Chapter Fifteen
Serenya
We left the Zeydrassk late on the following day.
I’d spent half the night staring at the wall, wondering how Kael was sleeping when he was too large to fit on the couch, and the other half giving myself a pep talk over having to be naked in front of him.
I refused to be the cause of a diplomatic incident, as my father would have put it, and I reminded myself it was bound to happen eventually anyway.
And soon, if the doctor and Saed were right about when I should go into heat.
That was a whole other issue I wasn’t ready to tackle, so I focused on the immediate problems.
The shuttle was sleek and silent, its walls smooth and black, and Kael sat beside me without speaking as we broke through Morrakan's atmosphere.
The planet beneath us was an expanse of red, rolling hills, seeming to extend as far as I could see.
There was no green, no rivers or lakes, and nothing that looked like a city, much less the capital of a spacefaring species.
It was only when I noticed lights within a dark area that I realized we weren’t passing over the surface on the way to my new home, we were dropping down into it.
“That’s Korvashan?”
Kael nodded.
From the air, it looked like a ravine with a cluster of obsidian thorns rising from the red rock of the rim, ringed with glowing lines that pulsed like Kael’s kethra in different colors.
The largest structure was shorter than the NAA building, the matte burgundy surface almost blending into the desert around it.
Once I figured out what to look for, I spotted more buildings along the edges of the canyon. They were all low to the ground, with rounded edges, and nothing that looked like windows. There were vivid splotches of color here and there, but I couldn’t tell what they were from so high above.
The rest of the city was within the ravine. Stone bridges arched from one side to the other, columns of rock carved with intricate designs holding up overhangs that threw everything in shadow. I couldn’t tell where the natural landscape ended and the constructed one began.
“It looks like part of the land.”
Kael’s lips twitched like he wanted to smile.
“It is. Our architecture is grown as much as it is built. The natural caves and caverns were preserved as much as possible, and the crystals are mined from within the ravine. We use them to bring light and heat below.”
I had a dozen more questions, but we were already turning, preparing to land near one of the surface structures on the rim. I could feel the change in gravity, the soft resistance of the thrusters slowing us, and then the pressure in my chest as we came to a stop.
“The air here is similar enough to Earth that you should have no difficulty breathing, but it is drier than the area you came from, and it will be much warmer than you’re used to here on the surface. We will be heading below immediately, and then you should be more comfortable.”
Rowena, the other woman with us, nodded, and my father gave a grunt. Saed’s head cocked to the side before dipping, and then we were all standing to exit the shuttle.
Kael didn’t touch me, but he guided me with an arm as the shuttle doors opened and the warm, dry air of Morrakan brushed over my skin for the first time.
I immediately realized why the Morrak had rough skin, and why their nostrils were slits, since the steady wind carried sand that found my eyes and invaded my throat almost immediately.
A Morraki with rich brown skin waited on the platform, thumping his chest with a closed fist when he saw Kael.
He was smaller than the other Morraki I had seen, although the lines on his face made him look older, with dark green hair bound in a single braid, his dark ridges barely poking through like fresh turned dirt in a field.
His markings glowed a steady teal, but they barely peeked from the neck of his shirt, and he only had the faintest streaks across his temples.
“Shaevrin meyr’kal.”
Kael clasped the other Morraki’s shoulder, turning to me.
“This is Daylen. You would call him a steward. Daylen, this is my korravalryn, Serenya.”
Daylen gave me a curious once-over but didn’t seem surprised Kael had returned with a Human.
“Veysha greets you.”
He addressed me with formal dignity, but his Common was heavily accented, and I didn’t understand the first word. I blinked, trying to decide what to say in return when Kael leaned down to place his lips near my ear.
“Veysha translates to hearth, but it really means something like the warmth of home. It is a traditional greeting.”
I smiled, but Daylen was already turning to leave. His presence had been a brief welcome, but also a reminder that this place was not the Zeydrassk.
Here, I was no longer a guest. I was a reflection of Kael and the alliance.
Kael led us down a sloping path, through a tall archway, and into a space that smelled of stone and spice and something softer I couldn’t name.
