by Linda Mooney
Star looked at Hunter, and pointed to the one spot where there was enough room for them to appear. He nodded, angling for it.
Once he had awakened her to let her know he had to take her back, Star hadn’t argued the fact. She knew she had left without permission. It was gratifying to know she wouldn’t have to be there long; she’d be able to retreat back into their comfortable lives before roll call.
But what had made her happier was Hunter’s no-nonsense remark that he would stay with her until the doctors said she could leave. Knowing he would be beside her gave her an inner glow of peacefulness. There would be no hateful or hurtful remarks thrown her way with him at her side.
Through the misty haze of the netherworld, Star and Hunter could hear the men talking about her. Hunter kept them out of sight a few moments longer in order to listen.
“…any kind of punishment for leaving without approval?” one doctor asked.
Another physician gave a rueful grin. “Punish a Guardian? Tell me you jest.”
“You’re just upset you didn’t have a longer chance to work on her yesterday,” a third man slowly drawled.
“Can we hold her for more exams?” the first doctor questioned. “There’s still the possibility the child could inherit her parents’ powers. Or maybe evolve with her own abilities.”
“Tell you what,” the third doctor suggested, “we’ll let you be the one to tell StarLight she has to remain longer for more tests. How does that sound?”
“What do you think she’s going to do?” the first doctor challenged. “She’s forbidden to use her powers. What can she do about it, other than protest?”
The second doctor laughed softly. “It’s not about what StarLight will do, Doctor Finnan. It’s the other Guardians you’ll have to deal with. I told Deceiver she would be back by eight. I will not break my word.”
Hunter took that as their cue to appear, and he faded into view as he held Star in his arms. As expected, the people gathered in the suite turned with open mouths as they appeared. Completely solidified, he released Star, setting her feet down on the floor before finally letting her go.
Star took advantage of the lull to take a small step away from him, and lifted her chin. “I came back, as you requested. Just give me my release, and we’ll be gone.”
It was Doctor Finnan who cleared his throat. “There may be a few more tests we’ll have to perform before—”
“Tests?” Hunter spoke up. “I don’t think so. I think you’ve done all you need for the moment. Star may not be able to use her powers, but that restriction doesn’t apply to me.”
Finnan took umbrage with the comment. “I don’t know if the HandFast Committee told you, but your responsibilities have ended, Master Hunter,” he fired back. “You no longer can dictate to her, for her, or to us for that matter.”
Casually crossing his arms over his chest, Hunter gave the man a calm, yet dangerous look. “On the contrary. I’m here acting on my responsibilities as a Guardian. Star is going through a rough, emotional patch right now. I’m here at her request to provide assistance in case she needs any, and to escort her back to Command when she’s been released from your care.”
“That still doesn’t give you the right to tell us what tests we can’t and can perform.”
“I don’t want any more of your tests,” Star heatedly hissed. “In fact, I would be interested in finding out if any of the other HandFasted women have had to endure all I was put through yesterday.”
Hunter frowned at her comment. He was getting the sense of something that had made her emotionally sick to her stomach, and it wasn’t making him happy. There was more than a grain of truth to her remark, and Hunter wouldn’t let it go until it was resolved.
With Hunter stepping in, Finnan relented with a shrug of his shoulders. “So be it. Where’s the release?”
The young female intern who had helped Star the day before handed him the computer unit. Marking his ID, the doctor left the crowded room. Star watched him go, when she spotted two other figures hovering near the door. Hunter felt a shockwave go through her, and he tried to determine her sudden tenseness.
“What are they doing here?” she asked tightly to no one in particular.
Doctor Clearlian glanced over his shoulder. “They’re from administration. They need to sign off on your release, as well, then notify the Committee.”
Star’s eyes narrowed as she kept her nervousness in check. Her show of bravado would fool the others, but it set Hunter’s nerves on edge. Why did the two suited men in the back upset her?
“I don’t want them here,” she insisted. “Let them sign off and make their reports somewhere else.”
“We have every right to be here.” One of the men grinned. As the administrator’s eyes raked over Star, still in her hospital top and pants, Hunter could literally feel her skin crawl.
“Star, what’s wrong?” he asked her in a concerned voice. Soft, but loud enough to be heard by the others. He saw her shudder slightly, but she gave nothing away. Nothing, except for the fact that she balled her hands into fists, a sure sign of her distress.
“There were some comments made to StarLight yesterday,” a wavering voice told him. It was the woman intern.
“Doctor Perlakian!”
“Doctor Perlakian, you are dismissed. Please leave immediately,” the administrator ordered.
“No!” Hunter cocked his head toward the woman who remained defiantly against orders. “Doctor Perlakian, please continue. What kind of comments?”
The woman paused. If she went against orders, it would mean her job, her internship, and all the hard work and long hours she’d put into trying to gain a position on the hospital staff.
But she was also a woman, and her woman’s dignity had rebelled at what she had witnessed the day before. Even if the rumors were true, StarLight didn’t deserve the harassment and crude remarks thrown at her.
These two people were Guardians. If need be, she could go to them for help if the next few days got to be too much to handle. That thought gave her the courage to continue.
