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In the end there was nothing anybody could do anyway. The GTU didn’t want to put the Pandraxian Empire under sanctions, they were as worried about the Moggadesh using this to gain advantage over the universe as we were.
We wouldn’t have been able to fight the entire universe if they had decided to do so, but they were just as involved in petty squabbles as all the other species and worried any other power than us would rise up out of nowhere.
The Cryons, of course, screamed bloody murder, but just as I knew he would, Crough was pacified by the offer to join our empire—something he had been coveting for decades. He thought he would be the one king to go into the annals of history as the one who forged the deal all others had failed. I nearly rubbed my hands together in glee at the thought of what was coming for him. Nearly. Because the thought of all the humans still imprisoned by the Cryons was no joking matter and weighed heavily on me.
They would, however, have to wait for a while. I needed the waves of what had been done to calm before I rippled them again. Afterward though, the Cryons would be mine. They would be part of the Pandraxian Empire, Crough would be replaced by a more pliable king, we would increase our trade, and as an added bonus, all the humans would be free.
In the meantime, I would hire the Ohrur's famed Space Guardians, to find as many humans as possible and take them to Garth. The Space Guardians would punish whoever they found keeping the humans. The beauty of that plan was not only to help thousands more, but that this little arrangement would never come back to me. Nobody would know that it was me who hired them.
Mostly though, I needed to take care of my mekarry. There were still things we needed to talk over.
My heart was heavy when it was time to talk to her, but I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had made her Earth safe for her again, if she wanted to go back, she would have my blessing. It would be hard—oh, who was I trying to kid, it would be nearly impossible for me—but I wanted her to know that she had a choice. Something that had been taken from her when she came here.
I waited until dinner. We had taken to strolling through the park after our nightly meal and tonight was no exception. When we sat on our bench, I knew it was time.
“Heather,” I said, facing her, taking her hands. “These last few weeks have been the happiest of my life.”
She smiled sweetly at me. “Mine too.”
I closed my eyes, her words were nearly my undoing, my determination faltered, it would be so easy to just give in, ask her to be my empress, and to stay with me. Forever.
I couldn’t do that though, I had to offer her a choice, make her understand she had other options. “Earth is safe now, under the Pandraxian Empire’s protection.”
“I know, and I’ve been meaning to thank you. What you did, Daryus, it was incredible and like Garth said, genius! I can’t believe this is finally over.”
“You can go home,” I pressed out, holding my breath.
“Home?”
I nodded, thinking my heart would tear apart inside my chest. “Vra, home. To Earth.”
She stared at me with incomprehension at first, then her face fell. “Are you sending me away?”
“Nocc, of course not.” I took her hands, squeezed her little fingers as hard as I dared. “I just want you to know that you have a choice now.”
Understanding bloomed on her face. “Oh.”
“Think about it.”
She lowered her face, making it impossible for me to read her expression or her eyes. My heart twisted again, and my throat closed up as I sat there staring at her, waiting for her to tell me, that vra, she wanted to go back home to her Earth.
“I’m not sure there is much of anything left there for me,” she said after a while. When she finally looked up, her eyes were sad. “I don’t have anybody on Earth. My mom died long ago, and my father… we’ve never seen eye to eye. I think I’m much happier not knowing what happened to him. I have some friends”—she shrugged—“but…”
“I can have them contacted for you,” I said in a hoarse voice, not daring to hope.
“Do you want me to stay?” she asked directly, even though her eyes shone with insecurity while she waited for my answer.
“There is nothing I want more than for you to stay by my side, you know that. You are my mekarry, my heart, my soul. I love you.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “You once told me that centuries ago a warrior had to prove himself to his mekarry.”
I nodded. “Vra, what do you—” I broke off when she slowly rose.
“Will you give me a head start?”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to let you chase me down.” She laughed, turning toward the trees.
