The closed door wasn’t an unusual occurrence. She planted her non-bruised palm on it and shoved. The door gave easily and she stumbled forward as she entered.
Two stunned gazes turned her way.
***
Alone in his room, Bane had more time than he wanted to think and let his thoughts run amok. A swift glance at his sheet covered legs left a bitter taste in his mouth. One more day. Jaron promised his friend would arrive in one more day. Then the moment of truth.
To distract himself, Bane began clearing his webbing. He rubbed his thumbs over the tiny row of horizontal slits on the underside of his wrists. If he didn’t release often, the glands became clogged. Palms up, he flexed his fingers in a curling motion. A silver line spilled forth from each of the thin openings. He continued to rotate his hands and didn’t stop until several strands of silk trailed from his wrists.
Sitting propped against the pillows behind him on the bed, he started a familiar weave his maman had taught him as a youth. It was the simplest pattern and didn’t require much attention or focus to weave together the tensile threads.
As the ball grew larger, Bane continued to spin his silk until it fit comfortably in his palms. A flick of his wrist ended the feed and left the loose end dangling from the mass. Bane pressed his thumb to the end and released a drop of the sticky satae fluid from the pad. Within seconds it hardened and stuck to the side of the ball.
He tossed it in the air and caught it a few times, grinning because his maman had complained about the hundreds of balls she’d found in his room as a child. Later he’d learned more complex designs and the deadly use he could apply to his abilities but back then he’d been fascinated at the construction of these and mystified that his papan, an Enotian, lacked the ability which came with such ease for Bane.
“Papan is not Ceraton,” his maman had once explained with a soft smile.
It had taken years to realize what that meant. Bane considered himself Enotian but his maman had been from another world. His papan had met her on a mission as a Jutak and brought the incomparable beauty back with him to be his Chosen.
There had been plenty of love and laughter in his home growing up. Schooling with other Enotian children and private lessons with his maman as she taught him about his Ceraton heritage. Then the fateful mission in which his papan had not returned.
Bane had just been accepted to the Jutak academy and his papan had commed to congratulate him. He’d been proud his son wished to follow in his military career steps.
Later that night, a strange sound woke Bane from sleep. He had made his way to his parents’ bedroom to find his maman on the floor, arms folded about her waist as she rocked and keened.
The high pitched sound was nothing he’d ever heard before or since.
Bane dropped to his knees beside her. “Maman! Are you hurt? What has happened?”
“Riordan, Riordan,” she cried his papan’s name and lifted tear stained eyes to him. “He calls. He calls, Bane and I can not go to him.”
Agony struck Bane in the chest. His papan was reaching for his maman with his death chant. Begging to be by her side for his last breaths. Tears burned his eyes as he wrapped his arms about her and they rocked together.
Being mated to a Ceraton gave their partner and children an unbreakable telepathic link. To be by the loved ones side at the time of their death was a great honor. To miss it, was a torment no one could imagine.
It was hours into the night before his maman’s sobs stopped. When they did, she lifted swollen eyes to Bane. Voice hoarse, she whispered, “He is gone.”
That was how he knew of his papan’s death long before the Jutak Commander, Taig Vorik, personally came to their home to deliver the news. Bane hurled the ball across the room in a fit of remembered rage and watched as it wobbled to the floor.
Light. Inconsequential.
The door opened. Tall and slender, the imposing figure dressed in the familiar all black uniform of an elite soldier, entered into the room with a confident stride. He bent over and picked up Bane’s discarded ball. He shoved the black mask from his face, allowing it to hang about the back of his neck, revealing messy blond hair.
Brilliant gold green eyes met Bane’s. Seeing his teammate pulled him away from the painful memories and lightened Bane’s dark mood immediately.
“Keeping up with your training, I see.”
Bane grinned and pushed himself higher in the bed. Vee was one of his closest friends on Team Three. The whole Unit for that matter. “It’s good to see you.”
Every single one of the Jutak warriors he worked with had stopped by to visit. Vee more than the others. Bane knew it was because his friend held himself responsible for the injury he’d suffered on their last mission.
They clasped each other’s forearms in greeting. Afterward, Vee sat in the chair placed at Bane’s bedside. Soon they were deep in conversation, discussing missions and any news regarding the children and the Chosens of their teammates.
“Sasha has been home for a while and this has made Jaron impossible to deal with,” Vee stated with a grimace.
Bane bit off a chuckle. Jaron was one of the Team Leaders in their Unit. He had a reputation for being overly humorous in any situation. Not everyone enjoyed his idea of jokes, including Vee.
“He waited a long time for her to come back. Allow him the pleasure. Also, Sasha is an expert in ferreting out information due to her role as a Bounty Retriever. She’s been an asset to the Unit.”
Vee nodded reluctantly. “This is true. She has also befriended Eva and I am grateful.”
Bane was about to remark on that odd pairing when Reika came in, her skin a glowing pale green. “Greetings, Jutak Hardusho.”
She looked up from reading the data pad in her hand and froze at the sight of Vee. His friend didn’t rush to cover his face as they tended to do around strangers. Perhaps because this was a highly secured military facility and almost every staff member had some level of clearance due to the identity of those they treated. To Bane’s surprise, Vee made it a point to stare at the rehab specialist.
Regaining her composure, Reika avoided Vee and went to the opposite side of the bed to grasp Bane’s wrist and the ever presence white bracelet. He waited as she documented whatever recordings she needed.
She asked Bane a few routine questions he’d excelled at answering without thought and managed to avoid looking in Vee’s direction during the entire process. Bane knew what it was like to be the subject of the Serpines penetrating scrutiny.
Once completed, Reika gave Bane a half-hearted grin and hurried out with an abrupt goodbye. Unusual. She was one of the more calm workers here and not easily thrown.
Bane noticed Vee continued to stare at the closed door. Had he missed something? “What’s going on, Vee?”
Vee shook his head. “Maybe nothing. The assistant is Serpine.”
From his location on the bed, Bane stiffened and stared at the door as well. “She’s Chamele.”
Dharma had told him in one of their conversations when she’d slipped from her rigid medic persona.
Vee brows drew together. “I scented Serpine. A Chamele and Serpine hybrid isn’t unusual. But my matire tends to ruthlessly track down any who leave home.”
A punishable offense if they didn’t have permission from the ruler of Serpine.
Bane grunted. His friend’s maman exhibited the worst traits in parenting. In fact, Bane remembered the last conversation before he’d left Enotia to work on his implants. “Is the Supreme Matire still pretending Eva doesn’t exist?”