Dark and Light: A Kindred Tales DUET Novel. Contains: Saved by the Drake AND Captured by the Kru'ell One

by Evangeline Anderson

  Everything would be great if the damn dreams didn’t keep popping up every night, driving her crazy and costing her sleep. Was her subconscious mind trying to sabotage her conscious one? Were the dreams trying to tell her something, either professionally or personally?

  Alli didn’t know. She only knew she wanted them to end. Which was why she’d been reading the book about lucid dreaming techniques.

  “Not that it’s doing much good,” she muttered to herself as she shut off the water. “I knew I was in a dream and I still couldn’t stop it! Couldn’t make the man go away.”

  The man. The shadow man with the mirror eyes and the weird tongue. What the hell was her subconscious trying to tell her?

  Alli had no idea but she wished to hell it would just stop.

  Two

  “Maybe you’re Dream Sharing.” Sophia leaned across the coffee table and poured Alli a second cup of klava, the delicious coffee-like brew that was only available aboard the Mother Ship.

  There were so many things Alli loved about the Kindred spaceship, she’d considered moving here permanently more than once. But if she did that, what would happen to her relationship with Douglas? It was one thing to take the job and only see each other on the weekends for a while but quite another thing to make the current situation her permanent reality.

  “Dream Sharing?” She scoffed at the idea and then thanked her hostess for the refill. They were in Commander Sylvan’s suite. Lizabeth had already left—she and her husband, Lone, were the head of the Kindred Legal Team. But they were also new parents with twins to tend to.

  It was the main reason Alli had been brought on board in the first place—to make sure the two of them had plenty of family time. The Kindred always prioritized family life over work—another nice thing about the alien species who now guarded the Earth.

  Alli had stayed a little longer after the meeting, lured by the offer of klava. And since Sophie, Commander Sylvan’s wife, was such a sweetheart and so easy to talk to, somehow the dreams had just slipped out. Probably because Sophie had asked how much sleep she’d gotten the night before—apparently Alli looked as tired as she felt.

  But she wasn’t tired enough to consider crazy theories like this one.

  “How could I be Dream Sharing with anyone?” she asked reasonably, stirring a single teaspoon of sugar—all she would allow herself—into the piping hot klava. “I’m engaged, for God’s sake! And Commander Sylvan himself took my name off the Draft roster. Besides, the man in my dreams doesn’t look like any kind of Kindred I’ve ever encountered.”

  “Describe him.” Sophie leaned forward eagerly. “What does he look like?”

  Alli explained about the beautiful thug face and the strange, mirror-like eyes that seemed to glow in the dark and reflected her own visage back at her when she looked into them.

  “But his tongue is the worst part,” she said as Sophie listened with interest.

  “Worst how? What’s wrong with it?”

  “It’s pointed—sharp. Like…like a needle or a stinger or something.” Alli waved a hand in the air, gesturing distractedly. “I can’t explain it but it scared the hell out of me!”

  “As well it should.” The deep, grave voice made her look up.

  Alli blushed when she saw that Commander Sylvan—the head of the Kindred High Council—had come back into the room. She didn’t mind confiding in Sophie about the weird dreams, but Sylvan was, in effect, her boss. You didn’t tell your boss you’d been having scary sex dreams about a guy with mirror eyes and a needle tongue who promised to make all your darkest fantasies come true.

  “Oh, uh…” She cleared her throat, uncertain of what to say.

  “Why?” Sophie asked, to her relief. “Do you think there’s some significance to what Alli is dreaming about?”

  “I do and I think it’s very serious.” Sylvan frowned and settled himself on the couch beside his wife, across from Alli. “How long have you been having these dreams, Councilor Allisandra?”

  “Um, six months—give or take,” Alli admitted. “Ever since I agreed to take the job as legal consultant that you offered me. I think I had the first one the night after I first visited the Mother Ship.”

  “I see.” Sylvan nodded thoughtfully.

