betrothed to Vathral, her plans to return to
Cestori, or of her mother’s intentions to have her sitting on the council one
day.
“Okay, I may not have been entirely open with you,” Cali admitted unhappily.
“There are things I would’ve told you if we hadn’t found your friends and ended
up in this mess.”
“I’ve told you the truth about everything you asked me before.” Drake
moved slightly and Cali’s eyes narrowed on him. “What else can I say? Your crew
from this level are the only resistance my friends encountered. They’re safe
and will be released as soon as you order it. We only locked them in the
holding cells so there wouldn’t be any more misunderstandings. When my friends
woke in the medical unit they thought they were in danger. It was instinct for
them to defend themselves. Everything else I’ve already confessed to you. My
ship, our alliance with Atheon, my purpose for being in the Buffer Zone. I know
you’re angry, but you must believe me.”
Drake leaned forward to hold her, but she held up her hand in warning.
“We need to get all the lies out in the open. Until then, stay back.”
Even she didn’t recognize her own voice. It had never been that cold in her
life.
“Can you please announce for your people to remain calm. Then I will tell
you anything else you want to know.” Drake’s eyes were still faintly glowing
and Cali noticed his stance was stiff. He was on edge still, but then so was
she.
Tapping her comm badge, Cali spoke clearly, despite her raging emotions.
“This is the captain. There was an emergency in the medical unit, but it has
been dealt with. Everything is under control. Please continue to follow your
normal routine. Thank you. Clear.” She tapped her badge again to stop
transmitting.
“What do you want to know Cali?” Drake relaxed against the medical bed,
and Cali slid to the bed across from him cautiously and leaned back as well.
“I want to know about you, Drake.” Cali’s voice was raw. “What are
you…”
“It’s a long story,” Drake hedged.
“We have time.”
With a sigh, Drake started explaining. “On Titus, we belong to different clans. Many years ago, a relative of
mine united all of the different factions for the safety of the citizens. Each
clan is distinguished by the color they wear. Dak’za, or Dak as he prefers, is
from the Denary Clan. They wear the golden color to symbolize the agriculture
zone they control. Tae is from the Takari Clan. They wear red to symbolize industry. Arik is from the Metari clan. He wears blue for the water zones
his clan controls. Mica wears black, to symbolize blind justice since it’s his clan’s duty to oversee all punishments. They
are called the Jataci . My full name is
Chan’ Drake. My clan is the Renari , we
wear purple to symbolize the Chan Mountains we control. That is where the trianium
comes from.”
“How is it that you were so…different, ”
Cali asked impatiently.
“We call ourselves valkie warriors,
I’ve no words in your tongue to explain it. We’ve got enhanced fighting
ability…sight, smell, strength. If threatened or highly emotional, it comes
upon us, a type of adrenaline—”
“When you first woke up in medical,” Cali gasped, remembering. “Your eyes
were the electric blue for one second and then went back to normal. Then again
during sex.”
“Yes,” His gaze became heated and Cali regretted bringing up their
intimacy. Luckily Drake focused on the first time his eyes had changed.
“In the medical unit, I saw the
guards behind you and almost lost control, as my friends did. I would have
attacked…”
“How was it that you stopped?” Cali’s voice had softened.
“There are only two things that can stop a valkie male when in a fighting
frenzy.” Drake shifted uncomfortably and Cali grew suspicious.
“What two things?”
“The threat has been eliminated.” His eyes locked on hers, the slight
flow of electric blue was back in his gaze.
“And
Cestori, or of her mother’s intentions to have her sitting on the council one
day.
“Okay, I may not have been entirely open with you,” Cali admitted unhappily.
“There are things I would’ve told you if we hadn’t found your friends and ended
up in this mess.”
“I’ve told you the truth about everything you asked me before.” Drake
moved slightly and Cali’s eyes narrowed on him. “What else can I say? Your crew
from this level are the only resistance my friends encountered. They’re safe
and will be released as soon as you order it. We only locked them in the
holding cells so there wouldn’t be any more misunderstandings. When my friends
woke in the medical unit they thought they were in danger. It was instinct for
them to defend themselves. Everything else I’ve already confessed to you. My
ship, our alliance with Atheon, my purpose for being in the Buffer Zone. I know
you’re angry, but you must believe me.”
Drake leaned forward to hold her, but she held up her hand in warning.
“We need to get all the lies out in the open. Until then, stay back.”
Even she didn’t recognize her own voice. It had never been that cold in her
life.
“Can you please announce for your people to remain calm. Then I will tell
you anything else you want to know.” Drake’s eyes were still faintly glowing
and Cali noticed his stance was stiff. He was on edge still, but then so was
she.
Tapping her comm badge, Cali spoke clearly, despite her raging emotions.
“This is the captain. There was an emergency in the medical unit, but it has
been dealt with. Everything is under control. Please continue to follow your
normal routine. Thank you. Clear.” She tapped her badge again to stop
transmitting.
“What do you want to know Cali?” Drake relaxed against the medical bed,
and Cali slid to the bed across from him cautiously and leaned back as well.
“I want to know about you, Drake.” Cali’s voice was raw. “What are
you…”
“It’s a long story,” Drake hedged.
“We have time.”
With a sigh, Drake started explaining. “On Titus, we belong to different clans. Many years ago, a relative of
mine united all of the different factions for the safety of the citizens. Each
clan is distinguished by the color they wear. Dak’za, or Dak as he prefers, is
from the Denary Clan. They wear the golden color to symbolize the agriculture
zone they control. Tae is from the Takari Clan. They wear red to symbolize industry. Arik is from the Metari clan. He wears blue for the water zones
his clan controls. Mica wears black, to symbolize blind justice since it’s his clan’s duty to oversee all punishments. They
are called the Jataci . My full name is
Chan’ Drake. My clan is the Renari , we
wear purple to symbolize the Chan Mountains we control. That is where the trianium
comes from.”
“How is it that you were so…different, ”
Cali asked impatiently.
“We call ourselves valkie warriors,
I’ve no words in your tongue to explain it. We’ve got enhanced fighting
ability…sight, smell, strength. If threatened or highly emotional, it comes
upon us, a type of adrenaline—”
“When you first woke up in medical,” Cali gasped, remembering. “Your eyes
were the electric blue for one second and then went back to normal. Then again
during sex.”
“Yes,” His gaze became heated and Cali regretted bringing up their
intimacy. Luckily Drake focused on the first time his eyes had changed.
“In the medical unit, I saw the
guards behind you and almost lost control, as my friends did. I would have
attacked…”
“How was it that you stopped?” Cali’s voice had softened.
“There are only two things that can stop a valkie male when in a fighting
frenzy.” Drake shifted uncomfortably and Cali grew suspicious.
“What two things?”
“The threat has been eliminated.” His eyes locked on hers, the slight
flow of electric blue was back in his gaze.
“And
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