about the last five years I've lived as a repository
for the Hienial seed?" Kiri's body shook so badly,
she knew she was about to fall apart. She
straightened her spine, intent on showing no
weakness.
"Why don't you sit on the cot over there?"
Brandy pointed toward a low cot covered with a
homey looking quilt and several fluffy pillows,
"While I lower the lights and light a few scented
candles."
"What? Why? Don't I just tell you what
happened and you'll allow me to leave?" Kiri
twisted her hands together, her stomach churning.
Regardless of how strange it may seem to lie on a
couch, in the near dark, smelling flowers, if there
was any chance it may help her, she'd do it.
"There is no reason you can't be comfortable
when the telling is not. Is there, Kiri?"
Kiri shook her head, making her way to the low
couch. The intricate design of the quilt drew her
attention. It was almost as if the swirls and other
designs moved as she touched it, drawing her fear
and pain away from her. The feeling intensified as
she lowered herself to lie down on the quilt.
"No, Kiri." The healer hurried to her side. "You
must be beneath the quilt for it to truly help you."
She helped Kiri to stand then pulled the covering
aside to wait until Kiri lowered herself to the cot
again.
The quilt covered Kiri with warmth and...love.
She was surrounded by it. The sensation of being
held in her mother's arms coiled around her
through her. Her heart warmed, her mind settled
and her pain receded to a place where it could no
longer touch her, hurt her--a place where she
could pull it out, look at it and finally banish it
from her heart.
The healer sat on a low stool near her, her hand
resting on the quilt. "Do you think you can talk
about it now?"
Kiri nodded and sifted through her memories.
"Where should I start?"
Brandy smiled at her. "Start wherever you
wish, sweetheart. But I think the beginning is
always the best place."
"The beginning..." Kiri leaned back and shook
her head. "No, that would take too long. I don't
think any of us have the time for that." Besides,
this made her uncomfortable. The pain was no
longer debilitating, but she knew she couldn't
spend the rest of her days beneath this lovely
quilt. Sooner or later she had to return to Ryo and
they both needed to learn to live again.
"Our government received a coded message
from the Carrillian authorities or at least someone
posing as their leader." She gripped the quilt
tightly. Her fingers found a spot to trace and her
pain receded a bit more. "The man begged for our
help, saying they were under attack. Every man of
warrior age, every boy nearing the turun'ca
boarded ships and left to help them. We haven't
heard from them since."
The healer tilted her head a frown marring her
brow. "Turun'ca?"
"The coming of age."
"Oh. And what age would that be?"
Pain gripped Kiri's chest and the quilt warmed
before the sensation faded. "They were all just
approaching their fifteenth summer."
"Fifteen! All of your men and boys above the
age of fifteen are gone?"
Tears slid down Kiri's face as she nodded. The
quilt grew warm again, so warm she almost threw
it off, but the pain she knew would wrack her if
she did so, stopped her. "Every one of them. Only
the old and infirmed were left." She attempted to
look back, to remember without feeling the
complete loss and rage she'd grown so used to
over the last few years.
"After the males were gone, those animals
came. They killed everyone not of breeding age.
They took the sterile women away. I have no idea
where. Several of them took a female. Three of
them took me to my home and they--they raped
me repeatedly until they got me with child. Only
then, did they leave me alone. Then they waited
for me to give birth and nurse my son so they
could take him. I hid him when I realized they
would consider him deformed. I knew what they
would do. But--" she sobbed, the quilt glowing as
it absorbed her sorrow. "But they found us."
Kiri threw the quilt off and stood. Grief and
rage nearly consumed her as she paced the small
area. She glanced out at Ryo, still held in Fury's
arms and tried to bring her emotions back under
control she had to do this. For Ryo.
Brandy stood and came to stand beside her. "I
know the rest. You don't have to relive it again."
She placed her hand on Kiri's shoulder and
warmth and peace stole through her again. She
reached up to finger a beautiful multi-stoned
pendant, obviously distressed by the story.
Before Kiri could mention the pendant, alarm
bells blared through the healer's office. Through
the clear glass, she watched Drace and Fury
stiffen. Even Ryo closed his eyes and cringed.
Something serious must be going on.
Together she and Brandy ran into the main
clinic, her to Ryo, Brandy straight to her brother's
side.
She pulled Ryo into her arms. His little hands
clutched at her shirt, then reached up and twisted
in her hair.
