Page 24

The corridor beyond the docking bay opened into a larger chamber—aformal conference room, but nothing like what Maya would have expected from human designs.

The walls curved inward slightly, creating a space almost organic, shaped rather than built.

Light filtered from translucent panels embedded in the walls, shifting subtly in color: dark blue to green to silver, never holding steady for long. In honor of the Elaroins?

A central table dominated the room, smooth and pale, as if carved from living crystal.

No chairs. Only standing positions marked by subtle floor patterns.

Maya experienced a flicker of unease at the absence of chairs, as if there was no intention for visitors to rest or linger too long. Alien, but not hostile—just different.

Maya’s pulse slowed as she took it in. The otherworldly beauty of the room, the quiet importance of protocol, calmed something in her chest. Or maybe it was the Emissary herself.

Or the steady, silent presence of Riv’En at her side, close enough that his quiet presence protected her in the strangeness of theroom.

When the woman stepped fully into the room, her presence was even sharper up close. Tall. Composed. And utterly unapologetic in how she moved. There was no grand announcement, no drawn-out formality. Just a sharp tilt of her head and a voice that cut straight to the point.

“I am Vaeyra, Second of Elaros Council, Matriarch Ascendant. Designation: Elaroin Blooded, High Protocol.” Her voice lowered slightly, almost dismissive of her own introduction as she flicked her gaze to Riv’En.

Riv’En inclined his head, his voice steady and absolute. “I am Riv’En, Fourth of Alpha Legion. Assassin-class Intergalactic Warrior. Elaroin blooded by my mother, Vettian by my father.” His words carried the clout of both tradition and power, filling the room with quiet authority.

Vaeyra’s gaze settled finally on Maya, her eyes sharpening.

Her attention fell more demanding now. “And what is your designation, little one? Speak it yourself.” Her tone was not unkind, but there was an undeniable pressure beneath the words, as if Maya’s answer mattered in ways she didn’t yet understand.

Maya opened her mouth, pulse stumbling again. The Emissary’s eyes were pale silver, without pupils. Not empty, but full of authority and something almost too intimate, too aware. Like she was being dissected without a scalpel.

She steadied her breath, her voice low but clear. “Maya Anderson. Human. Twin born.” Her own words were louder than she expected in the quiet space, and as they settled, she caught the faintest flicker of something in Riv’En’s stance beside her—not correction, but approval.

Unfortunately, the last part of her designation landed in the room like a dropped weapon.

A quiet ripple moved through Vaeyra’s attendants. Even the ambient lighting shifted, pale blue flickering toward violet for a moment. Astatic charge filled the air, raising the hairs on her skin as if the room itself reacted to Vaeyra’s words.

“A twin,” Vaeyra said, the words slow. Not quite disbelief. Not quite condemnation. But close.

Maya swallowed, her skin tightening all over again.

Her robe shifted slightly in color—pale orange darkening to a deeper rust, the visible signal of nerves she could not entirely suppress.

The awareness of it made her stomach hollow, as if every eye in the room could see every reaction.

There was no hiding behind practiced words or steady posture here.

The robe broadcasted her emotions in real time, stripping her bare in a way that left her stomach hollow.

Vaeyra’s head tilted just a little. “That changes things.”

Riv’En shifted beside her, not a full movement, just the faintest adjustment of stance.

Her pulse kicked a little harder, not from fear this time, but from that steady, silent awareness of him.

Even here, surrounded by strangers, surrounded by rules she didn’t know, he was still hers. And she washis.

His presence gave her the confidence to speak. “Why does my being a twin change things?”

Vaeyra glanced toward her attendants, then back to Maya. “The twin element complicates matters. We do not bond to split souls.”

Maya inhaled slowly. She didn’t entirely understand what that meant, but her voice came out steady. “I’m not split.”

Vaeyra tilted her head again, studying her as though measuring truth in the air.

“We shall see.” Her voice softened, just slightly.

“Among our people, bonds are singular. Whole. Atwin complicates that purity. One soul, one reflection. When there are two, it becomes difficult to know which part of you answers the bond.” Her gaze held Maya’s steady.

“But that does not mean it is impossible.”

For a moment, silence filled the space again.

It stretched endlessly, and her pulse settled into the rhythm of it.

