“Can we not?” Daphne interjected, glancing between the two of them. “We’re all tired. We all nearly died. Can we just skip the part where the males threaten us with caveman-level possessiveness and get to the actual threat?”
“She’s right,” I said, my voice quieter but sharper than that of the other males. “We’ll argue later. Right now, we need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Everyone quieted, though Darryck and Thalia were still glaring daggers at each other across the table.
Myccael sat down heavily. “We found a chamber filled with pods on the other side. Whatever was inside got awakened by our drilling and got out. We believe that thesesuperEulachs are somehow controlling the others."
Oksana turned serious. “How many?”
Myccael ran his hand through his hair, thinking, "There were ten open pods, so if ten of them escaped…"
"Then we got them all," Darryck nodded grimly, and I let out a relieved sigh.
That was at least some good news.
"Wait, what do you mean,superEulachs?" Oksana asked.
We quickly filled the seffies in on the details of what we had discovered and had already concluded. Namely, that the latest super Eulachs and the regular Eulachs were results of the Zuten experimenting with things they never should have.
Silence followed, and we all looked at each other. At least this threat was over, but Myccael still needed to stop the entire magtrain project. But if I knew my son, not before?—
"We still need to hunt the remaining Eulachs down and map the tunnels. We can't leave this like it never existed," Michael declared with a decisive nod.
Daphne placed her slight hand on his forearm, "Zyn, we can," she looked into his eyes. "Grandyr doesn't want this place disturbed. I think he made that abundantly clear. Seal off what you found and place a gag order on the dragoons and civilians. Have this area guarded so that nobody will start digging again, and then leave it in peace."
Myccael shook his head, "I'm not sure we can do that. The Zuten descendants will want to excavate it, like they're doing on all the other fourteen planets."
"Then stop them," Oksana beseeched him. "You're the susserayn. Forbid them to dig."
Caught between the woman who had been like a mother to him and his mate, Myccael leaned back, throwing me a pleading glance. I shrugged. They were right; he was the susserayn. "Make it punishable by death."
"By death?" Oksana shrieked. "Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
Thalia shook her head, "Ney. It needs to be a deterrent, and we cannot allow those weapons to ever see the light of day again."
Daphne nodded. "Unfortunately, I think you're right."
"We'll hunt down the remaining Eulachs and seal off what we can," Myccael agreed.
"And the Renegades," Darryck added. "They need to be eliminated, too; the gods only know what kind and how many weapons they stole."
"Agreed," Myccael nodded. "Let's get some rest, the dragoons can start with the sealing of the drilling sites and explore the mountains for secret openings. We’ll return to Bantahar in the morning, and I'll call for another Vissigroth Council where we can discuss the missions. "
"Zyn," Darryck and I agreed. I put my arm around Daphne's waist and led her to our tent. She had to be exhausted after her ordeal.
By all rights, I should have been dead on my feet. My legs ached, my shoulders screamed, and the furs on the bed looked like they had been spun by gods specifically for me. But I knew I wouldn’t sleep. Not now. Not with everything still buzzing under my skin. My blood was too loud. My heart refused to slow down. I was wired, alive, full of fire and memory.
“Daphne,” Mallack began the moment the tent flap sealed behind us.
I didn’t let him finish.
If the past hours had taught me anything, it was how quickly everything could fall apart. How short a breath stretched between life and death. How easy it was to waste time you thought you had more of. I turned to face him, pulse thudding in my ears, and let the words rise, raw and real.
“I love you.”
He froze mid-step, mid-breath—his whole body went still as if the words had struck something sacred in him.
“I think I’ve always loved you,” I said, my voice steady despite the flood inside me. “Even before I remembered. I still don’t remember my life before… but I remember our love.”
