Chapter 18

“What’s wrong with him?”I don’t beat around the bush, or maybe it’d be the rock here in the eyrie, but whatever idiom I choose, I’m not feeling patient. Sohven’s father is giving me a pinch-faced scowl, but I’m not in the mood to be intimidated, and he’s going to give me answers—now.

“Nothing’s wrong with him. Instead of encouraging him to leave with you, you should do what’s best for him and help him through his heat at the appropriate time. It isn’t safe for you to take him away now. Is that what you want? For him to be exposed like this among strangers in your skith machines?”

Skith—I’ve heard that word before, the one that didn’t translate.

“He’s among strangers now.” I know it’s a risk to speak so plainly, but it’s only the truth, and Illson seems to be in the mood for some straight-talking. “You want him to mate with strangers, men he never met before the opening rites. Sohven likes those skith machines. He can pilot one. Did you know that?”

Illson steps closer. “Sohen. Only mates can use each others’ claim-names.”

He already is my mate.

I decide to back off. Antagonizing the man won’t get me anywhere. “Sohen,” I repeat. “So he’s experiencing heat? Are all the others, too?”

I knew something was up. Everyone was just a little off at the dinner. If I’d thought the Lohnya were handsy before, they proved me wrong this evening. I was drinking the muhlsa, the same as them, but it was like being the only sober person in a room full of drunks. The guy with the yellow vossan pinching my pubic hair with his talons was just the fucked up cherry on top of the shit sundae that was watching that big gazla with the blue markings putting his hands all over Sohven earlier.

Illson cocks his head to the side. A tiny little smile plays at the edges of his mouth. “Yes, but it’s only the first stages. The fertility festival is designed for optimal mating. By its end, all participants will demand their mates. It’ll be painful for them to go without them.” He reaches out, drawing a talon down my chest, and he doesn’t bother trying to shield my fragile human skin—he scratches me right across my sternum. “You didn’t seem unaffected either. Although you may never have young in the natural way, our geneticists are skilled. You may be able to contribute to a future youngling. Think about it. Consider what’s truly best for Sohen.”

I know exactly what I want to say, but I know I have to be prudent. If Illson and the others think I might be experiencing heat too, they might be more inclined to let their guard down around me.

“You said I should encourage Sohen to stay. Does that mean he’s asked to leave?”

Illson gets that tight look to his face again. “You expect me to believe you didn’t know?”

“Believe what you want, but we haven’t had much time to discuss anything, have we? Has Sohen contacted our captain?”

Sohen’s father looks like he’s doing mental math and it’s giving him a headache before he finally answers me. “Yes. He wants to leave tomorrow evening, but as I told you before, it would be dangerous for him to leave the eyrie now. His heat is already beginning.”

“If Sohen decides to stay for the entire festival, how will we inform our captain? Our ship should already be on its way, correct?” I ask, trying to simultaneously humor him and confirm S’ahveki’s coming for us. It feels a bit too easy.

“If Sohen stays, we’ll ensure your captain is informed.” His voice is satin smooth now, and he sounds pleased as punch.

“Can I contact the ship directly? I’m sure they’d like to hear it from me,” I counter.

“I think your people will understand that you’re occupied. The second trials begin in the morning. You’ll need to rest well with the others if you’re hoping for another creditable performance. I have to admit,” Illson says with an assessing glance at my chest, “we didn’t expect so much from an outsider. Sohen chose well. I’m pleased that you’re willing to be reasonable.”

I’m pretty sure that’s high praise, yet somehow, I don’t feel all that flattered.

I take a step back and pretend to stumble. “I’ve got to get back to the feast,” I half mumble, intending for Illson to hear.

He smiles creepily as I meander awkwardly towards the lights. “Don’t forget to speak with Sohen. You’ve come this far. You should finish your mating ceremony and become Sohen’s true mate.”

I bend my head to signify I heard his words. The Lohnya definitely know how to manipulate just as well as humans, that’s for sure. I stagger forward, but it’s much harder to walk like an intoxicated—or in heat—person than it seems. I’m more likely to trip now than I would be if I were actually blitzed from a few too many, but I need to sell this if I want to have any chance of sneaking off to the nests to get my bag later tonight. Accessing my undeclared tech just became priority number one on this mission.

When I finally enter the feasting site again, it’s worse than I’d anticipated. No one’s even pretending to eat any longer. They’ve switched to full-on orgy mode. A few guys are humping each other, and several bald, horned heads are rocking between ridiculously built thighs, but as far as I can tell, there’s no penetrative sex occurring. It seems like that’s the only hold barred. My gaze swings to Sohven, but thankfully, he’s alone. He’s not at the gazla bench, but at least no one else is touching him.

He looks miserable. I didn’t want to suck him off earlier, but once I realized something was wrong, I thought maybe it’d help. He seemed so desperate for touch that I thought a release might take the edge off, but he looks just as wound up as before. I’ve got to get him out of here. I want him away from his family before he can no longer remember what it is he actually wants. I nod at him, but he doesn’t seem to see me, his eyes glazed and empty. My hands clench and my throat aches as I swallow down my fear-edged frustration.