Then Vaeyra’s voice came again, lighter but no less steady.

“You must understand, it is not prejudice. It is preservation. Elaroin balance depends on clarity.” Her pale gaze flicked once more between Maya and Riv’En, weighing them together. “Now. Your purpose.”

“By blood, Irequest sanctuary,” Riv’En said, his voice calm but absolute. “I invoke the protection owed to those of Elaroin descent.” His gaze did not waver as he added, “My bonded mate, Maya, must be protected as part of me.”

Vaeyra’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You remained absent beyond allowed cycle count. Why return now?”

“Final Flight,” Riv’En answered, his tone holding an undercurrent Maya hadn’t heard before—something heavier. “She altered it.”

The words settled between them like something sharp and unmovable. Vaeyra studied her again, more intently now. Then she stepped closer, observing both Maya’s robe and Riv’En’s.

“You wear the colors of fear mixed with the gold of your mating bond. He wears vigilance,” Vaeyra said, voice quieter now. Her gaze pinned Maya in place. “Do you understand what that signifies, human?”

Maya’s mouth went dry, but she forced herself to answer. “I understand enough.”

Riv’En’s voice rumbled low beside her. “She knows what she is to me.”

One of Vaeyra’s attendants stepped forward, touching lightly at Maya’s wrist, abrush of fingers against the robe fabric, tracing the weave as if confirming its truth. It wasn’t painful, but came across as invasive all the same, too intimate. Then he turned and gave the Emissary a briefnod.

Vaeyra inclined her head. “That changes things. Your bond’s validity must be established because it alters both political standing and bloodline rights within Elaroin governance.

If confirmed, Riv’En’s claim to sanctuary becomes unassailable under Council law.

And you, human, would hold status not merely as an outsider but as bonded kin.

There are protocols we must follow before we can offer the choices available to you both.

” Her voice cooled slightly, becoming sharper.

“Before any of that, however, there is another matter. Your vessel was shadowed prior to entering orbit. We detected an unknown signature before your arrival.”

Riv’En’s expression did not change. “We detected it as well.”

Vaeyra’s gaze narrowed. “Why did you not report it immediately?”

“I wished to confirm its origin first.” His voice remained calm. “But it followed us across multiple systems. Ihave full scan records.”

Vaeyra’s mouth tightened by a fraction. “You will submit them for review. If this ship breaches Elaroin orbit, it will not be granted parlay. It will be eliminated.”

The words hung there, final and quiet. Afaint ripple of tension eased in the room as Vaeyra’s gaze shifted back to Riv’En. “You have invoked blood right. That grants you provisional status. But it does not exempt you from examination.”

Maya caught the faint shift in Riv’En’s posture again, along with the slightest narrowing of hiseyes.

“We will comply,” he said, voicecool.

Vaeyra inclined her head once in acknowledgment. “Medical evaluation is mandatory. For both of you. To confirm bond integrity and ensure no external contaminants jeopardize Elaroin systems.”

Maya’s stomach tightened, but she forced her chin up, matching Vaeyra’s pale gaze as evenly as she could.

“Fine,” she said quietly.

Vaeyra’s mouth curved in what might have been a smile. Or something colder.

“There will be additional terms,” she added, her gaze flicking back to Riv’En. “Restricted access to all central sectors. Weapons limited to defense class. And observation protocols will remain in place for the duration of your stay.”

Riv’En gave a single nod. “Understood.” Beside him, Maya experienced a flicker of something steady settle inside her.

His calm wasn’t just for show. It was measured.

She couldn’t tell if it settled her nerves or only reminded her how far out of her depth she was, but she found herself mirroring his stillness all thesame.

The pulse of formality settled into something quieter then, like a held breath easing just slightly after tension.

Her own shoulders loosened in response, picking up on Riv’En’s stillness beside her and Vaeyra’s stance.

The power of protocol had not lifted completely, but it shifted enough for Maya to catch her balance.

Vaeyra stepped back half a pace, the motion purposeful and unhurried, as though giving them space now that the formalities had settled. “We will reconvene at dusk cycle. The Council will determine your access to the genetic archives.”

Maya glanced sideways at Riv’En, but his expression remained utterly still.

The Emissary turned, her robes shifting in shades of violet and gold. Her attendants followed silently as she moved toward theexit.