by Mikayla Lane
“What’s wrong?” Haruki demanded, squeezing the hand Deanna slipped into his.
“Not a thing now,” Gun said with a snort as he looked around the apartment in curiosity.
Haruki looked to Mikal to explain what Gun was talking about.
“Seems our baby brother decided to take care of everything for us. The local media has already picked it up, exclaiming about a fireball causing an earthquake that brought down a mountain and killed Mike and his people. Oh, and we have a new entrance to the pyramid,” Mikal said with a proud grin.
“Their baby brother did all that?” Tryne asked in shock as he looked at Alderic to explain how a baby could do such things.
“Their baby brother is Tristan T’Alq,” Alderic said.
Tryne gasped and launched himself to his feet.
“You’re fucking with me,” he shot back. “He’s not their brother! He can’t be!”
Alderic shook his head and sat tiredly in one of the overstuffed chairs.
“It’s true. The man who single-handedly adopted 23 of Terra’s Dranovians, is none other than Grai T’Alq, Tristan’s father,” Alderic admitted, still shocked over it.
“How do you know our brother?” Gun asked, wondering if they should be concerned for Tristan’s safety.
Tryne looked at him like he was a fool and snorted.
“You can’t be serious,” Tryne said and wondered at the clueless expressions on the brother’s faces. “How can you not know?”
“I haven’t figured that out either,” Alderic said, throwing his hands in the air. “You should see the familiarity they display with Tristan and the other warriors. I was speechless, and they were yanking him around for hugs, slapping him on the back and joking.”
“Other warriors? You saw more than just Tristan?” Tryne asked, his voice holding a note of awe and jealousy.
Alderic nodded his head and grinned.
“Thirteen total, including Tristan,” Alderic said as Tryne gasped in shock. “They wiped out the human threat, blew up a few mountains and bored a new entrance into almost a thousand feet of solid rock and barely scorched their wings. Tarona helped me heal the warriors and Tristan shook my hand.”
“No way!” Tryne whispered in awe as he sank back to the couch beside Alderic.
Gun whistled to get everyone’s attention.
“How the hell do you know our little brother?” Gun demanded.
“Light bringers are known throughout more worlds than just the beast ones. They are timeless, endless, and the most ancient of creations,” Tryne said reverently. “Where we are the All-Father’s hand in policing the beast species, light bringers police everyone and everything including us. They are life-givers and destroyers, and serve only at the whim of the One God.”
Dante burst out laughing and shook his head.
“You’re nuts! Timeless? My brother is seven years old!” he said, not sure how they knew so much of Tristan.
“You idiot! That is the age of the body he’s in! Not the age of the soul inside!” Tryne shot back.
“Calm yourself, Tryne. Their ignorance can be frustrating, but their brother takes no offense by it, and I wouldn’t recommend you incur his wrath by doing so on his behalf,” Alderic advised, seeing Tryne immediately settle down.
No one in their right mind wanted to be the cause of angering a light bringer, certainly not the leader.
“OK, so how does that rant tell me how you know my brother,” Gun asked again, getting pissed that he still didn’t have an answer.
“We saw him from a distance after a disaster struck a settlement on Fornaite One a few years ago,” Tryne explained. “The deeds of he and his warriors are spoken of throughout many worlds. I can’t believe he is your brother.”
Gun seemed to relax when he realized they were no threat to his brother and grew curious about what they knew of Tristan that they didn’t think he did.
“So he’s like a superhero to you guys?” Gun prodded for more information.
Tryne and Alderic both snorted.
“If you are speaking of one of your mythical action heroes in one of your Terran movies, then you disgrace your brother with the analogy. He is endless and timeless. The fact that he chose to be born into that physical form and to your father, tells us that Terra is going to hell really damn fast,” Alderic said with a sad shake of his head.
“That would be why Tristan told us to learn fast and why we’re here,” Mikal said, trying to change the subject away from Tristan. There were some secrets his brother should be the one to reveal.
“Tristan said that?” Tryne asked, sitting forward.
“Yes, he did,” Alderic confirmed.
“You’re so fucked,” Tryne whispered as he ran both of his hands over his head.
Alderic glared at Tryne, who didn’t appear bothered by the scathing look.
“What?” Tryne said. “You know damn well if the Lord of the Light Bringers tells them to learn fast, the shit is going to get bad soon!”
“What are you talking about?” Haruki demanded, wondering how much he’d missed while he’d been on Dranar. “Is the conversion coming soon or what?”
Alderic shook his head.
“It can’t be. Far too many other natural disasters will precede the final move, and you’ve not seen that yet, or Tarona would know. He has to be talking about the humans whose beasts are waking. Those like that Mike guy who is creating chaos and destabilizing countries around Terra. The more chaos they can create, the fewer that will survive the coming changes,” Alderic suggested.
“He’s also referring to the Dark Prime,” Gun added.
“Yesh, that guy,” Tryne said with a worried shake of his head. “The Dark Prime, Tristan, other Prime’s, light warriors and beast’s awakening in humans. . . you’ve got the perfect storm of the apocalypse coming, a front row seat, and you’re armed with sticks.”
