Harbinger

by Cyndi Friberg

“Rescue.”

  “Whatever. It doesn’t change the fact that I barely know you.”

  “Then let’s memory share. It’s a much more efficient way of getting to know someone than dating. If I bring you into my mind, I can’t manipulate the images. You’ll see anything you want to see, exactly as it happened.” He paused, his expression open and earnest. “I’m determined to earn your trust.”

  His suggestion unleashed a maelstrom of emotions. She’d wanted to share memories with Javin, had asked for the privilege several times. Javin’s refusal to allow her unrestricted access to his mind was the primary reason she’d begun to snoop. Danvier’s offer alone proved that he was nothing like Javin.

  Haven took a deep breath and released a few more of her inhibitions. “I’d like that.”

  “Then where shall we spend the night?”

  Choosing the big house sent a stronger message that she had no intention of bonding with him, but she didn’t want to risk being interrupted. “Let’s go to guest cabin three. It will give us more privacy.”

  A pleased smile parted his lips and he motioned her onward.

  * * * * *

  Pyre Sterling sprang up in bed, panting as the vision released her. For just a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was or why she was in the unfamiliar bedroom. Gradually the trance receded and it all came rushing back. Outpost LA, she was in a sex club on Earth waiting for the supply ship that would take her to Lunar Nine. She needed to check on her daughter’s progress and find out why Vox, a powerful Bilarrian mage, was helping the battle born rebels. Well, that had been her plan when she went to sleep. Thanks to her vision, her plans had just changed.

  She turned to the man sprawled on the bed beside her and firmly called his name. “Arrix, wake up. I had a vision. We don’t need to bother with Lunar Nine. Haven is here on Earth.”

  Arrix raised his head, grimaced, then laid back down. His back was still welted, doubtlessly painful, so she crawled off the bed and moved into his line of sight.

  “What are you talking about?” He was still blurry-eyed and had a serious case of sex hair. “The IG rescued Haven. She’s still on Rodymia.”

  Pyre shook her head, sending her newly blackened hair swishing around her shoulders. “Her rescuer teleported, so I presumed he was a technomage. Apparently, I was wrong. I can’t explain how or why, but Haven is here on Earth.”

  With obvious effort, Arrix pushed up from the mattress and swung his legs over the side. He perched on the very edge of the bed, minimizing contact with his sore backside. They were both naked and sated after two vigorous rounds of sensual play. Arrix, however, could barely move because of her overindulgence with the whip. She’d anticipated having at least two days to reinforce their roles as Linarian chefs before undertaking the mission, so his medi-bots should have had time to heal his injuries. But her vision just changed everything.

  “I thought we were here to check on Chandar and find out why Vox is on Earth. Have our objectives changed?” Little by little sleep’s muddle evaporated and focus returned to his gaze.

  “Yes. Chandar isn’t going anywhere and Vox is more of a curiosity than a threat. Recapturing Haven is an opportunity I can’t ignore.”

  “Why do you want her so badly?” Arrix looked tired and irritable. Ordinarily, he would have followed her commands without question.

  “She’s a bargaining chip. One I need desperately thanks to Quinton’s unexpected backbone. I can’t believe he raided IG Headquarters.”

  He rubbed his eyes then carefully rolled his shoulders before continuing the discussion. “But Javin is dead. Haven’s connection to the IG died with him.”

  Pyre shook her head, annoyed by the delay. She needed him sharp and focused. If that meant explaining herself to an underling, she’d make an exception this one time. “If the IG didn’t rescue Haven, they’re doubtlessly hunting for her. She killed their guild master. No Rodyte is going to allow that crime to go unavenged.”

  Rather than pester her with more questions, he pushed to his feet and started gathering his clothes.

  His obedience pleased her, so she offered more information. “And if, for some bizarre reason, the IG doesn’t want her, I can ransom her to her tribe or sell her to Quinton. Either way, she’s too valuable to ignore.”

