9781631055577NiKohsChosenMichaelsNC (2 page)

NIKOH’S
CHOSEN:

FAMILY MATTERS

Kenzie Michaels

Prologue

Seven years ago

“But
I don’t want you to go.” Eight-year-old OkVei SiLah watched in dismay as his
friend GiNae SoJae packed her clothes. “Father leaves for Xaxa next week with
Uncle LoGar, and I’ll have
to go to the Council of
Elders after school, to help Mother. You can’t leave me here all alone. Who
will play with me and SuWeh?”

GiNae
paused,
then
placed her tunic in her suitcase. “I
would think you and SuWeh would be happier without me. You can play Wa
r to your heart’s content, instead of having me around to
remind you to do your homework.” She sat down on the bed and put her arms
around him, drawing him onto her lap. “I’ll be back for visits. You’re not
getting rid of my entirely.”

“It’s
not the same.”
OkVei leaned his head against her
shoulder. “Why can’t you take lessons at school anymore? I wish I could go with
you.”

GiNae
sighed. “It’s the way the system works. Everyone who’s eligible enters the
Academy when you complete Primary school. When you’re
nineteen,
then you take the Placement Test, to see what occupation suits you best.”

“I’ll
write you every day.”

“You
don’t need to do that.”

“But
I want to. I’m going to Bond with you someday, you’ll see.” OkVei slid off her
lap and ran to the door.

“Don
’t be ridiculous. I’m four years older than you are.” He
looked back and saw her reach into her closet again. “Besides, I’m never going
to Bond. I’m going to be too busy with my animals.”

“If
Mother got the Council of Elders to approve her conservatory ide
a, then she can make the military approve an animal shelter
near my base.” OkVei yanked open the door and ran to his room.

Mu’Tae 930155

Dear GiNae,

I am
riting
writing to you since
my teacher wants us to write a letter, and you’ve been gone 2
hole
whole
weeks. I miss you. Are you missing me? How are your
classes? SuWeh and I accidentally
telporated teleprated
went
to the wrong place the first day after skool and interuptaded a meeting. Mother
scolded us, but it was kinda fun, seeing all the Elders in that
room with all the screens.

Write back soon and tell me all about
it!

Sincerely yours,

OkVei SiLah

PS: Don’t fall in love with anyone.
Remember, you have to wait until I grow up.

Mu’Tae 970155

Dear OkVei,

I was impressed with your letter! Thank
you for
writing me, though you need to pay more
attention to your spelling. Life at the Academy is great! I’m rooming with my
friend RaKel, and classes are going well. Yes, I miss you, my mother, and your
parents. I’ll be home next month for a week and can tell yo
u more then.

GiNae

PS: I’m never falling in love, remember?

Ta’Win 1120165

Dear GiNae,

I overheard your mother telling my
mother about the boy in your Math class. Why did you go to that place with him?
SuWeh and I have decided girls are stupid. Now I’m n
ever
going to fall in love.

Sincerely yours,

OkVei SiLah

PS: Don’t you know you’re supposed to
always end a letter with Sincerely Yours?

Ta’Win 1130165

Dear GiNae,

I don’t blame you for not writing back.
Did you notice my spelling has gotten better? I o
nly
wrote that letter because I was angry and SuWeh was watching me write it. I
have forgiven you for having lunch with Math Boy (that’s what I call him), so
we are still on for our Bonding Day after I finish school.

Sincerely yours,

OkVei (I decided I don
’t need to add my last name; you know it’s me.)

Ta’Win 1200166

Dear OkVei,

You have nothing to worry about between
myself and Math Boy. Yes, your spelling has improved! I enjoyed seeing you last
month, even though you spent most of your time at
SuWeh’s
dwelling. I now have a huge crush on an S-Two baseball player. He is popular,
and will never notice me, but we share a biology class and had to be partners
during a section about the circulatory system (how blood goes around to
different body parts
), and he is so smart! When you
write personal letters, you don’t have to be so formal with beginnings and
endings. You’ll learn that later.

