Chapter 20

Venus

Amassive crowd had already gathered outside the Senate. Many more people also filled the public gallery within the chamber. It felt like we had entered an ancient Roman amphitheater but with arched windows and the same type of elaborate plaster carvings on the walls one would find in Marrakesh.

The Chancellor throned on an elevated dais in the center of the back wall of the floor. On each side, the Senators sat on their chairs shaped like semi-circular bleachers divided into two halves by a large section for supplicants to sit on the limited number of benches available or to stand. Above them, on the opposite end of the Chancellor's chair, a huge balcony allowed hundreds of people to bear witness to the proceedings. Giant screens framed the throne on the back wall, and similar ones also hung outside the building so that the people who couldn't make it inside wouldn't miss what was happening.

The entire city appeared to have shut down so that everyone could attend.

The heavy tension filling the air almost felt like a living entity. An insane number of Black Guards lined the entrance stairs and the temporary fences set up in front of the building. Even more of them stood in watch, scattered among the crowd on the balconies. But it was the number of them, alongside multiple Monochromatics and Whites that held my attention.

If not for my status as the Prima and as the Razus' wife, I might not have had the opportunity to stand on the main floor with the other people present to challenge the new law being proposed for a vote.

My eyes widened when I recognized Acamon standing next to a handful of other Whites, three of whom I'd never met before. As the leader of one of the largest Pharoms, he wasn't officially a citizen of Japhyr. Furthermore, as Whites weren't allowed to live within the city walls, it surprised me they were granted any say in the establishment of the laws. But his presence pleased me tremendously. He was playing a huge role in our efforts to solve Thaudras. His voice could help tip the scale.

As soon as my gaze met the Chancellor's, the hatred in his eyes felt like a physical slap in the face. This male was out for blood. Considering how quiet he'd been for more than a month since my arrival, I didn't understand what was fueling his reaction. I hadn't messed with him or challenged his authority in any way. Saving Japhyr from the impending cataclysm would ensure he maintained his current lifestyle. So what the hell had crawled up his ass that he'd resent me so much?

One glance at the other Senators indicated many of them seemed to share his hatred of me. Had they all been gorging on the venom Ajustus was spewing about me? However, a handful simply looked at me with a guarded expression, except for Senator Cassius—the Purple who had silenced Ajustus when he tried to challenge my choice of Atlas as my husband. His face was unreadable, but his intensity hinted he had strong opinions about what would or should happen.

Atlas led me to an empty spot in one of the front benches of the supplicants' waiting area. It appeared to have been specifically saved for me. On our way there, I spotted Kyrene, who gave me a stiff nod. That, too, gave me hope for a positive outcome. I would just need to remind myself to keep my mouth shut as this wasn't my battle to fight, except if he tried calling me out or slandering me.

It took another twenty minutes before everyone finally settled down and the proceeding began. The Chancelor rose from his throne in a pompous fashion and strutted his way down the four steps of his dais to come stand before a podium with a microphone. As soon as he was in position, Ajustus's obnoxious face appeared magnified on the giant screen as he began to address both the Senate and the citizens.

"Dear Senators and esteemed citizens of Japhyr, I have called this emergency session to settle a matter that has lingered for far too long and that must be handled for the safety of our city and of our children."

I barely repressed the urge to roll my eyes. God, how I hated when politicians used the welfare of children as an emotional weapon to draw sympathy to their cause. He didn't give a shit about any child. He just wanted to pull at people's heartstrings.

"As you all know, Thaudras will soon be upon us," Ajustus continued in that grandiloquent tone he erroneously seemed to think made him sound more refined and princely. "The signs show an acceleration of the instability in Keryth Valley. An acceleration which suspiciously matched an increased activity and presence of Achros and Monos in that very region."

The disbelieving gasp that escaped me and the other Achros and Monos present with me in the supplicants' area was buried by the angry mutterings of the rest of the attendees. Their indignation infuriated me as it wasn't aimed at Ajustus for the horrible thing he was implying, but in support of his statement.

"For decades, we have put the needs of the majority at serious risk for the benefit of a dangerous minority. As a result, they now constitute nearly a quarter of our population—an all-time historical record," Ajustus said, the volume of his voice cranking up a notch to underline the importance of his words. "Once again, it suspiciously matches the record size of the cataclysm bearing down on us. These are not coincidences."

He paused to let the malicious implication sink in as his gaze roamed over the attendees to gauge their response. Apparently pleased with what he saw, he rested both hands on the edges of the podium and leaned forward, his gaze intense as he continued to spew his venom.

