The Unveiling (D'Shar Men 2)

"Why don't we all just calm down—" Kade said.

"No!" Mars jumped from the couch.

"I don’t understand why you have such a problem with this, Marsden. You know as well as I do it's the only option we have," Phelan shook his head. "This is about what's best for our people, not our own issues."

"Easy for you to say, Phelan, you were always the golden child. A chip off the old block, destined to follow in daddy's footsteps, and taken to every royal function and showed off like a prized treasure. I barely knew Mom and Dad! I was the one who was sent away to live in a foreign land. For what? I don’t know!" Mars chest heaved, and his eyes grew glassy. "I don't know," he whispered. He sank down onto the edge of the couch. The fight left him as fast as it'd come. Phelan walked over and sank down onto the couch beside him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Now you can. I knew their death was hard on you, but you always hide everything behind that wicked sense of humor and easy smile. At the least, this is our chance to truly heal from the gaping hole their early deaths left in all our lives. I have my own issues. I don't know if Dad will like what I've done with his legacy or understand the decisions I've been forced to make. Look at us, we're on Earth." Phelan shook his head and gave a weak chuckle. "The D'Shar family does what's necessary to keep their people safe and I think happy, for the most part. So, we're going to pull it together and do this now."

Mars nodded his head. "You're right."

"I’m going to make sure we all get some one on one time with the folks as well. It's an opportunity we can't pass up."

The words may have comforted Mars, who managed a shaky smile, but they made Bastien nervous. The last thing he wanted to do was dredge up old things with his parents.

"So we all agree to do this?" Phelan asked.

A chorus of yeses filled the room, and Phelan patted Mars on his back before he stood. "Good. I'll call Rivka now." He pulled out his phone and walked toward the door to the room, leaving them to talk amongst themselves.

"What are your thoughts on this, Bast? You were pretty silent," Kade said.

"I think Phelan is right. We're missing something and until we fill in the blanks, Tavel will remain one step in front of us. We can't have that. I sense he's getting desperate or ready to launch a plan he's been working on for a long time. Why else would he choose to come forward and kidnap Zasha?"

"What do you think he's going to do?" Mars asked, once again composed.

"No idea." Bastien shook his head.

"I've been working closely with forensics from the P.I.U. unit trying to figure out all the chemicals he used and what they were for. It's been terrifying. It's like he's trying to make some kind of modified being,” Kade said.

"Why?" Mars asked. "We're already stronger, smarter and more powerful than humans. Why isn't that enough?"

"For some people, enough never comes," Bastien said. "They always want more. It's like a black hole inside of them that wants to swallow everything whole." His thoughts drifted to the Texden dictator they'd once had to put down.

"While I agree with the statement, I don't think it's true in this case," Kade said. "There's a pattern to Tavel's madness, a driving force behind his experiments. Once we figure out what that is, we can trap him."

"We need to do it soon before this leaks out into the community and the Earthlings crucify us," Mars said. "I've seen it happen a million times. Once there's blood in the water they descend on the victim like hungry sharks in a feeding frenzy."

"Rivka is gathering her things, and she'll be over tonight. When I told her what we wanted to do she said the spirits gave her a sense of urgency. I'm going to go explain what's happening to Zasha. Can you guys prepare a space for Rivka and the ceremony?"

"We got this, go take care of our sister," Bastien said.

"Thank you." He hurried off. Bastien returned his attention to Kade and Mars. "You heard the man, let's get to work.

Chapter Eight

Rivka never liked Callings. Disturbing people passed on from their rest to ask what were usually trivial questions made her want to throttle people. Then there were times like this one when she felt directly dialed into the universe and its wants. Her people believed everyone came from an unending source of energy that existed on a plane removed from their own. Each person possessed a part of this energy, and their souls eventually resided with it once they passed on. Some came back to right a wrong or learn a lesson. As she gathered her equipment she heard voices whispering in her ear, telling her to hurry. She slowed down her heartbeat, opened her mind to the will of something greater, and prayed for

guidance and strength. Whatever this was, it was huge. She donned her deep purple Calling ceremony sheath, grabbed her priestess tiara imbedded with energy transferring stones and headed to her car with a black duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

When she knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal an anxious-looking King.

"Come on in, Rivka."

"Phelan." She gave a brief curtsy, and he bowed.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. We've cleared out a ballroom for you." He led her down the hallway.

"That should be perfect. I'll do a briefing with you guys, and then we'll get starred."