Close Remembrance (37 page)

He could feel the tension in her delicate frame, and he cursed Saret for planting doubts in her mind that day. Korum had planned to tell everything to Mia in due time, to explain his intentions in the most reassuring way possible. He’d known there was a possibility she would question him after she regained her memory, but he hadn’t anticipated his own reaction to her questions. Her distrust, her propensity to think the worst about him – it was all too reminiscent of the beginning, when she had spied on him and betrayed him to the Resistance. The wounds from that time were still too fresh for him to be able to remain as calm and soothing as he’d hoped to be.

“At your side – and under your control, right?” She made a move to free herself, and Korum let his arms drop, taking a step back to give her some space. He didn’t bother responding to her question; the answer to that was obvious.

An intergalactic empire . . . He didn’t usually think about it in such terms, but it was not a bad description for what he hoped to accomplish in his lifetime. Ever since he could remember – ever since he had been a small child – Korum had dreamed of exploring and settling other planets. He saw it as their destiny. As beautiful as Krina was, it was also just one tiny planet among trillions – a piece of rock dependent on its star and vulnerable to various cosmic disasters.

Earth had always fascinated him, with its Krina-like characteristics and a species that was strikingly similar to the Krinar themselves. In his youth, Korum, like many others, had regarded humans as inferior, with their weak, fragile bodies and primitive way of living. It wasn’t until the recent centuries that he’d begun to understand that these beings were as intelligent and resourceful as the Krinar themselves. In the past, what Mia feared would have been a legitimate concern: Korum of a thousand years ago wouldn’t have hesitated to simply take Earth away from her people. Now, however, he didn’t want to deprive humans of their planet; he just wanted to ensure that the Krinar had a place on it too.

He had never thought his ambition was particularly outrageous. He knew that other people did, however. Even his own father seemed intimidated by Korum’s drive at times, not understanding that his son merely wanted what was best for their species. A group of planets populated and controlled by the Krinar was a logical next step in their evolution, and Korum saw nothing wrong with working toward that goal.

Now he just had to make his charl see things from his perspective. “Mia, listen to me,” Korum said, watching her intently. “I know you’re afraid, but I’m not lying to you. I didn’t tell you any of this before because it’s the equivalent of classified information – not because I was trying to conceal something evil. I just received final clearance from the Elders for Mars, and we’ll reach out to your governments next, to inform them about our intentions. That way, they can adequately prepare the population and nip any potentially dangerous rumors in the bud. Nobody has to get hurt in this – and we’ll do our best to ensure that it doesn’t happen.”

Her sexy little tongue came out to lick her lips, and he found his eyes glued to her mouth, picturing that tongue licking something else entirely.
Damn it, focus.
With effort, Korum lifted his gaze to meet hers, ignoring the stirring in his cock. Now was not the time to think about sex; he had to convince her he wasn’t about to exterminate her kind or steal their planet.

“Do you swear?” Her voice was soft, tremulous, and he could see hope warring with doubt on her face. She wanted to trust him, but she needed more reassurance. “Do you swear that you don’t intend my people any harm? That when you build your empire, it won’t be at the cost of my species’ well-being?”

“Yes, my darling,” Korum said. “I swear it. Unless humans strike at us, we won’t do anything to harm them. Those who wish to leave Earth will be well compensated for their choice, and we’ll live alongside your people on Earth, Mars, and whatever other planets we find. It won’t be so bad, my sweet. I promise you that.”

And stepping toward her, he drew her into his embrace again, exhaling in relief when he felt her arms sliding around his waist as well.

Chapter 29

Mia put on the shimmerstone necklace Korum had given her and surveyed herself critically in the three-dimensional mirror located in the bedroom. She was dressed in formal Krinar clothing, a gleaming white dress similar to the one she’d worn to the fight. Her hair was pinned up and covered with a silvery net that matched the sandals on her feet. She looked festive – and ready to face the Elders.

