Lohet let go of Steven and looked at Aradia. Steven looked up at her as she tentatively lifted her hand from him. He took in a deep breath and his heart ached, but the toxin was designed to metabolize out of the system rapidly to leave no trace. Lohet and Sally helped him sit up then he looked into Steven's eyes, watching his pupil dilations. Steven had a few burst capillaries in his eyes that made them look very red, but he was more aware now. He put his hand on Lohet's arm to push himself up a little more. It felt like he was touching a marble statue. "I think we need to talk," Steven said, looking at Lohet with wide eyes. The Keratian nodded.
Steven looked around and noticed that the cave was quite crowded. "Everyone is here?"
Jonah sat down next to Sally, mussing his hair. "We heard a commotion in the greenhouse and went over to look. This is what we see." He looked around. "You apparently opened a gate."
"Ya think?" Steven looked at him. "I'm sorry to have dragged you here."
Sally smiled at Jonah then whispered to Steven, "I always wanted to travel through a gate."
Penipe gently let go of Asherah and crawled over to Steven, looking intensely into his eyes. Steven was both mesmerized by her eyes and terrified of her at the same time and he gulped. She put her moist cheek against his and her hand on his other cheek and he felt her in his head. It was like something clicked, as if a process that had started finally completed. He felt her, saw her memories and thoughts. An enormous sense of relief washed over him from her and she smiled looking back in his eyes, then she crawled back to Asherah. Steven was going to have to get used to that intimate connection. He looked at her as she cradled Asherah again. He felt her pain, her torment as it gradually faded away, replaced by extreme gratitude that her daughter was still alive.
Asherah looked up at her mother, who she had not seen since she was a little girl, then over at Steven. She was getting more aware by the minute. Steven could still feel her soreness and bruises through their connection and he reflexively tried to pull her pain into himself, trying to make her feel better. He had no idea how or why, but it seemed natural to him. She smiled and shook her head at him. They both needed to recover and she didn't want him overly burdened.
Tor'eng looked around at him, obviously undecided as to how he felt about the deviant, then back at Penipe. Penipe smiled at her life-mate and put a hand on his cheek and he closed his eyes and reciprocated. They sat there for a long moment. He shuddered then opened his eyes. "It's good to have you back, Penipe," he said quietly. She nodded, wiping her cheeks then looking back down at Asherah. He looked at Steven again with more understanding. He now saw the young man who would have died to save his life-mate and his daughter. This was a challenge to everything he had seen and learned about deviants.
Asherah shifted and tried to sit up. Steven immediately tried to crawl over to her. Tor'eng moved out of the way and Steven reached her side. Asherah looked into his eyes. "We died together." She licked her parched lips as she caressed his face. "Now we get to live together," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Steven smiled, crying, and hugged her gently. "I'm so sorry it took so long, Asherah." He pulled back and kissed her gently. Her fur was still matted with blood and her lips were chapped and swollen, but she was as beautiful as ever to him. He smelled something. "Hey, you smell good," Steven looked at her and grinned. A flower petal fell from her hair and he picked it up and put it back. She smiled back at him.
"I thought you would like these flowers," she said weakly. She remembered how she got prepared to woo Steven into believing she existed. The refreshing dive in the spring sounded very appealing now. Steven saw that memory with her and blushed, seeing her as she saw herself, disrobed and swimming. She smiled. "You're getting the hang of it."
Sirel came over and examined Asherah's wounds. The Selkie also came over timidly. She looked back at Brandon who was staring at her and smiled at him coyly. She knelt down beside Asherah and held her hand. Sirel looked at Penipe, "No broken bones, Penny. But she's beat up badly." Penipe nodded and caressed her daughter's hair. Sirel leaned against Steven. "I'm glad Lohet let you live," she whispered in his ear. He looked around at her and she smiled prettily, barely showing her rows of sharp teeth. "Please don't make him regret it, okay?" She batted her eyes at Steven.
He remembered Asherah's definition of deviant, then looked at Sirel and nodded. Sirel most certainly didn't seem like an ant to him. The Faerie kissed his cheek, nicking it with her teeth, and floated up to sit cross-legged on the ceiling as she watched the crowd.
