The Warrior Woman

by Evelyn Lederman

  The blond Adonis stepped forward and gave them a short bow. It was a greeting from times long gone on the planet Earth. Shirl found it absolutely charming. Lorenz approached her and took her hand as Drake had earlier taken Alex’s. As with Tarsea, Starc held back.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, crystal telepath,” the blond vampire said before he kissed her hand. Shirl was partially relieved the reaction she had to Drake’s touch was non-existent when Lorenz touched her. It was troubling that she could not explain away her attraction to Drake simply because he was a vampire. Regardless of corrupting the link she shared with Starc, there was a legitimate attraction to the raven-haired vampire. Lorenz gazed into her eyes as he continued to speak. “What is it you wish to ask Drake?”

  Shirl waited until Lorenz released her hand before she responded to his question. “I need assistance rescuing a friend from the Troyk penal colony world.” She knew she needed to sweeten the reward for assisting her to get the vampires to even talk to her on the subject. “You can take whatever blood you wish from the people who prevent us from taking Candy from that world.”

  Drake and Lorenz glanced at each other. Lorenz nodded as Drake approached Shirl. “I will take a down payment now,” Drake said as he took her into his arms. Shirl braced herself for Drake’s fangs to penetrate her neck. In the past his bite had only brought pleasure. She did not want Starc to witness her enjoyment of the act. He would not understand; she was not sure she even did.

  “Later,” she heard Alex say. Shirl saw Alex’s hand was on Drake’s arm. “You will weaken her. Candy is our family and I need Shirl at her most powerful when we enter that world.”

  Drake released Shirl. Alex’s hand still grasped Drake’s arm. Shirl was shocked Alex had taken such an aggressive step. Her chameleon friend continued to leave the shadows and step into the light. By some miracle Tarsea had not intervened. Alex must have warned him of what she had planned and asked him not to interfere.

  Drake looked at Alex in wonder. “I can feel your daughter’s heartbeat through your touch,” Drake said. “The girl is so small, I did not sense her when I held your hand. She carries the genetic marker that will allow one of my brethren to one day mate with her. I will do whatever you wish, payment will not be required.”

  Alex had become as pale as a ghost. She released Drake. Her hand had migrated down to her abdomen where her daughter had just become an embryo. Had their mission to save Candy condemned Alex’s unborn daughter? The vampires would never have known about her existence had Alex not accompanied them into the Nightshade universe. Shirl also did not like the way Drake looked at Alex in such a possessive manner. The look frightened Shirl. She needed to shake off the feeling that was consuming her and re-focus on Candy’s rescue.

  Shirl placed herself between Drake and her recovering friend. “Let’s concentrate on the matter at hand. I need you and as many of your kind you can trust not to become overwhelmed with blood lust.”

  An angry look crossed Drake’s handsome face. “My kind, as you so diplomatically stated, cannot bear the rays of the sun. How do I know we will not be incinerated as soon as we enter that world?”

  “The Troyk government did an initial survey of the planet before sending prisoners,” Starc informed Drake. “Their sunrises and sunsets align with the sun’s movement in our universe. We have timed resources entering the penal world from here, Terra Nova, and Ginkgo Terra. The attack is planned within an hour of sunset. That should give us ample time to free Candy and Tolfer, and open a portal for you to return to this lovely place.” Starc’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

  Drake sat in a nearby chair. Shirl was surprised it took his weight, considering how rotted the wood was. She sat next to him. Her uncensored words had upset him. Shirl needed Drake on her side if her plan to rescue Candy was to succeed. Fortunately Alex’s child would be the reason Drake and Lorenz would ultimately agree to aid them.

  “Will you help us?” Shirl asked.

  “There are half a dozen men from our world I can trust to only take blood from the men we fight,” Drake finally answered. “It would be a bonus if we could bring the prisoners back with us. A tribute given to Yorik in your name will help to re-open negotiations between our people again.” Shirl knew his words were for her, but his eyes were on Alex.