"Of all the cities on Sylvar, ours counts by far the largest number of Achromatics and Monochromatics. By this I mean five times more than the city in the second position on that front. Looking at these numbers and the fact that we are under threat of annihilation, the reality cannot be denied. Science cannot be denied. These breeds' excessive presence within our walls is directly responsible for our city's imminent destruction. The gods are angry!"

A deafening roar rose from everyone in the crowd, including the Senators. I sat there in disbelief as the Black Guards burst into action, forcing people to quiet down and resume their seats. A couple of Polychromatics who didn't seem to want to behave ended up getting zapped with a low-level electric discharge by some of the Black Guards with gray eyespots before getting escorted out.

As with every governmental building, the walls were all white or gray, depriving the masses of Polychromatics of sufficient color to draft from.

Fury burned in my gut that the Chancellor of the city should hold such incendiary rhetoric at a time when his people already lived in fear of a natural disaster they had no real way of defeating.

Or so they believed…

"Please! Please!" Ajustus said, raising a palm in an appeasing gesture once the crowd mostly settled down. "There is no need for violence."

Oh, fuck you!

That ass wipe deliberately needled the crowd into this specific reaction. I didn't miss the triumphant glimmer in his eyes when the people went berserk. He was enjoying this.

"While Achromatics and Monochromatics are a threat to the survival of Japhyr, it is not their fault they were born the way they are," he said with false empathy. "They have genuinely tried to contribute to the prosperity of our beloved city, but once gangrene sets in, the only way to stop it from spreading and save the host, is by severing the infected limb."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I whispered under my breath.

I glanced at Atlas, who had returned by my side once the ruckus subsided. Despite his clenched teeth, he was staring at the Chancellor with a surprisingly controlled expression. It dawned on me then that this wasn't the first time he'd had to stoically take verbal abuse from Ajustus and others of his ilk.

"As Thaudras clearly occurs wherever the largest population of Achros and Monos is located—as demonstrated by historical records—I submit the text of the Egress Law for immediate vote and adoption in order to save our beloved city," Ajustus said, lifting his chin with a hint of defiance, as if to dare anyone to challenge him. "Its provisions would instate a city-wide ban of all members of these two breeds. They will be moved to a temporary settlement at a safe distance from our city, with all the amenities necessary for their comfort. Relocation to this settlement will be mandatory for all of them."

The uproar that greeted his words was even louder than the previous one. I jumped to my feet, genuinely scared for the first time. Atlas gestured for me to stay put, glanced over my shoulder, and nodded at someone behind me before turning away. I yelped and instinctively tried to fight back when a muscular arm wrapped around me.

"Peace, Venus," Acamon's voice said next to my ear.

Only then did my brain register the white skin and ivory scales of the arm holding me. That was who Atlas had nodded to. All tension bled out of me, and I let Acamon push me behind him for protection. I didn't miss the convenient absence of a lock on his shawl, and how it was already loosened, ready to come off should he need to use magic in self-defense.

Every Black Guard spread their wings wide open as a number of Polychromatics and Monochromatics raised their hands, their palms glowing from the weak halo of their magic. None of them could draft enough magic as the hue they could channel was available in too small quantities on the wings of other Prometheans. When their magic fizzled like so many snuffed candles thanks to the intervention of the Black Guards, a few actual physical fights broke out.

The ease with which the Blacks restrained them was frightening in and of itself. They didn't even use magic, just their advanced hand-to-hand combat skills. If there ever was a revolt, the Polychromatics would never stand a chance. No wonder they kept dousing the Achros and Monos with that tea to keep them depressed and submissive.

Once they got everything under control again, Ajustus took the pinched expression of a disappointed parent as he resumed talking.

"I understand this is a distressing topic for all sides of the conflict. But you need to control yourselves and act like the civilized people that we Prometheans are," the Chancellor said in a haughty tone. "If you cannot behave, we will be forced to evacuate the Senate, and only the handful of representatives present on the floor will be allowed to remain—if at all—so that we may complete these proceedings."

"If you want people to act civilized, then stop vomiting your barbaric rhetoric!" Kyrene exclaimed.

A general gasp greeted her comment and a deadly silence settled over the assembly as every eye turned towards the scientist. She took a few steps towards the open center of the floor to stand by the microphone meant for the supplicants.

"I have not yet opened the floor," Ajustus said in an icy voice.

"I deem it open," Kyrene snapped. "How dare you speak of science when you can hardly perform accurate basic mathematical calculations? There is nothing scientific about the speculations on which you base your conspiracies and baseless theories."

