Isla

“Look, Isla, isn’t it amazing?” Lexi gushes as she holds Thorn in one arm and points with the other at the planet we’re approaching.

Amazing doesn’t begin to describe it as my eyes drink in all the sights before me.

Rathturia is nothing like I pictured it. It looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie. Something I imagined Earth would look like a couple of hundred years from now.

Glimmering, spiraling buildings stretch up towards the dark, multi-hued sky, their spires piercing through dark inkblots that must be clouds. Hundreds of neon lights glow and blink like a bedazzling light show with every color imaginable.

Flying cars soar along blue-lighted paths and even more vehicles zip along on the ground.

Dozens of spaceships of all shapes and sizes land and takeoff from a building in the very center that we’re fast approaching.

The building grows to gigantic proportions as we draw closer, becoming the size of a small city, and is shaped like a pyramid. The walls of the pyramid glimmer, reflecting off the multi-colored lights like a glittering black diamond.

“That’s the Citadel,” Maul says with a measure of pride.

It’s all absolutely dazzling. So dazzling, I think I’m actually awestruck.

Lexi takes one look at my face and laughs. “That’s exactly how I felt the first time I saw it.”

I snap my jaw shut and smile sheepishly. “Rathturia is beautiful.”

Maul flashes me a rare smile. “It’s your home now.”

Ryock’s grip on my shoulders tightens and I try not to flinch. His grip isn’t hard enough to be painful but his fear that others will try to separate us and he’ll have to fight is so unexpected and so intense it hurts.

“Yeah, if you look real close,” Lexi says, squinting her eyes into the horizon, completely oblivious to my sudden distress. “You can see our house from here.”

As much as I want to strain my eyes and catch a glimpse of my sister’s house, I can’t ignore what Maul just said.

“Ryock’s too?” I ask, forcing myself to meet Maul’s eyes.

He stares at me and his gaze is so cold, so alien, I wish I could read his mind so I could tell what he’s thinking.

Probably sensing the tension around her, Lexi leans away from the window, frowns, and looks between the two of us.

Finally, Maul inclines his silver head and says, “Of course.”

“In the eyes of the Tribunal, you’re a Rathurian now, Isla,” Marketh says as he zooms over.

“Yeah, you guys said that earlier, but I don’t really know what that means,” I admit.

I’ve been bombarded with so much information over the past few hours when everyone tried to get me up to speed on the Tribunal, only a portion of it has stuck.

“It means that you are afforded all the rights and privileges of a Rathturian,” Maul says. “The right to find your mate and form your bond. The right to never be separated from your bonded.”

Is he saying what I think he’s saying?

“You mean you recognize Ryock as my bonded?” I ask, so hopeful I’m a little breathless from it. “And you won’t try to separate us?”

Maul’s face softens towards me and he takes a step closer. “Isla, you are my sister in every sense of the word. For over almost a year, I have searched the cosmos for you. Through the bond I have with Lexi, I have felt her love for you, which has become my love for you. I have felt her fear for you, which has become my fear too. I apologize for being overprotective, but no, I would not dare separate you from your bonded.”

Lexi makes a little squeaking noise and I glance over to see her hugging Thorn to her chest and silently crying.

Her tears cause tears to prick at the corners of my eyes and I suck in a breath to hold them back.

If I wasn’t so damn relieved, I’d probably be crying right along with her.

“So, does that make us? Brothers?” Ryock rumbles out, his chest vibrating against my back.

Maul inclines his head and the corners of his lips pull up into a smirk. “Yes, I suppose if Isla is my sister and you are her bonded that does make us brothers, Ryock.”

“Great, we’re one big happy family now,” Marketh says with mock cheerfulness. “And we’ve landed. Now let’s get a move on before the Crima find a way to attack us again.”

* * *

“I’m getting a very strong sense of déjà vu, Maul,” Marketh says as he nervously zooms around us.

Maul shoots him an annoyed look as he hits a button on the wall and the cargo bay door opens. “Of course you are, it’s just like before.”

Lexi narrows her eyes as she peers through the cargo door at all the red-masked men standing in a tight formation awaiting us. She has Thorn strapped to her chest with a long piece of fabric that crisscrosses over her chest and back. “Yeah, it’s just like before…. Except I’m pretty sure there are more this time. You got that contingency plan in place, Marketh?”

Maul turns his annoyed look on her. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Yep,” Marketh says over him. “The ship is set at full counter-attack mode. And after the last time, I’ve added a few of my own personal modifications.”

“Oh, personal modifications,” Lexi says with a gleam in her eyes. “I like the sound of that.”

Maul shakes his head and looks to Marketh with exasperation plainly on his features. “You will not attack the Red Masks, Marketh. That’s an order. They mean us no harm.”

“Sure they don’t,” Marketh says sarcastically. “But if they do, they got another thing coming. What is that saying you’re so fond of, Lexi? Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you?”

Maul makes a disgusted sound in his throat.

I look to Ryock and lift both of my brows and his lips twitch in return.

Lexi sighs and rises up and down on her tip-toes to bounce Thorn. “It’s fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Meaning, if you’re duped twice, it’s your own fault.”

“Whatever,” Marketh says as he zooms around us some more. “Maybe your saying ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ would be more appropriate.”

Maul gives Lexi a look that screams this is all your fault and then drags a hand down his face. “You will not be shooting first, Marketh. We’re on Tribunal grounds. If you start shooting, you’ll get us all blown to oblivion.”

“I’ll blow their asses to oblivion to protect the seven of us,” Marketh fairly buzzes as he pauses to hover in front of Maul. “We’re a family now, Maul.”

It takes me a moment to count us up and when I realize he’s counting my unborn child as one of the seven, I can’t help but place a hand on my tummy and beam at him.

“We are a family,” Maul agrees and then says firmly. “And that’s why I’m ordering you to stand down, or I’ll revoke all your privileges.”

Maul and Marketh seem to have a stare-off. Well, as much of a stare-off one can have with a floating silver orb.

Despite having no eyes, Marketh relents.

“Fine,” Marketh says with a huff. “I’ll wait until they strike first. But I’m telling you, Maul, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”