“Jace! There you are!”

Someone knocks a little too enthusiastically into my shoulder, and I almost wipe out, but I’m grabbed by the arms and slammed against a broad chest. It’s Ulya, from the flight down to the lake this morning. He was the one calling my name, and now he’s breathing on me, all loosey-goosey, before he leans closer to lick a stripe right up the side of my face. I freeze and just take it because the moment is so absurd. It’s like looking through one of those mirrors meant to distort your reflection. It can’t possibly be real, yet if the trail of saliva burning a line on my cheek is any indication, it’s as factual as anything else that’s occurred so far.

“Ulya,” I say, at a loss.

“You should have some more muhlsa. They’re passing the chalice, and then we’ll return to the pools again.”

“You don’t think that might be hazardous?”

Ulya’s wings shift awkwardly as he frowns. “Hazardous? There are no mighty predators in our pools, not like the sahvatsu you slayed. Come, follow me.”

I pull away with a tight smile. “No, thanks. Have you seen Vozu?” It’s not that I think I’ll fare much better with him, but at least he’s more predictable at this point, and I think he feels some genuine kindness towards me.

“I don’t know where he went,” Ulya replies before giving me a stonier frown than the first. Then he turns away and deserts me.

I shrug and try to pick out Vozu beneath the dim lights and the undulating bodies. I don’t see him, but I know the elders are watching, and they’re not incapacitated by heat. Leaving now won’t be in my best interest if I want to make it to the nests without being followed. I try to recall the little Sohven told me about heat cycles among Lohnya. Considering I wasn’t even aware that the Lohnya only had one sex until the night before we arrived on this planet, the details were pretty scant.

I know it’s never occurred for him the entire time we’ve been together. He told me he’d produce a natural lubrication and feel more pleasure during anal than he usually does, but that their heats had to be activated, so I didn’t need to worry about it. I think at this point it’s pretty clear that the muhlsa has a secret ingredient, but I’m assuming there’s a bit more to it. It’d be pretty dicey if the entire reproductive cycle of a species hinged on a single substance that needed to be ingested.

According to Illson, the entire festival is designed to induce and fulfill Lohnya heat cycles. I doubt that was something younger Sohven fully understood, otherwise he would’ve never wanted to participate now. They’re going to those pools every night, leaking mating fluids, ejaculate, saliva and god knows what else. It isn’t too much of a stretch to conclude that exposure to sperm or some type of hormone or pheromone is triggering a reproductive cycle, but hey, I’m no astrobiologist. Still, the idea is enough to ratchet my simmering panic up a notch. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Sohven doesn’t want to settle down at the old home place and have babies. The timeline on getting out of here just got accelerated.

“Jace, there you are—you should join us.”

I turn at the sound of the familiar voice, but I can’t place it. Then a man steps out of the shadows and smiles. I recognize him now, although I’ve forgotten his name. This morning feels like weeks ago. I remember that he belongs with the gazla who I caught molesting Sohven on the bench—their blue markings match, just like they’re supposed to.

“You should have some more muhlsa.” He’s suddenly much closer when he leans forward to touch my forehead with his face and whisper. “They don’t allow us to drink it often. We have to enjoy it while we still have the chance.”

I dip out of his hold and step back. “Sure, I’ll have some more,” I tell him. It should be easy enough to lift the chalice and pretend. Besides, they’re all too out of it to tell the difference. I keep a fake smile on my face, although I hate seeing all of them like this. Maybe they don’t believe they’re being taken advantage of, but Sohven is, and it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

He runs off to fetch the big cup from someone, and I take the opportunity to slink off in the other direction. I don’t dare get too close to Sohven yet. I don’t want to draw more of his fathers’ attention than I already have. I’m sure Illson’s already told them how he found us.

I manage to sit through what feels like another hour or so of the “feast” without getting mauled by a horny Lohnya, but it’s getting harder and harder to wait. I’m desperate to act, even though I know it’s not a good idea. I get up and walk a little more to stave off the growing cold, but I keep moving too quickly. I want to pace, not amble around like a lush, but that’d be the fastest way to demonstrate I’m not affected by the muhlsa or the festival.

I’m making a turn around the bench furthest from the others when my ankle hits something and I go flying. There’s no recovering from this fall. I’m about to be laid out on the hard stone along the dark edges of the party, and I don’t even have time to get my arms out in front of me.

I slam into a pair of big hands, which saves my face from the impact, but my knees aren’t so lucky. Holy shit, that’s bad. They must be scraped all to hell if the burning sensation can be trusted.

“Are you hurt, Jace?” a deep voice asks.

“Vozu?” I croak out. I’m definitely not up for full sentences yet. I’m still inhaling these awkward, hissing breaths like they’ll transmute the pain. “Did you trip me?”

