Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Dreams ❯ Chapter 5 - Plans Set in Motion ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

: Chapter 5 :

Plans Set in Motion

Jadeite entered Endy's room later that afternoon, where the other Generals were supposed to be convening to go over strategy before the Ball tonight. The room was empty save for Jorowyn, whom he spotted lounging in a chair in the corner, drinking as usual. Sounds of water in an alcove to the right told Jadeite that Endymion must be partaking in a shower. He approached Jorowyn, glad for this chance to assauge his curiosity in private.

“Hey, J,” he murmured, gaining the Phaetonian's attention. His brow raised, pale green eyes slightly mocking as they always were. Unaffected, Jadeite continued with what had been bothering him for the past three hours. Ever since he'd been left by the Princess of Mars in his room. “Do Martians have psychic capabilities?”

That got a genuine look of surprise from him.

“Yah, they're all telepathic on some level or other. All of them have the ability of Mindspeech, which is how they communicate to one another usually. Speaking with the voice of your mind, heard as clear as you and I speaking to one another if you have the ability. Some have other abilities, depending on the person. For instance, the women of the royal family can usually see limited visions of the future. Why do you ask?”

Jadeite frowned pensively, chewing at his lower lip. “No reason,” he muttered in answer. “The Princess mentioned it earlier,” was all he would allow. Jorowyn's piercing gaze said that he suspected otherwise, but the former Prince didn't press the issue. Instead he recovered his flask and took an especially long pull of the ambery liquid inside, lapsing back into his own thoughts, whatever they might be.

Jadeite sighed, going to stand next to one of the walls and leaning back, waiting until Endymion was out of the shower and the others showed up. He thought on all that he had learned as he did so.

Jadeite had suspected what Jorowyn had told him was truth after the episode in his room. He had been inspecting his quarters curiously when he'd felt it. Caught off guard and not expecting such an eventuality, the Princess of Mars was able to probe inside his mind, too late for him to erect the proper shields to keep her from tapping him completely. She had, and damn near ripped her own mind to shreds in the process. Jadeite's mind was a deep and powerful well and some places were so dark and so deep that even he dared not venture there.

Stunned, Jadeite had watched as a trickle of blood seeped out of her nose and her violet eyes went utterly blank, then the Princess had tipped forward and he'd barely caught her in time. Knowing immediately what had happened, Jadeite had acted quickly to repair the damage, rebuilding her pathways and saving the silly girl from a future of drooling mindlessness. He had then played ignorance when she awoke, hoping to let the whole thing blow over with as little fuss as possible. Endymion didn't want them revealing the depths of their true power to the other Kingdoms just yet—said it was better that the Alliance wait and wonder—to give them a more solid place of strength to negotiate from.

But this was a totally new and unexpected twist to things. An entire planet of psychics? Thus far on Earth, Jadeite had been alone in his singular ability to use the power of his mind ; telepathy, telekenisis, pyrokenisis, and the ability to formulate some illusions so powerful that only direct tactile disruption could disprove them. As much as the Princess of Venus was beautiful—and as much as the thought of killing someone with sex intrigued him—Jadeite suddenly began wondering if Venus was really the planet for him. Besides, Lady Raye was no slouch in the beauty department either. Far from it. She was a strikingly gorgeous girl ; with skeins of rich black hair, hot violet eyes, golden-tanned skin and the hint of a body beneath those scarlet robes that put more than a teasing thought into his brain. Jadeite fleetingly wondered just what it would be like to be married to such a female, to name claim to her in all ways. Then the man smiled ruefully at that thought.

He had been party to much of her thoughts and memories, in the process of rebuilding them. Jadeite now had very intimate knowledge of Lady Raye of Mars and he now understood far more than anyone that there would be no claiming that girl. Hers was a pride a mile thick, stronger than steel, and she had an arrogance in her born of one who had never had her way gainsayed. The only reason Raye hadn't had a man offer for her thus far was because they were all so terrified of her. She was a force of nature, one to be reckoned with. No, it was best Jadeite leave that hornet's nest to Neph.

Jadeite then did his best to squelch the irrational surge of anger that errupted in him at the very thought of Nephrite touching Raye. He never noticed Jorowyn suddenly turning to stare at him, green eyes narrowed and calculating.

It wasn't long after that before the other three filed into the room, and Endymion came from the bathing chamber dressed in a pair of pants and still drying his hair.

