Grady's Awakening

Chapter Two

Deep inside a mountain in what had once been called Colorado, sweat dripped down a man’s face as he spun into a high roundhouse kick. His opponent ducked, blocking the main force of the blow as he delivered a counterstrike. They’d been sparring for hours, but neither one would call a halt. Too many people depended on them and the other members of their elite group. Too many needed them to be in top form at all times—ready for anything.

“She’s coming!”

The scream was repeated down the cavernous hall outside the training area, echoing off cemented rock walls.

By silent agreement, both men stopped, ending their sparring session. One of their people needed them.

A moment later, a ragged woman ran into view. Her hair flew wildly around her ravaged face, her eyes wide with fear and not quite sane.

The leader reached out to her, folding the trembling woman in his arms as he’d done many times before, offering comfort.

“It’s okay, Tory. Everything will be all right.”

He soothed her as his lieutenant watched in sympathy. A flick of his head toward the hall sent Pierre after some of the others who would help settle Tory after the storm had passed. Sometimes it must really suck to be a seer, he thought. Tory suffered from the gift, and at times it drove her back into the madness from which she was only just beginning to emerge.

He murmured nonsense to her, hoping to ease her quaking shudders, but she remained agitated. She kept repeating that someone was coming. At times, he’d learned it was best to help her work through a vision rather than try to stop it. Perhaps this was one of those times.

“Who’s coming, Tory? A friend?”

Her wild gaze turned to him, and he had to stifle the urge to sigh. Tory had made good progress in the past year, but she still hovered on the edge of madness too much of the time.

“A friend?” She paused, seeming to think it over. “She could be, to us. She will also be friend to the angels. She will bring the angels to us.”

“Angels?” He didn’t like the sound of that. “Like the angel of death? Will she bring death to us, Tory?”

“Perhaps.” Tory’s eyes began to dim just slightly, giving him hope this episode was near an end. “The angels aren’t good or bad. They just are. They kill. They also protect. They’ll protect us, if we let them, and she’ll bring them. She’ll bring them. She’ll bring them.” Those three words kept repeating as she quieted, her words fading to a whisper as he tucked her close, stroking her back, offering the comfort of his touch—of his protection.

Poor, fractured Tory was under his protection, as were many other souls in this complex. He wouldn’t let anyone or anything hurt them. Angels, devils, Alvians or otherwise. He would defend his people to his last breath.

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. Not yet at least.

Their destination was beyond anything Grady Prime had dreamed. Towering red trees made the people and buildings below look like miniatures. Sinclair Prime wove through the massive trunks of the behemoths with a skill and ease that Grady Prime respected and even envied.

“Are these trees real?” he asked in a hushed tone as he looked at one of the most glorious sites he’d ever beheld.

“Magnificent, aren’t they? The humans call them giant sequoia or redwoods. Some of them are thousands of years old. This area was hard hit by the tsunamis and was unstable for a long time, which is why the Council let us settle here. The trees are massive enough to hide our base and provide cover for our flight—though flying under the canopy is quite an obstacle course. Good for training too.”

Even as they made final approach to a very small landing area, Grady saw a winged man swoop down out of the branches to fly alongside the ship. He turned his head and looked right into the cockpit, raising one hand in salute as Sinclair Prime returned the gesture.

The man’s tawny wingspan was impressive, and the fact that he could keep up with a ship—even one slowing for landing—was shocking. Grady Prime’s eyes sought the place on his shoulders where the man’s wings joined his back. He realized that while the man’s musculature was brawny, the wings themselves were of light construction. Then he realized the man sitting at the controls next to him probably had wings just like this, hidden somewhere under his uniform. Grady Prime took a second look, but found it difficult to discern anything odd about the fit of Sinclair Prime’s uniform, though it was somewhat baggier than the norm.

