PEARL

"You have conflated a pregnancy with elevated cortisol levels and her diet of Enuki dried meats and fruits, brother." Dumuzi locked eyes with Shadrach, his expression full of... rage. There was something unholy about it, so I took a step back. "I am pleased you provided us with your location despite that error. However, this is not sufficient to avoid punishment. Even for you."

Shadrach smiled. "Do not insult me by pretending that I care."

"A costly mistake."

"Ah, one which you are eagerly willing to condemn me for." Shadrach met his gaze calmy. "Is it not true that you have always been the most intelligent among the three of us brothers? But you lose sight of your own mistakes. Tying yourself to the human responsible for this mess is one of them."

"Enough!"

I flinched at Dumuzi's roar, covering my ears.

The chill that washed over me wasn't from the cold. Unease spread like poison in my gut at the look on Dumuzi's face. I'd never seen something so stoic yet blisteringly hostile, and it did something to me.

I swallowed bile.

Dumuzi waved a dismissive hand. "I will deal with you later. Something that might necessitate the revocation of your councilor title. You are fortunate if I ever allow you to step foot on Lare again."

"What?" I took a step toward Dumuzi, about to plead, but this was another version of him I had never seen before, so I stilled. He was beyond pissed, hiding it behind a cool regard. Shadrach couldn't take the fall for my mistakes, regardless. "This was my fault, Dumuzi. Not his. Don't take this out on–"

Dumuzi continued without looking at me. "Regarding François, she is to be kept away from you and my Sohme. Permanently."

I shook my head. "Whoa, what? No! You can't do that, Dumuzi. You–"

"Ogrik," he looked over his shoulder and gestured to me. "Take her away from here."

Fury and disbelief swirled in my veins as I prepared to fling myself in front of him. But what was I going to do? Scream? Cry? Beg?

He couldn't take her away from me!

He couldn't punish his brother!

Before I could twitch a muscle, I was in the arms of an Enuki. Sobs wrenched my throat open as I fought hard. Something told me to calm down, that maybe, just maybe, I was making this a hell of a lot worse than it needed to be.

But I didn't care.

I thrashed and twisted in iron-like arms. "You can't do this! You can't fucking do this!"

It probably took little to confine a small human. It was as if I was a ghost. I simply did not exist. I had no say, no power, nothing, because Dumuzi continued without a hitch. "The destruction of Earth will resume."

Suddenly, everything else he said sounded far, far away. My ears rang and blood seasoned my tongue. Everything I knew about him–everything I knew him to be–became warped in my mind.

How could he be so cruel?

How could he do this to me?

No, no, no...

"We should have been gathering our resources and saving the few humans I decided are worthy of life. Instead, we were hunting for Pearl. We'll have to reconvene and rearrange our schedules. Take her to an isolation unit, Ogrik. If she causes you trouble, do not hesitate to restrain her. I will come for her later."

That was the icing on the cake, the final straw. I screamed, elbowed, and kicked in frustration. "The fuck you are!"

But fighting was pointless–I was only human and weak. Ogrik's arm wrapped tight around my knees as I was pulled over his shoulder. He turned his back, and I lifted my head.

I met hard, purple eyes as Dumuzi faced me. They were almost pitch black and icy, lacking depth. "Do not lie to me again."

Do not lie to me again.

A thousand insults swarmed in my head like hornets. All I had to do was reach for one, deliver it, and watch it sting. But I was too tired to fight, too impossibly overwhelmed to respond. My limbs became heavy and my head swam.

Dumuzi had won this battle. He would always win.

Because he was smarter than me, stronger than me, and I was writing checks my ass apparently couldn't cash.

Always known for messing everything up.

But this? Why this?

There was no escaping the consequences now.

I gave up and became a dead weight on the Enuki who strolled away from the scene. I should have never listened to that stupid voice!

It could have been minutes, it could have been hours before we made it to the ship, craft, whatever the hell it was. Lethargy sank into every bone, every muscle.

There wasn't much of a temperature change when we were inside, likely because of the bracelet. My hair obstructed my view of the floor, tangled and dangling. I was tired, emotionally drained, and done. Tears fell to a slate floor, where they became black little drops.

We entered a room. After he stopped, he laid me down on a bed draped in white sheets. Despite myself, I made a face as I looked around.

I remembered this room.

It was the room I had gotten an inoculation in. The same room I pestered a certain alien for answers in. Much was the same coming back.

Earth was doomed, Francois was gone, and I had no idea who Dumuzi was. Not anymore. He was a stranger now. Cold, unforgiving, and authoritative. The only thing that was different was the large metal chair in the corner not meant for a human.

I glanced at Ogrik. "Can I at least have a drink of water?"

Can I at least have that?

