Authors: Shyla Colt
Mars nodded his head. "You're right."
"I’m going to make sure we all get some one on one time with the folks as well. It's an opportunity we can't pass up."
The words may have comforted Mars, who managed a shaky smile, but they made Bastien nervous. The last thing he wanted to do was dredge up old things with his parents.
"So we all agree to do this?" Phelan asked.
A chorus of yeses filled the room, and Phelan patted Mars on his back before he stood. "Good. I'll call Rivka now." He pulled out his phone and walked toward the door to the room, leaving them to talk amongst themselves.
"What are your thoughts on this, Bast? You were pretty silent," Kade said.
"I think Phelan is right. We're missing something and until we fill in the blanks, Tavel will remain one step in front of us. We can't have that. I sense he's getting desperate or ready to launch a plan he's been working on for a long time. Why else would he choose to come forward and kidnap Zasha?"
"What do you think he's going to do?" Mars asked, once again composed.
"No idea." Bastien shook his head.
"I've been working closely with forensics from the P.I.U. unit trying to figure out all the chemicals he used and what they were for. It's been terrifying. It's like he's trying to make some kind of modified being,” Kade said.
"Why?" Mars asked. "We're already stronger, smarter and more powerful than humans. Why isn't that enough?"
"For some people, enough never comes," Bastien said. "They always want more. It's like a black hole inside of them that wants to swallow everything whole." His thoughts drifted to the Texden dictator they'd once had to put down.
"While I agree with the statement, I don't think it's true in this case," Kade said. "There's a pattern to Tavel's madness, a driving force behind his experiments. Once we figure out what that is, we can trap him."
"We need to do it soon before this leaks out into the community and the Earthlings crucify us," Mars said. "I've seen it happen a million times. Once there's blood in the water they descend on the victim like hungry sharks in a feeding frenzy."
"Rivka is gathering her things, and she'll be over tonight. When I told her what we wanted to do she said the spirits gave her a sense of urgency. I'm going to go explain what's happening to Zasha. Can you guys prepare a space for Rivka and the ceremony?"
"We got this, go take care of our sister," Bastien said.
"Thank you." He hurried off. Bastien returned his attention to Kade and Mars. "You heard the man, let's get to work.
Chapter Eight
Rivka never liked Callings. Disturbing people passed on from their rest to ask what were usually trivial questions made her want to throttle people. Then there were times like this one when she felt directly dialed into the universe and its wants. Her people believed everyone came from an unending source of energy that existed on a plane removed from their own. Each person possessed a part of this energy, and their souls eventually resided with it once they passed on. Some came back to right a wrong or learn a lesson. As she gathered her equipment she heard voices whispering in her ear, telling her to hurry. She slowed down her heartbeat, opened her mind to the will of something greater, and prayed for guidance and strength. Whatever this was, it was huge. She donned her deep purple Calling ceremony sheath, grabbed her priestess tiara imbedded with energy transferring stones and headed to her car with a black duffle bag slung over her shoulder.
When she knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal an anxious-looking King.
"Come on in, Rivka."
"Phelan." She gave a brief curtsy, and he bowed.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice. We've cleared out a ballroom for you." He led her down the hallway.
"That should be perfect. I'll do a briefing with you guys, and then we'll get starred."
"Excellent."
The familiar buzz of energy from the source flooded her, and she began to focus in on the trance-like state that had become second nature over the years. The gate that existed inside her opened. They walked inside the ballroom with the black and white checkered floor. The men sat in chairs by the large glass doors.
"Good evening, gentlemen." They all stood and gave a respectful bow. Each had a powerful aura, ranging from red to a dark blue. It was impressive to see such strong men hail from the same lineage. Fate had been kind to them.
"Please sit, Rivka," Phelan said. He gestured to the seat across from them. She sank down into the chair.