  He fastened his pants and pulled on his shirt before looking at her again. “Did your vision reveal her current location?”

  Pyre nodded. “She’s in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado. All we have to do is scan for Rodytes and my ship should lead us right to her.”

  Balancing on the opposite foot, he awkwardly tugged on one boot and then the other. “Shall I go ready the ship?”

  “Excellent idea,” she said as she looked around for her clothes.

  Chapter Seven

  Danvier glanced around the modest domicile Haven had referred to as guest cabin three. The log walls and exposed beams, combined with rustic furnishings created a cozy atmosphere. A stone fireplace ran the entire length of one wall in the living area, complete with neatly stacked supplies to build a fire. The kitchen was offset by a half wall and adjacent doors indicated multiple bedrooms and at least one bathroom. “If this is a training center for adolescents, who occupies the guest cabins?”

  “Parents mostly.” Haven wandered farther into the cabin’s main room. “Occasionally, family friends or caregivers. Most of the students come from other states, so the parents aren’t willing to just drop them off and leave. Rachel tries to be understanding without allowing their fear to compromise training.”

  Moving into the center of the room, he motioned toward the hearth. “Shall I build a fire?”

  Haven shook her head. “Feeling cold is not a problem when you’re around.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He understood exactly what she meant. Waves of tingling heat erupted as soon as she walked into a room and the longer she stayed, the stronger the sensation grew.

  “I want to throw some of my clothes in a bag before we get started.” Haven motioned toward one of the adjacent doors. “I can fit into Berlynn’s clothes, barely. It will just be nice to have some of my own.”

  “There’s no hurry. We’ve got all night.” Though he was far more interested in getting her out of her clothes, borrowed or not. “Why’d you have your things brought here in the first place?” He strolled after her at a distance, not wanting her to feel stalked.

  Her possessions weren’t in the first bedroom, so she moved on. A neat pyramid of moving boxes had been stacked in the corner of the second bedroom, but Haven made a beeline for the closet. “Neither of my brothers were talking to me when I realized my stay on Rodymia would, or should have been, permanent. So I contacted Rachel. I asked her to donate everything to charity if I hadn’t returned in three months. Obviously, she refused.”

  The pain in her eyes made him want to smack some heads together. If her brothers had shut her out, no wonder she’d been ill equipped to deal with Javin’s abuse. “Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean you should shut down communications. In fact, the silent treatment is counterproductive to resolving conflicts.”

  “How very rational of you.” She smiled as she slid the closet open. “Haven’t you ever been so angry you wanted nothing to do with someone?”

  He thought of Pyre and cringed at the hypocrisy in his advice. She’d attempted to make contact with him several times right after he anchored himself to Garin. But he’d suspected she only wanted access to the rapidly rising general, so he’d ignored her entirely. “Point taken.”

  She began throwing articles of clothing on the bed as she spoke. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, but even then I understood why my brothers were so upset with me. I’d abandoned my ‘true life path’ and chosen personal happiness over the wellbeing of my people.”

  “But you’d found a true mate. How can that be abandoning your life path?”

  Moving to the far side of the bed, she began folding her selections a
s she explained. “In anticipation of my visit, Vinton had sent a sample of my DNA on ahead so it could be compared with Tandori supporters of an appropriate age. The process revealed two genetically compatible males from strong bloodlines.”

  “But instead of returning from your recon mission with a mate loyal to Tandori tribe, you bonded with the IG Guild Master and stayed on Rodymia.”

  She paused and looked into his eyes. “You’re the fourth male I’ve found with whom I’m genetically compatible. Why doesn’t that surprise you?”

  “The transformation program that brought the battle born to Earth begins with locating genetic matches. We expected that to be our greatest obstacle. However, our testing revealed that genetic compatibility is not nearly as rare as the elite would like us to believe.”

  “Why would the elite…” Understanding bled the color from her face. “They don’t want the battle born to reproduce.”

