He shrugged, giving me his most beautiful smile. “I moved from planet to planet during my healer training. I visited each species and stayed with them for a couple of months to learn about them. It was also to help the humans get ready for the Brides. Learn about each planet's food, risks, each species' anatomy and habits…”
“Wait, so you basically knowallof them?”
He arched a brow. “I mean…All the species know about the others. I just know weirdly specific stuff.”
They did? Did they have annual meetings where they all gathered somewhere? Were they all friends? The winged girl and blond guy looked friendly enough when I first met them before flying down to Cancer…
“I met a few,” I said. “Wendy’s husbands first when she came up for her check-up, then—” I paused at Filbur’s wince. “What?”
“Gemins. Some species are…let’s say less friendly than others. Gemins aren’t particularly liked.”
Oh.“They looked kind enough…” Not really, but they looked kind totheir bride, which was what mattered most. “Are there others?”
“Others?”
“Species that aren’t liked.”
He didn’t have to give it a lot of thoughts. His eyes fell to the floor and a small grunt escaped his lips. “We are all very different,” he started. “It is not always easy to get along.”
Seriously? “You know that’s not what I asked.”
“Fine.Gemins, Aquaris and Scorpius give me the creeps.”
“You? Or—”
“Must of us. I was safe when I visited their planets but there were some times where I wondered if I would wake up the next day.”
My breath hitched. “Really? But giving them brides, isn’t it—”
“I am mostly worried for the Scorpius bride,” he confessed. “She will have to be strong. Their clan leader, the one who has been chosen for the program, he is not a good man.”
“Have you told Maxwell?” I asked.
Filbur nodded. “There is nothing he can do. They are a secretive species. They do nottalkbetween themselves, just communicate with strange sounds that cannot be translated.”
I frowned. “What? But how do they—”
“They alllearnedto speak like humans. Like all the other species, too. Not that they use it much because they rarely come here, even when summoned. They just…stay silent and listen. Calculate. Observe.” He shuddered. “They creep me out, and their leaderespecially.”
“Maybe I should talk to Maxwell about this,” I mused.
“There is nothing he can do. Their leader—Iyukla—is the only one humans have been allowed to interact with. Maxwell is also aware about the situation on Scorpio, but there is not much he can do.”
“The situation?”
Another nod. “There is war. Some are trying toremoveIyukla from power and he is planning on using the bride to keep his opponents at bay. What is better to try and tame the people than to wear the mask of the savior?”
This was messed up. “He wants to use the bride to stay in power?”
“Yes. I believe she will be safe…as long as itworks.”
Maxwellcouldn’tlet this happen. What if itdidn’twork and the Scorpius still tried to get rid of him? Would he kill her? Wouldtheykill her?
“And…what’s wrong with Aquaris?” I asked.
Filbur shook his head but the atmosphere didn’t feel as heavy. “Nothing that has me worried about their bride.”
“So what, it’s just a personality thing?” I scoffed.
