Alien in the Family

ancient Alpha Four succession ritual to claim the throne. The Planetary Council are pawns in that, and so are the Amazonian assassins. Problem is, they’re all out, and their reinforcements are coming.”
    “Great.” Chuckie sounded as though he was getting a migraine.
    “But it should be official Free Women warriors,” Alexander said. “Not any who side with the dissidents.”
    “I promise you, we’ve got the crazy ones coming.”
    “How do you figure?” Martini asked.
    “Because I think this has been planned for a long time, much longer than anyone from the Planetary Council here realizes.”
    “Great.” Chuckie sounded as if the migraine was getting worse.
    “It’ll get better. Assume they’ll knock out telecommunications first. We’re extremely reliant on it, and Gregory knows that now. Everything going on so far has been a part of the succession test, triggered because we’re getting married.”
    “Great.” Martini was joining Chuckie in Migraine Land.
    “They’ll want to take out Richard. He’s here, and my parents and others will be staying with him.”
    “Why my father?” Christopher sounded angry and afraid. I could relate.
    “Because he’s the head of your religion. If Jeff wins, they will want to force him to go back to Alpha Four. Richard, as the religious leader, would be able to support Jeff staying here. Without him, your entire race crumbles. At least in their minds.”
    I looked to Gower. “Paul, I need to talk to ACE.” It was time to confirm what I was pretty sure Gower and I both already knew.
    He nodded and twitched. “Yes, Kitty, ACE is here.”
    “The sentient net from the Free Women planet is on its way, isn’t it? That’s who you meant when you said ‘she’ was evil. Not Moira or even Kyrellis, but your godlike counterpart, who considers itself female.”
    “Yes, Kitty.” ACE sounded both relieved and scared. “ACE wanted Moira to stay unaware so Moira could not bring Moira’s God to us any faster.”
    “It’s not a god, ACE, any more than you are.”
    “She is freer than ACE. And more ruthless.”
    “We’ll handle it, ACE.”
    “ACE will help. ACE will have to.” I heard the fear.
    “You’ll handle it, too. We won’t let them destroy you, either, ACE. I told you that—I won’t desert you, ever.”
    Alexander cleared his throat. “I know the succession ritual you’re speaking of. But we haven’t practiced that for centuries, millennia, even.”
    “But they’re still available for use. And your king is hurt and dying. And you refused the crown, and he knows Gregory is unfit. So . . . he said yes, in the hope that we’d handle his problems for him. Just like always.”
    “Gate’s here, baby. Using a big one, so we can all pretty much go through together.”
    “Okay, Chuckie and Christopher first, you and me last. Everyone else, remember that the humans must have an A-C near them or there’s a good chance they’ll be dead fast. Tito, Planetary Council members, Alexander—welcome to what it’s like with us. Now’s the time to back out and stay with our families. We won’t hate you, as long as you help protect the people we love. Everyone else, you’ve all been here before—let’s remember that this is our world, not theirs.”
    Everyone nodded. “Don’t dawdle,” Christopher said to Martini and me. It was almost a ritual now, and I managed to laugh.
    Chuckie and Christopher went through, then the rest of our fighting force, including Tito and the others. No one hesitated. No one but me.
    Martini pulled me into his arms. “You okay with getting married this weekend?”
    “It’ll give me something to live for.”
    “Yeah.” He held me tightly. “You’re the human I’m staying near, you know.”
    I shook my head. “The power pieces don’t get that luxury, Jeff. We’re lucky we have a lot of extra pawns. But they’re gunning for the power pieces.”
    “Maybe so. But a knight’s job is to protect his queen.” Martini bent and kissed me. It was slow, deep, and sensuous and I never wanted it to end. But it did. Everything ended, after all.
    Martini stroked my face. Then he lifted me up into his arms, I buried my face in his neck, and we walked through the gate and toward the things trying to kill us.

CHAPTER 48

    WE EXITED THE GATE IN THE MIDDLE of the desert. It was the end of April, but it was still cold at night, and I was glad I had Martini’s jacket on. He put me down, and the idea of changing out of four-inch