"It is a fact that Thaudras systematically occurs near cities that have the greatest number of Monos and Achros," Ajustus argued forcefully. "It is also a fact that the magnitude of the cataclysm is proportional to the population of those breeds in the affected region. Will you dare deny it?"

"I do not. But they are not the cause. They are the cure," Kyrene snarled. "You cannot simply pick and choose the parts of history that suit your narrative and dismiss the rest. The greatest devastation our people faced occurred near a city that had slaughtered every single one of their Monos and Achros at birth. That didn't stop Thaudras. Our ancestors had to hunt down the Pharoms throughout the planet to gather enough to end the cataclysm. Had they been the cause, Thaudras would have occurred where they were located. But it didn't, it occurred in the midst of the largest Polychromatic population. If we were to follow your logic, Chancellor, then this would mean that we Polychromatics are the cause, not them."

My heart swelled with pride as shocked murmurs greeted her harsh words. Ajustus looked on the verge of choking on his own tongue as he stared at the older woman in disbelief, outrage, and a hint of fear. In that instant, I realized that thought had already crossed his mind many times.

"Are you calling us a curse to our own city?" Ajustus finally blurted out.

"No, I'm merely showing how illogical your reasoning is, when clearly the facts show they are not the cause but the cure," Kyrene said sternly before glancing around at the Senators and then the crowd. "Most of you know who I am, and the fact that I have devoted my life to finding a solution to Thaudras. Over the past few months, we have progressed by leaps and bounds. We are so close, I can almost touch it. This Egress Law will do nothing but further alienate the very people who can not only save our city and our way of life, but also end Thaudras."

"As is their duty!" Ajustus interjected.

"It is not!" Acamon suddenly said, eliciting even more gasps.

The silent fascination with which the people had been listening to his mother quickly shifted to a more hostile edge.

"You have no say in these proceedings, White!" Ajustus said, putting as much contempt as he could in the way he stated Acamon's color. "You're not even a citizen of Japhyr."

"I and all others like me have a say when your kind expect us to lay down our lives to protect yours," Acamon replied with equal contempt as he came to stand next to his mother. "Your so-called settlements are nothing more than open air prisons where you want to corral us so that you can more easily offer us in sacrifice once Thaudras inevitably still happens right here in Keryth Valley. Remember well that the lives of hundreds of Polychromatics didn't appease the ‘gods' who you claim unleash their wrath. It was people like me and the Black Guards who stopped it. Once you've exiled us to a safe distance from Keryth Valley and Japhyr, you may find us a lot less willing to help you with your problem."

I flinched inwardly. Although his words were both accurate and warranted, that last sentence would set fire to an already volatile situation.

"You're threatening us?!" Ajustus whispered in disbelief. He then pointed an accusing finger at Acamon before looking at the crowd with an air of self-righteous indignation. "This is but one of the many threats this law is attempting to thwart! He's been conspiring against us and poisoning the minds of our people. We caught him and other Whites training an army in Keryth Valley to turn on us!"

"That's a lie!" Kyrene shouted.

"It is not! We have proof!" Ajustus replied with a malicious glee that proved he'd been waiting for the opportunity to spring this up.

He gestured at the clerk of the Senate. Seconds later, his face on the giant screen was replaced by what looked like a bird's eye view of the valley captured by a drone camera. My heart sank at the sight of two dozen Black Guards and as many Monochromatics of various hues paired with Whites as they cast focused magic, bringing down lightning and blowing shit up. In a perfectly orchestrated script, the camera zoomed in to capture me clapping with a huge grin on my face. Then the image froze on the specific frame that made me look evil instead of bubbly like I'd been that day.

It looked really bad.

"Under the supervision of the off-worlder, the Whites have been infiltrating our city, corrupting the Black Guard, and are now building a vicious army!" Ajustus shouted. "You bore witness and even held a protest outside the Silver Mansion where the so-called Prima received these dangerous pariahs in the home of the divine Prism! We must expel them from our city before irreparable damage is done!"

"YOU DARE!" Atlas shouted before I could express my own outrage.

I had never seen him so angry. With his muscles bunched up as he marched towards the center of the floor, it suddenly struck me just how much body mass he'd gained over the past weeks. The change had been so gradual that I'd barely noticed it, like when you gain weight, and it just creeps up on you until one day it slaps you in the face when old clothes no longer fit.

A glance around the room showed all the other Blacks had also increased their muscle mass, though none anywhere near as much as my man. By the look on the attendees' faces, they were realizing it, too.

