Page 4 of Tamed
Eden paused for a sip of wessin before venturing deeper into her explanation. “I don’t know how much you guys know about the rebellion, but the movement is not as stable as Zevon thought. They’re zealous and desperate for change, but they lack cohesive leadership.”
“Will Soro correct that weakness?” Ansley asked hopefully.
“He seems solid, but Zevon is understandably cautious. He has only known Soro for a few days,” Eden answered.
“The Wraiths refused to join unless the rebels were onboard,” Kendra mused. “Does this mean Zevon has the backing of Pyron too?”
“Movu signed the agreement this morning,” Eden told them. Movu was on the Wraith council and had supported Zevon from the beginning. The other Wraith leaders had been more cautious, but it appeared that everything was coming together nicely for President Zevon.
“That’s wonderful news, but what does it have to do with your triad?” Ansley wanted to know. “You said Zevon asked for your triad specifically.”
Eden laughed. “I thought I told you. Movu is Kyrex’s father.” Kyrex was one of Eden’s mates.
Confusion scrunched up Ansley’s brows. “I thought Kyrex was from Houkdi. Didn’t you just spend three days at his estate?”
“He inherited the property from his mother. Obviously, his father is Pyronese,” Eden clarified.
“Then the alliance is a done thing?” Kendra digressed. They had just scratched the surface of the topic and she still had a million questions. “They’re going to take out Jevara in the near future?”
Eden nodded. “They were still working on the details when I left, but they were talking days, not weeks.”
Kendra shuddered. If ever there was a planetary leader that deserved to be ‘removed’ it was Jevara, but what happened then? “Do they know who’ll take Jevara’s place? Who will govern Torret?”
“That’s up to the Torretians,” Ansley insisted. “We were raised on Earth so we presume that everyone wants the right to vote. But democracy isn’t the only form of government. Some insist that it’s not even the best form of government.”
“Well, whatever they choose, it has to be representative,” Eden argued. “The people have to have some say in the decisions that are made.”
Ansley shook her head. “If they’re more comfortable with a benevolent dictator than a democracy, who are we to force our way of life on them? It’s really arrogant to presume that we know what’s best for other cultures.”
Kendra sat back and sipped her wessin. Ansley and Eden loved to debate. Half the time Kendra was sure they brought up contradictory points just to prolong the discussion.
As a group of warriors ambled past the women’s table, they slowed considerably. Each male paused beside Kendra as if they would speak with her. None of them did and the group resumed their trek across the dining room. Still, their behavior was strange enough to draw the attention of Ansley and Eden.
“Are you activating?” Eden asked bluntly. Her gaze was filled with concern, not accusation so Kendra didn’t take offense.
“I think I’m getting close,” Kendra admitted. “I’m restless and hot all the time. Worse, I’m drawing the attention of people who wouldn’t ordinarily notice I’m alive.”
“Like Arcon?” Ansley grinned.
“Don’t encourage her,” Eden chided with a dramatic sigh. “Arcon isn’t here to find a mate.”
Not wanting to talk about Arcon, Kendra quickly changed the subject. She knew Arcon wasn’t for her, but Eden didn’t need to rub her face in the fact. “There’s a rumor going around that conduits will be part of the alliance. Do either of you know anything about that?”
Ansley just shook her head, but Eden flushed and then wouldn’t meet Kendra’s gaze.
“Oh, my God, is it true? What the hell do we have to do with taking out Jevara?”
Eden pushed her tray of half-eaten food aside and cradled her mug between her hands. “The other planets are using this conflict to force the Citadel to restore balance. It’s something that should have been done decades ago.”
“Restore balance to what?” Kendra had no idea what Eden was talking about.
“Power triads. Altor owns the Citadel and everyone knows it. The other planets have had it with the favoritism. When power triads were created, they were meant to be distributed evenly between the four planets. That hasn’t happened for a century or more.”
“And they suddenly have forty-four conduits to help even the score,” Kendra realized, tension knotting low in her belly. “We’re to be divided up and shipped off to different planets?”
Eden sounded a bit defensive as she elaborated, “The process will happen gradually over the next year, and each conduit will be able to choose which planet they prefer.”
“What if we all choose the same planet?” Unlike the other two, Kendra was directly affected by this. She understood that finding mates was inevitable but being pressured to do so as part of an alliance felt wrong.