“I hope your dad was right about this guy.” Dani squeezed his hand. And I hope your dad is okay. How horrible would it be if the day they got together was the day his father died?
He kissed her hand and led them out of the cruiser.
Trulass was thin and scrappy, quite the opposite of Rucon. Physical appearance clearly wasn’t a priority with this one, and if she had to guess, she’d bet he cut his own hair.
He stepped up, hand extended. “You must be Ian. Spit’n image of your da’. Though I’d guess you have a good head on him, ya?”
“About five inches, yes.” The men shook hands.
Dani climbed out and shook his hand next. Rough and callused. A working man’s hands.
“Rucon described you all so there aren’t no mistakes. You’d be Dani, then.”
“Thanks for helping us out,” Dani said.
“Glad to do it. Ah, and this wee lass here, that’d be Ria. And you I recognize,” he said as Balastar stepped up. “Nice to meet you, councilman.”
Balastar shook hands. “Just Balastar now.”
“Aye. Interesting times these.” Trulass looked into the cruiser. “Wasn’t expecting five. Who’s that?”
“That’s one of my Earth Protectors. He’s a Portal Master and pulled a fifth port getting my father away from Gordat.”
“A fifth?” It was clear he knew the dangers and the chance of failure. “Right, since when does Rucon have ’is own Portal Masters?”
“It’s a long story,” Ian said. “Let’s get him loaded and get out of here. He needs help. Balastar has a medic on his transport.”
“Let’s do it then,” Trulass said, leading the way.
Balastar used his psi to move the large man into the shuttle. Ria followed behind and climbed in.
Ian took Dani’s hand. “Hold on.” He pulled her toward him and kissed her. “I just want to say I’m sorry, one last time. And to let you know, I’ll never hurt you again.”
Dani place her hand on his cheek. “I know. I trust you more than I ever thought possible.” The extent and truth of the statement amazed her.
He grinned. “As soon as you’re clear, there’s something we need to finish.” Ian trailed his thumb over her lips.
“I’m impressed with your restraint,” she said, giving his thumb a teasing nibble. “I haven’t sensed your psi since we landed in the vale.”
“That’s because one slip and you could be set back for days. That would be torture on a whole new level.”
She didn’t want to think where they would be if the bond couldn’t be finished. She took his hand and kissed it. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. I was thinking about it in the cruiser. It’s like—”
A bright red beam ripped through Ian’s chest. Later, she’d wonder if she really did see through his body before he staggered against the cruiser.
Balastar roared with anger and fired back at the guards by the hangar door.
“Get in the shuttle now,” Trulass shouted.
Ria braced herself by the door and fired over their heads providing cover.
Balastar rushed over to Ian and hoisted him up with psi.
Dani had her hands over his wounds but, there was no stopping the flow of blood.
A beam of laser buzzed next to Dani’s ear.
“Move it, guys,” Ria shouted and took out the source of the fire. She and Trulass covered them while they got Ian through the door of the ship and placed him on a cot near Armond.
Dani was shaking, her hands and arms covered in blood.
Ian’s face was getting paler by the second and his breathing more rapid and shallow.
“Get me something to stop the bleeding,” Dani yelled.
Trulass jumped inside and grabbed a first aid kit from the wall.
Ria slowly backed up toward them, keeping the door covered.
“Get in lassie,” Trulass said. “We’re leaving here now.” He punched a few buttons on the console and a solid door slid across the entire side of the hangar.
“What are you doing?” Ria said. “We have to leave through those doors.”
“Not to worry. I’m just buying us a few minutes.” Trulass closed the door of the ship and rushed to Ian, rolling him on his side. From the kit he pulled out a flat package. He ripped it open and unfolded a piece of material twelve inches across. He slapped it over the bleeding wound and rolled Ian onto his back. He quickly pulled out another package and did the same to the front wound. The material morphed. It formed itself to Ian’s body with a one- or two-inch indent where the hole was.
