Harbinger

by Cyndi Friberg

  “Is Danvier still here or did he beam up to the ship?” Rachel delivered the line with a straight face, yet mischief glittered in her green eyes. She was clearly fishing for information.

  Haven returned her smile, but resisted the temptation to share battle born secrets. “He needed to update Garin.” She shrugged. “I’m pretty sure he can do that from anywhere.”

  As if to answer her question, Danvier eased open the glass door. “May I join you or is this a private conversation?”

  Rachel motioned him toward them with a friendly smile. “Actually, I enjoy a nice long bath before I turn in each night, so I’ll leave Haven in your capable hands.” She turned to Haven and added, “The things you left with me are in guest cabin three. You’re welcome to stay there or in the big house. It’s just me and the staff right now, so you can have your pick of bedrooms.”

  Danvier dipped his head as Rachel passed, but didn’t attempt to detain her. He waited until Rachel was out of sight before he spoke again. “Dare I ask how the guiding council voted?”

  Haven smiled. She could always count on Danvier to be direct and honest. She wasn’t sure if it was a personality trait or part of harbinger training, but his refusal to play games was refreshing. She’d spent too much of her life trying to understand people’s real motivations. “I’m now an official ambassador for Tandori Tribe and I’ve been authorized to negotiate a mutually beneficial alliance with the battle born.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Danvier joined her at the railing, but his hauntingly beautiful gaze remained fixed on her face. “Garin was hoping for this outcome.”

  “Can we spend the night here or do we need to return to Lunar Nine?” Awareness rolled through her body, the sensation warm and tingly.

  “That depends.” He moved closer, his scent wrapping around her, caressing her as tangibly as any touch. “Where will I sleep if we stay here?”

  Despite her repeated attempts to push him away, he was obviously resolute in his desire for her. “You have to stop doing this. You know I’m attracted to you, but I’m not ready for another relationship.” She paused, allowing his nearness to awaken her senses. She was so tired of games and manipulation. For once in her life she wanted to be brutally honest with herself and those around her. If that finally drove him away, so be it. “If you’ll be satisfied with a casual affair, we might be able to work something out. But that’s all I have to give right now.”

  “A ‘casual affair’?” Irritation sparked in his gaze, but the flash of emotion was quickly erased by his usual non-expression. “You sound like a human.”

  It was a valid point. Many humans approached relationships with casual indifference. Rodytes, male or female, would never tolerate such an attitude, especially from someone genetically compatible with themselves. As Rachel said, finding a true mate didn’t happen every day. “I’ve spent much of my life pretending to be human. My childhood was unique, but I went through the awakening just like everyone else.”

  “That’s how you met Rachel?” He didn’t touch her. Instead, he stood within reach, teasing her with his nearness.

  Unsure why he asked, she just nodded.

  “How old were you when you learned the truth?”

  Was he simply being polite or were his benign-sounding questions leading her somewhere she didn’t quite understand? She sighed. Not everyone had ulterior motives. She just didn’t interact with many who didn’t. “I was twelve. Well, nearly thirteen. Why do you ask?”

  “And until your ‘awakening’ you knew nothing about our customs or Rodymia in general?”

  She shook her head and looked out over the backyard. The sun was no longer visible, yet moonlight hadn’t penetrated the purplish haze. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Danvier was just too distracting. When she looked at him all she could think about was the passion smoldering inside her. It would be so easy to let go and revel in the pleasure. But after Javin’s death, she’d promised herself that she would never be completely dependent on anyone ever again. She intended to keep that promise.

  “Wait,” Danvier lightly touched her shoulder, drawing her gaze back to him. “What about your phitons? Rodyte eyes are different from human eyes. How is the difference explained?”

  “Hybrid children don’t develop phitons until they go through puberty, if they develop them at all. So learning how to alter their appearance is part of their awakening. Contacts lenses are the most common solution.”

  “But pureblood Rodytes are born with phitons, even when they’re born on Earth.”

  Uncomfortable with the subject, she averted her gaze, though he was still visible in her peripheral vision. “There are very few pureblood Tandoris left on Earth. We’ve done our best to minimize the dilution, but so many of us were related to each other to begin with that interbreeding with humans was unavoidable.”

  His head tilted and he lightly stroked her neck with his fingertips. “You’re pureblood. How did your parents protect you?”

  This was the part of her background she’d hoped to avoid. She wasn’t ashamed of her childhood, exactly. But most found it disturbing, which made her feel defensive. “Pureblood children are raised in seclusion. There are several small, hard to access communities where pureblood families live until their children are old enough to be awakened. The community in which my brothers and I grew up was only accessible by people who could teleport.”

  He didn’t immediately respond and tension pulsed around them. “For a place to be that secluded it almost had to… Was there electricity and running water or were you living off the land?”

  She hesitated. This was an old debate, one she’d participated in much too often. “A person doesn’t miss what they’ve never had and children are remarkably resilient. The true sacrifice is made by the adults. They understand the difference in living conditions and still go for the sake of their child or children.”

  “How are the children educated? What if they’re hurt or become ill?”

