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“True. I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night in bed when I—”
“Stop,” Toni said loudly, slamming a palm to the flour-dusted counter. She supervised Etnil to block him from adding weird ingredients she disapproved of.
They were in Stacy’s living quarters at Government Hall, where Etnil had done much of his recovery and therapy. Kuran had requested they do so he could keep a close eye on both Stacy and his clanmate while working from the building. Kuran had also insisted Rihep take time off work to remain close.
A worthwhile investment, Stacy thought. Though her lovers’ presence in her Earth home had set her opponents’ tongues wagging and brought down her approval ratings a few ticks, she was glad to have them close after the harrowing attack on Etnil. The rewards of them staying in her quarters far outweighed the losses.
“It’s good to see you back to normal,” Rosa said as she browned the beef slated to go on the cheeseburger pizza she’d agreed to teach Etnil to make.
“It’shearinghim returning to normal that isn’t so great.” Toni scowled, though her disapproval in the wake of his injuries had been shown for the front it was. She’d cried almost as hard as Stacy while they’d waited to hear from the doctors in the immediate aftermath.
Etnil grinned at her, handsome as he’d ever been despite nearly having his face blown off in addition to his fingers. “Wait until you hear me sing. I elicit emotions so great, people run from the room. Listen.” He wailed a few notes.
“Shut your noise, fool! Clear a room is right. You’d make a deaf man’s ears bleed. They should’ve replaced your vocal cords too.”
“Are you sure you want to stay here, Toni? It isn’t too late to book a seat to Haven tomorrow,” Rosa said.
Toni snorted. “Don’t tempt me. Etnil offers plenty of reasons for me to find a nice, boring farmer and settle down.”
It was Stacy’s turn to snort. While witnessing the horror of the attack on Etnil had given her younger sister pause, Toni itched for more excitement than what Haven’s pastoral leanings offered. “I don’t know what exactly I’m looking for, but teaching Shakespeare to kids who’ll most likely live their lives according to planting and harvesting season isn’t it,” she’d confided.
She was staying on Earth II for the foreseeable future, and Stacy was delighted. It was too bad they couldn’t convince Rosa to remain too, but their mother had her own life. She was happy on Haven.
“At least you got that rat Mitchell behind bars. One less threat to worry me.” Rosa scooped the beef into a bowl and drained the grease. “You better watch my girls, Kuran. I don’t trust Ken Bryant either, so most especially watch him.”
Kuran and Rihep, who stood back and watched the rest while drinking kloq, exchanged glances with Stacy. Bryant’s true nature had been kept quiet from Stacy’s mother and sister. The fewer people who knew he was actively working against the Earthtiques while posing as one of them, the less likely someone would let information slip accidentally.
Thoughts of Ken brought a lump to Stacy’s throat. He was willing to have his reputation destroyed to keep her in office. The sacrifices he’d made and was prepared to continue making on behalf of Earth II humbled her. Since discovering he was an ally, it was hard to not defend him.
“I need you in a position of power after the election,” she’d told him during a private meeting the day before. “There must be some way. If you aren’t a part of the government, the fanatics might freeze you out of their plans.”
“I have an idea,” he’d assured her. “Implementing it after you hand me my walking papers will take some finagling, but it’s possible.”
Stacy hoped he was right. Ken was convinced the rest of the Earthtique members of the General Assembly were as much a threat to Earth’s destiny as Mitchell had been. She and Kuran agreed.
The future remained uncertain, but she felt a great deal of hope sanity would reign in the end. With Etnil alive and healthy, she had the need to celebrate.
“Where’s the champagne we bought? I say we crack it open.”
* * * *
Kalquor
Ilid wandered through his parents’ home, touring its well-loved environs. Every inch had a memory of his boyhood attached, most of them happy. He marveled that not so long ago, he’d been eager to leave it behind, to claim his independence as a man.
It felt he’d been gone forever. The urge to mourn who he’d been…an Ilid who no longer existed…had risen often in the week since he’d moved in.
I’m done crying. I’m done trying to escape. I’m a Dramok, and I’ll act it.
He still watched the shadows on the walls and corners, though. He couldn’t stop himself from searching for the Darks who crowded his nightmares.
“It’ll take time,” Dr. Degorsk had said in his understanding tone during their regular session. “I won’t lie; it could be years before the trauma fades enough for you to feel normal. Facing your fears by discovering the Dark controlling Rear Admiral Hobato was a tremendous step forward, though. It was, Ilid, even if you don’t see it.”
He thought he did. In confronting the Dark, even remotely, he felt as if he’d reclaimed a part of himself. He believed if the alien entities took over, and he was certain there was a good chance of it happening, he’d meet the threat on his feet rather than cowering like a child.
He quietly passed his parents’ private suites. His mother was at her bakery, so she wasn’t home. Neither were Codab and Jadel. Gruthep raised his head in his home office where he was working remotely and smiled at Ilid.
“Is everything all right, my son?”