"What is it, Drace? What's going on?" the
healer asked.
Kiri listened intently, knowing that with so
many of the enemy out there, both Banart and
Hienials, danger was always near.
Drace grimaced while Fury paced. Neither
would look Brandy in the eye. Finally, Drace
answered, his voice gruff. "There is a damaged
slave transport asking for assistance. There are
wounded Hienials, as well as the women and
children they've kept as slaves who require
assistance."
Brandy's spine stiffened, and then she nodded.
"I will do all I can, for all the injured."
Knowing it was her calling, and that she had no
real choice but to volunteer the use of her gifts,
Kiri turned toward the healer. "I have some small
gift at giving ease to those in pain. If someone can
care for Ryo, keep him safe, I will do all that I can
to help you."
She was surprised when Fury walked up to her
to lightly run his finger down her cheek. "If it
pleases you, I will stay with Ryo."
Startled she nodded. "Thank you. It is
important that he is protected by someone I can
trust." She glanced down to the floor for a
moment, searching her thoughts. "You say he is a
son to you. I will take you at your word, but know
this. He is the most important--the most
precious--part of me. If anything happens to him,
it is you who will suffer my wrath."
Drace moved toward her other side, placed his
huge hand gently atop her shoulder. "I shall
accompany you to the surface. They were so far
out of the known galaxy, they have crash landed
on an unchartered planet, so not only will there be
danger from the Hienials themselves but we know
nothing of what we'll find on the surface."
Kiri searched his gaze--for what she didn't
really know. Maybe she wanted to believe that
these men truly only meant to cherish her and her
son. Nodding, she stepped away slightly,
suddenly uneasy being so close to her mate--
mates--she corrected to herself, glancing at Fury
who even now gently held her son in his arms. She
relaxed a bit as she watched him rub soothing
circles on Ryo's back with his large hand. A man
so gentle with children couldn't be all bad, could
he? She bit her lip and looked away before he
caught her staring.
* * * *
Drace stepped from the large personnel transport
and looked up at the huge winged animals flying
over their heads. What had Brandy called them?
He glanced over at her as she stared up at them
with awe.
"Look at them all," Brandy breathed, her eyes
wide and glistening with unshed tears. She didn't
show a bit of fear even though hundreds of the
colorful but deadly looking beasts circled the
landing site like carrion closing in for a fresh kill.
He raised his energy weapon when one flew
lower, the claws from its feet barely missing their
heads.
"No!" Brandy grabbed his arm, keeping him
from killing one of the huge beasts. "Don't hurt
them. They aren't here to harm us. They--" She
glanced up them and smiled softly. "They aren't
what they seem."
"Then what are they?" Drace asked, itching to
shoot them from the sky. "It's obvious they've
killed the Hienials and the people who once
occupied the empty city we spotted on our way
down.
"No, Drace. They have done nothing, but
defend what is theirs. They didn't kill the
occupants of the empty city. They are the
occupants."
Drace whipped his attention back to her,
searching her gaze before he returned his attention
to the pale orange sky of this unknown world.
"How do you know this, Brandy? I will allow
neither you nor my mate to wander here if there is
any chance that such creatures will do you harm.
There is enough to worry about with you both
working among the Hienials."
He heard her wistful sigh, but kept his attention
on the creatures still circling overhead. "I can feel
it, Drace." She reached out and gripped his arm.
"My planet's history has told of such creatures for
many centuries. Long ago, they disappeared from
my world. Most believe they are naught but a
fairytale," she shrugged as she dropped his arm to
step forward and gaze back up into the sky. "Or
nightmare," she added, "depending on their
beliefs. Perhaps they'd visited my world long ago,
or originated there and came here when they
weren't welcomed with open arms. For me
though, Dragons have always fascinated me. To
see this," she said waving her arms overhead as
she turned in a slow circle, "to see this is every
dream and fantasy come true for me."
"Are you sure it is safe then?"
"Yes," she nodded. "Very sure."
"Good, let us not tarry here then. Do what you
need to do to make sure the survivors are well
enough to transport and I'll gather my mate. They
may be friendly now, but we know naught of
them or their feelings toward trespassers. It is best
to leave here quickly."