“Mister Soscht told StarLight that she had won him the hospital pool by getting pregnant within four days of the HandFast ceremony. I believe the term he used was ‘a hot little number who satisfied all the men at Guardian Command.’”
Hunter could feel his anger rising, as well as Star’s. From the intern’s testimony, he knew what she said was the truth because Star’s anger had flared at the memory.
“Is this the truth, Mister Soscht? Did you make those comments to StarLight?”
“My words were taken out of context,” the administrator shot back.
“Your comments were made in front of witnesses, and a crew of news media,” Perlakian reminded him.
“In front of witnesses?” Hunter echoed. He didn’t try to quell his anger at the man. As the darkness within him rose to the surface, he could see the others in the room reacting to the change coming over his countenance.
Soscht, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that he had entered extremely dangerous territory. “Doctor Perlakian, you may empty your office. Your termination is effective immediately.”
“By right of Guardian Law, there will be no retribution toward this woman for speaking the truth,” Star commanded. “Her job is safe.”
“What else was said … or insinuated?” Hunter asked. His eyes turned black with his power at the two men being accused. “Remember, I will know if you are being untruthful.”
The room hushed further, every eye watching the administrators’ reactions. Waiting for their admissions. When none came, Hunter glanced at Star, silently asking her. Although she dropped her eyes from his questioning look, the redness in her face was all the answer he needed.
“Apparently, it seems I’m not going to get a direct answer from either of you. In that case, I’ll just pop over to the media center and see what they have on file.”
“It was an innocent remark. No one was hurt,” Soscht reto
rted, trying desperately to save face.
“He said that with StarLight’s sexual appetites, you must have had a blast with her.”
The room froze the moment Doctor Perlakian uttered the comment. If Hunter followed through and went to the media, he would discover everything brought out had been the truth. There was no way Soscht and his companion could deny what had been said.
The gray swirl started to rise around him, giving him a direct link with his prey.
“Hunter.”
Hunter started at the touch of Star’s hand on his arm. He hadn’t realized how deep into his power he had descended until she brought him back. Turning to her, he saw her shake her head.
“It’s been said, and the media has it. There’s nothing we can do or say that will ever change their minds. Leave it.” Fighting back tears, Star pointed at the hand unit in Doctor Clearlian’s possession. “Code it and let me go. Otherwise, I will not be able to prevent Master Hunter’s pronouncement upon you.”
Quickly, the rest of them complied, including the two administrators.
“There,” Soscht said, shoving the unit back at the nearest physician. “But I still fail to see why you condemn me for speaking out like I did. Yes, I made those comments. But you’re being hypocritical to claim to want the truth about what I said, when what I said was also the truth.”
“You spoke lies,” Hunter breathed. “You spread lies to damage StarLight’s reputation, and to smear her good name with your foul remarks.”
He turned to Doctor Clearlian. “I am placing the burden of proof on your shoulders. I want a statement made to the media, and to the public, and it will be done with expediency. StarLight’s name will be cleared today, this morning, or else I will let the other Guardians know of this hospital’s duplicity. You knew for a fact that she had to report in before the HandFast ceremony to prove she wasn’t already with child, and that she was free of any illness or disease that would prevent her from participating. You knew, Doctor Clearlian, that Star was a virgin the first day of HandFast, and yet you allowed this kind of behavior to circulate throughout your administration?”
“I was not present when it happened,” Clearlian defended himself.
“Maybe not, but the guilt will rest on you until this entire fiasco is cleared. You have four hours, Doctor.”
He let them see his fury in the sweeping clouds of black anger circling around his body. In the fathomless darkness in his eyes. As he reached for Star and picked her up in his arms, he turned back to the group inside the room to accost them with a final word of warning.
“For their insensitive reactions and attitudes, it would be best if Mister Soscht and his cohort were summarily dismissed from their duties, since they’ve made it clear that the interests of their patients have never been their primary concern.”
If he remained a second longer, Hunter knew he would do something he might regret. He’d said enough. With Star clinging to him, they vanished to return to Guardian Command.
It would be interesting to see what would happen next.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 26
Instincts
It was seven thirty-five when Deceiver strolled into the dining room. Everyone looked up as he entered. Conversation died. Something was up, and he wondered what had happened.
“Hey, Deceiver, have you seen the vidscreen this morning?” Blender casually inquired.
“Sorry, no. Been busy with a bit of speculation,” Deceiver responded, letting them know he’d been using his ability to do a little research. “Why?”
“StarLight snuck out of the hospital last night. The news is reporting it as if we’re harboring a fugitive.” Time Merchant shoved a thumb behind him. “Did you know if she came back here?”
“Yes. I also know Hunter took her back this morning and is staying with her until they officially dismiss her.” While the group digested that piece of information, the Guardian leader went over to the dispenser for his own breakfast.
“She and Hunter stayed together last night?”
It was Sender’s voice coming from behind him. Sighing loudly, Deceiver turned back around to face their questioning stares. “Yes. Is there a problem with that?”
