Page 58 of Alien's Eternal Mate

My ballistae, however, suffered from a lack of good timber to form the bolts. We experimented with solid metal bolts, but these proved too heavy and snapped our rubber strands.

Eventually I had to admit we needed to abandon the ballistae and focus on things that actually worked.

The Sages and Engineers worked night and day, not just on our weapons but on other aspects of our defense. I sent groups into the ruins of the Precursor ship on a daily basis. Though they could glean precious little, every bit helped in the defense efforts.

Most of all, we wanted another flywheel. If we could disable the harnesses and weaponry of Jark’s forces, we would have the same advantage we enjoyed during our rescue raid. I knew it was a feeble hope, however, because Ignio had only ever seen one of the flywheels in his long tenure as a Sage.

A week passed, then two, and the attack still had not come. This caused me more anxiety than one might expect.

As I lay in bed late one evening, Arael draped over my back, I brooded over the unexpected delay in Jark’s retaliatory attack. Arael’s tail wrapped around my leg as she kissed me on the shoulder.

“What’s wrong, beloved? You seem as if you are trying to glare the stars right out of the sky.”

“It’s Jark. He hasn’t attacked yet.”

She laughed softly, vibrating my back with her voice.

“Is that not a good thing?”

“In some ways, yes, it is a good thing.” I reached up and took her hand in my own, bringing it to my mouth for a kiss. “But the longer we wait, the more complacent our people grow. Already there are whispers that Jark won’t attack us at all, that he is frightened after our raid proved so successful.”

“You fear they will lose the edge of readiness?”

“Yes, exactly.”

She grunted, then snuggled up closer to me.

“You will think of something. You know, earlier you referred to the Masari as ‘our people.’”

I cocked an eyebrow, though she couldn't see my face in her position.

“Yes? What of it?”

“You didn’t think of yourself as a hoo-man, but as one of us. It’s a sign that you are no longer trying to get back to your old life.”

I flinched, realizing she spoke the truth.

“That life seems more and more effusive every day. Like a vision, or a dream.”

She moved off of me so I could roll onto my back. Arael lay down with her head on my shoulder, her twilight purple gaze meeting my own.

“How do you know that it was not a dream, and this the real life?”

I laughed softly, caressing her long, silken mane.

“I do not, now that you mention it. It reminds me of an ancient Earth philosopher, something he said. How did that go?”

My brow scrunched up as I struggled to remember. I had not been speaking idly when I said my old life esteemed much like a dream.

“Oh yes, I remember now. A man dreamed he was a butterfly, but upon waking, he wasn’t sure if he was really a butterfly dreaming he was a man.”

“I think that you are thinking too much, when you could be making love to your lifemate instead.”

I laughed and pulled her tightly against me.

“Again? Very well, sleep is overrated anyway…”

Shortly after dawn, I hiked up the hill to where our siege engines waited. Not far from the hill’s crest, a shrill whistle pierced the air.

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