Lohet stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave. Brandon was standing out there looking around, appearing a little shell shocked.
"You seem to be taking this well," Lohet observed.
Brandon grinned, "I watch a lot of science fiction." He looked at Lohet, then his daughter, and sobered. "Am I dreaming?"
Aradia was going to say something then she stopped. She walked up to Brandon and smelled him, then looked back at Lohet. "He's been in contact with a golem." Lohet nodded.
Brandon looked at her then him. Lohet looked at Brandon, "Rachel."
"You said she wasn't dead," Brandon said.
"She was never alive, Brandon. She is a golem," Lohet explained. Brandon looked at him blankly. Lohet wasn't sure how much to tell him, but he was Steven's best friend. "A golem is like a drone, controlled by the..." He tried to think of a name that wouldn't require yet another extensive explanation, "We have an enemy that can create and control people who are not people and they are very good at it."
Brandon looked at him, not quite understanding. "Rachel was real," he said, finding it hard to believe otherwise.
"They are very good at it," Lohet responded simply.
"I suspect she was stationed with Brandon to intercept Steven. But they did not collect him," Lohet said to Aradia. "I am not sure what they plan for him, but I think Steven will be our edge against them."
Aradia frowned. "Using a deviant?"
"He may be a deviant, but he's different. You've seen that. Different enough to warrant another label. I hope you and Tor'eng can convince the Council of that." Lohet looked around then back at her. "The Sadari have a mothership there, Aradia. We won the first conflict because they couldn't bring their ships to us. If they figure out how to bring their ships here, we cannot withstand them. But Steven can."
"That's very dangerous, Lohet." Aradia looked at Steven.
Lohet followed her look. "I see little choice."
Aradia nodded. "I'll pass that on to the Council. You are returning with the deviant?"
Lohet nodded. "They are still a threat. We must find out why they are there."
"The rest of your team?" Aradia looked at them.
"It is a volunteer team," Lohet said. "It's up to them." He couldn't expect them to go, not after nearly twenty years away from home.
Asherah looked over at her Selkie friend as if seeing her for the first time there. She was still regaining her senses. "Moringa, you're here." She spoke in a language Steven wasn't familiar with but he could hear the meaning in his heart. Moringa replied but he couldn't comprehend what she was saying. Asherah mentally told him that her friend didn't know the Terran languages and she was speaking a Endardian dialect. Steven loved the mental interplay they had and smiled. "She's been my only friend since childhood, Steven," Asherah said, caressing Moringa's cheek.
He looked around the cave then back to Asherah. "I need to get you somewhere so you're more comfortable. We came here from my greenhouse." Steven saw it in his mind. It was easier now. The gate had mostly closed when he was at death's door, but it was trivial for him to restore it, even though no one else could see it, except Asherah. "I love your greenhouse," she said in his mind while she continued to talk to Moringa.
He looked around at all the people in the cave, and wondered how he'd get everyone back. He still wasn't sure about what he was doing in the first place. Sally and Jonah still sat there in each other's arms as Sally tried to recover emotionally.
She smiled at him when Steven glanced at her and he smiled back. Sarah and Charley were sitting on a bench looking around, still very wide eyed. Brandon was out on the ledge with Lohet and the other vampire. "Don't worry, Steven, you can do it," Asherah thought to him. She turned and smiled, winking at Steven.
Steven looked at Asherah. He could stay there with her easily. Or her home planet. Just send everyone else back. He would still visit Sally and his friends, of course. Asherah shook her head.
"You are outlawed here, my love," Asherah whispered to him. "We have to go to Terra where they cannot follow us."
"Oh, honey, I'm depriving you of your favorite place!" Steven held her gently. She squeezed his arm.
"My favorite place is with you, Steven." Asherah put her head on his chest and he caressed her hair and neck, amazed to hear that. He breathed in deeply as he sniffed her hair. Only briefly did it occur to him that he was embracing an alien. His heart was fully hers, regardless.
Everyone seemed to be dividing up into little clicks talking to each other. Steven was ready to leave this place and go home. He thought of his childhood home and smiled. He would like to return there. But he would have to have a word with Jacob first. Put an end to their harassment.
