Invaded (7 page)

“
Cah
-ra Sweeney,
l’ihan
to Aelyx of the first Aegis,” Alona spoke. “Do you join your fate with the Sacred
Mother—freely, of your own choosing, and
without duress?”

Cara cleared her throat. “Yes.”

“Will you devote your existence to the advancement of L’eihr?”

“Yes.”

“And will you submit to The Way in all matters, without fail?”

Cara hesitated. Submission wasn’t really her cup of tea, but she knew any further
delay would insult her leaders. Without waiting another second, she licked her lips
and sealed her
fate.

“Yes.”

“Then let me be the first to welcome you, sister.” Alona’s clouded gray eyes sparked
alive. Although the woman hadn’t initiated Silent Speech, a trickle of emotion leaked
from her gaze—one of pure hope. Alona believed that Cara would lead others to the
colony, that they’d join their societies and bring the spirit of humanity to the clones.
Cara
didn’t know whether to feel flattered or terrified. It seemed The Way had some serious
expectations of her.

Alona raised Cara’s hand into the air, and in flawless synchronization, the entire
assembly shouted, “Welcome, sister!” in the militant voices of their native tongue.

The old woman’s eyes shifted to Cara’s robe, a silent message that the time had come
to bare it all. Cara glanced at Elle for confirmation, hoping she’d say,
Just kidding!
Did you really think you’d have to get naked?
then laugh and clap her on the shoulder. But, of course, she didn’t say those things.
She nodded and took her place in line behind The
Way.

Cara brought ten trembling fingers to her waist and fumbled with the belt tie. After
three tries, she worked the knot free and untangled its ends, then brought both hands
to her lapels and
clutched the stiff fabric like a security blanket. Suddenly she realized she didn’t
know what to do with the robe once she’d shed it. Let it fall to the ground? Sling
it over one arm?
She glanced at Alona, who seemed to understand.

“I’ll hold it,” she whispered, extending an arm.

If Cara was going to do this, she’d do it right. Taking a deep breath, she peeled
back the lapels of her robe and pulled her arms free, then handed the garment to Alona
and faced the sea
of clones, staring through them as they’d done to her.

Instantly her cheeks burst into flames, her entire body flushing so red hot, she expected
to see fire shoot from her fingertips. A light wind brushed her naked flesh in places
she’d never
felt the breeze before, but the oddest sensation of all was the pressure of five hundred
curious gazes. The attention crackled over her like static electricity—invisible but
very real.

Alona used her free hand to dip into the trough. She cupped the thick liquid and then
poured it over Cara’s left shoulder, where it trickled downward to coat her arm. It
was warmer than
she’d expected, and her muscles relaxed in response. The next Elder repeated the process
on the other side, and when Jaxen’s turn came, he scooped two handfuls of mud and
spilled them
across her lower abdomen, essentially creating a dripping bikini. It was an oddly
chivalrous act, and she thanked him with her eyes.

Elle heaped two layers of mud over Cara’s chest, kindly concealing “the girls” from
view, and then the first group of clones approached. But instead of cupping a handful
of
valeem
, the six of them dipped their index fingers just deep enough to coat the tips. They
passed her quickly, not bothering to meet her gaze when they tapped their nails against
her
chest.

It didn’t take a sociologist to interpret the message: they would participate in the
ceremony, but that didn’t mean she was welcome. On and on it went, each group of six
offering the
least required of them by their leaders.

Cara’s skin felt tight and tingly in a way that had nothing to do with the clay beginning
to dry across her body. She dug her fingernails into her palms and lifted her chin
as she
completed the rite of passage that marked her transition into adulthood. Once the
last clone had marked her, Cara wrapped a dark blanket around her shoulders and waited
for Alona to dismiss the
assembly for the
Sh’ovah
feast.

But just as Alona drew a breath to make the announcement, a deafening whistle sounded
from above. The entire group turned their gazes skyward, where a tiny ball of flame—a
meteorite,
perhaps—streaked the beige clouds. Quickly, the flame drew nearer and the shrieking
became so loud it stung her ears. It didn’t take long for the assembly to realize
that the object was
headed right for them, and bodies scattered in all directions while voices screamed
and shouted commands Cara couldn’t understand. She clutched her blanket and bolted
for the protection of
the Aegis wall, barely reaching it when a crash boomed from behind.

