Viper (Second Wave Book 1) (22 page)

Silence followed Dread’s comment as
everyone’s thoughts turned inward. Lara blew out a breath; her bangs fluffing
out in front of her. She really hated feeling like a freak… again.

“We’re all ready. Let’s just head
over there now. We can do the dishes when we get back.” Lara suggested, jumping
back in surprise at the sudden scraping of the chairs as everyone came to their
feet.

“I got shotgun.” David said,
heading to the door with Ratoka and Drago on his heels.

“I fail to see how waiting there
will be any different than waiting here.” Dread said, looking at Lara curiously.

“Everyone is already there and
waiting. It’s probably a good idea to go now before they have time to scare
themselves into a tizzy.” Lara said with a wry smile.

Dread and Viper sighed. “Well then,
let’s go and stop them before they begin casting you as a planet killer. You’re
not are you?” Dread asked, only half teasing.

Lara punched him in the arm and
grinned when he rubbed the sore spot. “No, I am not a planet killer. That’s
only myth and legend.”

Viper held the door open as Lara
got inside the SUV. “Yes, but didn’t your beast come from myth and legend as
well?”

Lara grinned at the curiosity in
their voices, with only a hint of the fear that they had the day before. She
didn’t want them to fear her. They had no reason to.

Dread had them parked along the
shoulder of the road leading to the office building in no time.

“What the fuck?” Dread whispered,
staring at the vehicles lining every conceivable part of the parking lot.

“Well, it looks like everyone is
here. Damn, you always were popular.” Viper said, surprising Lara with his
teasing.

Lara got out of the SUV when Drago
opened the door for her. She wasn’t the least bit surprised. The Shengari’ had
been lit up all night with the chatter about the new beast and how it had shut
down the others.

The very air around her was thick
with the energy traces of those that had come. It felt as if she were walking
through a fine mist of fear and curiosity. Lara was only half aware of Abexis
gathering the traces left behind and adding them to his own energy, allowing it
to build in her core.

The entrance into the building was
packed with Valendran/human hybrids, Valendrans and Tezarian’s. The crowd
parted at their arrival, and they easily walked through them, with the men
surrounding Lara protectively.

Viper and the others were a little
panicked at how many people were here. Although it was obvious that Grai had
security posted on the off-chance something went wrong, and they trusted these
people, the fear was a little contagious and caused them to be more alert.  

They were relieved when they
finally arrived at the conference room, and the doors closed behind them. The
air was a little easier to breathe in here without the crush of people.

The brothers hadn’t been sure what
to expect, but they hadn’t considered it would be Lara that would initiate the
conversation.

Lara walked up to Ivint, who was
closest to them and held out her hand. “You are Ivint Torenson, leader of the
Valendran forces on this planet and retired High Councilor of your planet. I am
Sgt. Lara Blain, host to the Prime Abexis.”

Ivint stared in fascination for a
moment at the glowing golden flecks in Lara’s eyes, before recovering himself
and shaking her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lara and Abexis. I am
looking forward to learning more about both of you.”

Lara smiled at Ivint before turning
to Grai and holding out her hand. Grai watched her face carefully as he held
out his hand and shook hers for longer than necessary, trying desperately to
scan her with his beast Death.

Lara turned and nodded to the
others that were standing at the table and the computer panels in the room. She
couldn’t help but notice the other two humans that were host to Primes were not
in the room and knew immediately Grai had been the one to ensure they weren’t
here. To protect them, until he knew more.

“I understand your fear and
concern. I hope to alleviate some of that for you.” The combination of Abexis’
voice suddenly speaking along with Lara’s voice was a little startling to
everyone in the room. The way her eyes pulsed with the golden flecks only added
to their uneasiness.

Lara felt all that energy that
Abexis had collected walking through the crowd and felt him slowly disperse it
back out into the room. She watched as it spread through those in the room
before seeping through the door and into the crowd of people outside.

She felt almost detached, as
everyone seemed to relax a little. Walking to the table, Lara pulled out a
chair that was close and sat down. Within moments, Viper was beside her along with
Dread. Drago, David and Ratoka spread out on either side while Grai sat down
directly in front of her flanked by Ivint and Reven.

Lara turned to Amun, who was
scanning David for changes. “You will find that there is a marginal increase in
his brain connections and his base knowledge. No harm has been done to him.”

The dual voice of Lara/Abexis, was
odd enough that Amun began a scan on Lara as well. Their beasts could not
communicate when the host was speaking, only one could be in control of the
body at a time. With Lara, her beast had equal control of her; Amun had never seen
or heard of anything like it.

“The doctor is wondering how it is
that we have dual control of the host body, where only one of you can be in
control of yours at a time. Therein lies the entire difference between our
species.” Lara and Abexis said, capturing the undivided attention of everyone
in the room.

“In the early days of our species,
we began with our hosts in a similar way as your own beast bond. However, our
hosts were unique in their evolution, and it enabled us to evolve rapidly with
them, becoming the first of what is known as the beast species. Prime.”
Lara/Abexis said, pausing for a moment when they sensed Traze was going to say
something.

“Yo forest ninja, ya think you can
tone down the creep factor here? Those of us, ya know, who’ve been SHOT by you
are frightened enough already.” Traze said, his voice a mixture of his normal
sarcasm and true fear.

“I swear to…” David began before
Lara/Abexis cut him off.

