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She nodded. “And he shall bring humanity, and the rest of us, kicking and screaming behind him. For better and worse.”

“But more for better,” Khoth countered.

Another nod. “The Khul made me see what was important. You and your father. I had to go to your side. Others could do the job of High Councillor. But no one else could be your mother or a wife.”

Khoth turned his head to look at his father. Thadden still had his back to her. He was gently petting Chili. If he was moved by her words, he showed no outward signs of it.

Am I moved by what she said?

He was. He understood her better now. Was he ready to forgive her? Perhaps. But was he ready to trust her?

No, he realized.

“I can be of use, Khoth,” she said gently.

And though her words were genuinely meant, he felt a chill run through him.

“What I intend is to ask for forgiveness from you and Thadden. I want our family again. I want to–to help defend the Alliance,” she said and licked her lips. Her eyes flickered between him and his father. Her shoulders lowered. “I can but offer this. I’m certain you need time to consider.” Her eyes stayed on his father’s back. “I won’t make things difficult for you. I’ll go.”

“You’re not–”

“I’ll go,” she repeated. “If you need me, just contact me, Khoth.” She briefly touched his face. “I’ll come.”

Then without another word, she hastened from the room. The door closed behind her and the crackle of the flames and Chili’s low snoring were the only sounds in the room.

“You wanted to say something, Khoth,” his father suddenly said, turning his whole body towards him. “Before Nova spoke, you had something you wished to impart.”

“Yes, I–I do. It is…” Khoth licked his lips this time. “Jace and I are…”

“Mated,” his father breathed while his eyes widened. He reached for Khoth and grasped his right hand with surprising strength. “Yes, I can see it. How happy I am for you. My Xi and Xa sing.”

Khoth wondered though how loud they sang when his father’s own mate had just left the room. But his father did not look sad, but almost alarmed.

He tightened his hold on Khoth’s hand. “I am glad you did not tell Nova this.”

“Why? Would her prejudice against humans extend to Jace? He is an Altaeth–”

“No, no.” His father shook his head. “If either of us ever wants to be sure of her motives in coming back to us, she must not know of this connection you have to the Pilot.”

“I do not understand.”

“While I believe her that the Khul coming here clarified her feelings, now that they are gone, she will want to be a part of things again. She has said so,” his father reminded him. “You and Jace being mated would give her that way in. It would spur her to offer a family connection again.”

Khoth stiffened. “Only if I allowed it. And she has already offered!”

“She’s done nothing public yet.” His father gave him a sad smile. “Khoth, you may be a warrior of legend, but you have the heart of a poet. You were willing to let her in now even though your soul still stings from her actions. No, my son, if she is to earn your love again and your trust, let it be for the right reasons. Not to regain the power she has lost.”

Red Eyes

Davies drew out his draagves and aimed it at the dozens of “eyes” rising up to their level on the lift. His head snapped back towards the door that they had just come from. Should they retreat? The “eyes” weren’t attempting to attack them. Not yet anyways.They craned this way and that as if they were on stalks.

“Lieutenant-Commander, what is our next move?” Matzen asked neutrally.

The Thaf’ell, too, already had his draagves out. He appeared completely calm. Not at all as if they were about to be in a battle. The uncertainty was only reflected in his question, but he appeared ready to take whatever course was necessary. Davies couldn’t help but admire the way that Matzen was “ready” but not frightened, or even seemingly, alarmed.

“They don’t appear to be hostile,” Thammah stated dryly.

She was aiming her weapon steadily downwards too. And despite her evident disdain for many aspects of her people’s rigid adherence to protocol and logic–and, he supposed, being brought up in an artist rather than warrior home–she was as “ready” as Matzen. These Thaf’ell didn’t even appear to have elevated heart rates or breathing.