The Tigrens' Glory (Soul-Linked Saga) (Volume 9)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “You are even more beautiful than in our dreams,” he said, his voice a deep, rumbling bass that sent liquid heat racing through her veins. Another surprise. She’d heard his voice in her mind many times, and had never had a physical reaction to it before now. But then, it had never sounded so real before. Or maybe it was because this was the first time she’d been face to face with him in his human form, even within dreams.

  Kyerion reached out, his movements slow and careful as he stroked the curve of her cheek with one fingertip, leaving a trail of flames in its wake. She gasped, which was a good thing since she’d forgotten to breathe and needed the oxygen.

  Distracted by the need to gulp air into her lungs, she didn’t notice when Kyerion moved closer to her. Before she knew it, he bent his head and leaned in, his lips brushing hers, the tip of his tongue gliding over her upper lip slowly, as though memorizing the shape and feel of her mouth. His tongue felt slightly rough, very warm, and so intimate that she was shocked to her toes. She’d never imagined such sensations existed, and didn’t understand how or why her lips were suddenly capable of generating them. She stood absolutely still as his tongue moved to her bottom lip and traced it just as slowly, as though he had all the time in the world to simply taste her. When he was finished with her bottom lip he pulled back, his eyes molten.

  “So sweet,” he growled softly.

  For one moment Glory was disappointed that he hadn’t tried to deepen the kiss, then her senses returned to her in a rush. What was she doing? Worse, what was he doing? They had an Arima for star’s sake! In spite of her warrior training, she took a step back, her face flushing with embarrassment at her retreat.

  His slow smile caused her fingers to tighten on the hilt of her sword as she struggled to control what she’d finally realized was a blatantly sexual response. The swelling of her breasts. The tightening of her nipples. The sudden wetness between her thighs.

  She scowled. No man should look that good with just a smile. It wasn’t right. Just like kissing her when he...they...already had a woman wasn’t right. Her eyes narrowed.

  Kyerion’s brows drew together in confusion. “Glory?”

  She wiped the scowl from her face, reaching for her familiar stoic neutrality. Only when she was sure her mask was firmly in place did she speak. “You have an Arima.”

  “Yes, we do,” Kyerion replied, his smile returning, “and you’re a stunning sight to behold.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. They thought she was their Arima? An image of herself surrounded by the three of them, their hands on her body, flashed through her mind. She was shocked when the thought of never belonging to them brought feelings of regret instead of embarrassment.

  And where in the nine hells did that come from? she wondered. She shook her head. She needed to end this misunderstanding. Now.

  “I’m not your Arima,” she said, her voice sounding nothing at all like she meant it to. She intended to sound cool and firm. Instead she sounded shaky and disappointed. Even more startling than her lack of self-control, was the reaction of the Tigren. They were staring at her in shock, confusion, and...was that hurt? Surely not.

  “Why do you deny us?” Kirk demanded. Her eyes flew to his. Was he angry? She scowled again. It was hardly her fault that they already had a woman. She shifted her gaze to Cade, the pain in his eyes squeezing her heart.

  “I’m not trying to be mean or hurtful,” she said. “It’s clear that we’re all a little...confused. Can we please sit and talk?”

  “Of course,” Kyerion said. They lowered themselves to the grass where they stood, Kyerion in the middle and slightly in front of his brothers, Cade on his left, and Kirk on his right. She knelt in front of them and sat back on her heels, one hand resting comfortably on the hilt of her sword.

  “Why do you say that you’re not our Arima?” Kyerion asked.

  “Because I’m not,” she replied. “We’ve never even met outside of dreams. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you as men. Until now I’ve only seen you in your tigrenca alter-forms.”

  “Yes, we know this,” Kyerion said.

  “You do?” she asked in surprise.

  “The moment we entered this place created by you and filled with your energy, we began to remember a few things,” he said. “There is much still hidden from us, but we remember you. The fact that we’ve only met in dreams doesn’t mean that you aren’t our Arima.” The amused indulgence in their eyes was annoying, but it was better than the hurt of a few moments before. As much as she suddenly wanted to leave the matter be, she knew she couldn’t. She had to be honest with them.

