Aydan (The Azziarin Series Book 6)

by Hannah Davenport

  Knowing what a ‘kiddy’ looked like, Aydan let loose a boisterous laugh. Kavvan looked confused as Belle gasped. “Kaley, they are not kitties.”

  Haley raised her head and stared at everyone present. She looked at her twin and nodded. “All kiddies.”

  Kaley grinned a toothless grin at Kavvan. “I wike kiddies.” She tilted her head to the side and batted her eyelashes.

  Aydan watched as Kavvan’s lips twitched. He tried his best not to smile. Locking gazes with Aydan, Kavvan ordered, “Get them settled in and then meet me in my ready room.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  First stop, medical. As they entered, the healer came rushing from his office.

  “I heard they found you. Are you okay? Let me check you over.” Larkken, the healer, glanced at the females and back to Aydan. “Take a seat over there while I get the scanner.”

  Aydan carried both females to the examination table and plopped down. Haley sat on his right leg, while Kaley sat on his left.

  “I see you’ve had an experience.”

  “A good one.” He smiled down at both the females.

  “Hold still.” Larkken held the scanner to his head and started down his neck. “You need to place the females somewhere else while I examine the rest of you.”

  Aydan glanced at Belle and nodded to the younglings.

  “Haley. Come here. The doctor needs to examine Aydan.” Haley slid from his lap and walked over to Belle. “You too, Kaley.”

  The little female turned around, threw her tiny arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “Sorry, Larkken, she stays.”

  “Fine. Do you hurt anywhere?”

  “Just my shoulder. I took phaser-fire.”

  “I see.” Larkken repaired his shoulder and then scanned his head again. “You took a hard hit to your head. I repaired the swollen tissue.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced at the females and then back to Larkken. “They need translators.”

  “All of them?” Larkken raised one eyebrow.

  “Yes.”

  “Fine, but the reports show that Earth females have a drastic reaction to the translator injections.”

  “What kind?”

  “They lose consciousness.” Larkken eyed the little ones. “We need to give them a sedative, otherwise they may be traumatized.”

  Aydan glanced at Haley, who stood between Belle’s legs, and knew the truth of Larkken’s words. They had been through enough.

  “Bring me the injector.” Larkken headed to his office while Aydan tried to think of a way to explain things to Belle.

  Larkken handed him the injector, but Aydan’s eyes never left the older sister. Her eyes widened in fear before she schooled her features.

  He motioned her forward. Using his hands, he tried to sign as well as speak. Her eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath. Placing one hand to his mouth, he said, “Talk.” He repeated it again. “Talk.”

  “You want to talk to me?” She tilted her head to the side.

  “Yes.”

  “How?” Aydan lifted the injector to his neck and mimicked the injection. Her eyes widened in understanding. “Will that help me understand you?”

  He grinned and nodded at the same time.

  “Will it hurt?” Belle worried her lip between her teeth.

  Aydan didn’t know if it would hurt or not. He did the best he could when he shrugged a shoulder and then fell back on the table with his eyes closed. When Kaley started to whimper, Aydan held her tighter in his arms and then sat back up.

  Belle crossed her arms and glared at him. “Let me get this straight, it may hurt, and I will faint?” Aydan shrugged and pressed his lips together.

  He pressed his fingers to his lips again. “Talk.”

  Belle eyed him and then the injector. With a sneer on her face, she glared. “Fine.”

  Aydan grinned as the healer had her lie on the table. Everything will be better when I can talk to them. He hugged Kaley close and kissed the top of her head.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aydan

  Belle lay back on the examining table, her fear-filled eyes trained on Cassidy. “Don’t watch. Aydan says I will faint, and I don’t want you to worry. It’s a normal reaction.”

  “Will it hurt?” Cassidy’s voice quivered.

  “I will tell you when it’s over. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but I want to talk with Aydan. I need to know what happened.”

  “Okay.”

  The sisters impressed Aydan with their bravery. No matter how scared they were, they stuck together and pressed on.

