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Chapter Fourteen
Rumblinggrowlsrisebehindus, and Cal turns with me in his arms, facing the view I couldn’t see from the portal. My jaw drops open as I come face to face with an incredible sight. We’re on a platform above a huge coliseum with walls rising into the air surrounding us.
As big as any football stadium, the stone walls are high, curving out and exposing the dark red sky. There’s a mountain located directly behind us. In fact, it appears the walls connect right into the rock face. It’s unbelievable.
Luc already bounced down the wide staircase on our right and is walking toward two groups of Orclans at opposite ends. One man breaks off, running towards him with an angry look on his face.
“Uh, oh.” Nako puts her arms around Alexa as she clings to her side.
Cal growls, putting me down and jumping to the base of the stairs, where he drops into a defensive stance. When the angry Orclan stops a foot from Luc, I listen to the growled conversation, and two things become very clear.
Number one... our translators don’t work any longer. And number two, no one looks overjoyed Luc’s back.
“Fuck,” Emma whispers.
“What?” We all stop at the base of the stairs, huddling closer together behind Cal, intimidated by all the Orclans moving closer.
“I’m pretty sure that’s his dad. It looks like Luc coming back wasn’t on the agenda.” Ignoring her wry comment, I study the two Orclans. She’s right. They look almost identical… but then, Cal looks a lot like them, too.
Cal’s taken a few more steps forward, shielding us from the incoming Orclans, while Emma explains more. “All the male Orclans here study their entire lives to fight. That’s what this is. Some kind of temple to the Ropors who are supposed to be bringing them women in exchange for the fighters they’re gifted. Luc was one of those gifts.”
I look at Cal, snarling at the others. Now that they’re closer, I realize they’re younger. Trainees, maybe?
“So a trade? Or a sacrifice?” Nako asks, pulling Alexa behind her as more Orclans enter from the other side. The sky's the only illumination, and the strange shade of orangish red doesn’t give a ton of details.
Emma nods. “They call it an offering. According to their Doctrine, a species would come through the portal, bringing them new mates.” Shrugging, she crosses her arms, squinting at Luc and the other Orclan arguing. “When the Ropors showed up, they assumed it was them. And they did. It’s just the Orcleen women the Ropors bring them don’t mate.”
“Hm.” I watch the auras of Luc and his father. They’re very similar, but Luc’s is a brighter green tone. But they’re mingling, and the red in his father’s is fading.
“What?” Nako looks at me expectantly.
“Well, technically, their Doctrine was right. The Roporsdidbring them mates.”
Everyone blinks, and Emma breaks into a grin. “So true!”
“Do you think you’re mated?”Alexa signs, pointing at Cal’s back a few feet away.
I just shrug. Maybe? Probably...
Emma looks up at the sky, and we all do the same, studying the blood red flare of the sky. Almost a full eclipse is just at the edge of the roof’s opening on our left. We couldn’t see it from the platform in front of the portal.
“The light from the sky on their planet is supposed to show the mating marks...”
She lifts her skirt, turning around so we can check her legs. Sure enough, the mating marks glow down her legs, lighting up with a brilliant green shade.
“Holy shit!They’re bright here,” Nako comments.
“And more green. What about me?” I turn, lifting my skirt.
“Oh, girl,” Emma cries.“He has quite a big... columna.”
My face flames, heating my entire body as I spin around, realizing everyone is staring at us, including Cal, whose mouth is hanging open.“Columna?”I stumble through the letters in sign language.
Emma throws back her head and laughs.“You guys clearly didn’t talk much. That’s what they call the three ridged pieces that run the length...”
“Ahhhh.” Fuck. Thank god they can’t understand us even though Emma’s continued to sign.
Luc’s arrives, talking to Cal. I watch in amazement as Luc signs while he speaks. ”You didn’t know that? What they’re called?”