  “It’s more like they want to control when and with whom the battle born reproduce. Without the battle born, the elite would have no army, and no workforce, but the population must be carefully controlled.”

  She shook her head, clearly disgusted by all the lies. “Then having four genetic matches isn’t uncommon?”

  He smiled, hoping to ease the tension crackling in the room. “Indigo, Zilor Nox’s mate, had over seventy genetic matches from which to choose.”

  “Seventy? Oh my God, that poor girl.”

  Her reaction confused him. “Why do you consider her unfortunate?”

  “Because I know how patiently Rodyte males pursue their potential mates. Were they chasing her around Lunar Nine like a pack of wolves?”

  He allowed himself to chuckle as the image formed with amusing detail. “It wasn’t quite that bad, but close.”

  She found an overnight bag for her clothes then quickly led him back into the living room. It was obvious she didn’t want to do the memory exchange in such an intimate setting.

  “Have you ever memory shared before?” he asked as she set the overnight bag on a table near the front door.

  “I’ve shared specific memories, but I’ve never wandered around at will.” She hesitated over the last phrase, making the concept sound more dramatic than the actual exchange.

  “There are several ways we can do this.” He strolled toward the couch, hoping she’d follow. “I can allow you past my shields and you can simply ‘wander around at will’, but it could take hours, perhaps days, before you stumbled across anything interesting.”

  “What’s the alternative?” She mirrored his steps, even sat down, though she left plenty of room between them.

  “I can take you on a guided tour of the highlights and low points of my life. Or you can ask questions and I’ll show you the answers.” He stretched his arm along the back of the sofa and drew up one knee so he could turn toward her.

  “Will the connection give you access to my mind as well?”

  His predatory nature surged, making his phitons tingle. She had no idea how hard he was fighting just to keep his hands off her. “I’ve had access to your mind from the moment Vox deposited you on the Phantom. I could have scanned you countless times and you wouldn’t have felt a thing.”

  “You ‘could have’? Does that mean you haven’t and won’t?”

  He’d promised her honesty, so he told her the truth. “I monitored your emotions while you spoke with Garin, but I’ve never entered your mind.”

  Her gaze narrowed and she fiddled with the fullness of her dress. “Why did you monitor my emotions?”

  “We needed to know if you were telling the truth, and that was much less invasive than probing for specific thoughts.”

  “I’m not sure I see the difference. They both invade my privacy.”

  “My empathic receptors interpret signals transmitted by your mind. I never penetrated your shields. Data mining, on the other hand, requires a direct invasion.”

  “All right,” she muttered, but her features remained tense and suspicious.

  “Haven, I never go where I’m not invited—unless lives are on the line.” He scooted closer, needing to touch her. Hells rings, he needed to claim her, but he’d meant what he said. He never went anywhere he wasn’t invited and she was still a long way from surrender.

  She was silent for a moment, her gaze almost blank as her attention turned inward. “I’m not sure what I want to know. I guess a guided tour makes more sense.”

  “Then come here.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

  Her brows drew together as she hesitated. “If you could have scanned me without my feeling it, you don’t need to touch me to form a link.”

  “I never said I did.” He caught her wrist and drew her toward him, not stopping until she sprawled across his lap. “I just need to touch you.”

  A reluctant smile curved her lips and she pushed up from the couch. She arranged herself more to her liking, legs bent and straddling his lap. Their faces were nearly on a level now and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Better?”

  He pulled her close and buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling her scent. “It would be better if we were naked.” And I was buried deep inside you. She wasn’t ready to hear the last part, so he kept the thought to himself.

  She lightly fisted his braid and pulled his head up. Then her soft lips covered his and her voice insinuated itself into his mind. You’re broadcasting, sweetheart. Or was that intentional?

  Startled by the ease with which she’d penetrated his shields, he jerked away and looked into her eyes. “You said you were ‘mildly’ telepathic, yet you just slipped past my shields.”