Drace watched as his little sister gave a rather
wistful and reluctant nod before she rushed
toward the rest of the medical team, her gaze
darting from the rocky ground to the sky the
whole way. Running his hand through his hair,
Drace sighed. Goddess, don't let coming here be a
mistake, he prayed. If anything happened to his
mate or his sister, he would never forgive himself.
Turning away from his sister, Drace headed
back toward his mate who he imagined was none
too happy at being ordered to stay aboard ship
until he could determine whether it was safe
enough for her to help his sister. Of course, there
were many possibilities in easing her anger.
Perhaps, it would give him the perfect
opportunity to get her used to his touch.
He was almost to the transport when the telltale
tickling at the base of his spine warned of
approaching danger. Dropping to a crouch, he
quickly scanned the area, before spinning around
to look behind him. There, coming up fast, a
Hienial, raced toward him with a small battle
sword in his hands, pure hate gleaming in his
eyes. He had no time to strip and change into his
lion form while wearing clothes would only
hinder, not help him.
Before Drace could even reach for his weapon,
one of the great beasts overhead swooped down
and grabbed the Hienial with its clawed feet before
again racing toward the sky at an incredible
speed. Never had Drace seen such coloring on a
creature outside his dreams. The dragon's
armored scales ranged from the softest blues and
sapphires his father had brought back from
Brandy's planet so long ago. It essentially glowed.
Its strange, changing iridescent colors glimmered
as it flew away, carrying the enemy with it.
As the dragon beat his monstrous wings, and
launched himself even higher in the sky, the
Hienial thrashed, screaming his terror as they flew
into the heavens. Drace watched, as the changing
silvery blue dragon seemed to hover in mid-air.
Another dragon, this one in shades of orange, gold
and red, approached the first, and with his clawed
forelegs extended, grabbed a hold of the Hienial's
kicking feet.
He watched in horror, as the two dragons,
separated, ripping the Hienial in half in mid-air.
Drace shuddered, swallowed the bile rising in his
throat. How could Brandy say they were safe after
what he'd just witnessed? Still, he noticed that
every one of his team remained on the ground
unharmed, as did he. He couldn't discount the fact
that the blue dragon had saved his life. The Hienial
beast had been too close to him to draw his
weapon. The beast surely would have killed him
with his deadly sword if the dragon had not
dragged the other creature to his doom.
He turned toward the transport, ready to tell
his people to regroup. He was taking his mate and
sister from this place before they were injured. He
would not risk their safety.
"Stop!"
Where had the voice come from
? It had seemed
so close. It was almost as though he'd heard the
voice in his head, the way he and Fury sometimes
communicated. However, that was not Fury's
voice. Drace heard the unmistakable sound of the
beating of dragon's wings as he spun around in a
crouch, ready to draw his weapon.
Two men stood before him. They were dressed
strangely. The armor they wore looked like the
scales of the dragons that had just ripped one of
the Hienial in two. One dressed in varying shades
of blues and silver, the other in varying shades of
red and gold. He looked up toward the sky,
searching for the two dragons that saved his life. It
was impossible to tell if they were up there
circling the sky with so many others flying
overhead.
Both men were tall--taller even than he was.
Their long black hair billowed behind them as
they approached. Neither of them appeared to be
armed. Drace studied them, assessing the danger
as they approached. His head told him they were
very dangerous creatures. His gut told him they
had no intention of harming either him, or his
people. Still, he watched them with caution. He
would be a fool to do otherwise.
"Where are the dragons I heard swooping
down upon me?" He looked around, still not quite
believing they had been able to disappear so
quickly. He heard them. He knew he did.
The two men looked at each other and grinned.
"We are the dragons you're searching for. We
apologize for giving you a fright earlier, but the
man would have killed you and taken your
women."
Drace nodded, still eyeing them warily. "Yes,
they are good for that." Making a decision he
wasn't quite sure was wise under the
circumstances, he held out his hand in greeting. "I
am Drace Vanier, leader of the Lioni people. When
we discovered the distress call from the Hienial
slave ship, we came here to provide medical
treatment and retrieve the women and children
used as slaves aboard this vessel."
The man dressed in blue stepped forward and
took Drace's hand and arm in a warrior's embrace.
"It is good to meet you. I am Damir D'rakionier,
leader of the Drakonians. We have been searching
the worlds over for a race with females. Ours are
few. Our women no longer give birth to female
children and our males long for mates."
"We have a theory about that." Drace
continued, noticing their raised eyebrows. "It