Weight of Penumbra

To My Dear Readers,

This is my 50th story post!! Just a friendly reminder to those coming to this story for the first time - Welcome. But you might want to read A Wider Sky first. This is the second book of the BEYOND ECLIPSE series and this series isn't a standalone. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading.

Cheers and Happy Reading,

~Talyis.

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Weight of Penumbra

Beyond Eclipse

Book 2

by Talyis Bagley Ellison

(C) 2017

Chapter 2

✯✮✰~Gaelen~ ✰❂✬

When I got home, I just wanted to avoid everyone. I couldn't think anymore. I was exhausted thinking nonstop about Kiowa, the colony, my brothers, my life and my continual failure as the next King. It was a continual cycle that was driving me mad. I can't lead anyone if I'm in love with a human.

But I love Kiowa. And seeing her today, for what she really is was changing. All her kindness and sacrifice - I love her all the more. She wasn't like these privileged girls that were desperate to be with the future king and have all the trappings of power. Kiowa wasn't who she was because of what she was born as but who she was raised to be a loving, smart and courageous woman.

But she was born human and I, Y'vori. We couldn't be together, we couldn't last in a world together. Our kind were not meant to be together.

I flopped onto my warm bed. I had to figure something out. I had to make things right for Kiowa.

"So, you went to the colony," I turned quickly to my open door. My father stood in the doorway, his chin dipping to his chest in that condescending way I knew a biting retort was coming my way. "You fell for that girl didn't you?"

I closed my eyes willing them not to tear in shame because that was the exact truth. I was a defect and I fell in love with a human. I had given my parents yet another reason to feel disappointed in me. I feel like I'mm leading the entire cause down. After decades of hard work to take over the planet, I was going to single-handedly destroy it.

My father crossed his arms and stood in the middle of my door - no escape. "I spoke with Professor Windsor." He continued, "He told me that the human girl was your tutor."

I winced again and bared my chest in a billow of air to block the next emotional blow.

My father arched a silver eyebrow and jutted his chin in a mixed signal of judgment and satisfaction, "He thinks you have great promise. He wants to see you three times a week for private teaching lessons when school starts again."

I didn't even realize that my body had responded by sitting up. I was in shock. How could Windsor think I had potential? I avoided him at all costs the entire school year.

"Don't worry," he toned turned to mock, "Your little human girl will be required to return to school. And I will meet her. She'll stay here the week before you return to school."

With that, he turned on his heels and shut my door.

The air tumbled out of my body; it was hot and it was painful. I had so much built up inside me since this afternoon. I was on a mad roller coaster from almost killing the love of my life, to now this.

I can't believe what had I just thought - Kiowa was the love of my life. I didn't need a damn soul opening to tell me what I had already known.

I rolled over looked at the clock, it was after 2 am and I was now restless than ever before.

Kiowa was coming back to school. She's the love of my life. She was coming over to my house. The love of my life and I were going to be able to spend time together.

Then, it hit my again - another loop and bend on the ride.

I had to convince her that I love her. She had to know that I would never use her like Matthias had. That slug of a human. I wanted to toss salt on him and watch him melt, as he made Mouse melt. He only needed her when she was convenient. That was no way to treat Mouse nor all that she had given up and it was so much. She was so sweet, so selfish and so courageous. She deserved much more and I was determined to make her life better.

I just had to figure out how.

She had thought so high of me. I couldn't wait to tell her that Professor Windsor didn't think I was a complete idiot. She was right, that I just had to prove myself to him. Of course, she understood there was no need for me to feel intimidated by Windsor. Mouse had seen past my defect and she saw me. She was the only one to see the real me and I had to cherish that.

I cherish my Mouse.

I turned on the music and just wanted to melt into the notes just as Mouse had done some many times when listening to human music, enthralled by the emotional pull it created. I love letting the music pull and push my emotions. She was right, it was brilliant, special.

Damn, I was becoming like one of those Perfect-within-Imperfectionist. Fuck.

