The Chalice (29 page)

“Then it is so,” she finished. Kara nodded at Tegan, giving him  the floor.

Tegan bowed his head, closing his eyes. “Gods of the Chiagan-Se we seek your

blessing on this joining. May it be fruitful and long-lasting.”

He spoke slowly, giving the human contingent tim e to digest his phrasing.

“Mordaq,” he began, “is this joining acceptable?”

The big Warrior grinned. “It is my Lord.”

He switched to English. “Chalice Hanna, do you accept this joining?”

“I do,” Hanna whispered, her throat working. Moisture glistened in her starry

eyes.

“You are as one,” Tegan said.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Kara added.

The room  erupted. Musicians—at least they seem ed to be musicians—cleared asmall space and began playing unfam iliar instruments— a pseudo harp, a cellokind of thing, what looked like a flute, a hammered dulcimer and a water stick. The sound they produced was both haunting and melodious.

Five wom en rushed forward carrying an honest-to-God three-tiered weddingcake, complete with painted figurines of a bride and groom  on the top. Sointricate was the cascade of tiny flowers, it must have taken hours— if not days—to com plete. She could only stare, amazed by the ingenuity of the wom en.

“It’s even chocolate, sort of,” one woman laughed, licking a blob of frosting

from  her finger. “Took some work, but we figured it out.”

“I’m…I’m  very pleased by your efforts,” she said in a rush. That sounded sort of

Queenly!

Except for the towering white-haired males, it could have been any weddingfeast anywhere on Earth. Ribald comments, hearty laughter, and high spirits filledthe air. A group of younger males cleared a wide space on the floor and begandancing, convoluted steps and high kicks, culminating with gym nastic flips andhand stands. The gyrations reminded her of a Basque festival she’d onceattended. The participants’ innovations and daring grew more com plex as thedance progressed. Several   of  the   m ore   daring   women   joined   in.   Form ercheerleaders, she guessed, by their acrobatic feats.

The mood of the crowd was festive, hopeful. Invigorating. Nothing in the pastfew weeks had been cause for celebration and the assem blage was making up forlost tim e.

Shagal pushed his way through the crush and presented a large translucentcontainer to Tegan. “I’ve hidden this for a special occasion,” he grinned. “I thinkthis qualifies.”

“W hat is it?” Kara leaned in for a closer inspection. Most of what she gleaned

from  their conversation was blah blah blah.

“Sheratz,” Tegan laughed. “Very strong.”

“Alcohol?”

His brows lifted, questioning. “Not know word,” he said.

“Um…,” she rolled her index finger near her tem ple. “Drink. Make crazy?”

He shrugged, shaking his head. Snapping the lid, he poured a thimbleful and

handed it to her. “Drink,’ he said. “Slow.”

She took a taste. Choked—gagged and spewed green liquid. The hideous stuffburned a fiery trail down her esophagus, landing with a searing crash in herstomach. She couldn’t breathe! W hatever it was, it was bitier than hundred proofgin and twice as nasty.

Tegan slapped her on the back, almost knocking her to the ground. “Good,

huh?” he asked, a grin creasing his lips. “More?”

“Uh…no,” she gasped, wiping her lips. “Had enough.”

A pleasant tingling started in her fingertips and toes, warmth spreading

outward from  her solar plexus. She began to relax, feeling alm ost calm .

“Well,” she amended, “maybe just a little.”

He refilled her cup, mischief sparkling in his silver blue orbs. “Slow,” he

reiterated.

This time she barely wet her mouth, allowing only the tiniest drop through herstinging lips. It wasn’t so bad— almost okay. The flavor, once she got passed theburning, rem inded her of—what was that stuff? She tried some once at a fratparty. Absinthe—yeah that was it. Absinthe, only more intense.

By the time she could see the bottom  of the tiny cup, she couldn’t feel hernose or upper lip. Her depth perception wavered, im ages periscoped in and outand…and—everything was so wonderful!

