Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“Commander, what the killer did is not your fault,” Torin said, frowning. “He’s pure evil—literally—and he comes from a whole universe ruled and created by an evil deity. You’re not to blame for his actions.”
Sylvan shook his head.
“I thought I was doing the right thing—sending female ambassadors to Zetta Prime and Yonnie Six to try and improve the relations between our peoples. I never dreamed I was sending them to die.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Sky told him. “The main thing is that we have him now and he’s never getting loose again—right?” she asked anxiously.
“No—he’s never getting loose. We transferred him from the space-vacuum that Torin used to, uh, suck him up, and into a vacu-sealed, triple-shielded, titano-steel ball. Which, in turn, has been placed in a hermetically sealed, time locked storage chamber which will remain closed for ten thousand years,” Commander Sylvan said. “He’s never getting free again.”
“From your mouth to the Goddess’s ears,” Torin rumbled. “That fucker was crazy. Pardon my language, Commander.”
“He was pure evil, as you said earlier,” Commander Sylvan said seriously. “I’m just glad you captured him before he could hurt or kill anyone else.”
“So I guess this means you don’t need to send Kindred warriors to guard Mistress Mirabella on Yonnie Six after all?” Sky asked, thinking of the defiant girl hiding away in her panic room with the antiquated automaton, Beelie, as her only companion.
“Oh, I already sent them,” Sylvan said. “As soon as Torin asked me to. And I don’t have any plans to recall them, either.”
“You don’t? But the killer’s been captured—Mirabella has nothing else to fear, does she?” Sky asked, frowning.
Sylvan gave a grim laugh.
“I take it you don’t know much about Yonnie Six politics. Mistress Mirabella might not have to worry about the Cruel Father’s scion coming after her, but she’s still got an extremely bumpy road to navigate. Think about it—she’s the only remaining member of the Sacred Seven, which means she alone is qualified to appoint six new members to rule the planet.”
“The Yonnites are absolutely fucking cut-throat,” Torin said. “Mirabella is going to be dealing with pressure from every side—every Mistress in Opulex is going to want one of those six seats at the ruling table. And it’s not like she was raised there—she told us she came from the other side of the planet, so she’s probably not well versed in their politics.”
“You’re right—she’s going to need guidance and protection,” Sky said thoughtfully. “But will a Yonnite accept either of those from a male? I know coming from Serpentine society where females are dominant, it would be difficult to get a woman in charge to take advice from a man. I know I wouldn’t have accepted help from a male…until I met Torin,” she added, smiling up at her new mate. “Getting to know him changed every preconceived notion I had about males.”
“Well, we’re hoping that meeting the warriors I sent to Mistress Mirabella will change her mind as well,” Sylvan said simply. “And they’re not regular Kindred warriors, you know—they’re a Bonded Pair of Monstrum Shifters—a Lycan and a Felinus.”
“A which and a what?” Torin asked, looking mystified.
“They’re a very special kind of Monstrum—which are Kindred warriors from another universe. Not the Cruel Father’s universe—another parallel universe right next to our own,” Commander Sylvan explained. “As I understand it, both of them have animal forms, much like a Wulven Kindred, which can come out if need be to protect the female they are charged with guarding.”
“Are they like Twin Kindred?” Torin asked. “I mean, you said they were a Bonded Pair, right?”
“They are somewhat like Twin Kindred because they must share a female between them, but they’re not brothers—not related at all, in fact,” Sylvan said. “Their two separate tribes or clans have a kind of symbiotic relationship. When they are still young, a male from each clan will find and bond with his Soul-Partner from the other clan—the one male the Goddess has chosen for him to go through life with. Until they find each other, they cannot call a female to mate with them both. And only the right female can control their bestial forms, when they come out during a Shift.”
“They sound like formidable warriors,” Torin remarked.
“Not to mention scary as the Underworld,” Sky said, frowning. “I hope Mirabella isn’t too frightened of them to let them help her.”
“I think she’ll be all right,” Torin said. “You didn’t get to know her as much as I did, since you were passed out from blood loss most of the time, but she’s a fairly formidable female herself. Remember she’s a Tier Three Healer, so I think she’ll be able to hold her own.”
“As long as she’s protected and safe, that’s all I care about,” Sylvan said earnestly. “And if it helps the relations between our people and the Yonnites, that would be ‘icing on the cake’ as my lovely wife, Sophia would say.” He looked at Sky. “Well, we’re done here. When you decide where you and Torin want to live, let me know so I can make the arrangements. If you decide to go back to Portex Three, you’ll have to take a series of wormholes since it’s not safe for a pregnant female to fold space.”