3013: AFTERLIFE: A 3013 Novella

Chapter 6

The party was in full swing by the time Vadis arrived with his mate on his arm.

Despite Evo not being open to the general public yet, the convention hall was packed with staff, friends, family, and the special guests who had been invited for a preview. Dressed to the nines, they mingled with drinks in their hands and smiles on their faces.

Not one of them held even a fraction of the beauty as his daka, though.

He had spent a good portion of the afternoon watching Tira alter one of her tunics with magic, turning the simple garment into an elegant gown for the occasion. Unfortunately, he had been forced to leave to get ready himself before she finished. When she had opened the door for him an hour later, however, he had been rendered speechless.

The end result was nothing short of breathtaking.

The silky material had been dyed a bold red with shimmering gold filigree along the hem of the floor-length skirt. The strapless bodice hugged her slim figure and plunged deep between her full breasts. Two triangles had been cut out on both sides of her waist, leaving only a thin strip of fabric that ran vertically between her sternum and hips.

She had even transformed the complimentary slippers from her quarters into a pair of understated sandals.

He’d been rock hard and aching from the moment he’d seen her, and he didn’t see that changing anytime soon. It was going to be a long fucking night, but one he would happily endure just to be near her.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

It was the third time she had asked, and he still found the question absurd. Her uncharacteristic lack of self-assuredness, however, was kind of endearing.

Unlinking her hand from the crook of his elbow, he wound his arm around her waist to pull her close against his side. “You look positively radiant, daka.”

Her glossy hair hung loosely down her back, and he itched to run his fingers through it, to find out if the strands felt as soft as they looked. She had come clean faced, without a stitch of makeup, but she didn’t need it. With naturally pink lips, and cheeks flushed from nerves, she was, without a doubt, the most stunning female at the party.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“Allow me,” another male answered before his mate could respond. Plucking two champagne glasses of some blue fizzy drink from the tray of a passing server, he handed one to Vadis and the other to Tira. “I must say, you look stunning tonight, Captain.”

Vadis recognized him as the D’Aire hybrid who had arrived on the transport the previous day. He also vividly remembered the way the asshole had looked at his mate in the docking bay. At the time, he’d had the nearly uncontrollable urge to rip his fucking throat out.

That hadn’t changed.

Dressed in a sleek black suit with a silvery blue tie, Vadis had to admit he was a striking male. He wore an easy smile, and the glint of mischief danced in his dark eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he seemed to be enjoying it.

“Inias D’Zyr,” he said, offering his hand to Vadis.

“Vadis Kesski,” he growled, squeezing the guy’s fingers with a bit more strength than strictly necessary.

Inias’ smile widened, but he otherwise didn’t react to the display of dominance. “Congratulations on your mating, Mr. Kesski. You have a fine female here.”

Vadis was going to kill him. “I’m well aware.”

“What are you doing here?” Tira demanded, placing the drink he’d given her down a nearby table.

“Enjoying the party, of course.”

“Then, you should go enjoy it.” She stared pointedly at him. “Somewhere else.”

Inias smirked. “I’m having a wonderful time right here, Captain.”

Yep, Vadis was definitely going to kill him.

“Well, I’m not.” Tira grinned, and with a wave of her delicate hand, the male vanished, reappearing on the opposite side of the room.

Rather than being angry, he laughed when he realized what had happened and gave them both a little wave before turning to engage a Helios female in conversation.

“I really hate him,” Vadis growled.

Tira shook her head. “I agree he is irritating, but ultimately, I believe him to be harmless.”

He didn’t agree, but he also didn’t want to argue about it. Then, he remembered Inias hadn’t been his elf’s only admirer. After a quick scan of the partygoers, however, he relaxed a little when he found no sign of the Reema.

Deciding to put both males from his mind, he took a deep breath and offered his hand. “Would you care to dance, Captain?”

Tira considered his offer for a moment before nodding. “That would be—Cord?”

Vadis frowned as a new thread of jealousy wove into the moment. “Who the fuck is Cord?”

His answer came in the form of a small boy, no older than six or seven. Outfitted in the most adorable little tuxedo with a bold green bowtie, his dark hair fanned out behind him as he rushed across the room.

“Aunt Tira! Aunt Tira!”

Stepping away from Vadis’ side, Tira held her arms out just in time to catch the tyke. “What in all the stars are you doing here, little one?”

“We came to play games for my birthday! There’s a monster in mine!” He held his hands up like claws and made a growling sound that sounded a lot more like a playful kitten. “Did you come to see me?”

