The noise rose in volume until Tempest clasped her hands over her ears, the upheaval so violent that it tossed the two of them back and forth beneath the arch and finally knocked them from their feet. Kiran gathered her closely to him, hunching over her to try to protect her from the larger and larger chunks of stone that crumbled from the walls and ceiling, some striking the floor and shattering, sending out painful missiles.
And then the lights went out.
* * * *
The noise that brought Tempest to awareness sent a jolt of fright through her. She jerked reflexively, discovering that the tight bands around her were Kiran’s arms. He eased the pressure when she jumped, whipping her head around fearfully to discover the source of the scraping noise she’d heard. To her relief, she saw in the dim light that filtered into the room that the doors had slid open. They caught before they’d opened more than a small wedge, jammed by the crazy tilt of the walls.
The blast doors beyond began to rise. It, too, jammed before it had completely opened, but brighter light spilled through the opening. Slowly, Kiran relaxed his hold on her and finally released her altogether. Getting to his feet, he reached down to grasp her hand and help her up.
Tempest swayed a little dizzily, thrown off balance by the odd tilt to the room. Kiran steadied her, urging her toward the open doors. She stared at the small opening a little uneasily. Clearly their haven had been severely damaged. The light, she discovered, was filtering through fishers in the walls and ceiling, not from the artificial illumination they’d had before.
The thought that the doors might close again and trap them inside finally convinced her to squeeze through the opening. Kiran had to pry the doors further apart to get through. Silt and rocks rained down when he did, making Tempest’s heart leap into her throat fearfully. She got down on her knees and rolled quickly under the blast door, though, to clear the way for Kiran. He managed, to her relief, to squeeze under it more easily than he’d escaped the other set of doors.
Glancing around as soon as she’d gained her feet, she saw that the enter temple was leaning crazily and that the entrance was in far worse shape than the room where they been. Dust filled the air from the stones that had fallen. A portion of the outer wall had collapsed. Outside, the light of early morning spilled over the piles of debris that lay in the courtyard.
They made their way down the corridor and across the foyer as quickly as they could, forced to climb over shifting rocks a good bit of the way. To Tempest’s surprise, the porch seemed relatively untouched, but the statue had fallen from its pedestal and now lay its side.
She paused to look at it again when they’d moved around it, feeling the warmth of thankfulness fill her that that part of the ‘prophesy’ had come true—would. She knew it would. She touched her belly, wondering if the child already grew inside of her, then glanced at Kiran a little self-consciously when she realized what she was doing.
She saw that he was studying her, a half smile curling his lips. He pulled her to him, cupping his hand over hers. “Do you think my child grows here even now?” he murmured near her ear.
She smiled, and then chuckled. “If not, it’s not from lack of trying,” she said teasingly.
He chuckled, squeezing her, nuzzling his face along the side of her neck. “If not, then I must try with more dedication.”
She met his gaze, grinning. “I always knew you were a dedicated man.”
Laughing, he released her and took her hand. “Come, let us see what we have wrought.”
The comment sobered her. Even as she began to turn away, though, she caught a glimpse of a shape at the feet of the couple depicted in the statue. It was Kirry. Around her was a tumble of baby grats.
“Kirry!” she exclaimed abruptly. “I forgot about her!”
She was alright, she told herself. She had to be! She was depicted on the statue and clearly, now, that was a future yet to unfold. She couldn’t banish the fear, though, that it wasn’t Kirry depicted but another grat.
Guilt swamped her that she’d been so focused on Kiran and the task before them, her fears and hopes for a future, that she hadn’t even thought about the little grat. She began to call to her as soon as she’d reached the edge of the porch, scanning the debris littering the plateau a little fearfully. Leaving her to search, Kiran strode to the edge of the plateau and climbed the rocks to stare out at the landscape.
After a while, Tempest realized he hadn’t moved. Something about his stillness sent a shaft of fear through her. Abandoning her search for Kirry, she hurried toward him, climbing over the rocks to join him. Her heart seemed to stand still in her chest for several moments as she finally reached him and stood up to stare into the distance as he was.
As far as the eye could see, the face of Niah had been transformed. Water plumed upward from great fissures that had opened up. Churning, boiling, thick with the red dust of Niah, now mud, the water raced away, forming thin streams that widened as other streams converged on it, and pooling in the lower areas. In the distance, Tempest saw water gushing from the side of the mountain itself, forming a fine mist in the air as it poured forth. Here and there, the greenish brown patches of Niahten had been exposed as the loose soil was swept from above it, patches that were slowly widening as the water swept more and more of the soil away.
Tempest discovered when she finally managed to drag her gaze from the landscape to look at Kiran that he had turned to look at her. At last she knew what the look on his face was—awe, wonder. “I have never seen water like this,” he said hoarsely.
Tempest moved closer to him, entwining her fingers with his. “I haven’t either … except in holograms from our world.” She felt silent, feeling the awe and wonder welling inside of her that she’d seen on Kiran’s face. “We did it.”
He smiling at her when she looked up at him again. Turning toward her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and tugged her against his length. “You did it, Zheri Cha. Without you this would never have come to pass.