“Hiding our wings is one of the first things we learn if we ever hope to see other people.” Sinclair Prime sent him a small grin. “The bones of the wings are light and resilient, and our wingspan is shorter than the ancient Avarel. It’s enough to get us aloft and we are good sprinters, but we cannot fly for prolonged periods as true Avarel could. We are only hybrids. Echoes of what they were.”

“Still, those wings are amazing.”

“Thank you. You’re one of the few who know our secret.”

“Frankly, I’m surprised the Council would allow me to know such things, especially considering my involvement in Mara 12’s experiment. Of course, I’ll bet that’s also the reason they allowed me to investigate this matter.”

“Participation in the experiment probably ended your career anyway you mean?” Sinclair Prime’s eyebrow rose in Grady’s direction. The man was quick witted, which Grady Prime appreciated.

“I expected to be put out to pasture and welcomed it if it meant I could discover what it was like to feel. Now that I’m back in the field again, I find that I missed being busy these past weeks. I missed working and interacting with other soldiers. I missed my men. Civilians are not the same.”

Sinclair Prime laughed aloud. “You will not get an argument from me on that point, my friend. I do not understand civilians at all. I do better with soldiers, but among the Zxerah is where I truly belong—even more so if they are winged. The unwinged members of the Brotherhood do not always understand the challenges I and my winged brethren face.”

“I can only imagine,” Grady Prime commiserated. “And yet, I confess I am feeling envy of your ability to fly. What I have just seen of your wings is a thing of great beauty, Sinclair Prime.”

Sinclair looked at him with a kind smile. “It means a great deal to me for you to say that, Grady Prime. I’ve often wondered how the rest of the Alvian population would react if they learned of our existence. Would they think of us as freaks and demand our destruction? Or would they accept us—even admire us?”

“I would bet on admiration and if they could feel it, envy such as I am experiencing. It is a novel feeling.” Grady Prime examined the sensations he was experiencing as Sinclair landed the small ship. “It is envy but not in a bad sense. It’s more wonder and wishing that somehow I could experience the marvel of self-propelled flight.”

“It sounds like you’ve become adept at analyzing the emotions you’ve been facing. To be honest, I was concerned when I realized you’d undergone the treatment so recently. The first weeks for Prime Past were confusing at best, I think. You seem to be making very good progress at integrating emotions into your life. You seem more stable than he was in those first days.” Sinclair Prime attended to the shutdown procedures and unstrapped his safety harness while Grady did the same.

“I’ll confess, I was very confused at first. It was overwhelming at times. The O’Haras were of great help. I believe their assistance made my group of test subjects more successful than we otherwise would have been.”

“Do you think they will proceed with further testing?”

“It’s hard to tell, but if my group’s success is any indication, they should. None of my fellow test subjects have gone mad or had other truly adverse reactions to this point. Most seem to be dealing well with their new status. I think the human influence and advice had a lot to do with our stability.”

They exited the ship, and Grady Prime breathed the clean, fresh scent of the damp forest. He took a look around and marveled at the giant trees that sheltered them as if in some wondrous cathedral of nature.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sinclair Prime asked, undoubtedly noting Grady’s fascinated survey of the huge trees.

“I have rarely seen anything to rival this. You are a lucky man to live and work in such a place.”

“I have long thought so,” a new voice added from over Grady Prime’s left shoulder. Caught off guard, he spun on his heel to see who had managed to sneak up on him, and came face to face with an unknown Alvian.

The man was almost un-Alvian looking, with his shoulder-length brown hair and hazel eyes. He had the darkest hair color Grady Prime had ever seen on an Alvian, yet he was undoubtedly a member of his race. For one thing, he had the pointy ears, though that was not always a foolproof method of identification. He also had the cold feel to him that Grady Prime had recently begun to associate with Alvians.

Now that Grady Prime could feel, he could more easily recognize those who could not. Sinclair Prime, for all that he claimed to feel more than the average Alvian, was still noticeably cold to Grady Prime’s new emotion-enhanced senses. This man was colder still.

