My gaze traveled along the occupants as I followed the princes to the center stage. They all wore similar robes or capes in a variety of colors—each species matched the others in their area.
Horns. Wings. Feathers. Scales. Tails. Stalks.
Bipedal. Quadrupedal. Even a few who had eight legs or more!
The wide variety of colors, features, and shapes assaulted my eyes.
I didn’t know where to look.
The Ulax and Wudox both had a pair of representatives in their designated area behind the Aldawi spot, which sat four of its own members. Directly across the room sat the Quaww, members of the same avian species as Qraniebi, who dropped Kaede off on the Destiny. I smiled at the memory of the brightly colored male and his ridiculous outfit.
Voices filled the room. Everyone seemed to have their eyes on us—well me specifically—as we came to a stop.
Above the four tiers of representatives was a stadium packed with an audience that covered the upper half of the dome. The only thing separating them from the Assembly below was the ledge and the glass wall they were enclosed in.
No one had mentioned the Assembly would have a live audience.
Directly in front of us stood a smiling male, his curved mouth revealed blinding white, sharp teeth. At least I thought he was a male—a sense of masculinity radiated from his agile body.
He had abyssal black skin that seemed darker than the black robe he wore, with a pair of crystalline lavender wings that reminded me of stained glass the way the light shone through them. His skin glowed magenta—not like the patterns on my nestmates glowed—as if his body was somehow a source of light. His magenta Mohawk hair and eyes glowed, too, but at a higher intensity between pointy ears. The definition of the angles of his cheeks and the sharpness of his nose only made you focus on his eyes more.
“That is the Assembly’s Chamber Master. You can call him ‘Chamber Master,’ ‘Sir,’ or—”
Magenta eyes focused on Xylo, cutting him off.
A sudden wave passed over me. My head throbbed as nausea bubbled. The golden threads that bonded me to my nestmates felt dimmed—muted.
“I believe I am capable of doing introductions, sapling,” A deep voice boomed, echoing through me, cutting through my mental shields. I winced and took a step back in shock. His piercing eyes locked onto mine, halting my retreat. “No need to fear me, young one.”
He raised a hand high. “Silence! I demand order. Order!”
The room hushed, the only sounds from the Assembly members sitting down.
The Chamber Master remained standing, his eyes focused on me as the room fell silent.
“You can address me as Master Mwe. I am aware you had an… unpleasant upbringing. We asked you to come here for answers. It isn’t my intention to cause any distress, but I cannot allow your nestmates to interfere with this trial.”
Frantically, I searched my shields and found no holes; its golden sphere was solid. Reaching for my bond threads, I tried to grab them but failed. It was as if there was an invisible wall surrounding my shield, preventing me from touching them.
How did he get through? What did he do?
A jolt of fear cut through me, dimming my inner rage at the males standing near me.
Was this a set-up? A trap after all?
I opened my eyes. His stare captivated me, preventing me from pulling my eyes away from the depths of his magenta eyes.
“Calm yourself, young one,” he commanded, his voice laced with annoyance. “I am only dampening your connections to prevent them from aiding you. It isn’t permanent, but I will remain connected to you until this trial is over.”
My strong natural shields and all my lessons from Zirene hadn’t prepared me for this. Zirene always told me there were powerful species with indescribable mental abilities, but I didn’t think I would meet one so soon.
“This is an invasion of privacy. How dare you cut me off from my nestmates! I don’t care who you are—you have no right,” I mentality shouted at him.
How was he able to get past my shields? There wasn’t the usual stabbing one would get if someone forcibly penetrated through their protections.
“Through your connections with your nestmates, your mental shields are almost indestructible unless I use my full force—but even then, it would take a lot of energy. Back-dooring through your bond threads made it easier and more comfortable for both ends.”
“But why? Why can’t I have my connections with them?”
“Their natural reaction would be to aid and comfort you. My job is to lead the Assembly. I am the neutral leader and the deciding factor in the time of ties. But the most important responsibility I have is to prevent any telepathic conversations in this dome between others outside their own species. This prevents anyone from aiding someone on trial or representatives from making deals privately between tables. Having you cut off from outside help allows us to view your true self and helps us make judgments.”
“Why didn’t they tell me?”
“That is an error on their behalf.”
I stood there, stunned by the news.
Why would they leave me in the dark?
“You are here today to discuss multiple issues. First, we will discuss what should happen to you. It comes to my knowledge, you are capable of understanding and speaking Galactic Common. Is this correct?”
I peered at the surrounding males. They stood at attention, staring straight at the Chamber Master. Their lack of acknowledgment of my gaze confirmed Mwe was telling the truth. They would not try to help me. Their faces held stoic expressions—as if they didn’t have any issues with what was happening to me.
Returning my gaze to Master Mwe, I nodded.
“Forgive my ignorance about protocol, but if you are addressing me, then that is correct. Well, as correct
