Ria's Visions (Hearts of ICARUS Book 6)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “I adore them both, so either one,” Ria said. Tee reached for Lonato and started to hand the sleepy cub to Ria, but Talon stopped him.

  “Wait a moment. I need to pick Ria up first.”

  “I can walk,” she objected.

  “No, you can’t. Dr. Jula said you can start walking tomorrow, but to keep it to a minimum today. Besides, you have nothing on your feet. I’ll pick you up, then Tee will hand you Lonato.”

  “All right,” Ria agreed, knowing he was right. She’d just forgotten about the restriction in her excitement.

  A few moments later Lonato was lying on her chest, his nose pressed against her neck, her arms cradling him gently. Tee had Belle, and they started to leave.

  “What of the bed?” Star asked, a little anxious. The thick mattress had been so nice to lay on and she didn’t want to leave it.

  “We’ve got another bed set up for you that’s a little bigger,” Thorn said. “If you don’t like it, I’ll come back for this one.”

  “Thank you, Thorn,” Star said, relaxing. After one quick look to be sure the cubs were secure, she let herself feel the excitement she’d been holding back all morning. It was a little bit of a squeeze to get all of them into the elevator, and it made Star’s stomach feel strange, but the ride was short.

  When they started up the corridor she heard Ria stop Talon. “Isn’t that the room I was using?”

  “It is,” he replied. “We only put you in that room because it was closest to the elevator, making it easier for you to get to the infirmary and Star if you needed to. We’ve moved the few things you had in there, and the things Vari packed for you, into another room.”

  “Why?”

  “Safety,” Talon said. “You, Star, Belle, and Lonato are more important to us than anyone else on this ship, Ria.”

  Star felt Ria’s surprise, and knew Ria could feel hers, in turn. That the Katres would consider Ria important was expected since she was their future mate. That they’d included her and her cubs made her heart swell with joy.

  “Your room is now at the end of the corridor between the empty master suite and my room,” Talon continued. “Thorn is directly across the corridor, and Tee is next to him.”

  Star was very pleased that they thought of safety for all of them. If she’d still had her pack, they would have provided her with that safety, guarding and caring for her while she was vulnerable.

  Ria made her feel safer than she had since her pack was slaughtered, but she felt even safer now. Not just for herself and her cubs, but for Ria, too. It satisfied something instinctual in her to know her pack was cared for, watched over, provided for, and guarded.

  “I thought the Hilgaria was small,” Ria said. “How many guest rooms does it have?”

  “It’s overall size is the same as the Bihotza, but the two ships have different purposes, so they’re interior layouts are different,” Thorn explained when they stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor. “We have a much smaller crew, as well as a smaller cafeteria, smaller training facilities, smaller infirmary, four guest rooms instead of six, not counting master suites, and other differences. Since this is a fighting ship, a great deal of space is taken up with weapons, ammunition, reserve systems and other things related to combat rather than crew, so there are fewer and smaller facilities for crew.”

  “Oh, well that makes sense,” Ria said.

  “Star,” Thorn said turning to her. “Will you try this for us?”

  “Try what?”

  “We’ve made some adjustments to this room to make it more comfortable for all of you. We didn’t change the door locks though. We wanted to see if you could manage them as they are.”

  Curious, Star moved to stand beside Thorn. “Can you press this panel with a paw?” he asked, pointing to a square of glass on the wall beside the door that was just a few inches higher than the level of her back.

  “I think so,” Star said. She moved close to the wall, then raised one forepaw, shifting her balance to one side in order to reach it. She pressed the square firmly and the door slid open, but Ria was frowning down at her.

  “That hurt you, Star.”

  “I did have to lean a bit too hard on my hip, but it wasn’t very painful. Just a little.”

  “You shouldn't do that again until Dr. Jula clears you.”

  “You’re probably right. I don’t want to mess up Dr. Jula’s hard work.”

  “Why is this a problem?” Ria asked Thorn when she noticed he didn’t look happy.

  “We’d like to key this to Star’s paw print so it can remain locked at all times, and still allow her to come and go.” He thought a moment. “Star, can you press that panel with your nose?” Star tried it, and the door opened.

  “At least she can open the door, though I don’t think a nose print will work for locking it.”

