Between Darkness and Light

by Lisanne Norman

  Reaching the elevator, he hit the call button. Intriguing as this find was, he had more important matters on his mind. Focusing on it and the next in the sequence, with a thought, he destroyed them. While part of his mind was surprised at the ease with which he’d done this, another was telling him that he was finally utilizing his Talent efficiently.

  Giyarishis was considering the puzzle that was Shaidan. Against all odds, the cub had almost overturned the Directorate programming. It shouldn’t have been possible, but it was happening and required further study. He’d been attempting to do that when the sand-dweller female had arrived and insisted on removing the child to greet her mate.

  An alarm fitted to his belt began to vibrate against his side, startling him and at the same moment, he realized the impossible had happened: the minor Unity net which had been constructed throughout Kij’ik had collapsed. He was blind, unable to tap into the potentialities around him.

  He began to panic. Never before had this happened. The network was utterly foolproof, there was no way it could fail—and yet it had, and he had no means to fix it himself.

  Frantically he tried to remember where they were on the current line—was there a nexus soon? If there was, who was involved, where and when would it be? The endless permutations began to run through his mind without him consciously thinking of them: he didn’t know what to do and he couldn’t contact the Camarilla! It paralyzed him, left him rooted to the spot like a broken toy.

  Kusac left the elevator and headed down the pathway, automatically taking in everything around him. His thinking was sharp, the world around him crystal clear as he noted the security guard standing opposite the gate, and Q’almo disappearing with a team of five into the clump of trees surrounding the hut. Opening the gate, he started across the field.

  Ahead, Kezule was in conversation with Banner, with Khadui and Jayza standing behind him and slightly to one side. Beyond Kezule, Zayshul stood talking to M’kou. His vision began to narrow as soon as he saw them. Doubtless she was telling M’kou of his suspicions. Behind them, Shaidan stood quietly, his eyes on his father from the moment he’d come into sight.

  As he drew closer to Kezule, the General turned around, looking surprised to see him. Banner frowned, starting forward, but he signed him to stay put and be ready for action.

  Stopping, he looked directly at Shaidan, pitching the sending so the psi damper couldn’t prevent it.

  Go to Banner, Shaidan. Now.

  The cub hesitated, looking from him to Banner then back. He took several small steps forward until he was in front of Zayshul but was stopped as she automatically reached out to pull him to her side. It was the instinctive reaction of a mother, but it made his anger burn brighter, and his vision slowly start to shrink.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here, Kusac,” Kezule was saying.

  “I found the female, Kezule,” he said, his voice even and calm. “Liyak, a Ch’almuthian working on the Command level in the sick bay. I expect you to deal with her immediately.”

  Caught completely by surprise, Kezule’s mouth fell open.

  M’kou’s head instantly jerked up to look at them and the color drained from Zayshul’s face.

  “But you knew that already, didn’t you?” he said softly. “All of you.” His gaze flicked from Kezule to M’kou and Zayshul then back again.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you,” said Kezule, unclasping his hands and letting them fall to his sides.

  He stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them. “One chance, Kezule, the last one,” he said softly. “Be honest with me. You arranged this, set me up. Why?”

  “Your imagination is getting the better of you, Kusac,” Kezule said, his tone slightly mocking. “You obviously have a thing for our females but seem to need the help of drugs or alcohol first!”

  He ignored the insult. “Your son, M’kou, asked this female to come to my quarters,” he said, a low growl underscoring his words as the beginnings of huntersight began to narrow his vision even further. “She was to replace your wife’s scent marker with her own. M’kou wouldn’t do that without you ordering it. You broke our agreement, Kezule. You had me raped to save yourself embarrassment! I want Shaidan now. We’re leaving immediately.”

  Kezule began to laugh and turn away. “From what I heard you were a willing participant! Leave when you like, Kusac, I’ve never kept you here, but the child stays,” said Kezule, his tone hardening. “He amuses me.”

  All he could see and smell was his prey—Kezule—as a red mist formed before him. He lashed out, mentally and physically, with a blow that sent the Valtegan flying. With a roar of rage, he launched himself on the fallen male.

