Chapter 25 ZAPHAROS #2
I ran my hand through my hair. She was right. I’d let her down, and I would never forgive myself for it. I felt her thoughts in my head, soothing me, telling me it wasn't my fault, but her eyes and expression remained set. Determined not to leave my side.
I picked up on a stray thought that announced that Sloane and Vraax were about to retire for the night. "Can we fight about this later?" I asked Ella, gently removing her clamped hands from my shirt.
"Fine, but this is not over, buddy," she stabbed her finger into my chest, making me smile again despite myself. My little warrior really had no idea what a declaration of war she’d just given me.
I found both Sloane and Vraax in the hallway, on their way to their quarters. "A word?" I asked.
"We'll arrive on Astrionis in four days," Vraax filled me in. It seemed like he was just as eager as I to get to bed. Unfortunately, I had to correct him.
"That won't work. I need to go to Pandrax."
"It'll take longer," Vraax groaned.
"Isn't there another planet or space station in between?" Sloane suggested.
"You know I can't show my face in public," I reminded her.
"You don't need to. You just need to purchase your own ship," Sloane, ever difficult, countered. She had a point, though.
Vraax seemed on board with the plan, "That's a great idea." Instantly, he checked his comm, "Rodbar 2 is only a few days' flight from here. You can purchase a ship there."
"What about the other females? They need to get to Astrionis," I reminded them.
"They're your problem," Sloane smiled at me gleefully. "You rescued them; that makes them your responsibility. Just take them with you to Pandrax."
I didn't like that idea either, nor did I like arguing with them when all I wanted was to get back in bed with Ella. I pulled on my aura; it was time to change both of their minds and make them more agreeable to—
Sloane raised her finger into my face—what was it with these human females and their fingers? "Don't you dare."
Like before, she amused me. Now more than ever, she thought she knew my tricks.
Then she demanded, "Why didn't you just use all those powers before?
" All I did was smirk at her; her temper was so easily riled.
"You are such a bastard. We could have been killed.
You have all these powers, and you made me… made… argh!"
"You put her in danger?" Vraax snarled suddenly. I saw his fist coming; I could have stopped it, but I understood a male's need to prove himself in front of his female. I made a show of stumbling back a few paces.
"Nice," I rubbed my chin, willing to let it go at that, but then Vraax tackled me to the ground, and that was enough.
Nobody tackled me to the ground. I felt the Dark Abyss entering me, felt the blackness move through my aura, and fought it back.
No, I would not fight Vraax. No matter how much he deserved it, if I started now, I would kill him.
It wasn't like I cared for the male, but I sensed that he was important to whatever fate had in store for us and kept my temper in check.
When Vraax realized I wasn't fighting back, he paused, and I took the opportunity to ask, "Are you done?"
Vraax kicked me one more time before getting up, "Now I'm done."
"My hero." Sloane rushed forward and embraced him; the sarcasm in her voice was evident, but so were the feelings she had for him.
"Are you okay?" Vraax pulled her against him.
"I'm fine. Are you?"
The bond between them was hard to miss; both had the black marks of the Soulweb bond, but I wasn't in the mood to witness their affection toward each other when I was yearning to get back to the hopefully by now sleeping Ella.
Snidely, I remarked, "I'm good, too." And moved back to my feet.
"Are you going to explain this whole thing now?" Sloane demanded, ready to finish what her mate had started.
With an exasperated sigh, I admitted, "Yes, I could have done this all by myself. No, I didn't need your help. Yes, I used you. Yes, I tried to rile your temper for some time. Happy?"
"Happy?" She stared from me to Vraax. "He asks if I'm happy."
"Are you?" Vraax's humor was hard to miss.
"I think now I am."
"Good, me too."
A gagging sound escaped me; they were going at it again. "Your presence made everything easier, and your help is appreciated." And then a little bit lower, "Plus, I needed your help to get those females to Astrionis."
"Come again?" Sloane dug in, determined not to make this easy for me.
"I can't go to Astrionis, and I couldn't very well drop them off at their doorstep like a basket full of kittens, now, could I?" I reminded her.
