“Khaion.” Duke Ako relaxed in his chair. “It is good to speak with you.”
“I hope you still think that after we talk.”Khaion frowned. I noticed his eyes dart off-camera for a moment, whatever he saw bringing an upward tick to his lips.
The duke sighed with resignation, although the sound contained a hint of aggravation. “Tell me what you know.”
I already knew some of the information from Jutuk, but hearing Khaion describe it in detail made my skin crawl.
The Vaktaire warrior led the Duke through everything they’d learned while rescuing my friends. How child slaves had been used to mine a drug called mumje that could enslave every being in the universe—until Daisy and Daicon rescued them. How the Kerzak, in league with Nansar, tested the effects of mumje on the human settlement of Tau Ceti until my friendClara and Tarook spoiled their plans. The worst was Nansar’s copiability in trying to reverse the effects of the Garoot healer on humans, which left my friend Agnes dying in agonizing pain until the Hakkar cured her.
The Duke took it all in silently, the only emotion on his face, the slight tightening of his jawline as he learned of his son’s involvement.
“And you think Nansar has one of the human females in his possession?” he finally asked.
“Yes.” I could tell from Khaion’s expression he regretted what came next. “I watched Nansar take the human Willa aboard his ship when we attempted to rescue her from the Aljani outpost on the Korfu moon.”
The Duke closed his eyes, no doubt feeling the weight of the news settle heavily on his shoulders. The truth was a bitter pill to swallow. Not only had his own child been responsible for multiple atrocities, but it was apparent Nansar also wanted him dead. The silence in the room was palpable, each breath thick with tension and sorrow. What did one say in a moment like this? I felt my heart settle into a heavy beat, affected by Ako’s predicament.
“What we do not know is why,” Khaion prodded softly.
Duke Ako sighed heavily, opening his eyes. His gaze fell on the wine bottle, and he reached for it like a lifeline, topping off his glass before answering.
“The Alliance ruling council has been in discussion for some time regarding bringing Earth into the Alliance in order to better protect its resources and people. I have been a driving force in these discussions.”
Beside me, I felt a deep growl rumble in Jutuk’s chest.
“So, if the poisoning had been successful, Nansar would have used Pearl as a scapegoat to argue against bringing Earth into the Alliance,” my mate said. No wonder he growled.
“Worse than that I fear.” Duke Ako sighed. “There are some that believe the Earth should be exploited for its natural resources and people. My death blamed on a human’s hands might have opened the way for that.”
“Why does Nansar hate humans so much?” I asked.
“I do not know.” Duke Ako rubbed the space between his brows with the pad of a finger. “Nansar’s mother was human... one I cared for a great deal.”
I bit back the question lying on my tongue.I didn’t need to ask, not really. From the set of Duke Ako’s body... the way sadness and longing flashed across his features as he spoke... whoever this woman was, he had loved her.
I tore my gaze away from the Duke, feeling the moment he suffered needed privacy. I swung my attention back to Khaion, just in time to see him glance off camera, his expression a mix of amusement and aggravation. Whispers and giggles responded to his glance, and his smile deepened, for a moment before the Chieftain squared his shoulders and dropped a mask of professionalism over his features.
“My Duke, if you will forgive me, I have a few crew members that would like to say hello to Pearl.”
“To me?” I blurted, confused.
Duke Ako glanced from Khaion to me, giving assent with a wave of his hand. A second later, a flurry of motion shimmered in the holo-field, and the faces of my friends Emmy, Agnes, Clara, and Daisy came into focus.
“Pearl!” They screamed in unison.
“Oh, my God!” I might have fallen to my knees if not for Jutuk’s hand on my shoulder, keeping me seated.
Duke Ako chuckled in amusement, but he looked utterly exhausted as he rose from his chair. “I will leave you all to get reacquainted. Please enjoy the atrium as if it were your own.”With that, he disappeared through the golden doors. My heart ached for him, wishing there was a way to ease his pain.
“Oh my God, Pearl... are you alright?” Emmy, as usual, took charge, her halo of red curls bouncing around her face. She’d been a gorgeous sixty-year-old, but de-aged forty years, she was utterly breathtaking. “Khaion said you had to compete in some kind of wild man cooking competition where you had to kill the food with your bare hands.”
“Well, it wasn’t that hard,” I snort-laughed. “But yeah. And I won it!” Beside me, I felt Jutuk hum with suppressed laughter.
“Well, of course, you did,” Agnes snorted. God, she was gorgeous. She’s been a beautiful sixty-something. But young, healthy, and happy, she looked luminous. They all did.
“Seriously, are you guys all right? You look great!” I gushed. There were so many questions flying through my brain that I found it hard to settle on just one.
“Better than alright.” Clara’s smile was radiant. “Oh, Pearl, so much has happened. You look freaking gorgeous, by the way.”