"The only corrupted person here is you!" Atlas hissed. "You've spent your entire career ostracizing and belittling us, defunding any scientific research that could help end these disasters, fueling hate and fear against us, and spreading disinformation. Why? Because you fear us. As you should."

My jaw dropped. Ajustus visibly paled while the rest of the crowd showed the first signs of genuine fear.

"You, too, Razus? The off-worlder turned you against us?" Ajustus whispered in complete shock.

"The off-worlder has done more for us in a few weeks than this entire Senate in generations!" Atlas snapped. He turned to look directly at the audience on the balconies and pointed an angry finger at the giant screens that still displayed my face with an evil expression. "The footage he showed you is real. We are indeed building an army. Not to fight Polychromatics, but to protect all of us."

"And we're just supposed to believe this?" Ajustus spat.

"What you believe is irrelevant, Chancellor," Atlas said with disdain, looking at him over his shoulder before turning back to the crowd. "Below the Sibris, there are parasites growing in insane numbers who cause the catastrophic disturbances. Venus helped us confirm the nature of those creatures that our primitive technology prevented our scientists from fully understanding for decades. What that camera captured on Keryth Valley, is Achros and Monos training to defeat that threat."

He turned to the clerk and signaled for him to replay the video. The clerk hesitated and cast a nervous glance towards Ajustus. The Chancellor's glare clearly said for him not to comply. The clerk swallowed hard.

"Replay the footage," Senator Cassius ordered in an imperious tone.

The clerk jumped in surprise, then replayed the footage.

"This isn't off-worlders manipulating us to invade our world," Atlas said. "It is us reclaiming our ancient heritage. Venus has nothing to do with this. The Prism sent us to the valley, setting us on this path of discovery. Kyrene's mentioning old folklore about the magicless shadows prompted me to dig deeper into tales of old. Acamon pointed out that in the old language, Shadows was actually Shaydwin—the giant magicless Blacks—who would cast powerful magic through the Gift of Kiaris on the days of Radiance."

"What do old folk tales have to do with anything?" Ajustus grunted.

"Silence!" Senator Cassius said in an icy tone, leaving the Chancellor speechless. "We will hear what the Razus has to say."

Atlas nodded at the Senator before continuing.

"But just like Shaydwin had changed to Shadows over the years, I found out the original script did not refer to the gift of Kiaris, but the gift of the Wirkanis—the luminous Whites. Radiance was the old name for a halo of pure magic. The tale was never about some mythical dark beings receiving a blessing from the Goddess of Light on the rare days where dancing lights filled the sky. It was about how the Whites can enhance the Blacks by focusing their pure magic halos on us. That's what we are training for."

A heavy silence crushed the room as the same troubled expression settled on every face.

"But if you want us to leave, go ahead, and pass the stupid law that will have absolutely no impact on preventing Thaudras from occurring in Keryth. Just be warned that we will not be herded and confined in that settlement," Atlas said, pouring all the contempt he could muster in that last word.

"It is a mandatory provision of the law!" Ajustus argued.

The dark look Atlas cast his way gave me chills.

"And how do you intend to enforce it, Chancellor? Who among you can coerce a Black Guard into following your bidding?" he said in an evilly sweet tone. "Do not confuse our disciplined upholding of our duty for weakness, despite the constant abuse you subjected us to."

"And where will you go if the ban is instated?" Senator Cassius challenged.

"In the shelter the Black Guards and Monochromatics of Japhyr have been secretly building with our personal resources at a safe distance from the city," Atlas replied matter-of-factly.

"What?! You were planning on deserting?!" Ajustus exclaimed.

"No. We were performing the duties you and the Senate deliberately shirked," Atlas replied with disdain. "For the past six years, I have pleaded with you to build a safe haven to evacuate the population to when Thaudras comes in case it takes too long to stop it. Once the radioactive fallout occurs, and once panic sets in, many innocents will die, become injured, or end up homeless. You have systematically refused with one pathetic excuse after another. You don't care about the people. All that matters to you is power and your personal comfort. Denial is about to slap you in the face."

"That shelter was built for us!" Ajustus exclaimed.

"No, Chancellor. We built it for ourselves. We might have considered granting asylum to the rest of you. Now, I'm not so sure anymore."

I didn't know how I felt about this entire situation. A part of me was turned on as hell by this ruthless side of Atlas. The other worried that he was burning bridges at a time where their people needed to rally and come together as one. And a third one felt those harsh words needed to be spoken, the abscess pierced, and for all of those entitled fools to finally get their long overdue rude awakening.

