Chapter 67
Alex wiggled her toes in the sand as the cold water lapped around her calves.
It was far colder than anything she had ever felt on Earth, but she seemed to be slowly adjusting to it.
The cold of the air had long ceased stinging so long as she kept her core temperature stabilized with clothing, and her feet weren’t going number in the cold water.
“You know that humans get horribly wrinkly if we stand in water that long, right?” Vi called from the shore.
The corner of Alex’s mouth pulled upward in amusement, and she looked over her shoulder at the woman who was closely becoming counted as a friend. “Let me guess, you horrified the locals?”
Vi barked a laugh and grinned shamelessly. “Maybe just a little. They all assumed the pruny human was just going to shrivel up and die in the middle of the water.” She grinned at the memory and shook her head. “It was some funny shit. Speaking of—are you ready to eat?”
Alex’s eyebrows arched as she turned toward her and began to slowly wade back to the shore. “When you put it like that, I’m not really sure.”
Vi snickered. “The food does look questionable, but I do have another amusing story about trying to eat it for the first time. Unless you are too scared to try it.”
Alex shook her head. She didn’t have any difficulty believing that. For someone with such a reputation for being a hardass in the colony, Vi had an odd sense of humor once she decided to open up around someone. And as the only human in the wyrda, Alex appeared to have been designated her new BFF.
“I’m game for just about anything,” Alex replied.
“And that’s why I like you. You do realize I selected you as my pilot for a reason... because you’ve got grit, cupcake.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “As if I need any between the two of us. You have enough grit for ten people, cheesecake.”
Vi laughed and then promptly groaned. “Cheesecake. I fucking miss cheesecake. I would sell my soul to take a shuttle straight to the New York non-gratas compound so that my grandmother could make me a for-real honest to god cheesecake from the rations. Hell, even the blasphemy that the cook in Raza calls a cheesecake would be welcome right about now.”
“You know,” Alex said thoughtfully as she continued to wade toward the other woman, “I kind of wondered why you chose me. I didn’t even think most people even knew that I’m a pilot when assignments go out.
The fact that I was also trained as a mechanic has meant that I’ve been stuck in the hangar more than outside of it. ”
Vi snorted mirthfully. “That fact wasn’t lost upon me.
I’d been looking over contract files for weeks and saw your background and where you were assigned.
Seemed like a damned shame to me, especially given your record—the last trip excluded,” she amended with a wry grin, “but we all survived so I can’t call it a major loss.
But for a delicate mission going into the Vir Mountains, I needed the kind of quick thinking and adaptability you have.
It is not something that all of the guys seemed to be particularly blessed with, despite snapping up all the rotations.
It seems like a good call in retrospect because I’d probably be dead and, from what you’ve told me, who knows what would be going on in the shinara now if you weren’t there. ”
Alex’s smile slipped as she sobered. “We still don’t know what’s going on in the shinara.”
Vi winced. “Good job, Vi, just open mouth, insert foot. I’m sorry, Alex.
Lori always did say I have about as much tact as a ballistic missile.
But you know having you along served another purpose because who else would be riding Therxian’s massive d—what the hell?
” she muttered as the hatchlings squealed with excitement and rushed deeper into the water.
“Luoa has returned,” one of the hatchlings shouted in reply before diving into the water, which told Alex all she needed to know about how the Uralial were adapting to Vi’s case of potty mouth.
Wait... Luoa!
Without a word of warning to Vi, Alex spun around and charged back into the water, excitement rising brightly inside her. The pale Uralial crested first to the excited shrieks of the hatchlings, but just behind him—
“Therxian!” Alex screamed as she splashed through the water.
Her mate’s eyes widened as they fastened on her, and he smiled with relief as he broke rapidly through the water, his tail thrashing hard enough that his gavo sent up sprays of water that made the hatchlings shriek even more.
It doused Alex, too, but she didn’t even mind it.
There was only heaven waiting for her when she leapt into his arms, and his wings snapped around her, holding her tightly as if he planned to never let her go.
Dragging his head down, she kissed her mate with desperation, happiness, and simply just relief.
That was until a dry cough of amusement reminded them of where they were, and Alex grinned sheepishly over at a frail but smiling Zathexa as Jathella carefully lifted her from the water. Tears sprung to Alex’s eyes as she wrestled from her mate’s arms and hurried over to the female’s side.
“How did this happen?” she whispered frantically. “I only saw you a few days ago.”
“The poison is advancing,” Healer Zhia quietly informed her, her mouth setting into a grim line. “The queen has also been subjected to tremendous shock. I need to find a place where I can get her stabilized and perhaps meet with a local healer.”
A nestling who had bravely ventured closely to satisfy his curiosity suddenly shot up in the water excitedly. “My grandmother is a healer,” he shouted. “I will go get her! She will want to check on Luoa anyway now that he’s back.”
Without even waiting for an answer one way or the other, the nestling dove under the water and shot for the shore with a shocking speed that made Alex gape.
“They are quite fast,” Zathexa murmured with a soft laugh. “I do not even recall having that kind of energy, much less speed.”