  Lorenz took Drake aside and they talked briefly. Once they completed their conversation the blond vampire stood before Tarsea. “I will join my blood brother to free yours,” Lorenz said. “Ties of blood are important among kindred. Two of our elite guard will join us and protect your mate. Nothing is more precious than your daughter.”

  “Thank you,” Tarsea replied. For the first time since leaving the Troyk universe, Tarsea seemed to relax a bit. Shirl glanced at Drake, whose eyes were still locked on Alex.

  One problem at a time, Shirl told herself. They were about to enter a world she knew nothing about. Every fiber of her being needed to concentrate on their upcoming battle.

  The vampires had been assembled in the time they had available before leaving for the penal colony. Frankly, she had not noticed much of a difference between these creatures and the ones that surrounded Yorik. At least the guards that were assigned to watch over Alex did not have red glowing eyes.

  Starc indicated it was time for them to leave. There was no going back now. Shirl opened a portal and stepped into the great unknown.

  Chapter 15

  The Troyk Penal Colony World

  Candy woke with a start as Tolfer slept peacefully next to her. They had worn each other out making love after their daily chores. The village outside their hut was quiet. She could have been awoken by a bad dream or some animal crying in the distance. Somehow Candy knew that was not the case. Something was coming and it was not good.

  She shook her soul mate. “Tolfer, wake up. We are about to be attacked.” Candy got up and started to dress. The people of Utopia had to be warned and prepared for the upcoming battle. Candy had no idea whether it was a solitary madman or the guardians of the portal.

  Side by side, Tolfer and Candy ran through the village and sounded the warning bell. She was certain that when the Troyk government had sent the bell with one of the supply shipments all those years ago the portal guardians had cast it aside. Some forward-thinking Utopian citizen had grabbed it and now the warning would save lives. Since their arrival they had practiced a myriad of different scenarios to make sure the village was ready to defend itself.

  Based on the time of day, the Utopian citizens took the bell seriously rather than just another drill. The late afternoon siesta ritual was never toyed with. They came armed and ready for battle.

  “What have we got?” Klark asked. As leader of the guard, Klark would be responsible for staging their defenses. Candy had fought beside him during many of the drills they ran to prepare for today. Through these exercises they had grown to respect each other.

  “I am not sure, but we are going to be hit hard,” Candy replied. Since coming to the village no one questioned how Candy knew the things she knew. They all took it as a gift from God. “We should get the children in the center hut and set up for whatever is coming at us.”

  Tolfer called the children to come around him. He had a way with kids beyond just his ability to lessen their pain. The village had decided Tolfer would oversee the safety of the children if they ever came under attack. He would be able to keep them occupied during the early stages of battle. If they lost their perimeter around the center structure, Tolfer would be the last line of defense in protecting their most valuable loved ones. The three pregnant women would support Tolfer in caring for the young.

  “Be safe, Canny,” Tolfer communicated through the soul mate pathway as he led the children into the closure where they would remain until the all clear was called.

  Candy turned to see her grandmother and Darah coming their way. Her eyes immediately focused on the blade in her aunt’s hand. She got a strange feeling seeing the knife. Candy involuntarily stepped closer
to Klark. This was one of the many times Candy wished Darah was with her father. Although Candy imagined he was the one who was about to attack the village.

  “What is happening?” her grandmother asked through the communal channel. They had all been instructed not to use the telepathic channel when the war bell was rung. There was no guarantee whoever was attacking them did not have access to any of the telepathic pathways used within the community.

  “Speak out loud, Grandmother,” Candy scolded Alaura. This was not the time for people to abandon protocols put in place for the safety of the village.

  Her grandmother nodded, “I am sorry. That bell would have warned whoever is coming we are aware of their presence anyway.”