  “But I can’t be Dream Sharing with anyone,” Alli rushed on. “I mean, as I was telling Sophie, this man isn’t like any kind of Kindred I’ve ever seen or heard of.”

  “He is not like any Kindred any of us have seen,” Sylvan acknowledged gravelly. “At least in this universe.”

  “What?” Alli and Sophie exclaimed at the same time.

  “What are you talking about, honey?” Sophie asked, looking worried.

  “We all know there are other universes, parallel to our own,” Sylvan reminded her. “We’ve known it for ages. And in almost every one that we have studied, the Kindred are there. They might not always have our same past or patterns, but they are there.”

  “So…what does that mean?” Alli shook her head, perplexed. “That a Kindred warrior from another universe is singling me out, somehow?”

  “The male you are dreaming of fits the description of a Kru’ell One,” Sylvan said. “A type of Kindred that does not exist in our own reality—thank the Goddess.”

  “Why do you say that?” Alli put a hand to her throat, feeling cold all over. “I thought all Kindred had the same core values. Even the Dark Kindred, when their emotions are restored, are respectful and protective of women. They’re all basically good guys.”

  “Not the Kru’ell Ones.” Sylvan’s deep voice was grim. “The legend goes that they come from a universe where there is no Goddess. Instead of the Mother of all Life, they were created by the Cruel Father—a Dark God—one who holds no regard or respect for females.”

  “But…what does that mean?” Sophie asked, frowning.

  “It means they are the only species of Kindred ever who would or could take a female against her will.” Sylvan shook his head. “Or at least, against her conscious will.”

  “What does that even mean—conscious will?” Alli said flatly. “No means no.”

  “It’s said the Kru’ell Ones are able to delve into a female’s subconscious and find her darkest dreams,” Sylvan said. “They act on what she craves, not on what she says she wants.”

  “So they make all your sexy fantasies a reality?” Sophie looked at her husband with interest. “Sounds kind of hot, actually.”

  “No, talana.” Sylvan shook his head, frowning. “Some dreams are better left unrealized. Not everyone can face up to having their fantasies made into reality. It can break you mentally and emotionally if you’re not strong enough to withstand the intensity of your own desires.”

  Alli felt her skin break out in goosebumps again.

  “I know all your darkest desires. And I’m going to make them come true—whether you want me to or not.”

  The shadow man’s voice echoed in her head, so real she could almost swear she heard it whispering in her ear.

  “But…but why?” she heard herself asking. “Why would the, uh, Kru’ell Ones want to do things like…like that to women?”

  Sylvan shrugged.

  “As to that, there are different theories. Some say they’re just Sadists, enjoying the agony of others.”

  “But you don’t think that’s true, do you?” Sophie asked, directing a piercing gaze at her husband.

  Sylvan shook his head.

  “I think it’s more likely the Kru’ell Ones are a kind of emotional vampire. They feed off the feelings they get from their prey.”

  Their prey. A cold chill skated down Alli’s spine like an icy finger.

  “Well, it’s just a dream,” she said uneasily. “And if these, uh, ‘Kru’ell Ones’ are in a whole other universe, I should have nothing to worry about, right?”

  She wasn’t exactly reassured by the silence from Commander Sylvan. But Sophie spoke up at once.

  “Of course not,” she said, giving Alli a reassurin
g smile. “And like you said, you’re already spoken for. You and Douglas are practically married—right?”

  “The wedding is set for next month,” Alli acknowledged. “After five years of living together, we’re finally going to tie the knot.”

  “Oh, and will the two of you move up here?” Sophie raised her eyebrows, clearly interested.

  Feeling like she was on firmer ground with this new topic, Alli smiled.

  “Probably not. Douglas’s firm is located on Earth and even with the fastest Kindred shuttle, going from the orbit of the moon to D.C. every day is a hell of a commute.”

  “So what will you do?” Sophie asked.

  Alli shrugged.

  “For now, probably just keep living like we are now. I’ll split my time—weekdays on the Mother Ship and weekends on Earth. We’re not one of those couples that has to be all over each other,” she added, noticing how Sophie and Sylvan were sitting, with Sophie snuggled comfortably against her husband’s side.