  “It doesn’t need to,” Ria said. “She can open the door, and that’s what matters. I’ll make sure it stays locked, and in a few days when she heals a little more, you can add her paw print to it. Then she’ll be able to lock it and unlock it.”

  Star wasn’t exactly sure what they meant, but she understood locking, and was glad to know she’d be able to do it herself eventually. While they’d been talking the door had slid shut, so Thorn pressed the panel to open it again and they all stepped inside.

  Talon carried Ria to the bed and set her down and Star followed, her eyes wide as she looked around. “This large space is for us?” she asked, standing close enough to Ria that her fur brushed her legs.

  “Yes, it is,” Ria said, reaching up to stroke Star’s back with her free hand. She continued to hold Lonato close to her body where he still slept. The cub was velvety soft and warm, but much larger than Ria expected. They’d grow fast, she knew, so she intended to get as much holding and cuddling in as she could while they were still small enough.

  “This is your bed,” Tee said to Star, walking over to one corner. The mattress was even thicker and as Thorn had said, much larger than the one in the infirmary. Star’s tail wagged her overwhelming approval. Before she had a chance to thank them, Talon call to her.

  “We’d like to show you something.”

  “All right,” Star said, approaching Talon where he stood in another corner.

  “What is it?” Ria asked, watching as Talon opened a door and asked Star to follow him through it.

  “We worked with a couple of engineers yesterday and came up with a toilet system for Star and, eventually, the cubs,” Tee explained.

  “It’s in the next room?” Ria asked.

  “Sort of. It’s actually a small room, about twice the size of a large closet, with a door that Star can easily operate, and a pedal flush. We were going to put it in this room, but since you’re sharing space with one adult Brun and two cubs that will become quite large, we decided to put it in the room next door instead with a door here leading into it so as not to reduce your space.”

  “That’s amazing,” Ria said. “But doesn’t it take up space in the next room?”

  “Not enough to matter,” Tee said with a shrug. “These rooms are big and we don’t spend much time in them to begin with. When we do, we don’t use half the space anyway.”

  “This is so thoughtful of you guys,” Ria said, smiling up at Tee. “Thank you.” Tee reached out and brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek, sending a wave of heat through her body that she had to fight hard to hide.

  “Ria, did you know about this?” Star asked, hurrying toward her. “It’s a Brun toilet. It’s amazing.”

  Ria laughed at Star’s excitement over having a toilet, not noticing when all three of the Katres turned to her and went still at the sound.

  “I didn’t know about it, but Tee just told me.” She saw Talon and Thorn’s heat signatures approach the bed. “Thank you very much guys and please thank everyone else who worked on this. It’s going to make life much nicer for Star on the ship.”

  “It was our pleasure, Ria,” Talon said. �
�We did our best with unpacking the things Vari sent over and putting them away. We also took the liberty of programming our vox and personal hand terminal codes into your hand terminal.”

  “You’ve done so much for us that I don’t know how to thank you enough,” Ria said, a little overwhelmed by how thoughtful they were. She thought of how she’d felt about them up until a couple of days earlier, and smiled, glad she’d been so wrong.

  “Your smile, and Star’s wagging tail are all the thanks we need or want,” Talon said. Ria had to blink several times to hold back the stinging in her eyes. He meant every word he’d just said, and she knew it.

  “Should I put this little girl down on the bed?” Tee asked.

  “You can put her here, next to me,” Ria said. Tee did as she asked and placed the cub next to her leg, careful not to wake her.

  “Thank you, all of you, so much,” Star said. “It is difficult to believe that so many went to so much trouble for me and my cubs. I am very grateful.”

  “You’re welcome Star,” Talon said. “If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to let us know.”

  “I can’t imagine needing more than you’ve already provided, but I will remember that, Talon,” Star said. She seemed about to say more, but Lonato awoke in Ria’s arms and began calling for his second breakfast. That woke Belle, who instantly decided she was hungry too. Ria laughed at the wriggling cub in her arms while Tee picked up Belle and carried her to the bed on the corner. He waited for Star to lie down, then he placed the cub close to her before going back for Lonato.