"I know we all know the basics of The Calling, but when you're experiencing it firsthand it can be a little jarring. The people I call up will be your parents but not. They're changed; their memory might not be as accurate. You may notice their gestures and mannerisms are off. It's best to keep moving forward and not take it to heart. Where they are things are quite different."
"How do you know this?" Kade asked. His face filled with blood, and he ducked his head. "Sorry."
"No, it's okay. It's a knowledge that comes along with being a priestess. I have to ask you not to ask them what they've seen or where they are now. It agitates them, and they can't answer. It's against the rules."
"What rules?" Phelan asked.
"The rules of Cosmos, it's how we keep the balance. The Priestess of the Stars and I. Do you all have the questions you'd like to ask thought up?" she asked.
"We do. We'd like to speak to them in a group and then one on one, if possible," Phelan said.
Rivka closed her eyes. The energy in the room crackled. She nodded.
"Yes, your ancestors are very eager to be heard tonight. There may be more than your parents who answer when I call."
"Is that normal?" Mars asked.
She flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Normal? No, but it's not unheard of, and you are royals." Her eyes wanted to drink in the sight of the General, but now was not the time. Her self-satisfying thoughts were smothered like a wet blanket over flames. She focused on the task at hand.
"Do you all remember the steps to a calling?" she asked.
"Yes, we brushed up before you got here." The General’s voice was deep and full-bodied like a potent wine, and sparks of electricity shot straight to her cunt. Instinct made her want to rub her thighs together, but business overruled.
"Good. I'll set up the candles and incense and begin to sing. When you feel the energy build inside you, join in."
"What will we actually see once you call them?" Kade asked.
"It differs from person to person. Some people see energy, or an aura, others, a silhouette, or an outline." She stood, the duffle bag hanging on her arm. "Let's move to the center of the room." Rivka measured the room with her eyes, walking over to the center point of the room. She set the bag on the ground, unzipped it and took out her supplies, arranging the candles into the shape of a giant star. She placed the bowls of incense inside the perimeter and sent out a spark of power, lighting the cones with her mind. The saccharine smell relaxed her tense muscles and helped her focus. She began to chant in the old language, raising her hands to the sky as she danced.
Ancestors, hear my call
Bless this star priestess seeking your guidance
May my offering be pleasing to you
Rivka moved to the center of the star. Purple smoke filled the air, shadows lengthened, and the hair on her body stood on end. She swayed, humming the Calling song. The smoke swirled around them. Their gazes were locked on to her, yet it was the General's that pierced her like a knife. She was hyperaware of his every move. It was torture not being able to examine why. Vibrations started at her feet, and she held her hands up toward the ceiling as she shook. Energy surged up from the floor, through her body and out the top of her fingertips. She was a conduit. The silky material of her dress flowed in the building breeze.
The rich baritones and altos of the men blended in. Her lids lowered as she fell deeper into a trance. Power swelled inside her, filling every pore. The air seemed to catch fire as a swirling, electric blue portal opened above her head.
"I call Zilla and Arkadi D'Shar forth from their place among the stars and the in-between time. Back to the people you loved on this plane and the people you ruled who desperately need your help."
****
Bastien watched on in awe of the powerful woman wielding powers he didn't fully understand. Her eyes had gone white along with the hair that seemed to have a glow of energy surrounding each strand. The circular portal above her pulsed in response to her summons. He sung the ancient words with her. The close proximity to the woman assured him one-hundred percent she was his mate. Fight or flight kicked in. He balled his fists to remain rooted to the spot when all he wanted to do was grab her and run. A breeze flowed through the room, blew back his hair as it became a roar. The portal flickered before it emitted a blinding burst of light. His eyes slammed shut. When his vision returned he balked at the sight before him. Spectral forms of his parents floated in the center of the room beside Rivka.
"Thank you, Zilla and Arkadi, for joining us."
"Of course, child of the stars, you honor us with your beautiful performance," Zilla, his mother, said. He could make out their features, but it was obvious they were made of energy and light. Unsure what to do or say he looked at Phelan who appeared equally shell-shocked. Phelan cleared his throat.
