Chapter 28

Siona

W e'd only started walking towards the north exit of the Commons when excited voices rose ahead. The Warriors blocking my view parted, creating a clear path.

"Zerien!" I whispered, tears of joy pricking my eyes at seeing my man unscathed. "ZERIEN!" I repeated this time in a shout as I broke into a run towards him.

"Siona!" he shouted back as he raced towards me.

As I closed the distance with my man, I addressed a silent thank you to the Goddess that she returned him to me safe and sound. His flawless skin confirmed they didn't subject him to the horrible torture I so dreaded. His beautiful face smiled at me as his midnight blue hair flew behind him. The bright rays of the mid-afternoon sun shining down on him gleamed over his armor, giving him an almost angelic aura.

My stomach dropped half a beat before our bodies collided. Zerien wrapped his arms around me, picking me up before twirling around. He lifted his face to kiss me, and I averted mine just in time so that he would touch my cheek instead, right at the corner of my mouth. The tender look in his eyes instantly faded, replaced by a cold glint that sent a shiver down my spine. He bared his fangs at the same time I whipped out my blade.

Moving with the insane speed of a striking snake, he attempted to bite me only to have my elbow brutally meet the side of his jaw. Simultaneously, I rammed my blade into his side. His attempt to block my attack barely missed, the blow to his face having destabilized him. His shout of pain resembled more an angry growl. Before I could stab him again, he shoved me away with a phenomenal strength that sent me flying a few meters back. The force of the blow knocked the dagger out of my hand.

I fell on my back but dampened the impact by immediately going into a roll and jumping right back onto my feet. Outraged and horrified shouts resonated all around us. Most of them were screaming at me. The way he had held me would have prevented most witnesses from realizing that he had attempted to inject me with lethal poison with his fangs. To them, it would have merely looked like a loving partner attempting to kiss his beloved.

Two pairs of hands grabbed my forearms to restrain me. Without thinking, I activated the electrified feature of my suit through its neural link. It instantly blasted them with a low-level electric discharge, strong enough to make them back off, but not enough to harm—which it would have if I'd set it to lethal levels. By the startled gasps they emitted, I recognized Alred's voice, but not who the other person was. I was too focused on the impostor before me to spare them a glance.

I raised my forearm in front of me, deploying my energy shield while whipping out my blaster from its holster. Around us, the Imperial Guards were pulling their own weapons, some aiming my way with a horrified expression, and others aiming at ‘Zerien.'

He activated some sort of energy field around himself. One hand aimed a blaster at me, and the other pressed the wound on his side to stem the blood.

"Stop!" Nemrox shouted, his right palm raised in an arresting gesture, although his handsome face was glaring at Zerien. "That's not my son!"

Relief flooded through me as confusion settled on many faces before understanding started dawning on only a handful of them.

"But… How do you know?" one of the guards asked, his weapon nonetheless trained on the impostor.

"Whatever trick he's using is fooling the DNA scanners. But I know my son's soul. And his does not match," Nemrox hissed.

As one, every Sarenian shifted their vision, their eyes going slightly out of focus as they glanced at his soul. Those who worked closest with the Prince immediately saw him for the fraud that he was. But the others peeked my way to compare my soul to his. If this was truly Zerien, his soul would be in perfect harmony with mine as my soulmate—which obviously wasn't the case with this intruder.

What I wouldn't have given to possess that power.

Outraged gasps filled the room while rabid anger settled on every face. Appearing unfazed to have thus been exposed, the mimic chuckled while staring at me with an impressed look.

"They can see souls," he said pensively. "But what of you, young Warrior Queen? How did you guess?"

"That's for me to know, you son of Gharah!" I hissed.

I didn't know if his acolytes were listening in on this conversation. But I certainly wouldn't let him know that the reflection of the sun on his so-called Prillium armor gave him away. Once again, I silently thanked the Oracle for this insight. But I would still need to ask her why the fuck she hadn't simply told me what to look for instead of speaking in riddles.

He chuckled again and bowed his head in concession while putting his blaster back in its holster.

"You're truly formidable, Siona Aldriss. It's a pity that we must be on opposite sides. Despite what you may think, I'm not your enemy, and I only have the greatest respect for you. But sacrificing you would have avoided so much death," he added, waving at the corpses on the floor. "This shouldn't have been the final path. Then again, Fate has a tendency of always choosing the most convoluted journey for us. She must be bored."

The casual way he spoke, filled with self-derision, took me for a loop. Was he this oblivious to the seriousness of his predicament? Was he using humor as a way to cope with his imminent death? Or did he feel so utterly overconfident in his ability to escape that he could make light of the situation?

That immediately set all my senses into high alert.

"Alred, scan all frequencies for stealth shields on the ground and camouflaged vessels," I commanded.

