Vi caressed his chest. She lifted her head to kiss his neck.
Desire spiraled. His abilities might have changed… but his fate remained the same. Once he united the Holy Grail and the Ancient Staff, he would cease to live. So the more distance he could keep between them, the less she would feel the loss.
With a groan, he rolled away.
She yanked him back. “What’s your hurry? Don’t you want me?”
Over a thousand years of pent-up frustration made him growl. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this to us.”
As much as he yearned to deepen and broaden their connection, to merge their bodies and minds in the Dominus custom, he could not permit himself more indulgence.
Pain filled her eyes. “You told me there is no us.”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t changed my mind.” He clenched and unclenched his fingers. “I wish I had a choice that included you in my future.”
His words might have just caused him to lose his one opportunity to bond with a woman in the manner of his people, but better he should suffer than Vi. For if the bond was complete, her life would never be the same.
Vivianne’s face paled but she took his hand and squeezed it. “No one knows the future. We’ll have to make do with the present.”
At the sound of horses’ hooves, Jordan rolled them off their clothes. “Someone’s coming. Get dressed.”
He stepped into his pants, then helped Vi into her own clothes.
“Who’s out there?” Eyes heavy-lidded from lack of sleep, lips raw from his kisses, she tucked her shirt into her pants, brushed off the dirt, and stuffed her panties into a pocket.
He peeked above the grass. “It’s Arthur.”
He was about to stand when she grabbed his belt and pulled him down beside her. “Arthur almost got you killed. We shouldn’t let him know we’re here.”
“He already knows.” Jordan questioned how he knew that. It was almost as if he had a new sense, a way of putting things together in his brain that he couldn’t yet explain. “But thanks for worrying about me.”
“Somebody has to,” she murmured and stood. “You attract trouble like a dust magnet.”
Arthur, wearing full armor, reined in his horse and dismounted. “Did your woman just call me trouble?”
Jordan grinned. “Sire, she was complaining about my shirt.” He flapped it, and dirt flew everywhere.
Vivianne placed her fists on her hips, lifted her chin, and glared at Arthur. “Your little plan got him killed.”
“Killed?” Arthur blinked, his confusion genuine. “Has she gone mad?”
Jordan shook his head and took a moment to appreciate how magnificent she looked. Eyes flaring with anger, her hair curled all sexily over her shoulders, she was defending him.
“I’m mad all right.” Vivianne marched up to Arthur’s horse. “You’re lucky I don’t have a—”
“Vi,” Jordan interrupted. “Arthur found the key for me. He’s kept it safeguarded for centuries.”
“And thanks to him, you no longer have to breathe.” Vivianne glared at Arthur.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and looked to Jordan for answers.
Jordan changed the subject. “Sire, why are you here?”
“As promised, here’s the information on Dominus.” Arthur plucked a data chip from the folds of his cloak and tossed it to Jordan.
Vivianne folded her arms across her chest. “Have you anything else for us?”
Arthur frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Surely there’s more you can do to help us defeat the Tribes?” She squared her shoulders and challenged him.
Arthur refused to meet her gaze.
Interesting. Vivianne was on to something that Jordan hadn’t considered. But what? “Arthur?”
“I’m not supposed to take sides.” Arthur grimaced and gave them a lame shrug.
Jordan glared. “What the hell are you talking about? You gathered the Knights of the Round Table on Earth to fight the Tribes. I fought at your side. You sent those cubes and Devid to us so we’d find Tempest and the Key of Wind, and you protected the Key of Soil for me.”
“I’ve already told you that every Arcturian is allowed to leave only once. During that time, we are free to do as we wish. But once we return, we can no longer interfere with the affairs outside this realm.”
“You can’t?” Vivianne pressed. “Or you won’t?”
Arthur held out his arms to her. “I’ve done all that I can.”
Jordan expected her to slap Arthur’s hands away. But Vivianne surprised him by changing tactics.
She took Arthur’s hands and held them. “Jordan saved your life.”
“He did.” Arthur cocked his head to one side. A smile played over his lips.
“You haven’t forgotten?”
“We forget nothing. We’re the galaxy record keepers.”
Vivianne’s eyes pleaded. “So tell us something useful. Like where’s the Holy Grail? How can we defeat the Tribes? Are there other worlds out there who would ally themselves with us?”
Arthur spoke over her head to Jordan. “She speaks like a warrior.”
“I’m trying to save my world,” she countered softly, drawing Arthur’s attention back to her. “Please.”
Arthur’s eyes sparkled, his lips quirking into a huge grin. “ ’Tis a good thing you make ready to depart.” He winked at Jordan. “Or I might be inclined to stray from my Guinevere.”
Jordan braced, ready to step in and stop Vivianne from slapping the man. But instead, she laughed. “And, sir, I might be tempted. I always knew King Arthur was a hero, but I didn’t know he would be so charming.”
Jordan didn’t move a muscle. Vivianne was playing Arthur. But would the man fall for it?
Perhaps.
Arthur leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Then he whispered into her ear.
Vivianne’s laughter stayed on her lips. But her eyes stopped smiling. It wasn’t until after Arthur departed that Jordan asked her what had been said.