“Blah blah is too strong blah blah humans,” she heard Shagal com ment.

Too strong for hum ans? Says who? She could drink anybody under the table!

Gazing into Tegan’s soulful eyes, she sighed, burping softly. He was such a

beautiful m an, all pum ped up muscle and hard planes.

She giggled. Fangs or not, he was hot! I’m  a poet and I don’t know it, but his

feet show it. They’re longfellers. W here had she heard that before?

“No more.” Tegan’s voice intruded on her m ental wanderings.

She hiccupped. “Party’s just getting started.”

Shagal snorted and turned away. How rude!

“Do you hear that?” she asked, fighting to focus.

“W hat?” he asked.

“Music! Human music!” She grabbed his arm  and dragged him  to the dance floor. She didn’t recognize the song, but the [women’d/ women had] taken over the instruments and were banging out recognizable rhythm s sort of like those of Axel Rose. She wanted to dance. Except… The floor buckled and her knees gave way. The room  spun in a kaleidoscope of flashing objects— or was it her? She didn’t know, she just felt…

Tegan caught her as she collapsed, lim p and unresponsive.

“Is she dead?” Shagal leaned over, peering into her face. “I don’t think the

Chalices will be happy about that.”

Tegan smoothed the blonde locks from  her face, caressing the softness of her

velvety cheek. “Too m uch to drink.”

“From  so small am ount?” Shagal asked, aghast. “Even our younglings can

drink m ore than she had.”

“As you said, the elixir is too strong for human consumption.” He chuckled.

“She will have her regrets on the next rising.”

“W hat’d you do to her?” Dread, accompanied by Anne and Ume pushed their

way through the crowd and stood in a half-circle around him .

“Too m uch drink,” he said, grinning.

“She’s drunk!” Anne gasped. “You got her drunk?”

“Too strong for humans,” he stated, am used by their startled indignation.

“Need rest.”

The fem ale Dread wiggled Kara’s arm . “I guess so,” she said. “Looks like she

went on an all night bender.”

Drool seeped from  the side of Kara’s gaping m outh, running in a silvery streakdown her delicate chin. Squirming for a m ore comfortable position, she snorted,chuffing as she smacked her lips.

Tegan laughed outright. Beneath her outward beauty and intelligence, his

Chalice had her slight im perfections. He found them …charming.

“Oh my god. She’s going to be mad as hell when she wakes up.” The dark female swiped the offending saliva away. She motioned to the women’s quarters. “Better get her to bed before she does something even more em barrassing.”

The fair one, Anne giggled. “We won’t tell her— unless it becomes necessary.”

“I’m  telling her the minute she wakes up,” Dread grum bled, striding towards

the resting chamber. “Teach her to act like a dam n fool.”

He followed the females, relishing the sensations evoked by Kara’s light burdenin his arm s. She felt fragile, almost childlike, but there was nothing childlike in

the fem inine curves and softness pressed against his chest. On the next rising, he’d resume his duties and contact would cease again. But for the mom ent, he delighted in being freed of the obligations of his station, savoring a forgotten pleasure remembered from  the world he once knew. Mom ents of pure joy were fleeting, gone in the blink of an eye, and he’d not deny himself this one sm all gift. Not now.

Chapter Seventeen [Eighteen]

“Lord Tegan.” Branos pointed to a section of the screen. “Something you should see. As you instructed, I’ve kept careful watch on the shadow and there’s a definite pattern. It draws near, trailing us for a time, and then drops back. The sequences vary but it’s still a definite pattern over several revolutions. Someone is out there.”

Tegan leaned over the image chart. Nothing in what he viewed caused alarm,

but Branos’ unease chilled him  all the same. “How close do they venture?”

The tech drew an im aginary line paralleling their trajectory. “Near enough to

make contact and then it drops back out of range of our tracking systems.” Worry creased his brow. “Whoever it is, they’re definitely following us, keeping tabs. It isn’t a glitch in the system .”

