It was too much to take in. Dumbfounded at the twist in events, she stammered, A…A t-trial? We didn’t do anything. What are we being tried for?

Anyone who goes before the High Council must worry for their life. You are being tried for the magic you have forced upon me. I have been remiss in my duties to see your evil. In disgust, he hissed and his muscles twitched with irritation beneath her hand. Captain Sateri does not believe our bond is Tal’Ai. Neither yours nor the young Pyranni’s eyes were altered to the likeness of pakas. This is our crime.

But we didn’t have any choice in our bond. How could they hold us accountable for a bond that, for whatever reason, didn’t change my eyes?

There is more, My Lady. Eiren was able to determine the real reason for this trial. A new enemy has reached our shores, proclaiming a new magic has come.

Though she still had a headache, her brain was able to pull together what Chion didn’t tell her. His people believed she was one of the new, dangerous enemy. Incredible. She was a college student who wouldn’t have lasted three days in this violent world without Chion, and they thought she was an enemy to fear?

She didn’t realize she was stamping her feet and huffing under her breath in disgust until the paka they were following peered over her shoulder. They turned a corner and she again felt the prickle of hundreds of emotions flitting around her. She took a deep breath, trying to build a mental barrier against the coming tide.

Oh, no.

Panicking, she cried out Chion’s name in the hope he could save her. The emotions were not yet strong enough that she lost herself to them, but it was only a matter of time. She gazed wildly around and realized the walls around her must muffle or rebuff the city’s layer upon layer of emotions. Even so, her recent bout had left her reeling. Her brain wasn’t healed enough to handle even this low level of intensity. Lara didn’t understand how she did it, but as a last recourse—her only thought to escape the coming tidal wave, she mentally flung herself into Chion’s mind.

She felt Chion’s shock at her uninvited intrusion. In order not to rummage through his thoughts, Lara wrapped herself into a tight cocoon in an effort to stop any potential leakage. She was still in her body, but she did not feel the emotions bombarding her spirit. It was almost as if she had thrust the bond that held her magic into Chion. Her mouth open and her eyes wide, she turned her head to stare at Chion in disbelief. She hadn’t known what she did was even possible.

Chion stumbled in a half-step before he curled his lips and revealed his sharp teeth. Interesting. Both you and Eiren have shown an innate ability to enter your bonded mate. I must admit it is a most uncomfortable feeling to have something that is not mine inside my mind. He shook his head like he was trying to dislodge an insect. I understand the necessity for this, but this is not the answer to your magic. You must learn to mold and manipulate the magic the Goddess has gifted you to your benefit. I believe your ability to read emotions will prove beneficial for the trial. Until that time, I will carry your burden.

Thank you, she whispered, feeling a lump in her throat.

Lara knew Chion could feel the guilt she wallowed in at his calm acceptance of her inability to handle the magic. She also felt shame for subjecting him to this trial. If she had never come to this planet, Chion would still be patrolling the outskirts of Kureto, ensuring its safety for his people.

My Lady, this turn of events is not your burden to carry. I still hold hope for the High Council’s decision. Either way, I would not change our first encounter in the tunnels. Our paths are pre-ordained by both the God and Goddess. Because of that, I cannot regret our meeting. I must prepare you for the council. Let us clean ourselves, eat a good meal, and discuss the forthcoming trial.

They made a last turn and she saw Skye with his back to her, naked. He was reaching out for the clothing on the bench. She couldn’t help herself, she stared. The man’s physique was such that she knew his muscles had come from constant physical activity. She averted her eyes so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by drooling. Her thoughts were completely inappropriate for their current circumstances. When she turned her head, she saw Chion’s knowing gaze. Heat crawled up her neck to suffuse her face a scarlet red. She dropped her eyes and kept them locked on her feet until they reached the bench.

The guard turned to her with an impatient scowl and said, “Strip.”

Was he serious? She glanced around at everyone standing in the room. There were four men, five if she counted Skye. Then there was Chion, Eiren, the healer, and Ramala. Surely he wasn’t serious? She didn’t even take showers in the campus gym’s shower room. She was not getting naked in front of men. Horrified at the possibility, she took a quick step back and refused with a stubborn jut of her chin.

“Not going to happen.”

She would die of mortification if anyone saw her. The man’s brow deepened, and he took a threatening step forward. Keeping distance between them, she took another step back and felt her right heel lose ground. She was at the edge of the pool. Lara did an impromptu pirouette to gain more solid ground.

Before the man reached her, the healer asked with a quizzical tone, “Do you not wish to bathe?”

Matching the guard’s fierce scowl, she refused to answer, aware everyone was looking at her like she was crazy. Her face turned red again when Chion drew up next to her.

My Lady?