“Weakness will strengthen you,” Vivianne repeated. “What does that mean?”
Jordan wished he knew.
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country.
—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
29
Vivianne was looking forward to contacting Earth to find out the latest developments. Anything to take her mind off this new Jordan would be a huge relief. Because while she still loved him, she wasn’t certain if she could live with him. Before his death and rebirth, he’d been difficult. But now he seemed so certain of himself, she didn’t know if she could still feel independent.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who turned to a man for answers. While she’d never hesitated to take his engineering advice, and she’d be stupid not to take advantage of his new powers to defeat the Tribes, she wanted to be autonomous.
When she heard the shouts up ahead, she automatically changed direction from her quarters to the bridge. She’d never heard this much shouting aboard the Draco before, and curiosity had her almost running. But once she could see the bridge, she skidded to a halt.
The sight was so normal, it rocked her back onto her heels and she grinned. During the captains’ absence, the crew had moved a Ping-Pong table onto the bridge.
Ponytail swinging, Knox was playing at the opposite end of the table from Darren. But the shocker was seeing the Boston terrier jumping over the net from side to side chasing the Ping-Pong ball. The crew were all laughing, shouting for George to get the ball.
“Fetch,” Knox encouraged the dog.
Leaping happily over the net, George twisted and turned, his mouth just missing the ball before Knox lobbed it back to Darren.
“Fetch.” Darren hit the ball back across the table.
Vivianne couldn’t stop her own laughter at George’s comical antics.
At the sight of the captains, the game stopped. George finally caught the ball in his mouth, then leapt off the table into Vivianne’s arms.
One glance at Jordan and Vivianne understood why the game had ended. Jordan was bristling beside her, his eyes fierce, his lips thinned.
Despite his reaction, she saw no harm in the game. The crew had needed time to regroup, and they’d be sharper if they were more relaxed.
She petted George. “I didn’t know you were so talented.”
“He just leapt onto the table,” Knox told her, then glanced at Jordan’s frown. “Should we get ready to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Where are we heading?” Gray asked, already moving toward the bridge while the others folded up the table.
“Earth,” Jordan announced, shocking Vivianne, but she didn’t question him in front of the others.
However, she didn’t like the hard look in his eyes. She knew that look, and her gut churned. What was he up to? Why the change in plans? They were supposed to be heading straight to Pentar and into Tribe territory for the Grail.
“I’m heading to our cabin to freshen up,” she announced and then took George with her. Her words didn’t fool Jordan. She could feel him staring at her back. If he wanted to hear Maggie’s news report about Earth, he’d have to follow her, and then she’d make sure they had a private chat.
He might have some kind of new superpowers, but that didn’t mean she’d follow his lead without any explanations. So she marched off to the cabin.
She’d barely opened the panel when she felt the Draco lifting off into space. Vivianne tried to settle George on her lap, but he wanted to play, releasing the Ping-Pong ball into her hand.
“Fetch.” She grinned and tossed the ball where it rolled under the bed. George crawled under and brought the Ping-Pong ball back to her with a wiggle of his short tail. “Good boy.”
Vivianne opened a channel on the hyperspace communicator and spoke into the mic. “Hey, Maggie, you there?”
“Vivianne Blackstone?” Lucan Roarke’s voice came through the speaker, and Vivianne recognized him immediately. As he was the archeologist who’d figured out that King Arthur had come to Earth from the Pendragon moon, his perspective would be invaluable. And since he was married to Cael, the Pendragon spiritual leader, he would have news from two worlds.
“Lucan, I’m so glad you have a hypercom unit,” Vivianne told him. “Is Maggie all right?”
“She’s fine. It’s just too bad we couldn’t get a unit to Rion as you instructed.” Lucan paused. “There have been some complications.”
“The Tribes?” she guessed, her pulse escalating.
Jordan walked through the door, and she turned to him. “I’m talking to Lucan.”
Lucan spoke quickly. “The Tribes have shut down our transporter. Earth’s isolated.”
Jordan leaned over Vivianne, his hand on her shoulder. “How did they shut it down?”
“We’re working on it. But we suspect one of the soldiers guarding Stonehenge was compromised.”
“You’ve questioned him?” Vivianne asked.
“Yes. He’s not talking, but two men are dead. One’s vanished. But that’s the least of our worries. We’re panicking down here. Everyone suspects everyone else of working for the Tribes. Soldiers are deserting their units, and the police can’t contain the civilian problems. I’m back in Florida at the family homestead. In Europe, there’s chaos. No news is coming out of Asia, and the last we heard from Pendragon were reports that the Tribes were gathering to make one final attack on Earth.”
“So would you recommend that we come home?” Vivianne asked.
“Not until you have the Grail.” Lucan’s voice was grim.
Lucan had once held the Grail in his hands. But when the Tribes had captured the woman he’d loved, he’d sacrificed it to save Cael. Vivianne knew that choice still haunted him, and she wanted to give him good news. “We now have all three Keys to the Ancient Staff. Hopefully we’ll find the Holy Grail soon.”
