Alien General's Chosen (Brion Brides 4)(20)

"How do you know that?" he asked, not even bothering to deny it.

"I noticed."

"That's impossible. The differences can't be seen so easily, it takes a healer to-"

"They can," Faren stated. "Explain to me how it's possible."

"I don't have to explain myself."

Faren gave the man a look that made the senator reconsider very quickly.

"I think you will find that it's in your best interest," was all the general said.

Senator Tawren sighed.

"It was a theory we set out to test many years ago. Long before Diego Grothan and his human gesha, some healers started thinking whether it was possible. For a Brion to bind to someone who wasn't of our species. Terran government agreed to let us adopt a child in absolute secrecy and raise her as a Brion, to see if it would happen. We promised them she'd be safe either way. That child is Leiya and now you've made me break that promise."

There was a terrible bitterness in Senator Tawren's voice as he recounted that. His voice dropped to a hiss at the last sentence. Faren knew he'd never speak to him like that face to face.

"She is safe," he said. "She is my gesha."

Senator Tawren looked uncertain.

“Swear to me that is the truth,” he said.

Faren smiled. He didn’t do that often, and it had exactly the intended effect. Senator Tawren’s face went pale and he took several steps back, almost off the edge of his holo-projector.

“No one questions my word, Senator,” Faren said. “No one who wants to keep breathing.”

Senator Tawren did his best to hide the fear in his eyes. He was very good, but of course not good enough. Faren didn’t need to see what he knew was bound to be there anyway.#p#分页标题#e#

"You'll have to forgive me," the senator said through gritted teeth. "Under the circumstances, I had to ask. We already had our answers, but Isolde might have been a fluke. I had to make sure."

"Why does Senator Primen know?" Faren asked, not even bothering to hide the menace from his voice.

"He was with me when we took her from Terra. He's always been fond of her."

Faren almost repeated Primen's words from the previous night back to the loving father, but decided against it. Fond is not the word, he thought.

“But even so,” the senator was saying. “Even if Leiya is your gesha, General. That gives you no right to carry her off in the middle of the day like she’s your prisoner. I want to speak to her.”

“I am doing this to protect her,” Faren said. “Once I’ve eliminated the danger, she’ll be free to go.”

“What danger?” the senator demanded.

“That is not your concern.”

“No matter what, she’s still my daughter!”

“She’s my gesha, Senator,” Faren said. “Do you think I’d let anything happen to her?”

The senator’s face was etched with fury, something Faren almost admired. He had fighter spirit. So he wasn’t the worst of the treacherous, lying senators.

“You are what has happened to her,” the senator said through gritted teeth.

He hesitated then.

“I will not leave it like this.”

The holo-image flickered out, which was a bold move in itself, but Faren didn’t let it bother him. Senator Tawren could do what he wanted. The senators were not in any position of power over the generals at the moment, so that was of no concern to him. Especially with Eleya as the High Senator, a former general who wouldn’t give Tawren’s complaints any consideration.

No. What concerned him was the relationship between Tawren and Primen. He couldn’t have told the man to keep the information from Senator Primen, because he would have driven the concerned father straight to his enemy. But without saying anything he risked that he would go to Primen anyway. No matter. On the Unbroken, nothing could touch Leiya.

And now that he knew about the past, things started to make sense. She wasn't simply different, she had no chance of ever being like a normal Brion. She was in no way equipped to be. But Diego and Isolde had proved that the match was possible, so it gave him hope.

Faren made a call to Eleya himself. The new High Senator answered him almost immediately, a playful smile on her lips. She was one of the few women he’d ever been good at talking to, because she had been a general too and was as uncompromising as he was. After Diego, he preferred her company the most. There had even been an idea that she’d be his gesha when her traitorous gerion Senator Eren had died, but that had not turned out so. Eleya had expressed her regret over that, but it was all they’d ever spoken of it.

“Faren,” the High Senator said at once. “I hear congratulations are in order. And that you have kidnapped Briolina’s rising star. The people demand you bring her back.”

“When it’s time,” he said.

Faren knew Eleya didn’t really expect him to do that and was just trying to annoy him. It was her way of dealing with the generals, whom she still hadn’t forgiven for letting the Elders reassign her. She hated being a senator, it was widely known. It was also ironic that she was very good at it, and had played a major part in resolving the Rhea conflict.

“What’s stopping you?” she asked teasingly.

“Primen,” he said simply.

Then he looked Eleya straight in the eye. It was reassuring in a way that she could take the full power of his gaze. It spoke volumes to her suitability as the High Senator.

“Let me deal with him.”

Eleya sighed.

“The Galactic union   is watching. So are the Elders. So is everyone. We’ve been over this, Faren. You need a reason, an incentive.”

“He’s too smart for that.”

“I know,” Eleya agreed. “But I can’t let you kill him on a hunch, or just because we think he should die. You know I agree and Diego agrees, but that’s not enough. The Elders forgave everyone who was on the right side when the Rhea debacle ended, and that bastard was clever enough to switch sides at the last moment. We can’t disobey their ruling, Faren. Not now. The galaxy is watching to see how we handle ourselves. If the Elders appear weak, we’re back where we were before.”#p#分页标题#e#

Everything she said was true, Faren knew that. It simply grated on his nerves. His hands drew together into fists. Primen had escaped justice for too long. The need to put an end to that was becoming nigh unbearable.

“He has new leverage now.”

Eleya nodded.

“Yes, I suppose. I trust you can keep her safe from him. Wait. He’s bound to slip up at some point.”

That was not comforting, but he didn’t argue.

“Her father will probably see you soon.”

“I’ll deal with him,” Eleya said, grinning. “He’s the least of your concerns.”

“He’ll tell Primen.”

“I doubt he needs to,” the High Senator said. “After your performance, I don’t think there is anyone on Briolina who doesn’t know by this point.”

Of course. The abduction of Briolina’s star was no doubt noticed. Faren ignored the surge of frustration and shrugged.

“Very well.”

Eleya smiled and ended the call. Faren was left thinking whether he was being overly cautious. Primen couldn’t have hated him enough to endanger his own life just to ruin his. Maybe it had been a mistake to bring Leiya to his ship like that. Eleya was undoubtedly right.

Their leaving had been too public, and now they were in the center of attention whether he liked it or not. It might have been better to keep everything under the radar until he could resolve things with Senator Primen.

Yet another part of him was glad for her presence, even if her misery was almost palpable in the air. Maybe he had brought her aboard simply for his own selfish reasons. That would make him exactly the monster Leiya had accused him of being.

--

Roven saluted him and hesitated then.

“She saw me, Commander,” he said. “She looked out of the door and then screamed. She hasn’t come out of the room since.”

Faren nodded. The doors slid open for him.

Leiya was waiting for him, standing in the central room, her hands clenched into fists. Her eyes were determined. He waited for her to speak.

“That thing is behind the door,” she finally said.

“Roven,” he corrected.

“It has a name?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes.”

Everyone had a name. Why would she think he didn’t?

“Is he… is he a Brion?” Leiya went on then.

Ah, that explained things. It was also painfully ironic.

“Yes,” he said. “He was captured by the Otangis when he was younger.”

He didn’t explain further. The Otangis conducted horrible experiments on their prisoners, and it was a miracle Roven had escaped at all, with the help of Faren’s rescue team of course. Many warriors had succumbed to their injuries or became reclusive, ashamed of their distorted looks. Roven, however, didn’t let it distract him from his duties in any way. Faren admired that. He kept the warrior close to him after that, trusting him with the tasks he didn’t trust to just anyone.

“Why is he there?” Leiya asked.

“He’s your guard.”

Her mouth dropped open.