  Sometimes she envied the closeness of Kindred couples. But mostly she liked her own space and Douglas liked his. They weren’t the touchy-feely type—which was perfectly fine with Alli. Even if she did wish for a little more cuddling now and then, she could live without it.

  “And that won’t bother you?” Sophie asked. “I mean, living apart so much? I know if Sylvan and I had to sleep apart four or five days out of the week our, uh, relationship would suffer.”

  She blushed as she said it and Alli knew she meant their sexual relationship. She sighed mentally—what was it with these Kindred couples and the way they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, even years after they were married—or “Joined” as the Kindred called it?

  Again, she and Douglas just didn’t have that kind of relationship. They had regular—if somewhat brief sex—when they were together. And if she got horny when they were apart, well, there was always her trusty vibrator.

  Not that she was about to say this in front of her boss, of course. Instead she just smiled and shook her head.

  “We’ll be fine—honestly. We’re used to it by now. And we don’t have to be together every minute to be happy. Not that there’s a problem with that,” she added quickly, not wanting to offend them. “I think it’s lovely that some couples have that kind of closeness. But Douglas and I both like our personal space. So living apart doesn’t really bother either of us.”

  “Well…that’s nice, I guess,” Sophie said doubtfully.

  “Just know that if you change your mind and your fiancé wants to move up to the Mother Ship permanently after you are Joined, a larger and more permanent suite will be available to you,” Sylvan told her gravelly.

  “Thank you.” Alli nodded gratefully. “That’s very kind. But speaking of my fiancé, it’s Friday which means I get to see him tonight.” She spent her weeks aboard the Mother Ship and her weekends with Douglas, flying back and forth every Friday night and every Monday morning.

  “Is the shuttle that was assigned to you working out?” Sylvan asked.

  “Yes, thank you.” Alli smiled. “Very well—and it’s a real thrill to fly it.”

  “I don’t know how you mastered all those crazy-complicated controls so quickly,” Sophie said, clearly in awe.

  “My brother, Baird, says you’re the fastest non-Kindred student he’s ever trained to fly,” Sylvan said. “Truly, your progress is impressive.”

  “Thank you.” Alli felt her cheeks heating with their praise. “But it’s not that difficult, really. My dad was a commercial pilot and he made sure I took flying lessons ever since I was fifteen—it was kind of our thing together.” She shrugged. “Some dads teach their daughters chess, some take them fishing—mine taught me how to fly a Cessna.”

  “That’s amazing!” Sophie exclaimed. “What a wonderful hobby for the two of you to share.”

  “Well, Dad wanted it to be more than a hobby, actually,” Alli told her. “he was really disappointed when I chose to go to law school instead of following in his footsteps as a pilot.”

  Sophie laughed.

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of a parent being disappointed their kid got into law school!”

  “He got over it.” Alli smiled. “And I’m glad he taught me how to fly—piloting a Kindred shuttle isn’t that different from flying an airplane.”

  “Well, it’s nice that you don’t always have to look for someone to fly you down when you want to go back to Earth,” Sophie remarked. “And I still think it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment.”

  “Thank you.” Alli smiled at her warmly.

  One thing she really liked about Sophie—and all the women she’d met aboard the Mother Ship—was how genuine they were. There was no cattiness or petty jealousy among the little circle of friends Sophie had introduced her to. They were women who genuinely cared for and wanted to support each other. Alli appreciated that.

  “And thank you again for the klava,” she said, rising and brushing the wrinkles out of her conservative black business skirt. There was no real dress code or corporate culture aboard the Mother Ship, but she liked to look professional.

  “Have a safe trip down to Earth,” Sophie told her, smiling.

  “Thank you—but I’m not going until I’ve gotten the loose ends on the Kramer case wrapped up tight,” Alli told her.

  “Of course. But when you do go, please be careful, Councilor Allisandra.”