“Well, so far so good,” their Lord King announced, giving a half-smile.

“Indeed,” Jadeite agreed, grinning in response. “The Princess Serenity is even more beautiful than the reports gave her credit for.” The dark-haired man frowned at that, two suspicious spots of color errupting in his cheeks. He turned away to finish getting dressed, but not before Nephrite and Zoisite saw. They pounced in for the kill as well.

“Who knew Jorowyn's plan would prove so . . . advantageous?” Neph called, laughing.

“Or so arousing?” Z was quick to follow up.

“I told you marriage to Serena would bring up some interesting points,” Jorowyn suddenly butted in, causing the other three to collapse into gales of mirth.

“To the `Verse with all of you,” came Endy's snarl.

“Well that's a little unfair,” Jade protested. “Poor Mal hasn't said a word.”

Jadeite turned to their silent leader at that, and his smile abruptly died. He frowned instead, suddenly pensive. Jadeite always made it a point not to invade other people's thoughts, considered it a great breach of privacy. Yet without even trying, Jadeite could literally feel the tension and turmoil rolling off of the big man in waves. Jade turned to him fully.

“Is there something wrong,” he questioned softly, so as to not gain the attention of the others who were still teasing Endy mercilessly. Malachite started and turned to him, as if startled from a daydream.

“Hmm? What? Oh, it's nothing Jade. Just going over some last minute security decisions.” Jadeite watched as Malachite shrugged one shoulder and turned away again, arms crossing behind his back, seemingly restless.

It would all seem quite normal except that Malachite never fidgeted. He was never restless. Something was very wrong. Whether it was stress or worry over their situations or something else Jade couldn't rightly say, but it was definitely something significant. Jadeite made a mental note to alert the others later to be on their highest guard. If Malachite was worried, they all needed to worry.

“So the plan tonight is to mingle with the members of the Alliance,” Endymion announced. Nephrite took a seat near-by while his Lord-King finished dressing. “Do not give anything away of our resources,” he cautioned as he deftly buttoned the gold cufflinks of his snow-white shirt. “No doubt they will be asking, too. Either subtly or outright, depending upon the person. Do your best to be polite, but don't feel the need to grovel. Keep in mind that it is they who need us, not the other way around. Feel free to single out your intended bride and get to know them a bit better tonight.”

Nephrite shifted slightly in his seat, brow furrowing. What a foreign concept, that. Intended bride. He hadn't put even the slightest thought to marriage before this. With the war, there hadn't really been time to put any serious consideration toward a female beyond a quick tryst before the next battle. Certainly nothing on the scale of binding himself to one woman for the rest of his life. Sure, monogamy in marriages—while it was intended—very rarely ever occurred, especially with ones of their standing in the social structure of things. Yet Nephrite had been raised to honor all vows he made, no matter what they were. If he vowed to love, honor and cherish one woman above all others until death they departed, than that was damned well what he would do.

It was a monumental concept, really. He idly thought of the girl he was to wed. Lady Raye of Mars. She was a pretty thing, he supposed. Long dark hair, violet eyes, tanned skin. Perhaps a little too . . . haughty for his usual tastes. He really couldn't see them getting along very well, outside of the bedroom at least. She was a passionate one, but distant. Reserved. Nephrite suspected it would take a far more patient man than himself to get past her shell of pride and vanity.

At that, Nephrite's thoughts turned to another female and he almost smiled. The Princess of Jupiter, the one that had escorted him to his room a few hours ago. He thought her name was . . . Lita. Temperamental little thing, she was, and a hellacious tomboy to boot it seemed. Nephrite would wager the Western Palace that the girl could probably fight as well as a man, too. Obviously her father hadn't kept a firm enough rein upon her. Or, hell, what did he know? Maybe Jovian women were all like that, lady warriors who thought nothing of challenging men so blatantly. It was a bit of a turnoff, truth be told. Or at least it was supposed to have been. He had always preferred biddable doe-eyed blondes in the past. Not tall, angry, opinionated brunettes with flashing green eyes and more venom in their lashing tongues than should have been legal.

