BioCybe
Page 20
Pain radiated. If she pushed her hand against her flesh, no doubt it would be coated in blood; as it was, there was an unpleasant ooze winding down her leg and soaking her skin-suit, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she prepared for whatever came next. Her awareness narrowed to a pinprick as she hunted for tells. There weren’t any.
The next time he moved, he feinted left and attacked right. She jumped back, aware that defending would tire her, but she hunted, searching for any weakness. I have to get him in position for the trap to be effective.
Again, he advanced, and this time he leveled a glancing blow to her shoulder. Her body jerked and her leg rose, connecting with his knee. It wasn’t fast or hard enough to incapacitate him. She scurried away, her eyes on his face.
A snarl rent the air and this time he charged, shoulder dropped. “You bitch!”
He moved, fast but his gait was slightly uneven. That surprised her. I’ve hurt him. Slowed him down. His legs are his weakness? She’d have to test that theory.
She waited until the last minute and pivoted. Once again, he caught her. The nails trailing along her arm. Deeper than the previous injury.
“Shit!” Her stomach roiled this time, and the arm felt heavy. Brutalized and screaming with pain.
Unless something changed, she wouldn’t leave this room alive. She needed to get him to the trap, but Mayerber had shifted between her and the doorway.
Levia stepped back, one step then another. Her mind moving sluggishly, while she held her injured arm fast against her body. A sound echoed and she raised her head, horrified to see Sandon through the doorway. What is he doing here?
Mayerber turned at the same time and saw him. In that instant, thought fled while she reacted primally. This was her mate and he was in danger.
Levia launched herself at Mayerber’s back, hurtling through the air before latching on monkey-like. Her legs wound in a sick parody of lover-like proximity around his waist.
She gripped the side of his head with both hands. “You won’t touch him!” Her shriek filled the room while she used her whole body. Fingers, strong and sharp, clawed at her.
She roared and tugged. Muscles coiled and she wrenched to one side, using every ounce of fight that remained in her body.
Mayerber fell, taking Levia down with him. They hit the floor with a thud. Pain exploded through her mind, searing her lungs and robbing her of awareness.
* * * *
Sandon paced outside the room while Gisma attended to Levia’s injuries. When she’d dropped to the floor after the wild fight with Mayerber, he was sure he’d lost her. His mind and heart had stilled in that instant until she breathed again. Then he’d felt a rush of elation.
Blood had coated her side and her arm. Her fingers were torn and mangled while smears of coppery red painted the floor. She hadn’t regained consciousness before they’d arrived in the medical bay.
“Gisma? Is she okay?” He’d called that through the door more than once since they’d arrived, and the only answer he’d received had been a grunt and a terse direction to go get a hot drink.
Of course, he hadn’t followed the instructions. His concern for Levia ran too deep.
He dropped to the chair, legs splayed while his elbows rested on his knees, his head in his palms.
The vision of her lying beneath Mayerber’s bulk had sent him hurtling through the door and shoving the dead man to the side. He never wanted to live through that again.
A whoosh of sound caught his attention, and he spied Gisma standing on the other side. “You can come through.”
He rose, his legs unsteady. “Is she okay?”
Gisma humphed. “As much as can be expected right now, but she’ll make a full recovery. In time.”
“What does…” He stopped in the doorway the instant his gaze fell on Levia. She lay flat on the bed, but her eyes were open. Her theatrical makeup had been wiped away, leaving the side of her face glowing green in the semi-darkness.
“Hi, Sandon.” She smiled, though it was a weak reflection.
It was enough as he propelled himself forward to drop to the seat beside her. His hands reached out, tracing over her full lips. “You know, I should kill you for scaring me like that.” His unsteady words made her laugh, then she winced.
“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much.”
“Gisma says you’ll make a full recovery. What you need to do is rest.” Seeing her against the white of the sheets rattled him, but knowing she’d be all right, even if it would take time, filled him with hope.
“Yeah. In about nine months… Give or take.” She whispered the words, her gaze scanning him.
“Nine months? What…” Her injuries were that serious, that even with her increased healing factors… His mind churned as he struggled to understand what had happened.
Levia smiled, obviously enjoying his concern and inability to work out how she’d amassed those kinds of injuries in the short fight with Mayerber.
“What… How severe are the injuries? I need to know.” The black greasy pit in his belly grew, ready to engulf him if he released his iron control on his emotions.
Her smile grew to a wide grin, and she patted his arm with her bandaged hand.
“Well, my injuries are a bit of a problem, but the nine months is a gestational thing.” She plucked awkwardly at the white sheet that covered her naked body.
Gestational? He screwed his face, concentrating hard as he struggled to work out exactly what she meant.
“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“It means, Captain, that you and I are going to be parents.” She kept her eyes wide open, but her fist clenched around the cotton as if terrified by his reaction.
Her soft words slammed into him. Parents? “What… How?”
A snicker echoed from the doorway. “Well, Captain, if I have to explain that to you, then you’ve been doing it wrong for some time.”