He complied under the even more amused expression of the intruder as he observed us. His smile only faded for half a second as he winced and glanced down at his wound. It was bleeding profusely. Unless swiftly tended, it would soon prove fatal.

To our collective shock, that fake Zerien's face and body started to melt like ice under intense heat. His height shrank a bit, and his body became a lot more slender with the kinds of perfect feminine curves that would make any woman drool with envy. His bluish skin turned a pale gray, and dark Veredian spots appeared along the sides of his arms, neck, and legs. Incredibly long black hair cascaded down his back all the way to his ankles. And his face took on the breathtaking features of Zharina Praghan—Gavin's mate—with her bud nose, heart-shaped lips, oversized yellow irises with specks of green, and the chevron-shaped bone ridges on her forehead inherited from her Xelixian father.

"What in Gharah's name...?" I exclaimed.

With a smug smile, the fake Zharina—Zhara for short—pressed her palm to the gaping wound exposed by the sports bra and low waist black training leggings the mimics previous outfit had turned into. To our utter dismay, the blood that had been trickling down her leg started resorbing back into the wound, turning red as it did so to match her new DNA. Moments later, the wound started stitching itself back together before vanishing altogether, leaving behind a flawless skin.

"Impossible!" I whispered, flabbergasted. "What in the world are you?"

I heard of species with the ability to shapeshift. As far as I knew, aside from changing their physical appearance, none of them could transform and emulate clothes. But that they could also gain the powers of the being they were morphing into was another first, especially when it came to psionic powers.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he lifted his armband to his lips to speak into the com. Only then did I realize that it had not shifted to a Veredian model, unlike the Sarenian one he had when pretending to be Zerien. It didn't resemble a Xelixian bracer either. I could only presume it belonged to whatever his species would turn out to be.

"All units, retreat. Meet at rendezvous point," he said in a factual tone before turning back to me. "By the way, my name is Dread. But you probably suspected that already."

"No one cares about your name. You know we'll take your ships down before they can escape, right?" Nemrox said in a harsh tone.

He snorted and gave him an indulgent smile as if he'd said something cute. "You hurt my feelings, Emperor Nemrox. But don't waste your time and energy. Despite your respectable progress, Sarenian weapons cannot defeat Draylian technology."

Deliah's and Killian's horrified gasps had every head turning their way. The look of terror and disbelief on their faces had my blood run cold.

"That's impossible," Killian said, taking a few hesitant steps forward.

Deliah was pressing a palm to her chest and involuntarily shaking her head in denial, as if to wish away a dreadful nightmare.

He didn't answer but shifted instead into yet another person. This time, it was a rather handsome male of similar height, size, and muscle mass as my Zerien. But that was where the similarities ended. His pale skin, too light to be beige but too dark to be white, was adorned by a series of dark patterns, which didn't quite qualify as lines or swirls on his face and arms left exposed by his sleeveless leather armor. Two very strong bone ridges formed a V on his forehead at a much sharper angle than the chevron shaped ones of the Xelixians. Like me and the Korletheans, he possessed pointy ears. And his straight black hair fell to the middle of his back.

He leveled the oddest silver-white eyes with a dark rim at the Korletheans. Gone was all previous softness or amusement he previously displayed.

"That's impossible," Killian repeated. "We killed you all!"

My back stiffened, and I gaped in disbelief at the Seer, my mind refusing to accept the thought trying to worm its way in.

"Clearly not," Dread said, his voice dripping with contempt. "We are legion. And now, we're going to finish what you started."

"It won't work," Deliah interjected with a slightly shaky voice. "Defying Fate can only make matters worse. We have learned the hard way. Do not repeat our mistakes!"

He waved with disdain. "We're not defying Fate but shaping it the right way. You've wronged far too many people to continue to get away with it the way you have so far. Crawling to the Veredians for protection will not save you."

"Then attack us ," Killian said in a harsh tone. "There's no need to drag the rest of the galaxy into this mess. You talk about the deaths that could have been averted had Siona been sacrificed, but what about the millions of lives that could be spared if you end all these plots and schemes that can only end into a bloody Great War?"

Dread tilted his head to the side and studied Killian's features as if he was a strange creature that shouldn't exist in the real world.

"You're a Seer. You more than anyone else should know the Great War is inevitable."

"It is inevitable, but it doesn't have to drag on for years and turn into a genocide. It could be stopped swiftly if the right decisions are made leading up to it," Killian said in a slightly pleading tone.

For a split second, the Draylian looked as if he wanted to give it some consideration. But that expression was so fleeting I couldn't be certain I didn't simply imagine it.

"You've caused too much damage," Dread said, his face closing off. "Because of what you did, others will come after us and try to exterminate us. The only way to prevent our people and offspring from being hunted down is to take our rightful place in the galactic hierarchy."

