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“Hello, dear guests.”
His voice was soft and breathy, like a caress that had my skin erupt in goosebumps. But as beautiful as it sounded, every single one of my senses had gone into high alert. The little voice at the back of my head was telling me to get the fuck out of here.
“Although you do not recall it right now, my name is Deimos. And I’ll once again be your host for the remainder of the evening.”
“What?” I whispered.
A quick glance around the room confirmed the others were just as confused.
“Before I go further into details about tonight’s meeting, I must give you a few basic rules to observe so that we can make an optimal use of our much-too-short time together,” Deimos continued in a tone that was borderline patronizing. “Please, pay close attention to my companions and me as we list the rules.”
The cameras further zoomed in on their faces, focusing on their eyes. A sense of dread I couldn’t explain washed over me. Just when I was about to give in to my irrational urge to jump out of my seat and run out the door, the three Sarenians started talking at the same time.
“Sit still, remain quiet, obey our commands, and embrace all that you’re about to be told.”
My blood curdled at the supernatural vibration that entered their voices as they spoke. Were they crazy? Didn’t they know that Braxians were immune to negative psionic effects? That their compulsion didn’t work on us? I tried to open my mouth to challenge them, but a wave of dizziness engulfed me, and my skin tingled.
As soon as they pronounced the last word, their eyes flashed with a bluish glow, the effect multiplied on the giant screen. My body instantly went limp, and my tongue felt paralyzed.
This cannot be happening!
“Some of you showed a bit too much restraint when it came to indulging in the refreshments we have so generously provided. Our friends here will help you rectify that inconsiderate behavior,” Deimos added, this time in his normal voice, while gesturing at Nirkon and the other Guldan. “They will bring you another glass.”
Horror descended over me as I finally understood how he was controlling us. Something in that drink was making us receptive to their compulsion. But how?
The fluids they’d been draining from their victims!
No wonder we couldn’t figure it out. It had never been about extracting something from us that could be used as recreational drugs for others. It was so they could use it against us, against Braxians as a whole. They couldn’t target them directly on Braxia. Here, isolated on Haven, we’d been easy pickings.
“You will drink it entirely while we give you the final instructions, then you will give the upcoming presentation your undivided attention,”Deimos added, his voice taking on that vibration again before his eyes flashed.
The two Guldans placed hover trays laden with full glasses at the beginning of each row. The trays floated autonomously down the rows, pausing only long enough for us to pick up a glass. I tried to resist the compulsion, but as soon as the tray stopped in front of me, my hand reached for a glass with a volition of its own.
Even as I lifted the glass to my lips, Keran’s voice resonated in my earpiece, urging me not to do it. Tears pricked my eyes as I greedily drank the delicious beverage, hating how it was poisoning my mind while reveling in its refreshing taste.
“A supply will be placed in your respective shuttles. You will drink a single glass a day. Just ONE! You will crave more, but you will resist the temptation,”Deimos continued with the same enthralling voice followed by the glowing effect of his eyes.
I felt violated, body and mind. My whole life, I’d taken every precaution to keep myself from ever being at someone else’s mercy. I’d even achieved advanced levels of combat and shooting training. But this? Nothing could have prepared me for this. None of our plans had accounted for this possibility—that shouldn’t even be one.
My heart seized with dread at the thoughts of our plans. Keran couldnotgo through with his intention on raiding this venue if the hybrids and I came under threat. While there only seemed to be the Sarenians and two Guldans here—not counting the other three people Thanor’s scanner had detected—there were at least six hundred hybrids present. If Deimos gave us the command to kill Keran and his men, pureblood or not, they would get massacred. My stomach roiled at the thought of raising a hand against the man I’d been falling in love with, or Tagar and Nowik who had become big brothers to me.
“The Great War is coming,” Deimos said in his normal voice, reclaiming my attention. “You will play a pivotal role in making sure both our species are on the winning side. For this to happen, the reign of the Xeldars must end. A new era will begin, marked by the rise of the hybrids, with Gavin Aldriss as your new Magnar.”
The face of the most handsome hybrid I’d ever seen appeared on screen. His amber eyes almost looked like liquid flames as he stared straight on, an enigmatic smile stretching perfectly shaped lips. While his nose and strong brow were undoubtedly Braxian, they were more delicately sculpted, as if his DNA had merely meant to hint at his genetics without going all out. Even just in a picture, Gavin exuded power, intelligence, and an undeniable charm. Men and women alike would be drawn to him, both socially and romantically.
“Your purpose is to serve him, protect him, and elevate him. With you as his loyal army, Gavin will rewrite the history of your homeworld. In four weeks, you will return home to Braxia to reclaim your true place and heritage. Sarenia and Guldar will stand by your side, and the purebloods will have no choice but to bow to your superiority. They will pay for all they made you endure, just like the Korletheans will pay for what they have done to us.”
My gorge rose as horrible images of Korletheans experimenting on screaming Sarenians, and other images of purebloods torturing hybrids flashed in quick succession on the giant screens while Deimos spoke.
“For this revolution to happen you must train even harder with Jardan and convince the hybrids who didn’t come tonight that theymustattend our next meeting,” Deimos said in a passionate tone. “Nirkon will give you a special training protocol that you will include to your current regimen.”
His gaze locked on me, and I felt my blood drain from my face.
“For now, I will leave you in the good hands of my brothers. I have a little problem to go handle outside.”
Oh Goddess! He knew about Keran. I wanted to scream for them to power their weapons and retreat. To call for reinforcements. But Keran had been too quiet for too long. In fact, he’d gone totally silent moments after telling me not to drink. Had he already left?
As he turned back to face the crowd, Deimos gestured at his two companions. They once more spoke in a united, vibrating voice.