  “Your Arima has blue eyes,” she said, striving for gentleness. She’d never actually tried to sound gentle before, and from the frowns on their faces, she hadn’t done a very good job of it.

  Kyerion turned to look at Kirk, then turned the other way to look at Cade. They both shook their heads. “We remember no such female,” Kyerion said. “Why do you believe this?”

  “Because I’ve seen the four of you together,” Glory said.

  “This cannot be true,” Kirk said, his silver eyes narrowing. “We remember our dreams of you, and there was no female in them other than you. Why are you saying this?”

  “I’ve seen a mosaic, a picture of sorts,” she said, trying not to reveal how much Kirk’s words had hurt. He’d all but called her a liar. “It depicts the three of you in your tigrenca alter-forms in a jungle setting. A female tigrenca with orange and black stripes and blue eyes stands with you.”

  “It is common enough coloring, but we still remember nothing of any female other than yourself,” Kyerion said with a sharp shake of his head that caused his silky hair to slide over his shoulders. “We have dreamt of you since you were a child, and have always known that you belong to us. You are our Arima.”

  “As you just said, that was in dreams,” Glory said, completely unaware of the sadness in her own voice. “The real world is never what we dream it to be.”

  “This does not feel like the real world, nor does it look like any world we are familiar with,” Kyerion said. “Are we in a dream now?”

  “Good question,” she replied, grateful for the change of subject. “My body is awake right now, not dreaming, and I’ve deliberately called you to me. As I understand it, I’ve pulled you three out of your dreams and into my meditative state. This is the first time I’ve tried Dream Walking, so if this suddenly ends, know that I shall try again.”

  “A Dream Walker,” Kirk said. “That explains much.”

  “What does it explain?” she asked.

  “Like ourselves, you are Druid,” Kyerion said, looking disappointed. “Or, in your case, Druidess, as you are female.”

  “What is a Druidess?” Glory asked.

  “A woman of power, such as a Dream Walker,” Kyerion replied. “Only an Arima or a Druidess could speak with us, and connect with our minds, as you have. Or a woman who is both.” Before she could decide what to ask next, Kyerion spread his arms as though to encompass their surroundings. “What is this place?”

  “A valley that I’ve built in my mind based on Jasan, the world I’m now visiting,” she said. “I thought it would be more relaxing for all of us than a black void.”

  “We appreciate your efforts,” Kyerion said, smiling so widely that she saw a flash of a dimple in one cheek that, for reasons outside her understanding or experience, captured her complete attention for several moments. “I remember that name, Jasan,” Kyerion continued. She dropped her eyes, relieved that his words had broken her momentary stupor. “You mentioned it to me before, didn’t you?”

  “Yes,” Glory replied, then cleared her throat. “I have important things to tell you and no idea how much time we have since this is the first time I’ve done this.”

  “You are doing extraordinarily well for your first time,” Kyerion said. She flicked her eyes to his smile, then away again. That smile just kept sneaking up on her. The way it made her body feel was disturbing. And altoge
ther too dangerous.

  “As you’re already aware, I’ve dreamt of the three of you off and on for most of my life,” she said. “For the past couple of weeks I’ve been able to touch your minds while I’m awake, and I’ve felt an increasing need to hurry and find you. I reached Jasan yesterday, where I finally found your people.”

  “Jasan is a word which means endure,” Kirk said, his tone surly. “It is not a place. Not one we’ve ever heard of, anyway.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to tell you other than I’m at this moment on a world named Jasan, and this is where I’ve found your people,” Glory replied.

  “You’re telling us that our people left their home world?” Kirk asked. “That makes no sense. Why would they do such a thing?”

  “I have no idea,” Glory retorted, returning his glare with one of her own. “I’m telling you precisely what I know, which is very little, I admit, but that’s not a crime. I’m doing my best to find answers in an attempt to help you, but I only arrived here yesterday.”