  M’kou thrust Zayshul and Shaidan behind him and took a step toward the General.

  “Leave them,” Banner snarled at M’kou as Khadui and Jayza sprinted into supportive positions. “This has been building long enough! They’ve both got it coming to them!”

  M’kou hesitated.

  “You want it to escalate?” demanded Banner, moving out of the way of the fight, his hand going to rest on the pommel of his knife.

  “No,” said M’kou, obviously torn. “I want no deaths!”

  “Then leave them to us! You can’t handle a Sholan in kzushu!”

  They’d been aware of Shaidan struggling against Zayshul’s grip, but when he began to yell, they turned automatically to him.

  “Let me go!” he shrieked, turning suddenly into a kicking, fighting fury. “I want my father!” He lowered his head and bit, his teeth sinking deep into Zayshul’s hand.

  She, in turn, let out a yell of pain and suddenly Shaidan was free.

  Stunned, and the breath knocked from his lungs as Kusac landed astride him, for several seconds Kezule could do little but lie there and take the punishing blows. As the next one came in, he snaked his right arm under it. Simultaneously grabbing him by the shoulder and grasping him above the wrist with his other hand, he twisted Kusac’s arm into a lock that put painful pressure on the Sholan’s complex shoulder joint.

  It had the desired effect as, lifting himself just off Kezule’s hips, Kusac twisted round to ease the pressure. The slight relief from the Sholan’s weight was enough. Ducking the blow aimed at his face, he kept up the pressure on Kusac’s shoulder and threw him to the ground. Scrambling to his feet as he released his grip, Kezule aimed a vicious kick at Kusac’s side. As he backed off, the Sholan rolled with the blow and came up crouching on all fours.

  They faced off, circling each other, Kezule trying not to be intimidated by the fact that with his long hair bushed out almost vertically from his head, and his tail bristling, Kusac looked twice his normal size. When a kick came in, he dodged at the last moment, countering it with a powerful, downward blow that caused Kusac to pull back, briefly favoring that leg.

  Kusac was good, and far faster than he’d thought a Sholan could be. Triggering more adrenaline into his system, he went on the offensive, aiming a flurry of blows toward the Sholan’s face and chest. A few got through, but not as many as he’d hoped as he found himself suddenly having to block a series of savage kicks to his legs and groin. Stumbling when one got through, he backed off panting, realizing this was nowhere near as easy as he’d assumed it would be. For some reason, he had no natural physical superiority over this Sholan.

  As one of Kezule’s punches caught Kusac hard on the jaw, sanity began return and the red mist rage receded. Backing off, he shook his head, trying to force his hair back down again.

  Suddenly a small figure rushed at him, flinging his arms around him and clinging to him, sobbing desperately.

  “I want to go with you, Father! Take me home now!”

  Hunter-sight faded abruptly, as did the heat of his rage. Clutching Shaidan to him, he backed off farther and risked glancing around to find Banner while his other hand reached into his jacket for the la’quo gun.

  Go to Banner! Do what he says instantly, he sent to the cub, then pushed him away and drew th
e gun, pointing it at the Valtegan.

  “Take my son, Banner, and tell Dzaou to join us,” he said, training the gun on Kezule and slowly advancing toward him. “We’re leaving now, Kezule, all of us, and you’re my hostage as far as the landing bay.”

  “Stop it, both of you!” Zayshul yelled, the shock of her accompanying mental outburst freezing him to the spot.

  There was a blur of motion and the whine of an energy bolt. Pain exploded in his left leg and it suddenly collapsed under him. His finger clenched instinctively round the trigger and the gun went off. The next moment, the ground came up to hit him. As he fell, he reached out to neutralize the shooter, sending out a mental blast of rage and pain that killed him instantly.

  Banner barely had time to absorb that Kusac was Shaidan’s father before chaos broke out. As the cub was running toward him, and M’kou sprinted in front of Kezule, an energy rifle spat, followed almost immediately by a shot. Kusac went down as if poleaxed and M’kou spun about clutching his arm then he, too, fell to the ground.

