Page 78 of King of Serpents

“Yes, your majesty. I was flying one such machine when a storm brought me down,” Alex admitted. “Kitanara found me.”

Zathexa inclined her head, her gaze brightening with interest. “I have been told this story. From her description of those events alone, I was intrigued. And the more I have heard, the more impressed I have become.” Her smile widened. “And perhaps Gorgona was indeed correct, but I am not disappointed. You are quite charming, Alex. No, I quite approve of your mate, Therxian,” she observed with a small sigh as she settled into a more comfortable position.

Alex blinked in surprise and exchanged a quick, encouraging glance with her mate. This was going better than she could have hoped. She had heard some horror stories, even among non-gratas, about first meetings with family. Perhaps now would be a good time to push a little further for something she desperately needed. She lifted her brows at her mate in silent inquiry, and he fluttered his gavo lightly in response. The choice was hers. It just depended on whether she could be brave enough to ask. Well, why not?

“Your majesty, since you know of what happened, you must know that I am deeply concerned for my friends. I was separated from them and don’t know their fate.”

The queen’s smile disappeared, and she inclined her head gravely. “Yes, that too, I heard. I had Jathella make inquiries among the guards as soon as the situation was made known to me, despite how late I came by the information, just to make certain that there were no small details that had gone unreported. Still, it is my hope that they have found safety. All I know for certain is that no one has located them on the desert surface. If they had, word would have come to me. Not everyone is as naughty as these three,” she added with an affectionate glance at the sisters.

Alex nodded. She had also long ago begun to suspect that the queen would have known if Vi and Ehsash had been found. Sometimes no news was good news, but she still needed to touch bases with Raza and see if there was any word there, and if not, to pass the information along.

“If there is a way I could comm Raza, I would deeply appreciate it. I need to make my report so that they are aware of the events. There is also a chance that they might have made it back to the colony. If so, it would be welcome news.”

A look of worry crossed the queen’s face. “There is a comm in the palace,” she admitted slowly, and you may make use of it, but I fear that will not help your own predicament. The council has eyes and ears everywhere. Perhaps even among the guard, which is why I had most of them assigned away from this part of the palace, beyond Jathella and her sisters. It is merely fortuitous that the passage to the elder palace lies between the council chamber and my own nest.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Alex breathed a sigh of relief, but the queen waved her thanks away.

“It is unnecessary to thank me for such a small thing. It is the least that I can do to set your mind at ease. If only leaving here to go to the Vehal would be as simple a matter,” she hissed unhappily.

“Mother, are you agreeing?” Therxian asked, his gavo lifting.

“Agreeing in theory,” Zathexa amended with a grim laugh. “But accomplishing it would be another matter.” She shivered and weakly sank down into the cushions of her nest. “Not for me, anyway.”

“Your majesty, is there anything I can do? Some way I can assist you or make you more comfortable?” Alex murmured, but the elder female waved her off with a faint smile.

“You have a truly compassionate heart, but I am fine, child.”

“The poison merely tires her easily, hithana. For that reason, she has Jathella, Buosoa, and Kitanara here to be her strength as necessary,” Therxian replied quietly. “Once we have acquired the antidote, Mother will return to normal. For now, she just needs rest.”

Alex looked over at the drawn lines of the queen’s faces and the faded glow of her eyes, and she shook her head doubtfully. That wasn’t just illness. She had worked among other non-gratas for years now. She knew the difference between the look of sickness and the look of one’s own spirit preparing for death. “Therxian, I think it is more serious than that. She is not just sick. Look at her—she’s dying.”

“You dare!” Jathella spat, but the queen held up a hand, silencing the angry female.

Zathexa’s expression gentled as she looked at Alex, and she quietly chuckled a small, hissing laugh. “You see more clearly than most do and possess the spirit to speak plainly. It is a fine quality to have. Perhaps it is not the most diplomatic approach,” she added with a smile, “but you are right. I am dying. The journey to the Vehal is not meant for me. It is too far, and as for me—my time is coming to an end here.”

“Mother, you do not know that—” Therxian protested as he rounded quickly to her side.

Zathexa smoothed a hand along his gavo, her eyes brightening slightly with her sadness and regret. “My son. You look so much like your father. I never should have allowed the council to bully me into sending you to the haga. It has been my deepest regret for so many revolutions, only to be surpassed by the regret I have felt in submitting to them when it came to your mating and Slengral’s. But knowing that you will be safe is enough. I have held on and done my duty for revolutions. First to see that you grew to adulthood, but then also to provide an heir. Vorahna was my last nestling. I could not bear to touch another male yet again once I conceived her, seeing my duty as finally accomplished in providing an heir, but it has taken every bit of my strength to fight against the desire to reunite with my own mate beyond the veil of Shangla. I have clung to life hoping to see our mother-line continue, and to protect the shinara, but now my spirit will simply have to accompany you.”

She looked to her guards. “But we need to find a way to send both of you away in safety, and in the company of my trusted guards.”

“My queen!” Jathella objected, her sisters echoing the shocked protest.

“I need you to protect the last of my mother-line,” she stated firmly. “Therxian is strong and Slengral is cunning, and they have both mated with capable females from what I can see. So, this shall be your new duty. And you may begin by escorting Therxian and his Alex to the comm room. Take the key,” she added, pointing to a small box on the table positioned at the far end of the sleeping chamber. “When we arranged to bring it down to the Aglatha from the colony as part of our alliance agreement, I made certain that only I would have access to it to keep the council from stirring up trouble or gaining influence within the colony.”

The table was low in the Seshanamitesh fashion but not of the massive size that was typical of Seshanamitesh furnishings. It was just big enough to hold a stand that contained numerous strands of beaded necklaces as well as various pots and bowls. A polished mirror was set above the table. There was a similar table in the elder palace... perhaps it once resembled this one. Elder Goya glided across the floor to the table and withdrew the key from one of the pots before hurrying back to the queen’s side. Zathexa nodded toward Therxian, silently directing her to give it to him. The elderly female inclined her head and extended toward Alex’s mate. He looked at the key, as if privately weighing something in his head, before finally accepting it.

“There is one condition, of course,” the queen whispered. “Although no one will be able to get into the room, I may not be able to safeguard it long. After you use the comm—destroy it so that the council may never have a link to deceive the humans above.”

His jaw clenched, and he inclined his head. “Very well, Mother. But I will not accept your willingness to sacrifice yourself. As much as you long to rejoin your mate, I cannot allow you to do so. You said that you remained to see your duty fulfilled and to guard your offspring. Your duty is not done. I still need you,” he stated, his voice strained with emotion. “We will leave this place together. We will take the healer to keep your condition stable.”

“Foolish nestling,” Zathexa snapped, but Alex did not miss the affection in her voice or on her face. “How do you think we will all be able to escape to the Vehal? It is too far for me, even if I were carried. In my weakened condition, the sun would be too much.”

“Then we will not go to the Vehal,” he replied as he straightened with determination. “If we cannot escape above, then we will go below.”

A soft gasp left his mother as she stared at him in shock. “Go to the Uralial? Are you insane? They will kill us on sight.”

He dipped his chin. “Do not be so certain of it. All the evidence that we have found shows that they have had access to the elder palace for generations. As often as I have been down there with Alex, they could have harmed either of us at time, or even when I was a nestling exploring, and yet they have not. In any case, I have been considering the matter, and the Vehal are not of the Aglatha. They would not feel a need to get involved in our affairs. But the Uralial are a potential ally that has perhaps been waiting for an opportunity to make a change.”