  As Larkken neared Belle with the injector, Cassidy looked away while Aydan gently turned the twins’ faces into his chest. A mere second later and it was finished.

  Cassidy ran to her sister’s side and clutched her hand while Belle lay there unconscious.

  Cassidy glanced at him. “Are you sure she’s okay?” He and Larkken both nodded.

  They waited.

  When Belle opened her eyes, she glanced around the room before leaning up on her elbows. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, Cassidy.” Belle smiled at her sister and then sat up fully on the examination table.

  “Did it hurt?”

  Belle twisted her face as she tried to describe the experience. “No.” Her eyebrows dipped low. “But it was overwhelming.” She shook her head trying to find the right words. “It didn’t hurt, but it felt strange.”

  Aydan stared at the two sisters, giving Belle time to reassure her younger sister. When the question and answer sessions finished, he asked, “Can you understand me?”

  Belle’s head whipped in his direction as her eyes grew big as saucers. “Yes!”

  “Good. This will make things much easier.”

  “Where’s Riley?”

  Aydan glanced at Larkken. “Leave us.”

  “What about the other translators?”

  “Later. I need to talk to Belle.”

  Larkken grabbed the injector and the scanner before leaving them alone. Aydan dreaded this conversation, but it would make things much easier if they knew the truth. He just didn’t like delivering the news.

  “When I crashed, I’d lost my memories. Yesterday we ran into the Tureis, the ones who invaded your planet. That’s when my memories came back. We came here to fight them, to help your planet.” He glanced at Belle who sat with her arms crossed as she listened silently. “We ran into a group of them last night. They took Riley.”

  Aydan watched as Belle eyes glossed over and her lower chin quivered. “What will they do to her? How do we find her?”

  “I promise, I will find her and bring her home. But I need to be here to do that. I’m sure she is on a Turei ship.”

  “Can we stay here with you? Help you find her?”

  “Yes.” He glanced at the other three before his gaze landed on Belle again. “Let me show you to my quarters. You can explain to the others what happened while I meet with the commander.”

  Belle nodded and then scooted off the table. Aydan carried the twins while the other two followed him down the corridor.

  He got many odd looks, a few sniffed, but no one dared to say anything.

  Dressed in his standard black uniform, he headed for the ready room.

  “Enter.”

  When Aydan walked in, Kavvan came from around the table and clasped his forearms in greeting. “I’m glad you’re back!” Kavvan swallowed hard. “You had me worried, old friend.”

  “Who are you calling old?” Aydan grinned as they dropped their arms.

  Padda turned to him with a mug in his hand. Holding one out to him, he asked, “Drink?”

  Aydan accepted. “Thank you.” Padda nodded and then took a seat.

  Kavvan went to the chair behind his desk just as Aydan lowered himself in the only remaining one.

  “Now,” Kavvan’s eyes bore into his. “What the sish happened to you? We’ve searched everywhere.”

  Aydan chuckled as he took a
sip of Fire’s Breath. It didn’t taste nearly as strong as Riley’s moonshine. After swallowing his sip, he glanced at Kavvan. “We crashed…”

  Kavvan shook his head and tightened his lips. “I know all that. What happened?”

  “A human stumbled upon the crash site. Don’t ask me how, but she and her sister took me to their house.” He shook his head in amazement. He still didn’t understand how Riley and Belle could have moved him. Humans were weak compared to Azziarins, and he was heavy.

  “Why didn’t you try to find us? You had to have known that we would search for you.”

  “I lost my memory. I didn’t even realize I was a different species until I saw myself in a looking glass.” He sat his mug down on the table. He had more pressing things to do than explain everything. His heavy gaze bore into Kavvan. “The Tureis kidnapped my mate.”

  “Repeat that.”

  “The Tureis kidnapped my mate, and I need to find her.”

  Kavvan blew out a breath and pursed his lips. Mates were sacred, and you only got one in a lifetime. “When?”