Without missing a beat, Tira nodded with conviction. “Absolutely. I was upset because I hadn’t seen you in such a long time.”

“Don’t be sad, Aunt Tira.” The little boy—Cord, it seemed—threw his arms wide, forcing Tira to clutch him tighter to prevent him from falling. “Here I am!”

“Here you are, and a very happy birthday to you.” She nuzzled his cheek affectionately, then looked out over the crowd. “Where are your parents?”

“Tira?” Coming up behind them, a young Krytos female dressed in a shimmering blue gown beamed from ear to ear. “I never would have expected to see you here.” She tilted her head and arched one sculpted eyebrow. “You were ordered, weren’t you?”

Tira rolled her eyes as she sat the boy on his feet. “Naturally.”

“Good.” Three Krytos males approached, though it was the one in the middle who spoke. “You need to learn to relax.”

His mate narrowed her eyes, and the corner of her upper lip curled. “I still don’t like you.”

“Come on, Captain,” the male on the left said with a smirk. “Is that any way to talk to family?”

Vadis was so fucking confused. The child had called her “aunt.” The males spoke about family. Of course, he knew that blood didn’t make a family, but he couldn’t begin to guess the connection between a converted female, three Krytos brothers, and two Xenon.

Well, given her stature, musculature, and demeanor, he assumed the female had been converted, rather than born a Krytos.

“Daka?”

Returning to his side, Tira’s expression softened. “Apologies, Vadis Kesski.” Taking his hand, she squeezed it affectionately as she motioned to the group with her other. “Please allow me to introduce you. This is Isla Cadell, and her mates, Slade, Knox, and Bastian.”

The Cadells. Bounty hunters and commanders of the Storm Rider. Vadis had never met them in person, but their reputations preceded them. Especially since they had been responsible for the takedown of one of the most notorious assassins in the galaxy.

“The child?” he asked in quiet tones.

Tira’s smile widened. “This is Cord.”

As she said his name, the boy marched right up to Vadis and fisted his little hands on his hips. “Who are you?”

“This is Vadis Kesski,” Tira answered in his stead. “He is my soulmate.”

“Oh, my stars!” Isla squealed. “Are you serious? That’s amazing.” Without warning, she dragged Tira into a crushing embrace. “Congratulations!” Then, she turned and did the same thing to Vadis. “Welcome to our family.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Vadis disengaged and patted her shoulder awkwardly when the other three males growled at him. This reaction he understood. Not whatever the fuck was going on with the D’Aire douchebag.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Bastian asked. “Is that normal?”

Vadis shrugged. He was still getting used to it himself, and more than once, he’d been startled by his own reflection. Tira liked his eyes, though, and that was all that mattered to him.

“I guess it is when you’re mated to a Xenon.”

“Can I call you Uncle Vadis?” Cord interrupted, his gaze unwavering. The answer appeared to be quite important to him.

Vadis had zero experience with children, but that wasn’t to say he disliked them. In fact, he was rather fond of the idea of being someone’s uncle. “Sure thing, kid. I’d like that.”

“Cool!”

The adults laughed—some genuinely, some indulgently—but they were all soon interrupted by the sound of explosions in the distance. Rather than being frightened, Cord’s entire face lit up. Then, bold as he pleased, he grabbed two of Vadis’ fingers and began dragging him toward the open doors that led to a covered patio.

“Come on!” he urged. “Fireworks!”

It felt like being swept up in a hurricane, but Vadis decided to just go with it. One by one, they followed Cord out into the night, crowding in with the other guests to watch the colorful display over the ocean.

“Uncle Vadis!” Cord shouted as he jerked on his hand. “I can’t see!”

On instinct, he plucked the munchkin off the ground and seated him securely atop his shoulders. “How’s that?”

Cord giggled and clapped his hands. “This is awesome!”

That simple statement, spoken with such enthusiasm, made him feel freaking invincible, but it was the look of love in Tira’s eyes that nearly undid him. Pressed against his side, she didn’t say anything, but she rose up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. Then, she linked their arms together and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed that way until the last of the fireworks faded in the distance. He had never given it much thought, but he guessed this was what people meant when they said to appreciate the little things in life. Because it was a small thing, and it seemed to pass so quickly, but he would always treasure it as one of his happiest memories.

“Come on, little man.” Slade Cadell reached out and unseated the boy, pulling him into his arms. “It’s time for bed.”

“I’m not even sleepy.” Cord immediately followed up his rebuttal with a wide, jaw-cracking yawn.

