by Autumn Dawn
“I assume you know some of the same history.”
He settled more comfortably on the stone rim. “What do you want to know?”
She looked at him as if braced for an unpalatable truth. “Are my people the aliens here? Were the Beasts here first?” She clenched her teeth. “I know there are many Beast ruins in the swamps.” She wanted to know if the wars were really the Symbiont’s fault. Had they been squatters on a world that didn’t even belong to them?
Thoughtfully, Keg studied the stone retaining wall restraining the riot of herbs and flowers. “Actually, we’re all strangers here. While my people spent time on Earth, they came from…elsewhere. True, we found the gates and came here first, but we abandoned the swamps long ago. When your people came through, no one cared. We had a policy of leaving aliens to themselves, then. A handful of lepers were of no interest to us.” He shrugged apologetically.
Brow furrowed, she asked, “Lepers?”
“Sickly types: body parts rotting off, that kind of thing. The symbionts found you good hunting and permanently bonded to your people. I’m not surprised your ancestors chose not to leave a record of their true origins.”
She grimaced in distaste. Neither was she. Maybe she should give up wondering about the war. It was over. The Beasts had won. However it had come about, there was peace now. If she were smart, she’d only be concerned with that and her own happiness.
Keg noted her smile and grinned. Leaning forward, he whispered against her lips. “Does this mean you’ll stop worrying and give me a kiss?”
“Now why would she want to kiss you?” someone interrupted, sounding greatly amused.
Keg pulled back and glowered at Armetris and Razzi. “Can’t a man get any peace around here?”
Laughing, Armetris came closer. In his hand was a small sack. “We came to say goodbye. If you two think you can stay out of trouble, then we’ll see you in a couple of months when you come for the spring festival. But before we go….” He handed the sack to Dey. “Our wedding gift. Razzi went home and got it for you.”
Mystified, Dey gingerly opened the sack. Inside was a ball of liquid silver, pulsing with life.
Dey’s lips parted, and she felt tears sting her eyes. They’d brought her a symbiont. “You…” The words choked her.
Her friends smiled fondly at her. “Try it on,” Razzi urged.
Taking a deep breath, she gently tipped the living metal onto her palm and gasped as it zipped up her body, tickling as it ranged from head to toe before dividing and settling around her wrists. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Razzi beamed. “Couldn’t leave you here without a symbiont. Whatever else happens, remember that you’ll always be one of us.”
Keg gave her a fond hug.
She looked at him, her love shining in her eyes. “Much as that means to me, Razzi, you’ve got it skewed. The important thing is, no matter what happens, I’ll always be his.”
About the author:
I'm a stay at home mom with three kids, a dog and an active imagination. I spent the first 34 years of my life in Alaska, land of the midnight sun, but these days I'm located in Washington, and am enjoying a much warmer sun :)
I'm married to my high school sweetheart, John, who is known to bring me flowers "just because".
My leisure time is filled with gardening, sewing, art and reading.
Connect with me online at:
www.autumndawnbooks.com
http://authorautumndawn.blogspot.com
Bibliography:
Spark Series:
When Sparks Fly Dorchester
No Words Alone Dorchester
Solar Flare
Anthology for The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance:
Hemlock & Iron
Indie books:
Dark Lands Series:
The Charmer
Dark Lands: Homecoming
Scent of Danger
The Golden Bell
Ghost in Her Heart
Beast Wars
Dark Lovers Anthology (includes Homecoming & Scent of Danger)
Dark Warriors Anthology (includes GIHH & Beast Wars)
Ladies in Waiting:
The Woman Inside
The Other Woman
Through the Looking Glass
Draconian Series:
Ride The Stars
Careful, He Bites
Interstellar Lover
Under the Bridge