Grady's Awakening by Bianca D'Arc

descendants of a common Alvian ancestor.” This, more than anything, would guarantee the safety of his human friends from all but the most cutthroat of his Alvian brethren.
    “I was aware that Mara 12 was working on a theory that our ancestors may have intermixed with the native population. I did not know they could trace their ancestry.”
    Grady Prime sat back in his chair, regarding the Patriarch with a measuring gaze. Best he could tell, the powerful Zxerah leader truly didn’t know. This could get interesting.
    “Her so-called theory was proven many years ago though it has been kept secret in the scientific community until recently. It is true that our most revered ancestors settled on this planet long ago. Caleb, Justin, Mick and all of the O’Hara clan carry a large amount of Hara DNA.” The shocked silence was deafening. Hara had been the greatest of them, the most revered, the savior of their people when all hope had been lost. That alone would guarantee the O’Hara clan’s safety and status, but there was more. “Mara 12 confirmed her discovery by personally breeding with Justin O’Hara nearly twenty years ago. The resulting child is called simply Hara by the scientific team. He is known as Harry to his human family.”
    “She had a baby with a human man?” Gina seemed scandalized.
    “She did. Harry spends most of his time these days in the Northern City where his uncle, Caleb O’Hara, is currently being confined for study. I have long suspected that Harry acts as a conduit between his imprisoned uncle and the rest of the family. They have strong bonds—emotional bonds that Mara 12 does not understand. I did not understand it myself until just recently. Caleb and Harry have been of great help to me and the other test subjects as we progressed through the emotional changes and upheavals of those first few weeks. Without their help, I don’t know how successful our test group would have been.”
    The Patriarch sat back and steepled his fingers, deep in thought as his gaze drifted around the table, finally settling back on Grady Prime. Everyone else was silent, each contemplating his revelations in their own way, and waiting to see what their leader would have to say.
    Finally, he lowered his hands and leaned forward, his gaze intense. “This is excellent news. Astounding news.”
     
     

Chapter Three
    The Patriarch was as animated as Gina had ever seen him. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was having an emotional reaction to Grady’s words. But she’d been around him long enough to know that was impossible. He was better than most Alvians, but he didn’t truly feel anything. Nothing worth mentioning, anyway. She’d watched him struggle with faint echoes from time to time over the years, and her heart had gone out to him.
    Compassion was the emotion that came most often when she was in his presence. He wanted to understand, yet he could not. She believed he wanted only what was best for his people, yet he was convinced they had been on the wrong path for many centuries. He worked hard to change all of that, but was hampered by the need for secrecy.
    “I thank you again, Grady Prime, for all that you have revealed to us tonight. I sense this could not have been an easy decision for you. After all, you have only just met us. By contrast, we have followed your career from afar for many years. You have always been a credit to our race, and I now believe you may be a conduit to a better future.” The Patriarch sat forward, his energy palpable to everyone around him. “Hara DNA on Earth! Proven and tested. Do you know what this means?”
    “It means we can move forward with our plans,” Sinclair Prime said in a low, almost excited tone.
    “We can, indeed,” the Patriarch replied before turning back to Grady Prime. “What is he like, this young man called Hara?”
    Although Gina had no idea what this particular strain of DNA meant to her Alvian friends, she could tell by looking at