  “You and Darah should join the children and assist Tolfer in keeping them calm,” Candy said. She wanted the distraction of Darah’s presence gone. Everyone knew her aunt was unstable and presented a risk to the village if she was not contained during battle. Her grandmother took her daughter and walked toward the center hut.

  It was time she made her way to the area she and Kelog were assigned to cover. They were the perfect combat team. Any doubts Candy originally had related to Kelog had been removed over the weeks they trained the people of Utopia together. She understood why he did what he did and came to forgive him. Her telepathic gift enhancements also made her aware of how her partner was going to move. How he would react. She could modify her actions based on his movements. He never questioned how she knew, he just took it for granted they were in sync.

  Chartail had been able to share with her what weapons the portal guardians possessed. With the items they had been able to steal, as well as produce, they were fortunately evenly matched where weaponry was concerned. The ability to do harm was their opponent’s greatest strength. Candy knew if lives were in jeopardy, the citizens of Utopia would do what had to be done. They would deal with the psychological consequences of what was required to safeguard the village afterwards. Over time the villagers would develop the mental toughness it took to truly be a force to be reckoned with. The loss of their innocence would be tragic, but it was necessary for their continued survival.

  Candy noticed movement in the tree line to her left. Assuming they were from the portal camp, the enemy had not used the bridge that crossed the gorge but took the long way around. The guardians were going to hit the village where it was most vulnerable. Her eyes surveyed the area to see if there was other activity.

  She knew it was a man she had seen, not an animal roaming the exterior line of the forest. The only question was how many men they were up against. Candy’s grip on her spear tightened as she mentally prepared to throw the spear when the time came. She worked to slow her heartbeat.

  She heard cries from her right. Candy turned momentarily, as men to the west of the area she had been watching emerged from the forest. Her worst nightmares had become a reality. It appeared the portal guardians had come to attack their village.

  Shirl stepped from the portal onto the soil of the Troyk penal colony. The first thing she saw was a pristine lake. It was twilight and the water almost appeared black. The moon was full and acted like a spotlight on the water. How odd it was to see such a beautiful sight when she expected to be in some type of battle as soon as she entered this world.

  She looked around. Although the sun had set, there were enough fires in the encampment they entered to recognize the people present to greet them. Cianan was there with Ervin Allaway and members of his Terra Nova clan. She did not recognize the older man who stood near Darden and Koel. Although she had not met him, Shirl knew the man was Benko Jarlyn. Shirl had not expected the future leader of the Troyk universe to be present for this rescue. She approached the man so many laid their hopes on.

  “I have so much to say to you,” Shirl addressed Benko, “but now is not the time.” She turned to her brother Cianan. “Where is everyone?”

  “We have no idea. The fires were blazing when we arrived so someone had been here not too long ago. Some of Ervin’s men are searching the area to see if they can find anyone.” Her brother’s gaze drifted to the vampires that stood behind her. “I cannot believe I am saying this, but it is nice to see you, Drake.”

  “I must say I am disappointed,” Drake stated. “We promised our men blood and a battle. They will be hard to control if we cannot find someone for them to eat.” Shirl knew Drake was kidding but did not bother to tell her brother. She thought she’d let him suffer a little before she let him know Drake was playing with him. Who knew a vampire could have such a caustic sense of humor?

  Two of the Terra Nova warriors came forward dragging a woman behind them. It did not take long for Shirl to recognize Chartail. She immediately went to rescue her friend from the well-meaning barbarians.

  “Let her go,” Shirl commanded. She approached Chartail and helped her to her feet. “Are you all right? Where is everyone? Is Candy here?” There were so many questions she had, she could not stop from asking as many as she could without giving Chartail the ability to answer.

  “That is enough, Shirl,” Starc came to rectify the situation. Shirl stood back as Alex held the weeping woman in her arms. Chartail’s tears of relief were quickly replaced with screams of terror. The vampires were now visible to the hysterical woman.