A tiny strangled laugh came from the bed before dying away on a moan. “I told you not to make me laugh.” She sucked in an unsteady breath.
He turned back to Levia and reached out, folding his hand around her fist. “You mean you’re… You’re pregnant?”
She nodded slowly while he stared at her in wonder. “I know it wasn’t planned. I’ve never heard of a Cybe getting pregnant, let alone carrying to term, but…” She shrugged, and he got the sense she was putting on a brave face again.
“You’re amazing. I thought that before, but you continue to stun and humble me.” He stood and stretched over the bed, placing his lips against hers. The kiss was gentle. “But I have a whole lifetime in which to learn about you. Who knows? In fifty or sixty years I may actually understand you.”
“Fifty or sixty years? Are you offering me a lifetime contract as your pilot?”
“No. I’m offering you a different position. The one of my wife.”
“About damn time.” Gisma’s voice filtered through the doorway, and he pushed away so he could close the door.
Levia reached out and caught Sandon’s hand. “You don’t have to. I mean marry me.”
“No, I don’t. But I love you, you love me, and now we have a baby to think of.” He hovered around the bed.
“But I’m a Cybe, Sandon. There will always be difficulties.”
He smiled. “I don’t care and neither do the crew. And your family on Cordero doesn’t either.” He leaned closer, near enough so his breath whispered over her lips. “Just say yes.”
She gave him a long, smoky look that left his insides quivering, then she grinned. “Yes.” She sealed the vow with a kiss.
Epilogue
Sandon led their daughter into the room where Levia reclined on the bed, a tiny bundle held in her arms.
“I’ve brought someone to visit.”
Levia turned in his direction, the green glow on her face reflecting in the mirror. “Bring her closer, Sandon. She needs to meet her brother.”
Lara, their daughter, broke free of h
is grasp and tiptoed over. She scowled at the first sight of the baby in her mother’s arms. Sandon nearly laughed. The look in her eye reminded him of Levia. Long experience had him stifling the outburst.
“Mommy! When are you coming home?” The little voice echoed frustration, and Levia peered over their daughter’s head to glare at Sandon.
“You haven’t explained?”
He smiled sheepishly. “She listens better to you.”
Levia sighed. “Soon, Lara. As soon as the healers tell me I can leave.”
“But Jerima’s mother came home the same day. Why can’t you?”
Jerima, a little girl whose mother had given birth on the same day, attended the healing center daycare with Lara.
Levia screwed up her face. “Well, because I’m a little different from Jerima’s mother. Remember what I told you about the funny green on my face?”
Sandon waited as Lara nodded. “It’s ’cause you’re a warrior.”
Levia chuckled. “Something like that. But because of that, they need to check that everything is okay with your brother, because you and he are the only ones, so far, who have an Ormoran father and Cybe mother.”
The little girl shrugged and moved away from the bed. Sandon released the oxygen in his lungs, pleased that Lara had lost interest in the conversation. At three and a half, it didn’t really surprise him.
Sandon hovered next to the bed. “So is everything fine?”
Levia raised her hand and caressed his cheek. “Given they don’t have a lot to go on, only Lara’s birth, they seem to think so. He doesn’t have any physical abnormalities, and, as with Lara, they’ll have to wait until he’s older to see if there are any other...skills.”
Sandon knew exactly what they meant. With the increase in brain capacity that had been one of the by-products of Levia’s enhancement, it had been unclear if Lara would benefit from that. Or had been, until she was two, when she’d exhibited an advanced grasp of both mathematics and linguistics.
Sandon lowered himself to the bed. “Well, if Lara is anything to go on, then he’ll be very quick to process information.” He dipped his head down and kissed her. “Thank you.”
Levia kissed him back, light and full of promise. When she pulled away, Sandon took a moment to compose himself.
Lara was there, tugging on his pants. “Daddy? When we go home, will you tell me the story of how you and Mommy met at bedtime?”
Sandon laughed. “Yes, baby.”
Levia and Sandon shared a smile. When she was older, they’d tell her the rest of the story, but right now, Lara grew up in an environment of love and acceptance, and the Golden Echo waited to carry its newest crewmember on to their next adventure.
About Imogene Nix
Imogene is a mother of two, compulsive reader, and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, two daughters, dog, cats, guinea pigs, and chooks. She has a particular fondness for vampires, star ship captains, and things that go bump in the night (especially vampire types).
Imogene has tried many varied roles in her working life including kindergarten assistant, teacher, principal, and kindergarten and child care director, but rates owning a bookstore and writing her own novels as the absolute highlight.
In her mother and wife alter ego, she has traveled widely and lived in some very unique places including Far Western Queensland, Cape York, and even Tasmania. She loves to travel and rates China and Hong Kong among her favorite destinations.
She blames Star Trek Voyager, Firefly, and the works of Alexander Kent for her interest in naval activities and later space fleet interest.
Imogene’s Website:
www.imogenenix.com
Reader eMail:
imogene@imogenenix.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Back Cover Copy
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
About Imogene Nix
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