by Vi Voxley
"Messenger," Rago called to the man still following them, walking through gunfire and blades like he wasn't truly there. "Is it safe for her?"
His own safety didn't concern Rago at the moment. All he needed to know was that Joanna would be out of harm's way.
She noticed it too, a soft smile flashing over her face. Rago had never seen anything he treasured more.
"We should hurry," Reuben answered. "The Orochi have reached the storage unit."
"How do you know that?" Joanna called, slowing down at last as a huge set of doors barred their way. "And how can you still be unharmed? I'm wearing light armor, these guys look like they could barge through walls, and we’ve all taken hits. You are wearing a suit!"
Without waiting for an answer, she stepped to the console by the double doors and started typing something.
"I exist in the material world only in the strictest of sense," Reuben commented as if it was nothing special.
Joanna gave the man a harsh look across her shoulder. It made her look incredible. Rago felt his cock stir again. No one on Corolon dared to speak to the messengers like that. The ethereal race was powerful beyond measure, although they rarely showed it. What use were swords and guns against a species that wasn't corporeal?
"I'm not through with you yet," she warned Reuben with a stern voice and then the double doors slid open before them.
The four of them rushed inside. The lights were flickering, clearly the Orochis had cut a power source. Only backup generators were running and even those without full capacity.
They followed Joanna, who went toward the back wall of the grand room without hesitation. There were noises ahead that sounded like arguing. Rago and Eredin picked up pace, going past Joanna, putting her behind them.
"Hey –" she protested.
"Quiet," Rago warned her. "If the Orochis have the Orb, you have to run."
"I can help," Joanna protested, hushing her voice as he'd told her to.
"Even we don't know what it is," Eredin cut in. "It's better if you stay back until we find out."
Joanna clearly wanted to say more on the matter, but they had finally reached their goal. Up ahead, on a small platform, a squad of Orochis stood and argued.
Rago and Eredin approached with caution. It was unnatural to them considering how much more powerful they were than the enemies, but Joanna was there. Neither one of them was willing to risk her getting hurt.
Not to mention the Orb was an unknown factor in the fight. Did the Orochis have it? And what did it do if they did?
It wouldn't have been the first mythological item to turn out to be fake.
Rago raised a hand and all four of them stopped, staying in the shadow of the shelves rising to the ceilings. Three of them quieted, that was. The messenger made no sound when he moved. Rago doubted he ever truly stepped on the ground.
"Pick it up," one of the Orochis was saying, his voice commanding.
Rago presumed it was an officer of some sorts. He marked out the speaker as his first target, but didn't move yet. If the Orochis didn't dare to touch the Orb, they needed more information.
"I don't want to die," another Orochi argued, snarling at the first speaker. "You saw what it did to Skork!"
Rago saw an Orochi lying on the ground. The scavenger looked like he'd been scorched by the Orb, his skin an unnaturally dark tone for the species. Almost none of the usual green was showing, only dark patches of flesh that still clung to his dead frame.
If Joanna had touched that...
The thought was unbearable. Rago's insides twisted in rage directed at no one in particular. He couldn't fathom the idea of living without Joanna anymore.
That was how quickly the fated bonds worked. They ensnared a man and never let go until their dying breath. Everything between the moment when he'd met Joanna until the second he perished belonged to his fated now.
"We need to get going!" the officer Orochi barked again, although he didn't take a step closer to the Orb Rago saw sitting in a large bowl. "Before those damn Haverins get here!"
"How did the Terrans move it without touching it?" another enemy demanded. "Why aren't they dead?"
"Who's to say they did?" the officer yelled. "They must have had some mechanical hand to pick it up! Or they're immune to the power! Now, you, pick it up! The myths say it can be wielded so it must be carried too! One of us must be able to do it!"
"Why don't you try, then?" a brave Orochi argued furiously.
The officer never got the chance to reply, because the comm link on Joanna's wrist started beeping.
"Lieutenant, there are Orochis in the cargo bay, please –" yelled someone's desperate voice.
Joanna reacted quickly, shutting the link off, but not quickly enough. The Orochis had heard and turned as one.
Rago and Eredin dashed from cover, heading right for the enemy. They met them head-on, working hard to take them all down before they could reach Joanna. Rago saw she was out from cover too, taking quick shots with her gun, a determined look on her face as she tried to edge closer to the Orb.
The Orochi officer was backing away toward it too. Rago saw his little yellow eyes flicker between him, Joanna and the Orb. It was an odd sight to see a creature with that many teeth grit them in fury. Then the Orochi leader ran for the pedestal the Orb was on.
"Better it be lost –" he howled.
"No!" the messenger called from somewhere behind them.
A lot of things happened at once. Rago and Eredin both immediately turned to the Orb. All of the remaining enemies blocked their way, slowing them down just enough for the Orochi to reach the pedestal first.
He knocked it over, ramming the stand shoulder-first. It toppled unsteadily and then fell.
Joanna was right there. More out of reflex than anything else, she dropped the gun and reached out her hands. The messenger had called out, after all, that it was important. Rago saw her big eyes fly wide open as even while she was still moving closer, Joanna wanted to stop herself, realizing she was about to die.
