Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Royal City of Issneen
One week later.
Ziamee peeked out of the shuttle door, blinking against the blinding pink sunlight.
Whoa. She’d never seen anything prettier.
To the south, a deep red ocean disappeared into the horizon.
To the west lay blue-white-yellow flora against white-stoned buildings.
Her ears picked up waves crashing on a shore.
Excitement sparked in her chest at her first sea.
She bounced on the spot, tossing Illan a grin.
The past week had been amazing. He’d called it a honeymoon though what that meant, truly, she couldn’t say. What a weird term for having had his attention every second. There’d been times when they’d comm Brac, her mudya and padya, the lima kuu studying Seba, or Iddan regarding their findings.
Even Seba had growled and mumbled at her when Brac had shared many sightings of Sebas frolicking in flower-littered fields. His big snout had nudged the vid, and he’d pranced around like the king he was.
They’d passed Iddan en route, taking an hour to meet face-to-face.
Ziamee had remained silent, absorbing the familiar mannerisms that Iddan demonstrated, but she had to admit, she far preferred Illan to his brother.
Cyndi was all kindness and bubbling joy, like a beam of sunlight on a winter’s day.
The drama surrounding the Durns rolled over her without issue.
“Does any of this bother you?” Ziamee had managed to ask in a moment of privacy.
Cyndi had waved a delicate hand. “I met Iddan under harsh circumstances. Everything else, I can deal with.” She smiled, warmth in her lovely eyes.
“But this… This’s a revelation. I’m so happy the truth came out.
Not knowing was eating at him.” She dipped to whisper, “An unhappy Durn is like a bear with a sore tooth.”
A bear? Whatever the hell that was, Ziamee understood her meaning. What amazed her the most was how she’d enjoyed the female’s company. Friends, Cyndi had said. Ziamee’s answering heart flutter said she wanted that. And it helped that they both loved Durn males.
“This way,” a warrior said, striding off.
Illan offered her his arm, and she accepted, letting him draw her along. “Do not look at the males,” he whispered.
She stumbled. “What? Why?”
“You might trigger the Ethera,” he gritted out.
Her breath caught, and she halted, forcing him to stop, too. “That’s possible?”
“Like I said, we do not know, and I would prefer not to find out.”
She shut her mouth and fell into a walk. Because he loved her and didn’t want another male to claim her? Her cheeks warmed, and the unspoken question burned the tip of her tongue.
A male strode toward them, authority in his bearing. “Illan, I am glad to see you.”
Illan bowed his head. “Advisor Kanzo, this is…Ziamee.”
The male’s attention shifted to her, his eyes a beautiful cerulean blue. Ah, here stood an Eth. “Advisor Kanzo,” she said in greeting.
“How is she?” Illan asked, urging Kanzo to carry on along a white stone pathway.
Ziamee trailed them, running her fingers over the blue bushes with the prettiest white flowers. The scent alone was exquisite, growing bolder the farther they walked.
“We came as soon as I—”
“Do not fret, Illan. She is well, as are her two…babies?” Kanzo smiled. “I did not inform my queen that you had arrived.”
“Good.” Illan relaxed, his shoulders dropping an inch. That he cared for his friend only sweetened Ziamee’s opinion of him. “She would insist on meeting me.”
“Xeus, though…” Kanzo chuckled, gesturing to the open massive doors on the path ahead.
Ziamee spun on the spot, then scurried after the males. Dark blue banners hung from the high ceiling, stark against the unblemished white stone. The massive room had tall pillars, adding to the sheer magnificence of the décor. Anyone visiting this place had to be humbled.
“Ohara?”
She jerked to a halt and lowered her gaze, realizing that an ache had formed at the nape of her neck. “Yeah?”
A slow smile crept across Illan’s sinful lips. “What do you think?”
She glanced at an amused Kanzo. “Lovely.”
“Yes, it is,” Illan said, holding out his hand.
She took it, locking their fingers without touching palms. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to delay—”
“But not as beautiful as you,” Illan whispered, before pressing a kiss to her temple.
She forced herself to breathe. His open affection, though she’d been the recipient of it for a week now, seemed out of place planetside. Was he making it obvious they were…lovers? She snuck a peek at him. “Are you all right?”
He didn’t answer but followed Kanzo as they exited the hall and hurried along another stone pathway.
The pink sky made her take a second then third glance.
She was used to blue, but Etteria’s sky was striking…
Surreal, slamming home that she wasn’t, well…
home. White fluffy clouds tinged with orange drifted across, and odd-looking evar peppered the horizon.
Illan halted outside a metal door which slid aside a moment later.
To a huge Etterian in a tight, white tunic and dark blue pants. His bare feet had her staring.
