He let go of my hands and turned toward the group. “Are we done here?” After multiple nods and confirmations, he explained, “Okay. Close your eyes. It will be easier to return to the real world. In a few moments, you should be back to yourselves.”
Chapter Ten Xylo
Xylo walked over and sat down next to Odelm on the couch in Zirene’s office. Odelm already had a glass of Xowyn—a silver, fruity, alcoholic drink—on the center table, waiting for him. Both Odelm and Zirene were nursing their own. Leaning forward, Xylo picked up the glass, sat back, and took a long sip, enjoying the drink’s flavor.
He still couldn’t believe Selena was the Nova to such a powerful male in the CEG. Selena being the nestqueen in their clan boosted Odelm’s importance and public presence. Their actions not only reflected on Selena but also on Zirene and the Aldawi Royal Family.
Zirene tilted his head toward the master bedroom. Xylo watched the ears on top of his head rotate the same direction before flicking back in their normal position. Swirling the Xowyn in his glass, Zirene turned toward Xylo and his nestbrother.
“She is finally in a deep sleep.”
Xylo could confirm his statement, for her thoughts had halted. There was no void as if she shielded them—just a calm silence. Selena promised Odelm and Xylo she wouldn’t shield herself from them as long as they gave her privacy when she asked for it. He knew how to multi-task, and since their permanent bond wasn’t freshly new anymore, he could pull his attention from actively reading her thoughts.
“What we experienced earlier in the Dreamdome, is that how it is every time you visit Selena in your dreamscape world?” Xylo asked, eyeing the Aldawi prince.
“Yes and no,” Zirene continued to watch the swirling silver beverage in the glass in his hand. “I always kept her outside on the porch of her property, or we took walks along the island. Mainly, I focused on teaching her basic subjects students would learn in the academy, like Galactic Common. I avoided history and anything that might cause her distress, like Biology, and I kept talks about was happening in the real world limited, but I never explained to her how to create. What she did today was something only experienced Aldawi are capable of.”
“Perhaps that is the skill she adopted from you?” Odelm stated, glancing at Xylo for confirmation.
“It would make sense. Selena’s spots started to glow in the dark after she mated with me, and they gained the ability to change color in response to extreme emotions from you, Odelm. Other than her making similar sounds as an Aldawi, she showed no other signs of things she adopted from mating with you, Zirene.”
Zirene stopped swirling his drink and looked up at Xylo.
“She didn’t want me to come to the dreamscape world while the Destiny was traveling here, and I never explained to her how to create. That would explain why she didn’t know she had the ability.”
“But what did she gain from Kaede?” Odelm asked.
A growl escaped Zirene as his ears pinned backward. He turned his focus on the drink in his hands and took long gulps until he finished his drink.
“He shouldn’t have needed to do it. No one knows what species he is a hybrid of and the effects it would have on both Selena and him. We failed Selena on that part.”
Zirene’s news about Kaede startled Xylo; the realization hit, causing him to gasp.
“Kaede is a trans-human like Selena, isn’t he? That is why he looks almost human.”
“They consider themselves demi-humans—a human with slightly altered forms. Agent Kaede and his half-sisters are the most advanced versions. They have numerous similarities to Selena since they were genetically altered and grown in a tube while being enhanced by mech technology.”
“They were also experiments of the Yaarkins, weren’t they?” Xylo demanded.
“Yes. Agent Kaede and his half-sisters were on the first Yaarkins ship we took over that had prisoners aboard. The rest only contained a multitude of non-sentient creatures, other than the Yaarkins themselves. I made a deal with them when I rescued them. They get the freedom they always dreamed of as citizens of the Aldawi Empire and would be under my protection as long as they reported to and worked for me.” Zirene eyed them both before he made his way to the drink dispenser.
This news about Kaede’s origins shocked Xylo. Why would Kaede keep who he was a secret from them? From Selena?
“Should we tell her?” Odelm mentally asked.
Xylo studied Zirene as he ordered another drink, wishing he was an Ulax for once so that he could sense his emotions.
“No. There has to be a reason. It is not our place.”
Zirene sat down across from him, his amethyst eyes locked on Xylo.
“I know you are having a silent discussion. The reason I told Kaede to keep his identity a secret from Selena was because I wanted to gauge how she was reacting to all the surrounding changes. I know she felt self-conscious about how she looked compared to the other females aboard the ship she was on. I plan to introduce her to the demi-human community living on Destima.”
“Exactly how large of a population are we talking about?” Odelm asked.
Zirene took a sip of his Xowyn.
“There are five hundred and thirty-seven second-generation trans-humans living on Destima. Kaede, his five half-sisters, and Selena are all prototypes of projects separate from the rest. The demi-human population lives in the walled building Selena helped create. Kaede and his half-sisters live in their base on the highest point of the moon, overlooking the clan’s property and the surrounding islands. The academy houses over one hundred thousand Aldawi warriors being trained and updated for the fleet. My goal was to make her moon a special military base to