My lips were dried and cracked. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. Resting without something to drink seemed impossible.

"In a moment." His electric blue eyes swept over every corner of the room, coming to a stop at me. His rose-gold jacket shined in the light. He stepped forward, his voice low and his dark face pinched. "Honestly, what were you thinking, Pearl?"

I shook my head, sleepy, waving his intensity away with a hand. "I don't know. I wasn't thinking. I just... couldn't take no for an answer. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing."

And there was a damn voice telling me to get off Lare.

I bit my lip.

"Do you have any idea what he went through when you left? The hell he put us through? It was a nightmare. I fear the day he takes the head of the council. The Enuki is utterly ruthless when it comes to you."

I wiped away the tears remaining in my eyes and cleared my throat. Yeah, I could see that now. A little too late, though.

"I think he and I are even after today, Ogrik." I huffed. "Nothing matters anymore. Earth is toast. I'm done with tongue lashings, so let me sleep. I'm exhausted and have a lot to think about when I wake up."

"That is all I needed to say to you." He held up a finger, tilting his head. "I am relieved you are unharmed. I'll get you water. They are returning, so I will be quick. Do you want food?"

"No." My stomach twisted. "I don't want food."

"There is istreid suvu tonight. Nobody should miss out on such a delicacy."

"No, thank you."

He left me with a shrug of his shoulders.

I stared at the plain, white wall to the left of me, not really seeing it. I slipped my shoes off, tugging away my coat. My limbs ached and my hair was gritty as I ran frustrated fingers through my curls. Laying my head on a pillow, my nose wrinkled at the smell of antiseptic.

My nostrils burned as I dozed off.

The smell of food wafted toward me and I peeled my eyes open. Floral, meaty, and rich. A plate of meat with fruits or veggies was sitting on the side table, along with two tall glasses of water, calling to me.

Ogrik tossed his long, black braid over his shoulder, giving me a stern look. His bright blue eyes were serious, stark in contrast to his skin. "Dumuzi has instructed you to eat."

"Tell him to go fuck himself with something spikey."

He frowned. "No, I don't think I will. You are not aiding your situation. It would do you good to consume calories. Your blood sugar is low. I can sense it."

I sighed, pulling myself up into a sitting position. I grabbed an eating utensil that had two prongs and fiddled with what looked like tiny purple carrots.

I sat my utensil down. It clanked against the plate. "I don't want to eat."

"At least attempt?" He sighed. "Our cooks worked especially hard with tonight's dinner. I may not leave this room until you have eaten, so do us both a favor."

Nice, so now I had to eat for him. I glared. "There are others here besides the council?" Even though I was practically dead inside and out, my curiosity got the best of me.

"A few dozen, from Nibiru, with lesser tasks. My mate is the one who cooked the protein. I assure you, with one bite, you will want to eat it under a napkin to hide your sin from the cosmos."

I had forgotten Dumuzi had said there were hundreds left. Including his... mother.

Thank goodness I didn't have to deal with in-laws yet.

I shivered. "Fine."

I was too tired to fight him. So I ate, taking my sweet ass time as he sat in the chair in the corner. The food was savory and delicious, but I was too drained to truly enjoy it.

I finished both glasses of water, setting the last one down on the table with a thwack. "Happy?"

"I will leave you to rest."

***

You must lend your trust to him.

I jolted out of my sleep, clutching the sheets. It was black as pitch, which should have been soothing, but it was oppressive. My heart clunked in my chest.

That voice!

It was back? Why now?

"Oh please, no," I whimpered.

I wiped the moisture off my top lip and kicked the covers off the bed, too hot. The nausea was back along with the nerves and I groaned. Could I just catch a break?

Things are not as they seem. Trust in him. Listen to him.

The multilayered voice whispered through my psyche, spurring goosebumps. "Why?"

As much as he is yours, you are his as well. The souls of both of you were forged from the stars and are intertwined. Trust us. Trust Osa. Everything is proceeding according to plan.

"No! He fed me to the damn sharks!"

"I would do no such thing. I see Osa has been conspiring with you."

A light in the corner flicked on and I flinched. A very large alien occupied the corner chair. An alien I knew and didn't want to see. Anger came, flowing through my sore limbs and I hissed. "Get out."

I snarled, grabbing a pillow, ready to throw it at him.

Dumuzi held up a hand, eyes flashing. "I can only guess at your anger."

"No, you can't. You can't guess squat. I don't want to see you again, so get out!"

I threw the pillow, but it only landed at his feet, proof of why I was never good at softball. He gazed at it calmly before his eyes snapped up to mine. "And here I was worried that I broke your spirit."

I bristled. "Just leave me alone."

