Page 102 of Star Marked Warriors

That must have been what happened to Nox. Trying to connect this enormous pool of people too hard, for too long.

Used up.

I shivered, and Jax gave me a sharp, worried look.

I smiled back, but nodded in acknowledgement. “Okay,” I said, using my own intention to let the words slide across the surface of the pool. “I’m fine, but I’m not used to this, so I’m not going to push. I’ll let go, and we can talk in person.”

An excellent plan, the voice from the other side answered instantly.Do not tax yourself. We are coming.

Slowly, I pulled my hand away from Jax’s chest, breaking the connection. For a moment, he stared at me, eyes wide and worried, like I was going to collapse at any second. Instead, I threw my fists in the air and whooped.

CHAPTER32

JAX

Sacred Lyr...

I had never felt power like Wesley’s before. He touched my mark, lit me up and spread my power like I was one of the crystals that powered our ships, amplifying it. No wonder the mages of old had burnt out. It was an incredible, encompassing feeling. Addictive.

But I would never get used to the idea of using Wesley. Feeding his power, giving him all that I could, sure. But I was the warrior, and it was my first duty to protect him and see him safe.

There was something in Kaelum’s pleased amusement that settled my worries. He was not surprised to feel Wesley skimming the surface of Thorzi consciousness. He was elated, knowing, certain.

Much had happened in our absence, and while I had many questions, I could feel the endless depth beyond Wesley, the pull of the infinite.

It was a relief when he let it go, when the Thorzi attack ceased, and Marex alerted his people to allow the Thorzi to land.

This was Kaelum. We had been lucky.

But that would not ensure things went easily between our peoples—not when Kaelum had come to Zathkar with three warships set on avenging us.

They landed, and the only sign of Marex’s nervousness was the firm set of his face. The Zathki were not a hard people, but his muscles strained to subdue his worries.

“Kaelum was not raised to fight,” I assured him. “His father has long thought him soft in his humanity, and while King Xyren is wrong in that, he is right that Kaelum fights only when he must. He will not attack by choice before his questions are answered.”

Stiffly, Marex nodded.

I knew my friend, however—Kaelum would not be pleased to have been deceived for so long, to be made a fool of by the very Thorzi who had hurt his mother, who’d stolen his Lucas from Earth, who kept humans locked in his lab against all the laws of our people.

He would be upset, but I trusted his honor, that he would not take that anger out against a people who were no longer our enemies.

Only one ship landed on the ice, the others hovering above, waiting to see that the prince was safe.

Wise, for Kaelum not to make his people too vulnerable. And still, he set his own ship down, landing there on the ice. Like any good commander, he would not ask others to take a risk he was not willing to take himself.

The first person off the ship was Lucas, who pushed ahead of Kaelum and threw his arms around Wesley as soon as his feet slipped over the ice. “God,” he rasped, “we thought you were dead. Or—”

Lucas’s breath caught, and his fingers rumpled in Wesley’s coat as he clutched him close. Not all Thorzi cared so much about their brethren, but it was different for humans, particularly these humans, who had flown across the stars with so few companions. They needed each other, and my nerves settled at the idea that Wesley might have all that he needed. I could provide much, but I alone was not enough to abandon his homeworld for, no matter how curious he was.

Kaelum caught up. His arm wrapped around me, and his hand hit my back. “I am pleased to see you whole.”

“You doubted me?” I cocked an eyebrow his way.

Kaelum shrugged. “It was difficult, at first, to know if you had gone on an adventure or gotten yourself into trouble. When you did not return—” Kaelum trailed off, his bright brown eyes swimming with concern.

So many times, I had thought I was little more than his servant and protector, a sometimes amusement. But Kaelum was more than my prince. He was my first and best friend.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and squeezed him tight.

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