“Patriarch, you honor us with your presence.”

Grady Prime was clued in by Sinclair Prime’s respectful tone. This man was most likely the Zxerah Patriarch. A fabled being of immense power and ability. Grady Prime looked him over, surprised the Patriarch was such a young-looking man. He was only an inch shorter than Grady Prime and appeared to be more slender, but Grady knew as well as any soldier that appearances could be deceiving.

“Grady Prime, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” The Patriarch held out his hand in the way of soldiers. “I am Ronin Prime, Patriarch of the Zxerah Brotherhood.”

Grady Prime took the man’s hand and his measure, as he was measured in return. Power flowed from the Patriarch, tangible yet banked. Like a glowing ember that could be fanned to flame at any moment.

“It is an honor to meet you,” Grady Prime replied politely, holding the man’s gaze as they ended the friendly handclasp.

“Mara Prime is going to want to meet you, of course. I hope you’ll both join me for dinner after.” The Patriarch included Sinclair Prime in his invitation with a nod of his head.

“Of course, Patriarch,” Sinclair Prime answered quickly as the man turned to go.

Grady Prime didn’t get a chance to say much of anything. Ronin Prime moved like the wind. One minute he was there, the next he was gone like a puff of smoke.

“Doesn’t let any grass grow under his feet, does he?” Grady asked with some humor as they resumed walking up the path that led from the landing area.

“The Patriarch marches to the beat of his own drum.”

Grady Prime laughed. “It seems we both have been consorting with humans too long if we have adopted their race’s sayings as our own. As they would say, touché, my friend.”

Sinclair Prime joined in his laughter and as they rounded a final curve in the narrow path, they came face to face with an old Alvian male with hair gone white with age. Grady Prime knew this one. This was Mara Prime, the top geneticist for their race. Grady had dealt with the quiet old man from time to time as he worked with Mara 12 and the O’Haras in the early days, but he hadn’t seen him in many years.

“It is good to see you again, Mara Prime. I hope you are well.” Grady gave the elder a traditional sign of respect. He would have offered his hand, but that was a greeting reserved mostly for soldiers and not one Mara Prime had ever responded well to in the past. He was very reserved, even among Alvians.

“Well enough, thank you, Grady Prime. I would like a report on your progress before you continue with your duties. Follow me.”

The old man turned without another word, clearly expecting to be obeyed. Grady Prime followed behind, knowing he had to get this over with if he was going to be allowed to get on with his work. So different, this greeting of Prime to Prime than the meeting with the Zxerah Patriarch. Grady Prime had liked the Patriarch right off—respected his power and the aura of authority around him—even on such short acquaintance. Grady Prime didn’t much care for Mara Prime’s cold ways and never had.

After a thorough debriefing in Mara Prime’s sparsely decorated office, Grady Prime was finally free to resume his duties. Sinclair Prime met him outside the small building where Mara Prime’s offices and laboratory were located.

“There is little sun left today, especially here under the canopy of trees. Dinner is not far off,” Sinclair Prime explained. “I thought perhaps I could show you a little of the base on our way to meet the Patriarch for dinner.”

Grady thought it an excellent plan and followed eagerly after Sinclair Prime. He’d changed his uniform top for one that had openings in back for his wings. Grady Prime was shocked at first to see the tawny golden feathers of his wings folded along the curves of Sinclair Prime’s back. Although it was probably rude, Grady found he couldn’t stop himself from stealing glances at them.

Finally, Sinclair Prime stopped, a huge grin on his face as he turned to face Grady and very deliberately spread his wings.

“Does this help?” He cocked one eyebrow and grinned. Grady Prime laughed in answer.

“I apologize. I am simply fascinated by your wings.”

Sinclair Prime stood still, his wings outstretched while Grady Prime got a good long look. The tawny color was not uniform. The long feathered shafts had patterns on them of gold, brown, white and rust. The pattern had elements in common with that of other birds of prey Grady Prime had seen both on this planet and on his homeworld of Alvia Prime. Yet somehow, it was different. Chevrons of color danced down each extra-long shaft, interspersed with smaller feathers here and there.

