Untamed: Chronicles of the Common, #2

By Elise Night

A GALAXY OF ENEMIES AND ONE FATEFUL PATH.

With danger around every corner, the only way for the both of them to survive is to learn to trust each other, or risk dying alone.

 

SHE HAS SWORN TO SURVIVE AT ANY COST.

Since arriving in the Common, Eva has acquired a crazy clone best friend, a psychotic stalker, and tentative sanctuary on a spaceship filled with paranormal creatures. On the run from the galaxy's most powerful players, Eva is determined to do whatever she must to survive. But when she is plagued by new magical abilities that are both lethal and terrifying, Eva can't help but wonder if the most dangerous threat to them all is her.

 

HE HAS VOWED TO PROTECT HIS CREW WITH HIS LIFE.

It was supposed to be a simple mission, gathering supplies and then searching the Common for a new home world. Instead, the crew of the Casta Pollux is once again on the run. Luhc's new mysterious crew member is not only an alleged wanted criminal and the latest obsession of his ultimate nemesis, but Eva's power also posses a danger to his crew. If Luhc continues to protect Eva, he risks the safety of his people and the entire hybrid nation. But if he betrays her, he might lose his only reason to live.

 

The CHRONICLES OF THE COMMON is an epic science fiction adventure with romantic elements, quirky sidekicks, fantastical worlds, spicy language, sexy shifters, and packed with non-stop action and laughs.

 

CHRONICLES OF THE COMMON series (Part One):

Uncommon (Chronicles of the Common Book 1) 

Untamed (Chronicles of the Common Book 2) 

Unmoored (Chronicles of the Common Book 3) 

Uncharted (Chronicles of the Common Book 4) 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elise Night
• Release date: Feb 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393097563

Book preview

Chapter One

- LUHCEAN -

My skin pebbled as the residual warmth from my shift leeched into the frigid stone beneath my back. The environmental systems activated, pushing recycled air through the cavern. Cold vents popped and creaked as the warm air heated the rigid metal. The artificial breeze parted the stagnant air soaked with the stench of musk, urine, and blood, pungently mixing with the dusty metallic aroma of the asteroid. It was a familiar concoction, one I had woken to thousands of times. However, this time was different. One single component was slightly off. This time there was more than just animal blood in the mix. Her blood sang on the breeze like whispers of doom falling from a siren’s lips.

Not so long ago I would wake from a shift with renewed calm and a sense of relief. Today was not one of those days. Tension pulled and pushed my body into a contorted mess of quivering muscles and brittle bones. Not since adolescence had I felt this tightly strung. Thirty years of quiet solitude and hard-earned patience nearly obliterated simply from the scent of one strange woman’s blood. Gods, so much has changed in only a handful of days.

My reluctance to all of the new changes couldn’t be helped. After living a few centuries, you grow accustomed to the patterns of change. Technologies spring into existence, breeding new opportunities, and more often new hazards. Acquaintances are made. Friendships drift apart. Lovers are lost. Life is ever refining and reshaping through the years, and always we resist. But rarely does an avalanche of change land upon your head all at once, leaving you with two simple options—be buried beneath it or dig your way through. While the urge to remain buried was an alluring temptation, responsibilities demanded I get to digging. The question was: in which direction should I dig?

For thirty years my life had consisted of watching my brother, Kai, sleep in a strange magical coma. My most taxing decision had been which upgrades to next make on our ship. With only myself to answer to, and all the time in the Common on my hands, it didn’t much matter if I made a bad decision. Before Kai’s mortal injury and sleep, we had always been equal partners, making decisions as a team. Although Kai might now be awake, he’s not the same man he was. Left to his own devices, Kai would be dead within a week.

If my brother were the only responsibility on my shoulders, life would be simple. But now I had a crew to keep safe. Aeliana, my telepathic best friend and ship’s medic, needed time away from heavy populations to heal her tattered mental shields. Our new engineer, Eaglan, was barely out of childhood and untested in flight. Our pilot and navigator were stuck in sector two, hiding from S-Corp and desperate to get off their families’ ship. And now we had two unexpected guests to host.

