For security measures around Earth had been tightened considerably—not even a small transport pod containing an urlich could get through. And only Kindred ships were allowed in and out of the net—a fact that Xairn had no doubt considered when taking one of those, instead of a Scourge ship, when he’d left the home world with Lauren in the first place.
“Even if I found him, I could not get to him,” the AllFather muttered, frowning with his lipless mouth. “I mussst draw him out—bring him to me. But how? How?” Suddenly it came to him—a solution so obvious he began to laugh—a high, hissing sound that made his personal guards turn their heads warily in his direction. “What need have I to draw him out? To evoke emotionsss in him? Ssshe will do it for me,” the AllFather hissed
It was true. The human girl would provoke the change in Xairn—would bring his Scourge DNA to the surface and cause him to mature both sexually and in terms of his personal power. The moment Xairn took her, he would reach his peak, and his mind would be open once more to the AllFather’s manipulations. Then he would coax his son back to him for a final confrontation. And once he had Xairn within his grasp…
“His power ssshall be mine. A sssecond birth. A regeneration.” The crimson eyes blazed with greed.
Of course in order to absorb Xairn’s power, he would have to kill his only son, but the AllFather didn’t let such small details bother him. Xairn had spoiled one plan—the plan to regenerate their race through the female of the prophecy. Very well then, the AllFather would make a new plan—a far deadlier one. What need had he of a newly revived race if he himself could live forever? The girl was now superfluous—the one he needed was Xairn and Xairn alone.
But it would not do for Xairn to know of this new direction in the AllFather’s thinking. He needed to believe that it was still the human girl the AllFather was after. That Lauren was still in danger. Xairn must not learn that he himself was now the target. Unfortunately, there was a possibility he would glean the information from the AllFather’s mind if they established a new link. Unless the AllFather could cloud the issue.
Frowning, the AllFather left his throne and began to pace. “What ssshall I do, how ssshall I draw him to me while keeping him ignorant of my true desiresss?”
When the idea came to him, he began to smile. It was simple—blood simple. And it had the beauty of fulfilling two needs at once. The AllFather licked his lipless mouth with a dry, pointed, papery tongue. He might as well begin the plan at once—it had been too long since he’d received emotional sustenance.
“Alpha,” he said, looking up at his nearest guard, which he had regrown in the vats. “Prepare the molecular transssfer beam. I am hungry…”
Chapter Eighteen
“This is really good—what did you call it again?” Eagerly, Nadiah dug the rounded eating instrument called a spoon into the cold, creamy confection which came in colorful little tubs from Earth.
“Ice cream.” Olivia took another bite as well. “This one is called ‘Chunky Monkey.’”
Nadiah stopped with the spoon halfway to her mouth. “But isn’t a monkey a small chattering Earth creature that lives in trees?” she asked faintly. “Are…are you telling me I’m eating chunks of its flesh?”
“Ugh.” Sophia shivered. “What a thought! The poor monkeys!”
Nadiah felt ill. “Is that why this stuff is called ‘I scream?’ Because the animal screams when they make it into dessert?”
“No, no, no.” Olivia put a hand on her arm. “It’s called ice cream—you know, cream that’s been chilled until it’s icy? And there are no actual monkey chunks in it, I promise. It’s just called that because it’s banana flavored and monkeys love bananas and…” She shook her head. “Oh, never mind. Just eat it.”
The twins’ best friend Kat, snickered. “Good thing we didn’t get any ‘Chubby Hubby.’”
“You!” Olivia reached across the couch they were all sitting on to slap at Kat playfully.
Nadia frowned. “Chubby Hubby? You have ice cream that tastes like a plump male life-mate?”
Kat laughed until she almost choked and Sophie shook her head. “Kat’s just teasing you, Nadiah. And anyway, whatever you think of it, you have to admit this stuff is better than that fleeta pudding you guys eat on Tranq Prime.”
“I’d have to agree with you there.” Nadiah nodded. “I mean, I know it’s our planet’s national dish and everything but I’ve always hated it.”