"Pearl," he whispered, his voice a caress around my name. It only made me more angry, instead of disarming me. "I understand if you desire to toss me from this vessel. But listen to what I have to say. It will only take a moment. Please."

Listen.

My stomach twisted as everything caught up to me—everything that transpired before I fell asleep, and I spoke through my teeth. "Make it quick, then."

I pulled the sheets I had yet to kick off over my head. I curled onto my side, making a private little den for myself. I was sure I was digging my hole a lot deeper. But I was... furious.

So furious, in fact, that tears were back. They flowed freely down my cheeks.

He peeled the covers back. The bed bowed under the weight of him as he sat beside me. I refused to look at him, even though I knew he was looking at me. "What you saw in the field was merely a show."

I snorted.

What he said made little sense, because there was no way that was a show. There was a new side to him; one that left an awful taste in my mouth, and I really didn't want to deal with him right now. "I don't think it was a show."

"The thought of losing you drove me to extremes, and I am beside myself with you. You lack good judgment. You act without considering the consequences. You need to learn how to respect my influence. And most importantly, you need to learn to trust me."

I said nothing, biting my tongue.

"I am a very good liar, my hearts. But not quite as good as you."

I turned my head. The light illuminated his face, making his features appear sharper. Rather than letting his hair flow freely, a golden clasp secured it to the nape of his neck.

My bottom lip trembled.

Why does he have to be so... beautiful? It's hard to stay mad at him, but...

It was hard to believe him, even if Osa wanted me to. "What do you mean, it was a show? You lied?"

"I cannot let the council see that you have influence over me. I cannot let my constituents see me going soft on you or my brother. I cannot go soft on anybody. I cannot have you running amuck and making a mess of things, especially if I am to succeed my grandfather."

I made a face. "That doesn't sound like an apology."

"This is an explanation. I apologize for hurting you, and I truly mean it. If you value my sanity, you cannot do what you did to me. Ever again."

I rubbed my eyes, still on my guard. "But you are keeping Francois away from me. You said Earth is to be destroyed. What about Shadrach?"

"What does Osa say?"

"To trust you."

He frowned. "Do you?"

I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. A part of me wanted to. A part of me wanted to throw my arms around him and weep. His rich, floral scent filled my nostrils, and I fought the urge to crawl to him.

His voice was tender. "Everything will be fine, and the time to stop worrying is now. You will see her again. You will see Shadrach again. Your Earth will not be destroyed. It seems that Osa does not want this, either, and is conspiring against us."

"Does Osa talk to you, too?"

"No." He smiled tenderly. "Osa is felt. It is probably because you are human that it comes through differently. Regardless, I believe it is acting in the interest of self-preservation. It does not want us to reverse our antiaging and surrender ourselves to death. It wants to live on. Even if it means living through... humanity."

My mouth popped open with shock. I rolled over and sat up, tilting my head back to look at him. "Humanity?"

"What do you think binds us together? In order to continue to live, Osa wishes to wind the fate of both species. Since it is an amalgamation of our ancestors, we must adhere to its wishes. If it does not want Earth to be destroyed, then we must obey. But there must be proof."

"Proof," I mumbled. "Isn't the voice in my head proof enough? Can you not feel Osa and know what it wants?"

He reached forward, tilting my chin up with his finger. "There is better proof to be had than voices and intuition, my hearts." He cupped the side of my face, rubbing a thumb along the corner of my mouth. "The proof has taken root inside of you. Considering this, the question remains: is this what you want?"

I blinked, stunned.

My heart took off like helicopter blades. Thump, thump, thump.

Every cell in me froze as his eyes burned into me. "What... what do you mean?"

"Our kinds must be more compatible than previously thought."

His words caught up to me, turning the wheels in my head, and I made a choking sound. He was fucking with me, wasn't he?

He had to be.

"You're joking."

"It would not be a funny joke."

Before I could respond—if I even could—he drew my head to his chest, fingers rubbing the back of my skull. I let my eyes close, too tired, too shocked, to do anything else.

"Oh... oh, my god." Before I knew it, tears spilled, wetting his shirt. I twisted my fingers into the fabric, my voice breaking. "How?"

"Hmm. I think you know how we did such a thing."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"But you do not have to agree to this, which is why I lied to the council." He looked down, his long eyelashes casting shadows across his high cheekbones. "You will always have a choice, Pearl, with whatever decision you make as well. I will support you. Even if you are not ready–"

"No, Dumuzi."

He raked his fingers through my hair. My eyes almost rolled back into my head because it felt so good. "No what, exactly?"

"I want this. I want you. I want it all."

The tension left my body as he continued to slowly work away the snarls in my hair. His warm lips pressed to the top of my head and I sighed. "I am delighted to hear those words. Truly, there is no happier man alive than I."