The combination the Terran Dranovians were facing would be impossible for even a world like his to overcome, but novice Dranovians with no idea of their power and duties would stand no chance against the onslaught heading towards them.
“You know what? Fuck you, buddy!” Gun snapped. “I’ve just about fucking had it with the arrogance of you people and your attitude about what we can and can’t do!”
“Gun!” Mikal growled in warning.
“No! Fuck that! These assholes think we’re some dumbasses that are going to blow up the fucking world or something! I don’t know about you, but I was there when Chris damn near incinerated himself to take out the Dark Prime! We’ve busted our asses for more than a century to protect our world and to listen to these jackoffs, you’d think we sit on our asses and knit fucking socks!” Gun snarled, his fists clenching in anger.
He was also scared to death but didn’t want to admit it. Especially not in front of the guys who already thought they were incompetent fools.
“Enough!” Mikal roared at the same time Alderic stood.
“I agree. Although they are young and reckless, they have strength of heart and the backing of the Sotier of the Tri-worlds,” Alderic said, staring at Tryne as he did. “We will begin your training immediately. I’m proposing that Haruki is named your ambassador to the Tri-Worlds, so his mate can spend time with her friends and help them adjust. Mikal can be installed as the Sotier of Terra during the Consecration.”
“What?” Mikal and Haruki both asked at the same time.
“It makes the most sense,” Alderic said with a casual shrug.
“I am not the strongest of my brothers,” Mikal argued. “I am also not fully Terran. My father is Hyperborean!”
“That explains why you are so different!” Alderic exclaimed, finally understanding the strange, but powerful energy he felt from Mikal. “Nevertheless, your most powerful brother is also your most volatile and that excludes him from consideration. Haruki is already familiarizing himself with our world and appears to work well on a diplomatic level with my second. I don’t see the problem.”
<
br /> Mikal looked to his brothers to help him argue it, and the three of them shook their heads.
“Don’t look at me,” Dante said holding up his hand and gesturing to Alderic. “I want nothing to do with a position that turns you into an asshole like him. Besides, out of all of us, you’re the calmest and most rational.”
Mikal glared at him for not helping.
“I think this is something that should be discussed among all of us,” Mikal argued, his eyes daring his brothers to disagree with him.
“I agree,” Haruki said, weighing in on the situation. “I think both positions should be put to the family.”
He turned to Deanna and smiled at her, letting her know he considered her part of his family.
Deanna looked up at him with a genuine smile. It amazed her how much attention Haruki paid to her. Not just the constant touches to let her know he was there, but the small, considerate things he did to keep her included.
Since everything happening was just as new and shocking to him as it was to her, she was amazed he even remembered she was there half the time.
“The only brother you should ask is Tristan,” Tryne muttered, incurring the glare of everyone in the room.
“You can leave me out of that ambassador shit right now,” Gun snapped. “And Sotier? No fucking way. But everyone else has a right to make their own decision.”
“Can we still come back here? Even if Haruki doesn’t want the job?” Deanna asked, feeling brave with Haruki and his brothers there.
“The portal is open,” Alderic replied. “I told you before that Dranovians and their family are allowed to travel freely. That will not change just because he doesn’t want to be the ambassador. Training will be mandatory, though. For all of them.”
“I think we have a lot to discuss with the others and Chris is threatening to bring everyone else, so we need to go,” Mikal said.
“Yup! Let’s go!” Gun said and threw open the door, striding down the hallway without waiting for everyone else.
“What about Dog, Harry, and the others?” Deanna asked Haruki.
“We can say goodbye on our way out and let them know we’ll be back later,” he suggested. “I’d like you to meet the rest of the family, and we should discuss the ambassador job between the two of us.”
Deanna glowed at his words and just nodded her head in agreement. She wanted to meet the rest of his unusual family as well, and she had to admit, she was hoping he’d take the job so he’d be on the planet with her when she was here.
“Where the hell is my niece?” Dante demanded as he looked around the room.
“First bedroom on the left. She’ll be happy to see you,” Haruki said as he gestured to the hallway.
Moments later, everyone smiled at the shriek of happiness and string of questions Ainsley was hurling at Dante as he carried her out to them.
“We’re going home to compare notes on all the crazy shi- stuff that’s happened,” Dante explained to her, stopping himself from cursing.
Ainsley disappeared from Dante’s arms, and Alderic opened his right before she appeared in them and threw her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, for helping me! You’re like Grai, all tough on the outside, but fluffy inside,” Ainsley whispered, not seeing the blush that raged across Alderic’s face.
“You are welcome, little portal wizard. I look forward to seeing you again,” Alderic whispered back before she reappeared in Dante’s arms.
Dante was a little miffed that he couldn’t seem to guess when she’d appear like Alderic had and he almost didn’t catch her.
Great, Dante thought, something else the bastard can laud over us.
“Thank you for your incredible hospitality,” Haruki said, stepping forward to shake Tryne’s hand.
Tryne grinned and shook it.
“I really hope you decide to take the position. It’s been a pleasure having you here,” Tryne admitted, liking Haruki much more than Gun or Dante. He’d immediately liked Mikal.