Steven saw someone new appear on the landing of the cave walking toward them. Lohet turned to face him and put a hand out but the person disappeared just as he reached Lohet and reappeared behind Lohet without breaking step, walking toward Steven. Steven looked at him, impressed, until the man pulled out a long dagger. Asherah gasped and looked at the man who was coming quickly at Steven. Before she could scream Steven thought of his greenhouse again and suddenly the man was gone. Everyone looked around, most of them standing or sitting in the potted plants of the greenhouse. Sirel found herself sitting on the ceiling of the greenhouse. Lohet and his daughter were standing at the door with Brandon.
"Oops?" Steven said as he looked around. He felt dizzy for a moment. Did he really just do that? Could this still be a dream?
The Selkie stood up, looking around in amazement. She said something to Asherah and Steven heard her respond, "Terra." Moringa was native to the world they had been on and rarely left it, and certainly never came to Terra, the Forbidden Planet. But she had always dreamed of it. Now she was there. Asherah looked at Steven. "I think you just fulfilled her dream."
Steven looked at the Selkie then at Asherah. "Cool? Can she speak Common or Elvish?" he asked in Elvish.
"She knows Common and some Elvish," Asherah smiled at him, excited that he remembered her native tongue. Moringa looked at him, cocking her head.
Penipe and Tor'eng looked around, confused. Steven looked up at them, apologetic. But they had seen the gatekeeper executioner and knew why Steven had returned to Terra.
Steven tried to sit up. Sally came over and supported him. "I didn't mean to bring everyone. I just wanted that man gone."
Lohet walked over to Steven and knelt down. "That was a Chaser sent to kill you. Until the definition of deviant is adjusted, you won't be welcome in the Cooperative."
"If they'd just take the time to get to know me..." Steven started, offended that he'd be hated so badly. He slowly stood up, extremely sore and wobbly. He decided sitting down would be better and sank back down. He looked at Lohet, still trying to wrap his mind around being in the presence of aliens.
Lohet looked up at Penipe. "Show him." He stood up and out of the way. Penipe sat down next to Steven and put her hand on his cheek. Steven saw stars and closed his eyes. The stars shifted until he was looking at a region of space that was undulating and glowing like a very bright nebulae. "That is a region of space we call the Maelstrom. It is a singularity not contained by gravity or time," Penipe explained.
"Like a black hole?" Steven asked.
"That would be a singularity with gravity to contain it," Penipe explained. "A deviant did that and several systems are stuck inside that singularity. Steven, we don't know when the deviant did that. It could have done it a thousand years from now, or a thousand years ago. All we know is that it has the signature of deviant all over it."
The view shifted rapidly and there was a world that was lush and tropical. Steven watched as the crust fragmented and lava covered the entire surface of the planet, boiling away the oceans and burning all life. Eventually it was a nearly liquid planet of superheated lava. "That is Sirel's home planet."
"Who's Sirel?" Steven looked at Penipe. She looked up and Steven followed her gaze to see Sirel sitting cross-legged on the ceiling of the greenhouse. She waved at him and he waved back. He looked at Penipe. "I'm not like that," Steven insisted. "I couldn't bear to kill anyone or cause that kind of damage."
Penipe looked at him sideways, "Even Laurence?"
Steven looked down. "I sent him to the meadow. It was the only place I could think of that fast."
Penipe shook her head at him in wonder. So much power and yet so gentle, even with his enemy. "No, you're not like that. But I don't know how we'll convince the Council."
Tor'eng stood over them. "We must head back. My words will have strength in the Council and they need to know about the Sadari ship." He looked at Penipe and she looked down. She could not bear to have another breaking of their bond. But the gate was open and nothing could close it against a deviant.
"It's okay, Penipe," Steven said. "You can come visit."
She shook her head, "I can go visit." She looked at Tor'eng. "I must stay for a little while longer. Asherah." She wiped her eyes. He had had her daughter for all this time. Now it was her turn. Tor'eng pulled her to her feet and embraced her passionately and she cried into his neck.
He looked at Steven. Steven's heart broke for the pain and longing he saw in Tor'eng's eyes.