“Yes?”

I push back and promptly regret it when my raw knees drag against the ground. “Why?” I may be shouting, but it feels warranted.

“I just wanted to talk to you. I can help—I can take you to a medic.”

“Then you should’ve talked,” I snap. My pain tolerance is higher than it used to be, but my knees still hurt enough to make me an irritable bastard. Luckily, my brain is able to put a few things together before I lose this opportunity. “Sorry, Vozu. I know you didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t need a medic. I just need to lie down somewhere until the pain passes. Can you take me to a nest?”

It feels like an inordinately long amount of time before Vozu replies. He wraps an arm around my back, but when he tries to shift another beneath my ass and pick me all the way up, I plant my feet on the ground and stop him.

“You’re certain you don’t need treatment?” he asks as I stand. I wipe gingerly at the gravelly bits stuck to my torn up knees. I got myself pretty good there—my hands come away slick and dark with blood.

“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “Just help me get there, and then I’ll feel better.”

We don’t move quickly, but each step forward gets us closer to the nests, and no one else has noticed that we’re leaving the feasting site. This plan just might work.

I’m not positive the entrance Vozu leads us to is the same one I took with Illson, but it seems familiar. The corridor has the same pinprick lights on the ceiling that so resemble stars, but they seem much brighter this time around. We pass twelve of the misty doorways before Vozu slows down and hesitates in front of the thirteenth. He glances back at me and makes a low noise.

“We’re not supposed to visit the nests until the festival’s end. Don’t tell anyone,” he says.

I don’t intend to.

“I won’t stay long. I just need a moment off my feet, and then I’ll head back to the feasting site.”

Vozu takes two steps back and tips his head towards the roiling clouds forming the door. “Go first. This is my fathers’ nest.”

I stand up straighter and walk right through the doorway, prepared for anything. That doesn’t mean I’m not thankful when there’s no one waiting to greet me on the other side of the mist. My shoulders slump, and I collapse onto one of the angled mattress blocks laid out across the floor. I press the heel of my hand to my forehead to stave off an impending headache. It’s not like I really thought this plan out before executing it. I’m closer to my goal, but still ignorant of the most important pieces of information—the location of Sohven’s fathers’ nest and whether they already performed a search and seizure on my bag, making this whole excursion moot.

“Light,” says Vozu a moment later, and then he makes a sound that’s hauntingly familiar. The last time I heard it, Sohven was checking me for injuries, too. Then Vozu’s groan cuts off and his words start rushing like a river. I’ve never heard a Lohnya talk so fast, and apparently my translation program’s having trouble keeping up with the speed, too. I’m only getting every few words. “Medic…must listen…blood…blood, blood.”

I sit up more and wince when I lower my hand. The small sun in the ceiling must be on daylight mode, because it’s incredibly bright in here now. A quick look at my knees explains Vozu’s freak out. There is a lot of blood, and Vozu’s not used to humans. If I were Lohnya and bleeding like this, it’d be indicative of a major injury, likely an emergency. I gingerly straighten one leg and bend it again before switching to the other. Vozu’s still vibrating with panicked concern and looks about ready to bolt, so I grab his wrist.

“Vozu, stop. Look at me.” I wait until he follows my directions. “I understand it looks really bad, but I promise you I’ll be fine. I do need to clean the wounds, but they’re not actually serious. Human skin is fragile, but it heals quickly.” That’s the problem with Lohnya hide—it doesn’t cut easily, but it takes a lot longer to heal when it does.

He stares at my knees and his ear tips slant back as he swallows. “I’ll retrieve some things from the other chamber. There aren’t many medical supplies or devices kept in our nest now that my fathers have no younglings, but there should be something I can use to clean you.”

As soon as he goes into the next room, I look around, hoping to find something I can use to activate the doors if I’m able to find Sohven’s dads’ nest. I’ll need something pointy and strong enough to jab into the talon holes if my bag isn’t in the first chamber. Unfortunately, the pickings appear slim, and I haven’t discovered anything that could help me by the time Vozu returns.

“Here, stretch out your leg. I’ll start with this one first,” he says as he hurries back to my side. He drops down on one knee and looms over me, frowning and then baring his teeth when I hiss in pain as I extend my left leg.

“It’s just a little stiff. It’s only a little bruising,” I say quickly, wanting to cut off any additional hand-wringing.

He washes off my skin the old-fashioned way—just as he said, he doesn’t have any fancy devices like the medic in the field this morning, but that’s fine with me. I just hope whatever inoculations I received on their station will keep me from perishing from a Lohnya bacterial infection. It’d be a shame for a few scratches to take me out after everything else I’ve survived so far.

“So is Sohen sleeping in his fathers’ nest?” I ask, hoping it comes across as casual curiosity.

Vozu’s hands go still above my knees. “Why?” Does he sound suspicious? Yes, yes he does.