By all rights, she should be nervous. After all, she was about to meet the oldest Krinar in existence, whose names were legend among Ks and whose mandates determined the fate of humanity. The Krinar who were about to decide her family’s lifespan. Yet she felt strangely calm, as if nothing could touch her right now.

Her mind kept dwelling on this morning’s conversation with Korum, going through it over and over again. Mars, Earth, an entire intergalactic empire . . . There was really no end to her lover’s ambition. Mia had no doubt that Korum would ultimately achieve his goal – and that he would be at the helm of this empire he was about to build.

And she would be at his side. Her head spun at the thought. She, who had never wanted anything more than a quiet, ordinary life, would be there to watch the Krinar empire taking shape, at the side – and in bed – of the man who was going to make it happen.

Did that make her a traitor to her people? Or was it like Delia said, that by Korum falling in love with her, she had already done more to help humanity than any efforts by the Resistance?

She believed him when he promised the Krinar wouldn’t harm humans on purpose. He had always kept his promises to her. She just wasn’t sure how everything would unfold when people learned of the Ks’ intentions for Mars. Would there be renewed anti-K movements? Would the human population panic and try to strike at the invaders, leading to the Krinar retaliating against them? Mia would be devastated if that happened.

But the thought of leaving Korum was unbearable. She couldn’t live without him; it was as simple as that. She loved him with every fiber of her being, and she knew he loved her just as fiercely. Maybe that made her a traitor . . . or maybe it made her the luckiest woman alive. Only time would tell.

For now, there were Elders to meet.

“It’s best if I do most of the talking,” Korum said as they approached a clearing in the middle of the forest. “They don’t like unnecessary conversation.”

“Of course,” Mia said. “We won’t say a word.”

“No, you might have to,” he told her. “They’ll probably want to talk to you and your family directly – in which case, I strongly suggest you respond to their questions as honestly and concisely as you can.”

Mia nodded in agreement. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her parents holding hands as they walked. Her mom was pale, and her dad looked grim, like he was going to an execution. Marisa and Connor trailed behind them, looking nervous and excited at the same time.

Unlike Mia, the others were dressed in human attire. It was their choice. “What, am I going to squeeze into something like that at my age?” her mom had said, indicating Mia’s form-fitting, open-backed dress. Korum hadn’t objected; since none of them were charl, they weren’t considered a part of Krinar society and could thus wear whatever they wanted. Her dad had put on a suit and tie, and so did Marisa’s husband. Her mom and Marisa wore semi-formal dresses and high heels. Mia hoped they weren’t too uncomfortable, traipsing through the forest like that in the heat.

The fact that the Elders wanted to see them out in the open – as opposed to in some building – didn’t surprise Mia in the least. The Ks were remarkably attuned to nature, and Korum had told her that some of the Elders shunned artificial dwellings altogether, choosing to live as their primitive ancestors once did: in the hollow trunks of giant trees or in cave-like rock formations in the mountains. They also jealously guarded their territory, not allowing anyone to come within a dozen miles of their chosen areas. This spot in the woods was considered neutral ground, a place where the Elders would often meet to discuss various matters and socialize with each other.

“Very few Krinar have ever had the privilege of seeing the Elders in person, as you’re about to do,” Korum said as they paused in front of the clearing. “It’s about the greatest honor there is.”

Mia took a deep breath, trying to still the fine trembling in her fingers. Now that they were actually here, her previous calmness had deserted her, and her heart was beating frantically in her chest. What if she accidentally did or said something that angered the Elders? In that case, they might deny Korum’s petition or worse. She had no idea what these ancient Krinar were capable of.

“Ready, my sweet?” Korum asked, and she nodded, putting her hand in his. Then they walked together into the clearing, Mia’s family following in their wake.