Isadora and Eva were…honestly, I didn’t know what to think of them.

As astounding as her story might be, Isadora’s escape from Vatasrazana, along with her new Hahtta hybrid clone body, wasn’t entirely unbelievable. If I had been a gray clone Vatas living in their isolationist and unyielding society for millions of years, I would have escaped the blasted place myself. Or at the very least I would have died trying. What was surprising was that she actually accomplished it, assuming she was who she claimed to be. Kai was unwaveringly convinced she was the same Vatas he had been friends with for years. I wasn’t as certain. No one had ever escaped Vatasrazana. No one had ever thought to. Her excuse that she wanted to help save the Hahtta was a little farfetched in my opinion.

Eva’s appearance was even more dubious. A human? How did a woman from Prithya, or Earth as she called it, accidentally portal to the Common? Isadora believed we were all tied together on a clandestine mission. Fate, prophecies, and missions issued from the stars were typically notions I strictly avoided. I didn’t even believe in the myths of the gods, the Creators. I might have dismissed the insane clone’s theories outright, had I not first met Eva in a bizarre dream that felt as real as the stone beneath my back. The fact that Eva also remembered the dream proved it was indeed real, or some version of reality.

I don’t entirely believe Isadora’s supposition that during our shared dream I pulled Eva into the Common, but I couldn’t deny that we were all somehow connected. Kai waking up, Isadora rebelling against her people and escaping her home world, the ancient witch Agbi pushing us all together on Atlana, Eva falling into the Common, and the dream… It was all too coincidental not to be connected. Which is exactly what worried me.

Even had I not vowed to the king of Atlana to protect the women—the fact that we were now tied to that manipulative Naraki demon still immensely rankled me—I would have been compelled to keep them close. That didn’t mean I liked the situation. Isadora was clearly mentally unstable, and Eva had a natural talent to find both trouble and injury in equal measure.

Our nemesis, Cuhr, was commissioned to capture both women; as to why I didn’t know. Now that he knew Kai and I were still alive, hunting us down would be a bonus Cuhr wouldn’t be able to resist.

We were collecting trouble at an alarming rate.

If I were being honest, it wasn’t the problem-plagued crew causing my tension. Nor was it the scent of Eva’s blood still staining my clothes that had me on edge. Although her proclivity to repeated injury did rattle my nerves far more than was understandable. But Eva couldn’t take the entire blame. My stubborn brother played a substantial role in my newfound state of perpetual stress. But despite the fact that he was changed and unable to aid in leading our crew, I was still overjoyed for his return.

My problems couldn’t be laid at the feet of anyone but myself. The truth was that I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t prepared to leave the asteroid that had been my home for three decades, and once again return to the Common. I didn’t want to command a mission again. I dreaded fighting the same old enemies. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t want to accept the change. It was that it felt like the wrong kind of change. I was living in the same story but in a different chapter.

From the beginning, I knew my life would never be the idyllic monotony of a simple job, a lovely mate at my side, and a brood of pups underfoot. That fate was taken from me mere weeks after my birth. I had accepted my fate centuries ago. But accepting my condition never completely erased the desire for what I was denied. The further my life diverged from that simple existence, the more bitter I grew for the want of it.

It wasn’t reluctance that pinned me to the cold ground. Admittedly there was a touch of fear in my soul for the challenges I was about to face that never entirely went away no matter how old one grew. The chilling emotion that had me paralyzed was resentment. I wanted something, someone, and I was reminded of all the things I could never have.

I can feel your sulking all the way from the ship, Kai said into my mind.

I’m not sulking, I replied sullenly.

If you say so, Kai said, laughing. The human is throwing a snit for being locked in the surgery. If you don’t come back soon, Princess Impatience is going to damage my ship. Get back here.