Dani was sick at the thought of what was missing from that hole, then realized she didn’t know for sure which side his heart was on. “His heart,” she said aloud.
“Left. Just like yours,” Ria said, strapping Ian into the bed below where Armond lay.
“Why are you doing that? You have a Gravity Modulator, right?”
Trulass laughed. “Not on this old boat. We have dampers and shields, no GravMod. Now everyone buckle in. It’s going to be a rough start.” He headed to the controls and strapped himself in.
Balastar and Ria did the same.
Dani remained standing, not wanting to leave Ian’s side.
Ria pointed to a jump seat at the head of the bed.
Dani pulled it down and strapped in.
“Reclining,” Trulass called from the cockpit.
Dani’s heart skipped a beat as her seat slid forward and her back and headrest assumed a near forty-five degree angle. She looked out a window above Ria’s head. This wouldn’t be good for Ian. She put a hand on his shoulder.
Ria shook her head and showed Dani how to place her hands on the grooves of the arm rests.
“Where you goin’ Trulass?” Ria called out.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, just a little back door I was hoping I’d never use. Hope I can get someone to send me my stuff, cuz they’re not going to let me come back here after this.” His voice rose as he flipped a series of switches.
The light in the hangar changed.
He opened the roof. Dani gripped the arm rest.
A siren blared throughout the cabin and Trulass let out a crazed “Whoooo Yaaaa! Let’s go, baby. Say goodbye to Sandaria!”
Gravity pressed her against the seat back. She fought for each breath as the sky outside paled from blue to black. Spots danced in front of her eyes. Just when her consciousness was slipping away the weight lifted and she was slammed to the left as the craft shot out of the atmosphere. Now she weighed ounces. Ian barely touched the bed as his body pulled against the restraints. His chest rose and fell sporadically.
The crushing weight on her chest had nothing to do with gravity. You can’t die. Not now.
Ian’s chest stilled.
Dani waited.
He wasn’t breathing.
“He’s dying!” she screamed as she pulled at her buckles.
“Hold up there, girl,” Trulass said. “We just broke every airspace rule in existence. I’m hoping they have more on their minds right now than a rogue shuttle. Here, that should help.”
Partial gravity returned and Dani leapt to Ian’s side. “You can’t do this, Ian.” She started chest compressions. “It’s a hundred beats a minute, right?” she asked through her tears to no one and any one.
“Yeah. A hundred,” Ria said at her side.
“Get the shocker from the cabinet above the jump seat,” Trulass called out from the cockpit.
Balastar grabbed what looked like a round clothes iron with a cord. “Step back, Dani.”
Ria ripped his shirt aside and Balastar placed the iron over his heart. “Now,” he said before pressing the button.
Ian’s body convulsed, then collapsed back down.
“Come on Ian, we have unfinished business, remember?” Dani shook him.
He didn’t move.
Balastar shocked him again with no effect.
Dani stared
at Ian’s lifeless body. This can’t be happening. We just got it right. She grabbed Ian by the shoulders and shook. “We just got it right,” she screamed at him. Anger flared through her and she shook harder. “Damn you, Ian.” She stopped and he just lay there. No. No. No. No. No. No! Her psi exploded. She flew away from Ian and slammed into the wall behind. Searing pain shot through her head as she slid to the floor and everything went black.
Chapter 22
The little men were back. Banging on her brain with their hammers. They’d been worse before. She blinked her eyes and winced at the bright light. Her eyes stung and her vision blurry, but she could tell someone sat in a chair next to her. She pulled herself up and leaned against soft pillows, blinking until her vision cleared.
Ria’s small form curled up nicely in the uncomfortable looking chair. A background hum and vibration filled the room. She looked at Ria, her mind a blank. She struggled to remember how she got here. Where is here? She was forgetting something. Something important. Fear. She was terrified but didn’t know why. Then it came back. Gordat. The drug. Ian.
Oh, God, Ian. She struggled to breathe. She tried to swallow but her mouth was impossibly dry.
