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“Congratulations.”
“You can enjoy the same fate too,” Anik said.
On the mention of fate, I cringed. I pushed my way into the house and then stood aside to let the Prince in. “Why are you really here?”
“To tell you that you can enjoy the same fate. That’s why I’m really here.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand. I was expecting to be punished. Stripped of my title for not reporting for takeoff a couple weeks ago.”
“My father does the opposite of what others would think he might do,” Anik stated. “By the way, why didn’t you appear?”
“I couldn’t be in two places at once.”
“Where were you then?”
“Tracking Barbs. Collecting their hearts.” I sat down in a wooden chair and pulled off my boots. “Besides, I thought I was doing the crew a favor. Half of them don’t care for me anyway. They still think I’m feral for roaming around out in the open with beasts.”
Anik snorted. “Those are old rumors. None of my warriors are stupid enough to believe that now.”
“I still get the looks.”
Anik laughed. “That’s because you bring the severed heads and hearts of beasts through the market in a box to present to our King while others bring treasures and trinkets.”
I grinned. “I’ve only been following the King’s orders.”
“Except for one order in particular. He’s not pleased with your decision.”
“I know. I’ll accept my punishment. Lup ditʼiy?Lup kuta? Marti lurtuǔng? Which is it?”
“You will not suffer the whip, the torch, or the bloody cave, brother. As I told you once before, you are important to me. The action you took does not anger me, but I find the reason for your withdrawal to be strange.”
I stopped short of removing my armor. “Strange?”
“Mak, Hvit’zark. Katam. A xibǔnux tix iyfavwarkukbap’itwuk a tutu nǔfux,” Anik exclaimed.
I nodded. “Mak, you’re right. I was given a chance to chose who would bear my son now rather than later, before I am dead, yes. How many times must someone remind me that I missed my chance when I didn’t board the spaceship?”
“Then why did you not board?”
“You and I both know that I believe the humans are weak. Most especially the females.”
“You are mistaken. They are not weak,” he said.
“But I am not like the other warriors. You give me one of them and I will break her by the day’s end. And then what use would she be to anyone?”
“In any case, you say the humans are weak, but you have never expressed interest in any true blood Zunatorian woman. They come to you. You ignore them. This was before some of our women were discovered to be infertile, brother.”
“Because I have no interests in filling anyone with my seed.”
Anik grunted. “That is not what this is about, Zark. You know that very well.”
“It’s about making more of us. I know that. I don’t want to make more. Not of me.”
“Not only that. We need companions. Something more to live for other than to fight. Trust me, brother. I defied my father for a long time about this. The last thing I wanted was a mate. Everything I believed would happen, such as taking up too much of my time or being too needy never transpired. Instead, my mate has given me the greatest gift of all.”
“But you deserve such a gift,” I replied. “My life will never be paved in gold, but only black and red. It is fated that I will bring nothing but bloodshed. I am not like you. Where you have a higher purpose, my ǔre is as silver as the moon that grazes above us. I am a death bringer. Isn’t that why the King has chosen me as one of his assassins? I am alone for a reason. And there is no other position I’d rather be in.”
Prince Anik sighed. “There is more to your life than that. My father has gifts and he—”
