Page 66 of Uprooted
“I like our chances now that battleforms are back on the table,” Tai says.
I put on a convincing show of nonchalance. This is a turning point for my people. The ability to summon battleforms will alter our future. The significance is not lost on me, and I am humbled that fate chose me to summon this ancient power.
Elowen is my mate. She’s the reason this happened. And I’ve never been happier. It all finally makes sense now. The moment I saw her I knew… I didn’t know exactly what it was, but somehow I knew.
For the first time, I can imagine what our lives will look like. The vision of a little girl with blue skin and Elowen’s big round eyes floats through my mind. I shake my head to stop that train of thought. I am getting ahead of myself.
* * *
After the briefing, I find Elowen sitting alone on a bench outside with her face turned up towards the sky. When I step in front of her and she opens her eyes to see what is blocking out the warm light, I’m rewarded with a smile.
“How did it go?” she asks, shading her face from the bright sun when I sit down next to her on the bench.
“Looks like the Atorum were programmed to target humans.” She doesn’t look surprised.
“Do they know why?”
“We’re still figuring that part out,” I tell her. The wind has dislodged a strand hair and it blows across her face. I gently tuck it back behind her ear, unable to resist the compulsion to touch her.
I scrape my hand down my face, suddenly filled with worst-case scenarios. I haven’t put a lot of thought into how Elowen will react when I tell her we are mates until this moment. I just need to do it—tell her, and see what happens next.
“What’s going on?” she asks. She puts her hand on my arm. The touch calms me immediately. The wind has pulled loose her hair again. This time she tucks it back herself so she can see me clearly.
“After I sent you here, I shifted into battleform. It happened because I needed to protect you, my mate.”
“Woah, woah, woah. Start over. What?” she’s rattled by what I said.
“During the attack, I shifted into my battleform.” I say slowly. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out before.
“What’s a battleform?”
“It’s a physical reaction to threat. It’s when a Tilak’s body grows, gets stronger, and is solely focused on protecting their mate. Remember what I told you about the quinstaks, and how my people used to have mates all those centuries ago?”
“And that happened to you?” she asks.
“It did. When the porter took you away, I shifted into my battleform and didn’t even know it right away. It took Maak pointing it out for me to realize what happened.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she says.
I start to explain the shift, “It’s a biological response to stress, so—”
“Not that.” She stops me. “I don’t see how it’s possible that you and I are mates.”
“I know it sounds crazy. Different species, millions of light-years apart. But look at you and me. I’ve spent my life never looking at anything too closely. You’ve spent your life looking at things so precisely—down to the cellular level. I react, and you study and form theories and test. I break rules and you know they are there for a good reason. Of course you are my mate. You make me so much more. Balance, right?”
“Biologically—”
This time I cut her off. “It’s more than that. For me. You’re going to need some time. You have your process. I’ll wait. See? It’s already happening. I’m learning to be patient.”
It feels vulnerable to give Elowen space to think about what I told her. Deep down, I know that this will all work out. I’m not worried she will reject me now, but it does feel strange to put myself completely in the palm of her hand. To give her complete and utter power over me. It’s petrifying and it feels right.
47
Elowen
I watch Aro and Tai move around the mat. Like a choreographed dance with fluid and graceful movements, but also with flares of violence. Tai makes his move first. He lunges low and grabs at Aro’s legs. Aro catches his arms and tosses him to the ground. Tai somersaults away before he can be pinned.
Aro snags Tai’s leg and brings them both down. They grapple around and Tai slams his forehead into Aro’s face with a sickening crack. Aro holds his thumb under his nose and brings it away with a dot of blood.