I can’t. Everyone is watching me.

She begged him with her eyes to understand without having to explain the problem. If she undressed in front of both the men and women, she was sure to have a complex. She knew she looked nothing like the Kurites. Their physique was slimmer, more toned. She had long ago accepted she didn’t have an athlete’s shape, but to undress before them in all her pudgy glory?

It took him a moment, but then understanding lit his eyes. When her face became mottled, he asked, Does your world not have public baths?

Of course not. Well, not in my country anyway. She shuffled her feet, knowing the guards were becoming more impatient with her.

As the guard reached for her again, Ramala spoke. Perhaps My Lady and I will stand guard over the young woman while the Pyranni is returned to the holding cell.

Her breath exploded out of her. She peeked through her hair to watch the men leave the room after a moment’s pause. To take her mind off her audience, she asked, “Why the bath? I mean, you don’t know which way the trial will end.”

The healer, Yumaya, answered, “It is custom to provide a meal, clean clothing, and the means for a bath before being presented to the High Council.”

She looked up at the woman, her eyebrows lowered as she tried to find a similarity to a practice familiar to her. Then it hit her, she said with a sneer, “Oh, how humane. You mean like we give a last meal to the inmates that are receiving the injection.”

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The woman raised her eyebrows in calm bewilderment. “I do not know the meaning of this word, injection.”

Lara didn’t have to hear Chion’s admonishment to realize her mistake. As she toed the water to check its temperature, she replied, “It is the word we use to explain how people are put down, killed.”

Curious despite her embarrassment, she asked, What did you do to get the men to leave?

I informed Ramala the difficulty you were in. Though she did not understand the problem, she knew it was necessary to provide an alternative. Otherwise, a small skirmish was imminent.

Lara grinned as she peered into the water, judging the depth of the pool. She took a deep breath and dove into the water head first. The warm water immediately went to work on her cold muscles and clammy skin. She did a few small laps around the pool before swimming over to the bench in search of the soap.

A half hour later, back in the cell, they each took a portion of the food a skittish, young woman brought for their last meal. His eyes focused on his spoon, Skye spoke in between bites, “Describe the High Council to us.” Her mouth full, Lara nodded her head in agreement, looking between Eiren and Chion.

Releasing a leg bone of some animal, Chion ran his tongue over his teeth and lips while sharing a look with the small paka. He grunted. I will start if Eiren will fill in the missing pieces. The High Council of Nine embodies the Kurite population. Every major city has a Council of Nine. However, Malkese, as the sovereign city, is the High Council’s location. Three human noble lineages inherit three of the positions, thereby representing the human Kurites. Similar to the humans, three of the Pack’s noble lineages also have seats on the council. These pakas also gain these seats based on their birth into the three designated bloodlines. This leaves three remaining seats on the council. These seats are composed of the Tal’Ai. Because descendants of Tal’Ai ancestors are not guaranteed a future Tal’Ai bond, these seats are given to the most powerful and wisest of the Tal’Ai. The Tal’Ai population is the most democratic of the Kurite population. Once a Tal’Ai pair has been chosen by the Tal’Ai population, they cannot be dismissed or replaced. No matter the Tal’Ai’s misuse of the power given to them.

The Tal’Ai bond represents one seat or vote; therefore, the paka and human must decide together how they will vote as they are looked upon as a single entity. In actuality, there are twelve individuals on the council but only nine seats. The nine seats do not allow for a gridlock or a stalemate. The Council of Nine meet for only the most important issues, those that cross the Pack and human symbolic lines. Usually, the disagreement is brought before one of the three types of council seat holders. For example, if the matter is purely a human disagreement, the Kurites request a hearing by the three residing human councilors. The same occurs for the other seats. Each seat is tasked with specific responsibilities relating to the city, its economy, or its military.

Skye interrupted, “Eiren asks that you should explain the Triad.”

Chion dipped his head. You are right to stop me. I have digressed from the topic at hand. The Triad constitutes the highest seat of power for each of the three council seats. All decisions for running the city of Malkese are made by the High Triad, each a sovereign in their own right. The other, lower seats, called councilors, provide counsel to their Triad sovereign. Unless there is dissent between the lower seats of power, the Triad will most likely determine the outcome of our trial.

Skye asked, “How can three seats make decisions for an entire city?”

The Triad rules not only the city of Malkese but all of Kureto, Eiren explained, using Skye as her interpreter.

Lara answered as she thought her way through the Triad. “It sounds almost like the checks and balances system we have. The Triad, by not having just one person in power, allows for potentially rash decisions to be brought back into consideration.”

Eiren agreed, The woman is correct.