“Right.” His father snorted. “I can see that.” Clearly, this was a conversation that happened frequently. “Say goodnight.”

They spent several minutes saying their farewells and making plans to meet up again soon. When Tira hugged Cord, she seemed to have a hard time letting go. Only after promising that she would send him something special for his birthday did she finally pass him back to Slade.

There was a noticeable decline in her mood once the kid and his parents left. Vadis didn’t know how to make it better, but he decided he could help in the form of a distraction.

Taking her hand, he led her back inside and right out onto the dance floor before pulling her flush against his chest. “I believe you still owe me a dance.”

He stroked her hair and peppered kisses to her temple and cheeks as he swayed them from side to side. He didn’t speak or ask questions. He just waited, knowing the captain would talk when she was ready.

A few minutes later, his patience paid off.

“I forgot his birthday.”

“He didn’t seem to mind that you didn’t have a gift for him.” Vadis would venture that the kid hadn’t even noticed.

“No, he wouldn’t. It’s not about the gift, though.” Tira stopped swaying and leaned back to look at him. “I forgot about him.”

Distress bled into every syllable, and her face contorted into a mask of pain. It broke his fucking heart. He also didn’t believe for a second that she had forgotten the boy. He might not know all the details, but any idiot could see how much she loved him.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning, daka? He’s your nephew? So, Isla is your sister?”

Was she the sister from Tira’s memory? He didn’t think so. For starters, the females appeared to be on excellent terms. There hadn’t been any bitterness or animosity between them. Not that he had detected, anyway.

Then, there was the little fact that Isla was Krytos. Yes, he still believed she had been converted, but he hadn’t detected any hints of magic from her. In fact, if he had to guess, he would say she had been born human.

Stars, the harder he tried to work out the answer, the less sense it made.

“Isla is not my sister,” Tira said, putting him out of his misery. “Actually, Cord is my cousin. He is the youngest son of my late uncle.”

“I’m so sorry.” He was still confused as fuck, though.

“Don’t be.” Ice threaded her words, and her expression turned to stone. “He was vile and cruel. He died a fitting death, and all the worlds are better for it.”

It was probably the most passionately he had ever heard her speak.

“Beyond our natural magic, my family was blessed with the gift of influence,” she continued, though most of the fight had drained away. “We can manipulate other’s moods, emotions, and to some degree, their thoughts. As you can imagine, it is a dangerous gift in the wrong hands.”

“This includes your uncle,” he surmised.

Tira sighed and dipped her head. “And my sister.”

Ah, now they were getting somewhere. “That’s why you cut ties with her.”

“Yes. I don’t have proof, but I suspect she is the cause of many tragedies on my planet.”

“Again, I’m sorry. It’s inadequate, but if it helps, I know a little about shitty families.”

Fed up with his family’s xenophobia and blatant racism, he’d left at sixteen and hadn’t looked back. To be fair, his parents and siblings hadn’t tried to contact him, either. Hell, they had probably been glad to see the last of him.

He’d spent the next decade bouncing between different sanctuaries, working whatever jobs he could to earn credits. As such, he had learned and perfected a number of skills over the years, which had ultimately led to his current position.

When Nico Artane had offered him a place in the Evo family, he’d jumped at the invitation. Unfortunately, it had proven no different from any other place he’d been. Despite the several months he’d spent on the planetoid, he still hadn’t made any meaningful connections, and it hadn’t taken him long to figure out why.

He appreciated the opportunity and the faith placed in him, but he’d also known his stay was only temporary. He couldn’t say exactly what made a place a home. He just knew Evo wasn’t it.

Instead of the smile he had expected, Tira shook her head. “Whatever your family may have done, it wouldn’t compare. Cord was four years old when I met him. We found him dirty, alone, and hungry in a dark room.” Tears welled along the lower rim her reddened eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. “He didn’t even have a name.”

Someday, he hoped she trusted him enough to share all the sordid details, but right then, they didn’t matter. All he cared about was ensuring his mate knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she wasn’t to blame.

“None of that was your fault.” Cradling her cheek, he brushed his thumb over her soft skin. “Not what your uncle did. Not what your sister may or may not have done.” He tilted her head up and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “All you need to remember is that Cord adores you.” He quirked one side of his mouth into a playful smirk. “Almost as much as I do.”

That finally pulled a smile from her, along with a breathy laugh. “I feel the same way.”

“For me or the kid?”

She studied him for a long time before turning suddenly and striding toward the exit without a word.

“Tira! Wait!” Why did she always do this to him? “What does that mean?”

His only answer was the musical sound of her laughter.