Collateral Trade (19 page)

Sharell beamed. “Janella, I would like to introduce you to your new dark father.”

Janella held out her hand and looked at Sharell. “Dark father?”

“They’re the ones who punish you if you screw up. Light fathers are way cooler.”

Jifa scowled. “Was that really necessary?” He smiled at the young woman. His sons would be extremely pleased. “Sharell has been most insolent and refuses to abide by our structure.” He raised an eyebrow. “I do not anticipate these problems with you, after what my poor sons have had to endure with the Casiqua.”

Janella gulped. “No sir. I just want to leave here.”

“Very well, then.” Jifa turned to Chaya. “See? That isn’t so difficult.”

Chaya cocked his head, and Jifa turned to see his new daughter sticking her tongue out at him. “There will be no peace in our finion,” he thundered, and stormed back to Danilo.

“Is my, um, dark twin guy, a jerk too?”

Sharell stroked her hand through Chaya’s hair. “Trust me, they grow on you. You’ll wonder how you ever got along without the arrogant guy.”

Tian interrupted. “We should get back to the ship. Most of the other twins have returned, and I’m sure Nisanta is pacing a hole through the hull.”

“No doubt,” Sharell agreed. She looked up at Chaya. “Can I drive the shuttle?”

“Mates don’t drive.” Chaya watched her frown. “You can sit in my lap and help steer.”

She smiled and threw her arms around his neck, and stretched up to give him a kiss. Her lips quivered while she giggled as his eyes softened to a tan. “Your lap? Really?” She could already feel his excitement pulsing in a thick rod against her stomach.

Over the next few months the new mates adjusted to life on Actana. After the conditions on the Manerea and their time on Rashilla Three, life on this new planet was a welcome reprieve. The time for the bonding rituals was getting close and there was excited chatter across the bathing pool.

Women learned new crafts to replace the tedious chores in space. They basked in the devotion of their twins and enjoyed the company of the Actana mates while they patiently taught them the arts and explained life as a mate to the warriors.

The morning before the bonding ritual, the scrolls were once more sealed behind the vault. Tian had been trusted with adding the new writings, the accounting of finding the mates and their trial with the Casiquas. Sharell beamed with pride for her light twin and squeezed Chaya’s hand.

They walked slowly to the communal baths where Janella already waited with her mates. She had taken to Actana with enthusiasm, and loved the attention Nisanta and his brother fawned on her.

After bathing, they walked back to the finion to be dressed in their ritual robe. This was a time for the mother to greet her new daughter. As Sharell had been living in the pod for two months, Milana was invited to help.

Milana guided Sharell through her positions while Farisa corrected and complimented. They placed the floor length robe over her. It had been in Danilo and Enilian’s hierarchy for over three thousand years. It was only worn on the single night of bonding ritual, and Farisa had carefully pinned it up for Sharell so it would not drag on the ground.

Milana brushed her hair until it shined, and placed a wreath of vistanza blossoms on her head. The purple blossoms sprinkled through her dark dresses, reminding her of Ayana’s lavender eyes. Somehow, it felt right that she should be represented.

Farisa smiled. “It is time, Sharell.”

“I don’t know why I’m so scared,” Sharell laughed nervously.

Her eyes widened when a voice in her head whispered,
Calm yourself, Sharell. You would laugh if you could see how nervous Chaya is.

Tian?

I think I can only reach you when you are scared. I have tried before, but you might just have been ignoring me.

I would never ignore you. Thank you for the little brush of voodoo.
She felt him retreat, and she knew he must be helping Chaya.

Farisa was frowning at her. “It is true? Tian can speak to you?”

“Not all the time, but always when I need him. He says he thinks we connected after that bad time on the Cathisis.” Sharell rarely thought of her past tragedy, and when she did, a wave of Tian’s comfort immediately calmed her, reminding her it had been the catalyst that had led her to Actana.

They walked to the gathering room and Milana gasped. She scurried over to Laiya and threw her arms around him. “I have missed you.”

Laiya smiled and held her. “I have only been gone a single night. Has Sian been so cruel to you?”

“No.” She rubbed her hand over her chest. “It is that half my heart is missing when you are gone.”