“I’m not planning to break any rules. You don’t need to worry I’m going to try to get close to Sohen when I shouldn’t. I just wondered whether your brother and Sohen would’ve lived next to each other while they were children.” I straighten out my right leg and turn it side to side. There are no bits of gravel stuck in my skin, so I’m not much worse for wear.

“Their nest was only two down from ours, but most often younglings play with each other on the training grounds. It’s uncommon for unrelated Lohnya to enter other families’ nests.” Vozu removes the damp cloth he was using on my scrape and gives it a little shake, nostrils thinning, when he sees the pink staining left by my blood. “I should get the hide-sealer. Sohen won’t be pleased if he sees any injury on you.”

He’s up again in a flash, heading back to the adjoining chamber. I’m hoping the hide-sealer is similar to what the medic used on me earlier. That device was pointy enough to pick a Lohnya lock. The tricky part will be convincing Vozu to give it to me, but I need to try. There isn’t an abundance of sticks or anything else outside the nests that would work.

I’ve got one knee up and the other leg stretched out in front of me. I lift my arms above my head and lean back as I yawn. It’s at that moment that Vozu enters the room again. I wasn’t trying to strike a pose for the other man, but the heated look in his eyes is giving me an idea, one I’m not exactly proud of.

I let my eyes drink him up slowly, from the tips of his talons to the last curve of his horns, and I know this’ll work, even though I hate to take advantage this way. His dick is already rising, and he has that same restless energy Sohven did when he was rubbing himself all over me.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” I ask, leaning back a bit more and shifting my hips to show off my alien assets. Just as I wanted, Vozu’s nostrils flare and he drops down to his knees and moves closer. It’s not really his fault. If he’s going into heat, any available man would probably spark the same response.

“Yes,” he replies, and the word stretches out so long I hear the Lohnya pronunciation long after the translated word plays in my ear.

“Oh, good. I know you’ll make me feel better.” Yes, I’m laying it on thick, but desperate times and all that.

His big hand slides up my shin before he swallows hard and leans in closer, ostensibly to look at my knees. The fact that his eyes are locked between my thighs shatters that illusion.

“Do you have the device?” I ask.

He fumbles something tucked inside his other hand, soft sounds of distress or confusion coming from his mouth as he presses a button along the side. The hide-mender is similar to whatever the medic used earlier, but smaller. It looks like the tip should be narrow enough to mimic a talon.

“Yes, let me heal you.” Vozu bites his lip and drags the pointed end over my raw skin. I grit my teeth and bear it, but I don’t think this device was meant for humans if that’s the way you use it.

“Is it supposed to actually touch my skin?” I ask

Vozu’s hand shakes and he startles back, wings lifting noisily as he almost drops the device. “Let me try again,” he says. While he’s hovering the hide-mender over my knee, he lets his opposite hand slide to my thigh. He’s playing with my leg hair, stroking it the wrong way and swirling his talons through it.

“Here—give me the device,” I tell him. He gives me a big, dopey-eyed confused look. “It’s alright. You can touch it—my hair. Just hand me the device.”

I don’t have to wait long before he gives in and places the hide-mender in my open palm. I wrap my hand around it and lean back onto my elbows, giving him a better view of my body and getting the device out of sight. I’m hoping that translates to out of mind, too.

“You said before that Sohven wouldn’t like this,” he reminds me, but his hand is already venturing further up my leg.

“We won’t do anything he’d disapprove of. It’s okay to feel my hair. You’re just curious, right?” I mean, he has a point. Sohven would hate this, but it’s for the greater good, and I won’t let it go too far. “Feel here.” I grab his hand and pull it up to my stomach and show him my belly button. “You don’t have one of these, do you?”

He dips a knuckle into the small depression and makes a funny noise before he pinches some of my hair again. Then he leans over and sniffs it as he rubs the strands between his fingertips. I think the words I’d use to describe this encounter are absolutely and mortifying.

“It’s like our markings. This…hair seems designed to enhance the shape of your body.”

He starts following the trail down towards my groin, and I know I’ve got to end any further exploration before this little detour goes off the rails. Even at a time like this, the expression makes me want to grin. It took me a while to figure out the origins of that one. I have many regrets about this trip, but one of the big ones is that I probably won’t get a chance to learn as much about the Lohnya language ever again. Sohven is a sample size of one—I would’ve loved to have collected some new Lohnya idioms during my stay.

“Whoa!” I take Vozu’s hand before he goes any lower, sliding my fingers through his. “Let’s slow down. Maybe you should go back to the others now. They can make you feel better.” I nod towards the general vicinity of his hips. I don’t need a closer look, and I certainly don’t want to get him even more excited. I know he can’t help his arousal, and I don’t want to make it worse now that I’ve accomplished what I needed to.

Vozu crawls back slowly, and I can practically feel his gaze dragging over my skin. He stops when he’s hovering over my legs, and then he licks me right above my knee and shudders. “You taste good.” His voice is distinctly raspy.