A smile played across my lips. Of course Eva would bristle at being caged. I had known her for little more than a day, and already I knew her bold nature would never concede to confinement, rules, or unearned authority. She was going to be one of my most difficult challenges in the coming weeks.

Eva was like a vulnerable infant in the Common. At least I could rely on Isadora, her self-appointed guardian, to provide guidance and an education for the woman. If those responsibilities fell to me, there would be no possible way I could successfully avoid my attraction to her.

I’m coming, I reluctantly answered Kai.

Sitting up from the cold stone floor, I groaned at the sight before me. The blasted Beast was never one for predictability. Some shifts I remembered; others I didn’t. Today’s shift was the later, and the animal’s behavior while I was out was both perplexing and infuriating.

When we had first carved out the asteroid to build the bunker, Kai and I had created an elaborate maze into the cavern as a safe place to shift. We had mechanized the maze to randomly change shape, an attempt to keep the Beast engaged and to teach him patience.

My animal typically required live prey to hunt through the puzzle. However, prior to leaving for Atlana, I had slaughtered the last of the bunker’s livestock in preparation for our mission. Today the Beast’s feast had been a thawed leg of yewlu. Surprisingly the animal had not acted out against the offense. He had merely retrieved the partial carcass and dropped it on my pile of clothes at the entrance of the cavern. The behavior was so unlike the Beast I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Unsurprisingly, he had found my flight suit, which had been well hidden so I would have a clean change of clothes post-shift, and he had ripped it to shreds. The Beast was not pleased with our impending departure into space.

Can you bring a new flight suit to the air lock? I asked my brother.

Again? Kai whined. That animal has no respect for our finances.

I collected the ruined clothes and uneaten meat and quickly locked up the maze. Walking through the bunker naked was an unremarkable experience on most days, but today the cavern was exceptionally chilled. Over the last few days, we had been slowly locking up nonessential sections of the bunker in preparation for our departure.

Most Keti shifters could survive only in climates suited to their animals. I’m not like most Keti shifters. Exposed to the elements as I was, the below freezing temperatures in the bunker would damage most species, except the Pranya and some Rhaka breeds. For me it was merely an unpleasant discomfort.

I tossed the leg of meat and clothing into a nearby recycler and entered the air lock to the Casta Pollux. A new flight suit was waiting on the deck, neatly folded and placed atop a tidy pile of boots, leathers, weapons, and an ear comm. It was comforting to know some things about Kai hadn’t entirely changed.

Is Aeliana awake? I asked while dressing.

Yes. And she’s brassed off you locked her out of her own med bay, Kai said.

Have everyone meet in the med bay, but do not enter the surgery. I want to inspect their possessions first, I ordered.

Interrogating the women and inspecting their belongings were long overdue tasks. Unfortunately, when we returned from Atlana, I was covered in Eva’s blood and the Beast was screaming to get out. There wasn’t enough tea in my stash acquired from Ancient Agbi to subdue the Beast in that condition. With my head finally on straight, or mostly straight, I intended to remedy that oversight.

As I made my way to the central hub staircase, Eaglan fell in step behind me.

Did you find my list of upgrades for inspection? I asked.

Yes, sir. I’ll be done by midday and then begin a full launch assessment. The young man followed as we made our way up the stairs to deck two.

Make sure to schedule sleep, I reminded him. Did you select a cabin?

Yes, sir. There’s a fine cabin next to engineering. I left my belongings there.

No, I replied. In my experience if you allow an engineer to bunk near his machines you’ll likely never see him again. You’re crew now. You’ll live in the crew’s quarters.

Yes, sir, the kid agreed. I don’t know if Jotham told you but I enjoy a bit of cooking. If you don’t already have someone, I wouldn’t mind the task, sir.

