Page 77 of Cheating Fate

“Seriously?!” I asked, stunned.

He nodded. “As you can imagine, we extensively discussed the events and your role in it, after the fact. But to be candid, we had already accepted you long before you arrived.”

That stunned me even more. He smiled at my baffled expression.

“We’ve known for years that you were coming to claim Zhara. She’s our queen,” Trehv explained. “Whoever became her mate would also be in extremely close proximity to our king. We were not taking chances. Every single one of us stalked the fuck out of you throughout the years. No one in the Sentinels has ever been as thoroughly vetted as you have been.”

I nodded slowly. “Fair. That seems to be a recurring theme.”

He snorted. “This unit is like a family. We’ve all grown up together. Even without direct blood ties, we refer to each other’s parents as uncle and aunt. You are now a part of that family, although you have been for quite some time from a distance.”

“Yeah,” I said, amused. “I claimed Uncle Ghan, Aunt Mercy, and Aunt Lee over a decade ago.”

“Don’t fret over competition or people jockeying for positions here,” he said in a reassuring tone. “We all have a single goal, and it’s winning the Great War. Vahl is our General. Whatever is needed to make things easier for him to lead us towards that goal, we will do. I mainly want to fight. But I can help in many other ways.”

“Such as?” I asked with genuine curiosity.

“My father, Zhul Dervhen, was one of the main Councilors on Xelix Prime. He taught me about negotiation and diplomacy. When he left our homeworld to come settle here with my mother, he became the Xelixian Ambassador here. I know the ins and outs of intergalactic diplomacy. And so does my twin. If you need advice or someone to take on some of those discussions, we’ll gladly handle it.”

“That’s excellent to know,” I said with approval.

“My mother, Valena, is a mental health specialist and psychologist. She also shared a lot of her knowledge with us. Honestly, I wished she’d also given us a part of her ability to read minds,” he added with an adorable pout, making me laugh. “But we’re pretty proficient at reading body language and understanding the inner workings of how people think plus what makes them tick. This obviously plays a very useful part during negotiations. So whenever you need a quick assessment of someone, we’re also here for it.”

“Thank you. I initially wanted to have this conversation with you to make sure there would be no tension between us,” I mused aloud. “But now, you make me see the need to have a similar conversation with everyone. I’ve read your files, but this is way more valuable.”

He nodded. “It is. Nothing compares to direct discussion. The eyes, tone, and body language will reveal a million things a file can’t. It also gives people a chance to express their true feelings and aspirations. Above all, it builds the essential bond that will see us through the impending mess ahead.”

I shook my head in awe.

“You Titans never cease to amaze me. Everyone says that you have old souls and that couldn’t be more accurate. You’re seventeen with the wisdom of someone twice your age. On Braxia, seventeen-year-old males are half braindead from constantly bashing each other’s skulls in. They only start getting smart in their thirties.”

He burst out laughing. “We’re mature when it’s time to deal with serious stuff. Otherwise, we’re proudly insufferable brats.”

We laughed and chatted amiably for a short while longer.

Later that day, the entire team gathered for a meeting to go over the final preparations before our arrival. As we were wrapping up, I raised the concern that had steadily grown within me the closer we got to our destination.

“I cannot help but wonder if all of you should be there when we land,” I said pensively.

“Why?” Vahl asked.

“The Divine personally asked me to come, and I’m still wondering what he wants from me,” I confessed. “But from the rest of you, Dantor simply requested protection. Do you all need to come, or should only one or two negotiators go down to the surface?”

“What aren’t you saying?” Vahl insisted, his gaze intense.

I frowned and further reflected on what I was actually trying to say.

“From the beginning, I wondered if the Sentinels or the Tuureans should be the ones having this meeting as they have the troops to ensure Dantor’s protection,” I said carefully. “Currently, the Vigil is essentially the head of the hydra. If this is a trap, they could take out all three of you in one fell swoop.”

“Like they tried on the Talabor mission,” Zhara said with sudden understanding.

I nodded.

“Are your senses telling you that?” Vahl asked.

I shook my head. “No. These are simply thoughts that have been swirling in my mind.”

Vahl nodded and looked slightly relieved.