Page 35 of Serpents of the Night

He inclined his head respectfully in agreement. It was due to his gaze not shifting away from her that he caught the faint curl at the corner of her mouth in satisfaction. He did not know whether to be concerned or not at the small display of emotion. Could he dare hope that it was a sign of her beneficence rather than a sign of something that they ought to be wary of? Lori was correct in pointing out that Zathexa could have made the proceedings more difficult for them. And his mother had been more gracious of his mate’s presence during the Blooming. How much of her hostility was for show among the noble matriarchs who held their ruler to a higher standard? Although he had deep grievances with the way his mother cast him away to the haga, he had long suspected that part of it was due to pressure from her court.

That did not make it correct, but it did give him some perspective on how she could be trying to help him within the confines of what is expected of her position. She had dismissed Vekatha’s claims quickly, but she could not make it too easy on Lori. And she likely would not regardless due to whatever lingering resentment she felt over his choice of mate. His ashlava would have to prove herself to gain the queen matriarch’s full support. He understood it even if he disliked it.

“We have,” Lori agreed at his side. “Although by human law I have fulfilled the requirements that would allow me to select a male, I recognize the fact that I am unprepared to prove it at this time, but would like this to be noted by the queen matriarch and the noble matriarchs for future purposes in recognizing matings between our species.”

Slengral’s ear fanned slightly at her carefully chosen words. Chosen male. Living in the colony he already knew that the humans there were flouting the laws of their homeworld in mating with species outside of their own. Lori’s phrasing was a clever way of concealing this but also providing an opening of escape should the court ever become aware of the law.

Queen Zathexa leaned forward as she regarded his mate. Tension rose in the room, but it quickly broke as the queen matriarch finally snapped her gavo and inclined her head in agreement.

“So noted. We will expect a copy of your law provided for us by one who will work with the shinara in providing a translation into our language so that we may scrutinize it.” She tapped her claws loudly against her throne. “But that will come later. At this time, we will recognize that you are a female eligible for the maiden trial of adulthood. As of now you will be sequestered in a room here in the palace in consideration of the fact that you do not have a maternal nest.”

Gavo flaring upright in alarm, Slengral rolled forward on his coiled tail to protest only for his mother’s hand to snap up, halting his forward movement.

“As your mated status has been brought into question, the human Lori cannot nest with you and your nest brothers. I will not yield on this, Slengral,” she added, her eyes narrowing in steely emphasis. “She will be returned to your nest when and if she completes the trial successfully.”

He swallowed back his protest and lowered his head submissively even as he darted a worried glance covertly toward his mate. Lori smoothed her hand down the scales of his side in reassurance. He turned toward her, clasping her hand beneath his to hold it against his body as he savored the moment of connection and the warmth of her body’s heat and her pheromones sinking into his scales. It lasted for only a clawful of heartbeats before Jathella nudged him in a gentle reminder that brought back memories from youth of playing with his siblings in the company of Jathella and her sisters. Although his brothers were gone, and sister surrendered back to Shangla’s embrace, and Jathella and her sisters were now among the trusted palace guard, that old friendship was recalled with that one touch as the female drew his mate away from his side. It was perhaps all that allowed him to maintain control of himself.

He did not trust those of the shinara, but he could not summon that same feeling for Jathella. His teeth gritted; he inclined his head toward the first commander of the guard. The corners of her mouth hitched, and she returned his nod as she drew Lori protectively under her wing. The message was clear. She would protect his ashlava for as long as she was immediately within her care. His mate glanced back over her shoulder one last time at him, her eyes bright and warm with love before Jathella’s wing obscured her completely. He swallowed hard as he strained against the instinct to tear his mate away and tuck her back beneath the protection of his own wings.

He closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight any longer, and turned his head away as he heard the females exit as the rest of the guard followed close behind. Commotion returned to the room with excited voices raised in conversation—every one of them speculating on his mate’s chances of success, though there were a number of comments in condemnation or support of Vekatha that rose within it. His eyes opened slowly to a slitted stare and his gaze fell immediately on Payeri.

He definitely did not trust that female, but he was powerless to prevent her participation. No other female had offered to take on the responsibility. It was rare even among Seshanamitesh to volunteer to be the maiden on hand when it meant that the female was not only responsible for the life of the female being tested but also for carrying her away to safety if the female became injured and incapable of forfeiting on her own. As humans were an unfortunately wingless species, Lori needed that more than most, should anything go wrong. He did not dare to allow her to go to the surface on her own even if the court granted that dangerous option.

