Cursed: Brides of the Kindred 13 (53 page)

“What?” the female face demanded. “But you cannot do that to us! We cannot be separated from the cleansing pool—it is what helps us in our Joining.”

“This ‘joining’ of yours is an abomination,” J’lorgan said harshly. “It should never have come to pass in the first place. When I spoke of oneness I meant an emotional bond, not a physical one.”

“You mean the kind the Kindred have with their mates?” Stavros asked quietly. “The soul bond they form when they bond a female to them?”

“Exactly!” J’lorgon exclaimed. “
That
is what I hoped to achieve when I harnessed the sentient plasma and brought it here to the resort! Do you know,” he continued, looking at Stavros. “That the only other species in the known universe capable of forming such a perfect love bond with their mates are the Havoc males of Xander Prime? But that is only because they are distant cousins to the Kindred. And even though they
can
bond, they mostly choose not to. It is most tragic, truly.”

“
This
male claims to be a Havoc,” the male face of the Joined One said as it pointed at Stavros. “But we now have proof that he is not. Bring them forward,” it barked.

At once several armed
Hossan
guards brought two prisoners forward. One was a tall Kindred male with dark hair and steel gray eyes whom Stavros recognized as Six, the Dark Kindred male who had defected to the Mother Ship. The other was bride, a petite girl from Earth with long black hair whose name escaped him. Both of them were heavily shackled.

“Mei-Li!” Charlotte blurted out, her eyes widening. “And Six, right?” She looked at the tall Dark Kindred who nodded shortly. “What are the two of you doing here?”

“We came to warn you.” Mei-Li shook her head. “But we were attacked and boarded by these guys before we could get a transmission out to you.”

“You see?” The male face of the Joined One looked at J’lorgan triumphantly. “They know each other! They are in league against us.”

J’lorgan frowned. “My dear Na’ho—I am beginning to believe that you think
everyone
is in league against you. The joining of your mind and body to Ya’he’s has made you paranoid and more than a little mad.”

“No, we speak the truth! These spies have come to steal the Heart of Love!” the female face protested.

“Now, Ya’he—how can they steal that which cannot be stolen?” J’lorgan shook his head and looked at the guards. “Please escort this…creature who used to be Ya’he and Na’ho from my presence and see that it is secured until I can decide what to do with it.” He sighed. “I had thought to banish it but now I see that I must look into the matter further. But
first
I must deal with you.” He pointed at Stavros and Charlotte. “Tell me the true reason you are here and be quick about it.”

As the Joined One was escorted from the Heart of Love, Stavros took a deep breath and began to talk.

“It is true I am not a Havoc and Charlotte is not truly my bride,” he began. “But we had good reason to come here and pretense seemed the only way in. You see, Charlotte’s home world, Earth, is under attack by the Dark Kindred. We are outmanned and outgunned and we had but one hope—the Goddess has given us a prophesy...”

“Ah, the Goddess. Yes…yes.” The old male nodded thoughtfully. “I know of her. A wise and kindly deity—she cares greatly for her children. You may proceed—what is this prophesy?”

Six stepped forward. “It was given through me. I will recite it.”

“Please do.” J’lorgan nodded respectfully.

Six took a deep breath.

“Cursed to find an early grave

Will be the one the Light to Save

The Pain of others he must feel

The wounds of others he can heal

To stop the evil he must find

The Heart of Love in J’lorgon’s Mind

To bring it to the void and cold

And cast it in, he must be bold.

For when the Dark is burned to ash

Only then will danger pass

But when it does…”

“When it does, what?” Stav asked. “Commander Sylvan told me there were people looking to find the missing stanza. That seems to be part of it but what is the rest?”

“There is more,” Six said heavily. “But I feel I must reveal it to you alone, Stavros. You are the one it concerns.”

“You may reveal it later,” J’lorgan said, frowning. “For it makes no difference. As you see, the Heart of Love is not an object you can bring with you anywhere. It is pure emotion—pure love and kindness and understanding.” He motioned to the glowing plasma around him. “It took me cycles and cycles to refine and purify it. It is everything positive but it is
emotion
—it cannot be held in the hand or transported in any way.”

“Well can it be bottled somehow?” Charlotte asked desperately. “Maybe put in a Tupperware container for later?”

J’lorgan shrugged. “Try to hold some of it. Go on—it is very concentrated but it will not hurt you to touch it for a moment.”

Charlotte reached out hesitantly and stuck her hand into the plasma. Stavros watched as she tried to pull some of it out. It was like trying to catch water or air. Her hand moved freely into it but when she pulled it out, there was nothing there. She tried again and again with no success.

“It is no good, my dear,” J’lorgan said gently. “It simply cannot be done.”

“But…but please, Sir—it’s my home planet we’re talking about here!” Charlotte looked at him pleadingly in a way that wrung Stav’s heart. “The Dark Kindred are going to take over and either kill or enslave everybody and that’s only
after
they suck out all their emotions!”

“They’re not just going too—they’ve already begun,” Six said grimly. “Several of Earth’s largest cities have already been harvested despite all the best efforts of the Kindred of the Mother Ship.”

“What?” Charlotte’s eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding!”

“Tokyo, Rome, Paris…” Mei’-Li shook her head, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Gone. Or at least, all the people who live there are gone. They’ve been taken by the Dark Kindred. The Earth leaders are finally beginning to listen to us when we say the Kindred of the Mother Ship are trying to help but I’m afraid it’s going to be too late if we can’t stop the Dark Kindred soon.”

“Oh my God!” Charlotte stumbled and would have fallen if Stav hadn’t caught her. “God,” she whispered again. “I just…I can’t believe it.” She looked up at J’lorgan. “You see what we’re up against? Can’t you please help us somehow?
Please?”

