Mama and the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien #1) - Honey Phillips Page 0,69

want, Cassie?”

“Yes.” The girl’s face softened. “I feel—I feel like I’ve found a family, and I don’t want to lose that.”

Abby sighed. “I understand. That’s four of you.”

“Four?”

“Elaina intends to stay with Jedan, and while I haven’t discussed it with Molly, I’m quite certain she won’t want to leave Ribel.”

“We could talk Amber into staying,” Cassie said eagerly.

“No. I don’t want you to even try. This has to be her decision.”

“And what about you, Abigail?” Inzen asked. “Do you want to stay?”

“I have to think about Lucie,” she said, knowing she was avoiding the question.

“You come from a place that has produced five pregnant females without family support. Is that what you want for your daughter?”

“Not everyone ends up in that position,” she protested, even though over the past four years, she had seen all too much of it.

He inclined his head. “You would know, of course.”

“Are you proposing that everyone stay on the ship?” she asked. “That doesn’t seem fair to the babies or the girls.”

“You are correct.” Inzen hesitated. “I haven’t yet discussed this with Hrebec, but—”

“Discussed what?” Hrebec asked from the doorway.

“My intention to resign,” Inzen finished calmly.

Chapter Thirty

When Hrebec awoke the morning after the battle, he found himself obsessing about the Cire colony that L’chong had revealed. He needed to see for himself what type of society they had developed. After feeding Tiana, he went to speak to L’chong. He didn’t tell Abigail where he was going for reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely. The efficient medic had already arranged for transportation, and a small personal flyer with the route programmed into its system awaited him.

As he flew towards his destination, he admired the landscape. He passed over several small cities, but the planet was predominantly rural with farms interspersed with large natural areas. The natural beauty was a welcome change from both Ciresia’s devastation and the familiar but confined surroundings on the Defiance.

The flyer finally landed in a small clearing at the top of a hill. From here, he could look down at the village. A large central market square was surrounded by a cluster of buildings that followed the Trevelorian tradition of bright colors and thatched roofs. None of the buildings were large, and he saw no signs of industry. Fields stretched from the village down to the river and he could see people working in them. The path leading down from the landing site was surrounded by orchards.

Despite the peaceful, idyllic scene, his heart sank. While he hadn’t allowed himself to consciously consider the matter, he had thought that perhaps this could be a solution for himself and Abigail. While it was no doubt attractive, how could he ask her to live in a remote village under such primitive conditions? She had mentioned Lucie’s education several times, and he doubted that the opportunities available here would rise beyond a tiny school and an inexperienced teacher.

At the bottom of the hill, he was met by an older Cire, perhaps his father’s age, who studied him closely. “Hrebec? Son of Charen?”

Hrebec stared at him. “How did you know?”

“You resemble him closely.” He extended his hand, and Hrebec automatically clasped his wrist briefly before the other man continued. “I am Dirigen. You were too young to remember, but I was friends with your parents. I’m sorry about your mother. She was a lovely woman. When she died, it triggered my own decision to leave. I could see the way the authorities were heading, and I wanted out before it was too late.” He turned to lead the way deeper into the village. “What brings you here? L’chong has assured me that you do not intend to report on our existence to Ciresia.”

“No, I won’t do that.”

As they reached the market square, he looked around in amazement. There were a number of Cires present, mostly male, but he saw two females. At least four other species mingled with the crowd. Several children were darting around, all bearing signs of mixed heritage.

Dirigen laughed. “The High Council would most definitely not approve.” He waved a hand, and Hrebec realized that he was referring to the number of different species in the small village.

“Have you been here ever since you left Ciresia?” he asked.

“No. We traveled for several years, tried a stint on Darchan, and finally ended up here.”

Dirigen seemed satisfied, but Hrebec had his doubts. “Isn’t it a very… simple life? Our ancestors lived like this.”

“It may appear that way, but I assure you we are not