"Any time. As often as you want," Steven said. He looked at Asherah, understanding a little about separation from one's life-mate. Tor'eng nodded.
Aradia looked at Lohet and he nodded. She must return as well. She looked at Migalo. "Are you coming?"
Migalo pulled a banana frond out of his hair and kicked off a pot that had gotten stuck to his foot. "My place is here for now, Aradia. Someone has to keep Steven from breaking the world," he grumbled, looking sideways at Steven. Steven fidgeted.
"Find what the Sadari are doing here and break their jamming so we can come in and clean the golems from this place," Aradia instructed Lohet. "And be safe." She softened and hugged her father. He returned the hug and kissed her on the cheek.
Standing back, Aradia held out her hand. Tor'eng kissed Penipe then walked over to Aradia, grabbing her hand. "Moringa?"
The Selkie looked at her then back at Asherah and shook her head. Asherah grabbed her hand and looked at Aradia, "I'll look after her."
Aradia nodded and looked at Steven. "I need to go to the clearing. Can you see it?"
Steven stood up and looked at Asherah. "Our meadow, honey," she said. Steven smiled. That was his favorite place. He looked around and the rooftop and planter beds were replaced by the clearing. He was surprised and sobered to see troops and tents everywhere. But they seemed to remain respectful of the clearing, staying along the edge of it and in the forest but not destroying it.
"Do you see it?" Aradia asked.
Steven nodded. "Yeah. It's different, though. Are those troops?"
Aradia nodded then walked up to Steven and touched him. She looked around. "We're there." She looked back at Steven. "Don't hurt my father, Steven," she said curtly.
Steven opened his mouth and looked at Lohet. He didn't know that was even possible. He nodded. "Uh, sure."
Aradia smiled. She was actually very pretty, Steven thought to himself. And she was a vampire or alien or something. Steven gulped, still trying to grasp just what had happened. Aradia looked at him and crossed her arms. "Now, close the gate, Steven. Just relax and let it close in."
It was like exhaling. He was on the roof again. The others only saw Aradia and Tor'eng vanish and saw Steven talking into the air. Penipe took a deep breath, closing her
eyes. "I can still feel him. Hear him." She smiled. "And it is so good."
Steven blushed, remembering his intimacy with Asherah.
Shaking his head, Steven walked over to Asherah who was trying to get up. Her injuries were mainly superficial, but she was still very weak. Steven's strength was coming back fast and he lifted her up bodily, remembering how light she was from their time on the other side. He blushed with that memory and she put her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the greenhouse. The sun was just rising as he carried her over to the seats. The cooler was still there and he peeked in. It still had ice in it. He looked down and saw a body. One of the agents. He looked around. There were more. Reality abruptly intruded and he found it jarring. This wasn't a dream; it was really happening.
Reaching down, he touched the body, thinking of the mine that Jacob had taken him to. The body vanished. He did the same for the other bodies and just finished as Richard walked out of the elevator with a basket. "Hey, you're up!"
Steven remembered, the last time he had seen him, Richard was telling him to take a few days to recover. He smiled and waved as Richard walked over to the garden beds. "Who's this?" Richard knelt down beside the Selkie who had been examining the beds.
"Uhm, Moringa, I think."
"Those are some incredible tats," Richard looked at her. "Or is that body paint?"
Steven hadn't really noticed it, but Moringa was covered from head to toe with colorful patterns on her skin. He doubted they were tattoos but wasn't about to tell Richard he was talking to an alien. "Tattoos, I think. She doesn't speak English though."
"Well, I've got people hollering for tomatoes," Richard started filling the basket.
"Uhm, Richard?" Steven said, looking over at where his friends and family had congregated. Migalo sat more like a regular human now, looking like a hairy black man who tried not to smile too big. Sirel sat on a bench combing her hair. Lohet was extremely pale but sat in the shade so he didn't reflect too much. Asherah was furry but Sally sat nearby blocking the view. Penipe looked less furry. Steven briefly wondered why. Satisfied Richard wasn't going notice anything, he continued. "I might have to leave."
Crow - The Awakening Page 64