“W hat about the Algarith Freedom ? Have they seen the shadow?”

“We’re in constant comm unication and they’ve seen it too. No mistake about it,” Branos’ hands fisted. “It could be another Deg’Nara ship. The female Siri told us she wasn’t sure if she’d destroyed their com m unications system  before word got out.”

W hy would a Deg’Nara ship not attack outright? It wasn’t like the destroyers tohold back. Conflict and dom ination were the only concepts they understood. W hatcould they possibly gain by trailing the breeder ships? Tegan scrubbed his chin,puzzled.

“Find Vaux and Mordaq and have them  join me in my quarters. Contact the Algarith Freedom  and notify their commander to attend. I want you in attendance as well.”

Branos triggered the sy-com  system . “As you wish.”

****

Tegan paced his cham bers, edgy and troubled. His advisors and Kelos,

Commander of the Freedom , stood at attention, their faces betraying their

outraged confusion.

Mordaq, in a m oment of fury, slam med his fist on the table. “Perhaps we have

a traitor on board.”

Branos choked, face purpling. “A traitor! Are you suggesting one of us is a

traitor?”

“Not among the breeders. I’d stake my life on that,” Tegan m uttered, resolute in his conviction. “But we know nothing of the females other than what we’ve been told by Kormak. Many revolutions passed between the time of his dem ise and their arrival in our star system . There was more than sufficient tim e to plant an infiltrator among the humans. And then there’s Siri. She professes to hate the Deg’Nara, but she’s a hybrid and we have little idea what direction her loyalty lies.”

“She’s not an infiltrator,” Vaux snarled.

“How can you know for sure?”

“I put her through an exhausting battery of tests, both physical and mental,”

Vaux insisted. “I would know if she’s a spy.”

“Too m any revolutions have passed since we entered stasis,” Tegan said. “Much has changed and the destroyers are dogged in their belief of total domination. They’d view us as a threat to that end— and who knows what developments or inventions m ay have occurred in the dark times. We have no idea what the Deg’Nara’s true capabilities are.”

“It can’t be the Chalices,” Mordaq protested, his voice bleak. “Hanna would not

betray me.”

“But what of the others?” His troubled m ind conjured up the comforting im age of Kara. Outspoken and sincere, he’d not detected any deceit or dishonesty in her behavior—confusion, distrust perhaps, but not deceit. No. She wasn’t the one nor did he suspect her sm all circle of handm aidens. They appeared loyal and steadfast to their queen, protective and devoted.

Vaux’s eyes glowed with flashing silver lights—a sure sign of an explosivetirade. “Separate them  and then bring each one in for questioning. The Chalicescan be made to answer if they refuse to cooperate. I’m  willing to undertake thechore. My own connection with the fem ales is limited and I have no qualm s aboutforcing their collaboration.” His lips thinned to a m ere slash. “Unlike some inattendance here.”

His taunt was not lost on Mordaq. The big Warrior whirled, long white braids

flying as he faced the senior tech. Rage boiled beneath the surface.

“Be careful lest your rash words be misconstrued,” he threatened, his voice

raw with emotion. “My connection with the females is lim ited to my mate. I know

the way her loyalty lies. Can you say the sam e of the hybrid?”

“Siri’s blam eless,” Vaux spat the words. “I’ve tested her again and again and

found nothing to condem n her. She’s trustworthy.”

“We shall see,” Tegan m uttered, unconvinced. He ground his teeth. The continual tension weighed on the breeders’ ability to maintain calm . Em otions ran high, fostered by the confined spaces and the never-ending worry about the unknown.

“ Both of you—settle down! There are m ore im portant matters to address

besides your inappropriate hostilities.”

Caution dictated the females be watched and their actions reported. If one ofthem  emerged as the traitor, he would render judgment without regard for the Chalices’   input—even   if   it   caused   ill   feelings.   He   winced,   dreading   the