Tracking Trisha (20 page)

“How many do they have assigned to you now?” Trish whispered softly. If she wasn’t mistaken there were at least six guards behind her.

“Eight.” Carmen murmured under her breath. “Two are in medical right now.”

“Oh.” Trisha replied with a sympathetic look at the remaining guards. She decided it was best to just find Abby before any more ended up in medical; which, judging by the calculating look in Carmen’s eyes, could be any moment.

“I am so glad Abby is okay.” Trisha said
as she began walking
down the corridor
towards Abby and Zoran’s living quarters
.

“What's with all the guards?” Cara asked curiously
as she walked backwards staring at the guards
. “I noticed them outside of Carmen's room that day but isn't this a little bit ridiculous? How many guards do we need to protect us, especially with our gold BFF's with us?”

Ariel snickered. “They're not here to protect us. They're here to prevent us from escaping again.”

Cara's eyes brightened
at the idea of getting into more mischief
. “Again? Do you need help with anything?”

Trisha almost felt sorry for the men when a low groan filled the corridor behind them. It would serve them right if the four women were to plan and execute an escape from the planet. They could probably do it but just the thought of leaving Kelan caused a tremor of pain to flash through Trisha. She frowned. It was almost like something inside of her whimpered at the idea of leaving him. Trisha shook her head. She was feeling a little weird lately, like there was something under her skin itching to get out. She briefly thought of how her skin seemed to change colors when she and Kelan were making love and the odd noises that kept escaping out of her. It was almost like she was either growling or purring depending on what they were doing. It was beginning to drive her nuts. She wanted to desperately ask someone about it but didn’t know how to broach the subject. What was she supposed to say, ‘Sorry but I think there is something inside me trying to get out?’ That was a little too science fiction alien movie for her.

Trisha watched as Cara skipped up to the door
bouncing with the after affects
of the
caffeine
she had consumed
. She smiled innocently up at the guards as she knocked loudly on the door. Abby opened the door
wearing a silk robe and a surprised expression
.
Cara pushed the cart full of food and what suspiciously smelled like pots of coffee into the room before Abby could say anything.
Trisha, Carmen, and Ariel with thei
r respective new symbiosis pets
trotted in behind her.

“Good morning!” Cara said brightly as she laid a tray full of food on a low table. “We thought you’d be hungry.”

“No, you wanted an excuse to find out what happened!” Trisha said with a grin as she picked up a piece of fruit from the tray and bit into it. “Damn, they have some good fruit here.”

She really hoped Abby wouldn’t get too upset with them invading her. Trisha thought with a sense of satisfaction that it was good to get out for a little while. What with everything going on, Cara’s poisoning and now Abby’s kidnapping, Kelan barely let her go anywhere.

“So, tell us all the good juicy details? I heard you fried Ben’qumain? How’d you do that?” Ariel said as she laid another tray with cups and a large pot of coffee down on another small table.

Trisha gave Abby a sympathetic smile as she
accept
ed
a cup of coffee from Ariel and the plate of food
from
Cara
.
Everyone seemed to wait until
Abby sank down onto the soft cushions of the sofa and pulled her bare feet up under her
before they helped themselves to the food and beverages.

Abby took a sip of coffee
and waited a moment before she responded to the question.
“I turned, can turn, into a dragon.”

Trisha’s mouth dropped open at Abby’s declaration. Her brain seemed to explode as it reviewed all the changes going through her lately; her skin changing colors, the sounds she was making, the feeling of something crawling under her skin. Was it possible she was going through some type of change as well? Was it possible she would be able to turn into a dragon like Abby? Trisha sat in numb silence as she absorbed all the facts and possible reasons. She stared at Abby closely, trying to see if there was anything different about her. If it was possible, why hadn’t Kelan said anything to her about it? Why did he not mention their being together could change her into something else? Something not quite human? Trisha laid a hand over her stomach as it rolled at the idea of something else living inside her body. What could she do to stop it? How did she get rid of it? A small whimper seemed to fill her at the thought of rejecting the new life deep inside her. Trisha forced herself to listen to what was going on around her. She would deal with this new information once she was alone again.

“That. Is. So. Cool!” Cara said excitedly her voice rising as her excitement grew. “How did you do it? Can I do it? Oh. My. God. I have to be able to do it. I could totally drive Trelon out of his ever-loving, fucking mind! Oh Abby, you have got to teach me how. Please! Please! Please!”
Cara’s eyes were wild with the idea of being able to change into a dragon. Trisha could see the barely concealed excitemetheir Cara's eyes.

Suddenly a small chuckle filled the air followed by uncontrollable giggling. All eyes whipped around unable to believe where the giggling was coming from. Carmen wiped her ey
es trying to stop from giggling.

“Oh Abby, please teach us. I would love to be able to give someone else hell and I’m sure I could think of a hundred different ways to do it in the form of a dragon.”

