The Marann
Page 21
The Sural straightened and bowed an apology. The healer’s face softened a little, but when she spoke, her voice was dry. “I do understand the circumstances. Joy of the bond, high ones. I would tell you to moderate yourselves for the sake of her recovery, but bonding pairs are renowned for their—single-mindedness.” Her voice became even more dry. “Bonding is as effective a relief for pain as any I can provide.”
The Sural laughed and slid his arms beneath Marianne to pick her up from the bed, blanket and all. She squeaked and giggled, holding the blanket up with one hand and clinging to his neck with the other as he strode out the door.
“Make sure she drinks sufficient fluids, high one,” the apothecary called after them.
Back in his quarters, he lowered her onto the sleeping mat and tore off his robe and trousers. Sighing with relief, he lay on one side next to her. His skin looked irritated. She stroked a reddened area on his neck.
“An effect of the bonding hormone,” he said. “Clothing chafes.”
“Your poor skin. So what did she mean, bonding pairs are renowned for single-mindedness?”
“It requires three or four days to become fully bonded,” he said.
“Three or four days of just—”
“—bonding,” he finished. “It is best we remain here in my quarters.”
“Oh my.”
He chuckled. “In truth, the need is more emotional than physical. We will not sleep until our bond is mature. It is how we will know it is over—when we fall asleep.”
Her stomach clenched.
“Beloved—do not fear. The compulsion is strong, but we are not enslaved to it. If you become afraid, we can guide the process.” He gazed into her eyes and let his heart flow into her through the bond. His radiance burst into her awareness. “It is past time to bond again,” he whispered. Her heart reached into him.
<<>>
“I’ve changed my mind, Addie.” Smithton called. He stood at a mirror in his bedroom, adjusting his cravat.
“About what, darling?” she asked from the sitting room.
“You wouldn’t make a very good spook.”
She joined him at the mirror. “Well then,” she said, untying and retying his cravat for him, “it’s a good thing I’m not a spook.” With a bright smile, she kissed his cheek before returning to the sitting room. Smithton watched her go.
“Yeah,” he muttered in a low voice, reaching for his tailcoat and following her.
She made room for him on the divan.
“Marianne isn’t answering her comms,” he told her. “It’s been four days since we phased up that chip.” Adeline remained quiet. “We assume the Tolari knew we wanted to phase her off the planet and somehow got it out of her head. It’s still operational—the failsafe hasn’t been triggered. How they managed that, we don’t know, because their neuroscience can’t be much more advanced than trepanning, but it means there’s a chance she’s still alive. John’s trying to get the go ahead to send down a shuttle to find out what’s going on, but she could be a vegetable for all we know.”
A signal beeped from Smithton’s desk. He left the divan to answer it. “Russell here,” he said.
“Sir,” said a voice, “the Admiral wants to see you in his private office ASAP. He says Marianne Woolsey is on the comms.”
<<>>
On the monitor, Marianne was alive, herself, angry—and out of reach, for now. The Admiral pressed his lips into a thin line. He should have ignored the Central Security mole and let matters play out. Adeline had created a disaster.
“The Sural requires Earth to leave Tolari space,” Marianne said. “No one on board any Earth ship in the system is permitted to return. Ever. He will allow Earth to reinitiate contact in one Tolari year—if you leave now.”
The Admiral swore. “Damn it, Marianne, talk to him. Change his mind.”
“You tried to abduct me.”
“We thought we needed to pull you out.”
“The Sural doesn’t see it that way. As far as he’s concerned, you tried to kidnap his wife.”
“His wife?” Adeline blurted.
Marianne’s eyes narrowed. “If you don’t remove your ship from Tolari space now, it will be destroyed.”
The Admiral scoffed.
“Admiral, I’m only going to say this once,” Marianne said in her best schoolmarm tones. She leaned forward toward the monitor. “Tolar is protected by technology more advanced than Earth’s,” she whispered. She leaned back and continued in a normal tone, “You can’t win this. If you don’t leave, you won’t even see it coming.”
She meant it. A deep cold settled into the pit of his stomach. “Very well,” he said.
“Thank you, Admiral. You’ve just saved your crew’s lives.”
“Howard out.”
The screen went blank. Admiral Howard left his office. Adeline followed him into the ready room, protesting.
“You’re not going to take her seriously, are you?” she cried. “The Tolari still live in stone castles. We’ve never detected any evidence of—”
The Admiral turned and slammed a button on the ready room’s conference table. “Security!” he barked. Two armed marines entered the ready room from the corridor side. “If Citizen Russell tries to follow me onto the bridge,” he ordered, “throw her in the brig!”
He left her sputtering and strode onto the bridge of his flagship. “Ensign, plot a course for Tau Ceti station,” he snapped.
“Yes sir.”
“Comms, relay orders to the fleet to rendezvous at Epsilon Eridani.”
“Yes sir.”
“Tau Ceti laid in, sir.”
“Engage.”
End of Book One
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