“Your wings are truly amazing,” Grady said after a long moment. “What happens when you lose feathers? I assume as a soldier you’ve run into injuries from time to time.”

Sinclair Prime folded his right wing along his back, bringing his left wing forward so he could touch the feathers with his hands.

“Look at this one,” he pointed to a particularly thick shaft. “This one broke off a week ago, and I glued it back on as a temporary measure until the new shaft grows into place. It’s not ideal, but it works. Sometimes you can’t save the broken shaft and you just have to fly with a gap until the new plumage grows in. And we molt every once in a while. When we’re young, the new feathers come in every year until we reach adolescence. Then the process slows. We’re out of commission flying-wise every decade for a complete molt. Otherwise we only lose feathers occasionally, never grounded unless we receive very serious injury such as a broken bone.”

“Fascinating,” Grady Prime said, inspecting the broken feather at the other man’s invitation. The whole idea had him captivated.

Sinclair Prime tucked his wing back behind him and resumed the tour. He showed Grady Prime the barracks and the guest room he’d been assigned, where his pack had already been stowed. Sinclair also showed him the mess hall, break room and other facilities, introducing him to a few others as they went through the various public areas. All of the winged soldiers seemed surprised to see non-winged Grady Prime in their sanctuary, but they were welcoming for the most part.

Not all were of the Sinclair bloodline. Grady Prime met a few Hanlons, a Shaugness, a Lear and some Malens as well. Each had wings in varying shades of blond and brown with otherworldly markings along the long shafts of improbable feathers. The men were soldiers, well built and long of limb with varying lengths of wing that would support them in the air. Grady Prime also noted patrols flying or resting in the trees, watching over the compound below.

“You run an impressive operation here, Sinclair Prime,” Grady complimented the other Prime with genuine admiration as they neared a structure set apart from the others.

“We do all right, though we sometimes miss the company of females. None were created with wings. The Patriarch brings some of the non-winged brethren to visit us here once in a while. Some among them are female and do not object to our altered bodies. And of course Mara Prime has his lab techs who see to us on a regular schedule.”

Grady Prime didn’t comment on the new, chilly feelings he got when he remembered his own encounters with lab techs and the few women who didn’t mind servicing soldier stock. Every encounter except that last one with Jaci 192 was tainted in his memory. But Jaci 192 had given him something none of the others had ever shown him. She’d given him a glimpse into what sex could be like between beings with feelings. She’d been under the influence of the gene-altering agent at the time, though nobody had known then about the laboratory accident that had exposed her. She’d begun to feel. She had shown him true responses of a woman who enjoyed what her partner demanded of her and participated fully in both the physical and emotional side of lovemaking.

Later, when he’d found her frolicking with her true Resonance Mates, she’d given him hope. He despaired of ever finding a woman who could resonate with him on such an intimate level, but now that he had emotions, he found he couldn’t kill the small kernel of hope that insisted on living in his previously cold heart.

The one-story square structure they entered was different from the others. Grady Prime felt the echoes of something…strange…in this new building as he entered. There was a small outer room that led to a large, bare, rectangular hall that had a very high ceiling and no fixtures to speak of. One long wall was covered with mirrors and the opposite wall was made up of floor-to-ceiling doors that were open to a fenced-in courtyard beyond.

Sinclair Prime led him around the edge of the large open space to the outer wall and into the courtyard that was sparsely populated with long, cylindrical plants reaching for the heavens only on the perimeter of the walled area. In the center of the outdoor space, a long table had been set up with several chairs and laden with covered platters, plates and place settings. It looked like a feast had been prepared.

“Welcome, Grady Prime. We dine well this night, in your honor. I have long admired your work.”