  “This bed is even nicer than the one in the infirmary,” Star said, surprised. “I have never laid on anything so soft before. Like Ria, I don’t know how to thank you all enough.”

  As soon as Star and the cubs were settled, Tee showed Ria where they’d put her things in the bathroom, as well as the dresser and closet. Satisfied that she’d call them if she had any problems or questions, they left her and Star alone.

  Ria explored the room more carefully, feeling her way around the desk, the entertainment system, and the nightstands. Then she went over to the corner and knelt down beside Star’s bed.

  “How’re you feeling, Star?” she asked quietly, sensing how tired the Brun was. “You’re not in any pain, are you?”

  “No, not at all, and I’m very happy, Ria,” Star said. “But I’m also tired and do not understand why.”

  “Seriously?” Ria asked archly. “After all you’ve been through, you don’t understand why you’re tired?”

  “Something in your tone seems to indicate that I should not be surprised,” Star said wryly.

  Ria chuckled softly. “Let’s start with the fact that you’ve been under enormous stress for many weeks. That all by itself is exhausting.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Next, let’s consider the fact that you came much closer to starving than I like to think about. You used up every resource your body had, and then some. And you were pregnant.”

  “What you say is true. But I am no longer pregnant or hungry.”

  “Your body needs time to recover, Star,” Ria said, all humor gone. “It needs time to rebuild itself, to heal from the damage caused by nearly starving, not to mention the injury from being shot. You also need to recover from being pregnant and giving birth. On top of all of that, you’re developing milk for the cubs, which takes a lot of physical resources. The vitamins and minerals that Dr. Jula has given you help a great deal, of course, but they can only do so much. You need to eat, rest, and stay as relaxed as possible. Those three things will help you to recover more quickly than anything else.”

  “I understand, Ria, and I will follow your advice. I do have one concern, though.”

  “Okay, tell me what it is and we’ll see if we can find a solution.”

  “Already I am beginning to feel the need to get up and move around more. It is not a strong need yet, but I know that it will grow into a need to run. The cubs will need to run and play hard too, in order to build their strength as they grow. As large as this room is, I fear it will not be large enough.”

  “I understand perfectly,” Ria said, much to Star’s relief. “Clan Jasani do not do well without exercise either. I haven’t gotten much myself since the explosion a few weeks ago, and the need is growing in me, too, though it’s not as strong as it would be if I hadn’t injured myself so much.

  “All ships have exercise and training rooms, and there’s also the Roar Room I told you about. Most Clan Jasani prefer to shift at least once a day so they can run or fly.”

  “If this Roar Room is that big, perhaps I can run there.”

  “Maybe,” Ria said. “This isn’t going to be a problem, Star. We will find a way for you and the cubs to get the exercise you need.”

  “Then I will not worry about it,” Star said, yawning.

  “Good. You should sleep now. I’m going to go take a long bath, but I’ll leave the door open a little in case you need anything.”

  “Can I not use the panel to open it?”

  “The bathroom door doesn’t have a panel. It has a door knob.”

  “All right, I will sleep now.”

  “Good girl,” Ria said, patting her affectionately. Then she got up, gathered some clothes and went to take a bath.

  ***

  After her nap, Star got up and examined the room, asking Ria questions about all the unfamiliar items and what they were for. She was vaguely familiar with vid terminals, but had never seen or heard of an entertainment system. Ria had some difficulty with the remote, but between her knowledge and Star’s eyes, she managed to turn it on and play a vid from Hilgaria’s mainframe for a few minutes. It was enough for Star to understand what it was.

  Ria would have liked to find music, but since Star couldn’t read, and she couldn’t see the on-screen menus, she gave up. “I’ll ask one of the guys later,” she said, turning the system off.

  “Are all of the vids for entertainment or are there some for information?”

  “What sort of information?”

  “I don’t know,” Star said hesitantly. “I know nothing of your world, or the places you speak of, or why it takes so much time to travel from one place to another. I would like to learn.”

  “That’s an excellent idea, Star,” Ria said, smiling. “Let’s remember to ask the Katres about that, too.”

  Star wagged her tail happily. She hadn’t been sure whether or not it would be acceptable for her to learn, and was glad that Ria thought it a good idea.

  After they finished exploring the room, Ria ordered lunch. While they ate, