Conri (7 page)

Conri gently closed the door behind them and crossed
the room in a few steps. Sarai found a comfortable chair and sunk into it as
Conri tended a wood burning fire. He stood, brushed his hands and turned.

“What?” Sarai asked when he turned statue, his eyes
locked on her, a muscle worked in his jaw.

“Nothing,” he said as he sat in the seat next to her.
“What is on your mind?”

Sarai turned in her seat and let it loose. “Your
people bow to me.” She held up a hand, “And I do not mean Dahne. He was just
the first the do it so openly. When other females, women... whatever, when they
pass me and they think I can’t see them- they curtsey. For the past month your elite
shoulders will not eat until I do. I noticed a few started doing
that
two months ago, but now they all do. Darma comes to me
for medical advice when I know she is capable.
Lilly... well
never mind on that.”

Sarai sighed and put her elbows on her knees. “I have
heard whispers that I ignore. And NOW, my best friend tells me she wants to be
mated to Flynn. But see, she’s human and I know Flynn can’t turn her.”

“And how do you know that?” Conri asks, ignoring the
rest.

“Because when Kellen attacked me,” Sarai glanced away
when Conri cringed. “He told me that males cannot bite human females, it will
kill them. So how is it supposed to work? Stella ages normally while Flynn plays
catch-up for a century?”

“He was not fully honest with you.”

“What?”

Conri sighed and steepled his hands
under his chin.
“A male can not give the Rite to a human female. It will
indeed kill the human female, that part was true. But what he didn’t tell you
was that a female leopard can give the Rite and the human female will survive.”
Sarai knew her jaw dropped. “And I am aware of many things. First I know Lilly has
been training you against my request. I have decided not to deal with her...”

“No, please- don’t. It gives me something to do
and...” Conri put his hand up and Sarai fell silent. When he spoke again his
voice was gentle.

“I know how much you enjoy it. I have seen you working
with her and you are a natural; very graceful in your moves.
 
And Lilly told me how much you love it. I do
not wish to take that away from you. As for the other matters...” Conri stood
up and walked to a wall that was covered by a heavy drape. He wrapped his
fingers around the edge and Sarai noticed they trembled. He pulled and the
drape fell away as if it was being held up by just a thought. Sarai gasped.

“This was my mate. She died in the birthing chambers.
She took our cub with her. As you can see you bear some resemblance.”

“She could be my sister.” Sarai looked at the female,
her features were different, but there was a small resemblance there. And the
portrait had captured the female sitting in the same chair Sarai was now
occupying.

“Yes. And Lilly, Lilly is, or was, her born sister.”

Sarai’s hand flew to her mouth, “She said nothing of
it.”

“She would not. She took the loss as hard as I did.
She was very close to her sister.” Conri cleared his throat. “So you see now,
you see why my people treat you the way they do. You remind them, as you remind
me, of our fallen queen.”

Sarai let herself feel for the King for just a moment
but as he hung the drape back over the picture Sarai felt heavy. She sat and
waited for the King to join her. When he sat she looked up at him and tried to
hide the hurt. This entire time he had not been attracted to her in the least
bit. He had only seen his dead wife and through Sarai, he had hoped to
recapture her. But Sarai was nobody’s backup plan. She lifted her chin and put
a cold lilt to her voice.

“I think I have isolated the problem with the illness
taking cubs.”

Conri sat up taller in his seat. “What is the
problem?”

“Too much concentration in the
blood.
After being here for four months I hear a recurring theme, blood
status. Everyone wants the highest blood status. It is possible that people
have subconsciously, or intentionally, sought mates that would give their
offspring the greatest chance for a higher blood status.”

“And how is this wrong?”

“It is creating a smaller and smaller gene pool to
create from. Normal human females are more likely to survive than a male.
Specialists haven’t been able to pin-point why, maybe because one male can
impregnate multiple females. However when you add a genetic anomaly to human
DNA, like feline DNA, all bets are off. It’s possible that the over
concentration of DNA is causing the Y-chromosome to fail.” Sarai watched Conri as
he thought about this.