He did mention it, I said as we passed through the hatch into the med bay. Your first priority is engineering. If meal preparation doesn’t interfere, then I’ll increase your salary to accommodate. Is that understood?

Yes, sir. I wasn’t aware there was a salary to be had, sir. We weren’t paid in the camps. The boy was brimming with excitement; his odd two-toned eyes sparkled and the blue hue to his skin nearly vibrated.

Flight positions are considered high risk and paid accordingly, I explained, just as Kai and Aeliana passed through the opposite hatch into the med bay.

"Pay? We get paid? This is so exciting. I’ve never been paid before. How much is my salary?" Isadora’s voice boomed through the intercom. She and Eva hovered near the comm on the opposite side of the surgery window. Isadora danced excitedly from foot to foot, while Eva glared at me in outrage.

You don’t get paid. You’re not crew yet, I replied tersely.

But— she began.

No, I said, sternly ending the conversation.

I stepped over to the comm panel and deactivated the speaker, then snatched the women’s bags from the deck and tossed them onto one of the medical tables.

Search it. Carefully. I grabbed Eva’s bag and moved to the second table.

After cautiously opening the bag, I removed the smashed fruit and hastily packed remains of the emergency kit, then continued to unpack the variety of Vatas supplies including several canisters of scent mask.

That explains her odd scent.

It had bothered me more than I realized that upon first meeting her in person her scent was nothing like that from our shared dream in the white room. Her scent from the dream had been wild and innocent and instantly compelled me to mark her. Luckily her false scent produced by the Vatas concoction caused no such reaction.

Do not open that bag, asshat. Isadora’s voice once again boomed from the surgery intercom.

I turned in astonishment. I was certain I had locked the comms. She should not have been able to access them again.

Issy, we need to make sure Vahl didn’t hide any trackers in your belongings, Kai said.

He might have believed that was all we were doing, but I wanted to know more about these women. I never liked puzzles, and their entirely too convenient appearance in our lives was the most annoying puzzle of all.

You don’t get to call me Issy. Luhcean can, but not you, asshat, she scolded. To you, I’m either Isadora or Great Warrior Princess of Eternal Wisdom and Infinite Wit.

Witch, Kai spat.

Creeho Dhurokesh, Isadora replied with the familiar curse.

I went to the intercom and began to enter my shutdown code.

You’re wasting your ti—

Her voice cut off, and I returned to my inspection.

Eva’s bag contained a device that looked like a white data pad. I pushed the round button, but nothing happened. After placing the device to the side, I returned to her bag.

The blaster has been fired. Otherwise they’re clean. I scanned for trackers and found nothing, Eaglan reported.

The Warrior Princess’s bag took a blast recently. Kai inspected the charring across the top. She’s lucky. This would have killed her.

Please tell me my tablet’s not broken. Eva’s voice sounded from the speaker.

My head jerked back to the surgery to see both girls still pressed against the glass window next to the comm. Eva bit her lip and scratched at the glass as if trying to reach for her possessions.

"Don’t waste your time, Luhcean. I remember when the Pollux was programmed. I could totally unlock this door right now, but I won’t because we’re friends," Isadora warned.

Friends don’t lock friends up, Issy. Get us out of here, Eva pleaded, shoving her friend for good measure.

Isadora waved a hand through the air. They’re just scared. Give them time to adjust. She pressed her finger against the glass pointing in Kai’s direction. Hey, asshat, I told you not to open my bag. Put my stuff back right now.

Sweetie, why don’t you try varying your insults? Eva suggested, her nose scrunched and her brow creased in a way that confused me. Was she disgusted or worried? Her human expressions both baffled and intrigued me.

I’m testing them in alphabetical order, Isadora explained, her hair bouncing wildly as if it had a life of its own. I have to get a good feel for one before I move on to the next.

Are these haddack bones? Aeliana asked excitedly, pulling a dried skull from Isadora’s bag.