  “You’re distracted.” She released his hair and rested her hands on his shoulders.

  “I can’t imagine why.” His hands slid down her back and cupped her nicely rounded ass cheeks.

  “Let’s get one thing straight right now.” Her tone was firm and steady. “I’m not afraid of sex. If a physical joining was all you want, we wouldn’t have a problem.”

  He pulled her forward as he raised his hips, pressing his erection into her heat. “We don’t have a problem. We have an obstacle created by your past, and I’m willing to navigate around it.”

  She slid her knees out, slowly increasing the pressure of her body against his. “I changed my mind. I want to ask questions.”

  It was a diversion. She was using desire to evade her fear. He’d allow it, for now. Once she realized she could trust him, they’d conquer her fear together. “All right. What do you want to know?”

  “What was life like at Harbinger Academy?” She raised her hand, pausing his immediate answer. “I know you weren’t there long and I know Pyre controlled much of what went on, but did you have friends? Do you have any good memories of your time with other harbingers?”

  “I had several friends, but some of the students were cruel to Chandar so I spent a lot of time with her.”

  Concern knitted Haven’s brow. “Why would anyone be cruel to Chandar? She’s like a real life angel.”

  “Everyone sensed her power, even as a very young child. The instructors were fascinated by her and the other students either feared or were jealous of her. It was easier to torment her than to admit that she was already more powerful than they would ever be.”

  She sighed. “Then no good memories?”

  “I didn’t say that.” He kissed her eyes close then pushed a memory into her mind, two dignified men in harbinger robes, one half a head taller than the other.

  “Who are they,” she asked without opening her eyes.

  Taking full advantage of the opportunity, he absorbed the beauty of her features, the smooth texture of her skin, and the kissable fullness of her lips. “Their names are Lisden and Phardin. They’re brothers and they were my primary mentors.” He showed her a collection of scenes, highlighting how completely they held his attention and how often they encouraged him to smile. “Lisden taught me how to see into the future, while Phardin taught me to sense
the present. They were kind and skillful. If they hadn’t been blinded by Pyre, they would have been good men.”

  Her lashes fluttered then lifted as she whispered, “What was the best day of your life so far?”

  He thought for a moment then tensed. This was about trust. If he held back now, they were wasting their time. “The best day of my life was also the worst day of my life.” He slowly raised his hands to her face, needing to focus his hormone-saturated body on the exchange rather than all the things he’d rather be doing with her. “May I show you?”

  She nodded. “That’s why we’re here.”

  Bracing himself for the emotional tempest these memories were sure to unleash, he drew her forward and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a warm conduit through which their energy flowed. He could push each individual scene into her mind, but it required a higher level of trust to draw her into his. Her lips parted as he began to move. He had to kiss her, had to taste her mouth and fill his lungs with her breath.

  She passively allowed the kiss for a moment then slowly responded. She claimed she wasn’t afraid of him, so why was she so tentative? No, she’d claimed she wasn’t afraid of sex, of a physical joining. She trusted him with her body. It was her heart she was afraid to risk.

  The realization made him sad, yet fueled his determination. She was passionate and proud, a worthy mate for any Rodyte. He just needed to help her see beyond mistrust and regret. He had to show her what a soul bond was meant to be.

  His tongue curled around hers, guiding her into his mouth. As the kiss deepened, he drew her consciousness into his mind, surrounding her with protective energy. His life had been very different from the cosseted existence of most academy-reared harbingers. He was more soldier than priest, more like the battle born who surrounded him. It was unlikely Haven was prepared for what she was about to experience.

  The scene appeared gradually, fading into view by degrees. He saw himself lying on his narrow berth aboard the Undaunted, in the cabin adjacent to Garin’s. His image tossed on the sleeping pad, tense and restless. The visitor alarm chimed, but the door slid open before he had time to authorize the person who had triggered the alarm.