  “Last night. My memories, along with waves of pain, rushed back when I spotted a Turei. I was helpless to defend her, but I will get her back.”

  There, he admitted it. He was helpless to defend his mate. It shamed him, but he would not lie about it.

  “I’m sure they are holding her on a vessel.”

  “Yes, I’m also sure of it.” Aydan twisted his face in concentration when something else tugged at his memory. “Why are the Curazins here?”

  Kavvan waved his hand dismissively and said, “To help.” He stroked his chin. “Let me talk with Toran. With the two fleets, we can double our efforts.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Riley

  Riley sat in darkness, the cold walls pressing in on her. The only sound to reach her ears was the thump of her heart. How had Karen sat there day after day waiting for someone to come? What did they do to her when they did?

  When the alien had dragged Karen from the room, Riley noticed the glossy blue eyes, round with fear and horror. She wasn’t a fool; she would be next.

  She sat with her head down and thought about her sisters. What did they think happened? She prayed they didn’t think she just up and left. There had been many times Riley had thought about it, not that she actually would have. It was a fantasy that played out in her mind when she’d had a hard day. The freedom of taking care of only herself. Tears filled her eyes as guilt infused her body. She loved her sisters too much to ever leave them. Yes, it was hard. Yes, she wanted to give up sometimes. But didn’t everyone at some point in their life? Was she a bad person for dreaming? She never asked to be a mother of four at the age of twenty-two. But if she could be back at the house with them right now, she’d always be grateful to raise them. They were a blessing.

  Her head shot up when she heard a rattle outside the door. She trained her eyes on the entrance, waiting for some sort of movement. The knob turned slightly; the door cracked just a little. Anything. Maybe they had to use a key. Her ears strained in concentration, but there was no sound.

  She dropped her head back down, resting her forehead on her drawn-up knees. Five minutes later, her head shot up when another noise startled her. There was no wait. The door jerked open with a groaning screech, and a gray alien walked in, dragging Karen behind him.

  Riley stared at Karen, hoping she was okay. Through the dusky light, Karen’s eyes looked dull and empty. The alien dragged her to the far cell against the wall, opened the door and shoved her inside. Karen never made a sound, not even a whimper.

  When he left, Riley grabbed the bars and looked toward Karen. “Are you okay?” Nothing. “Karen, talk to me. What did they do?” Riley leaned back against the wall. Clearly, Karen would not answer, or could not. A shiver of fear ran down Riley’s body, making her shake. She wanted to comfort Karen the way she would comfort Cassidy or the twins.

  A few hours passed, and the door opened again. This time the two aliens stopped in front of her cell. Riley pressed herself against the hard wall and willed herself invisible. They came in anyway.

  One reached down, wrapped his long thin fingers around her upper arm, and yanked her to her feet. Riley let loose an ear-piercing scream that bounced off the metal walls. The other alien sneered before backhanding her across the face. Riley’s face throbbed. There would be bruises. As badly as it hurt, she still twisted and kicked at the one who held her. He was undeterred as he tightened his grip and dragged her from the cage.

  Riley sat in the cell as silent tears ran down her face. The only sound was the occasional sniff from her runny nose. She couldn’t go through that again. She couldn’t. They stripped her down and examined every inch of her body before they… she shook her head violently. No matter what, she would get out of there or die trying.

  “Riley?” Karen’s soft voice carried to her ears. “I’m sorry, Riley.”

  Why was she sorry? She’d been here longer, endured a lot more abuse. She had nothing to be sorry about.

  “Listen to me, Riley. While you were… out, Zi’an came to visit. He’s going to bring you a translator and help us escape.”

  Riley sniffed and swallowed hard. “How do you know this?”

  “I have a translator. He stole one for me. We have been planning our escape for a while, and then you showed up. I will not leave you here, Riley.” Karen gripped the bars in determination.

  Riley sniffed again. “Okay.” Her voice came out void of emotion.

  “He’ll be back as soon as he gets a translator.”

  “Why is he helping you… us?” She’d trusted Aydan, but he’d left her behind as he fled. She didn’t hold any hope he would rescue her, so why would some stranger?