The Patriarch had snuck up on him again and Grady didn’t like it. Of course, if anyone were going to sneak up on him, it wasn’t too distressing that the fabled Zxerah Patriarch would be the one able to do it.

“Thank you for your invitation, Patriarch,” Grady Prime said politely. Behind the Patriarch, two more winged soldiers filed in, followed by two without wings and most shockingly, a small human woman.

Grady Prime tried not to stare. Something about the woman set off all kinds of internal alarms in his mind.

“Please be seated in the place of honor, Grady Prime.” The Patriarch indicated the place opposite as he sat at one end of the long table.

Grady Prime moved to the other end of the table, as requested. He waited to be seated until everyone else had found their places, as good manners demanded of the lower ranked. Then they all sat at once. He was pleased to find the woman seated on his right and Sinclair Prime on his left. The others ranged down the table, toward the Patriarch.

All eyes turned to the Patriarch as he signaled to them to join hands for the ancient prayer. It was unusual, but some Alvians still practiced the old ways and Grady Prime had witnessed such ceremonies before. He took Sinclair Prime’s hand with only slight hesitation. He was eager to touch the pretty human female’s skin. The eagerness alone was something to savor—a precious emotion he’d only just learned to appreciate.

It shouldn’t have come as such a shock then, that when he took her hand, a delicate, musical Hum reverberated through the air. Grady Prime’s heart stopped as his eyes widened. He looked at the beautiful woman, then to the Patriarch who recited the ancient prayer, speaking of the forefathers and the blessed home crystal of Alvia Prime. A slight nod from the Patriarch was the only indication Grady had that the other man had heard the miraculous Hum. It was obvious the human woman heard nothing—the tone was most likely too far out of her natural range of hearing. But the other Alvians all had varying degrees of interest on their faces as Grady Prime looked down the table and started to breathe again.

The prayer ended and he, regrettably, had to let her go. Immediately the Hum ceased.

“You are no doubt surprised to find a human among our number, are you not, Grady Prime?” The Patriarch didn’t mention the Hum as the covers were removed from the serving dishes. They all began to hand the platters around the table, serving themselves.

“I am, Patriarch.” Grady Prime took his cue from his host. If the Patriarch didn’t mention the Hum, neither would he. “Of course, until today I had no idea the Zxerah Brotherhood still existed. This seems to be a day of discovery for me.”

He couldn’t keep his gaze from the lovely creature sitting on his right. She had dark hair and eyes, her features angular and fine, her bone structure neither symmetrical nor ordinary. Instead, she was extraordinary in almost every way. Her petite frame was lithe and sleek from what he could tell under her plain dark clothing. He wondered what her skin would look and feel like without the concealment of cloth and felt himself grow unaccountably warm.

“Well said, Grady Prime. Allow me to introduce Gina, the first human I encountered on this planet. She was the first of their number to be inducted into the Brotherhood, but hardly the last.”

The woman turned to look at him fully, and Grady Prime’s mouth went dry as their eyes met. She spoke, and her voice sent shivers down his spine. He’d never reacted so strongly to any female—but then he’d never Hummed with any female. Ever.

The Hum was the first of the resonance tests. If a couple Hummed, they could then proceed to the next tests to see if they were in fact, Resonance Mates. While a male might Hum with more than one woman, few would pass the second test—the Kiss. And it was said only one woman for each male would receive the Embrace with a positive result, confirming that they were indeed, true Resonance Mates.

Grady wanted to try the next test with this human woman, and he wanted to try it now. It was so unbelievable that he should find any woman to Hum with him, that he wanted desperately to see if she could make the crystals glow like the sun, confirming their resonance. That could hardly be done at the dinner table, especially on such short acquaintance. He’d have to find a way. Soon. Or go mad.

The Patriarch introduced the rest of the people at the table, but Grady Prime heard little. His attention was focused almost entirely on the woman and thankfully, the Patriarch and the others left him mostly to his thoughts while they ate. The others talked among themselves, occasionally directing questions to Grady, which he answered gladly. Otherwise, he did his best to engage the woman—Gina—in conversation.