“And when the many worlds of the star system align, the Guardian and the Storm will enter the chamber in the temple of the secret valley. Before them, the doors will open and light will spill down upon them. Together they will walk to the ancient stone and each place their hand against the crystals that have been placed there for them and them alone. The world will tremble as the great darkness falls upon it. A great rumbling will be heard throughout the land as the goddess Zoe throws off the restraints that have been placed upon the waters, and they will spill forth from the depths of the chasm and onto the land, cleansing the world and bringing new life.”
Tempest smiled against his chest, placing a kiss over his heart. “We did it,” she said. “I could no more have done it without you than the other way around.”
He tipped her face up to study her, smiling, caressing her cheeks, caressing her face with his gaze. Finally, he shook his head. “It is a good thing, Zheri Cha, that you are as stubborn as I, else we would not have changed our world. Shall we see if we can find our way down from the mountain? I have a very great need to find a priest to give his blessing to our pairing and make an honorable man of me.”
Tempest stared at him a moment and started laughing.
He slipped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a mock stern look. “This is no matter for amusement, Zheri Cha. I am liable to lose a part of my body I am particularly fond of—and take liberty to consider it something you are fond of, as well—if the belly of our goddess begins to swell and I have not acknowledged to all that I cherish you more than your wondrous little cavern ….”
Tempest wasn’t certain whether to take him seriously or not. She chuckled again, shaking her head. “We can’t risk that. I am particularly fond of that part of you! Although … the rest of you is nice, too. Especially your mouth.”
Kiran sent her a look filled with promise as he helped her down from the rocks. He took her hand when they’d reached the plateau again. After a brief search, they found the trail they’
d climbed to the summit and began the trek down again.
They found the aquestan when they’d been walking for nearly an hour. The beast was still skittish and shaking from its experience but Kiran finally managed to coax it close enough to grab the bridle. Settling their packs on its back, Kiran decided to walk it down rather than to try to mount it as skittish as it. In any case, the trail had seen a good bit of damage. Sections had broken away, narrowing the trail dangerously. In other places rocks barred their passage and they had to find a way around. They were nearly half way down when a scream that raised the hairs along the back of Tempest’s neck brought the party to a halt. A second scream answered it before Tempest managed to spot Kirry among the rocks.
Another grat, noticeably larger than Kirry, had challenged her.
“Kiran!” Tempest gasped. “He’ll kill her!”
Kiran, to her surprise, caught her, holding her tightly to prevent her from rushing to Kirry’s aid. “I do not think that is what he has in mind,” he said, laughter threading his voice.
Tempest glanced up at him with a mixture of anger and fear but, before she could say anything, sounds of battle snagged her attention. Whipping her head back to look, she discovered the two grats had tangled, whirling together in a blur of motion. When they stopped, the larger grat was on top of Kirry, his teeth sunk into the back of her neck. Tempest jerked against Kiran’s hold. “He’s hurting her!” she exclaimed as Kirry let out a sound she’d never heard the little grat make before.
Kiran coughed. She discovered when she looked at him that he was struggling to keep from laughing. “He is not hurting her, Tempest. I swear this, to you. She would not be singing that song if she did not want him where he is.”
Tempest stared at him blankly and finally turned to look at the two grats again. She could see, then, that the male cat was humping her baby! Indignation flickered through her, but she felt her face flame as understanding finally dawned.
Kiran nuzzled her ear, nibbling at her ear lobe. “I enjoy it when you sing that song in my ear,” he murmured, his voice shaky with suppressed laughter.
Tempest elbowed him in the belly indignantly, turning to glare at him when he released her. “I do not make that kind of noise!” she snapped.
His eyes gleamed with amusement, but he schooled his features to a look of innocence. “Did I not say I loved it when you sang that song to me, Zheri Cha?”
Uttering a growl, Tempest swatted him in the belly again and stalked off. Kiran followed her, rubbing his belly and chuckling.
He still looked amused when they reached the foot of the mountain, but he’d managed to tamp the urge to chuckle. “Where shall we go, my love?” he murmured, gathering her within his embrace. “You must choose a place for the home that I will build for you … and the babes that you will give me.”
Tempest began to smile once they were mounted on the aquestan and had turned it toward the tent village where Kiran’s tribe waited. After a few moments, she chuckled.
She felt Kiran’s answering smile against her cheek as he nestled his head next to hers. “What?”
“I was just thinking … I had no idea Kirry was such a little slut!”
His grin broadened. “What is ‘slut’?”
“A female without virtue.”
His smile died. “She has found the one she was destined for,” he said, tightening his arms around her. “I assure you, he knew this, too, and he felt nothing but gratitude to the fates for bringing them together and the joy of joining with his mate.”
Tempest felt a flicker of something unidentifiable inside of her as the realization settled in her that he was no longer talking about Kirry. Relief, she realized after a moment. “You think?” she asked tentatively.
“I know, Zheri Cha.”
Tempest released a shuddering sigh. “I wonder if I’ll ever see her again?”
