Grai's Game (First Wave) (23 page)

Chapter Twenty

Grai just stared at the now blank screen, his mind trying desperately to figure out what the hell had happened. He remembered his face getting warm. Right before that bullet had ripped through that wall near his head.

He remembered feeling it before the helicopter as well…, he thought. “Can you zoom in on my face?” Grai asked
Balduen, who started messing with the comm.

It wasn’t long before both men were staring at the glowing and twinkling symbols on Grai’s face.

“Damn man, I actually remember asking you what was wrong with your face. Right before we were hit.” Balduen said, turning to Grai’s open mouthed stare.

Grai turned to Balduen and considered just how much he should tell him about what he assumed happened.

“It’s a little late to be wondering if you can trust me since we’ve somehow managed to trade off saving one another since we met.” Balduen said with a half grin. It hadn’t been hard for him to guess that Grai was trying to figure out how much to trust him.

Grai laughed. “You have a point don’t you?” Grai laughed at the irony of it all.

With a heavy sigh, Grai made a decision; he felt sure he would never regret.

“It was Tristan. Before I left, he put those symbols on my face.”

At Balduen’s blank stare, Grai began to tell Balduen the incredible truth about his son. All of it. The truth that only he, Dread, Tricia, Gibly and the Zendarian leader knew.

Balduen stared at the man and normally would have thought he’d lost his mind. The proof that he hadn’t was that they were still sitting there. And there was no other explanation as to why they were.

“We need to get rid of that damn vid before anyone else notices that.” Balduen said, looking at Grai with a grin.

“Sounds like something my little brother can handle just fine.” Grai agreed with a smile before grabbing his comm and sending his orders to his brother.

“He’s not going to be happy. He’s pretty damn proud of you. With good reason.” Balduen said. What impressed him wasn’t the fact that Tristan’s abilities had helped them survive. It was that Grai didn’t know that when he tried to save his life. Twice.

“He’ll get over it. I know that you will tell Dare what I said. I would not ask you to keep anything from your mate…” Grai’s
voice trailed off. He knew he didn’t have to explain it to Balduen.

“She will not tell anyone. She wouldn’t even consider it. Dare loves Tristan and Tricia and would never do anything that would put them in danger. Besides, she’s really damn happy that I’m still around. Because of you.” Balduen said with a reassuring smile.

Grai smiled back as the door opened to Dare, Tricia, Tristan and Gibly. Whispering so only Balduen could hear he said, “Thank you.”

He was surprised when Balduen gave his forearm a squeeze and whispered just as quietly. “Thank you my friend.”

“Hi baby!” Tricia said as she cuddled Grai and gave him a kiss, while Dare kissed and nuzzled Balduen’s neck.

“Hi my little warrior.” Grai said gruffly to his son, fighting the urge to thank the child for saving their lives. Until Balduen had a chance to talk to Dare, he’d remain silent though.

“Seems to me the little warrior is growing up to be as big a hero as his daddy. Aren’t you my little hero?” Dare said picking Tristan up and swinging him until he giggled before setting him back down on the floor.

Grai looked to
Balduen, who just shrugged at him before looking questioningly at Tricia, who blushed.

“What? I needed someone to talk to about it while the two of you were all passed out and near death! Besides… out of everyone here she’s the only one who would really understand.” Tricia said defensively.

“Easy, my love. I do not mind. I just told Balduen of it as well.” Grai said, pulling Tricia onto the bed with him for a hug.

“We won’t tell a soul.” Dare said, gently sitting on Balduen’s lap and giving his cheek a loud smacking kiss.

“I know. We just have no idea what to expect next either. Dread was pretty vague.” Grai said honestly.

“That’s ok. We got it covered. While you guys were healing,
Dare and I realized that the houses we were looking at are right next to each other. They are the only two houses on the entire street, and it’s a dead end.” Tricia said grinning at Dare who continued.

“It’s the most defensible homes in the
area, unless we wanted to build something, which isn’t a very good option. The homes are far enough apart for awesome privacy, but close enough for security as well.”

Balduen and Grai exchanged knowing looks. There was no way these two were finishing each other’s sentences like
this, unless they had been planning and plotting this for days. If not longer.

Neither man was willing to disrupt the happiness they could feel emanating from the two women in waves. Especially after the horrible fright they’d gone through during the mission. Both men gave a silent nod to each other that they would play along, neither really caring where they lived as long as their mates were happy.

“What about the back yard? You said the baby would need a play area.” Balduen asked, knowing that the two women probably figured it out already.

“Oh! That’s the best part!” Dare said clapping her hands.

“We’re going to combine the yards! So the kids can play together!” Tricia said happily, as if it was the best idea in the world.

Grai and Balduen just grinned and nodded. There was really nothing to say. Their mates had a plan and there was no stopping them.

“Oh let’s just show them!” Dare said hopping up from Balduen’s lap and grabbing a comm.

“Show them the satellite view first so they can see the overall area.” Tricia said, snuggling up to Grai on the bed.

For the next several hours, Grai and Balduen listened and encouraged their mate’s ideas on where they were going to live and how to set up better defenses to protect Tristan and the new baby.

*****

Reven paced Ivint’s room, deep in thought and trying to sort through the rush of emotions at Ivint’s casual revelation.

“I do not expect you to fully understand. Nor do I expect you to like my decision.” Ivint began before Reven cut him off.

“I could care less how this impacts me! That is not a consideration! I worry that you are making a rash decision that you have not had the time to fully think through!” Reven argued.

“You of all people should know that I do not make any decision of this magnitude without thorough reflection! I have only two choices! I am choosing the one I think is best for all of us!” Ivint argued back.

