A Grim Baby Page 14

  “The energy crystal situation isn’t limited to just Vesta,” Callen told him bluntly.

  Grim jerked upright. “What?!”

  “I arranged for a shipment of crystals to be sent to Betelgeuse with Lord Oryon’s approval. The shipment was filled through normal channels. Afterward, I personally inspected every crystal. Six of them were substandard.”

  Grim ran a finger under his jaw. “So, the problem is on Vesta.”

  “I have the warriors in question under surveillance. I don’t want to alert them that their duplicity has been discovered until I have the names of every warrior involved.”

  “Agreed. But why do you believe it has spread beyond Vesta?”

  “Because I replaced the six crystals. They went through Lord Oryon’s standard verification procedures on Betelgeuse and passed. Lord Oryon then personally tested every one. Eight were found to be substandard.”

  Grim felt his anger begin to grow. “You are saying crystals are being replaced on both ends? There could be warriors involved with this on every planet, within every House?”

  “Yes.” Callen wasn’t going to try and downplay this.

  “Wray needs to be informed of this new information.”

  “I plan on doing that in person once your shipment is delivered. I didn’t want to chance alerting those involved.”

  “Agreed, but I want you to wait until after my shipment has gone through our normal verification process and I’ve personally reinspected them.”

  “Then I will remain until mid-day tomorrow. That should give you more than enough time.”

  “It will.” Grim relaxed back into the chair. “Have you been able to determine how long this has been going on?”

  “I believe shortly after we arrested the warriors working with the Zaludians to bring Earth females to Vesta.”

  “I thought they were all apprehended,” Grim growled.

  “They were,” Callen growled back. “It was a very small group, but a great many warriors were willing to purchase a female.”

  “Then they should have been apprehended, too.” Grim couldn’t believe they hadn’t been. He thought he’d trained Callen better than that.

  “For thinking about obtaining a female? If that were illegal, we’d all be found guilty.”

  Grim growled his displeasure but knew Callen was right. Thinking about doing something unfit didn’t break Tornian law. “Why do you think these males are involved?”

  “Because, despite the emperor’s decree that a male now only needs to attract a female, he still needs to be able to support her.”

  “Wray also decreed it is the responsibility of the warrior’s House and the female’s manno to assist in that,” Grim reminded him.

  “Truth, but some are more capable than others.”

  “You believe this is being done for additional credits?”

  “Yes. Since discovering stolen Earth females on their ships, the Kaliszians outlawed the trade of energy crystals with both the Ganglians and Zaludians. Now they’re in desperate need of crystals, and even the lowest grade ones are bringing a high price.”

  “Allowing the male to better support a female.” Grim’s gaze went to the Raptor. Would this never end? Would the unfit actions of one male haunt their people forever? No. He didn’t believe that. The Goddess had already shown him with her gift of Lisa, Carly, and Miki, and now Adora that she had forgiven them.

  It would just take time for every male in the empire to believe that and change their ways.

  “Later today, Wray will announce that a female, no matter her race, will have the same rights and protections as a Tornian female,” Grim informed Callen.

  Callen sat back in shock, his palms braced on his thighs. “Their offspring will be considered fit and worthy?”

  “Yes.”

  “That will make more females available,” Callen said thoughtfully. “But, it will take time before our warriors believe that. They will still want an Earth female.”

  “It will be up to us to convince them differently.”

  “Hard to do when the emperor, the king of Luda, and the lord of the Etruria region have all Joined with females from Earth. Females who are presenting female offspring.”

  Grim couldn’t argue with that. It was something else he would have to discuss with Wray.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Sabra’s comments stayed with Lisa through the mid-day meal she shared with the girls. Montfort had informed her Grim was tied up in a meeting, so she couldn’t talk to him about it. Now, as the girls took their afternoon nap, she paced, which wasn’t like her at all. When there was a problem, she faced it head-on.

