Vall's Will (12 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Truth

“How long
have I been out?”

“Close to
two hours.”

“Who
brought me here?”

Killjorn hovered
in front of her face, but Will was unable to focus. She swiped at her eyes with
the heel of her hand.

“Felderen.
He was concerned you were having some sort of relapse.” The woman checked
her eyesight with a light scope, then moved away. Will could hear her opening
and closing panel doors.

“Was it a
relapse?”

“No, so relax.”

“Then
what’s wrong with me?”

The physician
walked back around the bed and stopped where Will could see her. By this time
her vision was clearer.

“Physically?
Other than your blood pressure skyrocketing into the stratosphere, and you’re dehydrated,
nothing. Oh, and then there’s this.” She moved closer as she pointed to
Will’s chest, where she poked it gently, twice. Will ran a hand over the area.

“What?”

“It’s your
heart. I’ve discovered a fatal flaw in it.”

“How fatal?
Serious fatal?”

“Yes. It’s
broken.”

Will frowned.
“I don’t understand. If it’s broken, then why am I still alive?”

Killjorn gave
her an exasperated look. “Good heavens, Willis. Haven’t you ever been in
love?”

“Of course
I have.”

The physician
paused. “No you haven’t.”

“Of course
I have!”

Killjorn shook
her head. “No. You haven’t. Not like this. Whatever you felt in the past
wasn’t love. Not real love. Infatuation, maybe. A crush. A rush of hormones and
adrenalin. But not true love. When Vall left, how did it feel?”

The tears were
instantly there, blurring the room and the physician’s face again. She opened
her mouth to explain, but nothing came out. It took a while for her to compose
herself. It took a minute longer before she could sit up without experiencing
any dizziness.

“Real?
Love?”

“Sometimes
referred to as lifelong love. More often known as the love between true
mates.”

“Stop
making fun of me.”

“Then stop
acting like you don’t love Vall.”

“I
can’t.” Will stared at her hands. “It’s not possible.”

Killjorn shoved
her face into Will’s, until they were nose to nose. “We both know there is
no way we can determine when, or even if, we’ll ever fall in love. The kind of
love that fills your soul with the purest light, and then drops you into the
vast, endless darkness of a black hole. That kind of love is rare, and you and
Vall share it. So stop trying to deny it. Stop trying to pretend you’re immune
to it. Be happy that you’ve found it.”

Will glared at
her. “How can I be happy when all I feel is misery? He’s gone, and the chances
of seeing him again are slender.”

“Slender?”

“All right!
They’re nil! Your so-called greatest love has been wiped out. And all that’s
left is…” She tried to take a deep breath and failed. Her chest hitched
again. Another tear streamed down her face. The mere thought of Val was enough
to send her back over the edge. His warm arms around her, his mouth tailing
kisses down her skin, the gentle whisper of his voice inside her head.
“Help me, Killy. What am I going to do?”

“I’m sorry,
Willis, but you know there’s nothing I can do. No branch of science or medicine
can make the loss any less intense.”

“I still
don’t understand why I feel this way about him. I mean, I barely know
him.”

“Since time
began, no one’s ever figured out that part of it, so don’t feel like a
failure.”

“Maybe I
became vulnerable because of my injury.”

“Oh, stop
that! Quit spouting nonsense. You sound nothing like the Willis Tayte I know
who commands a Nion warship.” Grabbing Will’s arm, the physician squeezed
it hard enough to get her point across without bruising the new flesh. “Be
happy that you found love, when there are millions and billions of people who
never have the chance. If this is the real thing, and we both know it is, then
love will find a way to get the two of you back together.”

Somehow, Will
managed to lift the corners of her mouth. “You say such convincing lies.
You always have.”

Killjorn
snorted. “What lies?”

“There’s
been lots of them. ‘This will only hurt a little.’ ‘It’s only a scratch.’ ‘If you
take a deep breath before I—’”

“All right!
Guilty!” Killjorn laughed. “But when it comes to this, to love, even
though I have never been so blessed, I know I’m right. Be patient. Be strong.
He will come back to you.”

Will stared into
her earnest face. “Can I add that one to the list?”

“Do
whatever you feel is right. You’ve always had great instincts.”

Killjorn
released her arm and walked over to the wall lab.

“While you
were unconscious, I ran a scan over you. The new skin is grafting beautifully.
You should start seeing new hair growth in three more weeks.”

“Gee. And
just when I was starting to like the baby smooth feel between my legs.”

Killjorn paused,
a small dispenser cup in her hand. “Now
that
sounds like my
captain. How about a dose of merdridalin?”

“How long
will it keep me going?”

“Long
enough. Be careful, though. When you start to feel like you’re about to crash,
pay attention. You won’t get a second warning. Stop and put your feet up. Don’t
forget you’re not completely over your skinning until I say you are.”

“Yes,
Doctor.”

Will took the
cup and downed the liquid in one gulp. Killjorn handed over another cup, this
time of water, which Will gratefully accepted. As she slid off the bed and
stood, she gave her friend a wan smile.