As if sensing his stare, Payeri’s head turned, her eyes fastening upon him. She raised her gavo in a fluttering flare of acknowledgment and inclined her head in his direction. Her wings spread wide and snapped, pumping as she took to the air and flew over the crowd. Unlike most nesting caverns and built structures within the shinara, the palace had high ceilings in the central gathering room to allow Seshanamitesh to come and go with ease. His gaze followed her as she exited the palace and glided out into the open air of the shinara’s cavern before his eyes returned to those still gathered.

Many of the onlookers were departing in the same manner as Payeri, but the noble matriarchs and their families would remain for longer yet in his mother’s attendance as they settled among the cushions and around tables that were quickly brought out by the females who served the palace. He peered over at his mother, noting the relaxed way she reclined onto the pile of cushions that were brought out for her and cheerfully engaged in conversation with her nearest attendants as if the events of the day had not happened. The evening feast would follow shortly, and he was certain that he was expected to attend. His mother would have to accept his absence this time. The idea of remaining there without his mate to eat with his mother and her court made him feel ill. He could not eat with them even if he wanted to.

Taking his mother’s current distraction as an open opportunity, Slengral took to the air, following the route of Payeri and those others who had already departed as he too escaped the palace into the night air over the shinara.

Chapter 29

Lori followed Jathella into a small room, one of many off a long, narrow tunnel that served a lower palace corridor. She might have been tempted to think it was a dungeon if not for the beautiful stonework and carvings along the hall and the quality of cushions and fabrics in the room she stepped into.

The room itself was darker than she was accustomed to, however, and not even the crystal lantern brought in could quite compensate for the noticeable lack of galthie flowers. There were several interspaced along the wall in an artistic manner, but they didn’t shed anywhere enough light to make the room cozy and inviting even with the help of the lantern. She wrapped her arms around her middle as she studied her surroundings.

It was clearly all designed for the maximum comfort of a Seshanamitesh who liked a lower-than-normal lighting that dramatically offset the ornate carvings along the walls. She had to get up close and personal with them to appreciate them with a bit of tactile experimentation thrown in, but they were impressive. There was even a proper hearth in the room compared to the small one located in a small corner of their nest. This hearth was not only bigger but far more ornate with a number of detailed carvings framing it and a glowing fire to chase the worst of the chill from the room.

Slengral wasn’t kidding when he told me that females had a sonic range far broader than males that could accomplish more intricate work—even in stone. Even the nest we were provided was better than the cavern he modified—but this is something else entirely.

Marveling at it, she shook her head and continued to follow Jathella to the far end of the room where the mound of cushions was set up for her bed. At least there appeared to be several woven blankets folded and stacked neatly on top to combat the cooler temperatures. The commander’s eyes skimmed over them briefly as if mentally noting that they were there. Apparently satisfied, she lowered her body and bent, setting the lantern on the table before straightening again and turning to Lori with a respectful inclination of her head.

“Queen Zathexa wishes that you will be comfortable in here.”

“It is fine, thank you,” Lori replied.

It was only for one day cycle after all. She could manage that. She would just crawl into the pillows and sleep as much of it away as possible. There was a clay pot sitting on the table, kept warm by some embers glowing with a short round tube the pot was set on. Just to the left of it was a short cup for tea but she ignored both of them as she sat and sank into the pile of cushions. Jathella’s smile widened with approval, and she stretched over Lori to grab two of the blankets and drop them over her. The female chuckled as the blankets settled around her with quiet “whomps.”

“You will be warm enough. I know that the lighting is not what you are accustomed to, but I was more concerned about you freezing without your males coiled around you,” Jathella remarked as she pushed the edge of one blanket back so that it didn’t completely cover Lori’s face. Her blunt nose wrinkled. “As fragile as you are, I do not know how you will survive on the surface.”

Well, at least that is honest.

Lori smiled humorlessly and shrugged. “It’s better than being lost wandering through caverns that could suddenly drop off given my comparatively poor vision in the dark and lack of wings.”

“This is true. You would certainly not survive then,” Jathella agreed easily as she took a long, curved piece of thin wood and fanned the ember. “At least you will have a small chance on the surface. The night air at least is warmer there even if the predators are more numerous. For now—rest.” She waved a hand toward the pot. “Do you want tea?”

Lori tucked the blanket under her chin and shook her head. She didn’t have the energy to mime the gestures and had a feeling that Jathella would get the gist of it anyway. “Not right now. I am tired and just feeling drained mentally and emotionally. I didn’t expect for something like this to happen, and now that it is, I just want to lay here and not move.”

Jathella’s head cocked as she peered over at Lori. “Do you wish for me to summon Payeri? She could speak to you and perhaps offer you some comfort so that you can bond before going to the surface at nightfall.”

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