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Movu stood up and stretched out his back. “Once the governors are in agreement, let me know.” He turned and looked at Kyrex. “I’m anxious to meet this mate of yours. Did you team up with Neloff?” Kyrex nodded and Movu smiled. “Your personalities complement each other well. You’ll make a fabulous triad.”
“This family reunion will have to wait,” Zevon interjected. “You’re leaving for Torret in the morning.”
“You still want us to spy on Laidon?” Kyrex objected. “That seems counterproductive to building an alliance.”
“You’re no longer going to Torret as a spy. Now you’re going as an ambassador. Neloff grew up on Torret. Who better to convince Laidon that an alliance benefits us both?”
Kyrex looked at his father as a sigh escaped his mouth. “It looks as if I’ll be busy for the next few days. I’ll comm you when I return from Torret.”
With a nod of assent, Movu Flowed from the office.
CHAPTER8
“What do you mean everything has changed?” Eden was so tired of these surprises that she wanted to scream. Every time she settled into a routine and felt like she understood what came next, something shifted and all her expectations had to be readjusted. “We’re not going to Torret tomorrow?”
“We’re still going, but we’re no longer posing as rebels.” Kyrex was seated at the small table in their quarters with Eden and Neloff. Kyrex had waited until their casual dinner was over before he made his announcement. “Zevon wants us to propose the new alliance instead of gathering information.”
“New alliance?” Neloff sounded as confused as Eden felt. “Laidon betrayed Zevon the last time he tried to negotiate with the rebels. Why would Zevon even attempt another alliance?”
“Laidon tried to kidnap Raina. He stole a ship and bribed members of the crew. He’s not trustworthy. Period,” Eden reinforced. Raina had been terrified by Laidon’s little stunt and several people lost their lives because of events Laidon set in motion. “I thought the purpose for our mission was to determine what Laidon is up to now that he’s back on Torret. Zevon can’t negotiate a treaty until he understands the basic facts.”
Kyrex pushed back from the table but remained seated. “Laidon’s goals have never changed. He wants to end Jevara’s tyranny and he will not stop until all of Torret is free to make their own choices.”
Eden scoffed. “No one makes their own choices in this star system.”
She didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but he’d caught her feeling particularly vulnerable. She’d spent the morning with Raina and her cousins, listening to the stories of how they met their mates. As Kyrex warned, their stories were far different from what Eden had experienced. The cousins had been controlled and manipulated at every turn. All three were happy now, but the price for that happiness had been weeks of fear and frustration.
“Everyone answers to someone,” Eden muttered, drawing her mind back into the present. “Laidon isn’t any more trustworthy than Jevara, so the Torretians will be trading one dictator for another.”
“I was raised on Torret,” Neloff reminded, “and I can assure you that isn’t true. Jevara is in a class of villains all by himself.”
“Besides, no one said Laidon would replace Jevara. It will likely be an interplanetary council until a representative government can be implemented.” Kyrex studied her for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest. “Maybe you should stay here.”
“Don’t threaten me,” she snapped as she pushed to her feet. She didn’t want a repeat of the night before, but she still felt unusually feisty. Like it or not, she was in the early stages of mating fever. Which meant she was out of time. Her companions might be willing to give her more time to make this life-changing decision, but her body had already made its choice.
“It wasn’t a threat,” Kyrex insisted. “You would have reinforced our cover story while we posed as rebels. Bringing you along now seems counterproductive. We are going to negotiate. Our goal is to secure an alliance with the rebels and you are clearly hostile.”
“Of course I’m hostile. Laidon tried to hurt one of my friends.”
Kyrex rose as well and walked around to where she stood. “It is natural for you to look at this from Raina’s perspective. Neloff and I, however, find it easier to relate to Laidon.” He placed his fingertips against her lips, halting her objections. “Let me explain. We do not approve of Laidon’s actions. Victimizing females is never acceptable.”
“Then what do you find relatable about Laidon?”
He slid one of his hands to the back of her waist and lightly stroked her hair with the other. “We understand Laidon’s frustration. On one side, his people are being subjugated and abused by a ruthless tyrant. And on the other, the Citadel has refused to train anyone with Torretian blood because of the actions of that same tyrant.”
“But Altor and Torret are at war,” Eden reminded. “How can Zevon keep his people safe if he allows the enemy beyond his defenses?”
“If it was only Torretians who were being excluded, I would agree with you,” Neloff said firmly. He stood up and moved in close behind her. “For many decades the Citadel has strictly controlled who is allowed to claim conduits. Thousands of males are born with the abilities necessary to participate in a power triad. We are all tested by the Citadel, but only the wealthy or politically connected are accepted. The rest of us must find trainers on our own.”
“And at our own expense,” Kyrex added bitterly.
“The story is very different for conduits,” Neloff explained. “The Citadel scouts out and recruits conduits regardless of their planet of origin or the social standings of their families. The Citadel has set themselves up as the premier training center for conduits.”
It wasn’t hard to figure out where they were heading with this, so Eden offered a summation. “Training all the conduits allows the Citadel to control them, or at least control who has access to them.”
“Exactly,” Kyrex agreed. “Laidon, and many of the rebels, are trained sources and controllers yet they are forbidden from even attempting to court a conduit. And without a conduit, the males will never reach their full potential.”
“That doesn’t excuse what Laidon tried to do,” Eden insisted. “Kidnapping is a crime.”