Despite all that, Lady Lita intrigued him greatly, though Nephrite couldn't say exactly why. She had from the moment she led him away from the transporter room, however, and took little pains to hide the fact that she seemed to loathe the very ground he walked on. There was an unspoken challenge in her eyes as she glared up at him, one that Nephrite found very hard to ignore, let alone not answer in the way that everything that was male in him demanded he answer. Lita pulled at something in him, something of a more primitive level, something dark and dangerous. He had realized—standing outside of his room and staring down into her hot emerald eyes—that she seemingly without effort aroused him more than he had ever been in his entire twenty-four years of life. Stunned to accept that—had he been free to act thusly—he'd have had her up against that door right in the middle of that hallway—and more than once—if she had been willing.

Neph shook his head then, struggling to push her out of his mind. He didn't need to be thinking about another man's future wife in such a way. The Princess of Jupiter was not meant for him. She was to marry Mal. Best he remember that and do his best to forget about her. And best he learn quickly to quell the strange and unexplainable surge of angry emotion that welled in him at the very thought of his beloved friend and trusted leader laying so much as a finger on her.

Nephrite shook himself, frowning, and struggled to pay attention to what Endy was saying. Thus he missed it completely when Jorowyn, still seated in the back of the room, suddenly turned to stare at him with those pale jade eyes and a curiously inquisitive expression on his face.

“Tomorrow we will convene in the council of the Silver Alliance,” Endymion was saying heavily, shrugging into his long-tailed black jacket with the golden rose embroidered onto the left breast pocket. “There I will make known our full demands, our battle strategy and then you will each publicly choose your brides. The ceremonies will be dispensed with in the days following, and then we will reconvene the council to pass the mandates that we discussed. And then it is off to battle, my friends.” Endy gazed at each in turn, blue eyes solemn. “And let us pray to Elysian that this time we can drive them back once and for all.”

Malachite hung on the edge of the ballroom, much of his features cast into shadow. The large general had his arms crossed, leaning back against the wall behind the refreshment table and doing a very good job it seemed of blending into the background.

The party was a success, he supposed. Tensions were high, but it seemed like everyone was endeavoring to get along, at least for tonight. He still had his doubts, however. Malachite was not a supporter of this grand plan, though he followed his Lord's wishes without question no matter. It just seemed too risky to him however, too bold. Sure, he had just as much reason to dislike the Silver Alliance as any of the others. Yet Malachite wouldn't agree that forcefully taking over the whole damn thing on a technicality was the smartest way to go about getting even with them, especially considering the fact that they really had no idea what they were doing when it came to the other planets and their ways. Hell, the only thing they had to go on were the words of a drunkard.

Malachite didn't like operating on such odds.

The First General sought out his Lord and immediately found Endymion currently dancing with his now fiancée, the Princess of Lunara. She looked as radiantly beautiful as she had this morning, something that made him a little uneasy. He only prayed that Endy would be able to keep his head, and wouldn't let himself be swayed by a pair of big blue eyes. Not that Malachite was opposed to his friend finding happiness, far from it. He only hoped that it was happiness that the Princess Serenity planned to give him, and not a knife in the back.

Malachite glanced around again, spotting Nephrite escorting the Princess of Mars to the alcove where the women were granted privacy in order to freshen up their appearance or some such thing. Neither looked very pleased to be together. His eyes continued scanning the room until this time they fell on Zoisite, standing with the Princess of Mercury and her father. The Princess looked content enough, her father less so and even downright hostile toward Z, though the latter didn't seem to care. Zoisite had mentioned earlier that he and Princess Ami had reached an agreement of some sort. At least one of them was making a smooth transition. Next his eyes fell upon Princess Lita, standing near her father. He should have been over there mingling with the two of them as well, but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to do it. His body was currently rebelling violently with what his mind wanted it to do. Which was part of the reason why he had secluded himself, in a desperate attempt to try and come to grips with what he was feeling and somehow try and quell it.

The physical embodiment of his internal struggle suddenly glided past his hiding spot—the Princess Mina of Venus—on the arm of the Warrior King of the South.

Malachite's whole body tensed and he sucked in a sharp hiss of breath as the sight and smell of her seemed to hit him like a fist in the gut. Sweet stars, what was wrong with him? She was just a woman! A beautiful one, there could be no denying that, but she was still just a woman nonetheless! So why did the sight and smell of her make him feel like he would go mad if he didn't have her and right now?

