Page 67 of Return of the Nine

It was peculiar to have part of him so far away, but the emotions that he was picking up from his mate soothed him when his impulses started to rise. In the two days since he had returned to the mother ship, his every waking moment had been spent thinking about Teyha.

He felt her confusion the first time she woke and every emotion she had had since. There was nothing that Ekinar wanted more than to get down to Gaia and claim his mate, but until this inquiry ended, there was no chance of that happening.

His shadow was barely under his control today. It lashed out at anyone who got too close and that alone had him worried. If he didn’t get to Teyha soon, he was going to go mad.

“Representative Rossing? They will see you now.” The voice was calm and low as if trying not to enrage him.

Ekinar jerked his head in affirmative and followed the messenger back into the council hall. The chairs were arranged in a semicircle, and he walked to the central point to wait.

They did not leave him waiting long.

Councillor Rothaway leaned forward, “There is some conflict in your stories, Ekinar Rossing.”

“I suspected as much.” He was resigned to whatever disciplinary actions the council chose to enact as long as he could return to Gaia and claim his mate. After that, he didn’t care as long as she was next to him and safe.

“We have had to engage in a last-resort effort and made arrangements to contact your guide. Do you have any objections to this?” Rothaway had a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Ekinar was glad that they couldn’t see his grin, but then, Rothaway could probably smell the change in his biology at this distance. “I have no objection.”

“Good.” He pressed a few controls, and an orb rose in the centre of the room, mere feet from where Ekinar stood.

Ekinar could feel the curiosity in his mate even before her face appeared in the orb.

She grinned down at him. “You called?”

His heartbeat sped up, and the tendrils of his shadow reached out for her before he could call them back. He was sure that the council had noticed.

Rothaway cleared his throat. “The council of the Nine needs you to fill in the details of what occurred during your trek through the Shadow Lands.”

Teyha sobered, her mood chilling through their link. “Shall I begin at the beginning?”

“Please, and leave nothing out. Careers are at stake.”

Teyha shrugged and left nothing out.

Ekinar winced at her initial opinion of him and his shadow ascreepy.

The rest of her story was plain and direct, including things she had noted that he had not.

The chair in the shuttle had been set for a far larger male, so Darku’s claim that Hiska had landed the ship was ridiculous. Hiska had bruising consistent with someone gripping her forearms and forcing them onto the controls.

When she finished her statement, she appeared outwardly patient, but Ekinar could feel the curiosity in her from orbit.

He grinned at the way she was able to hide what she was truly feeling with a calm demeanour. Inside, she was hopping up anddown to find out what was going on.

The council nodded and Rothaway spoke. “Ekinar, no charges will be filed, but we have decided to sentence you to a minimum of six months on Gaia, after which, we will assess your situation and consider allowing your return to the mother ship.”

Ekinar was stunned.

Rothaway smiled, “While you are on Gaia, we will outfit you with equipment and recording devices to investigate all of the available ruined cities. I trust that you can find a reliable guide, Emissary Rossing?”

He fought his howl of relief. “It is an acceptable compromise for my participation in this covert activity. May I reside at the embassy?”

“Ambassador Leoraki has the Shadow Folk floor ready for you. You may take one of the two-seater shuttles and leave whenever you are ready.”

He nodded and bowed shortly. “Thank you, Councillors.”

The bubble with Teyha remained.

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