“Thank
you.”

Killjorn smiled
back. “All part of the job. Physician, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst,
liar…”

Will turned to
leave the medical unit when the doctor called out to her.

“You can’t
go yet. I told you I had something important to talk to you about. Now that
you’re here, you can answer some questions for me.”

“About
what?”

“About that
little incident where Vall reached through Plymon’s shield and grabbed him by
the throat.”

Will froze as
the image came back to her, as well as the shock she’d felt when she’d seen him
do it.

“He
actually punched through the Sub-captain’s armor?” Killjorn asked in a
softer, almost disbelieving tone.

“Yes.
Plymon told you about it, didn’t he?”

“He had no
choice. He had to see if his armor was defective. I questioned him quite
extensively because I thought he’d imagined it. Or that maybe Vall had grabbed
him before the shield went up. But you’re verifying he managed to defy the
shield’s boundary?”

“No. Vall
didn’t defy it. He didn’t punch at it until he got through. He slid his arm
inside like it didn’t exist. Like it was nothing more than light or air.”

“What
happened next?”

Will shook her
head. “Nothing. Plymon came to my cabin to ask about our orders. He saw
Vall was with me, and he became jealous. He grabbed my arm and started berating
me for my behavior. Vall stepped in to protect me. He didn’t attack Plymon. He
ordered Plymon to let me go. Once he did, Vall released his grip on Plymon’s
neck.”

During the
explanation, Will noticed how Killjorn’s expression went from curious to
surprised.

“Did you
say Vall ordered Plymon to let you go?”

Will saw where
the question was leading. “Yes, he did. He talks to me mentally. He spoke
to Plymon the same way.”

“He
communicates with his mind? Why haven’t you told me about this ability?”

“I don’t know.
Maybe it’s because of the stress I’ve been under these past few weeks. Maybe
it’s because I’m in love for the first time. Maybe it’s because, who the fekk
knows!”

She started to
pace the floor of the bay as she tried to calm her irritation. Killjorn watched
her effort with almost detached indifference.

“Do you
realize that, in all of history, no being has ever breached our shields?”

Will nodded
numbly.

Killjorn
scratched the side of her nose, then walked over to her monitor. “I’m
going to do some research. See if there might be a non
-
scientific
explanation for what he does.” She murmured to herself as she fed the
information into the ship’s brain. Will heard her mumble the word
telepathic
at one point. When she was finished, the doctor gave her a little smile.

“Let’s let
the ships communicate with each other and with all the bases. See if they can
find a clue. Is there anything else I may have missed?”

“Did you
know his nipples are heart-shaped?” Will circled one of her breasts with a
finger. “I meant the areola.”

Killjorn pursed
her lips. “Hmm. No. I missed that entirely.” She uttered an expletive
as she typed a few more strokes and sent her report on its way. “It will
be interesting to see what information we get back.”

“I need to
get up top,” Will told her.

The physician
waved her off. “Go. Just remember what I told you about feeling
weak.”

Will gave the
woman her word and left the medical unit, taking her time to reach the bridge.
The corridors were empty of activity, for which she was grateful. Between the
blows her body and then her emotions, had taken, she felt less like a warrior
and more like a first year cadet. She wanted to believe Killjorn’s prophecy,
but she also knew, that even if she and Vall managed to get back together, it
wouldn’t work. She was a warship captain. Vall was a civilian. And although
they were allowed to have a relationship, Vall would be restricted from staying
with her on the ship. He would have to remain at Regency Base, or whatever
colony she and he chose to make their home, while she was deployed. What would
he do while she was out on a mission? Would that kind of arrangement even work
for them? Was their love strong enough to survive long, extended separations?

Lots of
couples are faced with the same problem,
she tried to tell herself. But she
also had to admit that many more couples were torn apart because of the
extended absences from each other.

Leaving the tube
and entering main control, Will noticed her chair was empty. She didn’t know
whether Killjorn had notified them of her coming, or whether it was left empty
after she’d gone to see Vall depart, but she was thankful to be able to slide
into it without any argument.

“Status,
Plymon.”

“Ship’s
status is excellent. All repairs have finally been completed.”

“Any word
from the
Legion
?”

“Only that
they are on course and on time for Regency Base. Captain Alamet also assured us
their passenger is coping well in his new surroundings.”

“Granth,
any word from base?”

“No,
Captain.”

She glanced out
the view screen. “Are we still inside the Blaise Temporum?”

Magnus answered.
“Yes, Captain.”

“Set course
for the Gar Coreja system.”

“Yes,
Captain.”

“Captain?”

“One
moment, Plymon. Granth, send a message to Regency Base. Let them know we are on
our way to Gar Coreja and the Stella Six asteroid belt. We’ll lie in wait there
until we come in contact with another Ben Objurian ship, as per previous
orders.”

“And do
what?”