But Kiowa Walker was damn near perfect for a human. She was perfect because she wasn't like the others that surrounded me, Sons of Eclipse, Generals, and Daughters of Ship Captains that brought us to this damnable planet. They rested on the laurels of their grandparents and their intelligence was simply what they were born with, they didn't have to work for anything. They were perfect because they were simply born. But Kiowa and I, we weren't born into genetic privilege.

Was there a place on this planet for us both? Was there a place in the universe for us?

If being born lucky was all it took to live a fair life - what was left for us? All an Y'vori needed to be was to be Y'vori. Sometimes, I ponder about the type of souls that opened to peculiar matches. But our way of life was better than how the humans did it Before-Eclipse. They were like their own human cattle, they measured and tested for the perfect offspring to get the best slaughter.

Fuck. I had to figure a way out to make the world possible for the woman I loved. I couldn't believe what I was proclaiming. Yes, she was the woman that I loved and I didn't care if she was human. She is beautifully human.

I heard my tablet ring incessantly. I glanced over and saw it was Sebol calling. I couldn't help but laugh because I know she was desperate to find out how I took care of Kiowa, so she could swoop in and claim my heart.

Sebol who looked genetically perfect and came from the best stock. Her family lineage had influence, not only were her parents, generals leading the Eclipse in Europe and Asia, but her grandparents were ship captains bringing many of us safely to this planet to colonize it and eventually imperialize it. On our home planet it is a rumor, damn, probably true that her family were nobles aiding the crown in our departure from our dying planet.

Well, with all her laurels, she couldn't win my heart, my heart belongs to a little book mouse.

Sebol had tried but I was not going to fall for her privileged perfection. She would never really care to know who I really am nor accept me. She just wants to move in to have her position as queen.

I swiped my hand across my tablet, ignoring her call. I am sure Taxa has already called her to tell her that we had gone to the colony. I bit my lip angrily wondering if Taxa told Sebol that I had kissed Kiowa. It wasn't any of her business what I do with Mouse.

"You like having a target on your back," Fuck my room was becoming a college commons area. I didn't even turn to my other brother when I felt his heavy weight force my bed to shift. "You chased after a human girl. You really want to fuck things up for everyone don't you, Gaelen."

"Bellas, what do you want?"

Bellas rolled his eyes as he looked down on me. In truth, he had looked down on me since he found out that I was to be King and not him or Anesola. It didn't make sense to him why I was chosen and not him or my other brother. Little did my jealous brother know, I often wondered the same.

"Why don't you date that Mao girl." He picked up my tablet and glanced at her message.

"She is drop dead gorgeous and she's the same species as you are. Why would you want to mate with a pig?"

"Fuck you, Bellas!"

"Oh fuck me?" Bellas laughed, his round body turned red as it bounced with his deep throaty chuckle. "Gaelen," He shook his head. "You are going to cause a coup once they find out that you are a defect and then you want to add a human girl to the mix. How do you suppose you are going to lead the armies to the final decimation of that pitiful species with a human woman by your side."

"Bellas." My older brother's stone voice interrupted. Voice of reason, just in time as Anesola crossed into my room.

"Fuck you, Anesola. You coddle him. It's about time the runt starts to really look at what his duties are to this family and this planet."

"Leave him alone, it's his first love. His first love before his soul opens. You remember what it was like before your soul opened for Nyna. Do I need to remind you?"

"Aww little brother," Bellas ruffled my hair and I smacked his hand away. "His first crush and it's for a human." Bellas voice slithered with malice. He then socked me hard in my stomach.

Fuck! That hurt. I grabbed my stomach and doubled over with a groan.

"Get a grip, Gaelen," Bellas voice lost all humor. "It's time you become a leader. No more childish games. Your lieutenants are not going to be held back anymore because you fail to ascend and grow up."

He got off the bed. I didn't look at him, my stomach was turning in circles, he always knew right where to hit me. My fucking defect, I should have been able to withstand a stupid blow to the stomach by his fist.

"He is right," Anesola added. I looked up at my older brother. I trusted him, all evening so far and now to take his side - why am I so surprised. "You need to control your lieutenants and let them know that you will be the leader they have been raised to follow."

"Fuck, Taxa and Bane are the least of my concerns, Anesola."

"They should. They are your closest allies and whatever you plan to do with that human girl, you need them to be on your side."