  “He is very young. His father is Turei, but his mother, whom they killed, is a different species. I can’t remember what, but he said something about her race being peaceful and loving. Anyway, his father brought him here to toughen him up. It hasn’t worked.”

  “How young is he?”

  “Their measurements are different, but he looks about fourteen.”

  Riley closed her eyes. He was younger than Belle, older than Cassidy, and made to do who knows what.

  “Riley? You still listening?”

  “Yes.”

  “The only problem is we have nowhere to go.”

  If they got off this ship, she’d gladly take them home with her. “Yes. We do.”

  The next time Riley heard the door rattling, her heart pounded with fear, and her breathing grew erratic. Her vison blurred, but she fought to stay conscious. Her tongue darted out to moisten her dry lips, but it didn’t help.

  She plastered herself tight against the back wall and watched as a young alien stepped through the barely opened door.

  “Karen, tell her that I have the translator.” Riley couldn’t understand a word he said.

  “Good. Riley, let him inject the translator. A word of warning, you’ll probably pass out, so lie down on the floor.”

  Zi’an unlocked the cell door. Riley tried to hide her shaking hands, to convince herself he was here to help, but it didn’t work. Her teeth chattered as he drew near. When he stepped forward, she could see the differences between him and the others. She blew out a shaky breath and took a good look at him. Instead of flaming red hair, his was dull, darker. Instead of the golden-yellow eyes, his were golden-brown. His skin still had the grayish hue, but with red undertones, he looked a little pink. He was the same as the others, but different. Not as scary to look at, especially with his young, worried face.

  Riley reluctantly did as Karen instructed. She stretched out on the cold, hard floor and clasped her hands together on top of her chest. “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.” She kept repeating the words over and over, hoping she might actually believe them.

  When Zi’an placed the injector just below her ear, she heard Karen’s encouragement. “Just hold still, Riley. It’ll be over soon.”

  Riley
woke moments later to the sound of chattering. She clamped her mouth down tightly to stop the noise. It’s a wonder I didn’t break my teeth. That’s when she heard them speaking softly. Riley rolled to her side to watch and listen.

  “I don’t know, Karen.”

  “Zi’an, you have to go with us.” Karen’s voice pleaded with him.

  “Where would I live?” He shook his head. “There is no place for me.”

  “You will live with me. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

  Riley pushed up from the floor and dusted herself off. Two sets of eyes turned on her. Karen smiled. “You’re up.”

  “Yeah.” Riley rushed from the open cell, thankful to be out of the cage. She stood slightly behind Karen, but her eyes scrutinized Zi’an. He stood unsure of himself, innocent. She could see why Karen wanted to help. “If you get me off this damn ship, you can both stay with me and my family.”

  Karen’s eyes implored Zi’an. “What do you say, Zi’an? Will you stay with us?”

  He glanced at Riley and then Karen before giving a curt nod.

  “Let’s go now. It’s nighttime and the ship has minimal crew.”

  Riley wrung her hands and glanced at the cells that lined the wall. Looking back at Zi’an, she swallowed hard. “I’m ready.”

  Riley would like to have stormed the ship, killing everyone in sight until they came to the shuttlecraft, and then torn out of there like a bat out of hell. But in reality, they were two women and a boy who tiptoed around like thieves in the night, hiding from passing Tureis before continuing on their way. There was barely any light in the hall; everything looked gray. What a depressing place to live.

  When they made it to the shuttlecraft, Zi’an opened the hatch, and they all scurried inside. He sat in the pilot’s seat and stared at the controls.

  “Zi’an?”

  “Sorry.” He flipped a switch, and the shuttlecraft hummed to life. “Buckle up.” Both women grabbed their harnesses and strapped in.

  Zi’an pressed a button and a door slowly opened, revealing empty black space. Riley’s erratic breathing made her dizzy. Karen placed a hand on her back. “Put your head between your legs and take slow, deep breaths.”