Lacey's Warriors (Bondmates #6) - Ann Mayburn Page 0,50
stiff muscles as anticipation filled her.
“You are what we call a dimilation. I will give you a moment to research the word.”
Lacey was already doing just that, her mind absorbing the knowledge of what a dimilation was, and what a Matriarch could do with such a power. There was a treasure trove of knowledge on the subject, but she briefly skimmed it. Basically, her gift allowed her to project her emotions onto others. The emotions would leave her like invisible waves, rippling out to affect those around her, making them feel what she was feeling.
Wythe interrupted her research by moving to the control panel, the black of his Warrior’s uniform gleaming in the low lighting. “Like every gift, there are degrees of strength, and little nuances that make it individual to each Matriarch. The weak give off just a general aura, the kind that could suddenly put a person into a bad or good mood depending on how the Matriarch is feeling. The strong…” He glanced up at her, leaving no doubt that he was talking about Lacey. “The strong are so powerful, it is speculated they could breech the shields of even the Hive itself. We believe that is what happened with you. What were you thinking about at the very end of your fight in the arena? When the Hive was in your mind?”
Pressing a hand to her stomach, her gut churned as she briefly remembered her time spent in the vortex of evil souls.
“I…” She hesitated, not wanting to divulge her entire experience to a stranger. “Don’t remember much.”
Wythe gave her a look that clearly said he knew she was full of shit. “What do you recall of your battle with the Hive?”
“At the end, when I was sure I was going to die, I thought about my family and how much I loved them.”
Wythe’s hands stilled over the controls as he studied her face and murmured, “And you love them very, very much.”
“I love my family more than anything.” She stumbled a little and softened her knees as the ship lurched. “What was that?”
“We just entered the atmosphere of Kadothia,” Wythe said with a relieved sigh. “We will be arriving at your mother’s Territory in about an hour. In order to avoid detection, we had to enter at another port far away so as not to cause suspicion.”
“Yeah, that reminds me, why did you kidnap me? You could have just, like, asked me to come with you. Why the abduction? Gwarnon and Chel are going to lose their shit.”
“You humans do seem to have an obsession with feces,” Wythe murmured as he stared at a bunch of symbols and lines on what she assumed was a map. “There is a great debate raging about allowing you and Lady Roxy onto Kadothia. Some believe you are heroes, others villains, and others really don’t care about anything but how your arrival will affect their lives.” His shoulders clenched as he said in a lower voice, “And some just hate humans. The do not want any Earth women on Kadothia, polluting it with their inferior human genetics. They view your people as barely evolved apes, and some say bonding an Earth woman is akin to bestiality.”
Shocked, Lacey stared at him with her jaw hanging open. “Are you kidding me?”
“Sadly, no. The vast majority of our planet is very accepting of the Earth Matriarch’s arrival. With your unique ability to bond many, many Warriors without straining your shielding, you are a welcome miracle in our lives. But you need to be aware that not everyone will see you as a desperately needed solution to a horrible problem. Even your fellow Matriarchs, maybe especially your fellow Matriarchs, will see you as a threat to their power and standing in the world. Be careful who you trust.”
“Wonderful,” she muttered as she mentally scrolled through some of the Kadothian gossip columns about Earth women.
The disinformation being spread was crazy, and she wondered how many of the outlandish stories were true.
“Lady Lacey,” Wythe said, “I need to warn you now that you might be a bit…overwhelmed with Kadothian male attention. Though the guards in Lady Tara’s Territory are all happy to serve her, there will be many Warriors who will be suddenly visiting your mother’s Territory, eager for a chance to meet with you. It was obvious to anyone who watched the victory ceremony you attended at the Baladium that you were Gwarnon and Chel’s bride, and it is only a matter of time