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feeding her what he wanted her to know.
     

 
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    Three hours later, the ceremonies were concluded. Councillor Rothaway was given a medal of discovery and Ziggy had a heavy star dangling on a ribbon around her neck. It was a civilian medal of honour and it impressed the hell out of the audience of the Nine.
    Ziggy was in a daze when the music swelled and the assembly broke up. Rothaway’s hand held her in place and she waited with him and the other representatives in their row as the humans and others filed past them. The members of the nine races smiled at her, giving her friendly winks and frank looks as they passed her.
    She leaned over to Rothaway, “Why are they staring?”
    “You have been recorded as the first of your species to have shown potential. Our mother ship has been seeking other species for generations in hopes that one would show potential for the development of psychic or physical evolution. That the Tokkel found you first was a source of distress and embarrassment.” He murmured it softly but there was an undertone to his voice that sent her nerves into sensory overdrive.
    She checked the information that she had pulled out of Meevin, but the effect she was experiencing was not in the doctor’s information.
    She whispered again. “Why do we have to sit here?”
    He nodded to a few of his own race. “So that each race is represented from beginning to end of the ceremonies.”
    “Your people are the Wilder?”
    “We are. We are aware that your folk call us shifters, but now that you are here, you should know the proper name for those you will be surrounded by.”
    She swallowed as the final folk went past. “You are speaking as if I am going to be locked into the mother ship.”
    “Not locked in, but to keep us in defensive orbit you will need to remain as an example of why we are here.”
    Ziggy blinked. “But, you have been here for the last five years without anyone acting as the potential.”
    Rothaway caressed her hand with his thumb. “My mind was laid open and it was confirmed that not only were you gifted, you were Gaian. It was in our best interest to find the Tokkel ship to determine your identity.”
    Ziggy sighed and rubbed her forehead with her free hand. “So that is why the Nine participated in the salvage of the Tokkel ship.”
    “You did quite the job on the tracking systems and you landed it in a mineral heavy area. It was buried quite deep.” There was admiration in his tone.
    “My friend Tiera’s brother was a sea miner. I remembered the location from his conversation.”
    He scowled. “You have feelings for this male?”
    He had gone from being cuddly and seductive to bristling with rage in a moment. It shocked Ziggy when she realized that his hair was actually elevating and standing on edge.
    “Only insomuch as he is Tiera’s brother. He is like family.”
    Ziggy gave in to the urge to stroke his arm to calm him. “I think we can go now.”
    He looked up and the representatives on the other side of them were watching him cautiously.
    Lyneer made himself known as he cleared his throat. “Perhaps this discussion would best be held in privacy, councillor.”
    Rothaway shook his head as if to clear it and nodded his head with a jerk. “I apologize I am degrading a little more rapidly than I thought.”
    She didn’t have a chance to ask about what precisely was degrading, he gently lifted her to her feet, and they left the podium and the relieved councillors behind.
    Lyneer walked in front of them, deflecting the people who tried to approach her. She tried to ask Rothaway what was going on, but his face bore a frightening intensity that told her to hold questions until later.
    He seemed to have grown by a few inches and his hair was fluffed out she could swear that she saw his ears twitch as they passed other males. The Wilders that they approached took one look at him and flattened themselves to the walls to get out of his way.
    She scrambled in