Chion said, I believe it necessary to tell you that the Triad’s Ai has the ability to know whether one speaks the truth. If we use this ability to our advantage, this power could swing the seats in our favor.

Chewing on her bottom lip and rubbing her hands together, Lara remembered the statement the Pyranni made when she had shared about her home planet. “Does he or she know whether we speak the truth or whether we speak the truth as we know it?”

All three turned to stare at her, trying to puzzle their way through her inquiry.

At last, Chion cocked his head to the side. I am uncertain. I have never thought to scrutinize the Ai’s magic in such a way.

Self-conscious, she bowed her head and shrugged her shoulders. It was a valid question. If the Ai could only validate the latter, then their argument wasn’t as strong. She murmured, “I guess we will find out once we’re there.”

Skye asked, “Will they bring us in together or separately?”

All parties are present for the entire trial, Chion answered. It is our way. Every trial is also open to any citizen who desires to attend the proceedings. Because of this, the individuals under question are brought into the middle of the chamber.

“How does my ability to sense emotions come into this?”

I believe you will be able to sense the number of seats that are for or against the decision to let you live.

Lara had no idea how knowing that would help them. She also thought it interesting how Chion worded his response. He could have easily worded it so they would die. She chanced a quick look at Skye. From his stoic expression and tense shoulders, Lara knew he didn’t believe he would live to see tomorrow.

Chion added, Although not perfect, if you share what you sense with me, I can relay it to Eiren, all without speaking aloud a single word.

Skye asked dubiously, “Is there anyone who can hear us speak to each other through our bond?”

I do not believe so. It is possible a Tal’Ai will know when we speak through our own private bonds. But it is doubtful they will have the ability to listen in on our conversation.

“I’m going to have to tell the council where I am from, aren’t I?” Lara bit into her lip while she waited for an answer. She knew there was no way around the question if asked, but she still wanted a confirmation. She sighed when all three of her companions nodded their heads. She reached up to pat her hair, wincing when she felt the uncontrolled curls on her head. Without a mirror and products to tame the curls, she was afraid her hair had turned into an unruly mess. She dropped her hands and sighed again; frizzy hair was the least of her problems.

She couldn’t help but think the entire situation was surreal. She kept repeating to herself that she would die today. Somehow, it felt like someone else’s problem, not hers. Her death was so close she could smell it, but she kept thinking she’d wake up. Yet, the persistent throbbing in her head and the butterflies in her stomach told her the situation was dire. What was more, it was unlikely she’d wake up before the day was out. Only three days had passed on this planet, and it was nighttime at home, meaning she still had days, if not weeks, here.

Just like that, the reality of the circumstances poured into her mind, making her brain wail with the unfairness of it all.

Lara’s appetite vanished. What little food she ate turned to lead in her stomach. Her belly grumbled its immediate displeasure, and she rolled forward and scrambled out of her make-shift seat to purge the foul-tasting contents into the nearest corner of the cell. She panted as she tried to tell her stomach it was done. No more. She threw up again before dry heaving a few more times. The acid in her throat and mouth made her want to vomit again, but her stomach had finally finished heaving its contents. A cup of water was thrust into her line of vision. Still leaning over with one hand on the wall, she lifted the other hand from her knee to grab the cup.

Her stomach twinging at its recent upset, Lara croaked, “We aren’t going to make it, are we?”

Skye’s lack of a response gave her all the answer she needed. She squeezed her eyes shut, silently screaming at her body to wake up. She wrinkled her nose at the stench wafting up from the ground. The odor made her throat work to keep from vomiting again by swallowing the saliva in her mouth. She pushed away from the wall with a half-covered sob, backing up until her back hit the adjacent wall before she slid down it, not caring that the moisture clinging to the wall seeped into her clothes. With dry eyes, Lara watched in disinterest as Skye’s feet came toward her. With a soft breath of air, he sank down beside her, letting his muscular shoulder touch hers in quiet support.

Skye’s lips brushed her ear when he said in a low voice, “Both Eiren and Chion believe there is hope where there is none. I have made my peace.”

They sat there, both sinking into the silence that surrounded them while she sipped water from the cup she clutched with her hand. Both pakas joined them, their meal abandoned in exchange for their Ai. They sat together as a huddled group until the guards came to lead them to the council’s great chamber.

As they walked through several intersections, Lara could feel the determination radiating from Chion. I cannot carry your magic during the trial. You must take your magic before we enter the chamber.

She rested her left hand in the niche between both his shoulder blades and used that physical link to follow their bond into his mind. With single-minded purpose, she drifted incorporeal fingers into his mind to slowly withdraw the tiny cocoon away from him. Both of them shivered as the magic reentered her body, where it burrowed into the recesses of her spirit. She leaned into his large, feline body in silent gratitude for his patience.