There were nine Ks standing there, three women and six men. They were all looking at Mia and her family, their faces utterly expressionless. Physically, they seemed to be in their prime, no older than Korum or any other Krinar Mia had met. All the males were tall and powerfully built, and even the females seemed sturdier than usual. The shortest of the Elder women was probably just over six feet in height, with lean, well-defined muscles covering her frame. To Mia’s surprise, they were all dressed in modern Krinar clothing, their light-colored outfits contrasting with the bronzed hue of their skin.

While the women were beautiful in a warrior-princess kind of way, the men were more mixed in appearance. One male K in particular resembled the recording of the ancients far more than he did the other Krinar. Although his harsh, craggy features held a certain attraction, he looked too rough to be considered handsome. Mia wondered if any of the Elders had a mate, or if they had survived for millions of years without forming any deep attachments.

Korum let go of Mia’s hand and inclined his head respectfully, saying nothing. Mia followed his example, keeping her gaze trained on the Elders the entire time. In Krinar culture, it was considered rude to look down or away when meeting with a figure of authority; open staring was the way to go.

One of the women stepped forward, her movements smooth and flowing. Coming up to Mia, she brushed her knuckles against her cheek in the traditional greeting between females. Mia smiled and reciprocated, hoping she wasn’t doing something wrong. Judging by the approving gleam in Korum’s eyes, she had done exactly the right thing.

After greeting Mia, the woman circled around the other humans, studying them with visible curiosity. She didn’t say a word or make any gestures toward them, but Mia could see the sweat droplets on her dad’s forehead. He had to be very anxious, because he didn’t normally perspire that much from the heat.

Still silent, the woman went back toward the Elders and resumed her original position near the two other females. Then nine pairs of dark eyes simply looked at them, watching them with a cool, deep intelligence that seemed distinctly inhuman.

Mia looked back at them, trying to figure out which two were involved in guiding human evolution. In a way, she was meeting real-life gods, the creators of the human race. The idea was so mind-boggling that she didn’t dwell on it too much. She was less likely to collapse in a trembling heap if she thought of these Elders as nothing more than somewhat older versions of Korum. And truthfully, to a twenty-one-year-old, there wasn’t a tremendous difference between someone who was two thousand years of age and someone who was two million. Both were incredibly old – or so she kept telling herself.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the rough-featured male stepped forward, approaching Mia and Korum. “So this is your charl,” he said, his voice low and exceptionally deep. Mia thought his walk resembled that of a lion, all lean muscle and predatory intensity.

Korum inclined his head. “Yes.”

“Unusual,” the Elder said, cocking his head to the side as he studied Mia. “Very unusual.”

Mia fought the urge to quail under that penetrating gaze. She felt like the ancient K was stripping her bare, seeing her every fear and vulnerability.

“Why do you think we should make an exception for your family, Mia?” the Elder said suddenly, addressing her directly.

Mia swallowed to get rid of the knot in her throat. She had been mentally preparing for some type of interview, but she still felt caught off-guard. Nevertheless, when she spoke, her voice was surprisingly even, betraying nothing of her inner turmoil. Adrenaline was surging through her veins, sharpening her focus, and the words that came out of her mouth were unusually crisp and clear.

“I don’t think you should make an exception for my family,” she said, looking up at the Elder. “I think you should share your technology with the entire human race. If you won’t do that, for whatever reason, then think about this: by being with Korum, I now share his lifespan. Since that’s something that you and your colleagues allowed, you must see the logic in that. Without the nanocytes in my body, I would age and pass away in a few decades, while Korum would remain the same – and that would be unbearable for both of us because we love each other.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “And it would be equally unbearable for me to watch those I love –” she gestured toward her family, “– get sick and die.”

The ancient K was still looking at her, and she could see a glimmer of amusement on his face. It softened his features slightly, making him appear just a tiny bit less intimidating. Mia wanted to say more, but she remembered Korum’s admonition about being concise when answering questions and decided to shut up instead. She had said everything there was to say; short of repeating her points and appealing to their sense of ethics and morality, there was nothing else to add.