Divided: Brides of the Kindred 10 (12 page)

“You, ah, certainly can.” Far cleared his
throat and looked pointedly away, playing along with Becca.

Donald frowned and looked down at the
trembling Maggie.

“I see your point. She is dressed in a
most…suggestive manner,” he muttered.

“Here…” Becca began to shrug out of the
cream silk robe she was wearing. It left her wearing only her knee length
nightgown but that was more than poor Maggie had on. “Look,” she said softly,
holding up her free hand, the one not holding onto Far. “I’m no threat to you.
Just let me put this around her shoulders. Okay?”

She took a step forward and though Donald
frowned, he made no move to stop her. Becca took another step forward
carefully. This was the part she didn’t like—she was going to have to let go of
Far’s hand. And she couldn’t quiet the feeling that when she did he was going
to be vulnerable to the fine black dust which was drifting closer and closer
like an ominous cloud.

“Far, baby—hold your breath as long as you
can,” she murmured for his ears alone. She heard him inhale, then she dropped
his hand and stepped forward, holding out the cream silk robe to Maggie.
“Here,” she said to Donald. “If you’ll just let go for a minute so I can cover
her up…”

“Don’t try anything,” he muttered, but he
loosened his grip on Maggie’s neck and for a moment, the muzzle of the silver
weapon he was pointing at her head wavered.

It was the moment Becca had been hoping
for. She grabbed Maggie’s wrist and yanked her out of the way. At the same
time, she threw the silk robe at Donald’s face.

He shouted and fired but the blast went
wide and the silk robe wrapped neatly around his head.
Couldn’t have done
that better if I practiced!
Becca thought, feeling a surge of delighted
surprise.

“Far,” she shouted. “Get him!”

Before the words left her lips, another
blast of energy zipped past her head and the silk robe suddenly had a black
hole burned into the middle of it.

Donald gave one anguished howl which
changed to a sickening wet gurgle. The black hole in the gown obscuring his
face went red at the edges and then the crimson stain began to spread. Donald
dropped to his knees, his weapon falling from nerveless fingers. In what seemed
like slow motion to Becca’s heightened senses, he slumped slowly over to one
side and collapsed on the ground.

Becca bit her lip. “Mother of God, help
him,” she whispered through numb lips. “Is he…?”

Keeping his weapon pointed at the supine
figure, Far stepped forward and kicked the shiny silver gun Donald had dropped
away. Then he stooped and lifted the ruined robe.

“Dead,” he said quietly, his lips tight,
his face white. He looked up at Becca. “I don’t like killing. Even when it’s
necessary.”

Becca felt her heart surge. “I’m sorry,”
she whispered. Beside her, Maggie began to cry again.

“This is my fault. I should have known,
should have seen…”

“How could you know he would do something
like this?” Becca demanded, making an effort to pull herself together. “Don’t
start blaming yourself—right now we just need to get out of here. Or
you
do, anyway—we have to find Truth.” She looked at Far. “Don’t we?”

Far had a strange expression on his face.

“I…I…”

“Far?” Becca was concerned. The dust had reached
them now—most of it was still in the Unmated Males area but it was reaching
out, swirling in the air currents, spreading like a disease. She could see it
settling like black specs on Far’s pale skin.

“…Becca…
mi’now
…” Far was clearly
struggling to get the words out. His features contorted, almost as though he
was fighting something.

No, not something
—someone
,
Becca realized.
Something that’s trying to take over
him.

“Far!” Lunging forward, she grabbed his
hand, entwining their fingers firmly. “Stay here,” she said, peering into his
face anxiously. “Stay here with me.”

His face cleared and he breathed a sigh of
relief.

“Thank you. That was…I could feel
something trying to…to get in, somehow.”

“Don’t talk about it.” Becca’s heart was
cold with fear. “The same thing might be happening to Truth—we
have
to
get to him.” She looked at Maggie. “Are you all right? I’m sorry I don’t have
anything else to give you to wear.”