Yes. You can have them. I’ll forget all about that nasty scribe-blocking spell you put on Kai, but only if you shoot him in the leg, Isadora bartered.

To my surprise, Aeliana actually looked at Kai’s leg in consideration, then quickly shook her head discarding the idea. Finally realizing what the crazy woman had said, she stuttered, I…how did you know about that?

She’s a Vatas clone. She scribed it. Assume she knows everything about you, Kai explained absently while continuing his inspection of Isadora’s bag.

Not everything, Isadora defended with a whine.

She has a bat familiar. Are you sure she’s a Vatas? Aeliana asked in confusion. She approached the glass to the surgery and cocked her head to inspect the women inside.

I thought a Vatas would be more…proper. What’s an ‘asshat’? Eaglan asked, joining her at the glass.

She has all of the things I gave her through the years, Kai’s mental voice held a note of wonder.

I joined him at the table to inspect the collection of Isadora’s trinkets.

The notebook, gemstone, the game pieces I carved, even the feather…she kept everything.

Most of their supplies are of Vatas origin, although Eva has several items I don’t recognize. Their jumpsuits were also Vatas design, I confirmed.

And she knows our access codes, Kai added. Did you really doubt they were who they say they are?

Yes. And don’t remind me about the access codes, I grumbled. I did not want to think about what that information in the crazy clone’s hands could mean for our ship.

Kai snatched the pink stone from the table and joined Aeliana and Eaglan in front of the glass window separating the surgery from the med bay. He held the jewel in front of Isadora’s face. How did you get this?

You know how, and you know exactly who I am. Would you like me to prove it by telling everyone what happened with that nymph on Indrani-07? She turned to Eva. You’re going to love this. They’d been searching the quadrant—

STOP! Kai shouted.

I’ll tell you later, Isadora whispered to Eva with a half smile.

Kai turned his back on the smug woman and tugged at his curled locks. She harassed me for two years after that incident. I don’t doubt it’s her. Not at all.

And somehow you still envisioned her as male? I let my laugh fill his head.

She didn’t used to sound, or look, so…female, Kai defended.

I returned to Eva’s bag and dumped the contents onto the table.

Hey. Be careful. My mom’s old iPod is in there, Eva shouted through the speaker.

I grabbed a smaller brown bag that had spilled onto the table and emptied its contents. Kai inspected a bundle of clothes and boots. The clothes were definitely not Common. I riffled through the variety of cords, papers, and various unfamiliar objects then picked up a pink tube emanating a sweet scent. I flipped open the cap, and white solution burst from the top. The concoction was heavenly and smelled of sugared fruit.

Don’t taste that! Eva shouted. It’s lotion. Issy, get us out of here before he poisons himself.

The hatch suddenly opened, and the girls dashed out of the surgery. Eva snatched the tube from my hands and shoved it back into her bag.

I glared at Isadora in frustration.

I told you, access codes. Isadora tapped a finger to her temple and rolled her eyes at me as if I were the most ignorant creature in the Common.

Nail polish. Eva held up a small bottle filled with thick red liquid then added that to her bag. Phone. Phone charger. Tissues. Tire gauge. Tablet. Makeup. Nail file. My mom’s iPod. Wallet. Pen. Title to my car. She continued to announce each object before stuffing it into her bag. Keys to my car, which is probably crushed under a pile of mountain. I suppose half of a human car wouldn’t do me any good out here.

You’re human? Eaglan asked in shock.

Yes…maybe…not anymore, I guess, Eva replied cryptically. Until a couple of days ago, I lived on Earth and thought I was human. I fell through some weird portal and landed in Issy’s bat cave.

It was more of a secret base, the little Vatas clarified.

Eva waved away the comment. Now Issy claims I’m not entirely human. Oh, and my hand glowed when I supposedly healed her shoulder.

You also healed Kai and a kludde, Isadora added with a wide smile. My girl’s the bullet.

The bomb, Eva absently corrected, and met my eyes from across the table.

