Page 67 of Hope Forged
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
It was horrible, but that had been before she was born. A tear skidded down her cheek. She snorted and flicked it aside. Well, that answered her unasked question. She still cared that so many of her people had died, not knowing why and from what.
She sobbed. All those children… She bit her fist, but that didn’t stem the flood. So she gave up trying to be strong when she didn’t need to.
And let herself mourn.
Chapter Eighteen
“Milady?”Braccalled.
Ziamee snapped awake from her doze beside the fire.
The male leaned over her. “I have returned with the device.” He held out a smaller box.
“Is he…” How could she phrase it? “…Settled?”
“He is and crooning with glee.” Brac chuckled, entering her ship. “It has been a while since he received an update.”
“I can believe that,” she said, trailing him into the head.
He opened a panel in the console and clipped the device in. Lights flickered, a dull hum coming to life. “Oz?”
“Connected, Brac,” Oz whirred in his voice, and yet…smoother?
“Excellent.” Brac beamed when he glanced at her. “Would you like to return with me now or port at sunrise?”
“Later, thanks. I have questions I want to ask Oz.”
“Fair enough, milady. Comm me or Ulta if you need assistance.”
“Will do, and thank you, Brac,” she said. The second the male vanished, she glared at the box. “Oz, we’ve got to talk.”
“That tone alarms me.”
She frowned at his response, having not considered that changing his location might alter him in some way. “Why didn’t you teach me about Durn reproduction?”
“Oh, that.”
“Yes, that!” She stomped a booted foot.
“Your father believed learning about something that was an impossibility would sadden you.”
“My father believed too many stupid things,” she snapped. “I havemeta male.”
“Are you referring to life-fusion?”
“And mind-fusion,” she said.
“That’s part of the fusion between truemates,” he stated as if she was the idiot.
She wanted to wring his nonexistent neck. “Just give me the information I need.”
“What do you want details on? How the souls unite? Or how two Durns create children or faelin?”
“The latter.” She nodded firmly while scowling at his box.
“Durns used to donate their seed and eggs to the nearest clinic. They’d be spliced, and a faelin would be nurtured in a pseudo-womb.”
