Laura Jo Phillips (30 page)

“I will take you,” Lady Anne said with a laugh.  “Come on Tiny,” she called to the dog left sitting on the patio.  “Walk with us.”

The big dog lumbered to his feet and joined them at the gate.  He walked up to Karma and leaned his huge head against her hip.

“He thanks you too,” Lady Anne said. 

“You are welcome,” Karma said, patting the dog on the head and rubbing his ears as she wondered why she’d been so worried.  Maybe this whole talking to the dead stuff wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.

Chapter
27

Thelba climbed to her usual place among the boulders, then sat and rested for a few minutes to catch her breath.  She had run half the night to arrive before the sun rose, as she did two or three times a week now.  She volunteered for the task, which had raised a few brows at first.  Once she’d explained that she knew the trail better than anyone else, and was more familiar with the encampment than anyone else, and that it was far less risky for her to take on this task then anyone else, her logic had been accepted.

As soon as she caught her breath, she stood up and peeked over the top of the boulder.  Her eyes went directly to one particular habitat, set a little apart from the others.  The flaps over the windows and door were tied up, indicating that the occupants were up and about.  There were not a lot of people moving about, but her eyes went from one to the other as she methodically searched for a specific form and face.  Several minutes later, when she was certain she had looked at everyone who was outside of their habitat, she sighed and sat down. 

She would wait for a few minutes, then try again.  The face she was looking for was probably visiting another, or perhaps he was inside eating.  Her heart skipped a beat, then began to race as she thought about the many deaths that had occurred among the Brethren.  But surely he would not have succumbed.  Not him.  He was young and strong and healthy.  But she hadn’t been here for two days.  Who knows what might have happened in that time?

She leapt to her feet and turned around, her heart pounding with sudden fear.  She was almost frantic to find him as she peeked over the boulder and began searching the faces below her again.

“Why do you spy on us?”

Thelba spun around, one hand pulling her knife as she crouched down, ready to defend herself. 

“Please,” the voice said lazily, “if I wanted to harm you, I would not have spoken.”

Thelba recognized the truth of that statement, but did not relax her stance.  Until she looked into the face of the man standing only yards away from her.  It was him!

“What is it?” he asked, turning to see if there was something behind him, then looking back at her. 

Thelba straightened, then bent down, taking her time sliding her knife back into the sheath on her leg as she tried to compose herself.  When she faced him again she hoped she appeared somewhat calm on the outside, because her heart was racing with excitement on the inside.

“Do you speak Standard?” the man asked.  “That’s probably it, you don’t speak Standard, right?”

Thelba shook her head.  “I speak Standard,” she said.

His eyes widened and he started to smile, then thought better of it.

“So why do you spy on us all the time?” he asked.

“I do not know the word
spy
,” she said.

“Why do you watch us?

“We are...fear...for you, for the Brethren,” she said. 

“Are you from Magoa?”

Thelba frowned.  She hated Magoa with every cell of her being.  “No!” she said forcefully.  “Magoa is...,” she trailed off, mortified at herself.  She had come very close to saying what must never be spoken aloud.  What was wrong with her?  Had she lost her senses?  Did she want to be sent to the killing fields?

“Hey, are you all right?” the man said stepping forward, an expression of concern on his face.  “You don’t look well.  Perhaps you should sit down.”

“No, I am fine,” she said.  “I am Thelba.”

“My name is Darck,” he said.  “Thelba, if you are not with Magoa, does that mean that there are other people than his?”

Thelba hesitated, studying his face closely as she tried to decide if she should trust him.  Suddenly he scowled and stepped back.  “Stop staring at me,” he said.  “I know I’m no pretty boy.”

Thelba’s look of surprise stopped Darck’s temper before it got started. 

“You are not pretty?” she asked.  “Who would say you are not pretty?”

Now it was Darck’s turn to be surprised.  “Everyone,” he said.

“Not me,” Thelba said.  “You are...beautiful.  I’ve not seen a male so beautiful before.”

Darck studied the female for a long moment.  Her skin was like his, green and scaly, but a lighter green, with softer, smoother scales.  Her face was like his, but feminine, with wide green eyes and a small nose.  She did not look remotely human, but then, neither did he any more.  He wasn’t really sure why he thought she was attractive.  But he did.

“I think that you are beautiful as well,” Dark said, smiling.

“Will you come with Thelba?” she asked. 

“Where to?”

“To my village.  To speak with my Marqex.  She would hear your story.”

“Yes, I will come with you,” he said without pausing to think about it.  “I must go and tell my father first though.  All right?”

Thelba hesitated.  “We must not be followed.  I will lose my life.”

Darck clenched his jaw.

“None shall harm you,” he said.  “I won’t let them.”

Thelba smiled and nodded. 

Darck turned and disappeared, and Thelba smiled.  He was even more beautiful up close.  And he seemed to like her.

Chapter
28

Olaf, Rand and Rudy stood in the hall outside the infirmary aboard the Kontuan, waiting impatiently for the med-tech to tell them that Aisling was out of the healing tank.  For the past two weeks they had spent most of their time standing in the tank room watching her still body as it lay suspended in the thick greenish tissue regeneration fluid of the healing tank.   

“If we ever have any doubts as to whether we made the right decision with Aisling, we need only think back on these past two weeks,” Olaf said.

Rudy stopped his pacing and looked at his eldest brother in surprise.  “You haven’t had doubts, have you?”

“No, not for a moment,” Olaf assured him.  “The only doubts I have concern my ability to wait any longer to hold Aisling in my arms again.”

“Yes, I’ve had that same doubt,” Rudy said.  “I never knew that two weeks could be so long.”

“It will only be a few more minutes,” Rand said.  “When we see her again, she will be fully healed and no longer have to struggle with her balance.  That is worth every moment of our wait.”