Aeliana and Eaglan silently inspected the two women. It wasn’t the first time Kai and I had heard the story, but the unusual nature of her appearance in the Common was still confounding. It would have been a minor comfort if she had been merely Prithvi, human, but she wasn’t. Despite her ability to heal like a Matri witch, I was fairly confident she was a Hahtta hybrid. But what else she had hidden inside was a mystery, even to her it appeared. This was one mysterious puzzle I was determined to solve.

A throat cleared, and I suddenly realized Eva and I had been staring at each other. From the looks on the crew’s faces it hadn’t been missed. Aeliana’s mouth was ajar as her eyes bounced back and forth between us with obvious interest.

Lii, can you please scan for bio-trackers and draw blood from both girls? I asked.

Huh? Oh, yes, of course. She retrieved two extraction tubes and pressed the first to Eva’s wrist while she gave the woman a closer look.

Gods, this was the last thing I needed. Aeliana was going to be relentless. I would have to be far more careful with my actions.

Finally! I can’t wait to see what you are. Obviously Matri, but who knows what else you might be? Aren’t you excited? Isadora clapped her hands and bounced in place.

Thrilled, Eva replied flatly. Should we start taking bets?

What do you mean? You don’t know what you are? Eaglan asked.

Not a clue, Isadora said, extending her wrist to Aeliana.

Nope. Eva shook her head. Apparently I’m like one of those big mystery boxes you buy online then wind up getting five pounds of newspaper, a sample size of hand sanitizer, and some weird Japanese candy that you probably shouldn’t eat.

We all stared at the woman in confusion. Eva simply shrugged in reply.

Aeliana placed the tubes of blood in her pocket and ran a bio-scanner over the two women. Nothing, she confirmed. They show signs of recent healing, some exhaustion, and minor malnutrition. Nothing a good meal and sleep won’t cure.

Good. I turned to face the women, eager to begin their interrogation and finally put all of the puzzle pieces together. Now, tell us why you were hunting for the Hahtta and how you ended up in Atlana.

Isadora repeated her very long and very detailed accounting of her adventures, and not a single piece changed from her first telling in Atlana. Neither did it change the third time I asked her to explain. Nor the fourth. If nothing else, she was consistent.

We found ourselves in a riddle of ever growing complexity with not an ounce of clarity in sight.

What troubled me most was the addition of Synergis. Despite the corporation’s charitable reputation, I never entirely trusted Synergis. Through the centuries, the corporation had gradually grown into the dominant resource for employment, fuel, food, transportation, and medical supplies. Their dealings in weapons and drugs were not widely publicized but commonly accepted.

The company had discovered and claimed four uninhabited systems, much to the dismay of the Hahtta hybrid refugees cast out of their home worlds and desperate for a permanent home. Eager for further expansion, Synergis had recently begun offering lifetime contracts to families seeking a better way of life. All that was required of prospective employees was to live in a Synergis system and sever all contact with the outside world. They claimed the isolation was to protect their intellectual property, but the contractual conditions had always felt extreme.

I understood the Vatas could not allow Isadora, one of their most prized scribes, to run free among the Common. However, their use of S-Corp, Synergis’s militaristic security force, as a means to secretly procure their lost treasure was uncharacteristic. They could have sent Prithya Guardians to hunt the girls, but for the first time in history, the Vatas used an outside source. If this Synergis and Vatas partnership signaled a hidden relationship, it meant the largest economic force in the sector was in bed with the most skilled spies of the Common. Together they would be unstoppable.

The crew escorted the new girls to the mess for dinner while I sought refuge in the war room. I needed time to consider the deluge of information. An hour later, I was still struggling for a resolution.

Kai and Aeliana eventually returned to the war room and each took a seat.

Well, this is a fine mess, Aeliana stated, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.

Still interested in staying? I asked.

