Page 61 of Destinies of Diamond
“Probably didn’t help that a lot of my regeneration powers came from him and I’ve been using them like crazy since we left Tartarus Base,” I mused. “Anyway, now that you’re here, we should figure out what to do.”
Selene nodded and got up. Together, we left my room and headed toward the main deck of the Venom.
The sound of raised voices reached us before we even got to our destination. “And I’m telling you I sensed an anomaly on Earth. Something’s gone wrong. I know it.”
“And why should we care about that, August? Even if you’re right and the apsid got himself caught, he’s not relevant anymore now that Selene is back.”
“I agree with Flight Lieutenant Alexander. We decided to work together to free Selene. Flight Lieutenant Glass’s disappearance doesn’t matter anymore.”
Selene’s breath caught and she walked a little faster. “Jared is gone?” she asked as she burst into the main deck.
Everyone turned to look at her. August looked pale, but he managed to reply anyway. “I think so. I sensed something earlier. I can’t identify what it was, but I think he’s in trouble.”
It was entirely possible that he was right. After all, Tanya didn’t like Jared and she could have turned on him instead of agreeing to help. But if that was the case, we might not have the forces to intervene. I honestly wasn’t sure I cared enough to even do it.
On the other hand, he had been the one to save us. If he hadn’t arrived on time, we might not have gotten out of Tartarus Base. I might not have a lot of scruples, but I couldn’t disregard that.
“Is there any way to make sure? If he’s in trouble, we have to at least try to help him.”
“I’ve been trying to contact the Great Mother, but I don’t think I can do it on my own. If she can hear me, she isn’t answering.”
“Maybe I could help,” Selene piped up.
“No, that’s too dangerous,” Commander Trevor protested. “Your pregnancy could be at risk. You almost miscarried less than a day ago.”
“I know that, Sir,” Selene replied. “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. But that doesn’t mean I intend to just stand here and do nothing.”
My uncle tilted his head at her, considering Selene’s offer. “Acting Lieutenant Renard, have you ever heard about the rumor that red-headed children are actually related to apsids?”
Selene blinked at his apparent non sequitur. “Of course. It mostly wasn’t an issue when I lived on Terra, but there were some people who still believed it.”
“That’s because it’s true,” he answered. “It’s not a rule, of course, and regular redheads are different from redheads with alien DNA.”
“If this is some kind of joke, uncle, I’m not laughing,” I told him. “Selene’s parentage has been long ago determined.”
“I’m not questioning that. But I still believe that there’s something special about you, something that allowed you to gain the interest of several gods.”
“Maybe, but we don’t really have time to explore my past, Your Highness.”
“There’s always time for family bonding. And we’re long overdue a conversation.”
I didn’t like his tone and I didn’t appreciate the way he was looking at her. All of a sudden, I remembered that his real interest wasn’t in Selene, but in the baby she carried.
“Uncle, you’d do well to drop this line of conversation,” I growled at him.
“I don’t think I will,” he replied. “After all, Selene said she wants to help. You’re not in any position to deny her.”
Selene narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious, but interested. “What did you have in mind, Your Highness?”
This was how we ended up in the infirmary with Selene seated on the bed, skeptically listening to what my uncle had in mind. “You want me to get a haircut?”
“You’d be surprised what kind of power lies in a single strand of hair,” Archibald replied. “Even when it doesn’t possess independent magical abilities, it still carries the essence of its owner and can form the basis of solid energy channeling.”
Energy conduits. He was talking about energy conduits, similar to phasers. “Won’t it hurt Selene?”
“That’s the whole point of cutting it off. Once she’s no longer attached to the hair, the circuit will close and she’ll be outside it. The power in her hair won’t withstand the separation from her for too long, but we need it now and for only one use.”
“Go for it then,” Selene replied. “I don’t care about my hair. Honestly, I should have gotten rid of it long ago. It’s a hindrance in combat.”
