Page 54 of May the Stars Have Mercy
“No need to apologize, wounds are a part of the hunt.” Xexis placed a loving hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“I am still unsure what happened, Kannatch,” Reevar shook his head. “I have been stabbed before, but the Max had no weapons. He punched me with his fingers like they were claws and they broke my flesh.”
Xexis cocked his head, eyeballing his friend. The two shared an equally horrified expression. Reevar’s face paled, his pincers writhing against his mouth. Xexis exhaled, “Aphrodite told me that the Max, when he was alive, did not own that kind of strength.”
Reevar shuddered violently. “I shall have to speak with Grooug about the Brexzkit and their strength. He’s the only one to have ever fought one.”
Xexis nodded. “Wise idea.”
The pair shared a head nod and slap at each other’s biceps. The first thing Xexis brought Reevar up to speed on was the enemy. They needed to be focused.
When the pack was together, they would need to discuss everything that transpired. Poor Kiefgr would be distraught to hear Reevar had been attacked and his precious Mphronatch was hurting. His mate was in pain. He saw it not only in her face, but the slope of her shoulders. Aphrodite stood softer, eyes wider, lips spread and quivering when she was fighting to control her emotions.
His mate did that often. When she was overwhelmed, she would tense up and reprogram her face and outward appearance. Like applying a shield to her as if she were a drone she could control. It was amazing and horrifying at the same time to witness. Because she could go from gushing with feelings to cold as space.
Suddenly, the pair heard a small ‘No, wait, no!’ from behind them. The pair twisted to stare into the frosted glass office of Vivian’s office. She tossed herself into Aphrodite’s arm and the pair cried quietly. Reevar lurched but Xexis held him back. He shook his head, sighing heavily, “Their station was crashed into Orvian.”
“What?” Reevar paled to a pastel mint, his mouth dropping open. “How?”
“The Brexzkit infected more humans. It looks intentional.” Xexis sank back against the glass, closing his heavy eyes. The weight of their discovery was enough to drown him. His thoughts swirled in the whirlpool of his mind.
There were too many things to think at once and it hurt. It hurt that his mate was mourning her people. It hurt that his friend was mortally wounded, barely stitched back together. It hurt that his brother had believed him sloppy and incapable. It hurt to knowthat their enemy plotted further harm to his loved ones while they scrambled to figure out their plans.
They needed more advantage, and he feared there were none.
“My Kannatch…what can I do?” Reevar breathed.
“We return home, and we plan a new, grand hunt.” Xexis ground out the words out between sharp teeth. Glancing up to Reevar, he saw the spark of angry determination fueling the fires inside him. His friend slapped a fist to his chest and bowed swiftly to Xexis. The Kannatch clapped a hand over his shoulder. “I need you and the pack to do something special for me as well.”
“Anything.” Reevar mimicked Xexis’ touch, the pair placing their foreheads together.
“I fear I may have to be away from my mate for a lengthy amount of time while I am undoing this chaos. I want you and the pack to promise to keep her close, use Rexna if you must, but…she must stay safe.”
Reevar cocked his head slightly. “Do you fear anyone at court will mean her harm?”
“I do not know, but I would rather not find out.”
“Understood.” Reevar cupped Xexis’ shoulders and they shared a moment of silence before they pulled away and went to separate their weeping mates. There was a hunt awaiting them and it was going to hurt.
Chapter Thirty- Two:
Aphroditesteppedoffthevessel behind Xexis, hugging Buddy to her chest as they walked through a silent hangar. Despite the ships landing around them and the crowd of people returning to Dnom station, it was a hollow sound. There was a white flag hung from a pole near the entrance. Its fabric flicked and danced as pearly flames engulfed it. People stopped at the flag and bowed to it before passing into the station. Xexis also honored it with a bow before he strode through the entryway. People paused in their movements to part a path through the sea of people to the main elevator. Reevar stepped up beside Aphrodite, frozen by the pole. Quagmor bowed as well before following Xexis, starting a hushed conversation with the Kannatch.
Aphrodite glanced at Reevar, finding the aching pain reflected on his face. He spared her a wounded smile. “It is in honor of your station.”
“Why?” She shuddered, looking up at the chrome pole to the flag that slapped back and forth. The flames did nothing to warm the chill of the hangar. Artificial wind was pumped behind the flag to keep it moving. She could feel the breeze as it trickled down the pole and brushed across the pair.
“We honor all those who are lost.” He put a palm to her shoulder and squeezed. “It does not happen often, but when we lose beingsto travesty, they raise the flag. On the home world, they burn a pyre in your people’s honor.”
She tried not to let the wash of angry pain take over again. Instead, she took ahold of his hand and squeezed it back. With another rattled breath, she pivoted toward the elevator. Reevar walked at her side as they headed through the parted sea of people. Xexis and Quagmor spoke near the door, the conversation so low that it couldn’t even float down the silent hall.
“When did you hear?” She avoided the watchful eyes, directing her attention at the hunter.
“Xexis told me when you broke the news to Vivian. Before you two arrived, I was in the medical bay, trying to convince Vivian that I did not need bandages for my healed flesh.” His pincers curled inward as he hung his head. “I should have held her while she sobbed. It was…painful.”
“To not hold her?” Aphrodite teased weakly.
“To be unable to console her.” Reevar wrapped his arms around his stomach. Aphrodite placed a tender hand to his bicep. “Her siblings were on that station, she spoke of them last night. I kept asking her questions to keep her by my side to the point she was forced to eat dinner at my side. When Xexis told me the station crashed into Orvian, I knew which one it was.”