She wasn’t shy, but she wasn’t forward either. He found her utterly charming and her conversation interesting. They talked on many general subjects and laughed a great deal before she looked at him with curious eyes.

“You’re not like other Alvians.” Suspicion sounded in her low, melodic voice. “Are you a throwback?”

Grady Prime put down his fork and turned to face her. This was too important. He wanted to see her reaction to the news of his altered status.

“I was not born a throwback, but due to some recent changes, I now have emotions. Sharp of you to notice, Gina. If I may ask, what gave me away?”

She tilted her head to one side in a way he was coming to love. In fact, he was charmed by everything about her. Her laugh, her smile, her sparkling eyes and her quick wit were very attractive.

“You smile more than any of them, even the winged ones. And you seem to have a better understanding of humans than most Alvians.”

“I have been around humans many times in my duties even before I gained emotion. I did not truly understand them until recently.”

“You captured humans?” Her tone was accusing and sent a shaft of shame and regret through his heart, but he couldn’t lie to her.

“I did. I have superior tracking skills. I was only sent after the hard cases. Others did the bulk of capture detail. I will admit that even before I could feel as I do now, I never enjoyed what came after the chase ended. I liked pitting my skills against a worthy opponent and coming out the victor. In those days, the echoes of exhilaration, satisfaction and even a small amount of triumph were the closest I could come to true emotion.”

“So you’d be the kind of fisherman to go after a shark, land him, then throw him back to fight again another day.” Her lips curled in amusement, and he was sidetracked by the sight until he got himself in hand. It wouldn’t do to make a fool of himself with the first attractive female to actually Hum with him.

“I have never fished for shark, only small fish to eat while camping, but I think I understand what you mean.”

“Do you like camping? I never did as a child, but the great outdoors has grown on me since living with the Zxerah.”

“I love sleeping under the stars, or the tree canopy as it sighs overhead. I even like the patter of rain in manageable quantities when I have suitable gear with me.” His small attempt at humor met with success as her lips lifted in that lovely smile once again. “Tell me, do you like your life among the Zxerah? Would you not rather be among humans?”

Suddenly her answer took on great importance to him. Would she prefer the company of her own kind or could she be happy among Alvians? He had to know.

“I didn’t do too well with the other humans I encountered during my first few weeks in the wilderness. Then I ran into the Patriarch and all in all, I celebrate the day we found each other in the woods. The more I think about it, the more I believe God must have led me to that place and played a role in our meeting. Few women were trained as I was, and I don’t think someone with lesser skills could have impressed the Patriarch enough to take a second look at us humans.”

“Of what skills do you speak?” Grady Prime was pleased by her answer. He wanted to know everything he could possibly learn about this beautiful creature.

“She has a mean right hook and her flying roundhouse kicks are a guaranteed concussion if you don’t duck fast enough,” Sinclair Prime put in from across the table. The man chuckled and Gina followed suit, sharing a glance with the winged warrior that made Grady Prime feel an altogether new emotion—jealousy. He didn’t like the feeling.

“You are a warrior?” he asked, regaining her attention. Frankly, she was so petite in comparison to a typical Alvian that he doubted the claim. Perhaps Sinclair Prime was teasing her.

“In the old world we had a sports contest every four years called the Olympics. The best athletes in many different sports would gather together from every nation and compete for two weeks to see who was the best in the world. I led the Olympic team into the arena and brought home first place gold medals for martial arts, as my father had, many years before me. He trained me from the time I was a little girl, along with my brothers and many others in his world-famous dojo.” Her eyes grew sad and Grady Prime reached out to touch her hand, offering comfort. When the Hum started up, he felt the eyes of everyone at the table turn to them, but he refused to release her. She was so sad. It hurt his heart.

