Chapter 4 #2
Everyone at the table starts to argue except Brannock.
He’s been quiet this whole time, but he is looking at Tirrian and kind of nodding to himself.
“The dragon is right,” he says, and everyone stops arguing.
“And so is Lila. We are going to need every bit of luck to get your wife back alive. The reports of Husadavia do not do it enough justice. We used it as a base to hide from the Una’s during the war.
Our generals ordered us to establish a settlement in the mountains, somewhere we could hide from the rest of the galaxy if needed.
We lost many Aaz’axians trying to build that base before they eventually gave up.
Even with our superior fighting skills, powers, and weaponry, we were unable to stop our people from dying.
The flora and fauna are completely adapted to be the only inhabitants, and that’s how they want it.
They have a symbiotic relationship, and they are aware of everything that happens on that planet.
We must have every possible trick up our sleeve if we wish to survive. ”
My family still tries to argue until I grow impatient and look at the dragon. “Tell me,” I command, knowing he will.
“You are the perfect bribe for a carevasta bear. You can give them what they need.”
It all suddenly clicks in my brain, and I feel like an idiot. Of course it all comes back to sex. “Right. If I mimic them, I become the only female carevasta bear in the world,” I say flatly, and he nods.
“With the ability to birth both female and male carevasta bears. It’s something they would probably kill for.”
“Which is exactly why we don’t want them to know,” Xavier shouts at Tirrian, his eyes blazing with power. “Lila is not a broodmare. She’s not there for every dying race to pin their hopes on.”
“The carevasta bears aren’t dying out anyway,” Eric points out, and Tirrian rolls his eyes.
“No, but they resort to coercion and abandonment to get what they want, and everyone turns a blind eye.”
“What do you want us to do? There is no jail cell in the galaxy that will hold them,” Link argues, and Tirrian looks at my warlock.
“Are you sure? Xavier was easily able to create a spell to have the children’s clothes change with them, what’s to say he couldn’t create something that would keep them contained.
Instead of coercing women with their pheromones, they could be required to enter into some paid surrogacy program, because let’s face it, what they are doing is essentially rape. ”
Wow, Tirrian really is passionate about consent, just as much as Xavier is, but I guess if he and his animal are not in sync, then his animal’s insistence that I am its mate might feel a little like that to him too.
Xavier frowns and gnaws on his lip as he thinks about it. “We’ve never had reason to try. I was under the impression that they could interrupt any kind of matter, but maybe not magical fields.”
“Look, that’s beside the point for this mission.
Yes, the carevasta bears would be very interested in Lila’s abilities, which is why we can’t give them a reason to find out.
As far as the galaxy is aware, Lila is a low powered mimic whose database of forms is already full.
The only way we can do this is by mesmerizing a bear and have her mimic them, wipe their memory, and send them on their way.
” William is back to business, blatantly ignoring all the tension in the room.
He is focused on getting his wife back, and I don’t blame him for wanting to use every ability he can, including mine.
I would happily mimic any creature to help my grandpas—after all, they have given me everything.
“I don’t like this.” Xavier crosses his arms stubbornly, and I can see that both Link and Saxon feel the same way as well.
“You don’t have to,” Brannock says, “but it is the best plan we’ve had so far, unless you want to dangle her in front of a bear to get them to cooperate.”
“That’s not going to happen, and everyone needs to just take a moment to chill out.” Silac shakes his head at my mates and Tirrian. “You’re all talking about her like she’s incapable of making a decision herself.” He turns to me, sympathy in his eyes. “Lila, what do you want to do?”
Ugh, there is no way the attraction mark is going to fade off the naga if he keeps being so freaking thoughtful.
I mean, I’m not mad at my mates, and I know they need to be involved in the decision too, but I think they lose their shit with their concern and forget that I am perfectly capable of being reasonable and seeing both sides of the story.
“While I understand my mates’ unease” —I nod in their direction— “I will mimic the bear if it will help us rescue Grandma. Preferably, we’ll wipe their minds, because I really don’t need to be the hope of a complete society.
Freaking Oshan is already pressuring me to meet his son, and from what I understand, the bears won’t wait for me to ‘think about it’ like he is. ”
“No way, they’ll hide you away, and you will be used over and over until you pop out enough females to kick-start a little breeding program.
You and your daughters will essentially be a puppy farm for them.
” Link sounds disgusted, and I feel a little ill as images of me tied to a bed, popping out baby bears, flash through my mind.