Ria woke and came to her side. “Hey. Glad to see you’re awake. It’s been over a day.”
Dani looked at her friend. How could she be so upbeat at a time like this? She didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to be anywhere. She tried to tell Ria, but she only coughed.
“Here.” Ria handed her a cup with a straw.
Dani took it but just looked at it. What did it matter? She should stop. Stop drinking, stop eating.
Ria lifted the cup to her lips.
A tear slid down her face as she drank. Slowly at first, then more quickly.
Ria smiled at her, then looked perplexed. “What gives?”
“What gives?” Dani managed.
“Girlfriend.” Ria set the cup down and put her hand on Dani’s. “Did you forget?”
“Don’t forget.” It was Ian’s voice. Dani shook her head. Still forgetting something.
The door to the room swung open and Ian stepped inside. Tall, strong, and sexy as hell.
She swung her legs off the bed and he met her halfway. She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.
His arms grabbed her and held tight.
“You forgot, didn’t you,” Ian said, placing a kiss on her head.
“Apparently. I only remember…” She couldn’t finish. She remembered him lying on the bed, not breathing, and there was nothing she could do.
“It’s all right. I’m here. I’m fine. Once again, you saved me.” Ian pulled back to look at her. “It seems to be something of a habit with us.”
Dani was strung out from losing him all over again and getting him back. “That’s three you owe me.” She looked around. “So, where are we and what happened? You stopped breathing.” She placed a hand over his chest to feel his heartbeat.
“We’re on Balastar’s transport ship,” Ian said. “About two days from Earth. As for what happened, Ria’s the better person to ask.”
“Wait,” Dani held her hand up. “We’re on a ship. In space?”
“You got it,” Ria smiled.
“That is so cool. Okay, tell me how I got here.”
“I’ll tell you what I know,” Ria said, coming around the bed. “Never seen anything like it. We both still had suppressant in our systems. And, yeah, you stopped breathing.” She poked Ian in the ribs. “Balastar tried to jump start your heart, but it didn’t work. Dani, you started screaming “no, no, no” over and over and something happened. Balastar says it was a shockwave. A psi shockwave. Your psi, Dani. It blasted all of us, but Ian’s body pulsed. Five or six times, I’m not sure, but he started breathing again. You on the other hand”—Ria gave Dani a playful push—“passed out cold. Been that way for nearly a day.
“Now we had three unconscious bodies, two beds, and no way to tell who was going to live. We stuffed you in the bed next to Ian, made it here, and let the healer do his thing. Ian first, then Armond. He’s back to his arrogant self, by the way. But you, we couldn’t do anything with. No telling what that blast did, given your drugged state. We’ve just been watching and waiting.”
“You woke up once,” Ian said. “I was here. I told you we were going to be okay and not to forget.”
Vague memories floated past. “I kind of remember that. It’s fuzzy. What about my psi? Is it okay to use?”
Ian and Ria exchanged a look.
“We don’t really know,” Ian said. “The ship’s healer said to wait and see what happens naturally. He recommended not forcing any psi connections.”
“Huh,” Dani said. “What about your dad?” She remembered Rucon’s unknown fate.
“He’s fine. Looks like we’ll make it to Earth with everyone intact.”
Dani wondered about that. She didn’t feel quite right, but she was going home. With Ian. She glanced down at the white medical gown she wore. Given the coolness of the room, she was glad they’d included socks. “All righty then. I need a shower and I need clothes.”
“If you’re up for it, I can show you to our cabin,” Ian said, looking adorably sheepish. “I’ve got your clothes there.”
“And your boots,” Ria added. “Can’t forget the boots.”
“Thanks, guys.”
“You can thank Balastar. When we decided on this plan he had a couple of days worth of our stuff sent to the transport. Everyone except Armond, of course.”
Ian and Ria shared a laugh.
“What?” Dani said.
“Just make sure you compliment him on his fashionable attire,” Ria said. “As soon as possible.”
