Enticed by the Satyr (Kindred Tales)

“You’re bad, lilenta,” he sent back with a tinge of amusement. “At any rate, it seems like they’re going to let him in.”

Indeed, it seemed that Perce had been overruled, because the guards at the entrance were cautiously opening the doors to let the Monstrum Kindred warrior enter.

The moment the doors were open, the Chief Commander Rarev strode in, his boot heels clicking loudly on the floor in the suddenly silent dome. If the silence and the many pairs of eyes bothered him, the warrior gave no sign of it. He came to stand at the head of the table and nodded briefly, his mane-like hair waving back from his high forehead.

“I am Chief Commander Rarev of the Monstrum Kindred,” he said. “It was my fleet which saved your planet from the Darklings.”

His voice was deep and rumbling with a hint of something else in it, Baird thought. Something which might become either a purr or a roar, as the mood took him.

Sylvan rose and nodded to him.

“Chief Commander Rarev,” he said. “It is good to meet you in person.”

“I am pleased to meet you as well, Chancellor Sylvan,” Rarev said. “I am here to inform you that the gash between our universe and yours has closed. I and my people are now trapped here in your universe, with no way back.”

“That is very sad news for you,” Sylvan said seriously.

“In many ways, it was inevitable,” Rarev remarked. “The Darklings had taken over our ‘verse completely—as they attempted to take over this planet just now.”

“Listen here now, this planet is called Earth and we don’t want your kind here,” Aldus Perce spat, glaring up at the tall Monstrum.

Rarev didn’t seem upset by this blatant discourtesy at all. He simply looked directly into Perce’s eyes, holding them with his wild, golden gaze, until at last the other male dropped his own eyes and looked away in some confusion.

“Please excuse Secretary-General Perce, Chief Commander Rarev,” Minister Emilia Oxley said sharply. “I can assure you he does not speak for everyone at this table. I, for one, am extremely grateful for the service you have just performed for us.”

“Thank you. We were happy to perform it.” Chief Commander Rarev gave her a polite bow and held her eyes for a moment with his own before looking around the table at the rest of the members of the World Council. “I have come to ask that you allow the Monstrum Kindred to participate in the Bride Draft I understand you have already instated to help the Kindred of your own universe call brides from Earth.”

“Never! Impossible! The Bride Draft is cancelled—we all agreed that it was!” Perce sputtered. But again, he was overruled.

“No, you agreed, Perce,” Minister Oxley said, frowning at him fiercely. “And you bullied several of this Council’s members into voting with you. I do not believe that the Draft should be cancelled. We have never heard any complaints from the women who are called to be Kindred brides. In fact, I think your main problem with the Bride Draft is that human women seem to prefer Kindred warriors to human men.” She eyed Commander Rarev with his wild mane and golden eyes appreciatively. “Personally, I can’t say that I blame them.”

“In return for the ability to call brides from Earth, we Monstrum Kindred will guard the gashes above Earth for as long as they remain open,” Rarev said in his deep, purring voice. “We can guarantee that no more Darklings get through to terrify and kill your citizens.”

“I think that sounds like a pretty good deal,” one of the Councilors remarked and several more agreed.

“Shall we put it to a vote?” Minister Emilia Oxley asked briskly.

“You can’t just call a vote like that!” Perce exclaimed. “I am the Secretary-General. I call the votes!”

“According to the bylaws of this Council, any member may call a vote on any issue,” the British Councilwoman said sternly. She cleared her throat. “All those in favor of allowing the Monstrum Kindred to join the Bride Draft in return for keeping the Earth safe from those horrid…er, what are they called again?” She raised her eyebrows at Sylvan.

“Darklings,” he supplied.

She nodded.

“Yes, thank you. The Darklings. All in favor?”

A majority of hands were raised.

“Good,” the British Councilwoman said briskly. “Motion carried.”

“What? You can’t—” Perce began.

“I believe I just did.” She gave him a cool look. “Perhaps you’d best be silent before I introduce another motion to demote you and vote on a new Secretary-General.”

Perce looked like he wanted to say something else but in the end, he shut his mouth and just stared daggers at everyone around the table.

“Well, I guess that’s that,” Olivia murmured to Baird through their link. Seems like there’s a new sheriff in town.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I think Rarev will be willing to work with us to keep the Earth safe,” Baird murmured. “And at least they don’t need to move into our Mother Ship—they seemed to have plenty of room on their own.”