Chapter 24
24
Kaede
K aede knew his place, and it wasn’t by Selena’s side at the moment.
His role was to lurk in the shadows, always on alert, for the royal mated pair’s first journey as an official couple. This was a monumental moment—one that would be written in Aldawi history. A new Sovereign from the cursed line introducing his Beacon to the very planet where the original line of Beacons had been broken by Z’s ancestors.
The crowd’s response here would set the tone for the rest of their trip—and tell Kaede whether he needed to put his escape plan into action.
Thankfully, Z had approved his precautionary choice to fly his Abyss here in case anything went amiss.
The citizens didn’t know that Selena was pregnant, nor that Kaede was the father —not sire. He knew Masmi had likely spread the news about him being mated to their Beacon, but still, he wasn’t Aldawi. He would not be welcomed on this planet. Even though Z wanted to unite his people, tensions would remain high until the citizens saw the change for themselves. And the Harvest Games weren’t the place for that, not when mature female Aldawi were in their mating heat.
His star was fine.
A cyclone of emotions reached him through their bond as she was reunited with her cubs and presented with such honor by both Z and his family. Kaede wasn’t concerned about her; he knew it was okay for her to feel mixed-up at the moment. Her maternal instincts mixed with pregnancy hormones and all the changes in her life heightened all her emotions, so this was the best he could ask for.
Tori turned toward her clan, covering her mouth with her hand. “Where are her babies?” she asked in a hushed tone, eyeing the Aldawi family.
Kaede nodded at the three young Aldawi surrounding his star. “Those are Selena’s and Z’s cubs.”
Celyze’s wings fluttered and glowed slightly. “Are you sure that’s them?”
“I was there for their birth,” Kaede said simply, glaring at the sapphire Swynemi. “They are hers. ”
“It can’t be true,” Zyxel muttered, his face pale, looking as if something had died in front of him. “Something’s wrong. Direly wrong.”
Kaede rushed to the male, his eyes narrowing with concern. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, on full alert. “Speak.”
Zyxel’s eyes darted around, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. “How old are they?”
“That’s none of your concern.” Kaede stepped closer to the serpent, his expression hardening. “Why are you asking that?”
Zyxel’s eyes were wide, and he seemed to be struggling to speak. “The timeline doesn’t make sense.” Zyxel took a deep breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “Her children…are they pure?”
Kaede growled and grabbed the serpent’s wrist, not wanting to cause a scene during Selena’s big moment. He refused to allow this male to ruin his star’s chance to shine.
Kaede flicked his cape, allowing it to extend and wrap around them both. “REI, port us to the private backyard in Masmi’s palace,” he commanded.
The sensation was disorienting—brightness to darkness, warmth to cold, then back again.
They landed in the backyard, surrounded by a desert oasis that seemed almost too perfect to be real. The fine, short grass felt like a soft carpet under their feet, the exotic plants blooming with vibrant colors and textures. A large, sparkling pool reflected the bright sunlight, beckoning him to dip his toes in its cool waters. Tall palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, casting long shadows on the ground. And above all, a large purple canopy provided shade and added a touch of whimsy to the picturesque scene.
In any other moment, he would’ve stared in awe, taking in the beauty and serenity of this place—a stark contrast to the chaotic world outside the walls of the palace.
Zyxel hissed, coiled to attack—his crimson scales glimmered under the rays of the midafternoon sun.
Kaede drew his psydagger and held it steady in front of him. He could feel the energy pulsing through the weapon, waiting to be unleashed. Swiftly, he shielded his mind, covering his mental door to Selena, hoping his sudden departure hadn’t caught her interest—or made her worry.
He’d warned his star that he would play royal guard during this trip, so he assumed she wouldn’t question why he wasn’t directly by her side. At least, he knew she wasn’t alone. Plus, he had a fleet of drones throughout the city on watch, thanks to REI’s excellent supervision.
With a wave of his hand, Kaede revealed the army of drones he had cloaked until this moment. They hovered around the backyard, their metal frames glinting in the light. Each one was trained on Zyxel, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
“What happened?” Zyxel demanded, scanning the area. “What did you do?”
“It’s not your place to ask questions.” Kaede’s voice was low and menacing. “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” Zyxel snapped. “You’re no leader to me.”
Kaede quickly reached for the cloaking construct device on his belt and threw it onto the grass with a swift motion. The dark silver sphere landed with a flash and then instantly expanded, encasing them in a shimmery half-dome field, cutting them off from the rest of the world.
The long-haired serpent watched with awe as the cloaking device activated, shielding them from sight and sound.
“I am a male with many secrets, and this is my newest invention.” Kaede chuckled darkly. “Neither of us can leave without deactivating the invisible construct. To those outside, we don’t exist. They see nothing, hear nothing.”
Zyxel peered at him in shock, coiling tighter as he pressed himself against the far wall, testing Kaede’s words. Kaede laughed mockingly at his attempts.
“How is this possible?”
“Anything is possible when I’m bored enough,” Kaede replied, pacing back and forth, activating and deactivating his psydagger. “I may not be a leader, but I am mated to one and the clanbrother to another. Now, explain your reaction. What is this timeline you’re speaking of?”
Zyxel hesitated. “I don’t want to misspeak, not when I don’t know more information.”
Kaede swung in his direction, lifting his psydagger. “Information on what?”
“I need access to Selena’s files,” Zyxel stated firmly.
“You can’t have them!” Kaede spat.
“I’ve been vetted by everyone with enough power to comb through my mind,” Zyxel retorted. “Why would I betray the female whom the Fates and the Stars gifted to me?”
Kaede pinched his lips as he considered the truth in Zyxel’s words. The serpent’s desperation was palpable, and though Kaede’s instinct was to protect Selena at all costs, he sensed there was more to Zyxel’s request than met the eye.