“What do you suggest we do?”

“There are many ways to go about fixing this, but the
quickest and less stressful on the group is new blood.”

Conri’s eyes narrowed and the tick in his jaw was
working. “You want me to bring in humans and have
them
take the Rite? Flood my colony with Omega’s?” His voice was raising and his
body was tensing.

“Yes. You do this and you may have a chance of saving
your species. You do not do this… and your probability of survival tanks.”
Sarai leaned forward, meeting Conri’s hard stare with her own. “I know this is
not favorable Conri, but I predict that if you do not do something- while some
females are still surviving- the fetal mortality rate will double, then triple
and then completely extinct females in your colony. Your people will die out.”

“I don’t know if it will work.”

Sarai’s shoulders slummed. “I don’t know if it will
work either. But it may be the only way.”

“You do not understand,” Conri said shaking his head.
“I am dooming my people.” He looked up at Sarai.
 
“If I do nothing we may die out. If I do as
you ask I will have facilitated a born generation of Omega’s and doom my pack
to centuries of tainted blood.”

“Taint the blood line or die out. I can see how that
would be a difficult decision.”

“YOU MOCK ME!” Conri roared, springing to his feat.
His face was growing red and his eyes were reflective diamonds. Sarai met his
anger, standing just as quickly- or so she hoped- and met his glare.

“I do not mock you!
 
But if these were my people, if this was my family I was watching die
out I would do ANYTHING to save them! I do not pretend to understand your
struggle and I will not judge you for decisions made about your family. But
damn it Conri, our family is dying- we have to do something!”

Conri flinched as if Sarai had slapped him. She took a
step back, not understanding the unexpected departure of his fury and the even
more abrupt evaporation of tension. Sarai’s breath caught, her senses went
wild. She felt desire pulse off of him as if it were a tangible heat wave. But
within a beat of her heart she felt like a lamb grazing unaware that a wolf was
creeping closer, hidden by tall grass.
 

She knew what hyperventilation was, but was she
hyperventilating or was she having such rapid atrial fibrillation that she had
saturated her erythrocytes with oxygen; it all meant the same. Sarai wanted to
take a step back, but instead she took a step forward.
 

She opened her arms and slid them around his waist. At
first her arms met hard resistance but then his body softened and he wrapped
his arms around her. “Why do you deny it Sarai? You belong here.” He whispered
in her ear.

This time Sarai stiffened. She pushed against Conri’s
arms, withdrawing from his embrace. He held her tighter. She dropped her arms,
leaned away and looked down. Conri slowly dropped his arms and Sarai stepped
away. She tried to hide the tears that threatened to fall but she saw the
expression on his face and she knew he knew she was desperately trying not to
cry.

“I am not your dead mate.” She said through a hiccup. Conri
reached for her but Sarai dodged it. “I’m such a fool. When Stella told me she
wanted to be mated to Flynn and that she just needed to go through the Rite I
thought maybe there was a chance here. Maybe I could make a life here? But
then…” Sarai looked at the drape covering the picture of his mate. “I’m not her
and you only want to be around me because you think I am her.”

“No. Sarai…”

She held up a hand and the King clamped his mouth
shut. His eyes were a tumultuous spectrum of colors, colors Sarai didn’t even
care to try to interpret. She shook her head, “You can lie to yourself, you can
lie to my face
,
 
but
I still
 
know the truth. When spring
comes I am going home. I guess I don’t belong here after all.”

“Sarai.”
Conri warned, but
she turned and bolted for the door. She expected him to attempt to stop her,
didn’t know what she would do if he did. But he didn’t. As Sarai ran down the
hall, tears streaming down her face, her heart aching with disappointment, she
heard the King roar.

“SARAI!”

Sarai avoided everyone for three days, everyone but
Lilly. She still met with Lilly for their training. It was the one thing she
couldn’t give up. She felt free when they were exchanging on the sparring mat.

Today she was practicing offense. The past few months
she had mainly focused on defense with the occasional lesson in offense. But
Lilly said it was time to flip it- focus on offense with the occasional
defense. So Sarai was practicing her skills on Lilly.