  There was a worried look in Commander Sylvan’s pale blue eyes that made Alli uneasy. But she wasn’t going to admit it—not to herself, or to him.

  “Thank you, Commander Sylvan,” she said formally. And nodding her head at both of them, she left.

  She’d spent too much time worrying about the silly dreams, she told herself. Now it was time to get down to work. She could forget about the mirror-eyed man and his hall of shadows if she really tried.

  Or so she told herself.

  Three

  Deep in the heart of his Palace of Shadows, Kane opened his eyes.

  So the little one was in another universe, he thought. He had suspected as much. The Earth of his own universe had long been subjugated by the Kru’ell Ones. None of the females from the small, blue-green planet would have dared to speak to him the way Allisandra had.

  And none would have dared to meet his eyes, lest they see their own forbidden desires reflected back at them.

  Speaking of forbidden desires, Allisandra had so many of them. Kane had read her heart of hearts and what he found made him hungry—hungry to taste her, hungry to possess her, body and soul.

  It wouldn’t be long now, he promised himself. He only had to pinpoint her exact location and then use his intra-dimensional wormhole generator to open a rift between her universe and his. After that, it would be only a matter of swooping in and collecting her. And when he brought her back to his Palace of Shadows…

  Kane licked his lips, his shaft growing hot and hard between his thighs. Gods, the pleasure he would take in her—the heights of ecstasy he would drive her to! He would take her to the brink of desire and leave her there, dangling, begging for release while he feasted on her need and desperation, her never-ending pleasure…

  Already his tongue throbbed, filled with the lust-honey he would use to inject her most sensitive areas. After he did that, she would moan and cry his name—begging him to take her—begging him to make her his.

  “But I won’t,” Kane murmured to himself, smiling a little in the darkness. “I won’t give her any fucking release. I’ll just tease her until she cries with frustration and desire. Can’t wait to see those pretty green eyes filled with tears.”

  He thought of Allisandra saying that he was only a dream—that he wasn’t real. Thought of the way she believed her life was perfect—all neat and orderly and settled with that fool of a fiancé she believed made her happy. Well, he was coming to unsettle her. Soon, very soon, he would take possession of his reluctant little concubine.

  The Kru’ell Ones did not take brides
—only a series of concubines from among the human women available to them since they had conquered the Earth. But Kane found them lifeless and boring—the energy they gave off was as dull and gray as the constant clouds that covered the planet’s surface, now that the Kru’ell Ones had terraformed it to their liking. (Too much direct sunlight was painful to eyes that could see into the darkest recesses of another’s soul.)

  In contrast, he knew that Allisandra’s emotional and sexual energy would be as bright and fiery as her lovely red hair. He could almost taste her already—taste the flavor of her pleasure, the essence of her desire.

  Oh yes, he would have fun with his new acquisition, Kane promised himself. Soon he would find her and bring her here.

  And then he would feed.

  Four

  “I’m home,” Alli called, as she walked in the door of the nicely appointed townhome she shared with Douglas in the Old Town district of Alexandria, Virginia.

  Their shared residence wasn’t too far from DC, where Douglas worked as a tax attorney and private consultant for some of the biggest names in Washington. Senators and Congressmen, conservatives and liberals—Douglas was fond of saying that everyone had something to hide. And it was his job to help hide it—at least from the prying eyes of the IRS.

  What he did wasn’t exactly illegal—more slightly unethical, as he had explained to Alli on their first date. A “moral gray area” he called it. The fuzzy boundary where the taxpayer’s expectations of their representatives met the cold reality of Washington politics. It was a high stakes game and he loved playing it.

  Alli had been intrigued when he first told her all this. Not because she liked the idea of anybody cheating on their taxes—but because it seemed like maybe Douglas was a kind of outlaw. A bad boy who might say or do anything unexpectedly—both in the boardroom and in the bedroom.

  Five years with her fiancé had put that fantasy to rest, however. Douglas was as buttoned-up as they came. He was about five foot nine, had short, neatly clipped brown hair, mild gray eyes, and a businesslike manner, even in bed…