In the Beginning... (52 page)

Rathan wrapped a hand around her elbow.
“Your brother loves you, Mal. But he’s facing a struggle now. You
know how he is...”

“No.
I don’t. Not anymore. He should have told me, Rath. Made me
understand. He’s alone only because he wanted to be.”

Rathan’s gaze held
compassion. He hugged her. “Just remember that he does love you. In
the meantime, don’t let your vampire give him
or you
too much trouble while I’m
gone, ok?”

He did something with his
hands that had a misty cloud forming in front of him. Mallory
stepped back, unsure what exactly was happening. The cloud darkened
and widened. Rathan motioned for the other man
a Dardaptoan. The man stepped into the cloud and disappeared.
Mallory gasped.

Aureliana grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“We’re traveling to the other realm through this portal. Wicked,
huh? Kinney, Bronwen, and I have never been outside of Gaia. Do me
a favor, ok?”

Mallory nodded, her eyes on Theo’s sister
Bronwen as she disappeared into the filmy mist. “What?”

“Keep care of my brother. He needs you. And
loves you. Without someone to keep him in line he can get a bit
arrogant.”

“No kidding. How long do you think you’ll be
gone?”

“I have no idea.” Aureliana shrugged, then
stepped toward the cloud. “But I’ll hold you to your word. Take
care of him for me!”

“I will.” Mallory doubted the other woman
heard the words as she disappeared into the other realm, followed
by Kindara.

Then it was just Rathan standing in front of
Mallory. “Take care, poppet. I will see you and the family upon my
return!”

Mallory sank down onto the orange chair
she’d occupied once before and stared at the space where the others
had been just moments before. It really was a different kind of
world she now inhabited.

“Quite a show, huh, kitten?”

She looked at Aodhan. “Have you ever been to
another realm?”

“Once or twice. Some are just like this one,
others are more Middle Earth, Tolkien-ish. Interesting, actually.
Maybe sometime we can go on a vacation. Did Auri get a good send
off, then? I was hoping to catch them before they left.”

“I think she’s excited.”

“I’m sure she is.”

“She wants me to take care
of you while she’s gone. Not that I think that’s necessary. You’ve
lasted this long without someone watching over you.” Mallory stood
and started walking beside him down the hall. Her shoulder bumped
his as they moved. It felt right, so she didn’t move away. It was
time she started listening to her instincts
at least where he was concerned. “But she seems to think
someone needs to keep you in line.”

“And are you up to the task? I may actually
cooperate with you.” His hand slipped around her waist as he led
her to a bank of elevators at the end of one long hallway. “I think
we may have a bit of fun if you take charge of me.” His words
turned serious. “I did not hurt you last night, did I?”

Mal shook her head. “No. You didn’t. What
about you? Did your stitches pop or anything?”

“One or two. But I can say that it was
entirely worth it. I’d gladly pop every one if it meant we could do
it again and again. And again.”

Mal smiled, but didn’t look at him. “Maybe
we could. Where is my brother?”

“He’s in the basement. But he is
comfortable.”

“But you’re keeping him locked up.” She
didn’t have to like it, but she did understand. Rand could have
killed someone.

“Just until he can control himself. Kitten,
you have to know if there was any other way to ensure he wouldn’t
hurt someone, I’d do it.”

“I know. Rand...Rand is my best friend, my
brother, and he would have hurt me yesterday without thinking twice
about it. I don’t know who to trust anymore.” And that hurt. She’d
thought she could trust her brother absolutely, yet that simply
wasn’t true. But she trusted Aodhan. But was that trust
absolute?

She wasn’t sure.

They entered the elevator and Aodhan pushed
the button for the basement before turning to look at her. His
hands wrapped around her upper arms and he pulled her to his chest.
“I know, kitten. And trust takes time to build properly. But you
can trust me. Trust that I love you and that I will do whatever
needs to be done to keep you safe and happy.”

Mallory buried her face in his chest and
slipped her arms around her waist. The strength of him reassured
her for a moment. She pulled away as the elevator doors opened. “I
don’t know what to say to my brother.”