  Going to the comm, she contacted Ion, informing him the girls were napping and she would be leaving the wing with Adora. Either he or Nairn would come and watch over them until she returned. Lifting Adora from her crib, she headed for Grim’s Command Center.

  She was stopped at the door by one of the guards. “I’m sorry, Majesty. The king isn’t here. He’s on the training fields.”

  “Of course. Thank you, Keen.” Moving to the exterior doors, she paused and looked down at Adora. The training fields weren’t the place for her. Not because of her age, but because she would be a distraction. For Grim and the trainees. Switching directions, she headed for medical.

  “Rebecca?” she called out, walking in. “Are you here?”

  “In the back.”

  Moving passed the medical and deep repair units, Lisa found Rebecca in a small room, sitting behind a desk. “I didn’t know there were offices back here.”

  “Originally, there weren’t, or I should say there was only one, Hadar’s. He had one of the supply rooms cleared out for me and now a second one for Amanda. So, what’s up?”

  Before Lisa could answer, Padma’s distinctive voice made its way back to them. “Rebecca?”

  “In my office, Padma,” Rebecca said.

  “Padma knows you have an office?” Lisa didn’t disguise her surprise.

  “Of course. She stops in whenever she’s in Luanda.”

  “Rebecca, I just wanted to tell you….” Padma trailed off, looking uncertain. “Oh, Lisa. I didn’t realize you were here.” Her gaze went to the sleeping baby in Lisa’s arms, and her uncertainty disappeared. “And you have Adora.”

  “I do.” Smiling, Lisa placed her in Padma’s eager arms.

  “I believe she’s heavier,” Padma commented.

  “She should be the way she eats,” Lisa couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “That’s a good sign,” Padma said, her gaze fixed on Adora. “I gave Montfort the new coverings for the girls. He is going to deliver them to your quarters.”

  “Wonderful, the girls will be so excited.” Lisa frowned at Padma. Usually, Padma delivered the coverings to their quarters herself. Why not this time?

  “Is everything all right with you, Padma?” Rebecca asked. She hadn’t heard from the female since Padma had discovered she’d conceived and wondered if this visit was because she’d reached a decision.

  “Everything is wonderful.” Padma looked from Rebecca to Lisa. “I must thank you.”

  “Thank me?” Lisa frowned at her friend. “For what?”

  “King Grim visited my home yesterday and spoke to Gossamer about training Dagan,” Padma began.

  “Wait a minute,” Rebecca interrupted. “What? Grim is going to train Dagan to be a warrior?!”

  “Of course not,” Padma waved a dismissive hand. “My Dagan will never be a warrior.”

  Rebecca’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Then what is Grim training him for?”

  “Grim is going to train Carly and Miki, so they can protect themselves if they ever need to,” Lisa explained. “Dagan asked if he could be trained, too.” Lisa looked to Padma. “Gossamer agreed?”

  “Not at first,” Padma admitted. “He was concerned others would ridicule Dagan.”

  Lisa opened her mouth to declare that it would never happen, then slowly closed it because this w
as something she couldn’t control. Gossamer’s concern was valid.

  “The king convinced Gossamer that it would be in Dagan’s best interest to learn, as Dagan is a fit and worthy male. Special.”

  “He is,” Rebecca and Lisa agreed.

  “Gossamer is also going to assist in the training.”

  “Gossamer? But…”

  “My Gossamer was once a great warrior, Rebecca. He served here, in House Luanda, under King Rask.”

  “Then why… because of you,” Rebecca whispered, suddenly understanding.

  “Yes. Males, even warriors that permanently Join with a non-Tornian female, are considered unfit.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Rebecca exclaimed.

  “It is, but that is the way it is. Or was.”

  “What do you mean?” Lisa asked.

  Padma looked to her queen and friend. “Today, the emperor is announcing that all females will have the same protection under Tornian Law.” Padma’s happiness was easily seen.

  “He is?” Lisa hadn’t heard anything about this.

  “The king didn’t tell you?”