Laiya and Danilo had been away on some quiet enterprise. Sharell had barely noticed them gone with the excitement over her ritual.

Danilo smiled at her. “You look beautiful, Sharell.”

“Thank you, dark father.”

Danilo raised an eyebrow. “Very good.”

Farisa smiled when she stuck her tongue out as Danilo gave her an embrace. “All is ready, Farisa. The council did not lock the vault. Tian will be adding to the scroll.”

“Is all well?” she whispered back.

“It is nothing for my mate to concern herself with. Tonight, we celebrate a true bonding. Sharell’s species is that of the ancients. Lamerian battleships have escorted the Ancient from Vallasteria. We are certain some treachery is afoot in the Realm, but the Ancient insists she will personally bless the ritual before we are to discuss the matter.

“My god, Miranda on Actana.” Farisa had only heard the story of the Ancient Celestial, and how she had saved the Realm.

“Her world was the same as these mates were on, and it was the planet that provided mates for the Lamerians. Miranda feels this is a sign we are to band together.”

“What could be so devastating as to require the strongest warrior races to join forces?” Farisa asked.

Danilo kissed her forehead. “It is nothing for you to concern yourself with. Our sons will be bonded this evening, and to a woman from the Ancient’s race. We need to enjoy their happiness.”

Farisa tried to calm herself. “Sharell, it is time.”

Sharell inhaled deeply and smiled. She turned to Milana. “I wish you could come with us.” Her stomach was knotting.

“It is not my place. It is between a mother and her new daughter. I will be at the ceremony,” Milana smiled.

Danilo led with Farisa behind him, and then Sharell, followed by Enilian. They rode the lift down and waited for Jifa’s family to join them with Janella. “You look beautiful,” Sharell exclaimed.

Janella touched the blossoms threaded through her curls. “My sister spent an hour on the halo.” The Actana lifestyle suited Janella perfectly. Ironically, the structure made her comfortable instead of feeling restricted.

They joined other families wandering through the late afternoon sun towards the council chambers. During the ritual, first-set twins would guard the ceremony and keep the pelach at bay. The Lamerian warriors would join them.

The men waited on the portico, walking among the artwork. This was the only time women entered the chambers. Four alien warriors, the leaders of their race, were standing off to the side. Danilo and his brother joined them.

“I will not have my little mate climbing to one of those trees,” Taliquant declared.

“Your little mate will have your balls for lunch,” Isari laughed. “As will Rue, if I don’t let her ‘check out one of the frikkin’ awesome tree houses’. Tempest is already persuading her.”

“I do not see Rue letting anyone persuade her,” Taliquant replied.

“And Dawn wants to see the landscape from up there.” Varpin shook his head. “I told her she had a much better view from the shuttle, but she wants to see the feather flowers.” He shivered at the thought of his little mate up so high.

Danilo clapped Zulien on the back. “You traveled to surface safely, I see. This is my brother, Enilian.”

Zulien held out his hand. “Thank you for allowing us to join your ritual. Miranda is safely inside chambers.”

God, Danilo. Farisa will panic.

She’ll be fine, brother. The Ancient Celestial exudes calmness.

“It is unfortunate we must turn to the other matter once it is over,” Zulien continued. “Leading these rogue ancients to Vallasteria before the priestesses have had time to prepare would be far too dangerous, and Lameria resides in the quadrant close to the outer worlds where these wizards are wreaking havoc. I speak for us all when I express our gratitude that Actana will join us.”

“It is to safeguard us all,” Danilo agreed. “Your children and mates will be safe on Actana while we handle this business. The first twins are more than capable of fighting any threat that breaks through.”

“I have confidence in Laiya’s leadership,” Isari spoke up. “Though Rue is insisting on joining the fight.”

“At least Dawn has agreed to stay on the surface to watch the children.” Varpin insinuated bribes of new plants and animals to convince her.

“My mate wishes to go.” Taliquant was still trying to dissuade Tempest, but now she had an ally in Rue.

To the distress of their mates, the two women had become thick as thieves. Only Zulien had knowledge of Miranda’s plan and that these warriors’ mates were to be a part of it.

