I blinked my eyes sharply, dug my nails into my palm, and focused on her words, as she started to speak.
“I would say I am more committed to the ways of winning, Alpha Jase. I have found myself in a strange situation, on another planet, that I now must make my home. I am at this time on the winning side, but this world is rife with war. I have always been motivated toward excellence, and now there is nothing more important than keeping my life, finding a new way to love my life here, and to, as one might say ‘make the most of it.' I'm not committed to the ways of war, Alpha Jase. I'm committed to finding ways to win wars so I can care about winning yours, so I can care about keeping my life alive."
Vania’s words fell into silence and the three of us didn’t know how to respond. Aimer crossed her arms and cleared her throat. “Well, Alpha Jase has authorized you to accompany—”
The door swept open and the papers I had so neatly gathered swirled into a mess toward the floor, Cassala spinning forward to catch as many as she could. I groaned inwardly and ruffled my hair in aggravation, then signaled to the clearly anxious messenger that he could speak.
“Alpha! Tarsine has taken the most southern point sentries, and the Port of Tronto has fallen. He burned the entire town and has turned our boats upstream with his own soldiers. It is said he is coming with all the forces he can gather and that the Delk Clan from the East has bonded with the Bordash for this siege as well, though that is unconfirmed. The Delk Clan will add three hundred hard men and women soldiers to the Bordash hordes of hundreds. The battle between Kajo and Rhone was hard-fought and decimated the Bordash ranks, but it also brought together the looser clans from the south pole and wildlands from the East. That is who Tarsine is charging your lands with right now. They all fight for him. Tarsine himself is leading them. He claims he is the rightful Alpha Warlord to these lands because they belong to Bordash blood, not the Curan scum like us.”
The messenger's garb was soaked through. He was breathing hard, armed with many weapons, and carrying an assortment of journals which he handed to me. "These are the notes our spy, Felne, was able to take from Tarsine's camp before he was apprehended. We are not sure if Felne is still alive. If he has the chance, he will surely kill himself, and there is no way he any type of torture will do any good. He is far too trained in counter-interrogation techniques. On the contrary, I do not think Tarsine’s men are as skilled and I have brought one of the men we captured with me. He is with your guards now.”
"Good, then." I held up the rain-soaked journals to Cassala. "Get these to the scribes immediately and see that they are preserved and let's go through them right away. Also, tell LeiLei and the rest of the Commanders that we will be heading out in three hours. Just the Crew of twelve. Full regiments to follow, Xane at the lead, within twenty-four hours. Aimer, you go see to this prisoner. I want him in the interrogation chambers immediately.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Cassala left through the door, taking the messenger with her. Aimer followed them out quickly, leaving me alone with the Earthling. I turned to look at Vania. She lifted her chin slightly, and her green eyes blazed.
“You’re coming with us.”
Three
Vania
As soon as I left Jase's Council Chambers, I headed to Daphne's apartment. It was just by chance that Daphne was even in the same city as me. Kajo and Daphne had special accommodations any time they were in town since usually, they were in the Capital, and Daphne was in Second City only to open a new school or bless a new hospital or do some other type of altruistic Leader of the Free World magnanimity.
Even though it was raining, and it was getting late, I knew she would see me.
There was nothing we wouldn't do for each other; now, more than ever, I felt. There was certainly a big hindrance in the way of our bond: her Destin status to the Beast King of a planet light-years from our own. As long as Kajo didn't actively prevent it, Daphne would do anything for me. And Kajo would do anything for her, and it seemed like that included making sure I was in her life. Which made both of us very happy.
So, when the guards outside her room saw me coming up the hallway, they first made sure I was alone, then they made sure I was unarmed, then they knocked and let me in.
"Vania! It is so good to see you. Tequila?" Daphne offered me the liquor, and I took it straight from the bottle this time. It was close enough to tequila. A bit too sweet to really seem like the real thing. "I'm so glad you stopped by, but is there a reason? What happened? Why are you, bottle-drinking? I mean, girls with class don’t need a glass and all that jazz, but… tell me what’s up?”
“I’m going to war.”
Daphne was silent. She sat down on the sofa and looked out the window at the striking lightning.
“Daphne, did you hear me? It’s what I’ve been training for, I know. I mean, Jase asked Kajo to let me be in his army, and that’s all I do, all day, is train, whether by the books or by the weapons. And I’m ready. I mean, I didn’t ever think I would be a soldier, and this is definitely a different kind than if I were on Earth, but—hey, hey, what’s wrong?”
Daphne had tucked her head down into her arms against her knees, and I could hardly understand her as she muffled out