“You miss your family.” He spoke in what he hoped was a comforting tone. Offering comfort was new to him.

“I do. They were the best, and I never was able to find out what happened to them. I was traveling on this coast when the bombardment started. My home and family were on the other side of the continent.”

“I’m sorry, Gina.”

She looked up at him with a searching expression before a small smile lit her eyes. “You know, I actually believe you. Of all the Alvians I’ve met, I think you’re the only one who has ever uttered those words with real sincerity.” She placed her other hand over his on the table, pressing lightly as his breath caught. “Thank you, Grady.”

“What is that noise?” Sinclair Prime asked from across the table. He had his fork halfway to his mouth and a puzzled look on his face.

Grady didn’t know what to say since Gina clearly couldn’t hear it. The Patriarch answered, his words simple and devastating at the same time.

“They Hum.” All eyes turned to the Patriarch at the head of the table. “It is something I have heard only rarely and never among Alvians, I’m sorry to say. A few of the mated human pairs in our enclave Hum. Of course the tone is outside of their range of hearing.”

“What’s this about humming? I don’t hear anything.” Gina looked around, suspicious.

“Precisely, my dear.” The Patriarch smiled at her. “When you touch Grady Prime, you resonate on a level that is outside of human hearing. We can hear the Hum, just below the surface. It is a pleasant sound, actually, and reassures me that there is hope for our people. If we can form Resonance Matings among ourselves and humans, there is some hope for the entire planet—Alvians and humans alike.”

“I don’t understand.” Gina retracted her hands from Grady’s. He was sorry to see her move away and the Hum stopped, but his attention was caught by the Patriarch’s words.

“I know of several true Resonance Matings between humans and Alvians, Patriarch. I have heard the Hum and seen the crystals glow for two Alvians already. I had no hope I could be so lucky. You see—” he turned to speak directly to Gina, “—I have never Hummed with any female. Meeting you brings me hope.” He loved watching the emotions flit across her expressive face.

“Tell me of the Resonance Mates you have observed, Grady Prime,” the Patriarch invited. “I assume you speak of Chief Engineer Davin and his mate, but who is the other?”

Grady Prime considered his options. Nearly overwhelmed by the incredible Hum when he’d least expected it, he wasn’t so far gone that he would potentially put others in danger. Especially not Callie or Jaci. Both women were special to him in different ways and he did not want to see either of them come to harm.

He had to make a decision. Could he truly trust the Patriarch and the people around this table? Could he trust the fabled Zxerah sense of honor? Having little hard data, he had to go with his instincts, his gut. It was something he’d relied on even before he had emotions. The ability had only grown stronger since he’d taken the gene-altering agent. With feelings came an enhanced ability to read people and situations.

Grady’s gut was telling him that these Zxerah—these people out of legend—were exactly what they claimed to be. Grady Prime instinctively trusted the Patriarch. He didn’t understand why he was so certain of the mysterious man’s disposition, or for that matter, the rest of them. His instincts were pushing him harder than ever before to take the calculated risk and speak of some matters that he’d previously kept only to himself.

He wouldn’t go so far as to reveal all he knew, but he would trust them—to a point.

“I am not at liberty to divulge the identity or circumstances of the second pairing. I can tell you that it is a true Resonance Mating between an Alvian female who was exposed to the same gene-altering agent that I took, and two human males. As for the Chief Engineer, I have known his mate, Callie, since she was an infant. What is not commonly known is that there is a second male in their household—a human male¾who is also a true Resonance Mate to Callie.”

“I thought there was only supposed to be one true mate for every person,” Sinclair Prime stated. “Why are they mating in multiples?”

