Page 37 of King of Serpents

Thinking back, his memories of his escape from the Aglatha were murky at best, fueled by an anxious energy that had run through him and an undefined fear of being caught. If anyone had tracked him to the surface, he would have been unaware, given the state he was in at the time. He could have had any number of pursuers. Would it not have suited the noble families to capture him for their own use? Or perhaps slay him if he resisted? The question sent an uneasy feeling through him, and his coils stirred restlessly in response.

“Would the matriarchs have taken it upon themselves to try to level power in their favor?” he asked.

Jathella’s expression hardened. “At that time, many still had high hopes for the princess and for more queen-eggs, but it would not surprise me there were other plans in place among some of the families who imagined vaulting their own lineage into the line of succession. A royal son would have provided, at the very least, an opportunity to safeguard an alternative if a new queen failed to rule in a way that favored their interests. It did not go unremarked that the queen had failed for many revolutions to produce a female, and in the end had only managed to nest no more than one female, and who was frail all her life. It was considered highly unusual and was naturally a topic of considerable concern. Especially when the princess was smaller and far more delicate than her peers. There was some doubt that she would grow robust enough and possess the right temperament to ‘correctly’ rule the shinara. With no other princesses hatched by Zathexa, a new legitimate heir would be an easy solution. And very convenient.”

Although Jathella did not elaborate, Therxian understood way lay unspoken by the guard. The “solution” would be convenient for solidifying the power of the council and shifting the axis of power to a new mother-line.

Jathella’s musings were not far off-wing. It all lined up far too well. But who would have dared to orchestrate it. To even speculate on queen nestlings invited danger. Daring to tamper with the high queen’s conception and the health of a queen egg... it could not possibly be the work of a normal Seshanamitesh among the council and noble families. Such a move against the queen required someone particularly bold.

“Which family would be in a position closest to taking control of the court of noble matriarchs without opposition?” he quietly asked as they neared the entrance to the throne chamber.

The captain’s gavo quivered with her indecision as she considered his question. “Undetermined. There are four families which have the highest standing, between whom the competition is the fiercest. Should any one of them gain control, it would only require annihilating their direct competition to guarantee that the rest of the court would fall in line. All it would require is a legitimate blood-claim to the throne.” Her head tipped slightly as she considered further. “It would certainly explain Vekatha’s determined pursuit of Slengral. Through her mother, Shalyia, she is the direct daughter of descent for the Shel mother-line. As is Gareiia. Her mother Zara is Shalyia’s sister, and both are close cousins of Queen Zathexa. As the youngest of Zathexa’s offspring, Slengral would have been the last opportunity within the Aglatha to establish a legitimate line to the throne.”

Until Therxian had returned.

His jaw clenched as he recalled the way his brother spoke of Vekatha’s relentless and ruthless pursuit. No one within the shinara, much less their mother, would have been ignorant of it. She would have done anything to have him, and in the end even resorted to trickery in order to push her claim on him. That his mother cooperated and not only approved but encouraged the match initially—until the matter of Vekatha’s deception was revealed—was surprising. Had there been pressure from the noble family in question? Shalyia was a vicious and cunning female within the noble court. But his mother collaborated with those of the Shel nest in disposing of Lori. How did it fit together?

Unless his mother was merely grasping at an opportunity to protect her son. With Slengral mating a human and his refusal to cooperate, would that have otherwise put his life under immediate threat? Whatever Zathexa’s shortcomings, she was a female who would do anything to protect her sons. Of that much, he was certain. Why else would she have conspired with Vekatha’s blood kin, Payeri? She must have had some suspicion. Perhaps she went to such great lengths out of determination to protect Slengral because of it, even if it meant betraying him.

If he was not wrong, she willingly sacrificed much to keep one of her few remaining sons alive. But it still left him with far too many questions as to how much she knew about the fate of his brothers, and how much of it was merely suspicion. More to the point, how much did Vekatha know?

The tip of his tail hooked in response to the tension rising within him. He wanted to speak privately with his mother once more, but there would not be an opportunity that day. Therxian expelled his breath in a long sigh, and he turned his head to peer over at Jathella.