  “They’re homeschooled by their parents or other community members. And the ability to teleport comes in handy when there’s an emergency.”

  After a thoughtful nod, he asked, “Are pureblood children still taught that they’re human?”

  “That would be rather pointless.” She softened the statement with a smile, more than ready to leave the topic behind. “For us the process is backward. As small children, we’re taught what it means to be Rodyte. And more specifically, what it means to be part of Tandori Tribe. Then during our awakening, we’re taught why it’s necessary to masquerade as humans and how to control our abilities.”

  “Then how does it work for hybrid children?”

  “Tandori children are taught Rodyte history,” she explained, “but the stories are presented as myths or legends. During their awakening, they’re shown images and holo-files proving that the stories are true, that aliens are real.”

  “And most accept it all without argument or rebellion?” He sounded doubtful.

  She glanced at him, still confused by his tactic. Most Rodyte males were overtly seductive once they’d found a female they desired. Why was he being so…polite? “Some argue and rebel. I was a good example of both. I already knew I was an alien, but I learned my family was responsible for maintaining the sacred bonding grounds. It was a massive responsibility and greatly limited my options for the future. It wasn’t until my gifts began to manifest that I finally allowed myself to accept who and what I was meant to be.”

  “Gifts?” He placed his hands on her hips and gently turned her toward him. “We’ll soon be allies. Tell me about your abilities.”

  His hands were warm and his nearness intensified the pull, the yearning to touch him and be touched by him. “Magic is simply another form of energy. Our gifts allow us to manipulate that energy in a variety of ways. Some skills can be learned, but most require a specific aptitude.”

  He smiled, his phitons shimmering in the twilight. “You’re explaining magic to a harbinger.”<
br />
  “Good point.” She didn’t consciously move toward him, but suddenly her hands were on his chest and his arms encircled her waist. “I’m able to manipulate air.”

  “Which allows you to do what exactly?”

  She laughed. “Are you going to list all of your abilities for me?”

  “I wasn’t asking for a comprehensive list. Manipulating air can mean anything from blowing a leaf off a tree to creating a tornado. I’ve heard of Bilarrians who can suck the air out of another person’s lungs and end their life in a matter of seconds.”

  “My mother was like that,” Haven admitted with a sad sort of smile. “She only mastered three or four specific skills, but each one was incredibly strong, and deadly.”

  “Is she still alive?”

  Haven shook her head. “She passed beyond when I was seventeen. I still miss her very much.”

  He raised his hand and grazed her cheek with his knuckles. “Are you avoiding my question for a reason? How does your gift manifest?”

  “Sorry. I can move objects, some rather large, with concentrated bursts of air. I’m mildly telepathic and can often sense when others communicate mind to mind. My most important accomplishment was being a spiritual anchor. I siphoned energy from the air and fed it to the spell empowering my sacred bonding ground.”

  “Are you able to teleport?”

  She saw no reason to deny it. “Vinton had the longest range, but all three of us can teleport. Unfortunately, my body is tuned to Earth’s energy. My abilities are greatly limited once I leave the planet.”

  “Is that why you didn’t put up more of a fight when you were kidnaped?”

  He sounded curious rather than accusatory, so she explained, “Primarily. The man who grabbed me the first time moved so fast that I didn’t even have time to scream.”

  “You said before that you thought he was an outcast. What led you to that conclusion?”

  “The way he looked and his abilities. Besides, it’s the only conclusion that makes sense. Only an outcast would risk angering the IG.”

  He nodded, his gaze searching hers. “Could you have escaped Pyre if you’d wanted to?”

  She slid her hands up over his chest until they rested on his shoulders. “Likely. But I needed to know how much she knew and how much she only suspected. I also wanted to know what she hoped to gain by kidnapping me. Once I had the answers to those questions, I would have found a way to escape.”

  “Could you have teleported off the Phantom?”

  She shook her head. “I was too far away from Earth.”

  “May I ask a personal question?”

  “You can ask.” She smiled at him. “That doesn’t guarantee I’ll answer.”

  “I’ll risk it.” His gaze caressed her face, his expression warmer now, less calculative. “If your primary role in the tribe is to maintain one of the sacred bonding grounds, why were you allowed to leave the planet?”

  Her smile slowly slipped away. His curiosity was understandable, but the question unleashed all sorts of unpleasant emotions. “Neither of my brothers wanted me to go. They agreed that we needed a firsthand assessment of the situation on Rodymia, but they wanted to send someone else.” She tensed, waiting for him to agree with their position.

  “Why were you so adamant about going yourself?” The question was much subtler than she’d expected, yet his displeasure was evident.

  “The situation is incredibly nuanced. We’ve always had a group of loyal supporters, but we’ve been gone a very long time. If I was going to make a decision that affected the entire tribe, both here and on Rodymia, I wanted to be the one who evaluated the situation.”

  “If you want something done right, you must do it yourself?”

  He softened the question with another smile, so she tried not to be so defensive. “Basically. Of course, I was only supposed to be gone for a few weeks.” Thoughts of Javin invariably darkened her mood. Instead, she stayed focused on the male in front of her.

  “Who took over as spiritual anchor for your area?”