It took another hour for them to finally stand in the pyramid back on Terra. While everyone headed up the tunnel to leave, Mikal looked around the room.
“Thank you, Tarona. For allowing us safe passage and guarding our power until we could find you,” he whispered to the chamber.
His brothers and Deanna stopped in the tunnel and turned to him, wishing they’d thought to thank the soul responsible for helping them.
“It is my pleasure, Warrior. Peace be with you all until you return,” Tarona said.
The room brightened for a moment, bathing Mikal in light before a bolt shot down the tunnel and hit each of the others.
Deanna’s breath caught in her throat, and she felt an immediate comforting warmth.
“Thank you, Tarona,” she whispered.
No one spoke as they exited the pyramid and Deanna was shocked to see how many people were there. She recognized a few from earlier, but the rest must have arrived after she’d left with Haruki to Dranar.
“I’m Siggy, but I think everyone wants to do the introductions when we get the hell out of here,” a man to her right said with a grin.
Deanna just nodded her head and let Haruki lead her to a hole in the wall that had never been there before.
“Is that what your brother did?” she asked.
Everyone chuckled, and Haruki helped her up and into the hole.
“He did more than that,” Mikal said from behind her. “When you get to the top, you’ll have to be ported into one of the transports. They’re still digging out Mike and his people from out front.”
“Is Mike and all of his men dead?” Deanna asked. “What about Trevor?”
“Trevor?” Mikal asked.
“Tall, lean, dirty blond hair?” Haruki specified.
“That was the guy that admitted to cutting Mike and his men loose. He’s the reason you were shot and almost killed,” Mikal replied, not feeling the least bit sorry that he’d killed the guy.
“No! It couldn’t have been Trevor!” Deanna argued. “He helped us.”
“He told me he was making it look that way to get information about Haruki from you,” Mikal explained.
They finally reached the end of the tunnel and Deanna still couldn’t see outside because of the men in front of her.
“Hold your breath!” Haruki warned her.
Deanna gasped in a startled breath and had to blink several times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.
“Where are we?” she whispered, her legs wobbling a little.
“This is one of our transport ships that’s hovering above the pyramid. We had to teleport inside,” Haruki explained as he led her to a seat and helped her sit down.
He made sure that Dante was already seated with a sleeping Ainsley before he sat beside Deanna.
“Damn, you guys really know how to do up the whole alien thing,” Deanna said, her voice shaking a little from excitement and fear.
“I think you’ve been a damn hero about all this,” Luca said as he knelt in front of her and slipped a bracelet on her wrist.
“What is this?” Deanna asked as she raised her hand to look at it.
“It’s called a mediband, and it’s full of nanotechnology that is swarming your body and making sure you’re doing all right. You’ve been through a lot, and it’s standard procedure,” Grant replied as he slipped a band on Haruki as well.
“I’m good,” Haruki said moving his hand to remove the mediband.
“If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for you,” Luca snapped before he smiled up at Deanna.
Haruki looked into her wide, scared eyes and nodded his head, leaving it on.
Luca looked at the scanner in his hand and grinned.
“You’re not only brave but perfectly healthy except for some sleep issues. I can’t imagine why you haven’t been sleeping,” Luca teased as he took the mediband off of her wrist and stood.
Deanna smiled before looking over at Haruki to make sure he was OK too. Grant
winked at her and took the band off his brother.
“This idiot is doing good, too. Just some sleep issues, like you,” Grant assured them both.
Mikal whistled to get everyone’s attention.
“We’re all loaded and heading back. We’ll do one flyover so Haruki and Deanna can see what it looks like now and then we’re home,” Mikal called out to the cheers of his brothers.
Deanna wasn’t quite sure if she should cheer or not since she had no idea where the hell they were going or where her home was anymore.
The craft began to move slowly, and Deanna turned to look out the window. She sucked in a sharp breath at the scene below.
The entire mountain looked like it’d been caved in. The once pristine and beautiful meadow in front of where the entrance used to be was covered in several feet of rubble and debris.
“Damn,” Haruki whispered as he looked out his own window. “How did he make it look collapsed?”
“I was wondering that too!” Deanna said, hoping someone knew.
“The way the rubble is laid out, it’s an optical illusion. If we go lower, you see the top and bottom. From above you see a collapsed mountain, from the bottom it looks like it’s been sheared in half,” Shane said with a laugh. “Our brother is seriously creative!”
“Which brother is it?” Deanna whispered softly in Haruki’s ear.
“The one who isn’t here because our dad would have his ass if he knew what he’d done,” Haruki replied with a grin.
“That’s the Light Bringer guy?” Deanna asked.
“Yeah, that’s him. He’s just Tristan to us,” Haruki said. “I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”
“I’m Declan,” Declan said, raising his hand.
The brothers all took turns introducing themselves to Deanna, and she began to relax back in the seat when she heard several of the brothers erupt in curses. She looked to Haruki to find out what was wrong.
“Our oldest brother, Chris, just told us in our minds that our father is waiting for us at the compound,” Haruki said with a heavy sigh, wishing he could catch a damn break and some time alone with his mate.