  He leaped for the cub, pulling him close and was about to run to Kusac when Jayza, appearing from nowhere, snatched the cub from him.

  “Go!” shouted Jayza, sprinting for the trees twenty feet ahead.

  Kusac lay there, gasping for breath as his whole left side suddenly exploded in intense pain. The smell of burning flesh and singed fur filled his nostrils, making his stomach turn over. A sudden weight landed on top of him, causing him fresh torment. He tried to move, push whoever it was off, but the agony in his side made him cry out.

  “Lie still!” hissed Banner, shifting his weight slightly. “You numb-witted bastard! Why the hell didn’t you say Shaidan was your son?” he demanded, then added. “He’s safe, Jayza’s got him. They’ve gone for cover.”

  He was aware of loud voices around them, but the burning pain completely dominated him.

  Kezule had to work out later what actually happened. At the time, all he saw was Kusac suddenly pull a gun on him, and M’kou rushing forward between them. Then two shots rang out and both Kusac and M’kou were down, injured.

  As Jayza ran past him carrying the cub, Kezule suddenly unfroze, realizing the whole situation could turn into a bloodbath in seconds—not because of his people, because apart from himself, M’kou, and the damned Security guard, they only had tag guns—but from the Sholans who were armed with lethal claws and knives.

  “Hold your fire!” he roared, crest rising in anger. Ahead he could see Keeshu’s unit racing back, and from his rear, he heard Q’almo shouting orders to his group.

  Glancing down at his son, he was reassured to see that M’kou was only holding his arm and there was very little blood.

  Zayshul ran forward, hesitated briefly as she looked over to where Kusac lay under Banner, then knelt down to see to M’kou.

  “Let me see your arm,” she demanded. “Someone get a medical kit from the First Aid room!”

  “Already on the way,” said Q’almo, coming to a stop beside her.

  “Zsafar, immobilize Banner and Kusac,” Kezule ordered.

  “Q’almo, disarm that damned Security guard and bring him to me!”

  “Aye, sir,” said Q’almo, disappearing.

  Zayshul helped M’kou as, clutching his bleeding upper arm, he struggled to sit up. Moving his hand, she quickly checked it—there was a small hole in the shirt. As the blood started to flow, she pressed his hand back over the wound, checking the rest of his arm and his side for an exit wound.

  “Bullet’s still in there,” she said as one of the Ch’almuthians came running over with a medical kit. Putting it down beside her, he opened it and located the dressings.

  Kezule knelt down beside them as she slit his son’s sleeve open and quickly bound a pressure dressing over the wound.

  “How are you?” he asked, his voice rough with concern. “That was foolish.”

  M’kou gave a half smile. “I’ll live,” he said, then suddenly turned a sickly pale green and keeled over.

  “Shock,” said Zayshul succinctly, leaning forward to finish securing the bandage. She looked up at Kezule. “Get him sent down to the Officers sick bay, he’ll need surgery. The bullet’s still in there. Tell them to call Ghidd’ah on the way, tell her we’ve two gunshot wounds, one a projectile. She’ll know what to do.”

  “I’ll see to it,” said Keeshu.

  “No,” said Kezule. “Send someone else. You take the guard’s rifle and help find the missing Sholans.” Standing up, he saw they had Banner and Kusac on their feet.

  Zayshul closed the kit and got to her feet, starting to move toward where Kusac was being held up between Zsafar and one of the newcomers.

  Reaching out, Kezule pulled her back. “No,” he said unequivocally, gesturing one of the Ch’almuthians over. “Keep her here,” he ordered.

  “He needs treatment, Kezule,” she said disbelievingly but he was already walking away. “Dammit, you can see he’s got a serious thigh wound! Kezule!”

  He stopped in front of Kusac. “Order your people to surrender,” he said with barely suppressed rage. “You know they can’t escape.”