  “No. It must have slipped his mind.” She and Grim had a lot to discuss when they were finally alone. “But this is wonderful news, Padma.”

  “It is. The king even asked my Gossamer if he would like to return to his former position within House Luanda.”

  “You’re moving in? Oh, Padma, that’s wonderful. I’m so excited. We’ll…”

  “We are not,” Padma gently cut her off. “My Gossamer refused.”

  “What?” Lisa stuttered, making no attempt to hide her disappointment. “But why?”

  “Because we are happy where we are. It is our home.”

  Lisa could understand that. Just like Luanda was her home. “Then I’m happy for you. It also means I get to take trips to see you.”

  “You will always be welcome, Lisa.” Padma’s gaze shifted. “You also, Rebecca. And perhaps for more than just a visit.”

  “What do you mean?” Rebecca questioned.

  “After the king left yesterday, I finally told Gossamer I had conceived.”

  Lisa and Rebecca both held their breath, waiting for Padma to continue. Finally, Lisa couldn’t wait any longer. “And?”

  Padma’s face broke into a beautiful smile. “We have decided to accept the Goddess’s gift.”

  “Oh, Padma, that’s wonderful,” Lisa told her.

  Padma’s smile got impossibly wider. “It is. We are very excited, but I wondered…” her attention shifted to Rebecca. “Have you learned when you can test to see if…”

  “I have,” Rebecca immediately knew what Padma was asking, “and we can do it right now unless you want Gossamer present. As your healer and friend, that’s what I would recommend.”

  “I… he is actually in the kitchen, helping Gahan deliver an order.” She chewed her lower lip, then reached into her pocket. “I will contact him.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Things moved surprisingly fast after that. Lisa had planned on leaving to give Gossamer and Padma some privacy. But both requested she stay. So here she sat, Adora asleep in her arms and watching as the medical unit scanned Padma again and again.

  “What is taking so long?” Gossamer demanded, his gaze fixed on Padma.

  “I’m just making sure,” Rebecca told him calmly. “Auyangian physiology is slightly different than what I’m used to.”

  Finally, the unit shut off, and Gossamer went to help Padma sit up.

  “So?” he demanded, but Lisa could see the nerves he was trying to hide under the gruffness.

  Rebecca moved to stand in front of them, a serious look on her face. The look quickly turned into a big smile. “Your offspring is perfectly healthy.”

  “You’re saying he won’t be special, like Dagan?” Padma whispered.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying is that she won’t be special like Dagan.”

  “What?!” Gossamer paled. Something extremely hard for a pearly white male to do.

  “You are having a female, Gossamer,” Rebecca repeated. “A perfectly fit and healthy little girl.”

  Tears streamed down Gossamer’s and Padma’s faces by the time Rebecca finished speaking.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  “That was truly an amazing and beautiful thing to see,” Lisa told Rebecca after a thrilled Padma, and slightly ill-looking Gossamer left.

  “It was,” Rebecca agreed. “It’s always wonderful when I get to give good news to an expecting couple.”

  “Because it isn’t always that way.” Lisa nodded understandingly and thanked the Goddess for having never received such news.

  “No, it isn’t. So,” she looked to Lisa, “you never said why you stopped in.”

  “Why I…?” She’d completely forgotten the original reason she’d come to see Rebecca. “Oh, I was hoping you would watch Adora for a little bit. I need to speak with Grim, and he is on the training fields.”

  “Of course, I will.” Reaching out, she took the sleeping infant from Lisa’s arms. “Auntie Rebecca is always willing to watch this precious little one.”

  “Thank you. I have my portable comm, so just give me a buzz if there’s a problem.”

  “I will, but I won’t need to. We’re just going to sit here and snuggle. Aren’t we, Adora Seren?”

  Lisa was smiling as she left Rebecca cooing at Adora.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Much better, Larna,” Grim praised. Now that his hands were healed, the young trainee was coming along. He had the makings of becoming a fit and worthy warrior.

