“Amphirans,” Allele says with long, low rumbling notes. “I am Orillium, the last of my kind with a mobile form. We used toreside together on Amphir many centuries ago. But you have lost your way.
“Only those with a pure Storm may find their way home. New Order, you are Amphiran in body, not in spirit. Not in mind. Not in heart. Not in Storm. You areSenescentand no longer carry the honor of the title of Amphiran. Leave Amphiran and Federation space, or I will reap your Storms and render you human.”
My father and the other Royals in the room gape in speechless horror.
Allele motions for Jovie to drop the shield. Jovie does but stays ready.
“You will never overpower the natural Order of Amphir. You can hide it, crush it, bend it, fracture it, even outlaw it,” Allele’s body of light pulses as she speaks. “But when your effort dies, nature will continue. Even you know that you cannot fight your Storm forever, King ofTiatith.”
A collective gasp fills the crowd.
“What is she talking about?” I ask.
“Ignore her. She is just a light phantom, a ghost!” My father shouts.
Allele sends an arc from her chest to my father’s. He coughs and stumbles back. “Stop lying to your people!”
“You can’t hurt me!” But the way he says it tells me he isn’t quite sure.
“Aura, cover Jovie’s eyes. She is too fresh to see this.” Allele turns to Pronkus, lifts a hand, and ignites his Storm. “Eluni?”
Eluni makes her way through the crowd of commoners and Genesis and Royals. “Allele.”
“For your son.” Allele rips a body of green light from Pronkus and hovers it before him as he coughs and staggers on his feet. “My people were not always peaceful. I have put up with you petulant Royals long enough! You harmed my charge and hispregnant mate. You killed Eluni’s child and her mate. This is just one example of your punishment. Consider yourself lucky.”
She claws up her hand, and Pronkus’ Storm shatters into a million green diamonds that scatter over the floor of the ship like fading glitter.
Pregnant?I clutch Jovie against me, draw in her scent, and know Allele is right. My mate carries our first child.
“Jovie,” I whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She looks up at me. “I didn’t know.”
Allele lowers her hand and faces the Elders. “You disappoint me the most. You swore to protect Amphir. Now you hide from it. Some of you left your ancestors to rot in space and crash to the homeworld like meteors. You destroyed my family once. I will not allow it to happen again. New Order will never be allowed on Amphir. You must find a new place to call home out among the stars. Return and meet Pronkus’ fate.”
She turns, addressing the rest of the crowd. “If your Storm is not pure when you try to return, the nebula that guards our homeworld will tear it from you.”
Allele begins to fade as if she’s leaving the ship.
“Destroy her!” a king shouts.
Jovie pries herself from me, runs to Allele, slides to a stop beside her, ignites her shield, and protects the last Orillium as she portals out. The force of the kings’ onslaught of my beautiful female and her dedication to my people, causes a surge in me that I’ve never felt.
“You have created an unsanctioned heir?” the King of Luridia roars.
My Storm grows, lashing out like Jovie’s recently did as I run to her and draw her close, inside my Arkus shield. “I have never had an Oramma orb form with Queen Avarylis. I think this is why you all ban them, so no one will uncover your lies!”
And I think I have an idea of who my mother really is. She’s the one who doesn’t hesitate to touch me. The one who always feeds me when she sees me.
The one who worried when I left.
My Storm recognized hers even when I didn’t because I was taken from her when I was too young.
“Eph—”
My father fires an arc at me. I deflect it with one of my own.
“It is Ephinium, isn’t it?” I challenge.