"You would start the Great War over this?" I challenged. "The Veredians were also hunted before they established their power sufficiently for everyone to back off."

"Fair point, young Queen. But we are not starting the Great War. We're merely using it. Even without us, the Great War is inevitable. We're just riding the wave to serve our purpose."

He appeared on the verge of saying something else but jerked his head to the left towards the southeast entrance of the Commons through which we originally arrived. Just like when he made his great entrance, excited voices filled the room. This time, my soulmate had truly returned. I didn't need to check for the sun's reflection on his armor, or to have the ability to see souls like his people did. At a visceral level, I felt it all the way deep in my bones.

That didn't stop the Imperial Guards from shifting their vision to confirm this wasn't a trick from another Draylian mimic. We both ran to each other. Like Dread had done, Zerien effortlessly picked me up and twirled before crushing my lips in a passionate, almost desperate kiss. This déjà vu could have ruined our reunion, but it didn't. Nothing could tarnish or dampen the joy that my Zerien's presence always gave me, and especially not after today's tribulations.

He eventually put me back down on my feet. Like I'd done with Eldrin, he held me by my upper arms to examine me from head to toe in search of any injury.

"I'm fine, my love," I said in a reassuring tone while pressing my palms to his chest to check that he was okay as well. "I'm unharmed. Eldrin and everyone else are also safe."

He pulled me into his arms again in a bruising embrace that expressed the depth of his relief and of the fear that had plagued him. He suddenly stiffened, and a vicious growl vibrated through his chest. Stunned, I slightly pushed away from him and peered at his face. Finding him staring over my shoulder with murder in his eyes reminded me of what his arrival interrupted.

I glanced over my shoulder at the Draylian, still protected by the energy shield he'd erected around himself. Zerien released me, grabbed my hand, and started marching menacingly towards him.

To my surprise, Dread didn't seem frightened or angry as my mate approached him. He only had this strange wistful and sad look on his face.

"As happy as I am to see you reunited with your soulmate, a different path should have prevailed," Dread said with resignation. "Now, many more lives will be lost."

"Not if we take you out first and end it, you son of a krillik!"

Dread smiled in that obnoxiously indulgent way of his. "We've seen this path, Prince Zerien. An intriguing one to be certain. I do not die this day, and certainly not at your hands."

"Take that fucking shield down!" Zerien shouted while raising his blaster towards Dread.

Everyone, me included, started unloading our blasters on the shield. Remaining stoic, Dread began to shift again. This time, I recognized the stunningly handsome Rhadames, the younger brother of the fraternal twins Vahleryon and Zharina.

"Until we meet again," Dread said tauntingly a split second before his shield collapsed.

Drade charged forward and attempted to cut him down with his sword, only to meet empty air. In a blink, the Draylian had vanished. A few more guards rushed forward, striking at nothing in the hopes of connecting with him wherever he was stealthing.

"Don't waste your time," Killian shouted. "He's gone. Dread is a mimic. He can take on the abilities of those he morphs into. Rhadames Praghan can teleport through insane distances, even across solar systems. You'll never catch him."

"How many of these mimics are there," Nemrox asked in a tense voice, echoing the question visible on most faces.

"I suspect there are very few," I replied pensively in his stead. "Why else would he have come alone? Many of them striking at once might have granted them the victory they sought."

Deliah nodded. "She's right. Mimicry is the rarest Titan trait. But it is also draining to use. He healed himself and then teleported out. Depending on how far he went, he might need hours, maybe even days to recover."

"He told the other vessels to meet him at their rendezvous point," I said, turning to Zerien.

"We were fighting them off until they all suddenly retreated. They were not just leaving the palace, but the planet itself. Wherever they were meeting, they're going off-world," he replied with a frown.

"There's no point dwelling on him for now, then," Nemrox said, visibly displeased. "As much as I would love to spill his guts, we need to secure the palace. There might be more enemies lurking."

"No, Emperor," Deliah said in a soft voice. "The battle is won. The only living rebels remaining are being taken to your dungeons as we speak. I see no future paths of unrest before the coronation. The worst has been averted."

A general cheer welcomed the Oracle's words.

"How did you know?" Alred timidly asked me when the ruckus died down.

That drew curious stares from many of the people within hearing range.

I smiled. "That neither Drade nor Naax were with him bothered me. But the main reason was the light reflecting on his bracer. Prillium does not reflect light. If not for the insightful warning from the Oracle, I might not have realized it in time."

"My Siona, you are truly the Warrior Queen my people deserve," Zerien said, his face and voice filled with pride.

"All hail the Warrior Queen!" Alred shouted.

Every voice around us repeated his words in a chant. But it all faded in the background as I locked eyes with my mate. At long last, I was home, with my soulmate and my people. No challenge would ever be too great so long as we stayed together.