Page 49 of Uprooted
Aro
The war room goes quiet when I step inside. Thirty heads turn and watch me take the empty seat next to Tai at the circular table.
“What? You act like you haven’t seen a battleform before.” I break the silence.
“No one has seen anything like that in centuries,” Locke says from across the table.
Rialto steps into the room. The lights dim and a holographic image of j’Tilak appears. Tensions are high and we all silently wait for him to begin the briefing.
“We have learned that the Atorum were programmed to eradicate humans. The specimen that we recovered is badly decomposed. However, we have a team trying to figure out who is behind the attacks.”
I think of the most outspoken anti-humans, we should have taken those protestors more seriously. We were blinded by the stupidity of it all.
Petrok steps up next to Rialto and continues. “All available units are out looking for any Atorum that might have survived. We already have eyes on the segregationist group known as HOMe, Human Opposition Movement. For everyone’s safety, the humans are required to stay on base at all times.”
“I want to be the first to congratulate Captain Aro pt’Burosa. The first of our kind to summon his battleform in hundreds of years. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime,” Rialto says, turning to me. Everyone around me thumps the table in unison.
I smile and wave them off like it’s no big deal. I still haven’t explained what this all means to Elowen. It doesn’t feel right talking about it with anyone until she hears it from me.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I like our chances now that battleforms are back on the table,” Tai says.
I put on a convincing show of nonchalance. This is a turning point for my people. The ability to summon battleforms will alter our future. The significance is not lost on me, and I am humbled that fate chose me to summon this ancient power.
Elowen is my mate. She’s the reason this happened. And I’ve never been happier. It all finally makes sense now. The moment I saw her I knew… I didn’t know exactly what it was, but somehow I knew.
For the first time, I can imagine what our lives will look like. The vision of a little girl with blue skin and Elowen’s big round eyes floats through my mind. I shake my head to stop that train of thought. I am getting ahead of myself.
* * *
After the briefing, I find Elowen sitting alone on a bench outside with her face turned up towards the sky. When I step in front of her and she opens her eyes to see what is blocking out the warm light, I’m rewarded with a smile.
“How did it go?” she asks, shading her face from the bright sun when I sit down next to her on the bench.
“Looks like the Atorum were programmed to target humans.” She doesn’t look surprised.
“Do they know why?”
“We’re still figuring that part out,” I tell her. The wind has dislodged a strand hair and it blows across her face. I gently tuck it back behind her ear, unable to resist the compulsion to touch her .
I scrape my hand down my face, suddenly filled with worst-case scenarios. I haven’t put a lot of thought into how Elowen will react when I tell her we are mates until this moment. I just need to do it—tell her, and see what happens next.
“What’s going on?” she asks. She puts her hand on my arm. The touch calms me immediately. The wind has pulled loose her hair again. This time she tucks it back herself so she can see me clearly.
“After I sent you here, I shifted into battleform. It happened because I needed to protect you, my mate.”
“Woah, woah, woah. Start over. What?” she’s rattled by what I said.
“During the attack, I shifted into my battleform.” I say slowly. I shouldn’t have just blurted it out before.
“What’s a battleform?”
“It’s a physical reaction to threat. It’s when a Tilak’s body grows, gets stronger, and is solely focused on protecting their mate. Remember what I told you about the quinstaks, and how my people used to have mates all those centuries ago?”
“And that happened to you?” she asks.
“It did. When the porter took you away, I shifted into my battleform and didn’t even know it right away. It took Maak pointing it out for me to realize what happened.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she says.
I start to explain the shift, “It’s a biological response to stress, so—”
“Not that.” She stops me. “I don’t see how it’s possible that you and I are mates.”
“I know it sounds crazy. Different species, millions of light-years apart. But look at you and me. I’ve spent my life never looking at anything too closely.
You’ve spent your life looking at things so precisely—down to the cellular level.
I react, and you study and form theories and test. I break rules and you know they are there for a good reason.
Of course you are my mate. You make me so much more. Balance, right?”
“Biologically— ”
This time I cut her off. “It’s more than that. For me. You’re going to need some time. You have your process. I’ll wait. See? It’s already happening. I’m learning to be patient.”
It feels vulnerable to give Elowen space to think about what I told her.
Deep down, I know that this will all work out.
I’m not worried she will reject me now, but it does feel strange to put myself completely in the palm of her hand.
To give her complete and utter power over me. It’s petrifying and it feels right.