“Can’t wait to see that,” Dani said, taking Ian’s arm. “Lead the way, good sir.”
“M’lady.” Ian nodded and led her out.
The cabin wasn’t large but it was perfectly adequate. A bed, dresser, a couch, and a decent-sized bathroom.
“I didn’t visualize a transport ship having cabins like this. Don’t know why, really. Just didn’t picture it this way.”
“People frequently want to travel with their stuff. Not all transports have the option but this one does. It has six cabins and the captain’s suite.”
Dani walked over and peered out a rectangular window. It was the perfect height to place her fingers on the sill and rest her chin. “Space, the final frontier,” she said, her breath fogging the glass. “Dad would have loved this.”
Ian joined her. “I wish I could have met your parents.”
“Me too.”
He turned her toward him and stared into her eyes.
The love she saw there made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t ready to voice her deepest fear so she pulled away and grabbed the clothes he’d placed on the bed. “I can only imagine what I must look like. Time for a shower.”
Ian pulled a new com unit out of his pocket and set it on the bedside table. “Call me when you’re ready. I’ll give you a tour of the ship.”
“Great, thanks.”
He didn’t say a word as she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
Being clean again felt downright sinful. Which made her think of Ian and their grand finale, yet to come. Her gut clenched. She had no sense of her psi and was terrified to try anything. Ian said he’d love her without it, but she wasn’t sure about how she would feel. She looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done her hair properly. She pulled it into a ponytail, put on some eye shadow and mascara and looked, to her at least, worlds better. When we get home, I’m getting my hair cut, my nails done and having a two-hour massage.
She put on her boots and grabbed the com Ian had left for her.
He must have been near because he was at the door in seconds. The man radiated happiness.
Dani wanted to feel the same.
He wrapped his arms around her. “You look be
autiful.”
“You’re easy to please,” she said.
“When it comes to you, I am.” He kissed her, gently, not forcing anything.
The touch of his lips sent chills down her spine but nothing else. “Okay,” she said, stepping back. “Don’t want to start something we can’t finish. Where’s that tour you promised?”
Ian hesitated a beat then stepped aside. “After you, m’lady.”
Dani slid past and out into the hall, trying to hide her devastation. It’s gone. The kiss had been just that. A kiss. She barely heard Ian’s explanation of the areas they passed. She was pulled from her morose state when he led her into the viewing deck.
It resembled a home theater except, instead of a TV, it had a floor-to-ceiling window. An irrational stab of fear shot through her when she approached the wall.
She gave a halfhearted laugh, then reached out and touched the glass. They approached Saturn with the rings clearly visible. “Oh my God. It’s incredible. I feel like I’m going to fall.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be there to catch you if you do.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Don’t shut me out.” He stroked her cheek and pulled her close. “We’re in this together, remember?”
She didn’t want to say it but she had to. “I don’t want you to feel obligated. This isn’t what you bargained for. Just me. Just a human.”
“Gods, Dani. Do you think there is so little between us?”
“It’s not fair to you.”
“What? Finding the woman I want to spend my life with? How is that not fair?”
“You know what I mean, Ian.”
“Yes, I do. So what if your psi is damaged or gone? I thought you loved me.”
It occurred to her then that the word “heartbreak” wasn’t just a metaphor. “I love you with every fiber of my being.” She couldn’t stop the tears.
“Thank the Goddess,” he said, taking her in his arms. “Now stop this nonsense. Just love me. That’s all I ask.”
Joy and relief spread through her. She laughed as he wiped her tears away. The happiness she saw in his face reflected her own. He bent down and kissed her. No gentle touch this. As their lips met, she grabbed his hips and pulled him closer. She ran her hands up his chest and snaked them around his neck. Their tongues caressed as he probed deeper. A thrill started in her loin and rippled up her torso and in a silent explosion their psi collided. Dani sucked in a breath as the pleasure took over. Yes. She held still, reveling in the experience.
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