  Catching a flash of color out of the corner of his eye, he turned to find his queen standing on the other side of the field. He immediately went on high alert.

  Why was she here? What had happened?

  “Alger, take over,” he growled.

  “Yes, Majesty.” Alger had seen the queen too.

  Grim was across the field in moments, pulling his Lisa close. “What is it? What is wrong? One of the girls?”

  “No, Grim. Nothing’s wrong. Everyone is fine.” Reaching out, she reassuringly rubbed her hands over his chest. “Truth. Carly and Miki are napping. Yes, their guards are aware,” she answered the next question she knew he would ask. “Adora is with Rebecca.”

  He tensed under her hand. “With Rebecca?! Why? You said everyone was fine.”

  “And they are. I wanted to talk to you about something and didn’t want to bring Adora with me. Rebecca agreed to watch her so I could.”

  It took a moment for Grim to relax, but finally, the tension left his body. He placed an arm around her waist and guided her away from the trainees and into the garden. “What did you need to talk about?”

  “I want to tell the remaining women they don’t have to choose a male. Once willing women start arriving from Earth, they’ll be allowed to go home.”

  “You know you cannot, my Lisa. Wray has ordered your silence, and you agreed.”

  “Because it was the only way Wray would agree to give them as much time as they needed. Otherwise, they’d all be Joined by now.”

  “Which they know. Nothing has changed, my Lisa. We can’t let the Ganglians learn that willing females will be arriving shortly from Earth. They will attack Earth, and any ship they believe carries females if they do. We can’t protect both effectively. Not yet. We need time. That’s why Wray refuses to allow the females on Luda to return home. Their being here is saving countless lives.”

  “But they don’t know anything about that.”

  “Because if they did, they would never choose, which would have the Ganglians asking why we aren’t forcing them. questions. They’re not a stupid race, just brutal.” Grim pulled her around to face him. “Three already have chosen, my Lisa, and by all accounts, they are happy, as are their males.”

  “I know that, but would they be if they knew they could have returned to Earth?” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. “I can see both sides, Grim, and no
one knows better than me how wonderful Joining with a Tornian male can be. But these women are being misled.”

  “You have told them everything, my Lisa, just as you did during the Joining Ceremony. You are not responsible for what they choose to hear. Or not hear.”

  Her heart dropped at his insistence. “They’d been through a great deal. They relied on me to explain it to them.”

  “Which you did. You can’t go against Wray on this, my Lisa.” Turning, they walked along the path again until they reached ‘their’ rock.

  “I know. It’s just so frustrating. Sabra has chosen a warrior.”

  “That is good news.”

  “Is it? I tried to convince her to wait, but she said ‘no’ because it wasn’t like she could go home.”

  “Then she didn’t listen to you, and the responsibility is hers.”

  She leaned back against the sun-warmed rock and lifted her face to the sun. She knew Grim was right. There was more at stake here than the lives of twelve women, and she included herself in that number. Thousands of lives were at risk, not just those on Earth. It wasn’t right or fair. But it was what it was.

  “Sabra also told me that on Keid, it is common for groups of males to pool their credits to entice a female. As a group, they provide for her, and in return, she is allowed to remain close to the offspring she provides for each one.” She looked to Grim. “Have you heard of this?”

  Grim’s forehead creased. There had been rumors of females deciding to remain on the smaller, outer planets even when presented with better options. It had never occurred to him it might have been because they wished to stay near their offspring. His Lisa would never abandon theirs, but that wasn’t what Tornian females did. At least not the ones he’d ever been exposed to.

  “Grim?”

  Lisa’s prompt pulled him from his thoughts. “There have been rumors, but only that, and nothing about warriors banding together to secure a female. It isn’t directly against Tornian Law, but it would be frowned upon if known. Is this what Sabra’s warrior is requesting of her?”

  “No.”

  “Then I do not understand what has you so concerned.”

  “I guess I don’t think Sabra would agree to Join with Jathan if she knew she could return home.”