It had started the moment Malachite had first laid eyes on her earlier that day. It had been subtle at first, no more than a barely acknowledged tug of desire as he covertly admired her beautiful form from out of the corner of his eye. Lush curves in all the right places encased in a golden velvet tan, lemony blond hair that cascaded down her back like honey pouring from a pitcher and a pair of eyes as blue as the Earthian sky he loved so much. Her manner was confident in some ways, insecure in others, an interesting mix that had unwillingly garnered his full and undivided attention. He had watched her lead the way down the hall, her posture stiff and uncomfortable. And then all at once her walk had turned into something altogether different. Immediately his gaze had been glued to her hips and her ass as they swayed almost playfully. And then when she suddenly lifted her hair away to show the bare expanse of a narrow back, she had let out an almost kittenish sort of sound, mewling from her throat and straight down into his groin.

It had been intentional, he was almost certain of it. But why would a woman like her want to seduce him? Malachite had been lost into trying to puzzle through that little mystery when all of a sudden it had started.

Like sultry whispers, they began flitting in and out of his mind. Pouring over his consciousness like waves of water on the sand. Sensations, emotions, images more erotic than anything he'd ever before pictured. Her cornflower blue eyes staring up into his as her delectably naked body stretched out beneath him. Her silky hair entwined around his fist as he tilted her head back for a druggingly deep kiss. The sound of his name whimpering from her throat as he thrust inside her as far as he could, claiming her as his own for eternity. And then all at once half-way entranced became full-blown arousal. He had felt his whole body flush hot, his mouth go bone dry and his manhood become as hard as a damned rock and throbbing painfully.

A state he had yet to return from.

It had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed not to fall over himself like a horny teenager, then. She had seemed oblivious and unaffected by what was happening to him, remaining as curt and abrupt as she had been before as she opened the door and showed him his room. Grateful for the means of escape, Malachite had entered quickly and shut the door behind him, hoping that escape from her would grant escape from the unexplainable emotions he was feeling.

No such luck.

They had been haunting him ever since. Even in the meeting with Endymion earlier, he had been unable to think of anything but her and the tantalizing images that kept entering his brain uninvited. And now, in seeing her again, the need came thundering back in him tenfold. Malachite gritted his teeth against it, clenching his fists. It had to be some sort of magic. Nothing else could explain it. A man didn't become this aroused this easily over nothing more than a moan and a look. It just wasn't possible. But what had she done, other than cast a derisive look or two in his direction? She hadn't even acted as though she was really seducing him, what was more humiliating. That he would react thusly to a female who, for all that he could tell, had no more interest in him than he was supposed to have in her. It was horrifying and in a way unsettling that he seemed to have no more control than this.

He watched as she suddenly laughed at something companionable that Jadeite had said, and before he could stop himself Malachite actually growled low out of his throat, an entirely new and foreign sensation of possessive rage infusing his every pore. Then he blinked, aghast. Dear Elysian, he was becoming little better than a damned beast! With effort he staved off the desire to leap over the refreshment table and throttle Jadeite into the ground for the perfectly chaste hold he held of her dainty elbow. He watched, silent, as the golden-haired general offered to dance and she declined. Jadeite turned suddenly at his name being called, then murmured apology to the Princess before he hurried through the crowd to where Endymion stood with Nephrite and Z.

No doubt they were wondering where he was. He should make his presence known and go to them. Instead he remained rooted to the spot that he stood in the shadows, right behind where Mina now stood alone. He could feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat as she sighed, suddenly. She glanced at her nails almost absently, then reached for a glass of wine. She took a sip, and a bit managed to escape the corner of her mouth. Malachite could only stare, mesmerized, as she caught the small drop of red liquid with a quick swipe of her delicate pink tongue.

Images began flitting through his mind of her doing other things with that little pink tongue and he was helpless to keep the hoarse groan that suddenly ripped from his chest from finding voice.

Mina gasped and whirled to him, eyes wide and startled. Desperate, Malachite threw up a quick shield in front of himself to hide the gamut of emotions running riot in his brain.

All she saw was a coldly detached man standing in the shadows with his arms crossed, expression faintly sneering as he glared down his nose at her. No hint of what he was feeling would show outwardly, not even a trace. He watched as she gave him a tight smile, hand fluttering slightly at her throat.

“Lord Malachite,” she acknowledged curtly. “You startled me.”

“I do apologize for that, Princess,” he returned in an equally curt and clipped tone. “Such was not my intent.”

“Hmm,” was all she would allow, glancing away again. Malachite gritted his teeth as another wave of powerful sensation hit him square in the chest. His entire body trembled with the effort it took not to succomb. Dear Elysian, what was she doing to him!

