strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  “What do you want to talk about?” she asked as she sat down.

  “We’re leaving today,” he said, putting his own mug on the table. “The treaty is signed and sealed, and Kusac’s fit to travel.”

  “You needed me on my own to tell me this?” She picked up her fork. Much as she wanted to be home with her daughter, she was dreading their return trip, and the homecoming.

  “The worst’s over,” said Kaid quietly, leaning across the table toward her so the general buzz of conversation around them wouldn’t drown his voice. “I called Konis and Rhyasha myself last night to give them the details about Kusac. I told them about our cub. You’ve no need to fear meeting them when we return. Neither of us has done anything we should feel ashamed about.”

  “I’m not,” she said, swallowing a forkful of eggs. “Everyone knew our Triad was a legitimate bonding among the three of us, that it would entail you and I sharing cubs one day. What I feel is more complex than that. It’s as though I somehow feel responsible for what happened to Kusac.”

  “Chy’qui was the one responsible, not you,” he said, watching her closely. “Even if J’koshuk hadn’t known your twin, Chy’qui was determined to get information from Kusac about us and Keiss. When he realized we were a Triad, he wanted Kusac tortured to the limit to see if either you or I responded to his pain.”

  As she put her fork down to reach for her mug of coffee, Kaid took hold of her wrist, making her yelp in pain.

  “I thought so,” he said, carefully pushing her sleeve up. “You were favoring that arm. What happened?”

  She snatched her wrist away but not before he’d seen the livid finger marks. “It’s nothing,” she said, picking up her fork instead and hurriedly shoveling some more food onto it.

  He gave a low growl of annoyance, ears flicking briefly. “Kusac? I was afraid of that. I knew I shouldn’t have let you close your mind to me last night. When you’ve eaten, we’re going to the sick bay.”

  She stared at him, blinking her eyes once, very slowly, letting him know he’d overstepped the bounds. “It’s nothing. Just a couple of bruises. He was— enthusiastic, that’s all.”

  “That isn’t enthusiasm, Carrie. You might be half Sholan now, but you can still be infected by our claws. If you have any scratches, they need to be treated.”

  “Dammit, Kaid!” she hissed, leaning toward him angrily. “What do you think he is? Some kind of monster? He’d never hurt me deliberately, any more than you would!”

  He regarded her steadily, refusing to back down. “You’re being too defensive. What happened last night, Carrie? Did he force you?”

  “Let’s end this conversation right now, Kaid,” she said, her voice icy as she resumed eating, praying he wouldn’t notice she was trembling.

  He was silent for a minute or two. “The Kz’adul left last night,” he said, changing the topic. “Tirak’s ship is scheduled to leave in just over two hours. We leave after them. Captain Kishasayzar is getting the Hkariyash ready now.”

  “What about Brynne and the others?”

  “Captain Shaayiyisis is readying the Couana. We’ll travel back in convoy with her.”

  “Interesting though this is, it could have waited, Kaid.”

  “I wanted to see how you were after last night.”

  “I told you that topic was dead.”

  “You asked me why I wanted to see you on your own,” he said reasonably. “T’Chebbi was concerned for you. Kusac asked her to arrange for him to travel back in the Couana.”

  “What?” Her fork clattered to the table as she stared at Kaid in shock.

  He leaned forward to retrieve it. “The journey home will take about two weeks, and we have Link days now,” he said gently, handing it back to her. “It’s a perfectly understandable request.”

  “But I thought…I’ve only just got him back…” She stopped, eyes narrowing as a suspicion crept into her mind. “Why, apart from that, was T’Chebbi concerned for me? When did she talk to Kusac?”

  “He left you sleeping to go up to the observation lounge. He spent most of the night in there alone.”

  “Did he say something to her?” she demanded.

  “If nothing happened, why are you so concerned?” he asked, taking a drink from his mug.

  She studied his face, checking the angle of his ears and head, the position of the eye ridges above the dark brown eyes, as well as opening her mind to his every surface thought. He hid nothing, letting her feel his concern that by leaving her alone with Kusac the night before, he’d exposed her to danger from someone still mentally unstable.

