Page 51 of Tears of Tungsten
The Tale of a Human Heliad
Jar’yd
All things considered, Selene reacted to the truth much better than I expected. She didn’t outright deny anything I’d said. She didn’t scream at me, nor did she try to defend her lovers.
But that didn’t mean she was all that willing to accept it either. “Can I please have some time alone?” she requested.
I didn’t want to leave her. Hidden here, in this mating den I’d built for her, she was more beautiful than ever before. But I was trying to be honest and patient with her, because otherwise, everything would blow up in my face. And so, I agreed.
I knew I didn’t need to rush. Selene had no place to go, and eventually, she’d come around, out of sheer necessity. There was no way for a Terran to leave Eos. It was physically impossible. Assuming she’d be able to sneak past our guards—which was doubtful, without a thick temperature shield, Selene would be burned into a crisp. Her skills might be remarkable, but they wouldn’t help her here.
No one would be able to come after her in time. They’d likely figure out she was still alive pretty quickly, since that blasted chimera was still an issue. But the time difference between our two worlds was a huge advantage for me. Selene might spend years here before the Grand Chimera Unit even left Tartarus Base. All I needed was a few months, and once I started breeding her, she’d never leave me, because we’d have a child together.
For the moment, though, I could give her a little time to process. Good things came to those who waited, and I’d know how to do that.
With that in mind, I left the mating den and headed down toward the kitchens. It wouldn’t hurt to have a meal prepared for her, something light which she’d be able to eat despite being upset.
The solar spirits welcomed me with cheerful waves. “Milord Jar’yd. What can we do for you?”
“Could you prepare a meal compatible with a humanoid life form? My new mate requires sustenance.”
“Of course, Milord,” one of the spirits replied, swirling around me in an excited dance. “We’d be happy to. Congratulations on your mating. We look forward to the birth of your new heir.”
“I’m taking my time with that, for now.”
The solar spirits didn’t reply, but I knew they understood. They were ageless creatures, a hive mind of sorts that was attached to the Great Mother. In a way, they weren’t actual people, but manifestations of Helios’s Gift. They’d always been kind to me, and when I had bad days, that reassured me and reminded me that I truly belonged here.
As I waited for the solar spirits to prepare something for Selene, a familiar reptilian figure entered the kitchen. “Ah, there you are,” Kallios rumbled. “I’d heard you’d returned from Terra, but I was beginning to think it was only a rumor.”
I hugged my friend, mindful of the sharp spines that lined his back. “Sorry for not dropping by to see you sooner. I was successful in my secondary mission.”
Kallios’s tail swayed around and his reptilian snout twisted in a predatory grin. “You have your female, then? The flame-haired Terran?”
I nodded. “She’s in a mating den now. It’ll take me a while to convince her to see sense, but the important thing is that she’s here.”
“The best females are always hard to convince, but you can absolutely do it,” Kallios replied. “Congratulations, my friend. If anyone deserves a good female, it’s you.”
I appreciated his words. Kallios had been a good friend of mine ever since I’d come here to Eos. He’d been the first to volunteer to join my unit, at a time when no one had really trusted me. The others had come after, and I appreciated their support too. But without Kallios, I might have had more trouble adapting to Eos.
“I’ll introduce her to everyone, but not just yet. I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
“Yes, about that… It would be best to handle it with care. There was a mild issue while you were away. It’s Teela.”
I cursed viciously under my breath. I’d been afraid of this. Teela was an excellent, reliable warrior, but her past connections to Terra remained dangerous. Unlike me, she wasn’t willing to cast aside her old life and forget she’d ever had a family. Her parents might have disappointed her, but her brother had not and still cared about her.
“I believe it would be a good idea to talk to her in private before she meets your flame-haired female again. I heard from Viu’an that they had some kind of astral confrontation and Teela lost.”
An astral confrontation? Between Teela and Selene? That was odd and somewhat worrisome. I’d been aware Selene had unusual talents, but if she had astral projection abilities powerful enough to overwhelm Teela, it could become a problem.
I turned toward the solar spirits, who were unashamedly listening to our conversation. “Could you please take the meal to my mate? It would seem I can’t do it personally, since my attention is required elsewhere.”
“Naturally, Milord. You can count on us.”
With a sigh, I followed Kallios out of the kitchens. Together, we made our way toward the training nucleus. Several teams were already there, sparring or practicing their photon summoning. Viu’an was fighting Danadu again, and once again, I had to wonder what had possessed him to agree. You’d think that a creature who primarily consisted of a mass of fleshy tentacles would avoid fighting a rocky monolith out of sheer self-preservation, but apparently not. I was beginning to suspect Viu’an had some kind of weird crush on Danadu, and this was their foreplay. If that was the case, maybe congratulations were in order for him too.
I left the duo to finish their battle and tracked down Teela. Unlike the others, she was resting. It wasn’t a good sign, since inactivity had never been her thing. Ostheo was keeping her company. They’d always gotten along, his feline-like form providing her with an anchor of familiarity at a time when she’d been desperate and afraid.
“Jar’yd,” she greeted me with a nod. “Is it true?”