The group turned at the sound of first and second-set twins approaching. Soft chuckles erupted as the warrior leaders recaptured memories of their nervousness during their own bonding rituals. It was a fear that knotted the belly and drew up balls as much as any fierce battle.

Inside the chamber, women knelt, staring at the podium in silence. Even Sharell was too overwhelmed to speak. A small woman with white hair sweeping to her knees and eyes even paler than Tian’s, stood in the center wearing a midnight blue silk caftan with gold and silver moons and stars embroidered on it.

On one side of her stood Rue, a tall woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes, dressed in warrior garb. On the other side stood Dawn, her long dark hair in a ponytail resting over her shoulder, with deep blue eyes that matched her short blue silk dress. Standing next to the Ancient was Tempest, an eclectic being dressed in surprisingly gothic garb, with spiked dark hair and eyes as green as Sharell’s.

Over the years, and Miranda had discovered that time held different meaning and spans depending on which quadrant you were in, she became more comfortable in her role to bring back the Ancient ways. It was a wondrous surprise to find her kind among the Lamerians, and to know her Earth race continued. To discover yet another group had escaped on a spaceship before her world exploded, was also in the signs during her Sabbat ritual… as was the dark cloud, growing stronger.

Blessing this bonding ritual would be her last pleasant experience before returning to Vallasteria with Zulien to bless the prepared the nelam crystal prison with the priestesses, and implore a strong spell of binding. Miranda had never before been tested to fight against other true ancients with millennia of experience greater than her own.

“My sisters,” her musical voice called out. “You have been called to a world different to your own, with a purpose and a new beginning. The goddess has blessed your union with the stars and moon alignments, and your lives will be rich and satisfying.”

Sharell barely heard Miranda’s words as the soft song encouraged calmness and a feeling that all was well and as it was supposed to be. Soon, Chaya and Tian were beside her. Chaya stood tall and proud with his hand on her shoulder, while Tian rested a trembling hand on the other, overcome with emotion. The Ancient’s presence affected all the light twins, filling their psychic abilities as if they had grounded and balanced for days.

Miranda knew these fierce but gentle warriors would need the extra resources to draw on during battle. It would only be the second-set twins, the blessed warriors born as a result of the goddess’ triple eclipse and bonded with her sisters that would be joining the battle with the Lamerian warriors.

There were too many variables for Miranda to discern the winner, and she found her eyes turning to a woman in the front row. She had hair as dark as the warrior standing beside her, and just as long. Her eyes held the emerald gaze much as Tempest’s, and Miranda knew she was to accompany her warriors into the fight. She was the third piece to the puzzle, and Miranda felt the faint source of Atlantian power pulsating off of her.

How she wished she could see the outcome. Miranda feared for the three women called on to join the battle. There was one from each tribe. Rue would stand beside Isari. Tempest, Miranda’s heart ached for her friend, for she would stand beside Tali. And now, this one. This frightened woman just learning there were mysteries beyond Earth. She would be thrown into the thick of this battle beside her new mates.

Miranda closed her ceremony with a ritual of safekeeping. Only Tempest recognized her words and actions, and she contained her curiosity.
Cripes, Miranda. This is a bonding ceremony. Of course the mates will be kept safe.
Tempest knew there was the ‘big bad’ coming soon, and was trying to figure out how to talk Miranda into calming herself and trusting them. As Magistrate of Commerce, a designation that still pissed her off, she was supposed to go back to Vallasteria with Miranda before they joined the others in battle.

The second-set twins led their mates from the chamber, with their dark father leading and mother and light father behind them. They wandered the lantern lit paths back to their finion trees, and were soon joined by first-set twins and their mates in the gathering room.

“Here goes,” Sharell whispered nervously. She knelt in front of Chaya while Tian lowered the screen.

“You’ll be fine, my mate. Even if the scene does not unfold, Tian has told me what is inside you.” Chaya laid his hands on her shoulders.

Farisa and Milana watched the fabric, willing the pictures of Sharell’s memories of her bonding ceremony to unfold and be shared with them. A slow, wavering began… and Farisa and Milana’s mouths fell open in shock.