  “What did happen last night, Carrie?” he repeated quietly, putting his mug back on the table.

  “Nothing. I told you, Kusac would never intentionally hurt me,” she said slowly.

  “Unintentionally then.”

  She looked away, pushing her plate aside, no longer hungry. “He was enthusiastic, that’s all. Forgot his own strength,” she muttered, a bitter taste in her mouth.

  “He’s been relying on your Link. Now it’s gone…” Kaid ground to a halt. “Apart from those bruises, what else? Tell me, Carrie. Our next Link day is only three days away. I’d rather not find out then.”

  She pushed her chair back and stood up. “I need some Fastheal salve,” she said. “I’m not going to discuss this any further, Kaid. I feel like I’m betraying him. He’s never been anything but gentle and loving with me. I know you think you shouldn’t have left us alone, but…”

  He rose, reaching out to grasp her shoulder. “Carrie, I’m not criticizing him, believe me. Remember, I know what it’s like to come suddenly from captivity to the arms of your lover. You were there for me when they brought me out of Ghezu’s dungeon.”

  She remembered only too well, and couldn’t stop the comparison that came immediately to her mind. Kaid had behaved so differently from Kusac, and it had been their first time together, his first time with a female for thirty years because he’d been afraid to reveal he was a telepath. He’d been hesitant at first, then grown more confident. Even though he’d known nothing of Human lovemaking, nor how fragile they were in comparison to the furred Sholans, he’d known his own strength. And he’d not known then how to use his Talent.

  “Maybe it was my fault,” she said hesitantly. “I forgot and reached for his mind like Vriuzu did. I think I triggered that awful pain.”

  “What?”

  “Only for a moment,” she said hastily as his hand tightened on her shoulder in concern. “That’s when it happened. A reaction to it, I think. Thank Vartra the jegget was there!” She gave a slight smile of amusement, locking away these new worries. Kaid had made her examine the happenings of the night before more closely than she would have wished, and she didn’t like the conclusions she was drawing.

  “The jegget?” he asked, moving closer, obviously confused. “What did she have to do with it?”

  “She jumped on his back. Everything was fine after that. They do that in the wild, don’t they? Well, they do on our estate. We shared a cave with them once.” She saw his look of utter confusion and added, “They’re drawn to pairing couples, Kusac said. Something to do with them being telepathic too.”

  “Ah,” he said, realization dawning. “Yes, I’d heard that,” he murmured. “The sick bay has some Fastheal. We’ll get it from there, then you can keep some on hand to treat those scratches.”

  *

  Two hours later, she met Kaid and T’Chebbi as arranged at the elevator down to the flight deck. As the doors opened, she saw Captain Kishasayzar in the middle of the group at the bottom of the Profit’s loading ramp. Kate and Taynar, the young Leska couple the U’Churians had rescued, were already there.

  “I thought Kisha’d be on the Hkariyash now,” she said.

  “He came over to finalize a trade deal with Tirak. Stronghold just bought his ship contract from the Chemerians. He owes us the money, but he’s free to choose his customers and cargoes now.”

  “Good for him. I
know he’ll be as glad to see the back of Assadou as I was.” She sniffed the air. “Sure smells better than last time I was here. What did they do with J’koshuk’s body?”

  “I wondered when you’d ask. They had to expel it into space to put the fire out,” said Kaid, glancing at her. “Seems that the bolt of energy Kusac used to kill him started a fire smoldering deep within his body.”

  Shocked, her steps would have faltered had Kaid not caught her by the elbow and drawn her onward. “Officially, he shot the priest with a gun he took from the Valtegan guard. Unofficially, only Doctor Zayshul and those of us involved in the telepathic web at the hostage exchange know what happened. She dropped the gun to cover his tracks, though Vartra knows why.”

  “And our people?” she whispered. “They won’t prosecute him for using his Talent to kill, will they?”

  “It’s being kept quiet, Carrie, don’t worry,” he reassured her.

  “But Rhyaz and Lijou must know.”