"You would leave us to die?" Senator Cassius demanded.

"According to all of you, our departure will magically prevent Thaudras. So you have nothing to worry about, right?" Atlas said tauntingly.

"Ajustus promotes that nonsense. The rest of us know better," Cassius said in a dismissive fashion that had the Chancellor's scales darken with fury. But he ignored him. "And what does the Prima say to all this?"

Although used to speaking in front of large audiences, I felt intimidated when every eye turned towards me. Lifting my chin proudly, I walked to the microphone next to Atlas with an assurance I didn't quite feel.

"The Prima has no say in the matter," I said in a neutral tone.

Atlas recoiled, as did Acamon and his mother. The shock and air of betrayal on their faces stung, but I kept a stoic expression as I further explained.

"As the Chancellor pointed out, I am an off-worlder. As per the Prime Directive, it is not my place to interfere with the path your people want to set for yourselves, socially, politically, or technologically. Right now, I'm merely an observer in these proceedings, despite what some people try to insinuate," I added, casting a pointed look at Ajustus.

"But you have interfered in our affairs. You were seen many times in Keryth with the Achromatic army," he challenged.

"I was there as an observer, as an assistant to my husband, and as a voluntary aid to your top scientists," I replied casually. "Kyrene asked for a specific set of data that your technology couldn't gather. I gladly performed the scan and sent them to her for analysis. It is no different than me using our technology to bring a heavy piece of refined marble to a sculptor for them to shape into a masterpiece. And no different than us using our advanced technology to bring the Prism back to your people after his abduction. I see no crime or interference in any of this."

He pinched his lips in annoyance. "So you will not try to get in the way of the Egress Law?" he insisted.

"Like I said, I have no say in this matter. Prometheans will make their decision on that topic, and I will react accordingly," I said with a shrug.

"Meaning?" Senator Cassius asked.

"Atlas is my husband. If he is banned from the city or chooses to leave it, I will follow him wherever he goes, as is my duty," I said with a cold smile.

"As is your duty," Ajustus concurred with a satisfied, predatory grin.

"And what of the Prism?" Cassius insisted, a frown creasing his brow.

"What of him?" I asked with false innocence.

"You would abandon him to follow the male you're only temporarily mated to?" he asked with a sliver of annoyance.

"Of course not!" I retorted with the least genuine surprise. "I am the Prima, and Atlas is Xarin's chosen Blessed Guardian. Wherever we go, he goes."

Right on cue, bewildered voices erupted all over the room, while Atlas gazed at me with a glimmer of proud approval in his eyes, reflected on Acamon's and Kyrene's faces. It took every bit of my willpower to suppress a smug smile.

"SILENCE!" Cassius shouted at the crowd as he shot to his feet.

"See?! She's plotting against us!" Ajustus exclaimed.

"Oh, cut it out already!" I snapped, no longer making any effort to hide my exasperation. "I'm tired of your insinuations and slander. Let me remind you that I didn't choose to come here. Xarin chose me, not once, but twice. Yes, he chose me over you, and he also publicly chose Atlas over you. Get over it! This isn't about you and your petty ego."

I shouldn't have said that, but frankly, I was past the point of caring.

"And this isn't about some nefarious plot for us to invade Sylvar. If that had been our plan, your planet would have already fallen to us. If the UPO or the Enforcers wanted control over the Prism, we simply wouldn't have returned him after capturing his abductor. We travel the galaxy, for fuck's sake! We came here through a freaking portal that connects worlds lightyears away. Your people who got abducted by that Nazhral female before the Enforcers rescued them told you about the technological wonders of other worlds. Do you really think we need some elaborate scheme to infiltrate your society if that was our goal?"

I ran my hand in frustration through my hair. With so much at stake, my patience with this nonsense was seriously running thin.

"I stand before you as the chosen voice of the Prism," I said in a tired voice. "What you've seen on that recording was initiated by his will. He wants the Achromatics to work together, which allowed them to rediscover long-lost powers. His guidance has helped your most brilliant scientist get within reach of a solution to your people's greatest threat. Isn't that all that should matter? Instead of chasing conspiracy theories, listen to what they have to say. And I will continue to follow Xarin's wishes. And so far, he wishes for me to stand by his Blessed Guardian, the Razus of Japhyr. Wherever he goes, we'll go."

Atlas and I locked gazes. The love on his face melted me from the inside out. The loud voices arguing all around us faded into white noise and I drowned in the dark depths of his obsidian eyes.

Yes, wherever he goes, I'll go.