Page 38 of Orin

I’d never witnessed this side of him and I liked it very much.

“You should do that more often,” I said.

“What's that?”

“Smile. It makes you even more handsome.”

18

Orin

FINDING MY K’SHA ANDbeing the personal guard to the King filled me with pride. The knowledge that I was trusted by Trex made me feel more confident.

Being back in the palace brought a sense of comfort and familiarity. At long last, my K’sha’s heart was mine, and the world would be restored to its rightful order.

A smile involuntarily crept onto my face. My heart swelled with joy at the mere thought of seeing Olivia tonight.

The excitement of my first day as Trex’s personal guard dissipated when I laid eyes on his troubled face. He relaxed when our eyes met.

A tight smile formed on his lips. “Our first task today is an interview with Tinuk. He claims he’s ready to talk.”

I followed Trex out of his office.

When Tinuk was escorted into the interview room, he gave me a hostile look but remained silent.

King Trex questioned, “You stated you were ready to speak to me?”

Tinuk’s expression remained neutral, but his voice revealed tension.” Just so you know, I was working with other individuals.”

Trex leaned in, intrigued by the disgraced Commander’s words. “Who are they? Are they part of the purist movement as well?”

The city guard was now overseen by Drad, a long-time guard. He'd detain any remaining purists to prevent further harm.

Trex had also mentioned that Tinuk’s information about Krilex shuttles near the mining area was accurate, which made me confident that the King was giving Tinuk’s words serious consideration.

The ex-Commander, Tinuk, shook his head in disapproval. “You have no idea what is going on here do you? This isn’t just about some group of manipulated Alaran males.”

Trex leaned back and folded his arms. “Enlighten me.”

Tinuk emitted a grunt. “Instead of going to prison, can I be exiled from Alara?”

King Trex scoffed. “You have violated your pledge to protect Alaran citizens. You are fortunate no one lost their life, or else you would be sentenced to death.”

Tinuk frowned. “I instructed the males not to kill the hybrids. I had to do something or they would have killed me... I’m not the one you should be worried about. The Voletti will not give up on their plans until they control Alara.”

“Voletti? You mean the Unknown alien shapeshifters?” growled King Trex.

We now had the name of our new enemy.

“Yes. They are an ancient race from another Universe. They ended up here by mistake but they cannot reproduce here....”

“I know this already,” Trex snarled.

Tinuk’s face contorted before letting out a sigh. “Then you know that their ships require flonium as fuel. Alara has the minerals and metals to make it.... The Voletti want control over the mines, so they have an ongoing supply.”

“They will fail, regardless of their plans,” stated Trex with certainty.

A rueful laugh escaped from Tinuk. “Is it not clear to you? They have been biding their time for years, waiting to carry out the next part of their plan... It all began more than thirty tenri ago when they introduced their virus into our people. Their soleaim from the beginning has been to eradicate the Empire and its Protectorate, from Alaran space. Then no one stands in their way to have what they need. Now, they are running out of time and patience.”

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