She struck out with her left and followed with a
right. She spun and kicked at Lilly without making contact.
 
“Sarai!
Come on
focus!” Lilly scolded. “You are either being lazy or not focusing. Quit pulling
punches and kicks and come for me!”

Sarai sighed and threw a punch harder followed by a
high kick that Lilly dodged. She threw a double right then left combo that made
Lilly roll her eyes. “I feel like a house cat dodging its owner because it
doesn’t want to be petted. I’m bored! Liven up!”

Sarai ground her teeth together. She spun backwards
with a back kick to the ribs and when Lilly caught it Sarai quickly bent down,
putting her hands on the floor and donkey kicked her from the front. But Lilly
expected that move, had taught Sarai that move and easily caught her other leg.
Lilly yanked and Sarai’s arms came out from under her. Having her legs released
Sarai fell flat – on her face.

She slapped the matt and hopped to her feat. “This is
ridiculous Lilly; I’m not getting any better.”

Lilly stopped bouncing on her toes put her hands on
her hip and scowled. “You are getting better. But I’m not going to go easy on
you because you’re a human. You have to be able to fight enemies who can beat
you… but you have to win. So toughen up.”

“It’s pointless. I’m leaving anyway.”

Something flashed in Lilly’s eyes and Sarai flinched.
With each step Lilly took she screamed at Sarai.
“You!
Cowardess
! Mutt! You’re not leaving because you think
its best. You’re leaving because you’re scared! You’re scared he may actually
love you. But you are so afraid of yourself that you won’t let it happen. Who
gives a damn if you look like my sister? Who cares if it was the initial thing
that sparked his interest? It’s you he sees now, not her!” Lilly roared, her
incisors lengthening.

Sarai should have been terrified, but she wasn’t. She
pushed hard on Lilly’s chest. She spun kicked and it connected. “It’s not my
fault!” She countered. Lilly came for her and Sarai ducked, twirled and counter
struck with a kick to the back. Lilly stumbled and turned. She snarled and went
for Sarai.

“It is your fault. You’re the one running away.” Lilly
threw a three punch combo, alternating hands and then jabbed a knee towards
Sarai’s ribs. Sarai blocked the punches. But instead of blocking the knee she
drove her arms down in a counter-maneuver, attempting to throw Lilly of
balance. As Lilly’s leg went back, Sarai let her momentum propel her forward
while simultaneously lifting her left leg from behind. The scorpion like strike
had Lilly looking in too many directions and when she went to block the kick
Sarai braced on her hands and kicked out with her right leg. The kick landed
square on Lilly’s unprotected abdomen.

Kipping up from her hands Sarai landed in a squat and
slid effortlessly into a fighting stance. Lilly stumbled a few steps before
completely losing her balance and falling flat on her butt. “How am I supposed
to stay when it’s not me he sees? It will never be me.” Sarai held out her hand
for Lilly and she grabbed it.

Brushing off her butt she shook her head. “Join the
club Sarai. You are so naive.
  
When my
sister was killed every unmated female and even some mated ones, flocked to
Conri’s side wanting to comfort him. No one even batted an eye at me. Conri
ignored them, of course- preferring to mourn in silence. Still no one came to
comfort me. As time moved on I came into my mate-able age and no male wanted to
claim me. Do you know why?”

Sarai shook her head.

“Because with my sister dead I should
have been the first choice to take her place at the Kings side.
But
Conri didn’t want me because I reminded him too much of my sister. So here I am
a lonely spinster because NO ONE wants me. Do you know what I would give to be
in your place? You exude power you don’t even know you harness. Males watch you
wherever you go. If Conri doesn’t claim you another will step in his place.”
Lilly shook her head and brushed sweat from her forehead.

“So you would give up the King because at one time, a
long time ago, he loved another. And you would deny him happiness because you
sort-of look like her? I was wrong, that’s not naïve, that’s selfish.” Lilly
moved for the door out of the training center.

“I’m not
selfish,
I’m here
because I made the choice to look after my best friend Stella.”