ºO•❥❧ ~Kiowa~ ❧•❥Oº

Escape. It is sweet but I know only short lived. My mother had always been a hawk or a bear. Carefully watching over me, ensuring that I followed her instructions to the letter. But this was a new level of over protective. I wanted to argue with her that I am no safer in the colony than I am in the realm.

Actually, now I know it's all a complete rouse. The colony was easily accessible for Galean, Taxa and the other Y'vori with him to travel to my home. Anyone with firing brain cells had to admit that our idea of relative peace was unstable but even I hoped that some our safety was not as fragile.

It wouldn't be fair to point out to my overbearing mother that I went to school with Y'vori and she shouldn't worry. I could see the stress she lived with through the school year, not hearing from me and not knowing if I had been executed or not. It also wasn't fair because her fears were justified - I had no right to be a stubborn young adult demanding my independence. We didn't have freedom anyway.

I wouldn't dare tell her that three Y'vori, one of the being the future King had snuck up the scaffolding of our building and crawled through the window of our shambled apartment bedroom.

But I had my freedom for the next few hours. I had to make the most of it.

I quickly scurried down the broken pavement sidewalk. My demeanor projected busy, insignificant and as uninteresting as possible. It was surprising how quickly I re-adapted to a scared scurrying colony worker once I got home. Maybe Gaelen was right, I was a mouse. We were all trapped mice on a shipwrecked plank of wood in the middle of the ocean. Eventually, we would all die either of fatigue of holding on or starvation.

In the colony, we hurried around afraid that we might be watched or perceived as doing something wrong. But our colony was much busier than the completely desolate picture-perfect neighborhood Ben and Maddie lived in. I wondered what would be a better life for humans. We- shipwrecked mice - in the colony or castrated lions in the privilege colony.

I picked up my pace. The answer was easy. Neither. We didn't live, truly live and I had to figure out how to change that.

I rounded the corner by grabbing the old street lamp post and swung myself into a sharp right turn. It was so second nature - from a time where I was hopeful in my daily climb to the small sixth-floor apartment where Matthias lived.

I hummed to myself thinking again about the novelty of how easily it was falling back into old habits, despite all I had seen and learned over the last 10 months at school. That only took a second before I was admonishing myself for being so naive.

"Don't fall into old habits you are better than that and you have to be stronger than anyone else, smarter - don't become a mouse," I coached myself.

"But I am his mouse," My inner heart answered with an unfathomable perseverance. I admonished my inner self, shaking her off by bolting up the narrow staircase until the muscles in my calfs and thighs felt like acid.

I still couldn't reconcile that entire day. So much had happened from meeting Samson, Haazic X's rebel brother; to somehow the entire school finding out I was not Y'vori; then Gaelen finding out and nearly blasting me into nothing; then declaring and promising me that he loved me and would take care of everything. All in one day.

Did that mean he was going to help the humans?

"Kiowa," Matthias chimed happily standing at the top of the stairs, his apartment door behind him the door beckoning with the usual warmth and welcome. "Deep in thought as usual."

"How did you know?"

"I heard you clomping up the six flights breathing hard. It's not hard to notice." He chuckled with that formidable twinkle in his eye that caused me so much heartache. "Just like always." I bit the inside of my lower lip another habit I have seems to fallen back into seamlessly. "Thanks for coming." He pulled my into a big hug and then lead me to sit at his plastic kitchen table chair. Natalia was nearly unrecognizable. Her once small frame was ballooned under in a worn out grey robe. She wobbled from behind their sectioned off bedroom curtain. She looked tired but a harsh pregnancy couldn't dull the shine of happiness.

"Hello, Kiowa," she smiled.

Natalia and then waddled to answer the loud tea kettle whistle. She poured the steaming water into containers and placed them on the windowsile to cool. She was purifying the water for drinking. Many of us do this once a week by twice boiling our dingy, rusted color council tap water. It took hours to make sure we had a week's worth of water that would hopefully be more purified and the window sill to cool it so it could be a refreshing drink.

