by Linda Mooney
“Who?” Animator asked. With the exception of Star, they were all wearing their uniforms. Even the men would be wearing their Guardian uniforms—all save Hunter. They were determined to show their support and strength in numbers when they ringed the couple exchanging their vows.
“Bruiser.” Glancing at Star, Sender said, “Seeker says the man is truly repentant of what he did. He wants to come back to the fold.”
“That’ll be Deceiver’s call, not mine,” Star told her.
“He’s miserable. He wants you to know he never wanted to hurt you. He was just jealous of everyone else getting your attention. He didn’t know it would get worse after you and Hunter—”
“He besmirched my name. Gave away our secrets to the enemy and the public.” Star stopped and bit her lower lip, then continued. “How can we ever trust him again?”
Shrugging, Animator said, “We won’t know unless we give him the chance.”
A timid knock on the door interrupted their discussion, and the portal opened. Everyone stared at the older woman standing there looking wary but determined as her eyes scanned the room. When they fell on Star, a definite softness came over the woman’s features.
Star glanced down at her dark blue gown that outlined her body, and billowed out behind like wisps of twilight. Her thick hair was held back with two jeweled barrettes, allowing her to show off the creamy skin of her neck and shoulders. She knew she looked nice in the gown, but now for the first time she wondered what others would think. More importantly, what Hunter would think. Or his parents. Uncertain what to say, she said the first thing to enter her mind.
“I’m glad to see Hunter was able to get you here in time.”
“Star, do you want us to leave?” Devorah asked.
“No. Please stay. We’re all family here.” Cara Vosstien smiled, and stepped further into the small room. Her eyes never left the woman, still pale and noticeably thinner after her ordeal. Despite that, she was all the more achingly beautiful in person. “I just … I just wanted this chance to finally meet you before the ceremony. I mean … after all, Udo has told us so much about you. About what you’ve sacrificed. You know, when Udo told us he was applying to become a Guardian, I thought it would only be a matter of time before we got word that he had been killed while rescuing some poor soul. Never in our wildest dreams did we think he would find someone to love, much less want to commit himself to. You must be one very remarkable person.”
“Not to mention someone who’s rewriting Guardian history.” Corona grinned.
Another knock at the door interrupted them. This time it was Challenger, barging in. “Time to up the ante,” he joked, and stopped to stare at the bride. “Good heavens, Star! You would look devastating wrapped in a garbage sack!”
Star burst out laughing. “I’m going to take that as a compliment. Is everyone prepared?”
“Including every news media outlet from here to Port Cendaria.”
“Are you sure you don’t need a supporting arm?” Devorah asked one final time.
The look she got in reply spoke volumes. “I have my supporting arm waiting for me,” Star murmured.
They waited for Cara Vosstien to return to the main hall, where her husband drew her beside him with a loving arm. After her, the other Guardians filed out to form a distinctive ring around the couple.
Amazingly, Star didn’t feel light-headed or wobbly in the knees. She was too busy imagining herself flying inside the deep blue depths of the eyes of the man watching her approaching him. The man who would take her into his arms so they could be wrapped in wide ribbons of silver as the Magistrate pronounced them husband and wife, and who, later that night, would take her again into his arms as she joined him in their marriage bed.
They knew life was uncertain for a Guardian, but now they had their love to make what life they shared fulfilling and beautiful.
And Udo and Terrin were determined not to waste a single second of it.
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Chapter 37
Tour
“Excuse me, sirs, but you need to stay with the rest of the group,” the tour guide told the small pack of young men. The visitors had reached the corridor adjacent to the transport bay, where a huge floor-to-ceiling window allowed them to view what was going on inside without interrupting the Guardians from their work.
The guide pursed her lips in agitation. Like so many of the men who took the tour, regardless of age, they came here to gawk at the female Guardians, especially one in particular. It didn’t matter any more that StarLight was married. Just the sight of her was enough to get any man’s blood pressure rocketing. And since her return to full-duty last week, the woman was even more captivating, if that was even possible. Married life definitely agreed with her.