“Just say what comes naturally. You’ll know
what to ask when the time is right. And I’ll be with you.”

Mallory slipped her hand into his.

A guard was posted outside a room and Aodhan
spoke with him briefly before being handed a key.

“Kitten, are you ready?”

Mallory nodded. He stepped
into the room first and she followed. Rand sat at a small table. A
wall of bars dissected the room. The cell
and that’s what it was despite the lavish furnishings
held a bed and couch and a bookshelf stocked with
books. The room thrummed with hostile energy, and Mal shivered.
“Rand?”

The face so much like hers jerked toward
her. His eyes flashed once, showed vulnerability she was unused to
seeing on her twin’s face, before a mask descended. When next he
looked at her his face was carefully blank. “Mallory. What are you
doing in here?”

“Talking to my brother. What else would I be
doing?” Mallory stepped closer to the bars separating her from her
brother. “Are you ok?”

“Am I ok? Does it look like it?”

“Don’t be a jerk, Rand. You have to admit
you started this. If you had just left Jierra…”

“Mallory. Best not to mention his mate.”
Aodhan’s hands settled on her shoulders. Mallory was grateful for
his support and she leaned against him, letting him support her for
a moment.

“How long until I’m out of this cage?” Rand
stared hard at the man behind Mallory. It hurt her, how he refused
to look at her for more than a minute or two.

“Until you can guarantee you
won’t hurt someone again.” Aodhan’s words were firm, and Mallory
had no difficulty hearing the bite and anger behind them. “You
could have hurt my
Rajni
. That will not be tolerated from anyone. Even her
brother.”

“Aodhan
…
”

“No, kitten. On this I am firm. What if I
hadn’t been able to stop him? Or if it had been your younger sister
or Jocelyn’s? He has proven he cannot control the beast within him.
Until he learns that, he will not be allowed into a situation where
he can hurt someone.”

“But…” But her brother was in a cage,
suffering. Alone. How could she be expected to stand by and let
him?

“He’s right, Mallory. You need to leave me
alone for a while.” Green eyes met green. “Uncle Jason has
suggested I take over the Fort Collins home after he sends men to
collect Grandfather. It’s close enough to be here for the babes
and...and my mate. Yet private enough for me to work out a few
things.”

“I see. When are you going?”

“When we work out a few details with the new
lab. And Grandfather. Until then, it’s best if I stay here, I
think. Keep me locked in at night. Away from her. Far away from the
little witch.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Survive.”

Mallory stuck her hand through the bar,
needing to touch him. His fingers wrapped around her wrist, and
hers did the same with his. The connection had existed between them
since birth. She loved him and always would. “Why didn’t you ever
tell me? I would have understood.”

Pain was easy for her to see on his face.
“It’s part of the rules. I couldn’t tell you, not and keep you
safe. It was better if you just didn’t know. It’s going to be
doubly dangerous for Jade now. Because she knows and is human. I’m
sure Uncle Jason will do his best to keep her safe, but the risks
have tripled. I could never put you or Mick or Becca in
danger.”

“Always thinking you had to
protect us. Rand
…
”
Mal leaned her head against the bars separating them. “I love you.
I always will. Even if you have dog breath.”

“And I love you, too. Even if you are a
blood-sucking mosquito.” He released her wrist and stepped away.
Mal wrapped her fingers around the bars, aware of Aodhan’s
supportive hands behind her. “Mal? Take care of Mickey. And...and
Jierra for me?”

“Of course.”

Mallory held Aodhan’s hand as they walked
around the gardens later that afternoon. He’d spent the entire day
with her and she knew he was wanting to keep her from dwelling on
her brother’s situation. He’d seemed to sense that she needed
quiet, and he’d kept conversation to a minimum, letting her do all
of the initiating.

“I need to see my father. And my youngest
sister. Let them know I’m ok. And that Mickey is, as well.”

“I can have a car arranged to pick them up.
If you think they would be willing to visit here. Or I can take you
to them. Whichever you prefer.”