The air was slightly cooler out of the direct sunlight, and the wind that blew with a steady pressure above was eased to a gentle breeze.
The walls curved toward the edge of the ravine, patterned with flowing designs that caught the red light of the setting sun.
Crystals set in the design glowed, casting amber and violet hues across the path until it opened up into a massive cavern that seemed too large to be natural.
This was Korvashan.
My new home.
The thought made me shiver, but I couldn’t name why.
Perhaps it was simply how small I felt, standing beside Kael in this place that was nothing like I’d ever seen.
Crystals studded the cavern roof above us, lighting the space within and revealing stone pillars thick enough for my father’s house to have fit inside.
A carved railing flowed along the edge of the ravine to keep anyone from accidentally falling, but from a few feet away it blended into the opposite wall, giving the appearance that there was nothing between me and a deadly drop.
I sucked in a shuddering breath, unconsciously leaning closer to Kael. He hadn’t offered me his arm the way he had when we were on Earth and on the Zeydrassk, and I wondered if there was a reason behind it.
Was I allowed to touch him? What were the rules?
I couldn’t help feeling like I should have been given a list of what I could and couldn’t do, even if I hadn’t been in any state to focus on it until the past day.
I still felt a little… strange, but the headache had eased and the cramps had stopped, and there was only an occasional flutter of discomfort.
“Jorath, escort your omega meyr’kal. You are off duty until she is bonded. Rhydek, let the council know we will meet at skorr.”
The two men strode away, Rowena following the warrior I’d seen with Kael and Rhydek. She cast a glance back at me, her new, violet kethra jarring against her pale skin and auburn hair. She seemed pensive, but there wasn’t anything I could do for her besides giving a hopeful smile and wave.
My father lingered with us, and I couldn’t decide whether I’d be happier if he was staying in Kael’s home so I would have an excuse to skip the nudity requirement, or if I’d rather have space from him since I was still upset at his callousness.
Even though he was trying to play the doting father like he had in front of others on Earth, I hadn’t forgotten what I’d overheard, nor the way he pressured me into this situation.
“General Hale.”
The command in Kael’s voice had my father straightening like a soldier receiving orders, and I didn’t miss the way he scowled a moment later when he realized how he’d reacted.
“Guest quarters have been prepared for you, and you will have a servant to help you during your time here. You are welcome to explore at will but be conscious of where you are. The River Caverns are open to all, but certain pools are reserved for alphas or omegas only. To the Morrak, you will be classified as a beta. If you choose to go to the zhavrekal or varkuun kennels on the surface, it must be done before nightfall and follow safety procedures. It would also be best to have an alpha with you. It can be dangerous.”
My father’s eyes cut to mine, his jaw flexing, before he looked back at Kael and smiled.
“Thank you for the hospitality. I’m sure the quarters are generous, as they were on the Zeydrassk. Will I be near you and Serenya? I’m sure you understand my need to make sure she settles in here.”
Settles in. Not, make sure I was happy here, because happiness didn’t matter.
I dropped my gaze to the ground to keep from glaring at him but noticed my kethra were glowing bright enough to stand out. Having such an obvious tell was inconvenient.
“My meyr’kal is hers now. She may offer you veysha as she sees fit, but she is still recovering from the change and will soon enter her first heat. I’m sure you understand we need time together prior to that as well.”
My father’s expression remained frozen but the way his shoulders rose and the long pause before he responded told me he was irritated.
“Of course. Good night then. I’ll hope to see you tomorrow.”
“Shaevrin watch your path.”
Kael gestured to another Morraki standing near and they stepped forward. It wasn’t until she raised her head that I realized it was a female, the first I’d seen of the Morrak.
She was shorter than Kael and the other warriors, putting her only an inch or two taller than me.
Sturdy was the only word I could find for her frame since I couldn’t call her slim, and yet she wasn’t as thick as me.
I didn’t spot any ridges amidst her hair, and her tail was short and blunt compared to Kael’s.
While her short-sleeved tunic revealed more skin than Daylen’s had, she also didn’t have many visible kethra.
“General Hale, I am Tarevii. I will assist you here in Korvashan. May I show you to your meyr’kal?”