  “We apologize for our impatience,” Kyerion said, flashing Kirk a quelling look. “Please continue.”

  Glory took a moment to breathe deeply in an attempt to get her emotions back under control. Only when she was certain her mask was firmly back in place did she continue. “The Dracon Princes told me there are nine clans. Seven of them, the Dracon, Lobo, Katre, Bearen, Gryphon, Vulpiran, and Falcoran have lived on Jasan for a long time. The other two they refer to as the Lost Clans. One of those clans, the Owlfen, has recently been returned to them in the form of three baby boys. The first news they’d heard of the Tigren was when I told them about my dreams of the three of you.”

  “The Dracons have always been the Princes of our people,” Kyerion said with a slow nod. “But we know nothing of Lost Clans. In our memory, there have always been nine clans. How long has it been since they’ve seen Clan Tigren?”

  “I don’t know,” Glory said. “From some of the things they’ve said, I think a very long time, but that’s only a guess on my part.”

  “Are you saying that years have passed, and we remember none of it?” Kirk asked.

  “Actually no, I’m not saying anything of the sort,” Glory snapped, surprising herself. She took a deep, calming breath and looked at Kyerion instead of Kirk. “However, that does seem to be a logical conclusion from what little I’ve learned so far. I know there’s much they haven’t told me, but since they’ve only just met me I can hardly blame them for that.”

  “I’m confused,” Kyerion said. “I understand you’ve only recently found these remnants of our people on Jasan, but you speak as though you’ve no previous knowledge of our people at all.”

  “That’s because I don’t,” Glory replied. Kyerion stared at her in open surprise.

  “What clan are you of?” Kirk asked.

  “I am not of any clan,” Glory replied. “I’m human.”

  “What is human?” Kyerion asked.

  Glory stared at him for a long moment, stumped. How did one go about explaining something like that? “Well, humans evolved on a planet known as Earth, and now live on hundreds of planets throughout the part of our galaxy that we call the Thousand Worlds. We are different from your people. I am what you see. I can’t shift and I don’t have any powers.”

  Kyerion smiled. “Our women, before they are soul-linked, do not shift, nor do they wield magic. Ever. But you do have power, or you would not be able to Dream Walk.”

  “That’s not a magical power,” Glory argued. “It’s a psychic ability. There are no shifters on my home world, Ramouri, male or female, and none of them do magic. Trust me on this, we are not of the same species. I cannot possibly be your Arima.”

  Kyerion frowned. There was much here that he didn’t understand. He and his brothers would need to discuss this matter when they were alone, but for now, they’d already caused Glory enough upset. He changed the subject again. “Where are we? Not this valley, but our physical bodies.”

  “If High Prince Garen’s guess is correct, you are prisoners of the Xanti,” she said.

  Kyerion’s lips peeled back in a furious snarl. “The Xanti are enemies of all,” he growled, his golden eyes molten once more, but this time with anger rather than passion.

  “Yes, they are,” Glory said, relieved they at least knew that much. “The Jasani plan to launch an attack on Xantara within a few days, and they have agreed to bring me with them.”

  “Why would he believe we are prisoners of the Xanti when we have no memory of it?” Kyerion asked, reining in his emotions.

  “There is a child here,” Glory said. “A little girl. She sees things, knows things that others don’t. Yesterday, the first time she saw me, she told me that you were real, that my dreams were not just dreams. I wasn’t completely sure about that, even though I was acting on the belief that you were real. She insisted that I accompany the Dracons on their journey to Xantara so that I might find you and the other prisoners.”

  “What other prisoners?” Kyerion asked.

  “I don’t know that, either,” Glory replied. “She said only that there were others.”

  “Are you able to speak with others besides ourselves?” Kirk asked.

  “No,” Glory replied. “Only to you three.” She thought a moment, then frowned. “Not that I’ve tried.”