“Would you care to dance, my Lord?” she suddenly called, voice gone suspiciously sweet and sing-song. Malachite struggled with the thought of being able to put his hands on her, to be able to hold her to him, for a moment before he was able to conquer that nearly overwhelming temptation.

Put her in his arms right now and there was no telling what he'd end up doing, the room full of people be damned.

“I am afraid I must decline, Lady Mina,” was his firm and cool reply as he stepped away from the wall at last and swept past her. “It seems as though my Lord Endymion is looking for me. Another time, perhaps,” he added over his shoulder, not looking back. He would see what Endy wanted, then depart this place in search of the nearest body of ice cold water. It seemed the only remedy he had available to him for now.

With his back turned, Malachite missed Mina's blank expression melt into one of extreme pique. He also never saw the girl's mother suddenly appear at her side.

“It is a very dangerous game you play, daughter,” Psyche murmured, causing Mina to jerk again.

“Sheesh! What is it with people scaring me tonight!” she snapped, flustered, doing her best to hide her startle and chagrin. She glanced into the Queen's discerning gold eyes, noted that they were narrowed with disapproval and turned away again. “And I have no idea what you're talking about,” she tried to deny in a primly tone. Psyche scoffed.

“Do not condescend me, Mina,” she snapped impatiently. “I can smell your Scent on him from across the room!” Her daughter blushed guiltily but did not reply. The Queen frowned in disapproval. “You are a fool for baiting that man, and so harshly.” Now it was Mina's turn to scoff.

“I wouldn't worry about that one mother. He's made of ice. Nothing I do affects him.” Psyche just shook her head scornfully.

“Silly girl, you have much to learn,” she admonished, causing Mina to frown at her. Psyche's expression was solemn. “Just because he won't let you see it does not mean he feels nothing. A lesser man would have rapedyou by now!” she announced harshly, and nodded when Mina's face suddenly drained of color. They both turned to stare at the tall, platinum-haired giant as he stood conversing with his fellows, seemingly as calm and imperceptible as ever. “I find myself intrigued,” the Queen continued, oblivious to her daughter's discomfort. “That such a man would have that much control, to deny your Scent for this long. I am interested to see how long he can hold out before it consumes him. But know this,” Psyche suddenly announced, turning back to her ashen daughter. “When it does consume him, you will have no one to thank for the consequences but yourself.”

“I've just received word from Jorowyn that the Negabeasts are gathering in force on the Western hemisphere for something,” Endymion announced softly. Nephrite winced. “I've sent him back to Earth to see what he can do, but I fear that they will be off-planet by the time he arrives.” Zoisite began twisting a hank of his hair around his finger—a nervous habit—deep in thought.

“Why?” Jadeite demanded and Z sighed.

“They must be planning for a concerted strike against the Alliance,” he answered heavily, “before our agreement can be made and our forces combined. A last ditch effort, while we are unsuspecting. My guess would be that their target is Saturn; it's already rife with defeat.”

“Jorowyn suspected the same,” Endy agreed.

“We'll have to escalate our plans,” Malachite commented softly and the others nodded in silent agreement.

Before anything else could be said, however, there was a fierce commotion at the entrance to the ballroom. Almost as if rehearsed, the nobles parted like the Red Sea to admit a lone man entrance. He was dressed all in black, his ninja-esque garb ripped in several places and bleeding freely.

“Shima!”

Face ashen, the young Queen of Saturn rushed past everyone and up to the middle-aged man who had lost the will to stand and had fallen to his knees. He lifted a bloodied face up to his young ruler, expression haunted.

“They have taken the planet, Great One,” he called, voice anguished. Gasps of horror went up throughout the room. Hotaru's eyes were wide and stricken, and a hand rose to her mouth. She seemed so small and fragile standing there in her pale silvery-lilac robes, and yet at the same time far stronger than a twelve year old should have been. “The attack was without warning or mercy,” Shima continued to explain. “We were no match for them.” He shook his head mournfully, the top-knot of black hair that adorned his head swishing near to the ground with the movement. “I beg you to take my life for this dishonor, Star That Rises,” he finally managed, head bowed and his entire posture emitting nothing but defeat.

Hotaru ignored the stunned looks throughout the room, drawing herself up and stiffening her spine. She hesitated only for a moment, then lifted her chin and gave an imperious look down upon her subject that would have made any monarch proud.