"No!" Rago and Eredin roared together.
It was too late. Joanna caught the Orb.
Five
Joanna
Joanna didn't know what she'd been expecting.
A light at the end of the tunnel? Her life flashing before her eyes, reminding her once more of the modest, boring life she'd led? The lieutenant had definitely expected excruciating pain, a little lightning and flair to mark her death.
It was nothing like that.
The Orb landed neatly in her palms. It was surprisingly cool to touch, almost as if it emanated cold. For a second, it just lay there while the fight went on around her.
Joanna raised her eyes, still stunned and frozen to the spot with the presumably deadly device in her hands. She saw the Orochi leader start to come her way, a hungry look in his eyes. Then Eredin and Rago broke free from the other enemies and ran her way.
The Orb cracked open like an egg. Joanna yelped, more in surprise than fear and tried to let go of it. Her hands didn't respond to her mind. Something slippery and long like the root of a plant spilled out of it.
The Orochis who were still alive to witness that turned on their heels and ran, each and every one of them. Joanna heard the leader yell commands, telling all squadrons to make for the fighters. There was something else too but she could no longer pay attention or care.
Just as Rago and Eredin reached her side and knocked the pieces of the Orb out of her hand, the plant moved. The long, violet root raised one end of it like a head – and then burrowed into her still unmoving hand, digging itself into her left arm. It felt cold, like a beam of ice shot straight into her veins.
This time, Joanna howled in true terror.
"Get it out, get it out of me!" she cried, her hands finally free of the petrifying hold the Orb had had on her.
She caught the end of the root and pulled. It didn't hurt when she tugged at it with all her might as she would have thought. It didn't stop burrowing
either. Eredin pushed her hand out of the way, took a firm hold of the thing and pulled.
Joanna could feel how powerful the motion was, the warrior's brow knitting when it didn't yield to his strength.
"It's futile," Reuben said, walking closer. "It won't leave her. Not like that, anyway. She opened the Orb and the Orb chose her."
She'd nearly forgotten he was still there. Hints and clues started to crash together in Joanna's head with speed that made her dizzy. Watching as the "tail" of the root disappeared under her skin, leaving a long violet trail like the line of a tattoo, she turned to the man. It no longer felt cold. As soon as it had settled, Joanna didn't feel anything different. It was like it had always been a part of her.
"You knew!" she yelled. "You knew this would happen!"
"Yes," Reuben admitted casually.
Rago and Eredin drew their swords together and they landed in an x-shape right on the man's throat, catching it between the blades.
Despite being infected with some dangerous alien weapon, Joanna had to admit they looked incredibly sexy doing that. She was no damsel in distress but there was something about the way they unquestionably protected her that was hard to resist, not that she was trying very hard. It simply wasn't in human nature to find a good argument against having two of the most gorgeous men alive swoon over her.
"Make that… that thing go away," Eredin ordered, his deep, growling voice leaving no doubt that it was a threat.
If Reuben wasn't so strictly polite, Joanna could have sworn he rolled his eyes.
"Put your weapons away," he said with a slightly tired voice. "You know they can't hurt me."
"We'll find a way if you don't help her right now," Rago said.
"I can't," Reuben admitted with a sigh. "I beg your forgiveness. The Celestial Mates Dating Agency has rules far beyond your understanding. You couldn't fathom how fragile the cords of time and space are. Some things need to come to pass."
"Like her dying because you set it up?" Eredin asked, gritting his teeth. "I promise, messenger, if something happens to our fated, your people will be sorry... no matter what it takes."
Fated, Joanna remembered, unable to stop sliding her right hand over the hidden root under her arm.
Her fear was slowly passing. She was still drawing breath, the violet line on her skin didn't look as ugly as it could have – rather pretty in its own right. And although she couldn't have put her finger on exactly why, Joanna didn't believe Reuben had sentenced her to die like that.
To answer her thoughts, Reuben glared at her fateds.
"She's not dying, as you can plainly see," he said chidingly. "What kind of a monster do you take me for, to bring you here to watch your fated die? I brought you here to help, which you have. Well done."
That fated thing is something that needs clarifying, Joanna told herself quietly. Haverins. I can't believe it.
She knew about the mighty warrior race, of course. Everyone did, although much of it was rumor. The home world of Haverins, Corolon, was far from Terra. Very far, even after Terra achieved the ability to travel the stars. Travelers and explorers of other races had brought news of the warriors, telling everyone on Terra about the golden-eyed men who could morph their bodies at will.
Joanna searched her mind for more. Details escaped her, yet the part about fated mates was true, that was for sure. Haverin bonds were known far and wide. She just hadn't known they could include a Terran.
I'm getting a headache. Exactly what I needed.
Reuben turned to her as the warriors still glowered at him.
"Miss Smith," he said as a portal opened behind him.
Joanna leaned closer to see and saw a beautiful world, golden daylight as bright as the eyes of the warriors playing in miraculous nature. She felt a pull, toward the warriors and their world both. All three were beautiful and it had been a while since she'd seen anything that wasn't dull and unimportant – like endless research missions to planets no one cared about.