"How do you know about the kitten and basket thing?" Sloane demanded.
"You picked up on that, didn't you?" I grinned.
Her chin jerked forward, and she widened her eyes at me, her entire expression demanding more of an answer. New amusement rolled through me. "What?" It was too much fun to rile her up.
"Kittens?" She insisted.
"I might have picked some things up from Ella." I skirted the truth, which was that I had been picking through hers and Vraax's brains whenever I had a chance. Mostly, when she got all hot and bothered about me, it was easy to intrude on her mind then, without her noticing.
"You mean you got into her brain and dug around?" She theorized, not realizing how close to the truth she was, only that I respected Ella too much to do that to her.
I shrugged. This entire interaction wasn't going anywhere, and suddenly, I was tired. I just wanted to be with Ella and get a few hours of sleep.
"If you ever put her in danger again," he stepped in front of me.
Really tired now of all this, I placed my hand on his shoulder. "She never was in danger, my friend, I assure you."
Vraax looked perplexed but nodded.
"Did you just fuck with his mind?" Sloane demanded.
I shook my head. "No," I lied. "But we have a connection, just like you and I do." The truth of my words shut her up. The connection was there. Undeniably so.
I could tell the notion bothered Sloane, and smirked. "Don't break your head, Sloane; you won't figure it out. Our bond is millions of years old."
"Explain," she ground out, and I groaned. I’d thought this would make it faster to get back to my suite.
But I had underestimated Sloane's determination.
A sudden wave of pride for her rushed through me.
I didn't know who these humans were, how they had gotten entangled in this cosmic drama, but I knew with certainty that she and Vraax were part of what we, the Arkhevari, had created. One might call it fatherly pride building within me. The Darlams were my children, and Sloane by default, because she was Vraax’s Soulweb mate.
That was the only explanation for elaborating to them, "Millions of years ago, longer than your human mind can even comprehend. My ancestors spread out over the universe, shaping it, creating planets—"
She stared at me with her typical nonplussed attitude. "Is this the part where you're telling me you're some kind of God?"
I felt her dread of my answer, and I smoothed it a bit—What can I say? I just felt in a generous mood. "To you we might be."
"So you created the universe?" It had been a long time since I had spoken to a child, but she reminded me of one right then. Always asking more questions.
"The universe always was and always will be." I gave her the only answer her brain could digest right then.
"But you said your ancestors…"
"You hear what you want to hear, what fits into your narrative, but trust me, your human minds cannot understand or accept what I'm trying to explain." She was really trying my patience, and any benevolence I had felt toward her began to recede.
Just to prove I was right, she crossed her arms over her chest, "Try me."
With a sigh, I humored her some more, "We spread out over many planets; on some, we bred with the local population.
We were arrogant and foolish and lost everything because of it.
" The memories of our darkest time filled me, and blackness was pushing against me, wanting to be set free.
I looked into Sloane's eyes, hoping she would finally get the message and leave me alone, "No, I will not tell you more.
This is all you get, but believe me when I say that your species and mine have been entangled for a long time. "
Of course, she wasn't. "What about the Darlams?"
I felt Vraax's desperation to know where he came from.
It was hard reading his mind; the Ohrurs had erased his memories to make him into the killing machine they needed to increase their immense wealth.
I wasn't a complete brute; I could understand Vraax's desire to know more about his origins.
"The Darlams were the last of our… creations.
One last attempt to—" I stopped myself when I realized Sloane had just manipulated me into answering more questions. "You're good."
"I had to try." She shrugged, looking pleased with herself. "So you mixed with the original Darlams?"
"And condemned them to death because of it, yes.
" I nodded. The sadness for the Darlams that overcame me surprised me.
Maybe it was because they were our last creation.
The closest we had ever come to making someone in our own image.
"From my species to yours. We are incredibly sorry for what happened to you and hope that whatever happens next will make up for it. "
"What do you mean?" Vraax grabbed Sloane's hand.
"The universe has its own way of righting wrongs. Now, if you'll excuse me." I moved around the two of them, eager to get back to Ella.