whose purpose has always been to bring the Darkness into this density. Eons ago, humanity destroyed their planet, but those who remained continued on with their quest. We, Charsus and I, believe the coordinates I am sending you separately, are for their current hideout. On the fringe of Ursa Major.”
Again chatter broke out, but it was more controlled this time. People were listening now.
“I used the skills you taught me, Father. I focused on what I wanted, allowing nothing else to distract me from my goal. When I opened my non-existent eyes again I was with Charsus, shortly after he raised Raesus from the dead.
“I wanted to get what I knew to someone who could use the information. But Charsus offered me one better. He agreed to allow me to inhabit his body with him, at least until Jenna is safe.”
The thrill at having my brother back was overshadowed by the implied end date. When Jenna was safe he would move on.
“You aren’t old enough to have a podmate,” Mother bleated half-heartedly.
The silver-haired stranger laughed, but it was Rian’s glee. “I’m a thousand years old now. Way past time for a podmate.”
“That’s Charsus. You’re not mature enough to…”
“Mother, it doesn’t matter if I’m mature or experienced enough. The fact is, I felt the draw pretty much from the moment I met Jenna. But I knew for sure when she was threatened. You have no idea how I beat myself up over choosing to fight. It was such a stupid decision. Yet the better plan of running with her never entered my head. My mate was in danger, and I had to fight to the death to save her. So I did. Unfortunately, I didn’t save her.” Charsus’ face fell as Rian admitted his failure.
“Biology trumps logic,” Rhain said softly, his expression one of wonder and love. “But you didn’t fail. You did the impossible. You came back from the dead to fight another day. Jenna isn’t lost, not now.”
Charsus’ expression cleared. “Right. The battle was lost but not the war. We plan to leave immediately for the location we’ve sent you. It’ll take you longer to get there. Once we’ve arrived, we’ll do recon and let you know what the situation is. Hopefully, there’ll be time for you to get there and save the day.”
“Don’t put yourself in danger again!” Mother ordered, her pretty eyes sparking fire.
“Believe me, a cooler head will prevail from now on. Just get there. Charsus believes there won’t be a lot of Zuaire, but there’s no telling how many Keeda will be working for them.
“Finding Jenna is only part of the mission. Charsus says these Zuaire will start working to bring the Darkness back as soon as they realize what happened to It. They have to be stopped. Permanently this time.”
“Are you talking about Genocide?” Mother cried, clearly not sure this was her sweet little son speaking.
“Cockroaches, Mother. These beings are no better than cockroaches. They kill off their male babies and, worse, they’re working to destroy this level of reality. That’s what will happen if the Darkness grows big enough to encompass Third Density. Utter annihilation,” Rian snapped.
Silence fell over the room. What could be said after that? The stakes just went sky-high.
“Keep in touch, brother. We’ll be there as soon as we can!” I said to the silver-haired hologram.
Rian grinned back. “See you come up with a better plan than the time we tried to take ourselves off into the settlement for sweetmeats. That did not end well.”
My pod laughed at the memory and our familial pod groaned. It was the best way to end the communication. There was no doubt in anyone’s minds that this was our Rian, no matter the body he now inhabited.
JENNA
I came awake in increments of pain. By the time my brain joined the party, my head was aching so badly I could barely think.
What happened? Am I hung-over? What kind of party would leave me feeling run over by a bus?
Then, a little at a time, the memories seeped in. It had been a very long time since I’d partied. Those parties were on Earth, and I hadn’t been there for… My brain ached too much to even contemplate the amount of time that had passed since then. I’d been kidnapped and held by renegade Danans. I’d been pack-raped. I’d been rescued and taken to Varga, the home planet of the Danan. And I’d been slowly healing.
That’s where my memory ended. I’d been sitting in the Earth