  “You are safe now,” Alex stroked Chartail’s back. She continued to talk softly to the distressed woman. “Drake is here to help us rescue Candy. You have nothing to fear from him or the others he brought with him. They will feast on the men who abused you. Tell us where they went and where we can find Candy.” Chartail kept weeping in her arms, only jumbled words and gulps of sound came from her. Alex focused on Chartail then visibly paled. “They have gone to attack a village where Candy and Tolfer are living. We need to get going,” Alex informed them.

  Shocked back into reality, Chartail stopped crying and looked at Alex in wonder. “How did you know that? I could not get the words out.”

  “I have the ability to read minds. The baby has disrupted many of my abilities, but somehow I was able to get a clear transmission from you. She must know how important that information was. Can you lead us to this village?”

  Chartail nodded as she stood. She initially looked at Alex’s mid-section but realized now was not the time to talk about the baby. Chartail pulled the hair from her face and got herself further under control. “The first force left early this morning. They were going around the gorge to attack the village from the forest side of their encampment. Franclyn left not long ago. They were going to cross the bridge while the Utopians are fighting off the first wave of invaders from the other side of the village. We have to hurry.”

  Chartail started running. Tarsea, Darden, Starc, and Koel quickly caught up to her and continued by her side. Those four men were a tight unit, having been the first who entered into the warrior link. Alex walked along with the vampires, her guards were on either side of her. They were promised their share of blood for protecting Alex and would only attack in defense of her friend. Benko Jarlyn conversed with the men from Terra Nova as they made their way to the Utopia settlement.

  “You have been keeping a huge secret, little sister,” Cianan said as he came up beside her. “Although you did not bother to introduce him, I know that man is Benko Jarlyn. How did you manage to keep that information from our Prime Ruler?”

  “I never met the man before today,” Shirl snarled back at her brother. “Now is not the time to have this discussion. We need to focus on rescuing Candy and Tolfer. You asked me what it would take for me to trust you, well, getting those two free from this world is going to be a great start.”

  Shirl could barely tolerate being next to her brother at this point. She would have preferred to be up front with the men who helped plan the rescue. However, the vampires were cushioned in between. She had no desire to get any closer to them than she already was. Alex was conversing with Drake and Lorenz as if they were longtime friends. The changes in her once-shy friend were truly amazing.


  The group started to slow as they ran out of real estate. They had reached the gorge. Benko handed a pair of binoculars to Koel, who started to survey the area. Shirl could hear cries in the distance and see fires lighting the village. She could only pray they were not too late.

  It had been easier to see during dusk. Candy kept her eyes peeled to where she had seen the movement earlier. Although the perimeters of the village was well lit with torches, their immediate surroundings were now dark. She and Kelog needed to maintain their position and not react to the cries in other areas of the village.

  A man came out of the darkness and ran toward them. Candy picked up her spear and threw it like a javelin. Never in a million years would she have imagined the skills she learned in gym class would now have real life applications. She aimed for his upper thigh. Candy wanted to stop the man, not kill him. If he stayed down she would accomplish her goal. The spear hit exactly where she had aimed. The man stopped momentarily to pull the weapon from his leg and continued to move forward. This time Candy had no choice. She had to go for the kill. There were children to protect.

  She held her breath and threw a spear once again, this time aiming for the man’s heart. The velocity of the projectile was greater this time. It hit the mark and the man fell to his knees and then keeled over. One down, but more were coming at them. Candy had an arsenal of spears at her feet. The village had prepared for such an attack. She threw her third spear. This time she went for another kill shot. Candy no longer had the luxury of mercy.

  One of the portal guardians had breached the village border. Candy grabbed a staff and went after the man. She had watched Robin Hood with Errol Flynn a million times with Shirl. Where her friend wanted to be Maid Marian, Candy wanted to be one of the merry men. Her favorite part of the movie was when Robin Hood and Friar Tuck fought with staffs. Although she was not in Sherwood Forest, Candy was ready for battle.