Definitely. They both have quite strong shields. If Eva did heal Issy’s injury, then she’ll need training. Aeliana smoothed the wrinkles in her dark green skirt. Their blood tests should be ready tomorrow, then we’ll know what we’re dealing with.

She did heal Isadora as well as myself. She can also touch a kludde. Do you know of any species with that ability? asked Kai.

As far as I’m aware, there are none. The Matri would know. Those hounds have been trained to hunt us for millennia, Aeliana said.

She’s also part Pranya, I announced. Throughout the entire interrogation I watched Eva closely. As she fidgeted and rubbed her tired eyes, I had noticed one intriguing detail. Her shield bracelet was depleted in the king’s shuttle. That’s how she was injured after the scrap of metal bounced off Isadora’s shielded body. It’s been gaining power over the last few hours. I can’t smell anything for certain through the scent mask, but I suspect she’s a Pranya energy generator.

A generator? That could be a problem. Can Eaglan teach her to control it? Aeliana asked.

I shook my head. He was raised among the Varuni. He’s had little interaction with the Pranya, and I doubt he’s ever encountered a generator. They’re too rare. I’ll ask him to research the ability and provide a risk assessment.

If she becomes a problem, we can always send her to a camp. Vahl might even want her back, Kai suggested.

I’m not giving her back to Vahl, I replied a little too quickly. The thought of sending her to a camp was bad enough. I couldn’t fathom the cruelty of giving her back to the king of machinations. And despite not understanding how, I still believed we were all linked. For whatever reason, we needed to stay together. We’ll hold to our vow. If Eaglan’s unable to assist her, then I’ll send for someone who can.

You want to cancel the launch, don’t you? Aeliana asked.

Yes, I stated honestly. Synergis is all over the Common. We’re going to be running from them at every turn.

Finding one ship among trillions won’t be easy. Kai reclined in his seat. If we keep moving, and travel the Overworld, they’ll never find us.

And your vendetta? I asked. Less than a day ago, he was suicidally bent on killing Cuhr in revenge for his part in the Hahtta massacre thirty years ago. It had been his single consuming thought since waking up from his coma, and it needed to end.

Kai shrugged. I can put it on hold. Cuhr’s employment with S-Corp poses a problem. Besides, if Synergis and the Vatas are preparing to take over the Common, the Hahtta will need a home now more than ever.

It was a relief to hear rationality finally breaking through his thick skull, but I couldn’t help wonder if it was Eva’s presence that had unconsciously changed his mind. Regardless, Kai was right; we couldn’t afford to sit around and wait for a better time that may never come.

If we held to our mission, we would be in the core of the sector for two weeks at most. If we traveled the pirate- and mafia-controlled Overworld, we had a good chance of avoiding S-Corp patrols. The odds were in our favor.

Fine. Lii, can you please spell the entire crew against Vatas scribing? I asked.

Absolutely, she agreed, a smile lighting her face. Now, I’ve been dying to talk about that moment in the med bay—

Eaglan burst through the doors, thankfully cutting off Aeliana’s teasing words. Issy. She’s collapsed.

Kai jumped from his seat and ran past the young engineer. The rest of us rushed to follow. We rounded the inner hub’s circular walkway in time to see Kai attempting to pull Isadora from Eva’s arms.

Don’t touch her. What did you people do to her? Eva twisted out of Kai’s reach and carried the small clone back into the med bay.

Aeliana dashed inside and began inspecting the small woman Eva placed on the table. What happened?

She was starting to get quiet over the last half hour. I thought she was tired. Then her head just dropped to the table, Eva explained. She turned to Kai in a fury. Did you poison her?

Kai recoiled in shock. Of course not. Why would I poison her? She’s one of my oldest friends.

Oh, please. I heard what kind of friend you are, Eva snarled the accusation at Kai.

Where was she injured on Atlana? Aeliana quickly asked.

Her shoulder. Eva paced beside the medical table, glaring at Kai with each pass.

