Rayn nodded. “Yes, and he understood.”
“And he didn’t kill you because of me.”
He bowed. “Yes, and I thank you for that.”
“Would he kill both of us to protect his secret?”
“I don’t know. You know him better than I do.”
“Yes, but are they known to be ruthless?”
“Like the dens are known to be, you mean?”
“Rayn . . .”
“All right. No, not that I heard, but that doesn’t mean anything. Most creatures will do whatever is necessary to survive. If I were you, I wouldn’t admit the truth to him. It would put him in a difficult position and perhaps force him to a course of action he wouldn’t like but would take nevertheless.”
“I understand.” She paused, her head bowed, but after a moment her eyes sought his. As she stood in the small room, she felt, among all her conflicting feelings, the power of Rayn’s presence. The realization struck her, like a delayed clap of thunder following a lightning bolt. He was here, in front of her. Rayn.
After a long moment, neither of them speaking, she swept the floor with two strides, brushing aside the distance of space that separated them. She slowly lifted her arms and encircled his neck, pressing herself gently to him. It was the closest she’d been to him since his arrival, and the memories and emotions from the past bobbed to the surface of her mind, like treasures buried deep below the sea, found at last, and rushed to the surface with the joy of discovery.
The oh-so-familiar scent of mountain mint was gone, but she imagined she sensed its clean, refreshing tang nevertheless as she snuggled her face into his hair. Familiar, and yet so different . . . She’d crossed two bars of space, but could she bridge the gap of time and all that had happened since they’d last held each other? Could he?
Rayn slipped his arms around her waist and held her close, giving her part of her answer.
She whispered into his ear. “You have no idea how many times I turned to the stars, pleading with them to send you to me, somehow. They did, but only in my dreams. I’d awaken, begging you to come for me, over and over.”
“And I came, little girl, I came . . . I came . . . I came,” he breathed into her hair, sliding his hands up her back and tightening his embrace. They stood like that, suspended, as if they were encased in a bubble that would never break.
But finally, she thought again of Kyl, and the moment was over. She pulled away and looked into Rayn’s eyes.
“Rayn, this is true? All of it?”
“I’m sorry, little girl, it’s all true. I wouldn’t use a ploy like this to try to win you from another man. I have more faith in us than that.”
She pulled away from him. “There’s one thing I need to know. Can you forgive what I’ve done? Can you live with what I’ve been to him, and he to me?” She waited, and her heartbeat counted out the seconds, pounding in her ears.
He took a deep breath. “That’s a question I must have flung at a thousand different stars. But the answer came from my soul-counselor. He told me that my forgiveness had to be at least as deep as my love for you, else I should turn around and go back home.”
“And is it?”
“I pray so, little girl.”
Relief made her light-headed, and she thought she was going to fall, but Rayn caught her and held her close. She reveled in the warmth of his forgiveness, but she knew it wasn’t over yet.
She pulled away. “I have to go to him.”
“I’m going with you. I want to be close by in case—”
She cut him off firmly. “No, Rayn. Please. I need to do this privately. I’ll be all right. I won’t say anything stupid, but I have the feeling he’ll know the truth anyway.”
“Very well. I’ll be here. If you need me, you have only to call.”
She smiled thinly and trailed her hand lightly down the side of his face, from his temple to his jaw. The warm skin and rough stubble beckoned her with memories, but she dropped her hand and pushed the past aside. She had to deal with now.
She traipsed back to the hangar, hurrying her step now and again, then slowing as she felt her reluctance in facing Kyl grab her. What would she say to him? Would she now feel a revulsion to him, knowing what he was? Would he try to hurt her? Of all her questions, the last was the only one she felt an answer to. He wouldn’t harm her, she was sure of it. As for the rest, she would have to wait and see.
The yawn of the bay greeted her silently, and to fight her sudden despair, she sat in a corner and cleared her mind. Half an hour later, she turned with a start.
