Ovation (Galaxy Circus #9)

Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Lila

W hen Tirrian and I return to the ship, the Celestians have arrived, and Smith’s alien breeding captives are in the process of being transferred to their ship. All of them thank us for saving them as they pass us. I’m so happy to see children reunited with at least one parent, if not both.

I stick my head into the med bay and find Sanshia there being monitored by Mark. Aarin, Hurricane, and Zeydan are all piled into chairs surrounding her bed. They look weary, but the three of them glow with their special power—green for Zeydan, blue for Hurricane, and white for Aarin—the radiance surrounding their sister. I’m sure it’s probably some kind of healing.

I scan the room and find Link farther down, standing over Ghosie. I tiptoe past the gods and sidle up next to my cyborg, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He gives me a weary smile, and I see bags under his eyes. He really needs to rest. I can’t remember the last time he did. Maybe when we were on Vilax.

“How is he?” I whisper, looking at my bear who is still in his hulked out form.

“My scans show he’s fine. The sedative is starting to wear off, but it may be another hour or two. That was a Viggy size dose because we weren’t sure what would stop Brannock in berserker form.”

“Well, it stopped a bear in hulked out form too,” I tease. “I’m heading home. I’m exhausted. Make sure you get some rest. We’re going to need it. I want to put plan B into action once we’ve all had a little sleep.”

“I will once Ghosie wakes up. If it’s much longer, I’ll give him a reversal, but I’m reluctant to do that in case he stays hulked out with the adrenaline boost.”

I say goodbye to him and go on my way. I stick my head in the holo deck to make sure that none of the captives are left behind and find Susie, Magenta, Vanity, and Nixie as well as the four humans whose lives we decided to spare. None of them have a wicked bone in their bodies, and while Matthew is curious, he isn’t malicious. The women only care about the health and well-being of the children. I actually have an idea on what to do with them, but first, I need to figure out why the atmosphere is so tense.

I wonder if maybe they were having some kind of argument, but then I spot a young boy behind them. It’s the boy who stood up to us when we first found them.

“What’s going on?” I ask, entering the room, Tirrian trailing behind me. He waited while I went into the med bay, not wanting to disturb any of the patients.

“Oh, Lila, thank God.” Susie is wringing her hands. “Logan doesn’t have any parents to go with. His mother died giving birth to him.”

“What about his father?” I ask, looking to the humans for information.

“Logan’s mother was fertilized via IVF. Smith wasn’t happy with how slow his program was. I’m assuming his father is Vilaxian as well, because he hasn’t shown any hybrid qualities, only pure Vilaxian traits,” Matthew explains.

“But his bloodlust is extreme at times, and he has trouble controlling his temper,” Melissa says, brushing a hand through the boy’s hair. His eyes blaze with anger, and his lips are clamped together.

“Are you hungry now?” I ask him, and he nods.

“This is why we should be his guardians,” Vanity says, and Magenta nods while Nixie shakes her head.

“Hurricane and I will be happy to take care of him. It would be better for him to have some male company.”

Oh fuck, I know what’s going on here. I’m not sure that I want to get into the middle of a pissing contest. This isn’t about the boy at all, and I’m annoyed at all of the parties involved. Susie looks at me with pleading eyes, and I decide not to back away slowly, but thankfully Tirrian steps in before I can say anything.

“I’m sorry, Nixie, but I’m going to agree with Vanity. He needs to be with someone who can help him with his bloodlust, and while I know Aquilians don’t mind a bit of blood when they bite, you don’t drink it like Vilaxians do. Vanity and Magenta will already have everything they need for him in their fridge.” My dragon is totally getting a reward blowjob as soon as I get a spare five minutes.

“But Vanity only drinks from Magenta now,” Nixie sneers, pointing a finger, and I can hear her jealousy. Damn, this is going to be a mess.

“But we still have blood in our fridge in case we feel like something different,” Magenta argues, hurt in her voice. Nixie is just making everything worse. Did she really think she could convince Magenta to give a relationship with her another go? She has a lot of hurt to make up for before she would even consider it. That’s even if Vanity is open to Magenta adding more to her bond. It is the Skarrian way, but will Vanity be as okay about it as Saxon is?

“Right, Logan will go with Magenta and Vanity for now. I will have Silac dig through the files and see if we can figure out who his father is,” I say, backing my mate up.

Matthew bites his lip like he wants to tell me something. I consider pulling it from his mind, but I want to see what kind of man he is and whether or not I can make the idea I have a reality. I look at him, and he gets the hint.

“Smith had another few males that he used for breeding stock, but a woman came to visit once to see his program and took a liking to a couple of the males and demanded he turn them over. He was happy to because he had product from them to continue trying to implant the women with.”

“Do you know who this woman was?” I ask him, and he shakes his head.

“Could you describe her?” Tirrian requests, and the man nods enthusiastically.

“Oh yes, she was something else—kind of otherworldly beautiful in a perfect way. She had copper-colored hair and eyes, and I’m not talking human copper, but bright, burning copper like freshly poured metal. She was tall and wore sky-high heels and had the look of a professional, like she was in charge of a corporation or something. She held herself with confidence.”