Although it seems we finally picked up something significant.
"As I was saying before," Reuben went on. "There are conditions for my help. I tried to explain but, understandably, you wanted to save the crew of this ship. I'm afraid now you are forced to accept my terms without further argument."
Joanna glowered, observing the man who still had the audacity to smile.
"Just to make this clear, then?" she asked. "If I'd refused, you would have let me and everyone else aboard the Rivera die while you had these killing machines here on standby?" she asked, waving loosely at the two warlords.
Rago and Eredin looked horrified, even if Joanna also noticed naked lust and something much deeper in their eyes every time they looked at her.
"No," Reuben admitted. "That would have been terribly cruel. If you or they would have refused, I would have taken care of the Orochis myself. In that case, you would have never met and the Orb would have been lost to history."
Joanna looked at her arm, pulling the sleeve up higher and seeing the way it curled under her skin.
"So now I have this... thing in me," she said quietly. "What will it do to me?"
"That is up for you to decide," Reuben said cryptically. "Now, the conditions of the Celestial Mates, Miss Smith. By summoning your fateds here to help, you have agreed to spend two weeks of your life giving true love a chance. This portal here will transport you and your fateds to Corolon. In exactly two weeks, I will come back to hear your answer.
"You may decide to stay or if, for some reason, you don't find the life there satisfying, I will take you home to Terra."
Joanna considered that, looking at the warriors standing next to her. The warm feeling inside hadn't gone anywhere and Joanna suspected it wasn't just lust that was dragging her to them.
True love. Hard to believe that's possible… But what do I have to lose? I owe Reuben at least something for saving my crew. And a vacation on that dream world with those two... yes, please.
She hesitated just for a moment.
"Do you give me your word? It's a little hard for me to trust a man who seems to be some sort of a genie. I lost my faith in magic a long time ago."
Reuben smiled, nodding to the warriors.
"They can assure you I'm real," he said. "And I swear, if you need me to. Celestial Mates doesn't lie to our clients. All we ask is that you give it a chance."
"And my ship?" Joanna asked. "The Rivera?"
"Should be safe now," Reuben replied with a smile that told Joanna he wasn't telling her everything. "What the Orochi wanted is now gone. The rest of the cargo here doesn't interest them."
That's fair. Even I have trouble coming up with enthusiasm for the flora of Planet B5-who-gives-a-damn.
She looked at her fateds. It was hard for Joanna to wrap her head around the whole thing.
Why not, though? What do I have to argue with that angelic matchmaker for?
"Is there someone on your world who could help me with this?" she asked, showing the warriors her arm. "If this one here insists on being so damn mysterious."
"We will do everything that's in our powers, yes," Rago replied, frowning at Reuben.
That was the last of her arguments. Smiling at Reuben, feeling like she was going crazy, Joanna shrugged.
"Okay then," she said, laughing. "I guess we're doing this. Hope that I don't have this thing in my arm when you come for me or we’re going to have a much sterner talk. There has to be a cure."
With a small bow, Reuben stepped out of the way and Joanna approached the portal carefully. A part of her still had trouble believing what she was seeing.
"Good luck, Joanna," Reuben said as she stepped into the glowing light with the warriors on either side of her. "And don't worry about your arm. Why cure a blessing?"
Joanna wanted to ask what he meant by that, but Reuben was gone. She was standing on an alien world so far from home it made her a little dizzy.
What did I just get myself into?
Six
Eredin
They were back home.
The fact he and Rago had just traveled an unknown distance through space – and possibly through time, it wasn't beyond the powers of the messengers – was a distant second concern. It was barely even noteworthy compared to the female who'd just turned their lives upside down.
She looked at their world as they stood in solemn silence on top of a small hill, far from the arena the messenger had taken Rago and him from. Her long dark hair blew in the cool wind and her deep hazel eyes took in the beauty of Corolon, a truly joyful smile on her lips.
There was no regret in Eredin's heart. It would have been safe to presume there was some. Just one look at Joanna told him it was all worth it, no matter what the punishment was for them leaving the honor duel.
"Er," said his fated with the most maddening little smile, turning back to them. "Please say you agree that this whole thing has been completely ridiculous from the beginning."
"Ridiculous? How so?"
"I mean this day has so far been utterly insane," Joanna explained, still touching her left arm as she'd been doing since the Orb chose her, for whatever it was. "Unbelievable."
"Yes," Rago agreed firmly, always the one to say it how it was. "This has been... unexpected."
Joanna laughed. It made the air around them lighter somehow, filling the world with happiness Eredin couldn't remember feeling before. It felt like he'd been waiting for her all his life – which was true. Eredin hadn't expected to feel like that, though. As if being near Joanna made him experience every moment like he'd only ever seen the world for the first time and yet understand it all better than ever before.
"Unexpected is definitely correct," Joanna nodded. "I don't think it does it any justice. I don't know about you, but I could sure use a calm, peaceful place to sit down and think about it a little. And if you don't mind, could you find someone to get this damn thing out of me before I lose my mind?"