Page 6 of Orange Lake
Silence.
Of course, that is one fact I cannot hide from Crix. He is what other planets call a doctor and scientist. He is one of our planet’s healers. He had to get some blood samples for her to know her makeup.
Then all three looked at me. One is worried, one is aghast, and one is brooding.
“It’s not my fault she has iron blood.”
Volks exploded from his chair. Roqs and I are not worried. It is when he is tense and brooding too much when we get worried.
Volks went straight to Roqs who was clearly expecting this. “Your lover brought, of all aliens, into this planet, someone with an iron blood!” He roared.
He doesn’t like confrontation. So he goes for someone who knows the other person. I sighed. They truly are my friends. They also know what happened to my parents and are sparing my feelings.
I grabbed one of his shoulders. Squeezed and let go. “It’s okay, Volks. Your concern is valid. This is the reason why I can’t register her, yet. I will register her. But I need to finish my mission first, give the Elders the relic, and find out what’s happening with the gangs.”
“You forgot to add free all slaves there, lover”, Roqs slyly added.
I turned away from them and paced. “The mission has to come first. She is a distraction. That is why I left her in my land. But someone plucked her from that safe place!” I glared at Roqs. His skin darkened. Yes, blame it all on Roqs.
“Her iron blood is the least of my worries right now. I am too much attracted to her. Like I bonded with her or something.”
There, I said it. I could not look at Roqs saying that. Not yet. “There must be something in her that made me bond with her.”
“Zirc, I hate to say this. You may be right.” Crix stood up and walked to a large monitor. “This is her physical makeup.” The image shows her on the bed still sleeping. Her vitals and other physical traits are displayed on the right side of the screen.
“This is the strange serum I’m telling you.” The image changed to the old language that our healers are still using. Listed are some of the base ingredients I’m familiar with. Majority are illegal in this galaxy. But some are regulated because they offer medicinal benefits.
“From what I know of the pirates and what is shared among the healers in the universe, this serum is tasked to make the slave bond with his or her master. Roqs noted that she is bonded with you. By bond,” Crix raised his two hands as if to ward me off. “By bond, I meant she is very attached to you. We don’t know how their species bond with their mates but Roqs said her attraction to you is almost the same intensity as your attraction to her.”
I nodded. I need all the information so I need to be honest with them.
“What is not normal for this serum is for the master to be bonded with the slave. This way, they can have more slaves.”
“You did check me.”
“Yes, I did.” This time, my profile showed up on the image complete with my vital stats. “All appear normal. Except,” he used his tablet to zoom in on a word. “Your estrogen level is way up.”
I saw Roqs stiffen. He is more knowledgeable on medicine. “What does that mean?”
“It means your body is ready to mate her.”
I stood still. Surely, my ear is playing tricks on me. Crix is playing tricks on me. Mate. As in the manasty way to mate?
“No,” I denied. I looked at Roqs directly who was also looking at me. “No.”
He remained quiet and pensive. Good. He’s not too shocked or brooding. Unless –
“- You know this!” I accused him. Roqs is usually honest with me.
“I don’t know this,” Roqs answered. Semantics. He doesn’t know but he suspects.
“There is one other possible explanation,” Crix said to the room.
Roqs should not look hurt. Why would he hide this from me?
“You will not like this but bear with me Zirc,” Crix warned. Volks walked and stood beside me. He grabbed my shoulder the same way he grabbed my shoulder. An offer of support. Of course, there are no secrets among them. Which should be the same like me and Roqs. Is this because he holds a grudge against me not telling him about the other facts of my mission with the Council? Right now, the Council believes this relic will hold the key to our world’s future.
“She has iron blood and traces of the serum in her veins. Your parents bonded with someone with iron blood. We don’t know why your parents did that to a female alien with an iron blood.”
