“What reason did they have to return?” Nirobe demanded. “They were shunned by the rest of the Kindred—disavowed by the Council. Some even compared them to the Scourge.”
“Not all disavowed them. There were some who…studied their ways.” Terex felt his face getting hot and had to look away. His beloved mate, Solange, had been such a one—a scholar of the forbidden way of life the Lost Kindred had adopted after their genetic exchange with the Nix people. That had been just before they disappeared into The Blind over a hundred and fifty cycles ago.
“Look, I don’t know anything about the ‘Lost Kindred’ or anything like that,” Elaina said, frowning at both Terex and the priestess. “All I know is that you’re asking me to leave my terminally ill sister and go thousands of light years away into an uncharted area which is generally believed to be extremely dangerous. And you’re asking me to do this on the strength of a weird prophesy-poem which doesn’t even seem to make any sense. Have I got all that right?” she asked, looking at Nirobe.
The priestess nodded gravely. “That is the essence of it, my dear.”
“Can you guarantee I’ll find what I need to cure my sister and get back to Earth in time before she…before she…” Elaina choked for a moment and Terex felt his heart trying to melt at the obvious pain in her eyes. He hardened it at once. “Can you promise I’ll get back in time?” Elaina finished at last, her eyes wet.
“Alas, my child, I can promise you nothing. I only know the Goddess loves you and has your best interests at heart. Sometimes she wants us to trust her—to step out on faith and go where she leads even if it doesn’t seem to make sense.”
Elaina took a deep breath and looked at Terex.
“Are you going?” she demanded. “Are you going into this uncharted sector—this Blind?”
Terex thought briefly of lying to put her off—surely it would keep her from coming with him and then he could seek Two’s scion on his own without having to worry about getting her home safely. But the moment the idea entered his mind, he felt ashamed and pushed it away. Telling falsehoods was unworthy of a Kindred warrior.
Instead, he nodded shortly. “I am going,” he said. “Though I do not know if I will be able to get back to the Mother Ship again. This is the only clue I have to the whereabouts of my enemy—I must follow it.”
“And…forgive me but, priestesses are never mistaken?” Elaina asked, glancing at Nirobe anxiously and then looking back to Terex.
“They are often oblique and mysterious—sometimes positively baffling,” Terex told her. “But I have never yet known one to be mistaken if she is truly led by the Goddess.” He looked at the priestess who nodded.
“You need have no fear on that account, Commander Terex—the prophesy came to me in a true vision, one from the Goddess herself.”
“Well, then…” Elaina lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. “I’m going too.”
“You are?” Terex looked at her in surprise. He’d been certain that all the talk of the Blind and the Lost Kindred had frightened her off.
Elaina nodded. “I’m going,” she repeated firmly. “The doctors have tried everything else to help Gina and this is the only thing left. So I’ll go and see what I can find. Only…” She looked at the priestess. “Only can I go back down to Earth and tell my sister goodbye first? In case…” She cleared her throat and went on in a choked voice. “In case I don’t…don’t get back from this mission in time?”
“Of course, my dear. Commander Terex will be happy to take you down to say your farewells,” Nirobe said calmly.
“Wait a moment,” Terex protested. “If we’re going into the Blind there is much I need to do. Preparations to make—”
“Commander Terex doesn’t have to be the one to take me,” Elaina said quickly. “I’m sure the nice warrior who brought me up here—”
“I said, Commander Terex will take you,” the priestess emphasized sternly, cutting both of their protests off. She looked at Terex. “Your preparations can wait. Go with Elaina and see. Understand that your pain is not unique.”
“I…” Terex couldn’t think of a way to answer her rebuke without being uncivil. So he simply nodded his head. “I thank you, priestess,” he said briefly. Then he jerked his head at Elaina. “Come. There is much to do.”
* * * * *
They put on their shoes—or in Terex’s case, huge black boots that looked like a size fourteen at least—and Elaina followed him out of the Sacred Grove, all in complete silence. Neither one of them said a word. She watched the stiff set of his broad, muscular shoulders and wondered what she’d done to piss him off.
Of course, it could just be that she was butting into his mission which he clearly wanted to be a solo operation, but she didn’t think that was the only thing making the big Kindred upset. He’d been cool to her even before the priestess had demanded he take Elaina with him. Cool almost to the point of rudeness which was not the Kindred way. From her time spent working in the HKR building, Elaina knew most Kindred warriors bent over backwards to be courteous and polite to females. It was one of their principles—the belief that all female life was to be revered and respected.
So why was Commander Terex acting like such a colossal jerk? His mood seemed to have darkened to match his new hair color and the beard he had grown. Rather than being polite and charming, he was brooding and intense in a way he hadn't been before.
He was striding ahead of her, his long legs eating up the ground so quickly, she almost had to run to keep up.
“Hey,” she called, finally catching up to him. “Hey, Commander Terex.”
“Yes?” His voice was a low, irritated growl. “Is there a problem, Ms. Benet?”
“Yes, there’s a problem.” Elaina didn’t like confrontation—she couldn’t stand it, in fact. But she didn’t want to start a long, possibly deadly journey with someone who hated her. Or at the very least was irritated by her presence. “I want to know what’s going on with you,” she said, still almost running to keep up with his long strides. “Why are you so angry that I have to come along?”