“Xeus, how is she?” Illan asked, tightening his hold on Ziamee.
The big male beamed. “Come, meet my damu.” He stepped aside, revealing a welcoming room. The chairs were like those on the Celeeri, but everything else had warmth and color from the strange cloth on the floor to those hanging on the walls. A sweet scent filled the air, along with a muted cry.
“Zoo?” A petite female appeared in the doorway on the other side, a wealth of brown-gold curls tumbling around her.
Clutched to her chest was a tiny bundle.
“Oh, Illan, you made it.” Her brown eyes gleamed with unshed tears, and the smile she bestowed on him held so much affection that Ziamee was tempted to look away.
“Of course.” Illan strode to the female and received the bundle. He blinked at it, cradling it with reverence. Ziamee inched closer, intrigued by the waving bronze-toned hand. “She is…exquisite.”
Having reached Illan’s side, Ziamee snuggled against him, her mouth agape as she took in the delicate face with blue eyes. The urge to gather the baby in her arms made her twitch.
A wail caused her to raise her gaze to the female, who smiled sheepishly and bolted into a room, only to return with another bundle. Two?
“He’s been fed, so don’t let his caterwauling bother you,” she said, bobbing on the spot.
Xeus slipped around Ziamee and Illan to sweep the male baby to his chest, his hand splaying over his tiny backside like a protective shield. “Thank you,” he said, meeting Illan’s gaze.
“I made a vow,” Illan said, lowering the female for Ziamee to see better.
Her heart melted. The tiny hand latched onto her finger when she tried to peel back the blanket. “She’s…” Tears burned, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat.
“You must be Ziamee,” the mudya said, beaming at her daughter from Illan’s other side. “Welcome, I’m Macy, and sit, please.” She sank into a chair, her baby in hand.
Ziamee chose a chair, her attention switching between Macy and Xeus. Wait, as in King Xeus?
“How was your trip?” the queen asked, making faces at her daughter.
Illan glanced at Ziamee and offered her his hand. When she took it, he rested their clasped fingers on his thigh. “Pleasurable,” he said.
Her cheeks bloomed.
Illan cleared his throat, his gaze lingering on Ziamee’s face. “Though you giving birth came at an inopportune time.”
“My bad,” Macy said with a giggle. “Next time, I’ll try not to inconvenience you.” She stuck her tongue out at Illan.
It was such an unexpected action, strange and comical, that a giggle bubbled up from Ziamee’s belly. She managed to smother it but gave Illan’s fingers a squeeze.
“I have read Brac’s report,” Xeus said, offering his son to Kanzo, who didn’t hesitate, taking the bundle to his chest and falling into a pace.
“Their disregard of life sickens me, even for their own males.” He grimaced.
“Alllero is dying. Though her heir is acting in her stead, I do not know for how long. I fear the treaty we had with Maloid might be in the past.”
“Has been for a while and without our agreement,” Kanzo said. “We have been kept in the dark. About all of this.”
“I do not like being played for a fool,” the king muttered.
“Their sheer audacity has me speechless,” Kanzo said. “Durn’s destruction was so long ago, which implies they planned this.”
“Alllero could not have known,” Xeus said. “I cannot believe she was complicit.”
“I suggest we…ask the Maloidian Ambassador Barro,” Kanzo said, tapping the baby’s back with the gentlest of touches.
“Yes.” Xeus rose, gave Macy a kiss on her temple, and strode to the door.
Kanzo placed the baby in Ziamee’s arms and followed his king.
“Stay with Macy,” Illan said, pinching Ziamee’s chin to hold her still for a sweet kiss. “We will not dally.”
She stiffened, torn between cuddling the baby and going with Illan. After all, she was Durn, too. Just then, said baby hiccupped and decided the matter for her. She smiled, so tempted to bury her face in his sweet smell.
“Does he have a name?” she asked as soon as they were alone.
“Now that was an argument of note. It’s Etterian tradition to reuse the last few letters of names, denoting lineage. In Xeus’s case, his father was Prius, his son Vytus, and his brother Citus.”
“And what name did he have in mind?”
“Kacy,” she said, then burst into silent giggles. “I prefer Dius. Sounds strong, right?”
“So who won?” Ziamee asked, snuggling back to better cradle the baby, who’d dozed off.
Macy hummed. “We both did. He’s Dius, and she’s Kacera.”
“That’s pretty,” Ziamee said, wondering what Illan would want to name their children. A discussion for another time, or more specifically, when he got around to telling her he loved her. Properly.
“Are you hungry? Want a coffee?” Macy stifled a yawn with her shoulder. “Sorry, new mom. We don’t get much sleep.”