The description rings some bells, but I just can’t place it. I don’t remember seeing or knowing anyone like this, but a lot has happened in my life recently, so it’s no wonder I don’t remember everyone.

“I’ll let Silac know, and he can dig into the files and see if there are any records of the transaction,” I tell him. “Right, that’s settled. Magenta, why don’t you and Vanity take Logan with you? I’m not sure which living quarters you’re staying in, but let Link know so he can give Logan a checkup when he gets a free moment. We will arrange to get you a bigger living space now that you’ve bonded, but it won’t be until we stop at a space port somewhere,” I explain, and both women assure me it isn’t an issue for now.

They leave, and I almost let out a sigh, but then I see Nixie looking at me with hurt in her eyes. Well, it’s too bad. She hurt me just as much, and I don’t have time to coddle her, nor is this even about that. This is about what’s better for the boy.

“Nixie, could you please show these people to some living quarters? They are making a decision on what they would like to do next,” I tell her before turning my attention to them.

“You can choose to return to Earth, and our lawyers will set you up with new identities and make sure you are settled someplace new, or you could choose to stay with the circus. My family is rapidly expanding, and my poor nanny is run ragged. She could use some help, and since you three have experience in that department, I would like to offer you the position. We also have need of teaching experience to assist with the education of all the ship’s children, which are my five current ones, as well as Chloe, Logan, Bastien, and the new baby who needs a name. A few of the other performers and crew have their children with us this season as well. It will probably be between fifteen and twenty children needing education, especially when our new ones arrive in a few months.”

I can tell the idea intrigues them, and Melissa grabs Matthew’s hand and squeezes it excitedly. “I don’t know about Hettie and Francine, but Melissa and I already talked about it, and we want to stay,” Matthew tells me.

“I would love to be your nanny, and I’m sure Matthew can make himself useful in some sort of way. He’s very smart,” she says, and I smile at the couple. They are kind of adorable, and I hope we become good friends.

“Won’t we be in danger with all the aliens around?” Francine sounds more cautious, which is understandable.

“Not intentionally, but sometimes things get out of hand, and children have less control over their powers than adults. I may have something that can help with that, but I want to know if you’re committed or not. We can work on a trial period, and then I can tell you what my idea is.”

I’m thinking about offering them water from Skarr. It activated Susie’s latent DNA, so I’m hoping it would do the same for these humans too, but I don’t want to give it to them and then have them return to Earth. “For now, I can ask my warlock husband to create charms to give you a personal shield, which should hold up against the children’s mishaps.”

The two other women agree, and Nixie takes them to some spare rooms, glaring at me as she leaves, but I ignore it. I don’t have time for hurt feelings because it’s time to plan our next step.

“Come on, I want to see the kids before we make our next move,” I say to Tirrian, who wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me to the elevator.

“I’m sorry about Nixie and Magenta. I know their drama is bothering you,” he murmurs, and I lean my head on him.

“Yeah, but I can’t even begin to get involved. It’s something they need to sort out on their own, and we have enough to worry about. Brannock needs to send the message, and I need to ask my grandpas where the orb is. It’s time to finish the Syndicate.”

We spend the rest of the walk back to our home in silence, both lost in our thoughts. Everything that happened today was overwhelming, and I just need a moment. The minute we get in the door of our suite, I strip down and hurry to our pool, diving in and letting my mer form wash over me. I can’t think of anything I want more than ten peaceful minutes at the bottom of the pool. Hopefully I’ll get it, but if I know my mates, I won’t get a minute longer.

I ’m right, and it’s only a little longer than ten minutes before Cas and Nik join me at the bottom of the pool. They don’t speak though, which I’m grateful for, just wrap themselves around me, making a Lila sandwich, and hold me while we float. The tears I’d been holding at bay start to flow, and once they do, I can’t stop them. I sob uncontrollably, and the two men whisper words of comfort and caress my body. My parents were stuck in that hellhole for twenty years. My poor grandparents are never going to forgive themselves for trusting the police report and Smith. It’s a clusterfuck of epic proportions, and I hope for all our sakes it’s one we can move past quickly.

I finally get myself together, and we surface. We dry off, get dressed, and meet the rest of my mates in the living area for a meal. It’s the middle of the night, and the kids are still asleep, so we take a moment to ourselves.

Ghosie is finally awake and back to his normal size.

“I’m so sorry,” he says and reaches for me but then stops. “Ugh, I hate this,” he growls and stomps away, disappearing to his room. My heart aches for him, and I start to follow, but Link shakes his head.

“Give him a moment. I’m worried about him. He’s completely touch starved. He’s going to start becoming aggressive if we aren’t careful.”

“We need to kill Vivax and end his curse,” Echo shouts, startling everyone. Maxsim starts purring to soothe him and rubs a hand up and down his back. My poor sensitive omega wants to fix everything, and not being able to is making him unusually irritable. It isn’t good for him or the babies.

“Why don’t you go cuddle with him?” Maxsim suggests, and we all stare at the alpha in shock.

“That’s cruel, Maxsim. You know what happens when we touch his fur,” Echo scolds him, and Maxsim shakes his head.