“That’s all right.” Maggie took a deep
breath and wiped her eyes, a look of determination coming over her face. “I’m
going to help Commander Sylvan with Kor.”

“You can’t!” Becca said at once. She
nodded at the Unmated Males area where more and more red-eyed possessed Kindred
were appearing. “You can’t go back in there—it’s not safe!”

“I don’t care,” Maggie insisted. “I
have
to go to him. I—”

“What’s happening? Sylvan said there was
trouble.”

To Becca’s relief, Commander Baird
suddenly appeared, surrounded by half a dozen armed warriors. He was holding a
weapon and the silver wire of a Thinkme glinted in his thick black hair.

“Commander, we believe there is some kind
of mass possession going on,” Far told him. “Maggie’s former fiancé, the human
called Donald, said something about some kind of demonic spirits.” He looked at
Baird sharply. “Are any of your guards unmated?”

Baird gave a quick scan of his men and
shook his head. “No—why do you ask?”

“Only unmated Kindred are affected,” Becca
said quickly. “We don’t know why but it seems to have to do with the dust.”

“That’s what Sylvan said—contain the
dust,” Baird muttered.

“Contain it? But how?” Becca demanded.

“We have measures in place to seal off the
Unmated Males area but Sylvan’s still in there—at least he was last time he
bespoke me.”

“He went to get Kor. I need to go too,”
Maggie said, lifting her chin. “I have to be with him—I
have
to.”

Baird shook his head. “Too dangerous. Let
me bespeak Sylvan and see what he says.” He closed his eyes briefly and a look
of concentration came over his face. “Oh good—he’s coming out.” He motioned to two
of his guards. “Cover me—I’m going to help him with Kor.”

He ran forward with two of his guards at
his heels.

Hurry!
Becca wanted to shout. Through the dust, she could see
that the possessed Kindred, who had previously been milling around, were now
moving with more purpose. Their eyes were glowing brighter red and they were
gathering together. Worse, there were more of them emerging from the barracks
every minute.

They’re going to mobilize soon,
she thought, panic rising in her throat.
And then…who
knows what will happen? Are the Kindred prepared to fight against their own
kind? To kill their own warriors and brothers even if their actions aren’t
their fault because they’re possessed?

Luckily, the milling warriors still seemed
a little confused, as though the beings inside them were still getting used to
their new bodies. She watched as Sylvan and Baird ran out, dragging the
unconscious form of Kor between them. Maggie gave a cry and ran to meet them.
When they were a safe distance from the Unmated Males area, Baird shouted,

“Raise the shield.”

At this, several of the possessed Kindred
lifted their heads, like dogs catching a scent. Growling angrily, they began to
surge forward.

Becca’s heart was in her mouth and she
squeezed Far’s hand tightly.

Mother of God, they’re coming! What if—

Just then one of the warriors Baird had
left behind produced a slim controller with several lit panels on it. He swiped
a panel and pushed a button. A low humming sound filled the air and to Becca’s
relief, a shimmering wall rose suddenly from the ground around the Unmated
Males area. It zipped upward to the ceiling so quickly she barely had time to
register it. One minute it wasn’t there and the next it was, creating an
iridescent barrier between the Unmated Males area and the rest of the ship.

The possessed Kindred ran to the shining
wall and beat against it angrily but it was clear they couldn’t get through. In
fact, Becca could barely hear their growls and howls through the gleaming
barrier.

“Safe,” she whispered. “We should all be
safe now. The area is sealed off.”

“It is but the dust continues to
circulate,” Far said grimly. “Look.” He pointed to a hallway directly beside
the sealed off area. A thick cloud of black dust was drifting through the
arching opening, as though seeking a way into the rest of the ship. “Truth’s
suite is down that corridor,” he said in a low voice.

“Oh, no!” Becca breathed. “We have to get
to him before the dust does.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible but we
can try,” Far said grimly. “Come on!” He pulled her forward and they ran, their
bare feet pushing hard against the springy grass of the park as they raced
against the swirling dust.

