Page 32 of Fionn
She sighed. "I wish you could have met them. They always supported me, no matter how cracked up my ideas were. One year, I decided I'd become an Arctic explorer. We didn't have much money at the time, but dad bought me a ridiculously oversized ski jacket in a charity shop and then drove us up to the Cairngorm mountains. There's a wild reindeer herd there, and we got to visit and feed them. On the way home, we stopped at the Highland Wildlife Park to see the polar bears." Elise sniffed. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
I wiped it away before licking my finger. Salty. Like the sea.
"I am so sorry," I whispered. I ran my fingers through her short, silky hair, wishing there was something I could do for her. Grief was a terrible beast. No matter how much you thought you had it under control, it could never be fully tamed. And it always broke from its chains when you least expected it.
"I've had time to process it. But it still hurts. I don't think that will ever pass." She took a deep breath. "What about your parents? Are they still alive?"
"I don't know. We are not raised by our biological parents on Finfolkaheem. Finbabes are given to the hatchery where they are assigned to clutches of three to four. Cerban and Rainse are my clutch-brothers. We are not related genetically, but we grew up together as brothers."
"Was it always that way?" she asked softly.
"No. The system was set up so females could focus on producing more offspring for the endurance of our species. By not having to care for their finbabes, they are free to put all their energy into procreating." I hated how detached and clinical I sounded. I'd never liked the idea of having to give away my offspring, should I ever have a mate. I wanted my finbabes to grow up with us, as a family, not raised by an army of carers and teachers.
"Sometimes, a matriarch will adopt a finbabe," I continued. "If they see potential in a child, they may be raised to become a leader or politician or a future matriarch. That's what happened to Kelon."
Elise snorted. "They made a bad choice with him."
"I agree. He was given every opportunity my clutch-brothers and I can only dream of, but look at what he did-"
Suddenly, a shudder went through Elise. She stiffened, her eyes wide.
"What is happening?" she whispered, before she dissolved into thin air.
16
Elise
My body was torn apart, scattered in all directions, before I was put together again in a flash of light and pain.
I staggered, collapsed, landing in a heap on a cold metal floor. It took me a second to remember how to breathe.
"ELISE FARROW."
The voice boomed from all around me.
I looked up, blinking against the bright light surrounding me, and forgot how to breathe again. I was in a spaceship, that much was clear. Before meeting Fionn and the other finmen I would have questioned if this was real or just a dream - but I had learned a lot in the past few days. My horizon had expanded beyond belief.
The room was oval, as big as a house, with metallic walls that pulsed with an ethereal glow, and a floor that was shimmering like quicksilver. I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd suddenly sunk through the metal. The room was split in two halves by a giant glass wall. On the other side stood a figure. With the way the light fell on him, I could only make out his silhouette, no details, but I recognised him right away.
Kelon.
I jumped to my feet, swaying at first as I found my balance, but anger at the alien who'd abducted me gave me new strength.
Kelon turned around slowly. His eyes found mine and he smiled. The malice in his gaze made my gooseflesh rise. I didn't want to be anywhere near this man. The glass separating us suddenly didn't feel like enough protection.
"What-" I snarled, but the disembodied voice interrupted me.
“THE HEARING OF THE INTERGALACTIC AUTHORITY IS CONVENED. SUBJECTS: KELON SHELL-CLUTCH OF ROUSSAY; ELISE FARROW OF PERITUS. WITNESSES ARE PRESENT.”
“I didn’t agree to—” Kelon began.
“YOU DO NOT CONTROL THESE PROCEEDINGS.”
He flinched. I breathed in slowly, steadying myself. He was not in charge here. This was neutral ground. I was safe.
"ELISE FARROW'S MEMORIES HAVE BEEN LAWFULLY ACQUIRED AND VERIFIED."
What the fuck?