  “It was a freak incident, a one-time event,” he said, lowering his voice even further as they approached the Profit. “The Brotherhood needs us too much to have the incident made public. Back home, the authorities are hailing him as a hero because he didn’t take the Kz’adul to Shola, he brought it here, to us. Besides, I won’t let anything happen to him, trust me.”

  “I do,” she said as he gave her arm an extra squeeze before letting her go as they stopped beside Kishasayzar and T’Chebbi.

  The Sumaan’s long reptilian neck snaked round toward them, lowering his head till his face was level with Kaid’s. Lips pulled back from his mouth, exposing the huge teeth and thick pink tongue in a grin that would have been disconcerting had they not known him.

  “Novelty it is for our people being in right place to make good trades,” he said. “Thanking you for introduction to Merchant Tirak I am, Kaid. The word I be spreading among my kind for news of drug smugglers both your peoples wish to apprehend. Bad trade for all Alliance that is.” He grimaced, wrinkling his snout.

  “Glad I could help,” said Kaid.

  “I go now. Docking we are once Profit leaves. Venture returns then for you to embark.”

  Carrie watched their bulky Sumaan captain turn and pace off toward the shuttle parked by the landing bay entrance. His thick tail barely touching the ground, Kishasayzar moved with an ease and grace that was belied by his size.

  She turned back to Tirak and his crew, feeling slightly awkward at this leave-taking. Having spent most of her time with them either in stasis or a cell, she didn’t know them as well as Kaid and T’Chebbi did. Then she caught sight of Jeran, his light sand-colored pelt standing out amid the universal black of the U’Churians.

  “We speak to them,” suggested T’Chebbi.

  Skirting round the edge of the group, they made their way over to him and Giyesh.

  “Take care, you two,” Carrie said. “It’s not easy trying to become part of another species’ culture, Jeran, so when you feel weighed down by how little you know, just remember how much you’ve already overcome to be together.”

  “We will,” said Giyesh, grinning widely as Jeran put his arm across her shoulders. “Knowing it worked for you and Jo gave us hope.”

  Carrie shrugged. “Remember, it takes time, and don’t let anyone else decide what it is you want, you make your own decisions. Kus…We did.”

  “We intend to. I learned that one already,” said Jeran, with a sideways look at Giyesh. “Talking of Kusac, where is he?”

  “In our quarters,” she said. “He didn’t feel up to saying goodbye and sends his apologies.”

  “He’ll find it difficult getting used to such large, open areas again, and so many people,” said Jeran. “I’m still finding it strange.”

  “Takes time,” agreed T’Chebbi. “Least you still on ships.”

  “He’ll be fine,” reassured Carrie, inwardly praying he would as Tirak made a move to catch her attention. She turned to the U’Churian captain. “I never really thanked you for coming to our rescue the way you did,” she said to him.

  “No thanks necessary,” he replied. “I had to know what you were up to. Your group was too good at frustrating most of my efforts to find out!”

  “It’s the Brotherhood training,” she said lightly.

  “You may well hear more from me in the future regarding that,” he said. “I have many recommendations to put in front of the Rryuk Family council— starting with improving some of our basic skills.” He turned to Kaid, extending his hand to him, Human style.

  Kaid held out his and found his forearm grasped firmly.

  “A warrior’s handshake for you,” Tirak said. “We’ll be in touch, for trade reasons if nothing else.”

  “You’re continuing to pose as a trader?” Kaid raised an eye ridge at him in amusement.

  Tirak grinned, then scratched his ear in embarrassment. “Till we met you, it worked. Yes, we’ll be keeping our cover for now. I told you, I have plans. You will be hearing from us in the future, but as for now, we must leave. They’re giving us an escort back to Jalna.”

  “So I heard,” said Kaid. “At least you can be sure this trip will be uneventful.”

  “Say goodbye to Annuur for us,” said Kate. “And give him these.” She handed Tirak several packets of candy. “Sorry I took over your mind like I did on the Chemerian station.”

  “Is all right, taiban,” he said, ruffling her hair. “Without that, think of the excitement we’d have missed!” Chuckling, he turned for the Profit’s ramp, gesturing his crew to precede him. “You’ll be Annuur’s friend for at least a week because of the candy!” he called over his shoulder.

