractive and human looking. Although she did have the haughty part down pat.
Ishtar’s lips twisted. “Queen in title only. As we discussed earlier, Mars is dead.”
“For now,” Sage’s enigmatic reply.
“Who are you? How did you know?” Ishtar’s lips pursed, obviously not pleased at having been outed.
“I am Sage, seer for the Zodiac Warriors, wife to Aries, and this little bean here is Noelle.” Sage patted her daughter’s back.
“A seer, of course,” muttered Ishtar. “I am told you uttered a prophecy about me and my planet.”
Sage’s lips turned down. “I did, but I don’t remember it, and neither does Olivia.”
“The Tower of Babel has two seers in residence?” Ishtar sounded surprised.
“Olivia is but a child still. Many years to go before her skills will be developed enough for her to truly help guide,” Sage explained.
“How is it you don’t recall your own foretelling?”
The query had Sage lifting and dropping her shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s never happened before.”