“The working theory is that because of the shortage of females on this planet, nature—or God, if you prefer¾” he looked directly at Gina, since she seemed to believe in the deity of the humans strongly, “¾intervened to allow more than one male to be true mate to one female. There is evidence in the ancient records of multiple matings in situations where the ratio of females to males was severely deficient. I discussed this with Callie and Davin when I was trying to decide whether or not to participate in the experiment. I wanted to know more about resonance and I knew that if anyone had studied the topic it would be the Chief Engineer. He’d compiled data from ancient records—particularly in reference to multi-partner matings. He even documented such among his human charges in the Southern Engineering Facility and Callie O’Hara’s parents have such a mating. I have witnessed all three O’Hara brothers Humming with their wife Jane. They are all human, but they also fulfill the tests of resonance.”

“This is interesting news. I will endeavor to learn more of the Chief Engineer’s studies.” The Patriarch looked pensive.

“Davin is a good man,” Grady Prime felt the need to add. “He will talk to you if you approach him directly. If you wish, I could introduce you as a friend. Callie is a very strong empath. She will discern your intent. If she senses you are truly interested and have no malice in your heart, she will more than likely tell Davin and he will speak freely.”

“An empath?” The Patriarch sat back and regarded Grady Prime, but he got the impression the other man was seeing well beyond him as his eyes focused on some goal only he could see.

“As is her mother, Jane O’Hara. The psychic talents in that family are very potent and nearly infallible. Caleb, the eldest O’Hara brother, can see the future.”

“I am familiar with foresight,” the Patriarch said, refocusing on Grady Prime. “I didn’t know how closely these people were interconnected or that you were so well acquainted with them all.”

“I traveled to their home many times in the course of my duties and had a chance to watch their children—Callie and Harry in particular—grow from infant to young adult. It was an enriching experience and one that helped me decide to follow my present course. Even before I could feel, I enjoyed observing the youngsters as they thrived in a caring environment. It gave me a glimpse into what life must have been like on this planet and even on Alvia Prime, before the geneticists began to change our people.”

Grady Prime noted that everyone around the table was looking at him. He’d captured all their attention with his unguarded words and observations. He had one further revelation—if they didn’t know it already. From everything he’d seen so far, it was entirely possible they didn’t know.

“It’s been conclusively proven that all three O’Hara brothers and all their children are descendants of a common Alvian ancestor.” This, more than anything, would guarantee the safety of his human friends from all but the most cutthroat of his Alvian brethren.

“I was aware that Mara 12 was working on a theory that our ancestors may have intermixed with the native population. I did not know they could trace their ancestry.”

Grady Prime sat back in his chair, regarding the Patriarch with a measuring gaze. Best he could tell, the powerful Zxerah leader truly didn’t know. This could get interesting.

“Her so-called theory was proven many years ago though it has been kept secret in the scientific community until recently. It is true that our most revered ancestors settled on this planet long ago. Caleb, Justin, Mick and all of the O’Hara clan carry a large amount of Hara DNA.” The shocked silence was deafening. Hara had been the greatest of them, the most revered, the savior of their people when all hope had been lost. That alone would guarantee the O’Hara clan’s safety and status, but there was more. “Mara 12 confirmed her discovery by personally breeding with Justin O’Hara nearly twenty years ago. The resulting child is called simply Hara by the scientific team. He is known as Harry to his human family.”

“She had a baby with a human man?” Gina seemed scandalized.

“She did. Harry spends most of his time these days in the Northern City where his uncle, Caleb O’Hara, is currently being confined for study. I have long suspected that Harry acts as a conduit between his imprisoned uncle and the rest of the family. They have strong bonds—emotional bonds that Mara 12 does not understand. I did not understand it myself until just recently. Caleb and Harry have been of great help to me and the other test subjects as we progressed through the emotional changes and upheavals of those first few weeks. Without their help, I don’t know how successful our test group would have been.”

The Patriarch sat back and steepled his fingers, deep in thought as his gaze drifted around the table, finally settling back on Grady Prime. Everyone else was silent, each contemplating his revelations in their own way, and waiting to see what their leader would have to say.

Finally, he lowered his hands and leaned forward, his gaze intense. “This is excellent news. Astounding news.”