“Go back to the feast. Find some relief there. I promise I won’t stay long before I come back. I won’t let you get in trouble for bringing me here.”

He’s silent and still for a moment before he moves back and jerkily stands. “Hurry back,” he says without looking at me. “I’ll keep you warm at the sands. I’ll be able to control myself better then—find me.”

I nod as he leaves. Just like Sohven, he’s surprisingly quiet for such a big guy. I turn the hide-mender in my hand and sit up straight. I’m a little stiff when I get to my feet, but I’ll feel better once I get moving.

I step back out into the hall area and hope no one else is roaming about. Vozu said Sohven’s family was two doors down, but didn’t specify which direction. I’m going to try two nests closer to the exit first. I’d rather not go any deeper into the tunnel than I have to.

Even though there was no sign of any other inhabitants when he entered the cave, I can’t help but feel like someone will pop through one of the misty doorways at any moment and sound the alarm. Luckily, the smooth floor and convenient lighting make it easy to go fast. I keep to the side of the tunnel and hurry past the first door. I blow out a breath once I’m standing in front of the second doorway down. This could go really bad, really quickly. I’ll just have to be ready to play the stupid human card if thing’s go to shit.

I stride through that doorway like I’m exactly where I belong. I stop a few steps over the threshold. It’s dark, seemingly unoccupied. A few quick breaths help to slow my racing heartbeat, but I won’t be relaxing until this is over and done with.

“Hila,”I say slowly, using the word Vozu did in his parents’ nest. Nothing happens. “Hila,” I repeat, putting the emphasis on the I. A few more seconds pass, and I fear that my pronunciation is too poor to activate the lighting. I’m not sure whether I’m just imagining it, but the room seems to grow a little brighter. I look up at the ceiling and lift my arm to cover my eyes when the room floods with sudden light.

I laugh, and it sounds slightly crazed. Then I rub my hands like a villain and look around.There’s no easy way to tell whether this nest belongs to Sohven’s dads, but just like in Vozu’s family’s nest, the room is pretty bare outside of the mattresses and ropes. It must be Lohnya custom to keep their sleeping chambers spare.

My hand tightens around the hide-mender and I head for the first door, or where I assume it should be. I don’t see the holes at first and end up having to move a few steps to the right before I locate the small openings in the stone. It’s then that I realize the flaw in my plan—three holes, one pointy device.

“Shit,” I whisper.

I try jabbing the middle hole with the device, but predictably, it’s unsuccessful. I end up keeping the hide-mender in the same position, pressed between the heels of my palms, while I work my pinkie nails into the other holes.

My nails aren’t reaching far enough, and I’m desperate. I take a deep breath and just shove them in harder. My skin pinches, and I can feel the edges of my nails snapping, but it does the trick. I shake out my hands while the door appears to vanish in front of me, dropping the device in my haste. I bend down to pick it up, but change my mind midway through. Instead, I step through the opening and shift the hide-mender so the end is in the path of the door. If that part gets crushed, I’ll still have the pointy end to get myself out of here, but maybe it’ll keep the door from closing at all, just like the sensor controlled doors on our ships.

I hop back and watch the doorway, but it looks like I’m right, because the opening remains stable.

“Hila,” I say again, relieved when the lights activate right away this time.

Just like in the nest where Illson painted my vossan, this room has shelving lining the walls. The floor is fairly clear. There are chairs of different types, all designed for beings with wings, and a large hammock in the corner that reminds me uneasily of the one Sohven and I wove on Sannaveh. I’m sure they could’ve had one made out of superior materials, but this is braided and imperfect, just like the one we made.

I keep looking, searching for the slightly lumpy silhouette of my bag, but there’s nothing obvious. I pick the wall to my left and start there, pulling out bins from the bottom shelf first. I’m almost through all of the bins before I find anything of interest. It’s my crumpled up bag. Someone removed all the contents and slashed the side open, so it’ll be no use to me now.

I search faster once I get to the next shelf, taking less care to put things back the way they I found them. I need to get out of here. The longer I take, the more likely I am to get caught, and then we’ll really be screwed. By the time I’m rifling through the bins on shelf number five, I’m not even attempting to pretend someone didn’t sift through all their belongings. Hopefully by the time anyone realizes what’s up, we’ll be on our way off the eyrie.

I dump a bin filled with small odds and ends and grin when I see the familiar shape of my favorite long-range messaging device. It’s designed for stealth, but without clothing, I have nowhere to hide it. It’ll fit in my palm, but the other three devices won’t. Luckily, when Sohven’s fathers stashed my things, they put all of them in the same place. I sort through the rest of the junk on the floor and grab my remaining belongings. I guess my clothes and toiletries must be hidden somewhere else, but I’m not hanging around to find out.

I scoop everything else back inside the bin, pausing over a few stick-shaped items that look like they might be able to mimic talon-tips. I hold those back along with my tech and shove the bin back into place. I straighten a few other bins before I head for the doorway and snatch up the hide-mender. Even if I don’t plan to keep it now, I need to get rid of it somewhere less obvious.