“This I cannot allow, Shima, highest of my generals and husband of my mother's sister.” His head jerked up, expression surprised. “Instead you will live with this dishonor as a badge upon your heart, and spend every waking moment that you yet possess bent to the task of absolving it. Only when our home is once again restored may you reclaim your honor and your life, to live it as you will.”

Zoisite wasn't certain, but he thought he saw the man's whole body slowly relax, and even a hint of a relieved smile touch his face just before he bent, forehead touching the stone floor at the tiny girl's feet.

“Your will be done, Gem Most Prized.”

“Now go, see to it that any survivors are tended, and your own wounds are seen to.”

The man rose to his feet again, tottering only a little before managing to walk back out of the ballroom with his back stiff and prideful once more.

Zoisite gazed upon the tiny girl with a whole new level of respect for her as she glided back toward the Queen of Lunara and her anxious-looking daughter.

“My Lady,” Endymion suddenly called out, and the hushed murmurs that had begun died once more. The Queen of Lunara turned and Endy bowed slightly. “I beg that you convene the Council immediately.”

“Right now?” the tall Queen of Uranus demanded, expression fierce. “But it's still in the middle of the damned night!”

“We have no choice! If we are to have any hope of salvaging Saturn,” Endymion continued forcefully, “preparations must be started immediately.” Ignoring the others' protests, the young Lord-King of Earth met his solemn gaze with the Praetorian of the Silver Alliance. Her expression was, as always, unreadable. But she turned and called for silence.

“The Council of the Silver Alliance will convene in one half hour. Failure to comply with this mandate will mean forfeit,” she finished before turning on her heel and leading her daughter out of the room by the elbow. Serena cast one look back at Endymion, face stricken, before allowing her mother to practically drag her out of the room.

Zoisite watched as Ami's father did much of the same, whispering something fervently to her. She whispered back, then turned and gave him a slight wave and a smile before disappearing through the archway.

Z let out a tense sigh, turning back to Endy. He couldn't help but again be grateful for Princess Ami and her demeanor. She was calm, level-headed, beautiful, and incredibly smart so far that he could tell. Perhaps a little cold-blooded, but then as he had said earlier, it was no less than he could expect from her background. She had defended him to her father tonight, however, something he had not expected but it relieved him immensely. It said to him that she had taken their agreement to heart and had now bent her entire will to the task of meeting him half-way and aiding him in all things. It was a tremendous weight off his shoulders.

He only wished he could say the same for his fellows. He knew even without Jadeite's powers that they were not a one of them finding accord with the women that had been chosen for them. Zoisite, after meeting the girls, would not have placed them where Jorowyn had done. Nephrite would have been his last choice for the temperamental Lady Raye. They were too alike in proud, brooding demeanor. It would mean only trouble for the two hot-headed people. She needed someone patient, stubborn, someone who would not be ruffled at all by her tantrums. And for all his short-comings, when it came right down to it Jadeite had the patience of a rock.

The Princess Lita was a bit more complicated to figure, though he suspected she would be best served with Nephrite as a mate. The girl had grown a bit wild it seemed, acting more a man than a woman, something that he had learned was not at all commonplace on her homeworld. She would need a firm hand in a husband, a man who would not be intimidated by her obstinate ways. Malachite was too apathetic, too distant. He would turn out to be no better than her father—apparently—letting the opinionated female do whatever she would, so long as it did not interfere directly with him. And the Princess of Jupiter, he was suspecting, needed a far more hands-on type of man. Nephrite had never been one to let anything happen in his circle without his direct knowledge and approval.

And the Princess Mina . . . now Zoisite frowned. He didn't trust that one. He had heard some disturbing rumors about Venusians and their powers here tonight. Apparently they were capable of releasing some sort of pheromone into the air that strongly affected a person's mind. Could even potentially be used as a controlling agent. With it she could bring any one of them to their knees, unable to rise out of the cloud of lust she had created long enough to figure out what was being done to them until it was far too late. Any of them, at least, except Mal. If any of them had the willpower to resist her lure, it would be Malachite.

With these pairings so obvious to him, he began to wonder if Jorowyn had really meant for them to make the matches he had chosen back on Earth. Or if it was all yet again one of his elaborate plots. Zoisite continued to twist his hair as Endymion led the way to the Council chamber, expression thoughtful. He supposed he would just have to wait and see how this would unfold, for better or worse, right along with the rest of them.