"I know asking you to relax is out of the question. But we're all doing everything possible to find him," Kade said. "I'm working on tracking down the chemical compounds and their origins."
"I'm keeping my ear out for any news on his whereabouts, and I have others being my ears and eyes. It’s a matter of time until we hit pay dirt," Mars said.
"I can assure you our men are ready to go and dedicated to you and the Queen," Bastien said. He could see some of the tension drain from his older brother.
"Thanks for the support. I'm new to this whole husband thing and when you add the Daddy to be title on top of King—it gets a little crazy."
"We're always here for you, bro. You just gotta say the word," Mars said as they all made sounds of agreement.
Bastien clapped Phelan on the back. Normally he'd be oblivious, but now he could see the strain around his eyes and the thinner frame he was sporting. How long had it been this way? Phe had a lot on his plate. They took his strength and resilience for granted. At least he had. His quest to be the best had backfired. It was his job as Phelan's right-hand man to notice these things. He'd been blinded before by his inability to see what wasn't black or white. It'd been a dangerous blind spot. His stomach churned. He'd stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. With Tavel on the loose, the first heir on the way, and the beginning of the integration of the P.I.U. with the Shar fighting force, The Purge was fading now for a reason. The winds of change were blowing in, and they needed to be ready.
****
Tavel flicked on the light in the small home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was time to start collecting all of those seeds he'd planted over the years. He hadn't wanted to do it this soon, but Phelan and that traitorous daughter of his forced his hand. They were seeking him with a vengeance. He'd been playing this game a long time, and knew how to stay hidden. Here was where he'd cultivated one of his strongest specimens, Charlie. Younger than Zasha, he'd shown great promise from the time he was a small boy. Tavel could sense the power in him each time he visited, posing as the brother of the boy's deceased father, who wanted to make sure Charlie was doing okay. He'd made the mother forget their relationship. It would only cause friction between them when he traveled and disappeared off the grid when he went underground. Not to mention, pretending to care was a waste of energy and time. These two things were very precious to him since he couldn’t get either back, and what he was living on was borrowed. He'd been trying to create a super Shar, a being that was smarter, faster, and possessed a longer life span. What he'd ended up doing was turning himself into some sort of a genetic anomaly. That was when he'd had to expand the testing to other people. He'd been too compromised to continue using himself. Then he'd noticed the aging and desperation set in.
Most thought he'd killed the royals for revenge, but the truth was, he'd killed them for their blood. The D'Shar were the oldest family on Tagget. Introducing their genetic make-up into his system hadn't reversed what he'd done. But it'd halted the progression of aging and complete breakdown of his cells. Instead of making himself impenetrable he’d accelerated a flaw he hadn’t even known existed. He'd drained them dry like a vampire and used what he'd kept with him sparingly, knowing his time was limited. That's why he'd chosen Earth. They had the most compatible physiology. All signs pointed to Zasha being the key. Of course, now, she'd been tarnished. His lips curled up into a sneer at the memory. Another thirty minutes and he'd have terminated the abomination inside of her, turning her back into his miracle cure. He dropped his duffle back onto the wooden floor inside of the door way, locked the door with his powers, and headed into the bathroom, turning on the light.
The face that greeted him in the mirror was already altered. Lines had appeared around his eyes and mouth. His hair looked less blond and more white. His back ached, and he knew if he ran tests he'd discover his body mass had decreased. He'd diluted the royal blood as much as he'd dared. Only a few more doses remained. He'd use one of them tonight. Tomorrow he'd go see Charlie.
Chapter Six
Rivka checked her appearance in the mirror. She was dressy casual, in a
pair of black slacks, three inch, black heels, and an off the shoulder red sweater, paired with a silver, crescent moon pendant and earring set. Given to her by her family when she was young, the set always brought her good luck. I could use that going into my first blind date. She'd been talking to Scott, an open minded human, with a sweet tooth, love for live music, classic literature, and trying new things. He worked as an English teacher in a high school, had shoulder-length, chocolate brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a slender build. He was taller than her at six-two, and had what she referred to as good vibrations.
She couldn't see auras over the computer, but she had a feeling Scott's would be yellow. He was a perfect starting point. Rivka felt a real connection with him. Whether it was romantic or not remained to be seen. They were headed to Sweet Treat, a new shop that specialized in drink and dessert combinations, from gourmet coffee and cheesecake to crème brûlée and champagne. Knock Knock. She turned toward her door, eyebrows raised. Visions of an emergency situation danced in her head. She opened the door. Her jaw dropped. "Drusi! What are you doing here?" Her friend giggled.
"You didn't think I'd actually let you go off to your first blind date without a best friend once over and a pep talk, did you?"
"Yes, you should be in seclusion right now–"
Drusi held up a hand. "I don't care what I have going on in my life. You are my best friend, and I will always be there for you. The same way I know you would be for me. I love you, Rivka, he might as well get used to sharing my time with you now."
She reached out, bent down, and embraced her, inhaling the familiar scent of flowers and Drusi.
"I love you too, Dru. Thank you for being here." They pulled apart, and Drusi took her hands, stepping back to examine her outfit.
"You look fantastic. How do you feel?"
"Nervous, excited."
"I'm so glad you agreed to do this, Riv. You’re going to have a blast."
Rivka smiled. I sure hope so. Her watch beeped.
"Oh, it's getting late. I need to head out."
"If you need an out because the date is crashing and burning, don't hesitate to text. I'll call you with an excuse of some sort."
"Thank you for being amazing," Rivka said.
"Right back at you, Riv. I want to spend some time with the other girls. I miss you guys."
"Okay, have fun, and wish me luck."
Bolstered by her friends' appearance Rivka left with a spring in her step. I'm rusty, not clueless. I can do this.
Sweet Treats was a small building stationed near the riverfront. The view of the boats stationed on the water was lovely, especially with the full moon out tonight. Riv held her purse close to her side, and walked from the parking lot to the front of the building. The smoky glass windows and doors played off the pink color of the building, giving the café a playful, yet upscale feel. She entered and fell in love with the prominent skylight in the center. Pale pink, round, wire tables were accompanied with pink chairs that twisted into a heart design in the back. It was like a Parisian café in the summer. Rivka made her way past the hostess stand to the bar where they'd agreed to meet. She took a seat in the center and placed her purse on her lap. The red head dressed in a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved, black, button down, shirt came over to greet her.