“I told you.” He stared straight ahead as he spoke. “I’m hunting a killer.”
“Who did he kill? Who is he?” Elaina asked, panting a little in the effort to keep up.
“He attempted to poison every male, female, and child aboard the Mother Ship—and he very nearly succeeded. He must be stopped and I am going to stop him.”
“He…you…” Elaina shook her head uncertainly. “That happened since the last time I saw you?
“That and more.” He bit out the words and cast a cold glare at her. At least his eyes were still the same—that dark blue that was almost purple.
“More? What else did he do?” Elaina asked.
“That’s not important,” Terex growled. “What’s important is that no matter how you protest that you can ‘take care of yourself,’ if I take you with me, the ultimate responsibility for your safety falls squarely on my shoulders. I don’t have time for that.”
“It’s not just that,” Elaina objected. “I know it’s a pain in the butt to have me tagging along, but you were being…not yourself before the priestess ever told us we were going on this journey together.”
“Not myself?” He stopped abruptly, turning to face her in the growing gloom as the green sun overhead dimmed almost completely. “Tell me, Ms. Benet—what do you know about me? How would you know if I was being myself or not?”
“Well, I…I mean…” Elaina faltered, uncertain of what to say. “You…you were just so different when I met you before. And I'm not just talking about the new hair color and the beard. I mean you seemed to have a…a different temperament—a different demeanor the first time I came up to the Mother Ship with Commander Kerov. You know, when he was in his fiancé’s body?”
That whole situation had been really strange and was still confusing but one thing Elaina wasn’t confused about was that Terex was acting like an entirely different man now than he had when she’d
first met him. Then he’d been considerate and courtly, offering to show her around the ship and expressing interest in the color of her eyes. The man she was dealing with now seemed to be a whole different person.
“I am different,” he said, echoing her thoughts. “I’ve changed—I’ve had to harden myself for the battle to come and I don’t need you coming along to…to…”
“To what?” Elaina demanded. “To get on your nerves? To mess up your plans? What?”
“To distract me,” he growled. “From achieving my goal. From accomplishing the most important mission of my life.”
His words hurt more than she could say but Elaina was determined not to show it.
“Listen up, buddy.” She stepped up close to him, so close she could smell the clean, spicy musk that seemed to be his natural scent, and stuck a finger in his broad chest. She met his eyes unflinchingly though he was so much taller than her, she had to look up to do it.
“Yes?” Terex’s big body was tight, every muscle rippling with tension. He seemed to be holding himself back somehow, though Elaina didn’t understand why.
“For the last time, you are not responsible for me.” She emphasized every word, glaring at him as she spoke. “I can take care of myself and I promise I will not distract you from your incredibly important quest. Got it?”
“No.” Terex’s voice was a low growl. “I don’t. And neither do you—you have no conception of what I’m talking about. Just having you near me is a distraction. The sight of you…the warmth radiating from your skin…”
Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her forward. He bared his teeth and, to her horror, Elaina saw two sets of razor sharp fangs in the place where a human would have his canine teeth. They glinted in the last dying light of the Mother Ship’s green sun.
A Blood Kindred—she’d forgotten that Terex was a Blood Kindred and that all of his kind liked to bite their mates. But I’m not his mate. Surely he won’t really bite me, will he?
“Please—” she began, but Terex was already dragging her towards him. He brushed her hair aside and pressed his face to the side of her neck. Elaina’s heart began to kick into overdrive, drumming against her ribs. She was sure now he was going to sink those deadly-looking fangs into her vulnerable throat but he only inhaled deeply, his broad chest expanding as he filled his lungs with her scent.
“The very fragrance of your skin is a distraction from all that I need to focus on—from the person I need to become in order to do my duty…to exact my revenge.”
His breath was hot against the side of her neck, sending a shiver through her. It occurred to her, belatedly, that she ought to be pushing him away instead of just hanging limply in his powerful grasp like a ragdoll.
But she barely had time to put her hands up to his broad chest before he set her down and took a large, deliberate step back. It was as though he was trying to put some distance between them.
“What…what was that all about?” Elaina demanded breathlessly. She put a hand to her pounding heart—God, her pulse was racing and she felt flushed and dizzy at the same time!
“Forgive me.” His voice was little more than a growl. “I…”
Elaina waited for an explanation, wondering where the kind, courteous male she’d met on her first trip to the Mother Ship had gone. Where had the nice Terex disappeared to and who was this feral stranger who had taken his place? In the artificial twilight of the Mother Ship, his eyes seemed to glow.
“You’re what?” she asked at last when he never continued..
Terex started to speak, then shook his head.
“I have no excuse for my actions. Do you still wish to visit your sister on Earth?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Then follow me.” He turned and started walking away, leaving Elaina to stare after him, feeling stunned. Should she go after him? Confront him? Demand more of an explanation? Should she go on this weird trip with him at all?
Then she thought of Gina…of her hollow, sunken cheeks and the dark circles around her eyes…the jut of her hipbones under the blue and white hospital gown.