She looked over
at her Sub-captain. “Capture it and take what prisoners we can. The
Regents want us to question the Ben Objure. They want to know why they attacked
Precorut after years of keeping their feelers off Regency holdings. They also
want us to find out why Vall is so important to them.”

“What if
they don’t tell us what we want to know?”

“Then we’ll
go after another ship, then another, as many as it takes, until we get the
answers we can live with. Magnus, full power. Let’s get this mission over with
as soon as possible.”

“Yes,
Captain,” the navigator responded.

Will sat back in
her chair as the view screen filled with a trillion strings of light. Sooner or
later, she had faith she’d find out who or what Vall was. And when she did, she
wondered if it would change the way she felt about him.

As she pressed
her templed fingers against her lips, the image of the ball of light emanating
from Vall’s chest remained on the edge of her consciousness. On one hand, she
couldn’t wait to discover the truth about the young man her heart had committed
her to. But on the other, she was terrified what the consequences the discovery
could bring if the answer was too much to bear.

Chapter Nineteen

Solace

Killjorn knew
most of the crew went to the observation deck whenever they needed to clear
their minds. Or relax. Or to relieve the growing sense of claustrophobia that
many suffered during long missions on a small spaceship. She also liked the
observation desk, but when she needed comfort and solace, and peace of mind,
she went into the bowels of the vessel. Down where the engines throbbed in
their warm, metallic cocoons. Down where a particular man worked, and who would
break away from his duty just long enough to hold her, and kiss her, and murmur
all the things she wanted to hear, words she needed to hear, without any urging
from her.

Down here, amid
the soft ambient glow coming from the fuel pods, Killjorn let herself escape in
his arms. The engine bay was filled with a constant low hum that was soothing
as Balacon slowly rubbed her back.

“What’s
bothering you?” he finally asked, his mouth next to her ear so she could
hear him over the machinery.

Killjorn lifted
her face so she could reply. “How much gossip is floating around about the
Captain?”

“Quite a
bit. After all, she’s the Captain.”

“Tell
me.”

Already, she
could feel the tension slipping away. In its place, the growing need to have
the head engineer’s body melding into hers began to circulate through her.

“Well, word
is Captain Tayte and Sub-captain Plymon are fekk mates.”

“That’s
true, but she’s ended the relationship.”

The physician
knew Balacon would relay the information throughout the ship. That way,
guesses, innuendoes, and half-truths would be replaced with known fact from a
reliable source.

“Word is
the Captain and the strange man were becoming a pair.”

At the mention
of Vall, Killjorn felt her worry return, like a door slamming shut. The
engineer also felt the tightness come back, and he hugged her tighter.

“What is
wrong, Killy?”

“I can’t
divulge what I know, even to you. You know that,” she apologized.

Balacon nodded.
He knew and he understood. Although she sometimes thought she divulged more
than what she should to him, there were some things she knew she could never
reveal to anyone without the proper clearance. And on this ship, there were
just two people with that kind of power: the Captain and the Sub-captain.

“But I can
tell you that relationship is also over. Vall is being returned to Regency Base
by the
Legion of Mercy.
”

“Then why
are you quaking? Why the tears?”

Tears? She
didn’t know she was crying until he mentioned them. Pulling away slightly, she
glanced up into his strong face, and the tender smile that few people ever
witnessed. Balacon wiped her wet cheeks with one hand.

Why am I
crying? Because I know this isn’t over. Vall may be gone, but he’ll be back.
He’ll come back for Willis because there is a power inside him, or a being, or
something so rare and unknown that few have ever faced one. And that creature,
or being, or whatever it is inhabiting him, needs Willis. He needs her because,
without her, that power can overcome him. It will make him do things that would
ultimately make him suffer. In the end, it could destroy him…if he doesn’t
have her with him.

The engineer’s hand
traveled down the side of her neck, across the insignia that identified her
rank and position. The tips of his fingers playfully strummed the black marks
before disappearing under the uniform’s fabric. Killjorn sighed from the sweet
sensations streaming through her body.

She had spent
hours pouring over the physical data the ship had gathered on the young man.
And the more she viewed, the more she heard, the more she learned, and the more
she found, the more alarmed she became. The pieces slowly cohered until there
was no denying what she’d discovered. It all made sense now. It all made
terrifying sense.

There is
nothing I can say or do to stop Willis from ever seeing him again. I don’t know
if he has some kind of magical hold on her, or whether this actually is love.
But if it’s real love, like I told Willis, then it’s the kind that will last
for eons. Unbendable, unbreakable, and undeniable to all who see it.

Killjorn closed
her eyes as the engineer methodically removed her one-piece, then drew her down
on top of their discarded clothing. There, where the warm deck plates vibrated
like a low tease, the physician opened herself to him, allowing him to give her
some respite, no matter how brief.

He called her
his Will. Not because her name is Will, but because she is the only person in
the universe who can help him contain that unknown power he’s finally starting
to understand. That, or she’s instrumental in helping him to control the being
that’s inside him if his power is otherworldly.

She is his
Will, his will power, and his sole saving grace.

May the
universe protect us.