Chapter Seventeen
Contentment and peace filled Tempest as she gazed out over the rolling waves of the ocean, sparkling like red gems beneath Talore’s glow. A moment later, she felt a warmth behind her back and then Kiran slipped his arms around her, one beneath her burgeoning breasts, the other along her distended belly. He dipped his head to nuzzle her neck, chuckling when the babe, no doubt displeased about being crowded, pummeled his hand where it lay heavily against her stomach.
“We have a warrior here,” he murmured.
Tempest smiled. “Maybe.” Turning her head, she glanced down at Talor, who’d been chasing Kirry and her kits around on his hands and knees. Dismay filled her when she saw he’d managed to corner one of the kits. Picking it up by its head, he opened his mouth, clearly intent on testing the taste of the kit. “NO!” she snapped commandingly.
Talor jolted, lifting his head and staring at her wide eyed.
“Put it down! Now, Talor!”
His lower lip trembled. Tears pooled in his eyes, but he obediently dropped the kit. Kirry instantly rushed forward to examine her baby carefully and then herded her newest litter back inside the house to hide them.
Talor set up a wail the moment he realized his playthings were escaping. Kiran scooped him up, tossing him in the air until his sobs stopped and he smiled tentatively. Tucking the baby in one arm, he slipped his other arm around Tempest.
A droplet of water stuck his arm and then another. Tempest lifted her face to feel the rain that began to spatter her. Talor wasn’t at all certain he liked it, however. He began to squirm and fuss. Tempest turned and smiled at him. “Rejoice, Zheri Cha. This is a wondrous gift. The fates willing, you’ll see many in your lifetime.”
Kiran’s eyes were filled with heat when she met his gaze. “I think Talor will enjoy this more from his bed. I feel a great desire to worship my goddess and give thanks for the rain.”
Tempest studied him expectantly, feeling warmth fill her. “In the rain?” she asked, intrigued.
Kiran grinned. “Why not? We have not tried that yet.”
The End
Read an excerpt from the upcoming novel by Kaitlyn O’Connor, coming Fall of 2008 from NCP.
Chaos Forged
By
Kaitlyn O’Connor
Chapter One
“Houston, this is Dr. Danielle Stevens aboard the ISS Pegasus. Do you read?” Danielle paused, listening intently for several moments and then repeated the transmission. Nothing but dead air greeted her each time she switched from send to receive.
That was all any of the ten member crew aboard the international space station had heard for weeks now. Dead air.
Releasing a pent up breath, Danielle propped her arm on the console and her head on her palm, closing her eyes. They burned, feeling grainy from the little sleep she’d had … not that she was by any means alone. No one was sleeping. Everyone was wrestling with the big question.
What do we do now? Wait here to die? Go home and die with everyone else?
Swallowing past the painful knot what rose to wedge in her throat, Danielle lifted her head. It was too late, she thought, for the last option.
No one wanted to admit it. She didn’t want to accept it, but there was no getting around the fact that the more time that passed, the less likely it was that anyone at all was left.
“Any luck?”
Danielle swiveled her seat and stared at Dr. Lindsey Peterson, watching the faint hope in the other woman’s eyes die.
She swallowed with an effort, shaking her head. “I’ve only been trying for about an hour, though. With the delay … and there could be interference.”
They both knew she was grasping at straws.
Danielle swiveled around to face the console again. “Houston, this is Dr. Danielle Stevens ….”
“Give it a rest! You’re using up battery power we can’t afford to waste.”
Danielle twisted to look at the doorway to the com room again. Clancy Morton stood next to Lindsey now, scowling at her. Danielle’s lips tightened. “What the fuck are we going to use it for?” she snapped.
Cla
ncy’s scowl deepened. “Watch your mouth, Doctor Stevens,” he growled. “I’m still the head of this mission.”
“What mission, for Christ’s sake?” Danielle demanded. “They’re all dead! What the hell are we doing up here?”
“We’re doing our jobs!” Clancy snapped. “Some of us, anyway!”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Danielle shouted at him as he whirled and stalked off. She transferred her attention to Lindsey when he didn’t respond. “What the hell did he mean by that?”
Lindsey shook her head. “Raging at each other isn’t going to change anything.”
Danielle swallowed her fear, anger, and grief with an effort. “It makes me feel better,” she muttered, looking away.
“Does it?”
Danielle dragged in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No,” she admitted reluctantly.
Lindsey was silent so long she thought the other woman had left. “Do you really think they’re all dead?”
“I don’t know.” She did, she just couldn’t bring herself to repeat it. She wouldn’t have said it all if Clancy hadn’t made her so furious. It was almost as if, as long as she didn’t say it, accept it, it might not be true.
“As long as we don’t know there’s still hope, right?”
Defiantly leaving the com open, Danielle thrust herself away from the console and shoved herself to her feet. “Hope?” She shook her head at Lindsey. “The very last communication we had was from Robert Rawlins. He said not to come home until we got an all clear because the virus was completely out of control. Don’t you think somebody would have contacted us in this length of time if there was anybody down there who could?”
“The could’ve closed down mission control. He said they’d been trying to quarantine to slow the spread.”
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