Lilly glanced at her. “No, you’re selfish. Stella
doesn’t need looking after and you know it. You stay because you want to toy
around with love but in the end you’re just going to spit in its face; all
because you’re the worst kind of coward.”

Lilly left without saying another word. Sarai sat on
the floor and put her hands between her knees. The door to the training room
opened and she hoped with every piece of her it would be Conri; even if he had
been avoiding her.

“Oh, I’m sorry
Mi
’ Lady, I
thought the room was free.”

Sarai didn’t recognize the voice. “It’s ok,” She said
as she looked up. Blue eyes like a summer sky and wheat blonde hair stared back
at her. The male was young, maybe early twenties. He stared at her for a moment
and then sat on the mat next to her.
“Rough day?”

“Rough week.”

The young male nodded. “I wish I could sit here and
say ‘
wanna
talk about it’ but when it comes to the
King, everyone knows.”

“Figures.”
Sarai said and
leaned back on her arms.

“Would it be of any consolation if I told you your friend
found a sister?”

Sarai sat up, “Really?”

The male nodded. “Delilah.”

“
Darma’s
daughter?”

“Yes. She was so grateful to you for helping her that first
day she is willing to risk her status in order to repay you.”

Sarai sighed, “That is great news.”

“Stella and Delilah agreed that the Rite should happen
soon. I think they chose this weekend.”

“So soon?”
Sarai was happy
for her friend. But this weekend- she was going to lose her friend so soon. “I
guess that is good news too.” That meant Sarai could go home sooner.

“It is. Delilah is First Legion by choice. She has the
blood status to be a Beta but likes working in the guard as a huntress.”

Sarai glanced at the male, “What does First Legion
mean?”

“You are familiar with our hierarchy right?”

“Yes. Conri is the king, above Alpha. Then there is
Alpha, beta and Omega.”

“And I am guessing you have heard of Second Legion?”

“I have heard about it but I don’t know what first or
second legion has to do with anything.”

“Second Legion is a general class, like being middle
class. There is also First Legion and Delta Legion. Delta’s are between Omega’s
and Seconds. And then of course First Legion is between Beta’s and Second
legion. There aren’t many in first Legion or Delta. But being Second Legion is
common and honorable. Delilah is First Legion by her father’s blood, Beta by
her mother’s blood. But her natural abilities make her easily a Beta. She chose
First Legion because female Beta’s can not be huntress; at least they do not
see a lot of actual hunting time. They get stuck in the classrooms.”

“…because Beta’s are too valuable to lose in a hunt?”
Sarai said it half to herself and half to the guy. “What’s your name?”

“Morgan.” He stuck his hand out and she took it.

“Why haven’t I seen you before?”

Morgan smiled meekly. “I was recently promoted from
Omega to Delta.”

Sarai smiled wide, “Congrats!”

He nodded his thanks and then sighed. “Now I need to
find a sponsor so that I can move through the ranks of Delta. I’ll be content
with Second Legion, but I don’t want to stay in Delta for to many years.”

“Years?”

“Yup.
It takes years to work
your way out and up through ranks. I started working my way out of Omega at
eighteen.”

“How long did it take you?”

“Ten years.”

“Ten
!,
You’re… it took…
Holy
moley
.”

Morgan laughed. “Each rank takes less years but
greater tasks.”

“What’s your task to become Second Legion?”

“I have to find a sponsor that is Second Legion or
higher and they have to be willing to train me.”

“Well then, why don’t you just ask someone?”

“I’m not permitted to ask for assistance. You see the
conundrum? Someone has to offer it.”

“But you can freely tell me?”

“You’re human. I am not bound by the honor code.”

Sarai smiled sadly and patted his arm. “Well, while
you wait for someone to train you, I suggest you put some time on the treadmill
and weights. Something will come along.”

Morgan sod and held his hand out to her.
As Sarai reached for it he smiled, “I hope so
Mi’lady
.”

Sarai nodded and left the training room. As the door
slid shut behind her she caught a glimpse of Morgan standing on the treadmill.
She had an idea- she was sure she could find someone who owed her a favor.