Once she’d reached a safe distance, she turned and surveyed the damage, surprised
to discover that the only casualty of the fiery impact was the steaming vat of mud.
Orange
valeem
lay in puddles around broken bits of metal, and in the heart of the debris rested
a softball-size orb. From where Cara stood, it didn’t look like a meteorite. She could
swear she saw colored
lights twinkle from its surface, but before she could get a better look, Jaxen removed
his cloak and draped it over the sphere. The Elders glanced nervously at one another
and then commanded the
students to go inside.

From all around her, the clones murmured in confusion but did as they were told. Cara
filed inside with them, casting occasional glances over her shoulder at the lump beneath
Jaxen’s
cloak.

What was that thing? And why was he trying to hide it?

“
L
ook, more L’annabes. They’re lined up around the block.” David pointed out the rear
passenger window at the Omaha
convention center, where Aelyx had spent the last several hours guest lecturing to
university students about the physics of space travel. “You have more groupies than
the Rolling Stones ever
did, you lucky bastard.”

The armored SUV hit a bump in the road, sending a dozen rifles clanking against their
owners. If Aelyx wanted to venture beyond the hotel, this was his only option. He
hated living like this, in
constant fear of attack. “It’s not as glamorous as you think,” Aelyx said, shielding
his eyes from the setting sun. “The attention gets annoying after a while.”

“Yeah, you poor baby.” David rolled his eyes. “
Annoying
doesn’t describe that model I busted trying to sneak into your room last night.”
His lips curved in
an appreciative grin. “
Flexible
, maybe. Can’t have been easy to squeeze inside the maid’s cart like that.”

Aelyx laughed. “You’re more human than I gave you credit for.”

“Oh, come on,” David said with a light elbow nudge. “Tell me you wouldn’t have been
a little bit stoked if she’d jumped out of your closet.”

“Not in the least,” he assured David. “Cara’s the only one I want.”

“Mmm.” David nodded at Aelyx as if they were members of a secret club. “Once you go
human, you never go back, huh? I’ll bet our girls are firecrackers compared to
L’eihr chicks. I mean, no offense, but they seem kind of frigid with that empty stare.
Not like Earth girls—especially redheads. Man, I love me some gingersnap action.”

Aelyx thought he’d mastered English slang, but he had no clue what David was saying.
However, he got the distinct impression that his new friend was much more experienced
than he was when
it came to women. Aside from what Aelyx had gleaned from the Internet, he didn’t know
much about the mechanics of intimacy. Of course, he couldn’t admit that to a human
male. Eron would
have understood, but not David.

David must have misinterpreted Aelyx’s silence as anger. “Did I go too far with that
‘frigid’ comment? Sorry, man. I’m an idiot. Sometimes I can’t shut
up.”

“No, I’m not offended. You’ve got it wrong, though.” In the years since The Way had
weaned his generation off the hormone regulators, the clones had wasted no time in
pairing off and doing what came naturally. Caught off guard, the medics had rushed
to ensure that each student was outfitted with a contraceptive implant before any
unauthorized breeding occurred,
an offense punishable by death. “Our females are willing.”

David glanced at his comrades to ensure they weren’t listening, then leaned in close.
“So, what’s the difference?” he whispered. “You know, between Earth girls and
L’eihr girls? Does everything work the same?”

Aelyx tried to think of an answer that wouldn’t betray his limited knowledge of either
race. He’d never gone further with a clone than an occasional
sh’ellam
, their
equivalent of a kiss. He told David a deceptively innocent truth. “L’eihrs and humans
are biologically identical.”

“Well, sure,” David said over the whirring of the tires. “But there must be
something
…”

“No,” Aelyx lied, then immediately changed his mind. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t
thought of it before. “Actually, there is a difference. If L’eihrs are
using Silent Speech, we can share each other’s sensations.”

“No way,” David breathed out in awe. “Feeling yours
and
hers at the same time? That must be awesome.”