Aeliana studied Isadora’s healed shoulder, then ripped at the fabric of the woman’s top and gasped in surprise.

What’s that pink mark? Eva asked, stopping her pacing to hover over her friend. It wasn’t there before.

"Isn’t that where you supposedly healed her? What exactly did you do to her?" Kai accused.

I didn’t do anything. It just happened, Eva yelled at Kai, her mouth inches from his.

If you two can’t behave, then get out, Aeliana shouted. She pulled the small bat from Isadora’s hair and handed it to me. Get them under control, Captain.

Shut up or get out. Those are your options. I glared at the arguing couple.

They both nodded then turned to scowl at each other. I attempted to pass the bat to Kai when Eva snatched the creature and clutched it to her chest.

"It…it’s a Matri mark, but it’s not fully formed yet. I thought she was a clone? She shouldn’t have this. She’s too old for the makt," Aeliana babbled in confusion.

"What’s the makt? What are you talking about?" Eva pleaded.

I stepped close to Eva, looming over her. You agreed to be quiet. Let Lii do her work, and we will explain later.

Eva craned her neck to look at me with wide eyes and frantic nods. The intimidation worked a little too well. The sour smell of anxiety rolled off her, forcing me to step back.

Aeliana closed her eyes and placed her hands over Isadora’s head and heart. Mists of bright green magic floated from her hands to infuse Isadora’s body. Several long moments passed then Aeliana opened her eyes to stare at the unconscious woman.

"It’s the makt, Aeliana finally confirmed. It doesn’t usually come this sudden, but hybrids are always different, and she’s been through a lot these past few days."

"What’s the makt?" Eva took a quick step backward and gave me a wary glance. She worried her lip while absently caressing the tiny bat struggling for escape.

"The makt is a magical puberty every Matri must go through, Aeliana explained. It’s when we come into our full power. During this time, we find our familiar, and the mark of an eclipse will form somewhere on our body. It’s the symbol of the Matri. The process takes a great deal of energy, and most feel sick or fall unconscious."

But she’s a fully grown clone. She said she wasn’t a real Matri. Eva’s brow pinched in confusion.

She also said they broke the rules during her cloning. Aeliana shrugged. "I don’t know how, but she is going through the makt. She should be fine. It’s a perfectly normal process for a Matri, but I’ll keep a close eye on her. In seven to ten days, she should be back to her strange normal self."

Ten days? Eva squeaked and looked around the room in mounting panic. She slowly made her way back to Isadora’s side and clutched the unconscious woman’s hand, oblivious to the small black bat fighting to wiggle out of her other fist.

We can let Issy’s familiar sleep with her. It will help. Aeliana reached for the animal.

Meeno. Her name is Meeno. Eva opened her hands. The creature flew from her fingers to land in Isadora’s hair and once again nested at the curve of the unconscious woman’s neck.

Kai, can you take Eaglan to find a new cabin? I asked.

Yes, he agreed. Be careful. The human is dangerously on edge.

The two quietly left the room, and Aeliana began hooking Isadora to the monitors.

I recognized the fear and anxiety in Eva. She was a cornered animal in a strange new place filled with unfamiliar people, and her only friend had suddenly been taken from her. She was on edge and needed a break. We could all use a break.

Eva, why don’t you get some rest? I suggested.

She immediately rejected the idea with a firm shake of her head. I’m staying right here. Could I possibly have a chair?

You can’t sit by her side for an entire week.

Watch me. But I could use a chair…and a bathroom, Eva requested.

Lavatory? I asked, and she nodded in confirmation. I crossed the med bay to open the hatch to the lav. "There’s a light wash inside if you would like

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APHOBIA: "Do you really want to start this, brother? Because I do recall a drunken conversation after one particular visit to Vatasrazana where you lamented that the gods were conspiring against you for putting the perfect woman in the body of an asexual gray Vatas, who you thought was male at the time. Happy she’s a real girl now?"