I can't believe how much of our daily life struggle I had easily thrown off and forgotten while at school. I quickly took so much for granted. In the realm, something as simple as having water bottles of the most crystal-clean water that were always at my disposal. My mother had always talked about how Before Eclipse everyone had taken so much for granted I, too, fallen into the trap.

Shame burned my brow. I made a quick vow to bring water bottles back, even if I had to smuggle them in.

Natalia poured a glass of twice boiled two-day sill cooled water. She waddled to a rocking chair, rubbing her belly with every step as if to soothe her baby from kicking her stomach more out. Natalia was huge like she was carrying quadruplets.

"Are you ok, my dear?" Matthias whispered in a guilty hurried fashion and rubbed her back. She nodded and grasped his hand to her shoulder affectionately.

I didn't even realize my chest was rising like a volcano ready to belch seas of molten fire. But I knew it was not physically evident but I felt it with each passing second they dotted on each other.

"I should go?" I stood up not out of encroaching on their tender moment, more because I resent them.

"Nonsense," Matthias said quickly moving to my side. "You didn't run up six flights of stairs to just turn and leave. Anyways, I want to hear all about going to University. I didn't even know that there was a university that we could go to."

Matthias began running down a list of questions. I had already given up on gauging how to lie and fib my way through them all. I didn't care anymore. I was caught in alien university why would they care what I say now. I am sure as hell not going back.

"Earth to Kiowa," Matthias snapped his fingers in front of my face. "What's up with you lately?"

"I'm exhausted. I just got home and I just want to be with my friend - friends." I quickly corrected and sheepishly looked away from Natalia.

"I don't believe you." Matthias jabbed and then returned to Natalia's side.

"I am going to university in another colony, it's a full day's trip. I'm exhausted and I don't want to think about school during..."

"Bullshit Kiowa!" He stopped me mid-sentence. "You weren't at university. There is something different about you? I just can't quite pinpoint it."

I felt my proverbial hackles rise indignantly.

"How are you Kiowa?" Natalia asked and pulled Matthias to her. He molded himself to her, his attention always on her always changing to the expression of absolute love whenever she captured his gaze. "Stop haranguing her, she just got home."

"We may not have much time?" Matthias lamented.

"Much time? What are you talking about?" I sliced at him.

"Kiowa, I don't know where you really were but I know wherever it was, you can help us. Plus, you are smart and brave. You are stubborn and won't let an opportunity pass. All I know is that there are rumors about you in the colony. People are saying that you were forced by Pion to see some Y'vori leaders."

Well, he wasn't far off, I did accidentally meet some Y'vori leaders. One of which I almost killed on my first day with my clumsiness and then with my own ineptitude to my personal health fell in love with said leader of the free realm.

"I can't help you. I don't even know how I would be able to. I have no power."

"You know I know, Kiowa. And now, Natalia knows," he hissed.

My eyes glazed into a tempest. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was my most crucial, most terrifying secret and he shared it with Natalia. My mother had me swear never to show are tell anyone of my powers. Matthias had done the most gratuitous betrayal all.

"How could you, Matthias?! You know that means my death if anyone were to learn of it." I turned grabbed my coat not even allowing time to swing it onto my body.

"Natalia needs help." He called after me. "She will die giving birth to our children."

Children. That is why she is so big. They were having a gaggle of Natalia children to add to their already perfect life and love. I had to get out of this apartment. I could feel the tiny hairs on the back of my next spark with electricity causing static to bounce throughout my body.

"We need you help Kiowa," Natalia's sweet voice implored with delicate simplicity like a fresh lily petal.

"Why would I help you?" I sneered. I couldn't believe I had some much hate slide off my lips. It was becoming an out of body experience that I needed to reconnect to the ground least I do something I would really regret.

"Kiowa, I know you are mad at me," Matthias cajoled, "But you a bigger than this. You don't want to just help us; you want to change the world. You are the one to do it. I know you can and will. Please help us in this moment."

I hugged my coat closer to me, no warmth could fetter the cold feeling coursing through me. I sighed, "What do you need?"

"Supplies. Really, that's it."

"Supplies?" I still stood with my hand on the door nob. It was growing warm in my hand with the energy coasting through my body. "What about doctors? I thought that is what you needed, someone who can midwife the babies?"