“Can you arrange for me to meet with Vekatha?”

Jathella studied him, weighing her answer. “Perhaps. She was initially sealed with her mother and sister, but Vekatha remains there alone. She is bitter and may refuse to speak to you. Whatever you intend may be for nothing.”

“Let me worry about that,” Therxian rumbled. “Just tell me if it is possible to see her.”

The commander’s gavo snapped reluctantly. “It can be done. For now, you have other things to attend to.”

“The matriarchs await,” he murmured in agreement.

“As does Ferinia,” Jathella added, a hint of amusement in her voice. She chuckled when he immediately groaned, his gavo flattening with his reluctance. “Thought you had escaped her attention, did you? No son of Zathexa is so lucky. Not even you, Therxian.”

Chapter 27

Alex squinted at Buosoa uncertainly. “I’m assuming that you aren’t just speaking of wildlife here.”

The female glanced at her from the corner of her eye and sighed. “If it were a matter of merely wild beasts, you would have far less to worry about. Unfortunately, due to politics within the Aglatha, it is not so simple.” Her gavo flared slightly, her ears flicking in the Seshanamitesh equivalent of a shrug. Her head shifted as she looked around. “At least Therxian had the sense to hide you here. Even here you should not entirely let your guard down, but it seems far safer than any other place in the shinara.”

Alex studied the female from beneath her lashes. Although Buosoa was aloof, she was quite talkative. The opportunity to get information outside of what Therxian filtered to her was too good to pass up. She understood his struggles and the social issues that affected his species, generally, but she still had no idea why it specifically compromised her safety. She was no one. Just a non-gratas who got stuck on the wrong side of the desert at a really bad time.

“Therxian has never explained it to my satisfaction, but I really don’t get what any of the conflict has to do with me. Raza has been on good terms with the shinara, as per our agreement, and we have even been trading successfully. Other than the little dispute involving Slengral, and several hunters leaving... by their own free will, I might add... there is no reason at all why a nobody like me would even be worth the time or effort to hunt down.”

Buosoa turned on her tail to regard her soberly, her wings folded neatly against her back. With her velkat in hand and visible strength through her torso and tail, she looked both graceful and imposing—an alien type of beauty that made her feel squat, flabby, and weak. Therxian would look good next to a female of his own kind. Why did that make her feel so fucking terrible?

“I will put it plainly, human... Alex,” she amended with a hiss of impatience when Alex’s nose wrinkled in distaste at being referred to by her species classification. “It is not because of your species that you will be hunted should anyone discover your presence here or anywhere else unaccompanied and unguarded. Humans travel unmolested through upper caverns regularly to conduct their work without an issue from the shinara since they have ceased using the defiler.”

Alex frowned in confusion. “Then why?”

The female’s mouth curved in a hard smile as she slithered closer. Alex stepped back, suddenly nervous of the menace constricting the air. “Is it not obvious? The miners work together in close teams and never alone, but not a single human male among their number would have anything to worry about. Do you know why? Do you comprehend it after all you have seen and all that you know?”

Alex shook her head mutely.

A hiss of amusement escaped Buosoa. “Perhaps it is not so obvious from your perspective. You do not understand the weight of our heritage. So, I will make it simple for you. The males would not be bothered because it is the females that would be hunted and exterminated on sight by virtue of their gender. It is solely because you are female and Slengral’s Lori proved something that we believed to be impossible... a female not of Seshana is able to breed with our own males. It is a threat to the way the shinara is organized and every belief that we dearly hold—that the females of our species are the vessels of survival. The image of our divine mother, Shangla. It is this belief that formed the governance of the first shinara and solidified the female’s position of authority. The council of noble matriarchs will not allow a rival female to potentially strip them of their power. No human female would be tolerated on Seshana, just as our ancestors hunted and pursued the Uralial females who dared to mingle their blood with ours. Even now they are not allowed within our territory without certain provisions to ensure that they will never be able to compete against a Seshanamitesh female.”

“But the Uralial share the same ancestors with the Seshanamitesh,” Alex protested. “I have heard all of this from a hunter within the colony. His mother is Uralial.”