StarPyre

Weapons Master was no Cosmic Soul, but he believed strongly in the Cosmic Order, especially coming from a clan that produced an abnormally high number of gifted children.
“What is mind-scrying?” I asked furtively, glancing between my crew members.
“It’s only the most invasive thing a Cosmic Soul can do to an individual—other than controlling one’s body,” Luwyn growled. “He locked her soul away in a chamber to relive her past, cutting her off from her own body and the present. It is a procedure performed only on criminals or the most intimate, trusted partners.” He sighed and shot a glance at the quivering pile of blankets in the corner. “He exposed her mind and did so without her consent.”
“But she’s a royal. Why did you feel the need to do something so drastic?” I protested, looking to Celyze for some semblance of an explanation. “Is that why she ripped her wings off? She isn’t going to allow you to heal them and is determined to regrow them herself?”
“She isn’t a Swynemi,” he muttered.
“What?”
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw it.” He met my gaze, completely shattered. “I had to know why she refused to mindspeak with me. All her replies confused me, and her refusal to communicate only added to my conviction that something wasn’t right.” He took a deep breath, wiping his eyes while he stared at the crying, veiled female. “She isn’t one of us. But I suspect that, just like us, the Vhalxt believed she was a Swynemi when they abducted her.”
I didn’t expect that answer.
How had the Vhalxt made such a massive mistake?
“Are our species even compatible?” Luwyn asked, confused. “How are we supposed to impregnate her if we are two separate species? Stars, did I even bond with her?”
Celyze backed to the far wall and dropped to a crouch, staring at the ceiling.
“What did you see?” I asked him, sitting next to him. “What’s making you so unsettled?”
“She’s sterile.”
“What do you mean, she’s sterile?” Luwyn slammed down on his other side, staring him down. “Are you saying we’ve been set up to fail?”
“Correct.” Celyze shuddered. “I can’t explain most of the things that I saw, but I understood enough. Males of her species only want one thing: to copulate with her. The few she’s been involved with either abused her or cheated on her, especially once they learned she was infertile. That was why she mated with you without caring to learn your name, Luwyn.” He chuckled. “She thought she was dreaming, and you were going to be just like her other one-time males.”
“I don’t know if I should be offended. And here I was nervous about how I performed.”
“That’s not important,” I barked. “What are we supposed to do with a sterile female?”
“The Stars led her here.” Celyze shrugged. “Her destiny is entwined with ours. The best way to proceed is to go through the motions and hope we can somehow escape before the Vhalxt realize what she is.”
“And how long before the Vhalxt find out?" Standing up, I walked over and picked up the artificial wings off the floor before tossing them to the ground in front of Celyze. "First, you’ll have to convince her that it's in her best interest to wear these wings until we find a way out."
“You think she will allow him anywhere near her?” Luwyn chuckled mockingly. “He might as well offer himself up to the Vhalxt now to put him out of his misery.”
“I won’t,” Celyze leaned over and grabbed the false wings on the floor, inspecting them. “You will need me to get through to her.”
“How?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to know the answer. Was this the same male I’d welcomed onto my ship? Or had the dire need to survive changed his character?
“I’m still connected to her.” His exploring hands stilled, and he glanced toward the sobbing pile of blankets. “I know her soul’s signature and can latch onto it whenever necessary.”
“Stars,” Luwyn cursed. “Why don’t you just go and force yourself on her? You might as well. What haven’t you taken from her?”
“I did what was needed to make sure we all survive,” Celyze seethed. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t make her fall for my charm instead. I am surprised you haven’t tripped and fallen into a female by now, the way they flock to you.”
“Jealous, starboy?” Luwyn grinned savagely. “Now, I know why females avoid you. Who knows what else you’d be capable of once you fuck some poor soul? I can’t believe I ever wanted to be a Cosmic Soul like you.”
“That’s enough,” I barked, both of their heated gazes snapping to me. “It’s one thing to disagree, but maligning another’s character is uncalled for. I’m not going to allow this situation to ruin my crew, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem. If we turn on each other, the Vhalxt will win. I don’t know about you two, but I’m getting out of this in one piece—even if I have to pray to some stardust to do it. Whatever it takes.”
They both stared at me in shock for a few moments before looking away. Luwyn started fidgeting with the edge of his loincloth while Celyze returned to studying the artificial wings our female once wore.
My crew members could stew in their misery, for all I cared, as long as they didn’t attack each other.
I knew Celyze had only used his mind-scrying ability because he believed it would help us somehow, even though he’d just added more fuel to the fire on our crashing shuttle. Sooner or later, it would impact, but would we explode with it? I hoped not. It didn’t help that Luwyn’s jealousy was flaring up at the wrong time . . . Oh, who was I kidding? There was never a right time with him. He was a hunter on Swynem for a reason—the job allowed him to redirect the anger he held towards himself into his work. Over the cycles, he’d become notorious for his