Today the Guardians were on base, not having been sent out on an emergency. They were taking the opportunity to work in the transport bay, repairing the damage done by the Ombitra. The uppermost section of the bay had once held a balcony running from Commander’s labs, overlooking the ships, to the training facilities. All of the labs had to be replaced, including the training rooms, and a new balcony constructed, along with the portion of roof that had been fried away.
A low whistle of appreciation came from the small cluster gathered at the window.
“What do you see?” a voice whispered from the back.
“I see female perfection,” one of the men whispered in return as two others nodded.
The guide grinned. The men had no idea what was happening. But a quick glance through a tiny opening in their midst, and she understood why they were salivating.
StarLight had floated down from where she had been working on the roof, and parked herself less than twenty yards from the window. At that moment, with her back to them, she was bent over and smoothing the skintight black uniform along her ankle and calf, her slender fingers running up the length of her leg, around her thigh, and over her buttock as she removed the creases in the fabric. Her gestures were slow and deliberate, and it was obvious she had no inkling of the audience she was attracting.
“Oh, sweetest heavens, I hurt just watching her,” one young male groaned.
“You and me both. Dearest mother, and to think Master Hunter gets to have her every single night.”
One man shook his head in agony. “Some men have all the luck.”
“Yeah, but if it hadn’t been for the HandFast, do you think they would have fallen in love?” another man questioned as he struggled for a better view.
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Doesn’t matter now, anyway, does it?” the voice in the back whispered.
The tour guide had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Nuh-uh,” the young male agreed. “I just know that if I ever find a woman half as brave and half as beautiful as StarLight, I would lay claim to her and never let her go.”
“I’ll be sure and let her know you said that,” the voice in the back chuckled softly. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate the compliment.”
The group of men hesitated, then reluctantly, fearfully turned around to see Master Hunter standing behind them with a self-satisfied smile on his face.
“M-Master Hunter,” the youngest male began to stutter, knowing they would need to apologize for their behavior, and quickly. Word had gotten out about the punishments the man could dole out with his previously unknown powers.
To their surprise, Hunter held up a hand to stay their defense. Then, without saying anything further, he popped out of sight, reappearing less than a heartbeat later a few feet away from the object of their adoration.
A smile came over Star’s face, and she straightened up, turning toward the man waiting for her. Walking over to him, she lifted her lips for his kiss, and the people gathered at the window made noises of appreciation.
They watched as Hunter spoke a few words to her, the glass making it impossible to hear what was being said inside. But they saw Star turn around to look at the faces p
ressed to the window. To their surprise, she blew them a kiss, then gave them a wink before Hunter snaked an arm around her. Together, they walked over to the far side of the transport bay where four other Guardians were gathered to get instructions from Corona.
Taking their actions as her cue, the tour guide loudly cleared her throat for everyone’s attention. “If everyone will continue to follow me, please. Our next stop will be the clinic that’s just been renovated for the newest member of the Guardian team, Doctor Devorah Perlakian. Now, if you will remember, it was Doctor Perlakian who was instrumental in saving StarLight’s life after Star defeated the Ombitra mothership…”
The crowd obediently followed the guide to the next section of Guardian Command. All except for the small boy who couldn’t tear himself away from the enormous window.
Knowing that at any moment his mother would come back looking for him, he pressed his forehead against the glass and swore he would one day become a Guardian as strong and as brave as any of them.
“I will. I’ll come back as soon as I can, and I’ll apply for membership, and you’ll be glad to have me,” the nine-year-old vowed, never taking his eyes from the men and women gathered at the rear of the bay. And as he continued to press his hands against the thick, unbreakable glass, his fingers began to sink into the indestructible material.
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About the Author
Linda loves to write romance with a fantasy or science fiction flair. Her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel. By day she is a kindergarten teacher, wife, and mother of two who lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf Coast. But at night she delves into worlds filled with daring exploits and highly sensual romance.
You can e-mail Linda from her website www.LindaMooney.com.
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