“So, my love? You are needy, and he can tend to you just as well as I can. We’ve seen his cock. It has all sorts of interesting ridges and bumps. It might soothe your need for a knot.”

I’m unable to stop my mouth from dropping open in shock. Oh my sweet alpha cat. I think I just fell a little more in love with him.

“You won’t care?” Echo asks, and Maxsim shakes his head. “I just want what’s best for all of my family, and you both need it.”

The rest of us are quiet, but I get up and go sit in my alpha’s lap. “Why don’t you both go? Goodness knows he needs it, and none of you are needed for the Syndicate takedown. The three of you can watch the children.”

Maxsim shakes his head and gives me a kiss before standing up and putting me on the ground. “I will help tend the bear, but I will be coming on the mission. My mother is sending cats, and I am to lead them.”

“What if we are meeting on a planet like Rilu?” I argue, and he shakes his head.

“No matter, I will still be joining the fight, even if the rest of the cats can’t.” He gestures to the amulet around his neck.

I accept his argument and the two of them leave to look after our bear. I would really like to be the filling in that delightfully furry sandwich, but it’s going to have to wait.

“I say Brannock sends that message confirming we have the orb and asks for the location of the meeting. Once we know, we can tell your grandparents and our allies, and we can all rendezvous.” Xavier watches Maxsim leave with envy in his eyes and I smother a smirk. Such a manwhore, but I can completely relate.

Brannock is sitting on the couch with Nik, who is feeding our new infant. She’s guzzling milk, and I think she might be a bit rough in her hunger, because Nik keeps wincing.

“Are you okay, Nik? I smell your blood,” Saxon asks. He has blood in his cup, but I can smell that it’s Xavier’s.

“Yes, the little one is very hungry and is not being very careful, but I am used to it. Hali is the same way.” He smiles down at the baby and runs a finger over one of her spikes. “She is very cute, but she needs a name. We can’t keep calling her baby or she or her.”

“My sister didn’t even want to discuss it,” Zeydan says wearily. I’m worried about him. He looks the most exhausted of us all. I may suggest he teleport down to Earth to absorb more power, because he’s going to need it with what is to come.

“Well then, I think you should decide,” Caspian says to him. “And it’s good that we are raising her. She is half god, after all.”

The room falls silent, and I hear Xavier whistle.

“She could take the goddess of death’s powers,” I mutter, but Zeydan shakes his head.

“I’m not sure she could. She will have elemental god powers, and they are slightly different from death and life powers.”

My heart sinks. I hoped that there was someone else who could take them.

“But Lila, there is another option,” Link says. He looks as tired as Zeydan, and I am going to make both of them go to bed very shortly.

“Who?” I ask, not sure where he is going with this.

“Your father is half god, which is more divine than you. He would be more than suitable to take death’s powers.”

Zeydan sits upright, all signs of being tired disappearing. “Yes, you’re right. His life genes would make him compatible with death’s powers, like Lila is. I would think he is an option, but I would have to discuss it with Liliana and, of course, he would have to be asked.”

“No,” I state firmly, shutting down that idea without a second thought, and Link gives me an understanding nod. “He’s been through too much. We aren’t going to ask him. Let him live his life free from captivity without having to add worrying about numerous planets and races under his control.”

“Your brother, Bastien, is a choice too. Maybe your dad could be the keeper of the powers until Bastien is old enough,” Xavier suggests, and I glare at him.

“Actually, whoever gets the power won’t have to worry about planets and races. Most of them have been free of our influence for so long that we are not planning on announcing our presence. All of us have made lives for ourselves in other ways,” Zeydan explains. “Well, all but Sanshia, but she is free to do the same thing. We don’t want to disrupt that any more than the Galactic Council wants us to make a reappearance. No, we all plan on staying on the peripheral of our creations and only stepping in again if we need to.”

“Someone will need to keep an eye on Sanshia for a while. We wouldn’t want her to become bitter and twisted like Vivax did. If there was ever a trigger for cruelty, rape and an unwanted pregnancy would be at the top of the list,” Nikos muses as he puts our new baby over his shoulder and gently pats her back.

“What about Ember?” Tirrian suggests. “I always liked that name for a girl. It has fire connotations, and that seems suitable since she will be half fire goddess.”

We look at Zeydan, and he smiles at my dragon.

“That is a lovely name. Does everyone else agree?” he asks, and we are quick to give our affirmative.

Ember burps, and it’s loud and very unbabylike, and we all burst into laughter, some of the tension melting away.

“We will make sure your sister is looked after. I’m not sure how yet, but we will,” I promise my god, thinking that maybe my grandma will be the best person to rope into helping out.

“How about we all get some sleep, and tomorrow, we kick some Syndicate ass?” Cas suggests, standing up and stretching, and my kraken wakes and gives me a push. She wasn’t happy that we didn’t start anything in the water, and she wants to love on him a little. After all, I could use a power top up, and instead of arguing with her, I agree.

I’m going to need all the power I can get for tomorrow. Tonight just might be a musical beds kind of night. I’m not sure I’m going to get much sleep, but luckily with my extra Vilaxian and god bits, I don’t need a lot.