He was there, in the middle of the room, watching her. She hadn’t heard him come in, but as with Rayn so many times in the past, she’d felt Kyl’s presence when he was near her.
This is it, she thought, and though she didn’t fear Kyl himself, nevertheless she felt a dark dread at the sight of him. She stepped haltingly up to him and stood before him.
His pose was straight and hard, like a monument, and his face was impassive as a mask. She reached one hand up and touched the warm skin of his jaw, reminding herself that this was a living being after all. As with Rayn, the feel of Kyl was well-known, yet enigmatic. How could the two men she thought she knew so thoroughly all of a sudden seem so foreign to her? But there was no aversion, only a sadness and regret so deep it scared her. Yes, he would survive. His words “it’s what I do best” rang in her ears, taking on a new meaning. But would he love again?
“You made the right decision,” he murmured, so softly that her mind heard the words more than her ears did.
Her wan smile held no joy. “Are you a mind reader, like Rayn?”
“It was your only choice, wasn’t it?”
“Kyl . . .”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“Yes, I do. I want you to know what you mean to me.” She swallowed and searched his eyes. They glowed with a clear gray-blue light, so different from the shadowed eyes she usually saw. “You’ll always be a part of me.” She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
“Tell your Rayn that we’re not so different after all. Tell him that trying to catch lightning in a bottle is a grander quest than vengeance. I almost had my lightning. But don’t fear for me. The Gods always find their true love, don’t they? Even if it takes an eternity.”
This man, in spite of everything Rayn had told her, was still dear to her.
“I’ll survive,” he added, “and you will, too, with the help of a very mortal man back there who needs you desperately. Just one more thing. If you ever need the help of the Roven, you have it. You know where we can be found. And if a man ever comes up to you and says ‘allow me to read the stars to you, Hellfire,’ you’ll know him for who he is, won’t you?”
She tried to swallow, but her throat felt tight and swollen. “Yes, I’ll know him. Thank you, Alecto.” She kissed him one last time, savoring his warmth and closeness, then turned and went to gather her belongings.
DINA RETURNED TO Rayn, drawing a deep breath when he let her in the door. How long would it be before she felt truly comfortable with him again? Would she ever feel the same way she did on Exodus? Would he? She was grateful that he kept a distance between them, not pressing her for intimacy.
“So? What was his reaction?” he asked.
“He’s willing to let me go. He’s known about you for a long time. I’m sure he knew in his heart that if it came down to the choice, I’d choose you. But if the two of you fought, he’d be the victor, wouldn’t he?”
Rayn nodded. “I’m strong, but not against one such as him. My mind has no power against the Roven. Did you tell him that you know what he is?”
“I didn’t have to. He knew.”
“You don’t fear him?”
She smiled. That was the one certainty in this day of tur
moil. “No. He won’t hurt me. Of that I’m absolutely positive. He even pledged his help if I should ever need it in the future.”
Rayn glanced down and ran a hand through his hair. “Dina, there’s something I didn’t tell you before. I wasn’t alone in coming here.”
She remembered her first sight of Rayn. “I know that. I saw you with another man when you first approached Kyl’s house.”
“The man you saw me with is my soul-counselor, Sage Z’andarc. He’s the bond-mate of a cousin of mine. I wouldn’t have been able to make this journey without his help. But no, the man I was talking about is an ISD commander. He’s been tracking the Roven for a long time, and he—”
Oh, Gods . . . She cut him off. “Rayn, is it Dhagaz?”
He looked up. “How did you know?”
She sighed. “Kyl’s been trying to force a showdown with him for years. He’d been hoping Dhagaz would follow him here. Dhagaz murdered his lover years ago, and Kyl’s never forgotten nor forgiven. Something about Dhagaz building his reputation in the ISD through killings disguised as military actions.”
“Dhagaz knows what the Roven really is. All the information I got on Kylariz was courtesy of Dhagaz.”
She looked away. “Well, Kyl is hell-bent on getting his revenge. And unlike with you, I wasn’t able to talk him out of it. I was worried about him before going up against Dhagaz, but now that I know how powerful the Roven is . . .”