If only we can get there in time!
Becca though wildly. She knew that the doors to the
suites were airtight but if Truth came out into the hallway…

Mother of God,
she prayed.
Please, please don’t let him open his
door. Please don’t let him come out. Please…

Chapter
Fourteen

Come out, Truth,
the dark voice called
again but there was no one there.

Truth looked around wildly. The lights
were blazing and his suite was warm yet he felt a sudden chill run through him.
Who or what was calling him? Where in the Seven Hells was that voice coming
from?

Why don’t you come outside and find out?

“Come out where? Where are you?” he
demanded, getting out of bed to look around.

Out in the hallway. I’ve been waiting for
you. For a vessel worthy of my glory. You are young and strong, with no bonds
to hold you back and a wealth of pain in your past to open you to darkness. You
shall be the one.

“The one what? What are you talking
about?” Truth was beginning to wonder if he was going crazy. Why was he
speaking to a disembodied voice in the middle of the night? “Am I dreaming?” he
asked aloud. “Is this a dream?”

Yes, it’s a dream
,
the dark voice
assured him.
Only a dream, so it’s perfectly safe to do as I say. Just
come out into the corridor outside your suite.

“I…shouldn’t,” Truth muttered but somehow
his bare feet were already taking him out of the sleeping area, through the
living area, and right to the doorway of his suite.

Yes, you should. Come out and take a nice
deep breath of fresh air. It’s so stuffy and hot in here. You want to breathe
deeply, to come out into the open, don’t you?

A picture began to form in his mind but it
wasn’t of the curving metal corridor outside his door. Instead, Truth saw the
woods of his home world, Pax.

His saw the steep mountain ranges soaring
up in impossibly sharp pinnacles against the rugged pale purple sky. Standing
before then and almost as tall were the holy elder trees. Growing at the base
of their massive trunks were the
jaspar
bushes with their furry leaves
so soft they felt like feathers if stroked one way and sharp enough to cut like
needles if stroked the other. The spicy, clean scent of the long stalked
herib
grass tickled his nose—his second mother used the tough but silky blades to
weave their ceremonial clothing for gatherings. And far in the distance he
heard a liquid, lonely sound both beautiful and terrible—the call of a lone
Rai’ku male in
dr'gin
form, hunting.

Suddenly Truth was seized with a terrible
home sickness. What was he doing here on the Kindred Mother Ship anyway? Why
was he stuck inside a closed, artificial environment when he ought to be out
roaming the mountains and forests of Pax, breathing the air and hunting?

The questions flooding his mind made
perfect sense and at the same time, he heard the dark voice whispering in the
back of his mind.

Come out. Come Out. COME OUT!

The impulse was too strong to ignore.
Truth stepped up to the door and opening the sliding metal panel, expecting to
see his home world.

Instead he saw the familiar metal hallway
filled with a choking cloud of black dust.

He blinked.
What in the Seven Hells…?

“Truth—
Truth!”

The cries drew his attention and he saw
Far and Rebecca, far down at the end of the hallway. They were holding hands
and racing towards him as though they were trying to outrun some menace.

“Go back inside, Brother!” Far was
calling. At the same time Rebecca was shouting that he should hold his breath.

“Don’t breathe it! Whatever you do, don’t
breathe,” she shouted, panting.

Instinctively, Truth reached up to clap
his hand over his mouth and nose protectively. He was about to retreat into the
safety of his suite when he felt that long, cold finger caressing his cheek
again.

Unable to stop himself, he sucked in a
ragged gasp of surprise and fear, filling his lungs with the toxic dust.

Yes!
the dark voice
exulted.
Mine—you are MINE!

What? No!
Truth reached up to brush the phantom finger away—or
tried to anyway. To his horror, he found that his arms were no longer under his
control—they wouldn’t move when he wanted them too. He tried to move his legs
and found that they too, had been somehow frozen into immobility. What the hell
was happening to him?