“Child, you have much to learn, and
you cannot do so with your mouth in constant motion. Be silent, listen and
learn.” Lara’s hand made a gentle sweeping motion and she, and Abexis made no
effort to hide the trail of golden energy that went from her hand into Traze’s
mouth.

“What did you do to him?” Grai
demanded as he launched himself to his feet, ready to defend his brother.

Lara merely sent the same energy to
Grai and watched as he slowly sat down. The moment he was seated, Lara held her
hand back out, and it was as if she called the energy back from him like a
vacuum.

“That is what I did to him. Do you
understand?” Lara/Abexis asked the stunned Grai.

Grai took immediate stock of
himself, shocked at how easily the energy had calmed him, but had completely
cleared his mind at the same time. It was like the energy had focused him on
understanding what was being said, rather than the questions and emotions
running through him.

It hadn’t been the least bit
unpleasant or intrusive, which had really surprised him. Even his beast, Death,
felt a surprising expansion of his own energy and power. Knowing his brother
and his tendency to cause chaos with his mouth, he could think of worse things
to keep him calm while they figured out what was going on.

“You will remove it when we’re
done?” Grai asked, not wanting his brother to be like this permanently.  

“Of course. I only seek to help him
calm his mind enough to learn so he can be less afraid.” Lara/Abexis answered
honestly, allowing those in the room to feel it in her energy.

“Then please, continue.” Grai said,
confident his brother was in no danger. His curiosity overrode his own fear at
the power of the woman and beast in front of him.

“When our hosts realized that our
planet was to be destroyed by a prophesied event that could not be prevented,
they escaped to space with as many of us as they could. However, they could not
save us all. Those of us, who remained were tasked with seeding other worlds
where we could be of service to our hosts.”

“The remnants of our planet, with
my brethren hibernating inside, were scattered through space and time.
Eventually, the fragments impacted your worlds, and your three clans were created,
as well as the clans on other worlds. I can feel their presence.”

Since the room was completely
silent and everyone was listening intently, Lara/Abexis continued. “The time of
the Prophecy of the Ocarion has come. The conversion taking place on the planet
as the energy shifts is allowing the mutations necessary in the humans for my
brethren to arise.”

“As you know, the humans are not
compatible with the beast species because their brains have not evolved enough
to sustain one. The conversion occurring is helping to correct this anomaly.”

“The lost are being affected first
as their memories are expanding their minds as they are returned to them. That,
along with the conversion is speeding up the transition for them.” Lara/Abexis
paused when they sensed Grai had a question.

“What exactly is your purpose in
this prophecy? What do you want of the hosts?” Grai asked, creeped out that Lara/Abexis
had stopped talking and had turned to him as if knowing he’d had a question.

“We are
Crainea peh Magorn
.
Keepers of Light. We are the guardians of the Light Bringers.” Lara/Abexis
stated to the surprise of Ratoka and the Tezarian’s.

“There is no mention of the
Crainea
peh Magorn,
in the Prophecy of the Ocarion.” Ratoka said, struggling to
understand.

“When the Ocarion spoke to my
brethren before the destruction of my world, he foresaw a great evil overtaking
this world. A terrible leader, one of beast, would know of the conversion and
the inevitable evolution of the humans. One who would attempt to prevent it
from happening for his own evil purposes. It is because of that leader that we
were kept from the written word of the Ocarion.” 

“Even now, I can hear the screams
of the light bringers being captured by this evil in an attempt to snuff out
the light. He seeks to prevent the humans from the transition necessary for
their own continued existence. You know well of this enemy to my brethren and
the light bringers.” Lara/Abexis said, never taking their golden gaze from
Grai.

“My brother, Dagog.” Grai said, his
heart breaking that his own brother was so evil that he was part of a prophecy.

“Yes and just as he is part of the
true prophecy, so are you Grai T’Alq, and each of your brothers. Do not look so
surprised when you are well aware that your own son is a conductor, who is even
now, as we speak, calling the lost souls to this world.” Lara/Abexis said to
the surprise of everyone. They continued while everyone remained silent.

“Even now, this place you built for
all of our brethren, is fulfilling the prophecy by calling the hosts close to
this location to come here. To me. To all of you. Their people.”

“Do you really think the Ocarion,
the emissary of the God of Gods, allowed this to happen by chance? That all of
you were brought to this planet at this time by accident?”

Just when Grai thought, he might
have figured it out, the dual being floored him again. At least this time he
felt better knowing that everyone else was just as stunned.

“Look around you. My brethren among
you are of the gifted humans necessary for the survival of the Valendran
people. My brethren among you are of the lost souls of the Zendarian, Tezarian
and Valendran people. My brethren among you are of the light bringers necessary
for you to win the war against your brother and bring about the evolution of an
entire planet.”

“Do you think it an accident that
my brethren are part of every being on this planet that you need for the coming
war?”

The question startled those who
were already reeling from the connections that were finally coming together in
their minds. It explained so much about why they were all here, how they all
came together at this particular place and time and why.

“What is your role in this? As
guardians?” Grai asked, still worried for his mate and the other Prime hosts.

“When our numbers increase, we will
send out a call to others at greater distances. Those who can come, will come
to us. It will be the task of the Tezarian’s and the
laustio
, our
hunters, to find those of us who are incapable of coming on their own.”

“The rest of us will remain to
assist with the transitions of the humans with our brethren and lend our energy
and protection to the light bringers and conductors until the conversion is
complete.” Lara/Abexis said honestly.

“What about after the conversion is
complete?” Ivint asked, still reeling from finding the missing piece to the
puzzle in his mind.