Trisha stared in wonder at Carmen. It was the first time in three years that she heard her laugh. A quick glance at Ariel showed tears forming in her eyes as she smiled softly at her younger sister. Trisha smiled hesitantly and joined in the fun. Soon, all them
were giggling and making up ways they could drive the men insane by switching between human and dragon and using the symbios
e
s.
While Cara’s was the most creative,
Carmen came up with the most devious
and had all of them in hysterics
. When Zoran walked into the room a couple of hours later and found all five women
laughing uncontrollably
he had a bad, bad feeling he and his brothers were in for trouble.

Trisha walked slowly back to her and Kelan's living quarters. Bio kept brushing up against her as if trying to calm the flurry of thoughts and doubts running through Trisha's mind. She enjoyed spending time with the other women but now all she could think about was what they were joking about. She needed more information, time, and a quiet place by herself to process everything. Was it really possible for her to turn into a dragon? If so, would it hurt during the changing? She had only seen Kelan in his dragon form once, the night they met. Even though she knew he could shift into another creature it just never seemed real since everything that happened the night Abby was kidnapped back on Earth seemed sort of surreal anyway. Trisha wasn't sure she was as enthusastic as the other women were about the idea of being able to turn into another creature. Trisha felt a stirring deep inside her and a low cry.

Want my mate,
a soft voice whispered.
Need my mate.

Trisha stopped in the middle of the corridor as the soft voice washed through her. It was almost as if there was someone else inside her whispering. Trisha wondered if this is what people who suffered from schizophrenia or multiple personality disorders felt. Maybe none of this was really real. Maybe she was just in a coma, or worse, in some government experiment to test the human mind's ability to determine reality from fantasy. Trisha started when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You are well, my lady?" One of the guards asked Trisha with concern.

"What?" Trisha asked confused. "Where am I? I mean, really?"

The guard turned to the warrior standing next to him and said something softly to him. The man gave a brief nod, looking at Trisha with concern, before he hurried down the corridor and disappeared. Trisha watched him go with a sense of panic building. What if they were drugging her? What if it was wearing off and they were going to go get more? She needed to get away. She needed to hide. Trisha thought of the thick forest surrounding the city. She could get lost in them and no one would ever find her. She could disappear forever and be safe. The low moan inside her started up again as if disagreeing with her logic.
No, stay with my mate. Mate protect us. Care for us. Want my mate.
The voice said a little louder as it became more agitated.

Shut up.
Trisha growled as she moved slightly closer to the man guarding her.
I don't want to hear you. You are just my imagination. Something the drugs have created.
Trisha wondered if Ariel, Carmen, Cara, and Abby were real or just actors made up to look like her friends. Since her abduction from Earth, she had been allowed only small amounts of time with them. Trisha looked down were Bio was nudging her hand. She looked at the huge golden creature closely as if seeing it for the first time. She jerked her hand away, suddenly afraid. Bio tried to send waves of warmth through the bands around her arms and neck. As soon as Trisha felt the warmth she started pulling at the bands, first the ones on her wrists then the one around her neck.

“Please, get off of me.” Trisha whispered hoarsely as an irrational fear began to spread throughout her body, leaving her shaken. “Please.”

The little gold bands dissolved slowly, as if reluctant to leave her. Trisha began breathing a little better once they were no longer touching her. Bio shook and lowered its head, almost as if hurt by Trisha’s rejection of it. It turned and moved down the corridor heading towards their living quarters. Trisha watched as it rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. She was so focused on wondering why she was feeling guilty she didn’t hear what the man next to her was saying at first.

“My lady, would you like to sit down and rest for a moment? I have sent the other guard for Lord Kelan.” The warrior was saying softly.

Trisha reacted without thinking the moment he touched her arm. Bringing her hand palm up in an arch, she slammed it into the warrior’s nose. Gripping the arm that touched her tightly, she rounded at the same time bringing her knee up into his stomach. The moment he bent over she doubled her fists bringing them down over the back of his neck knocking him unconscious. Trisha drew in a deep breath. She grabbed the man by his arms pulling him into a nearby alcove in the corridor. Using his shirt, she ripped strips from it and quickly tied his hands and feet. Patting him down, she removed the weapons he was carrying, tucking them under her shirt so they wouldn’t be seen. She mentally retrieved the map of the palace she drew on her many trips through it. Deciding on a seldom used entrance on the side near the kitchens, she moved quickly and quietly. She would seek cover in the forests. Once she felt safe, she would think about everything she had learned and hope to God if she was under the influence of any medication it would wear off. She refused to believe her friends were real. If they were, she would revisit her strategy of offense if necessary.

Kelan was in a heavy discussion with Creon when the knock at the door interrupted them. Creon wanted the
V’ager
ready to go at a moment’s notice in case there were problems. Kelan was updating Creon where most of the Valdier fleet was at the moment and making some additional changes to repositioning some of the warships closer to the Sarafin and Curizan space borders.

“Come in.” Creon called out without looking up from the holoscreen in front of them.