Rayn touched her face. “Look at me, Dina.”
She did, and something in his eyes scared her. “What?”
He raised his brows. “There’s something else I haven’t told you. Dhagaz claims to have a special weapon—an electromagnetic weapon far more powerful than a rez gun. I can only assume it creates an energy field so disruptive that the Roven’s energy can’t survive either in the host or outside it.”
She widened her eyes. “You have to help Kyl.”
Rayn shook his head. “Oh, no. I came here to kill the Roven before Dhagaz got his chance to. I’m willing to give up my quest for revenge for you, but I’m not about to step into the middle of a years-old blood feud.”
“Then warn him, at least. I’m sure he doesn’t know anything about this new weapon. Please, Rayn.”
He sighed, and she knew she had her victory. And without another word, she ran out the door, knowing Rayn would follow. She just hoped there was still time.
Chapter Eighteen
Showdown
THE STAGE WAS set. Kyl sat in the bay and waited. The equipment had been checked, all was in readiness, and Dina was safe with her dens. There was nothing more to do, and in the absence of action, thoughts of his own mortality crept in. He’d always fought hard for his survival, but when Dina had asked him what it was he wanted once his quest for vengeance was done with, he hadn’t known how to answer her. With her at his side, there had been hope that she somehow would fill the emptiness. Now . . . if he survived today, he knew not what tomorrow would bring.
Life, death, and rebirth. And someday, perhaps an end . . . he’d told the dens. Was this meant to be his end after all? It happened rarely with his kind, but he had known it to happen. No matter. He’d survived more years than he could remember, and death didn’t scare him.
Sandy, how close are you?
Almost there. Dhagaz should be on your doorstep any minute.
Kyl stared at the wide-open service door. I’m ready. Dina’s safe. She’s with her dens.
Understood. Luck of the Roven, Alec.
A shadow fell across the doorway.
“Come in, Dugu. I’ve been waiting for you.” Kyl waited patiently while Dhagaz made his tactical entry through the fatal funnel of the open door. Kyl held his arms outstretched. “Welcome to Triplicity, Commander.”
Dhagaz held a weapon in each hand and was decked out in full tactical gear, including a gray ISD jumpsuit and helmet. “It’s been a long time, Roven. Too long for a killer like you to run amok through the galaxy.”
“You’re more than just a killer, Dhagaz. Many have killed—aye, including myself. What you do is to exterminate with impunity. You murdered every Xegen you could find, regardless of their age, sex, or occupation. Women and children who never did a thing to harm the Synergy.”
Dhagaz approached slowly, his eyes sweeping the bay as he spoke. “Women breed, and a Xegen nit grows into a Xegen louse. You can’t dispute the fact that the Xegen commandos spat upon the Synergy every time the opportunity presented itself.”
“They only fought to defend their territory.”
“They raided Synergic space. But speaking of lice, you’re the ultimate manifestation of parasitic vermin, aren’t you? I’ll be doing all the galaxy, not just the Synergy, a favor in exterminating you.”
Another shadow darkened the doorway, and Kyl saw Rayn DeStar enter the bay with stealth and silence. What was the dens doing here?
Whatever his motive, the dens kept coming, and Dhagaz soon spotted him.
“Ah, young dens, there you are. The promise of blood is a powerful lure, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, Commander.” Roven, can you hear me?
Rayn’s telepathic voice sounded loud and clear in his mind. I hear you. What are you doing here?
I came to warn you about the weapon he wields. He calls it a Roven Killer and claims it’ll disrupt your energy.
A Roven Killer. He’d heard rumors of such weapons for years. Perhaps he’d even expected it now. Thanks for the warning, dens.
Why do you not end it? Surely the mental weaponry of the Roven is swifter and more deadly than anything Dhagaz carries.
Not until he confesses his sins to me.
Then I’ll take my leave. I came only to warn you, Roven, not aid you in your quest for blood.