  “One of my cousins. A sacred bonding ground can never be without an anchor, so all eighteen of the pureblood descendants have been trained for the task.”

  He nodded, his expression growing thoughtful again. “How has the bloodline remained ‘pure’ when Tandori Tribe has been isolated on Earth for many generations?”

  His questions were growing progressively more personal, yet she felt comfortable enough to answer. She wasn’t sure if it was part of the mating pull or his laid-back personality, but all the details of her life just came pouring out. “It hasn’t been easy, but you’re being too literal. Any direct descendant of the Tandori family is considered ‘pure’ as long as their blood hasn’t been diluted with human or any other species.”

  “Even so, that’s a dangerously small gene pool.”

  “Which is why, from time to time, Tandori supporters from especially hearty and prolific bloodlines are recruited to join our tribe. They come to Earth with the understanding that they will mate with one of our pureblood members.”

  “But what if these volunteers aren’t genetically compatible with any of the pureblood members? Conception isn’t possible without a mating bond.”

  Uncomfortable with the subject, she turned her head and looked out into the gathering darkness. What she was about to explain was extremely confidential. If certain people found out, it would be potentially disastrous for Tandori Tribe. “One of Pern Keire’s scientists escaped Rodymia and asked for asylum with Tandori Tribe. His final task for Pern, the one that made him desperate enough to escape, was finding a way around that obstacle.”

  He turned her head back around, his fingers lingering against her face. “You consider the mating bond an obstacle?” Despite his gentle touch, his displeasure was obvious.

  “I don’t, but the warriors who captured war brides did. It’s dangerous and painful to sever a soul bond. They wanted a way to make their captives fertile without creating a permanent bond. Pern threatened the scientist’s family, so he synthesized a formula that mimics a mating bond without creating the metaphysical connection.”

  For a tense moment, Danvier just stared at her. “Tandori Tribe can mate with whomever they please and still produce children?”

  “Everyone would prefer a true mate, but as you said, our gene pool is tiny. Sometimes we have to be creative.”

  “That’s unnatural.”

  Annoyed by his pious attitude, she decided to really shock him. “Two of my aunts circumvented the system entirely and underwent a medical procedure that resulted in conception.”

  His eyes widened and color spread across his cheeks. Apparently, the thought of females conceiving without the direct involvement of a male was as scandalous as she’d hoped. “But how…even with this formula, how could they conceive without a male?”

  “Well, technically a male was there too. At least the part of him necessary for conception.”

  Understanding sparked within his gaze, though he didn’t appear any more comfortable with the topic. “So a Rodyte male provided enough of his sperm for these procedures. Does he feel no obligation to his progeny?”

  “My aunts and I have never been close enough for a detailed conversation. But from what I understand, the males want nothing to do with the offspring. They’re willing to assist us, but have no desire to live in exile.”

  His chin came up and his shoulders went back. “These males are not worthy fathers.”

  “That’s the point. They don’t consider themselves fathers and neither do my aunts.”

  He shook his head, moonlight gleaming in his silver hair. “Humans have clearly distorted your beliefs. Such a thing would never be tolerated on Rodymia.”

  “You may be right. It’s not a choice I would make, but the situation on Earth is very different from the situation on Rodymia. Traditions have evolved by necessity.”

  “Did your brothers expect you to bond with a Tandori supporter? Is that why they objected to
Javin so strenuously?”

  A lump of emotion formed in her throat making it hard to swallow. Vinton had been more understanding than Ulrik, but both had voiced their disappointment and frustration with her actions. They were spiritual anchors. Others looked to them for guidance. It was important that they lead by example. “My brothers disapproved of many of my decisions. Javin was just the most recent.”

  Silence descended as he ran out of questions. One of his hands moved up and down her back, subtly drawing her closer. Awareness pulsed between them, hot and electric. Even with Javin, the mating pull hadn’t been this intense.

  “I don’t expect to win over Ulrik, but what about the rest of your tribe? Is there any hope that they will accept me?”

  She was glad he cared about the opinions of her people, yet his questions inferred that their bonding was a foregone conclusion. “They don’t need to accept you. They don’t need to know about you if all we ever share is pleasure.”

  He should find the suggestion insulting. She wanted to anger him, needed him to storm off into the darkness. Instead, his fingers gently curved around the back of her neck and his thumb brushed along her jaw. “We can take this as slowly as you want. Spend time with me. Share as much or as little of yourself as you like. I’ll be content as long as we’re together.”

  If she could trust his expression, he meant every word. He’d let her come to him. He’d patiently wait for the mating pull to erode her inhibitions. It wasn’t a bad strategy when she was her own worst enemy. She wanted him already and he knew it. She’d had a mate. She knew the pleasure only available to bonded couples. But she’d learned the hard way how quickly promises could be broken and happily ever after shattered.

  She tried to move closer, to hide her face against the warmth of his throat. He eased back, not allowing her to escape his penetrating stare. “I know you’re frightened, but I’m not Javin. I’ll never lie to you, never intentionally harm you.”

  “And I’m supposed to take your word for it? We’ve only known each other a couple of days and we met when you participated in my kidnapping.”