  *

  Carrie had been aware of a growing gulf between her and Kusac when she’d returned to the room after first meal, so she was surprised when Banner called her on her wrist comm as they were on their way back up in the elevator, telling her that Kusac wanted to talk to her.

  “You go,” said Kaid. “I have some business to attend to. It won’t take me long. I’ll meet you in our room in an hour or so.”

  Sitting on the bed, she watched Kusac pace the length of the room several times before stopping in front of her. Crouching down on his haunches, he reached out a tentative hand to her knee.

  “I’m sorry about last night,” he said, his ears folding back against his skull in embarrassment. “I’m finding it…difficult…to relate to everything right now. I hadn’t realized I relied so much on my Talent when I was with you. Without it, it’s as if I’m blind and deaf. I need some time alone. I don’t want what happened last night to happen again. That’s why I’m going back on the Couana, with T’Chebbi.”

  She reached out to touch his cheek, aware of the pain she could see in his amber eyes. “Kusac, talk to me. Whatever it is, we can work it out together. Don’t try to do it alone.”

  “When I know what I want to talk about, I will. I have to get used to being alone, Carrie,” he said, breaking eye contact with her.

  “But I’ve just got you back!” She tried to keep the pleading tone out of her voice.

  “It’s only for two weeks,” he said with finality, getting up and going to the door to open it. “Our world has changed for all of us. I have to learn to accept we’re no longer Leskas, and that will be impossible on a ship the size of the Hkariyash. I’ll see you again at Chagda Station, when you transfer to the Couana to go down to Shola.”

  “Kusac,” she began.

  “Don’t ask me to travel with you, Carrie, I can’t,” he said, face creasing in distress before he abruptly left the room.

  Shola, Lygoh Space Port, Zhal-S’Asha, 19th day (October)

  Leaving her like that had not been easy when every part of him cried out for her company. It had been the first of many such decisions he’d had to make, in every area of his life.

  Ahead, he could see the spaceport, the landing lights on the active bays visible despite the driving rain. He pushed his memories aside; time to focus on the task at hand. He reached
for his wrist comm, keying in the code that linked him to his team.

  “I’m overhead now. Everything ready?”

  “Yes, Captain. The Couana is ours, fueled and waiting for you.”

  Dzaou’s voice sounded strained. Doubtless he’d find out why soon enough. “Problems?”

  “None, sir. Captain Kishasayzar’s diversion worked. Port Control assumes we’re still running engine checks, so we’re ready to lift off immediately you’re on board.”

  “Meet me as arranged in fifteen minutes,” he said and cut the connection, dismissing the matter from his mind as he fought the turbulence to bring his aircar down into the parking lot. Now came the difficult part— being noticed enough to be remembered, but not enough to be prevented from planting the signal disruptor.

  Powering the vehicle down, he pulled his card from the ignition slot, unlocked his seat, and swung it round to face the rear. His personal kit was already on board the Couana, taken there by Banner. All he needed was the bag that lay on the rear seat.

  Standing up, he grasped his coat, pulling it on and sealing it closed before grabbing the bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he stepped to the door, pressing his palm to the lock. It slid back, letting in an icy blast of rain. He jumped down to the ground, hitting the close button as he did. Flattening his ears and leaning into the wind, he began to head toward the main terminal building.

  The automatic doors slid back, enveloping him instantly in a cocoon of warm air and bright lights. He stood there for a moment, dripping onto the absorbent mat before shaking his head and walking on. Pushing the damp hair back from his eyes, he headed for the departure lounge for scheduled flights to Chagda Station. Despite the weather, it was quite busy and he had to elbow his way through the milling crowd of assorted species standing beneath the flight information screens.

  Reaching the corridor lined with various small stores and eateries, he picked the quietest and, opening his coat so the Brotherhood emblem on his jacket was visible, headed for the counter to buy a mug of c’shar. As he joined the small line of customers waiting to be served, he made sure he jostled the male in front.