I understand.
A familiar figure burst through the doorway. “Look what I found sneaking around outside, Commander.” A thin hairy arm encircled Dina’s neck in a grip resembling a choke hold. The man’s other hand pressed a rez gun to her side.
Vaizya! But how? Where was Sandy?
Dhagaz laughed. “She was probably trying to help her lover. Now she’s our insurance.”
DeStar took a step forward, and Kyl could feel the energy building in the dens’ mind. “Commander, I demand you release her at once. This is my bond-mate, the woman I came to rescue.”
Dhagaz laughed again. “Really? All I see is a raider’s whore.”
Dina squirmed like a cat held by the scruff of its neck. “Rayn, no, he’ll kill you!”
“Good advice, young dens.” White teeth showed beneath the commander’s blond mustache. “Shut her up, Vaizya, but don’t hurt her. We may need her yet,” he instructed.
Vaizya nodded, and with a little added pressure on his hold, Dina blacked out and slumped into the man’s embrace like a lover in a faint.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance, Vaizya,” ground out Kyl. Vaizya would pay this time with more than a finger.
Rayn stood still, but his eyes held a dark fury that begged to be loosed, and the energy Kyl felt in DeStar’s mind still raged, ready to be unleashed. The same wrath filled Kyl, but they couldn’t afford to be rash.
Dina’s right. Caution, DeStar, he warned. Kyl’s mind gripped that of DeStar’s, applying just enough pressure to ensure the dens wouldn’t do anything foolish.
Dhagaz sobered. “Before you even think about attacking me, dens, let me remind you of something. I know your kind as well as I do the vermin beside you. I know you can use your mind tricks against only one at a time. Let me empathize that at the first sign of attack on your part, the woman is dead.”
I’m yours now, Roven. What can I do to help?
Encourage him to talk. It shouldn’t be hard. He loves nothing better than the boasting of bloody deeds. And don’t worry about
Dina. She’ll have help.
RAYN WAS HELD by the threat of the weapon in the commander’s hand and by Kylariz’s mind, but his thoughts raced. Sage. Sage was nearby. Rayn didn’t know what Kylariz could do, but he had his own help.
“Take her out of here,” instructed Dhagaz. Vaizya complied, half-dragging and half-carrying Dina’s unconscious body out the door.
Sage.
I hear you, Rayn. What’s wrong?
I need your help, cousin. Dhagaz’s man has Dina. He’s using her as leverage to extort compliance from Kylariz. He means to kill him.
I thought killing him was the plan.
The plan’s changed.
What do you want me to do?
A man named Vaizya has Dina. I don’t know where. She’s out cold, but hopefully not for long. Call to her and find out where she is. The two of you should be able to handle this Vaizya. Let me know when she’s safe.
Done, cousin.
Rayn stared at Dhagaz, wanting nothing more than to loose the ang’nagel on him. The mental spikes of pain would quickly decimate the man, but Kyl’s mind still gripped his own, so he had to satisfy himself with the poor substitute of words. “I vow to you, Commander, that you will pay for your deeds with pain. You may not believe me, but Kylariz knows I speak the truth.”
“Don’t call him that! He’s not Kylariz. Kylariz was my lieutenant. My first officer.” Dhagaz turned to the Roven. “He was loyal to me, and you killed him!”
Kyl glared at Dhagaz. “You killed the woman I loved.”
Dhagaz spat on the floor. “A Xegen. A filthy little Xegen. A hundred like her weren’t worth the life of Lieutenant Kylariz.”
Through their mental connection, Rayn could feel the Roven’s emotions, so deep they almost drowned him. Kylariz’s words were no less passionate. “Why? Because you thought you had found a soul as black-hearted as your own? Because you thought he truly had the appetite for blood that made him relish carrying out your orders of destruction?”
Dhagaz laughed. “You fool. You have no idea why I pursued you so doggedly over time and space for so many years, do you? Even before I knew what you were.”
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