"Mom—Dad?"
"Phelan—it's good to see all of our boys together in one place again," his father said.
"Disturbing you isn't something we did lightly. We were forced to relocate to Earth when our suns began to fail, and recently we discovered Tavel has been here all along—experimenting."
"He must be stopped!" his father's voice echoed in the empty room.
"We're trying, but we don't know his pattern or what he's after."
"You want to know how we died?" his mother asked.
Phelan lowered his head. "Yes."
"When we found out what Tavel had been doing we were livid. We told him he had twenty-four hours to get his things packed, destroy his experiments, and vacate the planet. He came for us at night. Hit us with a gas he released in the room. He was really proud of that later. He bragged about it while we were strapped onto a table, unable to use our powers." The picture his father painted enraged him. He bit the inside of cheek to remain silent.
"He needed our blood, our marrow, anything he could get his hands on and preserve. He was aging right before our eyes. Tavel said he set out to make a better Shar, one who would be the ultimate super soldier, and live forever. He'd started off experimenting on himself and when things went wrong he'd been forced to move to others." His mother squeezed his father's hand. "That's when we caught him in the act."
"He's trying to create the perfect donor," Kade whispered.
"What do you mean, Kade?" his mother asked.
"He's been procreating with humans, using all kinds of chemicals from our galaxy and those surrounding it to make the pregnancies viable. I've been trying to locate all the elements, but I couldn’t figure out why. It seemed too deliberate to be random or sporadic."
"By now he must be out of what he took from us, or close to it," his mother said.
"Depends on how frequently he administers his—elixir." Disdain dripped off every word Kade spoke.
"I still don't understand, why you?" Phelan asked.
"Because our line was the oldest on Tagget, he said it was
pure.
I think he hoped it'd reverse what he did. He ran tests and when the results didn’t come back correctly he destroyed the lab and put us to sleep. It's the last memory either of us has."
It was relief knowing they hadn't been tortured. It was a fear he'd lived with for far too long.
"Thank you, Mom and Dad; this is the break we were looking for," Phelan said.
"We're happy to help," his father said.
"The boys would like to speak to each of you alone now," Rivka said. Her voice was different, lower, full of power.
"We'd like that," his mother said.
"I can only allow each of you a small period of time with them. It's draining to keep this portal open, and there are many of you."
"We understand," Phelan said as they all murmured their agreement. "We'll go by age."
"Oldest to youngest?" Kade asked.
"Works for me," Mars said.
"I'll allow you your privacy," Rivka said, following the mass exodus outside of the ballroom. The mood outside the room was tense as they stood in a circle. He couldn't help but sneak a glance at Rivka. She was gorgeous, cloaked in power and confidence. Her eyes glowed a brilliant purple, and her white hair stood out against her dress and milk chocolate skin. The door swung open, and he turned to face Phelan.
"You're up," Phelan said.
Bastien felt like heavy weights were shackled to his ankles as he trudged into the room. He moved back inside the opening in the star formation, shoving his hands in his pocket, as he stood in front of what was left of his parents. Suddenly he felt like that eleven-year-old boy telling his parents goodbye.
"I-I'm not real sure what to say. I spent a lot of time going over the years planning out what I was going to say, wondering why you seemed so emotionless when you sent me away. I was a scared child, and all you had to say was the time for childhood was over. Why would you do that? Did you care, or was I written off the moment you heard the prophecy?"
His father sighed. "Your mother said I was being too harsh. I was out of my element and grasping at straws. Letting you go was one of the most painful things we ever had to do, and all I could think about was being strong so you could do the same." He could hear the pain and sadness in his father's rich baritone. "We always regretted the way things were left between us, Bastien."
"We're proud of you and the sacrifices you've made for our people. Knowing you didn't realize that kills me," his mother said.