I have to go, she realized. No matter how crazy it seems, this is my only chance to save my little sister!
Putting aside her concerns for her own personal safety, Elaina picked up the pace and ran after the big Kindred, determined to keep up no matter how intent he seemed on leaving her in the dust.
She was going into the Blind, she told herself, going no matter what Commander Terex said or what he did. She was going to save her sister no matter what!
Elaina just hoped she could handle being alone with the big Kindred and confronting whatever they found in the giant dust cloud. Truly the territory they were going into was uncharted.
Chapter Four
Terex strode along angrily, not bothering to see if she was following him or not. Gods, what had gotten into him, grabbing her like that? He’d nearly bitten her, right then and there—an unheard of thing. Blood Kindred reserved biting for healing and bonding with their mates. And whatever else Elaina Benet might be, she was not his mate.
Why does she stir me so? Why now, after so many years of complete indifference do I have to find a female attractive again? Now when I can least afford to be distracted?
Terex had no answers. He just knew that Elaina’s warm, curvy body…her delicious scent…even the soft sound of her voice made him painfully hard and caused his fangs to ache. He’d nearly lost control of himself completely a moment ago and they hadn’t even started the long, dangerous journey they were supposed to take together. How could he manage to keep his hands off her and keep his focus where it belonged—on catching and killing Two’s evil scion? How could he—?
“Well hello, Commander Terex. Where are you headed to this time of night? And, uh, what did you do to your hair?”
To his irritation, Terex saw Olivia and Sophia, sisters and mates of Commanders Baird and Sylvan bearing down on him. What in the seven hells were they doing here this time of evening? There were several other women with them as well—one of whom he recognized as Frankie, the female who had eventually bonded with Commander Kerov, the Switch Kindred who had helped save the Mother Ship from Two.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said tersely, coming to a halt although it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Oh, hello Olivia,” Elaina said, coming up behind him. “It’s Elaina from the HKR building down in Tampa,” she added, presuming correctly that the other human women would have difficulty seeing her in the rapidly dimming light. Humans had much poorer night vision than Kindred, from what Terex could gather.
“Of course, Elaina!” Olivia came forward to give her a hug. “You can just call me Liv—all my friends do. You remember Kate, right?” She motioned at a diminutive human with long red hair. “And this is my sister, Sophia and our friend, Frankie.”
“Hello and hello again.” Elaina waved at Sophia and nodded at Frankie. “I didn’t get a chance to meet you much before because it was your, uh…sorry I’m not sure what to call him. The Kindred male who was inhabiting your body at the time,” she finished, shrugging apologetically.
Frankie laughed.
“That’s okay—it’s kind of one of those relationships that defies all known pronouns. But now you can call him my mate—and soon to be husband if we can get the wedding planned.”
“Oh, you’re together now?” Elaina sounded delighted. “That’s wonderful.”
“It’s pretty amazing,” Frankie acknowledged. “But I’m sure anyone who’s bonded to a Kindred guy would agree.”
Elaina cast a glance at Terex, who was waiting impatiently for the conversation to be done. She looked as though she had her doubts about the wonders of being bonded to a Kindred male, but she didn’t say anything.
“What are you two doing here in the park area this evening?” Olivia asked, grinning knowingly. “Did we interrupt a date?”
“No, nothing like that,” Elaina said quickly at the same time Te
rex said,
“Absolutely not.”
“Okaaaay then.” Olivia held up her hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture. “Sorry, guys.”
“It’s all right.” Elaina shifted uncomfortably. “We were just told by a priestess that we have to go on a, uh, a mission together. Which is why we’re together—that’s all.”
“Oh, really?” Sophia looked surprised. “But I thought Sylvan said you were going out looking for Two’s scion on your own, Commander Terex?”
“That was supposed to be the plan.” Terex couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice. “However, plans change.”
“Hmm…” Olivia gave him and Elaina a shrewd look. “Sometimes plans change whether we want them to or not.” She looked at Elaina. “So how are you going to help?”
“I’m not.” Elaina’s voice was flat. “I’m only going because the priestess told me there might be something where we’re going to help save my little sister. She’s…very sick.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sophia said gently.
“So where are you going?” Frankie asked.
“Into the Blind,” Terex said shortly. “And as there is much to do to get ready for such a journey, I’m afraid Elaina and I will have to cut this conversation short and continue on our way.”
“What?” Olivia exclaimed. “You’re going into the Blind right now? Tonight?”
“No.” Terex felt like grinding his teeth in frustration. Would this conversation never end? “First we have to go to Earth,” he clarified. “I have been tasked with seeing Elaina to her sister’s bedside to say her farewells before we begin our journey. So if you don’t mind—”
“Oh, are you going down to Earth?” Sophia interrupted. “That’s where we’re going too!”
“We were just going to meet my hubby, Baird,” Olivia explained. “He’s going to fly us down for a girls’ night out.” She grinned. “Sylvan has the kids—hopefully he’ll enjoy playing Mr. Mom for a little while.”
“Would you like to ride with us?” Sophia asked. “We can take you anywhere you need to go.”
Uncharted Page 3