“May I introduce Lady V’terre of Mellure,” the captain said with a bow to the woman.
Gianna rose from her chair and curtseyed. “I’m honored.”
Trevor had no words. Hope grew in his heart the ancient one, so powerful, might be here on his account.
Fleming’s next words, directed to Gianna, dashed his hopes a tiny bit. “The Lady has recently boarded and is traveling with us to Xcelon Four. She’s the Mellurean representative to your brother’s wedding.”
“We continue to take a great interest in all of you who were Lady Damais’s final companions aboard the Nebula Dream,” V’terre said to Gianna. Her voice was musical and to Trevor’s still-enhanced senses, vibrating with power. He opened his third eye slightly and had to blink hard and close it again as sensory overload flooded his head. Wild impressions of colors and arcs of energy surrounded the woman to the degree that her own figure was blurred and indistinct.
Which was the true form?
Or is either correct? asked the cool voice in his head, with amusement.
He did a double take and shot a glance at V’terre who gave him a demure smile and turned to the captain. “Thank you for escorting me, captain. You and I will converse at more length later.”
Fleming didn’t so much as blink at being cavalierly dismissed on his own ship. The Mellureans were apex beings, so powerful no one, not even the dreaded Mawreg, ever set themselves against what a Mellurean wanted. “Whenever it’s convenient for you, my lady.” He nodded to Trevor and Gianna and left the room.
“Now,” V’terre said with the air of a person getting down to business, “Let us talk. First, to go in ascending order, there’s an investigation going on right now as to why the request for assistance with your case wasn’t forwarded to Mellure in due time, Lieutenant. We are disengaged from most things in the galaxy any more, as is well known, but we do make exceptions and you would have definitely been an exception.”
“I’m honored but—”
She raised her hand and he shut up. “Better late than never. I shall make amends today. We will need to be private but before you go, Gianna, I’ve discussed with Captain Fleming your desire to see the Level Two stateroom on this ship which is the equivalent to the suite your family booked on the Nebula Dream. A completely understandable request and I will accompany you to the place at the appointed time. You need have no fear, my child.”
Trevor turned his head on the pillow to see Gianna blushing. “Is that the one last place you wanted to go? But why? We’re only a sister ship, not an exact copy.”
“It’s hard to explain,” she said slowly, “But it was the last time I saw my mother. I just would like to see.”
“Not without me,” he said, remembering the pantry and the psychic storm he was convinced they’d unleashed there.
“If I may continue.” V’terre’s voice was indulgent, not annoyed, as if she had all the time in the world. “Third, every single member of the hive-line ‘Miil-Dazklr’ has been removed and the Shemdylann ruling queens have been notified as to why.”
“They’re all dead?” Gianna asked, eyes wide.
“Oh yes.” Tilting her head, V’Terre said, “You are an affiliate of Mellure. The Shemdylann should have known better than to interfere with you in any way, let alone plotting to kill you in an attempt to regain their so-called honor. The mistake will not occur again—you need have no fear of any repetition of this incident.”
“Th—thank you.”
Trevor contemplated the immense power inherent in the ability to reach out and kill every single member of a vast Shemdylann hive-line at the same moment, no matter where the individuals were in the galaxy. He couldn’t be upset by the elimination of a deadly enemy and he was glad Gianna would be protected going forward but he could certainly see with fresh eyes why the Sectors’ leadership was so desperate to retain the Mellureans as allies, even on their own reserved terms. Was there anything these Ancient Ones couldn’t do?
For that matter, how had she arrived on the Nebula Zephyr? The ship hadn’t dropped out of hyperspace – he’d have reacted to the change in harmonics, being an experienced spacer.
V’terre gave him an amused side-eye look, clearly reading his mind but didn’t reply. “And fourth there is the matter of your state of being, Lieutenant. This situation is untenable, for you and for Gianna. Even if yours was a case in which we had no interest, the fact you sacrificed yourself to save an affiliate of our people merits a proper reward.”
“I went after her because I love her,” he said defiantly. “Not for any other reason.”
“But admit you’re glad to see me, yes?” Tilting her head, eyes gleaming with amusement, V’terre had the air of a person in an excellent mood. “Gianna, you will leave us now.”
His beloved rose, kissed him on the forehead next to the closed third eye and left the room without another word. Verlaine was torn, whining and pawing at the bed but eventually followed Gianna.
V’terre moved to the chair and seated herself gracefully, flaring out her skirts. She held out her hand and after a fleeting hesitation, Trevor placed his fingers on hers. Her clasp was firm and from the contact a warm comforting glow flowed into his aching, deteriorating body. Better than any drug Dr. Shane had in her pharmacy.
“This should never have been done to you in the first place,” the Mellurean said. “The sentient who did this was an arrogant child, playing with forces beyond his ken.”
“It enabled me to free the other prisoners and myself in the hellhole of a prison camp, and to save Gianna’s life so I’ll never regret the burden.” He spoke his truth.
“Always you humans seek to find the silver lining, as you call it, in any situation. Admirable trait to have. But you will admit the structure grafted onto your body has broken down irretrievably? And your mind is at rest regarding any need to defend Gianna in this way again, since we’ve taken our own action to deter the Shemdylann in the future?”
“Yes to both questions,” he said.
“Good. If you wished to retain any of the enhancements, we’d have a problem.”
“I’d be dead,” he said.
Now she did chuckle. “Close your eyes.” As he did so, she placed her free hand over his third eye and a sensation of cold spread from the spot through him, counteracting the relaxing warmth he’d gotten from her earlier touch. Panic flared in his heart and adrenaline poured into his system, ready for flight or fight, but the Mellurean’s power held him motionless. He felt a plucking sensation, pulling on his remaining wing and then a wave of merciful blackness swept over him.
He was standing on his own normal two feet, naked. Trevor turned in a circle, having no idea where he might be. The enclosure or chamber or bubble was luminous and purple, with glints of golden sparks flying hither and yon like fireflies. Occasionally one or two settled on his body, giving him a gentle twinge like a mild electrical shock, not painful but odd. He ran his hands over his face and then his rib cage, checking to see if he’d reverted entirely to the human state. Everything alien that had been grafted onto him through the alien ‘science’ was gone. Energy coursed through his body with each beat of his heart and his mind was free, unencumbered by worries or thoughts of the past. The constant push against his control, the clamor to let the alien form emerge was completely gone and he sighed in relief. He’d been braced against the insidious siren call every day of his life since the POW camp, except for the few times lately he’d allowed himself to transform.