AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ironic that all four were in danger of dying again. Not because of some winged beast, but because of their own bodies.
The Light each of them had hidden in their chests, which powered every Quillon, would turn against them. Burn them from the inside out.
It could happen anytime. Plymouth had Blazed in front of his entire squadron. He’d roared as he’d turned to ash. His satar had fallen on top of his remains a mere saic later.
Few Quillons were in danger of this. The stronger the Light, the more powerful the Quillon, the greater the danger of it destroying them.
The scientists blamed it on a gene. They didn’t know how or why it had remained dormant for generations, but it was wreaking havoc again.
They did know what could prevent the Blaze from taking them, though. At least they thought they’d found the answer.
In legends, of all places.
“Lightmates are myths,” Ryker grumbled, downing his glass and baring his fangs. His gruff voice echoed in his bare study, bounding off the dark floors and the tall windows. “Those Terrans coming here is a mistake.”
“Those Terrans call themselves oursoulmates,” Zandyr said, still staring out the window at the great Quillon Capital stretching before them. Only the sacred Aran river dared split the view in two, flowing between the tall, gleaming buildings.
“We should be calling them our salvation,” Kyren said, his usual commanding voice not sounding convinced. “The scientists do.”
The brightest minds on Quillon were convinced the Blaze could be stopped by a Lightmate’s touch.
A fated mate could tame the burning Light inside, they said. Bring balance to the energy that would Blaze out of control and kill them.
The big problem was that none of their Lightmates were Quillon.
The universe, in its blistering, destructive ways, had chosen Terrans as their fated mates. Hu-mans. All of them were landing on Quillon tonight, after flying for two mons from a planet called Ear-th.
Taryn licked his fangs. Since hearing the news, they’d been fully erect.
He’d do anything to stop the Blaze.
He still had missions to go on, secrets to steal, and beings to save.
Unlike his most trusted companions, he didn’t see gloom and doom in the Terrans’ arrival. Back when he’d been a youngling, he’d come to terms with the idea of marrying a stranger for his dynasty’s sake.
Now he was doing it for his life.
It wasn’t the fate he would have chosen for himself, but he’d learned a long time ago to bend the rules, not break them.
His companions hadn’t.
“I would die for any one of you, but you’re all embarrassing yourselves.” He placed the glass of vinnor onto the dark desk and leaned against it, watching his companions with an amused detachment he’d mastered yanns ago.
Stunned silence followed.
Zandyr spoke first. “I believe there’s a law where Kyren can incarcerate us for insulting the heir to the throne.” He downed his glass, too. “But yes, we are embarrassing ourselves.”
“If I didn’t lock you all up after we came back from Xanashi, I never will,” Kyren said.
“Don’t challenge that,” Taryn and Ryker said at the same time, nodding at each other. They shared a huffed laugh as their energies flashed against each other.
It was the equivalent of a Terranhi-gh fi-ve, from what Taryn had seen in the holo-vids he’d “stumbled” across. While Quillons used their own energies–unseen, unheard–to communicate feelings with their closest companions, Terrans had a weird habit of using their hands. A bit too much.
The closer you were to another Quillon, the easier it became to read and reply to flickers of energy.
Unlike his companions, who had been fretting they wouldn’t be able to feel their Lightmates’ energies, Taryn knew that wouldn’t be an issue. If he could do that when a Temprisian wanted to choke him, he was going to feel his Lightmate, too.
It was both a blessing and a curse. One that belonged only to him.
