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Ginger’s scent lingered in our small cave. My fingers grazed the outline of a linnea leaf, one of many twining around my wrists as I pulled on my leather pants. True mates. For the firsttime since my banishment, I felt like my old self. Better than my old self. As if buoyed by Ginger’s life force. When she’d placed her linnea leaf bracelet against mine last moon, everything had slid into place.
This rotation’s perilous mission left no room for an awe-filled heart though, so I shoved thoughts of a future blessed with Ginger as my mate aside, quenching my desire by picturing the beasts I must kill. When Tern was safe from hellsna, Ginger would be too. Cool chain mail slid over my arms, and I strapped my favorite blade to my right thigh andCourageous Heartto my left.
I ran my finger over the etched hilt of Sisip’s dagger and sent out a prayer.Serve me well and I will return you to your rightful owner, friend.
Nebula skittered over my spare tunic next to Ginger’s discarded pants from the day before. Maybe she got hungry and went for breakfast. After folding the shiny black material, I set it on top of the neat stack in the basket by her sewing table. The dorat pawed at my tunic. Her twitching tail matched the deep hiscus color.
“Nothing to fret over, Nebula. I’ve handled bloodroot fungus many times.”
I laced my boots and double-checked my knives. The ritual cleared away the emotional clutter, allowing me to focus on the task at hand—killing. Would this be the last time?
But an image of Ginger, hair spread across my chest, infiltrated my battle-prepped state. Did I still want to return to my life as a warrior? To regain my position as Lead Elite Guard of Yagras? In the eyes of the supreme councillors and the citizens of Yagras, there would be no doubt about my innocence. The goddess Sola would never bless someone who’d killed a female with a true mate. When they saw the physical manifestation ofour mating bands and my iridescent skin, we would be granted many privileges.
Despite the draw to return home, snippets of my last annum on Tern tumbled through my mind. The weight of a heavy crossbeam on my shoulders, testing my strength. Sitting head-to-head with Geo, planning the best possible layout for a dwelling. My crew’s laughter when pink mud dripped from us. D’ovey’s proud smile when he’d hung the open sign on his new bakery.
Would Ginger even like Yagras? Most Rock Dwellers weren’t very fashion-forward.
The appeal of a life much fuller than that of a solitary warrior seeped into my bones, dissolving the need to return to my role as lead elite guard now that I had a female to protect full-time and share life with.
A few off duty enforcers wandered around the command center, their containers of thick javae full to the brim. The first sun’s light had not yet brightened the black walls. Tuga leaned against the thin railing.
Even bent, his Rock Dweller height meant he towered over Sisip by his side. In front of them, the map, usually blinking with bursts of color showing her enforcers’ locations, showed only the sparsest flash of color. All troops, besides perimeter guards, had been grounded.
I walked toward Tuga with a spring in my step. With an elite guard at my side, the weight of the task at hand lightened. Dressed in a black uniform, a white worm emblazoned over one breast, he pushed off the rail toward me. A cascade of memoriesflooded me. I paused as the last one stole the air from my lungs, hitting harder than a physical punch to the gut.
At the supreme councillors’ nods, guards had approached me from each side. Tuga, my second-in-command, gathered one arm. “I do not wish to cuff you, Lead Protector.”
A recruit hooked his arm through my other elbow.
I cleared my throat. “I will not fight.”
Empty-handed, chin high, I walked the long hall, exited the courtroom and climbed into the hovercar waiting at its entrance. Numb in mind, body and spirit, they ushered me through the departure bay, up the grated ramp and into the shuttle to serve my sentence.
I shook my head, but the memory still left haunting traces behind.
Tuga’s friendly green eyes turned wary, narrowing on me, and his eager steps slowed. My second-in-command had never been at fault. I had to remove the guilt from his eyes.
“Guard Tuga, we meet again.” I embraced my old friend.
Sisip held her javae with both hands, her gaze pinging from me to Tuga.
“So it seems, Lead Elite Guard JayJay.” The familiar guard uniform crinkled between us as Tuga returned my hug.
The tension in my neck eased. If he’d called me Inmate 141…
A look of awe passed over Tuga’s face as he took in my clothes, skin and wrists, and in response, my chest jutted out and shoulders rolled back.
The tawny tufts of Sisip’s ears twitched. “I’ll let you take it from here.” She spoke to the both of us. “After all, this is your area of expertise. May the goddess Sola’s goodwill be with you today.” Her eyes lingered, as if she wanted to say more than the traditional send off. Instead, she squeezed my arm before shuffling to the javae urn and refilling her container. After this rotation, she could rest.
“I can’t believe it.” Tuga slung his large duffel over one shoulder, and we walked to the lift tube. “Only you could end up banished and have the goddess bless you with a true mate.”
A pride-filled inhale inflated my chest. To hear this from another Rock Dweller, a friend, reinforced the conclusion I’d already come to. “Have you studied our history then?” I still hadn’t spoken to TeyTey, what with my injuries, Devile and now this idiotic plan getting in the way.
He eyed the linnea markings on my wrist, cheeks bunched above his wide grin. “You’ll be a champion among Rock Dwellers. When they see your marks, Yagras’ citizens will welcome you back with open arms.”
Tuga side-eyed the tube’s loud hover engine whirling overhead. “My fata was a keeper at the Black Rocks of Nara.”
Keepers were entrusted to preserve our ancestors’ knowledge. “And what did he say about true mates?”