The doorway closes behind me as soon as I’m through. Almost there. I’m rushing towards the mist door when a leg swings through the swirling, smoke-like fog. I freeze before I race towards the side of the room and the highest wedged mattress. It won’t hold up under a basic search, but it’s the only hiding place my panicked mind can spot. I drop to the floor and do my best to squeeze my body under the mattress. I get a thigh beneath the heavy foam-type material before I hear someone speak.

“He’ll change his mind once the mating is completed.” I don’t recognize the voice, but it seems likely they’re discussing Sohven. I curl tightly against the side of the mattress, hoping to make myself less visible.

“I spoke to the human.” Definitely Illson. “We’ll have to watch him. He’s more intelligent than I anticipated, but he’s devoted to Sohen, and from the way I found him servicing our son, it’s likely he’s at least partially affected by the rites as well.”

“Do humans experience heat?” a third voice asks, and even though Lohnya step lightly, I still hear him moving closer to my spot.

“I’m not certain. We’ll have the medical unit test him thoroughly once the festival is over. It’d please Sohen to have young by him. We’ll see what our fertilization specialists can achieve,” says Illson. It sounds like he’s coming this way, too. I’m gritting my teeth so hard I might crack a molar.

“What if Sohen resists mating with the others?”

“The muhlsa he was drinking tonight has double the ivba. He won’t be able to walk straight by morning. The need will tear him apart. He’ll be completely helpless to his body’s urges. We’ll bring his other mates in first—I’ve chosen the six who performed best during the hunt.”

“He’ll want his human,” the other one tells him. Damn right he will. As horrifying as their plan is, at least there’s some satisfaction in knowing they recognize I’m the carrot that will get Sohven to do what they want.

“He’ll get him—after he’s mated with the others. You’ll see. All will be as it should,” replies Illson.

The first voice pipes up again. “You left the light activated again, Hanen,” the man complains.

Oops.That’s right. I may have figured out the Lohnya word for light, but Vozu left in too much of a hurry to demonstrate how to turn off the mini-sun.

“If he hasn’t learned by now, he’ll never be trained properly.” Yikes. It seems Illson is harboring some resentment towards dad number three, or is it four?

Unfortunately, no one seems inclined to turn down the lights, and it remains just as bright as before. There’s no way I’m slipping out of here undetected unless something changes. Hopefully they won’t stay much longer.

I grimace and curse in my head when someone plops down on an adjoining mattress and lets out a contented groan.

“We don’t have time to nap, Kal,” says Illson sharply. The man definitely has favorites. He does not treat all of his husbands the same.

“Be easy, Illson. I’ll get some fulqe and a glass. A small rest will be fine.”

The quiet seems to grow deeper as the other father walks away. I assume he’s going to the second chamber, but at least I didn’t touch any glasses. Hopefully he won’t have cause to discover my raid on their storage bins.

I was getting cold earlier, but the temperature must be kept higher in their nests. Combined with my mounting nerves, I’m working up a sweat. It seems like forever before the third father returns. They’re drinking now, and if it’s not muhlsa, it’s still something that’s giving them a buzz. They don’t stay still up there. I can feel them rolling around—my mattress shifts and compresses as they move, and I brace myself for the moment when one of them ends up on top of me and decides to find out why their bed is suddenly so lumpy.

They’re chuffing and making low, pleased sounds. My entire body goes stiff when the distinctive sound of sucking fills the air. It only gets worse, the moist, wet noises growing louder and the muffled groans intensifying. I’m never visiting an alien planet during a fertility festival again, not unless it’s some sort of plant-like species and I’ll only be subject to a little pollen distribution.

I weigh my options. Getting caught now would be disastrous, but it might be my best opportunity to leave. I just need to see how…occupied they are. I relax my abs and lower myself down on my back, working to get my breathing quieter. It feels like everyone will hear me exhaling like a bellows. I close my eyes and cover my mouth with one hand.

I slowly ease my leg free, stopping after each centimeter to make sure no one’s noticed a difference. I doubt I’d have the ability to complain about a slight shift in my mattress if I was in their position, but I need to remain cautious. There’s no way for me to know that they’re all in on the current action. Illson could be perched up there like an irritable raptor, just waiting for me to give myself away.

It still stings when my knee rubs the underside of the mattress wrong, but I’m able to stifle my gasp, and finally, I’m free. I roll slowly to my knees, trying to keep my weight on my shins. Then I lift my shoulders and head until my eyes are just level with the bottom slope of the mattress. It’s still way too bright in here for comfort, but I’m less likely to be seen at this level than if I peeked over the top end.

Oh, wow. That’s a lot of Lohnya ass—and wing.