Mallory thought about it for a moment. “I
need to go home.”

He stopped walking. Mallory looked at him,
taking in the sudden pallor of his skin and the shuttered
expression in his eyes. “I need to go home. To see my family. To
get a few things. I had a house there, on the property, remember?
With my things inside. That has to be dealt with. I want my own
clothes. My photo albums. My favorite books. I had a life that just
stopped that night. I need to deal with that.”

He studied her for a minute, worry still
clear in his expression. “We can go first thing tomorrow.”

“You’ll go with me? Don’t you trust me?”

“Yes. I do. I wish only to help. And I can
drive the larger van. I’m sure you have a car of your own you’d
like to keep here?”

She nodded. “I would like that. I’ll need
something to go back and forth to the new lab. I spoke with Josey
yesterday. She and Uncle Jason will handle the day-to-day running
of the facility. I’m to take the head position of this branch. I
may have to travel between here and the corporate headquarters,
along with Emily. Probably on a regular basis. I hate commuting,
though.”

“I can always arrange a private car to take
you and your cousins where you need to go. In fact, I would prefer
that for security reasons. But it is whatever you decide.”

Mallory wasn’t certain she liked his
complacent attitude too well. It wasn’t him, and it made her
nervous. “You’re being extremely accommodating; any particular
reason? Something you’re not telling me?”

“Hmm. Just complacent due to
an excellent night of enjoyment with my
Rajni
. She’s quite insatiable and I’m
worn out.” He gave her a comical leer and had her laughing for a
moment. Then he turned serious. “There is something.” Mallory
tensed, then forced herself to relax as she settled onto a stone
bench overlooking the koi pond. “What?”

“It seems that your young cousin
Jade...”

“Yes? Is she in trouble? Jade can be a bit
impulsive and manipulative.”

“No, nothing like that. But it seems she’s
got her heart set on being with

Barlaam. And from what I’ve heard, she is
his.”

“His what?”

“
Rajni
. But he is trying to put her
off.”

“You’re kidding? Jade has
never dated. I mean never. She’s always said she was waiting for
the one. And she thinks the healer is him?”
Should she be worried? Jade might be young
twenty-one
and inexperienced, but she
wasn’t foolish. But the girl did have a way of getting everything
she wanted. “How did you find out?”

“Cormac. He was worried what the rest of
your family would say. She is very young, almost still a child by
our people’s standards. She is nineteen or so?”

“Twenty-one. She’s five and
a half years younger than Josey, five younger than Mickey. And six
months younger than Becca, six months older than Cass.” Mallory
thought about it for several long moments. “Jade has always known
her own mind. If she thinks she’s meant to be with Barlaam, she
will not stop until she is. Period. If he knows she’s his
Rajni
, why is he so
hesitant?”

“I’m only guessing, but I think it’s a cross
between the fact that she is so young and fear.”

“Fear?” Barlaam was close to Aodhan’s size
and strong. He also had a quiet and accepting personality. Mallory
didn’t see him being afraid of Jade. “Of what?”

“For her. We lose many of our females, and
Barlaam as healer has witnessed it firsthand. The lack of medical
care. We have tried through the centuries, but nothing works.” His
face was pale and she could see the fear in his eyes. Fear for her?
“No male likes to think of losing his female. It is often our one
weakness. I do not wish to contemplate the possibility.”

“Me, either. That’s why Kindara and Auri are
hunting for medications in Rathan’s realm, isn’t it?”

“There is an old legend that says nothing of
this realm will work on our people. Nothing has been said of
medications from other realms. I hope they find what they are
searching for. Our people need it. Come, we should go inside.
Dinner will be shortly. I believe we will be letting your brother
out to join us. Your uncle has agreed to keep charge of him. I am
curious, though, why your brother is so beastly, yet your uncle
not.”

“Because he’s older, maybe? Thank you for not
keeping Rand locked away.”

“I’m not happy about it, kitten. I wish I
could keep you from him, yes. I don’t trust him not to harm
someone. I need you to make a promise to never be alone with him.
Until he and Jierra work it out between themselves.