“Your mate, Sacara? Have you asked her? What of Scaden? Do they know what you plan?” Reven asked, doubting that the High Councilor
discussed it with them yet.

Ivint just turned his back to Reven and stared at the screen showing the satellite image of Dillon, Texas. “I am speaking to you first. As I have always done. Not as a High Councilor, but as a friend. One in need of your opinions.”

Reven sighed heavily and punched the air in anger while Ivint’s back was still turned. Damn the man! He thought with frustration. He loved the man dearly, respected him like no
other, and he really hated it when Ivint did this to him.

He wanted to be angry and rail at the man for even considering this course of action.
However, as his friend, he could well understand why he would choose this path.

“Well, how about you explain to me why you feel this is the best…” Reven began before he was interrupted by Ivint’s comm.

“Give me a moment Reven. This should be the information I have been waiting for.” Ivint said accepting the comm request.

“Sir, I hate to bother you.”

“No, no Amun! I have been waiting for you to contact me. What have you discovered?” Ivint asked, more on edge regarding this call than he wanted to admit to anyone. Even himself.

“Sir, I ran the tests. Dozens of times. You were right.” Amun said, unable to hide his surprise. Ivint’s heart pounded faster.

“What of the other two?” Ivint asked, knowing what the answer would be.

“The same. All the same.” Amun said.

“Survivors?” Ivint asked.

“You’re not going to believe it. I’m sending the data to your comm. I had to keep looking at it to let it sink in. I’m not sure how well this is going to be taken Sir. By anyone.” Amun said a little shakily.

Ivint just chuckled. “Do not worry doctor, I have no intention of allowing you to be the one to say anything. In fact, you are not to breathe a word to anyone about this. Do not tell them, or anyone else. Here or at home. Do you understand?” Ivint said, keeping a commanding edge to his tone.

Ivint smiled when he heard Amun’s grateful sigh come over the comm. “Yes Sir! I do not believe I will have a pro
blem complying with that order.”

Ivint looked quickly at the data that Amun had sent him and asked incredulously, “You retested and rechecked these results?”

“Yes Sir. Over and over again. It’s correct. I don’t know how, but it is. I even looked up the information to try to make sense of it, but I cannot. I did comparison scans with the survivors as well. There is no doubt Sir.” Amun told him, still in shock over the results as well.

“Ivint, what is it?” Reven asked, feeling the tension in the room and hearing it in Amun’s voice.

Ivint held his hand up to Reven, silently asking him to wait a moment, while he struggled to understand what the hell this all meant.

“You did not notify the survivors correct?” Ivint asked more sharply than he intended.

“Hell no… um sorry Sir. No I didn’t. I’m not even sure I would know how to begin to explain it.” Amun said with a sigh. Ivint knew how the man felt.

Moving back to the comm, Ivint stared at the information again.
“Amun, thank you for your assistance and your silence while I make sense of this. I may need your help again soon.”

“Yes Sir. I will assist in any way I can.” Amun told him before clicking off the comm.

“What is it Ivint?” Reven asked again.

Ivint didn’t bother to
answer; he just handed Reven his comm with the information Amun had sent to him.

Reven looked at the data, shook his head and reread it again… and again; before finally turning to Ivint.

“What the hell? I remember this. I remember the warnings put out over this. How can this be?” Reven asked, shaking his head again.

“I do not know. The only explanation is one we do not wish to even think of, but must.” Ivint said seriously, unable to avoid the truth.

“They got on the home world.” Reven said, sitting down heavily in the chair by the table. Ivint just nodded and resumed pacing his room.

“And this doesn’t prove to you that your decision is not a good one?” Reven asked with a growl, holding up the comm.

“It proves that it’s the only decision I can make now.” Ivint said with a half-smile, the information having made his decision for him.

“How the hell can you say that?” Reven asked, staring at the information again. The enormity of it was overwhelming.

“Put your emotions aside and think about this for a moment, Reven. There are three of us who know. And we cannot believe it or even know how the hell it could have happened. How do you think others will feel? Those who have not had a chance to understand or see what has gone on here?” Ivint asked calmly, knowing his friend would see the full picture.

Reven ran a frustrated hand through his hair as the possible outcomes ran through his mind. “Damn it! This whole thing will implode!”

“It doesn’t have to. Do you not see where my decision is the only one I can make now?” Ivint asked gently.

As much as Reven hated to admit it, Ivint was right, they had no choice. He nodded his head. “We need to open an investigation on Valendra first. We need to figure out how it happened, make sure it can’t happen again. Then you can tell me how you plan on making this work.”

Ivint looked slyly at Reven’s hard look. He’d never been able to keep anything from his friend. They had known each other for far too long.

“Let’s decide on a team of our most trusted to begin the investigation. We need more information before I can finalize my plans.”

Reven nodded his head and gave Ivint a steely eyed stare before growling. “But you will tell me of these partial plans before the investigation is completed. I will refuse to assist you in any of this if you keep me in the dark on anything.”

Ivint chuckled before turning serious. “I will understand if you choose not to follow this path with me.”

Reven laughed. “You’re joking right? I have followed you since we could crawl. I will not abandon you now. Besides, after so many hundreds of years, I think I’m ready for a change as well.”

Ivint just grinned at his friend. The humble man hadn’t spoken of the dozens of times Ivint would have been dead had he not
been watching his back so closely. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather have by his side on this new journey.

“A certain feisty and talented hybrid wouldn’t have anything to do with that huh?” Ivint teased, hoping that this decision would force his friend to think of himself more. He laughed when Reven blushed.