Lucan sighed. “Although the government announced your mission, you may still have surprise on your side. No one will expect you to fly straight into the heart of Tribe territory.”
“We’ll do our best,” she promised.
“Look, I hate to put any more pressure on you, but if you don’t get back soon, there may not be much to come back to.”
“Understood.” Vivianne closed the panel and turned to Jordan. “We need to fly straight to Pentar.”
He rested his fists on his hips. “I’m dropping you off on Earth first.”
“We don’t have time to spare.” She frowned at him. “And it’s still half my ship.”
He shook his head. “When we arrive on Earth, I’ll buy you out.”
She didn’t like him standing and hovering over her. “It’s not about the money.”
“No, it’s not.” He leaped onto the bed and laced his fingers behind his head. “You aren’t prepared to fly into Tribe territory.”
“So tell me what to expect.” She must have tensed. George woke up and leapt from her lap. The ball went flying and he chased it again.
“I’ve never been to Pentar,” he admitted.
“So I’m just as prepared to go as you are.” She stood and strode over to him, not liking how he stared at the ceiling instead of back at her.
She sat beside him, her hip against his side. “What’s really wrong?”
“You don’t know what it’s like to lose an entire world. It’s like a big aching hole inside that you can never fill.” He finally looked at her. “Let me show you what it was like on Dominus.”
“All right.” She expected him to pop the data chip Arthur had given him into the computer. Instead, he put a vision in her mind of himself when he appeared about ten years younger.
Vivianne saw a modern kitchen, a tall woman who resembled Jordan setting a heavy platter in front of him. The scent of freshly baked bread and cream sauce over pasta, and a whiff of sparkling wine, made her mouth water. This woman must be his mother. The memory was over a thousand years old, yet every detail remained crisp and clear.
White curtains billowed in the breeze. A cat scampered over immaculate tile. Holograms of the entire family were in frames over the hearth.
Jordan was directly sharing a memory with her, totally in control of it. She didn’t know how he was doing this, but there could be no mistaking his love for his mother or vice versa.
His mother ruffled his hair, smiled fondly at Jordan. Another door opened and his father strode in. Jordan had inherited his powerful shoulders and dark hair. The man swept his wife into his arms and kissed her. Then he clapped Jordan on the shoulder, set a gift beside his plate.
“Go ahead. Open it,” his father urged.
There could be no doubting the love in the room as both parents smiled down at their son. His fingers made short work of opening the box. Inside was some kind of mechanical device.
Jordan’s eyes lit with excitement. “The computer core. How did you ever find it?”
His father chuckled. “I have my ways.”
The memory dissolved. She peered at Jordan on the bed, and he spoke softly. “The core was the last piece of equipment I needed to explore the asteroids around Dominus. The next day, I left.” He swallowed hard. “I never saw them again.”
Her throat tightened in a strangled knot, even as questions flew through her mind. How had he placed that memory in her head? Why had he chosen that particular scene to show her his life? But when she saw the pain in his eyes, she wanted to hold him and make the hurt go away.
Vivianne placed her head on his shoulder. She’d lost her own parents at a much younger age than he had, but although she’d seen Trendonis fire the planetbusters she couldn’t really imagine what it felt like to lose an entire world. And go on fighting. He was the last of his race.
She snuggled against him. “Are you worried that if you take me with you to Pentar, I’ll lose my world like you lost yours?”
“Do you know how many times I’ve asked myself why I didn’t die with them?” he asked, his voice trembling with pain.
�
��Your parents would be pleased to know you’ve survived.”
“Would they? Would they be proud of a son who lives for revenge? War was not our way. We were a peaceful people. An old world with proud traditions.”
She could feel his heartache but didn’t understand him at all. She sat up so she could look into his eyes. “Are you saying you no longer want to pursue the Grail?”
He shook his head, the agony in his eyes scaring her. “It’s my fate to unite the Grail and the Staff, and then I will finally be at peace. But I worry about you and how you’ll go on after I am no longer here.”
“You’re worried about me?” Understanding hit her like a fist to the gut. He wanted to spare her the pain of loss. He believed that if Earth lost to the Tribes, she’d be better off dying with her world than the alternative.
But in truth, whether she stayed with him or not, she was still going to lose him. It would still tear at her so badly that she didn’t want to think about that terrible moment when he would be gone.
“Trust me.” He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “It would be better if you were with your own people. Let me finish this mission as I started it. Alone.”
Alas! The love of a woman! It is known to be a lovely and fearful thing.
—KING RION JAQARD
30
Vivianne shook her head. “Whatever time you have left, I want us to be together.”
Jordan frowned. “But—”
“I want more memories.”
His tone turned gentle. “Those memories that you want will be painful. They’ll tear at you. Keep you awake nights. I didn’t have a choice. You do. You know what’s coming.”
His death.
“Don’t you think I tried not to care about you?” Her fingers closed into fists, and she forced herself to take a deep breath and slowly released the tension. She could not let him go. Not yet. They both still had more living to do. Besides, she’d already fallen for him, and if he left her today or tomorrow or next month, the pain would be the same. “I’ve always been a survivor.” She toggled the bridge. “Gray.”
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