Disaster glanced at the others. “Not really. But isn’t it time we stopped beating around the bush here and started getting some straight answers? I mean, we’ve been tiptoeing around this whole mess of the HandFast ever since it began, and I for one am sick and tired of it all. Can somebody tell me, straight up and truthfully … are Star and Hunter in love? And are they going to make it permanent?”
“You’re right. It’s time to get everything out in the open.”
All eyes went to the outside door leading to the courtyard. Hunter let the door swing behind him after allowing StarLight to enter the room ahead of him. Second glances went to Star, who was no longer in uniform, but wearing a pair of dressy pants and a long-sleeved, pale yellow shirt. Numbly they watched as Hunter took her hand and led her to where the others were sitting.
“Everything go all right at the hospital?” Deceiver asked quietly.
Hunter shook his head. “We had problems. Or rather, some of the hospital staff have a problem. Be looking for a retraction through the news in a couple of hours.”
“Retraction?” Corona parroted. “What kind of retraction?”
“Who am I going to get a call from, Hunter? What kind of trouble should I be expecting?” Deceiver asked with a sigh. He glanced at Star, flashing her a grin. “Good morning, Star.”
“Morning, Deceiver. Let me explain. The entire time I was at the hospital, I didn’t have to endure just the poking and prodding and countless instruments jabbed at me. Those men enjoyed putting their hands on me, and laughing and joking about it, because they were all thinking the same thing.” She looked around the room to make her point clear. “I was told, in front a crowd of hospital staff and media, that I was a slut. I was told I’d bedded every male Guardian here, and that my becoming pregnant after four days was not so surprising in light of my ‘appetites’.” She took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what hurt worse. The fact that I couldn’t deny any of it, because they wouldn’t believe me. Or the fact that you might have thought the same thing, and never came to me for the truth.”
Commander opened his mouth first. “Star…”
“Let me finish first,” she begged him, and looked back at the others. “Just because I wear a very tight body suit doesn’t make me a slut. You know how much I depend on it to centralize my powers. You know how it helps me soak up and store energy. Have I ever done anything, anything, to any one of you guys, to make you think I sleep around?”
“You’ve flirted with almost all of us, at one time or another,” Disaster commented.
“Yeah, but we all have. And we still do,” Animator spoke up. “Are our reputations on the line, too?”
“Deceiver.” Star’s gaze drilled into him. “With Seeker here in the room with us, where she can easily spot a falsehood, have I had sex with you?”
“No, you haven’t,” Deceiver replied calmly. “With the exception of Hunter, you know every man here will also deny that fact.”
Her eyes lit on Condemner. “Pommer, you were one of the crew I rescued from that wormhole. One of the first to ask me to join. Do you believe I was promiscuous prior to my becoming a Guardian?”
“I never thought about it, until after you’d started dating Provoker, and then we…” His voice trailed off, and all eyes went to Provoker. This time, the man had the grace to blush.
“If you think I went to the media, and started blurting out any sort of lurid details, you’re wrong. Check with Seeker.”
Seeker backed him up. “He’s kept it within the group,” she confirmed.
“So … what … or who took it outside the group?” Hunter voiced aloud.
The room stilled. It was unbelievable that any one of the Guardians had broken that unspoken code of confidentiality. If there was anything perm
anent between them, it was the indisputable fact they could be totally open and free among themselves, without ever having to worry that something would be made public.
Before she was asked to do so, Seeker slowly started walking around the room, stopping briefly behind each Guardian and laying a hand on a shoulder or arm. A few moments, and she moved on to the next one, seeking their betrayer. The tension made the air feel as if they were being forced to breathe through water.
Rounding one table, she approached Provoker, and everyone watched him flinch at her featherlike touch. When her face paled suddenly, Seeker was quick to explain. “Provoker, you’re a major asshole, but you’ve kept our secrets safe.” She shuddered, then turned toward Bruiser.
Instantly the huge man was on his feet and backing away. “Keep your hands off me,” he growled.
“Why, Bruiser? Are you hiding anything?” Deceiver inquired. “Let Seeker touch you.”
“No one’s touching me unless I want them to,” Bruiser announced nervously. He continued to move backwards, making it clear he wanted to put as much space between himself and the woman walking steadily toward him.
“Bruiser?” Star called out, confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Seeker?” Deceiver asked.
The woman’s eyes were drilling holes into the giant man’s psyche, as surely as if she was punching them physically. Seeking his truth. Seeking out what he was trying to hide. “Come on, Bruiser. Give it up. I’ll get it out of you one way or another,” she threatened in a thick voice.
Bruiser’s face reddened with anger. He knew Seeker could back up her threat, having seen her take an enemy’s head and almost drive the man insane until he’d opened up to her mental probing.
With a roar of anger, Bruiser picked up one of the dining room tables and hurled it into their midst. Hunter grabbed Star and jerked her out of the way of the projectile as the man raced from the room. Within seconds, he was on the man’s tail.
When he was certain where the Guardian was heading, Hunter materialized next to the closest intercommunications panel and flipped the toggle. “Deceiver! He’s running for the transport bay!”