I’ve officially had my fill of group sex. After we get back to the Queen, I think I can safely say I’ll be taking a hiatus from any and all visual aids, if you know what I mean. I’ve seen enough copulating strangers to last me a year, and Sohven’s dads are probably at the very bottom of the list of who I want to observe getting it on. At least they’re all thoroughly engrossed in each other. This is definitely my cue to get moving.

I shift back onto my heels and grab the devices that aren’t already in my hands. Then I carefully stand, watching the bodies on the mattresses for any sign they’ve heard me. Luckily, it appears I’ve still got a little time to get out of here, although that might not last much longer with the way they’re going at it. I bite the bullet and walk swiftly around the edge of the nest area. As soon as I step through the barrier and into the dim tunnel, I exhale loudly and clutch my full hands to my chest as I bend forward. I know I need to keep moving, but I just had to release some of that pent-up tension.

I glance left and right and start jogging towards the exit, or at least in the direction I hope will get me out. The entire tunnel looks the same now, but I’m fairly confident I’m headed the right way. When I burst out into the open, I bite back a yelp when my feet hit the rough ground. Those smooth tunnel floors had me spoiled.

I can’t hide everything I’m carrying, so I need to avoid running into anyone who might question me until I have a chance to get a message to S’ahveki. I slink along the rock wall and start to shiver as the chilly air quickly gets to me. Whatever warmth I’d felt from the muhlsa earlier is long gone, and the shock of going from a warm nest to a desert-like night makes it feel even worse.

I slow down. Voices rumble up ahead. We’re far from the feasting site, but apparently I’ve stumbled upon another group of Lohnya. I keep going, but remain cautious. My jaw just about drops when I curve around a bend in the rock and see a giant-sized projection of everyone back at the feast playing out over a massive wall of smoothed-down stone.

About sixty Lohnya are relaxing in the open-air room, some perched, others sprawled on their stomachs, and the rest sitting on benches and chairs. I’d wondered where everyone else was while we participated in the festival—it seems I have my answer. We’ve been providing the entertainment while the rest of them watch us like their favorite movie.

I back away slowly and start cutting across the relatively even expanse of rock ahead. If I squint, I can make out the lights at the feast site, and if I find it again, I can get back to the sandy sleeping area. There should be somewhere along the way where I can take a few minutes to transmit my message to S’ahveki. Hopefully I’ll be able to speak to him directly. Buoyed by that thought, I walk faster, ignoring the little discomforts as I imagine stepping aboard the Queen, maybe even sometime tonight if my bossy captain can work his magic.

I crouch beside a boulder big enough to hide my form. Although I think I’m far enough from the others that no wandering Lohnya will run into me, they see much better at night than I do, and I don’t want anyone to investigate. It’s dark, but there’s still just enough light for me to make out the controls on my messaging device. I unlock it and enter S’ahveki’s personal code, bypassing the general comm designation for the Queen. Everything seems to be progressing normally. A slight delay is typical, but then the faint static noise from the device suddenly cuts out.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mutter.

I toss the first device down and pick up a bulkier one. Maybe something got broken when Sohven’s dads dumped my stuff. I doubt they were intending to give it back, so they wouldn’t have bothered being careful.

I take more time entering my codes, just to make sure I get everything correct. I hit submit and wait, but the same thing happens, and I know it’s not a technical malfunction—my communications are being blocked.

I can’t go back to the rest of the group carrying all my gear, so I set everything except for the stealth device down by the bottom edge of the boulder. I shove my hand into a little depression, thankful no creepy-crawlies are there to greet me, and then I remove it and push in my things. I don’t like giving up the little stick-shaped items, my talon-replacers, but I can’t carry them on me without being obvious. At least my messaging device fits easily within my palm. I’m not desperate enough yet to resort to hiding it in any location that it’d require a cavity search to discover, but I guess that’s always a last ditch option. I shudder at the thought and get up, heading directly for the lights.

My shoulders are hunched, and I’m rubbing my arm for warmth with my free hand when I’m close enough to make out individual Lohnya again. I look for Sohven first, but I don’t see any of the gazlas, just a bunch of prospective mates getting busy with each other, several of them replicating the scenario Sohven’s fathers were demonstrating earlier.

I turn away. The pools it is, then. There’s nothing for me here at the feasting site any longer. I want to keep an eye on Sohven until I can figure out how to get us off the eyrie. From what Sohven’s fathers said, it sounds like they’re not planning anything until tomorrow when they think he’ll be too desperate to fight them. Illson’s chosen half of the Lohnya who declared for Sohven to be his mates—if that many people start to disappear from the morning’s trial, I think I’ll notice.

I pick my way towards the pools, glad for the loud music tonight. I can’t see the lights from here, but I can definitely hear where everyone is. I inventory my assets as I walk. I’ve got several non-functioning messaging devices, I can probably open a door if I need to, and that’s about it. I might be able to trust Vozu, but if I ask him for a ride down to the ground, he could end up reporting me to the elders. Even if he doesn’t, I’m assuming there must be some sort of security down there guarding access to the shuttles. All in all, my rescue plans aren’t looking promising.

