“His sister?” she repeated.
“Yes, of course,” Baralt said. “What did you think— Oh.”
He looked embarrassed, and Zemma shook her head. “Males. And why didn’t you tell her about me?”
“Yes,” Izzie echoed. “Why not?”
Njkall shook his head. “From the way the two females are glaring at you, I believe that additional explanations are in order. But perhaps in more comfortable surroundings? And more private?”
Izzie looked around and saw the crowd of Hothians watching them. They didn’t look hostile, exactly, but neither did they look welcoming.
“We can talk in our cave,” Zemma said quickly.
“You are letting him return?” a voice said from the crowd. Izzie found the speaker, a heavyset Hothian male who was glaring at them. “With an offworlder?”
“The Elders will discuss the matter once I have all the information,” Njkall said with calm authority. “I believe your suggestion would be best, Zemma.”
He offered Zemma his arm, and the two of them led the way, Baralt and Izzie falling in behind. With the two guards behind them, she realized with a quick peek over her shoulder. The crowd of Hothians parted to let the small procession through, but she heard a few muttered comments that did not sound pleased.
They passed through two more caverns after leaving the main space, watched the entire time, before climbing another ramp and entering a smaller cave, remarkably similar to Baralt’s quarters on Tgesh Tai, even down to the pink velvet on the couches. Not velvet, she realized as Baralt sat down and pulled her down beside him. She suspected it was actually a type of moss, but it felt warm and soft against her skin.
Njkall sat down across from them. “Why did you leave, Baralt?”
Baralt stared at the Elder. “Why did I leave? What choice did I have? Akhalt was dead as a result of my actions. I knew there would be no forgiveness.”
“There is always forgiveness for those who are truly sorry.”
“You do not think I am sorry?” Only Isabel’s hand on his arm kept him from jumping up.
“I know that you are sorry. But I think at the time you were too filled with anger to let yourself acknowledge that.”
Njkall’s words had an uncomfortable ring of truth. He had been angry. Angry and guilty and filled with pain. That morass of feelings had fueled all his original fights. But at some point the anger had faded, leaving only guilt and a lingering sorrow.
“Perhaps,” he admitted.
“And why have you returned? With a human?”
Njkall recognized Isabel’s species? “How did you know?”
“I have encountered human females before.”
“Really? Are they still here on Hothrest?” Isabel asked eagerly.
Njkall shook his head. “No. One left some time ago. The other only a short time before you arrived.”
“Were they slaves?”
“Not when they left, although I suspect both of them had…troubled pasts.”
“But there are places where humans aren’t slaves?” she asked eagerly.
Njkall’s eyes sharpened. “Are you here against your will, Isabel?”
“I was taken from my planet.”
A growl erupted from Njkall’s throat as he glared at Baralt, and Isabel’s eyes widened.
“I didn’t mean by Baralt. Derians took me. Baralt is…helping me.” She gave him an uncertain look.
“She is my mate,” he said firmly.
Njkall looked from one to the other, then his posture relaxed. “I see.”
Baralt wondered uncomfortably exactly what the other man meant. The Elder had always been remarkably perceptive. He glanced up to see his sister watching them thoughtfully, unusually silent. She had still been a child when he left and now she was an adult. How much he had missed.
“And are you planning to stay here?” Njkall continued.
“For a time, at least—”
“A long time,” Zemma interrupted.
“At least until we know if Isabel is being pursued.”
He felt her shiver and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer.
“Who would be chasing her?”
“A male named Relkhei. He is the fight master to whom she was sold.”
“I see,” Njkall said again, tapping his claws together thoughtfully. “There are some here who will resent your presence.”
“Like Durgal?” Durgal was the male who had objected earlier.
“Yes. And there are others. Your brother was well liked.”
“And they blame me.” The familiar feeling of guilt washed over him.
“They’re wrong,” Zemma said immediately. “I may have been only a child, but I knew that no one ever made Akhalt do anything he didn’t want to do. He was just as eager as you were to end our isolation and explore the port.”
“Has that changed?” he asked. “I saw the speeders above. And a shopkeeper in town said that Hothians were frequent visitors until the Chotgor incident. What happened?”
Tension suddenly filled the room, and he saw his sister’s hand shake.
“What happened?” he repeated, anger threatening to erupt.
“This is not the time for that discussion,” Njkall said reprovingly. Baralt wanted to pursue it, but in the face of Zemma’s obvious relief, he let the matter drop. He would—at last—have all the time he needed to talk to his sister.
Njkall cleared his throat. “However, you were correct about at least one point. Choosing to ignore the rest of the Empire does not guarantee that they will ignore us.”
He should have been gratified at the acknowledgment. Instead, he only felt resentment for all the lonely years he had spent away from Hothrest.
“There has been an attempt to create artificial sothiti,” Njkall continued, and Baralt couldn’t hide his shock. The herbal medicine was Hothrest’s most valuable trade good—so valuable that it had allowed them to negotiate a very favorable deal with the Empire that kept the majority of the planet off-limits to anyone other than native Hothians.
“Did they succeed?”
“We don’t believe so, but they were close. And if it’s occurred to one group…”
“It’s occurred to others,” he finished.
Njkall sighed and rose to his feet. “I find your reason for being here acceptable. For now. If you wished to return on a permanent basis, you would need to find your place in the tribe again.”
Was that a suggestion or a threat? Baralt wasn’t entirely sure, but he was too relieved that they would be allowed to stay to pursue