J’lorgan shook his head sorrowfully, his long white hair floating in the plasma currents. “I am sorry, child. But unless you have a living organism which can absorb the emotion of the plasma it into its very body, none of it can be carried away.”

“But we do—I can do that.” Stavros stepped forward.

“Can you?” J’lorgan looked interested. “But how?”

Rapidly, Stav explained about the parasite which caused his Mark.

“So you feel only the pain of others?” J’lorgan asked, frowning. “But there is no pain in the Heart. Only love and joy and fulfillment.”

“
Mostly
all I feel is the pain of others,” Stavros said. “Except…except with Charlotte.” He cast a glance at her, remembering the waves of pleasure he’d felt coming from her as he tasted her this last time. Of the intense sensation she’d been having when he filled her with his seed. “With her…I sometimes feel pleasure as well,” he murmured.

“Well then…that changes things.” J’lorgan nodded. “I suppose this Mark of yours might be able to absorb and transport positive emotion—at least for a little while. But it would be
very
taxing to you physically and I am not at all certain how you will use it even if you did manage to collect some of the Heart into yourself.”

“I’m not sure either,” Stav said grimly. “But we have to do
something
. I’m certain the Goddess wouldn’t have sent us here to the Heart of Love unless there was some way to use it to defeat the Dark Kindred.”

“Then if you truly wish to, you may come into the plasma with me.” J’lorgan beckoned to him. “But I warn you, immersion in the special concentrated plasma can be quite overwhelming. I hope you are in good health with a strong heart.”

“I am,” Stav said although he knew that his Curse put his body under unnatural strain constantly. Still, the Goddess had sent him here for a reason. Surely she wouldn’t let him die before he completed it. Would she?

He started to step into the pinkish-gold cylinder but Six reached out one manacled hand to him.

“Stavros, wait. I feel I must talk to you before you offer yourself in this way.”

“What is it?” Charlotte was looking worried. “Is this stuff going to hurt him?” She nodded at the plasma. “My hand is still numb and tingly from where I touched it. I don’t know about Stav getting all the way into it.”

“It’s not just the plasma…it’s the prophesy,” Six said. “But I can reveal it only to Stavros—I am sorry.”

Charlotte got a stubborn expression on her face.

“Well, I’m his partner. If something affects his health and wellbeing, I’m entitled to know about it.”

Six shook his head, looking every bit as stubborn as she did.

“I am sorry but this is confidential information. I will speak
only
to Stavros.”

“But—”

“Charlotte, give me a moment.” Stav stepped to the side, drawing Six with him. The Dark Kindred was still manacled and he motioned to one of the remaining guards to unlock him and Mei-Li. After a nod from J’lorgan, the guard did so. They stepped outside the golden pillar and back into the outer room, Stavros trying not to see Charlotte’s angry, worried face as he went.

“Good,” Six said, when they were out of earshot. “This message must be for you alone because you alone can decide what must be done.”

“Tell me,” Stav said. “What about the prophesy?”

“I know the rest of it,” Six said grimly. “And it does not bode well for you. Listen:

For when the Dark is burned to ash

Only then will danger pass

But when it does, it steals his breath

To seal Dark’s doom, the fate is…”

“Is what?” Stav demanded.

Six sighed heavily. “Death—the fate is death. Stavros, if you do this, you will surely die. The prophesy foretells it.”

Stav took a deep breath. Death. He would be going to his death.
But I’d be doing it to save Charlotte’s beloved home world,
he thought. And what better way to go than that? Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to live past forty cycles anyway. His heart would give out long before then from the constant strain of his Curse. He might be cutting off a few years, but his life was already more than half over—he had never expected to live to a ripe old age anyway.

“I’m going to do it,” he said, looking at Six. “I’m the only one who can. I can’t let Charlotte’s entire world die when I can do something about it.”

“You…love her then?” Six spoke as though the idea of love was a slightly foreign concept—one which he had only recently become familiar with.

“I do,” Stav said. “More than anything. More than life.”

“You will be leaving her behind,” Six pointed out. “She will grieve you.”

Stav shook his head.

“I don’t think so. She doesn’t feel for me as I do for her. She has reasons to dislike our people.” He thought of her sister’s suicide. “Valid reasons.”

“She worries for you,” Six said. “Concern is a sign of love—I have learned that recently.”

“She
doesn’t
love me,” Stav said roughly. “But I love her. And that is why I
must
do this.”

The Dark Kindred nodded gravely.

“I understand and respect your decision.”

“Good. Then I must ask for your absolute discretion in this matter,” Stav said seriously. “I do not want Charlotte to know this is going to kill me. She can know that it might be difficult and dangerous but she must
not
know that it will be fatal.”

“Agreed.” Six nodded again.

“Gods…” Stavros ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know what I’m doing. Once I absorb as much of the Heart’s emotion plasma as I can, what am I supposed to do with it? Where can I go with it that will negatively affect the Dark Kindred in any way—let alone completely incapacitate them?”

“As to that,” Six said thoughtfully. “Since the last stanza of the prophesy was sent to me, I have been giving it much thought. I believe I have an idea of where you must go and what you must do. Listen carefully…”

* * * * *

“I don’t like this,” Charlie said to Mei-Li who was waiting with her in front of the vast pillar of pink plasma while Stavros and Six talked outside. J’lorgan had floated to the far side of his plasma tube and was quietly drifting with his eyes closed. “I don’t know what’s going on but something feels wrong…something feels
off,”
she said, tapping her bare foot nervously against the metal floor.