  “How long before you reach the Xanti?” Kyerion asked, casting a worried glance at Cade who had not yet spoken, though his eyes hadn’t strayed from Glory since they’d sat down.

  “We leave the day after tomorrow, and I’m told the journey will take seven days,” she said.

  “How is that possible?” Kirk asked, making an obvious effort to moderate his tone. “Although the location of the Xanti home world was their most closely-held secret, I do remember that they come from a different galaxy than our own. Not even the strongest of Travelers could make such a journey in so short a time.”

  “I’ve no idea what a Traveler is, but High Prince Garen did tell me that one of his people has discovered new jump points that the Xanti are unaware of.” Glory sighed at the look of confusion on their faces. They clearly knew no more about jump points than she knew about Travelers. “I know this is difficult for you. I can’t answer all of your questions, and you don’t know me, which doesn’t help. All I want is to find you and free you from the dream state that you’re trapped in. Nothing more. And I’m trying to move as quickly as I can. Will you be able to hang on for eight more days?”

  “We shall not give up,” Kyerion replied. “On this you have our word.”

  “It may be difficult for Cade,” Kirk said as he looked worriedly at their youngest brother. “I fear he’s slipping away from us.”

  Glory looked at Cade, his body transparent enough that she could see right through him. At that moment, she wanted more than anything to share her strength with him. At the thought, she felt something within her strain toward him. She focused on the sensation, pushing the ethereal something toward him. As she watched, Cade gradually became less and less transparent, his copper eyes widening as strength flowed directly from her into him.

  “Enough!” Kyerion barked. Startled, Glory jerked her attention from Cade and looked at Kyerion, breaking the connection. Hurt filled her but she was, as always, careful to show nothing of her true feelings.

  “I meant only to help,” she said evenly.

  “And you did,” Kyerion said, gentling his voice. “I just realized that I feel stronger since coming here because you’ve been feeding us your energy. That’s why we remember so much that we’d forgotten, like our dreams of you. But you are now fading before our eyes. We thank you, Glory, but you cannot give more of your essence without causing yourself serious harm.”

  Glory looked down at herself, surprised to find that she was not as solid as she’d been before sending energy to Cade. She was not as transparent as Cade had been, but she was definitely less there, which reminded her of Dr. Honey’s warning. She glanced up at Cade, unable to regret
her actions when she saw that he was now as solid as his brothers.

  “I thank you, Glory,” Cade said warmly. “Your energy fills me, and gives me strength and hope.”

  Glory tried to reply, but she felt herself begin to slip away. She strained to keep herself there with them, suddenly afraid that she would never be able to talk to them again, but the darkness closed in, leaving only the memory in her mind.

  Chapter Ten

  Arima Berta Falcoran leaned back against Merrick, seeking comfort from her Rami as she watched the newest Jasani ship approach the Skyport.

  “It’s magnificent,” Tor said.

  “It’s enormous,” Berta said with an inelegant snort as she waved toward the viewport. “It’s half again the size of the other ships out there.”

  “It’s also twice as fast and three times more deadly, not counting the Pinnacle,” Jerri said. “It’s a ship deserving of the name Ugaztun.”

  Berta fought the urge to roll her eyes. A small sigh from behind her had her spinning around to face Merrick. She was fast enough to catch a brief glimpse of his expression before he managed to hide it.

  “You guys really are disappointed that you aren’t going, aren’t you?”

  “At times like this, I almost wish we could lie to you,” Merrick said.

  “Well you can’t, so out with it,” Berta said.

  “We would like to be there, of course, Valedar. Every Jasani male-set wishes to be there. But we also have a duty to protect Dracon’s Ranch, and all of the women and children who reside there. That’s no small responsibility and we don’t take it lightly.”

  “I know that you don’t,” Berta said. “Still, if it weren’t for me, you guys would be right in the thick of things. I’m sorry for that.”

  “We’re not,” Tor said, smiling down at her. “If it were not for you, Berta Falcoran, we would not be linked one to the other as we are meant to be.”