I am happening to you!
The dark voice now
seemed to be coming from
inside
him—from inside his own head. This
thing, whatever it was, had somehow gotten into him and now it was taking over.

That’s right,
the dark voice
assured him gleefully
.
I have your body and soon I’ll take your mind as
well. Enjoy thinking for yourself for a moment more. Soon you will be Truth no
longer but Ur forevermore.

Truth felt a surge of rage—how dare this
interloper try to usurp his very body? He tried to fight it, tried to find the
will to cast it out, but with no results. And even as he tried, his thoughts
were going fuzzy.
What's happening? Who…? Where…?

“It’s got him—look, one of them has got
him!”

He couldn’t turn his head but Truth registered
from the corner of his eye that Far and Rebecca were finally there, standing to
one side of him with worried expressions on their faces.

It’s all right—I feel fine,
he wanted to tell them but his mouth wouldn’t work. A few
minutes ago that would have bothered him but now, it seemed all right.
Perfectly natural, in fact.

“Truth, no!” Rebecca was in his face now,
peering anxiously into his eyes which felt strangely hot and irritated.
“Truth?” she asked again. “Look, Far—his eyes are red!”

“Truth is no more. It is only I, Ur,”
the dark voice said, speaking out of Truth’s mouth.

Rebecca took a step back, a hand going to
her cheek.

“No. Oh,
no,”
she whispered.

“Truth, no—it can’t be!” Far looked
horrified.

“You can’t be gone!” Rebecca seized his
hand and Truth was surprised to actually feel it. With the physical sensation,
some of his free will seemed to return as well. He no longer felt quite so
sanguine about the idea of having his body hijacked.

“Rebecca,” he croaked, and the voice that
came from his throat was his.

Far looked at Rebecca excitedly. “He’s not
gone! Not completely.”

Truth felt the demonic presence surge
within him.

“Stand back! He is mine!”
it bellowed but Rebecca still held his hand, refusing to
let go.

“Far,” she said. “Take his other hand.
Let’s claim Truth and cast this thing out.”

“No!”
The demon inhabiting him made a jerky movement, trying
to get away. But Truth could feel again and he resisted. When Far grasped his hand,
he held on as though it was a lifeline—the one thing that might save him.

Rebecca and Far were also holding hands
and together the three of them formed a complete circle. Truth felt a surge of
power run through him—through all of them, he supposed. His thoughts were
suddenly perfectly clear and his will to fight the being that was trying to
invade him solidified.

“He is mine…mine!”
the dark voice raged.

Truth clamped his mouth shut.
“Stop…using…my…
voice,”
he growled through clenched teeth.

“That’s right, leave him alone!” Rebecca
shouted. “Truth doesn’t belong to you. Far and I claim him—he belongs with
us.”

“We will never let you have him.” Far
squeezed Truth’s hand.
“Never.”

The force of their emotions seemed to
collect on either side of Truth, filling him with love and caring and light. It
was a pressure that the dark being inside him couldn’t stand. It threw back
Truth’s head and let loose a fierce, angry howl that felt like it would tear
his throat to ribbons.

His body jerked convulsively as it fought
its way free of him. Truth felt like a rag doll, tossed by an angry child but
there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing but cling tightly to the hands
on either side of him and try to endure.

Then, finally it was gone and he was alone
in his own skin.

“Ahhh!” he gasped. Though the entire
encounter had taken less than two minutes, he had never felt so drained. He
slumped to his knees, his head hanging low in exhaustion.

“Truth, honey? Are you okay?” Rebecca
asked anxiously. She went to her knees beside him and began stroking his hair
soothingly.

“Brother? Are you well?” Far also crouched
down, putting his arm around Truth’s back. In the past, Truth would have shied
from such contact but he was too weary…and it felt too good to be surrounded by
people who cared for him—even if one of them
was
another male. He let
himself relax into the protective huddle, not caring about anything else.

Over,
he thought.
Thank the Goddess that’s over!