Yes, Aelyx imagined it would be. With any luck, Cara would feel ready someday, and
he’d actually get to find out.

After that, David gazed silently out the window, no doubt wishing his brain were capable
of Silent Speech, while Aelyx wondered how he’d survive until the spring. He wished
The Way would
allow him to tell humans some measure of the truth. That would accomplish their goal
of finding support for the alliance and allow him to return to Cara. But the request
he’d submitted to his
leaders had gone unanswered, leaving him bound to silence.

When the armed convoy arrived at the hotel and David ushered Aelyx into their suite,
the ambassador greeted them at the door.

“I’ve held dinner for you,” Stepha said, leading the way to the dining room, where
small white cartons of takeout waited. “Was your speaking engagement
successful?”

Nodding, Aelyx scanned the living area for Syrine. She should have returned from her
visit to the children’s hospital by now. “Is Syrine joining us?”

“No,” Stepha told him. “She returned from her outing and went straight to bed. She
isn’t feeling well.”

“What’s wrong with her?” David asked. “I thought L’eihrs had super immunity or something.”

Stepha shrugged and dipped a serving spoon into a carton of fried rice, a rather casual
response considering David was right. Between Syrine’s natural immune system and the
inoculations
she’d received prior to leaving L’eihr, she shouldn’t fall ill.

Aelyx turned his gaze to her bedroom door and wrestled with the urge to go to her.
A month ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated, but that was before she’d betrayed their
friendship. He
owed her nothing.

He grabbed a container of chicken and served himself while unwanted memories haunted
him—six-year-old Syrine sneaking him supper after he’d been lashed with the
iphet
and
sent to his room; eleven-year-old Syrine using her gift as a spiritual healer to lessen
his grief when the old house pet had died.

She had been there when he’d needed her.

Aelyx threw down his fork and stood from the table. Curse it all, Syrine wasn’t forgiven,
but he had to know she was all right. “I’m going to check on her.”

“Thank you, brother.” Stepha grinned in a way that told Aelyx this had been a test,
and he’d passed. “I’m certain you will help her in a way I cannot.”

When Aelyx knocked on her door, she didn’t respond, so he opened it a crack and peeked
into her room. The purple bruise of twilight filtered through the window, making her
seem even
smaller as she curled into a ball atop her bed. She’d hugged a pillow to her chest,
and tears welled in her eyes. Seeing her like this made Aelyx’s heart heavy.

He shut the door behind him and sat on the edge of her bed. “You’re missing dinner.”

It seemed to take extra effort for her to draw a breath. “I’m not hungry.”

Aelyx extended a hand toward her and drew back. He didn’t need to touch her to know
she didn’t have a fever. “What happened today? Did someone hurt you?”

She shook her head against her pillow.

“Talk to me,” he pressed.

When she met his gaze, a plump tear spilled free and plunked to the mattress. “Do
you know what my ‘good deed’ was today?”

“To visit the children’s hospital.”

“No. To visit
dying
children in the hospital,” she clarified. “There’s a program that gives them one
final wish, and their wish was to spend the day with
me.” She scoffed and repeated, “Me. They could’ve had anything they wanted.”

Aelyx offered a sad smile. “I’m glad you were able to give them that gift.”

“I did my best,” she said, her breath hitching. “I told them stories about our Voyagers
and the strange worlds they’ve discovered. Their favorite was the swamp planet
where the trees are sentient. They loved hearing how the branches tangle with one
another to pass along messages and songs.”

“That’s one of my favorites, too.”

“And I told them the old legend—how some say ancient L’eihrs were abducted and transplanted
on Earth to form the human race.” She lowered her voice and confided,
“I’ve never believed it, but I told the children we were related. They seemed to like
that.”

“I’m glad you were able to bring them happiness.” Aelyx chose his next words with
care, not wanting to add to her unease by sounding accusatory. “Do you still believe
that their kind isn’t worth saving?”

For a long time, she didn’t answer. When she did, her voice was a strangled whisper.
“It’s not fair. Eron’s killers will live on while these younglings are doomed to
die.”