“Trust is earned, not given.” Kaede’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you need access to her files?”
Zyxel coiled his long, serpentine body tightly as he locked eyes with Kaede. His forked tongue darted out, sampling the atmosphere as he released a threatening hiss.
“Because I believe I know what species her genome was spliced with!”
Kaede deactivated his psydagger in shock, staring at Zyxel. “How? How sure are you?”
“I’ve been through many battles, seen many species, crossed both the Axxel and Euph galaxies many times.” Zyxel’s eyes bore into his, unflinching. “There’s only one species I know that has the ability to…adapt to others.”
Adapt.
That word triggered many memories inside Kaede.
His mind raced back to his dark office filled with walls of screens surrounding him. Selena’s face first came across his screen—the perfect match to his client Z’s Nova, the demihuman female he’d been searching for for over seven years…
Her profile had been registered under ‘Project: Adapt - Defect - For Sale.’
Kaede let out a low growl and shook his head, determined to push away the haunting memories that threatened to cloud his thoughts. He needed to stay focused on the present moment.
“That’s what the Yarrkins said about my origin species,” Kaede growled, unable to hide his frustrations from this male who dared to threaten his clan’s happiness. “Humans were weak but resilient and capable of adapting.”
“That’s not the type of adapting I’m talking about.” Zyxel shook his head with lips pinched. “And deep down, you know this.”
Kaede rushed at him, placing his psydagger to the serpent’s throat. “Watch your tongue before I cut it out of your mouth and choke you with it.”
“I don’t want to fight you, knowing how much you mean to the Beacon.” Zyxel remained calm as he swung his tail at Kaede.
The lethal assassin blinked away, dodging the attack, only to reappear behind Zyxel, his blade once again at the serpent’s neck.
“Your tongue is what got you in trouble before, just like it is now,” Kaede spat, nicking his neck, drawing a few droplets of blood. “The only reason I go easy on you is that my star wouldn’t be happy if I did permanent damage.”
Zyxel met his gaze with confidence. “Are you still upset with me? Is this you taking out your anger on me?” Zyxel asked, his voice steady despite the blade at his throat.
Clenching his jaw, he tightened his grasp on his psydagger, his knuckles turning white. “How dare you,” he hissed. “I have every right to be angry with you after everything you did on my vessel. You twisted the truth and made me out to be some monster, some vile creature out to hunt females to breed.”
“Tori and her clan had the right to be warned,” Zyxel argued. “I didn’t know what you were capable of. We only knew you as a lethal unhinged demihuman in the middle of his mating heat.”
Kaede growled and sliced a few strands of Zyxel’s hair before blinking away to face him. “You don’t know your place.”
“And what is that?” Zyxel asked, his eyes narrowing. “Because it appears I am the one holding the information you seek about Selena’s origins, and you are the one standing in the way of me courting my enax .”
Kaede huffed with anger, his grip tightening on his psydagger as he tried to center himself. “Your enax ? She is not yours to claim. You think you have the right to court Selena, to win her favor after everything you’ve done? You are delusional.”
But the male was right—he had information they’d been searching for. Important information that would provide answers about Selena and their children and could help them prepare for their future health in maturity.
Kaede switched off his psydagger and put it away, licking his fangs. He was giving the bold healer a false sense of security—one wrong move, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use his venom.
“Selena’s origins are a mystery we’ve all been trying to uncover, but do not think for a moment that I will let you use that information to manipulate her.”
“I’m not trying to manipulate her,” Zyxel insisted, flicking his tail, his eyes meeting Kaede’s with unwavering determination. “I want to protect her just as much as you do. She deserves to know what she is, where she comes from. But you’re keeping me from her, preventing me from uncovering her truth.”
Kaede felt conflicted—Selena’s safety and well-being came first, alongside their children and the rest of the clan.
There were many routes he could take to gain the information he wanted—but being a mated male made most routes less simple to take. It would be easy for Mwe or Oeta to rip all of Zyxel’s secrets from his mind and give Kaede everything he desired. But their moral codes were more…strict than his own, and Selena would never forgive him for using such tactics.
He could lock Zyxel up in a cell and de-scale him, but again, that would also earn Selena’s ire. Then he would have to deal with the pretty boy Ryzen. The strong telepath would be an unknown factor in his plans, possibly attempting a rescue using his spirit weapons.
Kaede didn’t want anyone to get caught in the crossfire—at least, not anyone he cared about.
Zyxel’s voice broke through his thoughts. “What can I do to get in your good graces? To stop you from standing between me and my enax ?”
Kaede’s eyes narrowed. “What do you have to offer?”
Zyxel bowed low, his serpentine body coiling beneath him as he boldly held Kaede’s gaze. “I apologize for misjudging you, Kaede. For misspeaking and letting my prejudices cloud my judgment. I only wanted the best for Selena and the others upon the vessel, not knowing how dangerous—”
Kaede cut him off, his voice a growl. “I am dangerous. Probably more dangerous than you could ever imagine.”
Zyxel huffed but continued his apology. “I now know your allegiance is with Selena. You truly mean well, protecting her above all as not only her mate but her royal guard. If I can get the Sovereign to allow me access to her files, I will confirm my suspicions and then tell you all I know. I want to protect Selena’s heart and not give her any false hope.”
Kaede’s eyes narrowed as he bored into Zyxel’s. “I know that isn’t all. What else do you want?”
“If my suspicions are true…” Zyxel exhaled slowly, his gaze steady and unrelenting. “I want to be the one to tell her.”
Kaede studied him for a long moment, considering the serpent’s words, before offering his hand. “Deal. But if you so much as think of betraying her, I’ll end you myself.”
Zyxel’s eyes gleamed as he clasped Kaede’s hand, his grip firm. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”