Sighing, I studied the male I had known the longest, wishing I had never left Destima that fateful day. Too many things had happened, and permanent bonds had been forged. I had never fathomed I could become the host of a symbiont, and while I needed some time to grow accustomed to that, I could already see the benefits he provided.
I just didn’t know how to tell my family. There was so much to say, so much to do, that I didn’t know where to begin.
“I’ve missed how you touch me,” Zirene purred, combing back my hair. “You don’t know how much I’d yearned for you. Only the ringing in my head confirmed that you were still alive.”
“I can’t believe I was unconscious for over a month,” I muttered, eyeing my hands. Unbidden, they had found his mane, his hair twisted around my fingers. “The worst part of all will be the ride home. I know it will be a long journey.”
“It doesn’t have to feel so long, Selena.” Zirene placed a paw over my hand, instantly recapturing my attention. “Spend your time in our dreamscape with me. Let me soothe your fears and try to make up for the time that has been stolen from us. I can give you daily updates on what’s happening on my front. You can design buildings and discuss your plans for the future with me since I wasn’t always available to listen to you before. I can help you take your mind off your troubles if you will let me.”
“That sounds nice, Zirene,” I muttered, watching him caress my hand with his thumb. My eyes closed as a shiver passed through me from the gentle touch. “I only just now woke up, but I feel the pressure of the universe around me. Why can’t I be left in peace? When will it be enough?”
“I don’t have the answers, Selena. Only the Fates and the Stars do. But know this: I will travel any distance, fight any battle, conquer any territory, and slay any poor soul who decides it would be a good idea to stand between us, in order to return you to my side as my Nova, my Beacon, my love,” he swore. “If what you said about Kaede is true, we shall be reunited in person once again—and soon. I love you, Selena. Your children and your nestmates love you, too. Stay strong for us and we shall get through this together.”
Chapter Fourteen Kaede
She was alive.
Somehow, his insane plan had worked.
Now, he needed to correct his mistakes.
Kaede had never thought he could converse telepathically with Selena, nor had he expected anyone to reach out to him on the Abyss. How they had been able to contact him was a mystery to him. He had traveled a great distance beyond Oeta and her father’s range and no one else knew his mental signature. To top it all off, the Oetsae on the Abyss hadn’t picked up the mental activity on their charts. If any readable signal had come through, it had been too sudden for them to catch, but Kaede was convinced that they already knew the people who had reached him weren’t a threat.
Sighing as he leaned back in his commander’s chair, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The asteroid’s coordinates had been entered into the system and his crew was already working on flying there.
Now, he just needed to plan and decide how to approach the base. Part of him wanted to grant Selena’s wishes and spare the innocent, since only their commander was calling the shots. Still, they were guilty by association. None had tried to stop their commander from wasting resources on his vile mission. All it took was a united front to take down corrupt leadership—or a challenger of equal strength and intelligence.
Why had Xenak been left unchecked?
How was Selena connected to his brother?
“How dare that ishing frax do this to her!” he snarled, slamming his fist on the armrest. “What kind of male kidnaps a female and takes her across galaxies? It makes absolutely no sense!”
REI’s teal, eternal, hooded form shimmered into place beside him.
“Some things are better left unexplored. The Fates willed this path and the Stars have led us down it. What truly makes no sense is why you completely ignored the male who led her to you. You were so infatuated with speaking to Selena that you didn’t properly question Celyze. Cosmic Soul? StarPyre? These aren’t titles we know.”
“That won’t matter once we’re done.” Kaede rolled his head to face the direction of his Oetsae, who stared at him with arms crossed. “I’m planning on blowing up the base once Selena is safely on this ship. I don’t trust Xenak not to follow us, and I don’t want to lead him to Destima—”
“You forget that they somehow already know everything,” REI muttered. “I was able to pick up through the connection Celyze led Xenak to Selena’s mind. He helped expand Xenak’s reach by strengthening his mental thread to reach and invade her shields. Celyze regrets his actions but never imagined that his commander would sink so low as to pay someone to kidnap her. He is trying to fix the damage by taking her in until she finds a way home.”
“And now, I am her way.”
“What will you do once we are alone with her?”
“There are so many things I want to tell her, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect time. The last thing I want to be is a burden, a regret—someone she avoids. I know