GiNae

Ta’Win 1300166

Dear GiNae,

Baseball is fun. Do you think Baseball
Boy could help me make our school team? C
an you get
his autograph for me? Why is he in your class? Did he flunk? Or are you in his
class, and that makes you smart? Can I come see him play?

OkVei

Ta’Win 1310166

OkVei, I am NOT going to get his
autograph for you! You’re right; if he’s so stupid
he
had to take this class a third time, then he’s not worth my time. Thank you for
pointing that out.

G

PS: Are you still going to try out for
the team?

Ta’Win 250166

Dear GiNae (you left off the ‘dear’ and
forgot to indent!)

I decided not to try out. I
watched one of the boys get hit with the bat and he had to
get stitches in his head. Another boy broke his wrist. Remember the time I fell
out of my treehouse? Mother wouldn’t let me out of her sight for two weeks!
Imagine what would happen if I broke a bo
ne? Pilots
have to have perfect reflexes, so sports are out if I want to get my pilot’s
license one day.

Ta’Win 350166

OkVei,

Not much time; I won’t
be coming home after all.
RaKel has invited me
to her dwelling for this month’s break. See you in two mon
ths!

G

PS: I was in a hurry and didn’t feel the
need to be formal. When will you learn you can break the rules when writing
personal letters?

Mu’Sum 8150207

GiNae,

I have given it some thought and decided
maybe you are too old for me. There’s a girl in
my
Ancient History class who has been eating lunch with me, and we share a common
interest in joining the Military. She wants to build space ships and I want to
fly one. I may Bond with her instead, but I’ll never forget you. Will you still
be my friend wh
en I get to the Academy in two years?

OkVei

PS: Remember our fight about how
soldiers used dirbres to send messages by their troops? You were right. We just
covered that chapter.

Mu’Sum 8302017

OkVei,

I will always be your friend! Mother
told me how w
ell you’ve been doing, and how you won
the award last month in Linguistics. Congratulations! When you arrive, I’ll be
here to watch over you. See you at the Feast of Andoh! Yes, I really am coming
home this year. I promise!

G

PS: Looking forward to meeting
your new girl! As for Ancient History, I’d forgotten all
about that argument! You have a good memory, that’s why you excel at languages.
I’m horrible with them.

Mu’Sum 940207

G,

I had so much fun hanging out with you
while you were home! NuChel and I ar
e no longer
seeing each other. She wasn’t happy I talked about you all the time. When will
I ever understand girls? I thought the three of us had a good time together,
but apparently she’s jealous. She also hates the fact I’ve been spending so
much time in
the simulator. I found out I can qualify
to be a copilot in two years, if I pass the exam. So I’ve been spending every
spare moment, learning as much as I can. There’s more to being a pilot than
simply learning the controls. Did you know you have to know
how to fix things when they go wrong? I’m rather enjoying
it. If the space station ever gets built, maybe I can someday work on it. Do
you want to visit it one day? I think it would be exciting!

O

Mu’Sum 960207

O,

Wild
panneis
could not drag me up to that station! I had a hard enough time being on the
ninth floor of the dormitory! Remember my fear of heights? Before I go on, let
me say I
know
wild
panneis
wouldn’t take me to the station. Only if you drug me and put me to sleep
will I ever go into space. Is that clear? I prefer to keep
my feet on the ground. Sorry about NuChel. Do you want me to send her a letter,
explaining we’re just friends?

G

Mu’Sum 97208

G,

NO! It’s quite all right. I don’t want a
mate who’s jealous of you
. Say a prayer for me. I’m
filling out my application to the Academy tomorrow. Did you have to write an
essay? I hate writing. Why can’t I just send in a recording, telling the board
what I know about the subject of peer pressure? What’s that all about, an
yway? I don’t remember you agonizing over any particular
topic.

O

Mu’Sum 930209

O,

Don’t be alarmed; there were some pranks
pulled on
Freshmen
last year, which got out of hand. I suspect the board is screening applicants
to see if you’ll follow the crowd
or be a leader. I’m
not worried about you; you’re a natural leader. Sorry this took so long for me
to write; I’ve been busy tutoring underclassmen in Math.