Rudy nodded his agreement and resumed his pacing.

A few minutes later the door opened and the med-tech stepped out.  “Everything looks good.  Miss Aisling is fully healed, out of the tank, and she should begin waking up in about three to five minutes.” 

“Thank you,” Olaf said.  “I assume that once she is awake, she will no longer need to remain in the infirmary?”

“That’s correct,” the med-tech said.  “If she has any unusual dizziness, headaches, or unexplained pain she should let us know.  Otherwise, she is cleared to leave as soon as she is awake.”

Olaf nodded as the med-tech left them, then opened the door to the tank room.  The sight of Aisling lying on the bed rather than in the tank was such a relief that it caused his heart to race with excitement.  He took a deep breath to calm himself and approached the bed, reaching out to touch her gel darkened hair with careful fingers.  She seemed so fragile and small lying there, swathed in a pale blue medical gown several sizes too large for her. 

“The first thing she’s going to want is a hot shower,” Olaf said as he felt the sticky residue of the tank gel in her hair.

“No, the first the thing I’m going to want to do is see if I can walk,” Aisling said, her voice a little hoarse from disuse, but easily understandable.

“Maybe the first thing you should do is open your eyes,” Rand suggested.

Aisling opened her eyes slowly, then blinked a few times before focusing on Olaf’s face.  She smiled, then shifted her gaze to Rand, then Rudy.  “Hi,” she said.  “Tell me something good.”

“You’ve been in the healing tank for two weeks, and according to the med-tech you’re now fully healed,” Olaf said as he stroked his fingers along her cheek.  “We are five days out from Rathira, and all is well.  All you need to do now is get up and walk without limping, and everything will be perfect.”

“Let’s do it then,” she said as she started to sit up.  Rand slid one hand behind her back to help her up as Olaf supported her shoulders.  She sat motionless for a moment, then slowly swung her legs around to the side of the bed.  “That’s much better so far,” she said with a smile.  “There is no pain at all when I move my left leg.”

“You experienced pain when you moved?” Olaf asked in surprise.

“Yes, but it’s gone now,” Aisling replied.

“How much pain?” Rudy asked. “Did it hurt every time you moved your leg?”

Aisling looked at him, surprised by the soft growl in his voice.  “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“We did not know that you were in constant pain,” Olaf said.  “If we had known that, we would never have allowed you to wait so long before having the injury corrected.”

“Allowed?” Aisling asked archly.  “Did you really just say that to me?”

“
Allowed
was perhaps not the best word,” Olaf said.  “However, please understand that the idea of you being in constant pain when it was not necessary is extremely difficult for us.”

Aisling frowned, opened her mouth, closed it and sighed.  “Look guys, there is no need for this conversation right now.  Let’s shelve it till later, all right?  I want to see if I can walk.”

“Very well,” Olaf said.  “Until later.”

“Help me down please?” she asked Rand.

Rand placed his hands carefully around her waist and lifted her from the table.  He kissed her lightly on the forehead before lowering her carefully to her feet.

“Let go now, please,” Aisling said once she was sure she had her balance. 

Rand removed his hands and stepped back, watching her carefully for any sign that she was about to fall. 

Aisling stood for a moment, then took one small, experimental step.  Then another.  And another.  She grinned widely and looked up to see all three of the Gryphons standing in front of her.  “It worked,” she said.  “No pain, no limp.”

She took a few more steps, then spun around in a circle.  The circle was a bit too much.  Suddenly she felt dizzy and slightly nauseated.  She stumbled sideways but gentle hands caught her before she fell, then lifted her into strong arms. 

“We’ve got you, Aisling,” Olaf said in a soft voice.  “Keep your eyes closed for a few moments, let the dizziness pass.”

Aisling relaxed into Olaf’s arms and followed his advice, keeping her eyes closed as she waited for the dizziness to pass.  It didn’t take long.  She opened her eyes slowly, smiling to see Olaf’s olive green eyes staring intently at her.

“Oops,” she said.  “Maybe I should take things a bit more slowly.”

Olaf bent his head and kissed her lightly on the mouth.  “Maybe,” he whispered against her lips. 

The scent of Olaf, the feel of his lips against hers, the taste of him, sent fire raging through her.  The arousal she’d felt before was as nothing compared to this.  She pressed her mouth against his hungrily, seeking to deepen the kiss.  Olaf responded instantly, his tongue invading her mouth as he took control of the kiss, stroking her tongue with his own in a way that made her pussy wet, her nipples hard and her knees weak.

Olaf pulled his mouth from hers with a gasp.  Aisling’s eyes flew open, her heart skipping a beat when Olaf, Rand and Rudy all started growling.  Her initial reaction was fear, but as she looked up at the three men, she sensed that there was nothing to be afraid of.   

“What’s happening?” she asked.

Olaf shook his head once, then looked at Rand and Rudy.  They all appeared to be so perplexed that Aisling began to feel worried.

“We don’t understand this,” Olaf said when he felt Aisling’s body begin to tense in his arms.  “You are our Arima.”

“What?” Aisling asked, sure she had misheard him. 

“Our mating fangs just descended.  You are our Arima.”

“Seriously?” she asked, almost afraid to believe.

“Yes, there can be no doubt,” Olaf said, his eyes blazing with emotion.

“I don’t understand,” Aisling said.  “Why now and not before?”

“Good question,” Olaf replied.  “Come, let’s go somewhere a little more private.”

“All right,” Aisling agreed, expecting Olaf to set her down.  Instead, he turned and crossed the room toward the door. 

“I can walk,” Aisling said.

“I know you can,” Olaf said.  “I am not ready to release you from my arms just yet.  Indulge me, please.”