“You will have more energy soon enough. Let’s get you out of the water,” Alex replied as she glanced toward Jathella.
The female nodded and with Buosoa’s help, the two of them carried the queen out of the water. By the time they arrived at the shore, an elderly healer was quickly gliding over the sand toward them, her face lined with concern.
“Come, set her over here,” the healer hissed, directing them toward a low bench that a pair of Uralial vacated to watch wide-eyed.
Therxian did not even set Alex on her feet but carried her in his arms as they followed Jathella over to the bench.
The female’s gaze turned to Healer Zhia, her fins rising curiously as her gaze raked over her.
“I am Healer Noa. I assume that you are the healer attending to her. Explain this to me quickly.”
“Poisoning,” Zhia replied and proceeded to explain the case to the healer as she moved her hands over the queen’s body. “I am afraid the high queen won’t last long without imminent treatment.”
“The high queen!” The whisper rose from among the gathering crowd and rapidly spread, attracting more onlookers until they were joined by a silver male of some decorated office by looking at him.
Luoa leaned heavily on him, and Alex recalled that Vi had pointed him out from a distance and described him as the chieftain of the wyrda.
He wore a heavy frown as he approached, his pale eyes studying her. Seemingly satisfied as to her identity, he lowered his head respectfully.
“My queen,” he greeted her solemnly. “Never before in our history has a member of the royal family sought the wyrda of the Uralial to take sanctuary with us and to know us. We welcome you and your company,” he added, his eyes sliding briefly over the rest of them.
Zathexa raised her gavo weakly in acknowledgement before letting it drop as her remaining strength slipped away. The chieftain looked inquiringly at the elderly healer.
“The poison that has infected her is familiar to me,” she replied.
“Can you cure her?” Therxian asked, his body shifting forward eagerly.
Her eyes turned to him before dropping back to the queen.
“There is no cure that will work on any female this far gone. It has been too long. But,” she continued as she watched him drop back in shock, “not all hope is lost. I can stop the progression of the poison so that she may live the revolutions that remain in peace, but she will never regain her full strength. She will need rest and peace.”
“My days as queen are over,” Zathexa sighed, but there was no sorrow on her face, only a profound look of relief.
Alex set a hand on her mate’s arm, silently reassuring him as she looked up at his face. He looked more haggard too. It seemed that the events of the last couple of days had weighed heavily on everyone.
He lowered his eyes to his mother’s face, and the queen looked up, a tired smile on her face. He covered Alex’s hand with his own, drawing comfort from her presence as he obviously struggled with his grief. “I wanted to save you,” he rasped.
“Therxian, you have,” she whispered. “I was lost, dead inside, but merely existing while I held onto duty. You reminded me of what was important. You made me live again, despite my desire to fade away.” She laughed softly, her eyes closing.
“And I am not dying yet. I will be here so that I can hold your nestlings. But from here on you must forgive me because I must relinquish all my burdens to you, my son. You will continue our line forward. It all rests on you.”
The chieftain ungulated forward, his eyes fastened steadily on Therxian. “Who are you?”
Zathexa turned her head to meet his curious gaze. “This is my son, Therxian. King of the Aglatha.”
The chieftain jolted in surprise, and all around him Uralial males and females bent forward, lowering themselves to the ground.
Therxian straightened, his eyes went wide, and Alex smothered a smile.
He had clearly not expected such a reception.
She patted his arm affectionately as he slowly lowered her to the ground to move toward the nearest male and female.
Reaching for them, he tugged them upward.
“This is not necessary,” he protested. And Alex understood. He had intended to save the Aglatha, not to become the actual king.
The chieftain, however, smiled, his fins lowering as he bowed. Therxian reached for him, but the male’s hand clasped her mate firmly around the forearm, and he met his eyes.
“It has passed as it was meant to,” he rumbled. “You may not want it, and it may be a heavier weight than you wish to bear, but the high queen in her wisdom has relinquished it to you, as she was also meant to do. It is all a part of Shangla’s loom.”
“I do not know how to be a king,” Therxian protested, but the chieftain laughed.
“No great leaders are born with the knowledge. You were not reared and groomed for it, but you will tread this path with humility and respect because of that, and will carve out a new future by understanding the errors of our most distant fathers and the mother-line.” The chieftain’s eyes swept the crowd, his voice raising for their benefit.
“The ways of our ancient forefathers are gone, and the ways of the queens of the shinaras are fading away. This is a momentous occasion for us all. It is the first step that the children of Shangla must take as the old ways are replaced with a promise of an age of peace where male and female, Uralial and Seshanamitesh, are joined together as one. We, the Uralial, greet you, High King Therxian, king of the Aglatha Deeps.”
He gaped at the male and looked down at Alex beseechingly.
“Alex—”
Tipping her head back, she grinned proudly and bumped him lightly with her shoulder. “You are so cute when you are flummoxed. Personally, I think High King rather suits you.”
He groaned and gathered her into his arms and beneath his wings. “This is not going to make our lives any easier,” he pointed out.
“Then we better make every moment count,” she whispered as she dragged his head down once more, sealing the unspoken oath between them with a kiss.