Fewer Lohnya fill the pools tonight. I think quite a few got too caught up in the activities at the feasting site to leave, but that works in my favor. I slip in without attracting all that much attention, and I have a good view of Sohven while I get warm again. He seems to have had the same idea; Sohven is in the smallest adjacent pool, alone except for one other gazla. His eyes are closed, but he’s not at rest. In fact, he appears incredibly tense. I look into the shadows beyond the pools’ edge—we’re still caged in by hidden elders. I can’t go to him now, but I can keep watch.

No one notices me for a long time. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that the first person to approach me is Vozu. The entire time he crosses the pool towards me, I debate asking for his help. In the end, I bite my tongue and wait to see what he’ll tell me.

“Hello, Jace,” he says once he’s only a few steps away. “You look well.”

I don’t feel it. I’m tired and hungry, and my right arm is freezing. It’s the one I’ve been keeping out of the water to protect my messaging device.

“Thanks to your help before,” I reply.

He lowers himself to the bench beside me, but remains silent.

“What happens when Lohnya go into heat?” I ask.

That gets a response out of him. Water swirls around us as he turns towards me, wings shifting in the open space behind us. “What do you mean? Is it different for you? You’re compatible with us, aren’t you?”

I contemplate the best way to answer him. Most of the Lohnya seem to know the Allvek’hi, but they’re not exactly a straightforward example either. How do I explain how Sohven and I fit so perfectly together when to Vozu, it will sound as if we don’t?

“Humans are always fertile. We don’t go into heat.” There—simple, right?

He stares into my eyes as if I might say something different if he looks long enough. Then his gaze drops to the water like that might hold the answers instead. “Your kind must have many children,” he finally says.

“Yes. That’s never been a problem for humans.”

“This is my first heat, so what I tell you is only what I was told before the start of the festival.” Vozu looks up, mouth twitching. “I’ve felt desire and known pleasure, but they say the need overwhelms all else, that days pass without your knowledge while you’re lost in the urges of the body.”

“Do you remember afterwards? Did they tell you that?” I ask.

Vozu tilts his head and his horns catch the moonlight. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

“What happens if a gazla goes into heat before the end of the festival? Does he just suffer through it?” I pick a shadow in the distance and focus on it so that he won’t be able to look into my eyes and see how badly I need the answer.

“I…I don’t know. I suppose he would choose his mates earlier. He would not be left to suffer his heat alone.”

I nod and press my lips together. My foot bounces against the bottom of the pool. I’ve got to get down there to one of those shuttles.

“When does tomorrow’s trial start?”

“After the morning meal, the same as today’s.”

“So the day will be no different?” I ask.

Vozu frowns like he’s not quite sure what the question is. “There will be a second trial later in the day, but otherwise, it should be similar. We’ll have one more day of trials and then the mating flight. You’ve already successfully completed the most difficult trial. Are you worried you won’t be able to satisfy him, Jace?”

“What? No,” I reply quickly. He’s giving me this pitying look like he thinks I’m either lying or delusional, and I can see why he might’ve come to that conclusion given my questions. “I’m just curious,” I tell him. “Is Zana a diplomat? Do you know why he was chosen to meet our ship?” I hope Vozu won’t question the abrupt change of topic.

“Zana?” His wings extend and flutter before he settles back, letting his legs stretch out in front of him. “He volunteered first. He was very eager to meet Sohen—and you, of course. We were all curious about the human prospective mate mentioned in Sohen’s entrance request.” His big hand slides over my leg. “I’m glad to have met you,” he says, giving my thigh a squeeze before he lets go. It feels innocent enough this time. He obviously must’ve found some type of release while I was busy.

“What happens to the prospective mates who aren’t chosen by a gazla? I mean, if you’re all in heat by the end of the festival…”

“They take their pleasure in each other, I suppose. Any viable eggs produced are given to their chosen gazla’s nest, but I can’t recall a time when any mates weren’t chosen, at least here at Fallil. Zana told me he went to Hohlu during their festival, but he failed the first trial and left on his own. Usually a gazla accepts all who claim him, but I suppose there are exceptions.”

“Thanks for explaining everything. You’ve been a good friend, Vozu.” It’s the truth, but it doesn’t mean I can fully trust him, especially when he’s one of the men who’ll be experiencing a heat and the shame of being one of the few in their history who won’t be chosen by his gazla. I’m not asking Vozu to take me down to the shuttles—he has far too much at stake, even if he acts like he understands.

I sigh and tip my head back against the rock behind me. I watch Sohven some more through half-closed eyes and soak up the water’s heat.

“I can take you back to the sands. I’ll keep you warm through the night—you don’t have to worry. I can control myself.”

I open my eyes and smile. He does seem more settled now. “Thank you.” I glance at Sohven once more. “Who’s going to help him? Who’ll be there to see him safely to a nest?”

“His fathers,” Zovu replies.

That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.