  Kusac, attempting to keep his weight off his injured leg, glared at him, his lips pulling back from his teeth. “Get them yourself, you egg-licking reptile! And keep that cold-blooded qwene of yours away from me!”

  Kezule hit him a stinging blow across his face, shocked when, with an incoherent snarling roar, Kusac’s jaws snapped at him, narrowly missing his hand.

  Almost feral with rage and pain, the Sholan managed to pull one arm free, lashing out at him with deadly claws that sank deep into his shoulder. He was jerked forward, Kusac’s massive jaws almost closing on his throat before suddenly the Sholan froze.

  Kezule had enough presence of mind left to punch him hard on the side of the jaw and stagger back, then one of the guards was hauling on Kusac’s arm, trying to free him from the claws, and the other was between him and the Sholan, shielding him with his body.

  “Trank him,” said Banner urgently.

  Freed, Kezule, aware of the blood running down his back, retreated to a safe distance and stared at Banner. More snarls and growling drew his eyes back to Kusac who was once again struggling. He looked like he’d break free at any minute.

  “You can’t handle him, no one can!” said Banner. “He’s kzushu—in a blood rage. Trank him. In my belt pack.”

  “Q’almo, do it,” he ordered. “Then get him down to the brig.” Kezule was shaken to the core at his brush with death. He pulled his pistol and thrust it at Q’almo. “Use this if you have to.”

  Cautiously the Prime approached Banner, keeping the pistol trained on him.

  “There’s been enough bloodshed,” said Banner tiredly. “Use the hypo on his neck. It won’t knock him out, but he’ll be so doped up you can handle him. Khadui! Jayza! Report back!” he yelled, raising his voice.

  “I’m glad to see one of you has remained in control,” said Kezule as he watched Kusac suddenly go limp in the grasp of the four Primes who’d been struggling to contain him.

  “What do you expect?” Banner snapped back. “You’ve been using his son against him all this time, your wife’s seduced him, and you sent someone to rape him! Dammit, the wonder is he didn’t snap before now!”

  “Enough!” hissed Kezule, crest rising. He didn’t need to be reminded of his own part in causing this.

  “He needs treatment,” said Banner more calmly. “Your people shot first.”

  “I know, and believe me, he’ll be punished!”

  “I’ve been told the guard’s dead, General,” said Q’almo, returning to slip the empty hypo back into Banner’s pouch.

  “What? How?” demanded Kezule.

  Q’almo shook his head. “He was bleeding heavily from the nose, mouth, and ears, that’s all I can tell you. Face looked like he’d had a seizure.”

  Aware of Banner stiffening, he rounded on him, first gesturing Q’almo to leave. “How was he killed?”

&nbs
p; Banner shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  Kezule remembered the way his mind had been assaulted just as Kusac had hit him the first time, and the glazed look that had come over the Sholan’s face as at the last possible minute before killing him, he’d stopped.

  “Burn it!” he swore, stamping his foot on the ground and swinging away from Banner in anger. “Bring my wife over!” he called out then rounded on Banner again. “He’s a mind reader again, isn’t he? He’s gotten his abilities back, damn it!”

  “Not to my knowledge,” said Banner as Zayshul was escorted over.

  Kezule rounded on her. “He’s a telepath, isn’t he? And he’s been teaching you. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “If he hadn’t taught me, I couldn’t have saved your life,” she retorted, pulling free of her guard. His crest began to lower. “You killed the guard?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, her eyes flicking briefly to Banner. “Be thankful I did. What idiot gave him a live gun?”

  “I intend to find out,” he said as Khadui, and Jayza, still carrying Shaidan, were escorted up to them.

  “Take Shaidan back down to the Command level, Zayshul,” he said, noticing the glazed look on the tear-stained face of the child.

  “I need to treat his father,” she said angrily. “He’ll be going into shock with a wound like that! He needs fluids, surgery to remove the dead tissue ...”

  “He brought it on himself,” interrupted Kezule coldly, taking Shaidan from Jayza and thrusting him at her. “He’ll get no treatment till I say so! See to the child and my son, that’s all you need to worry about.”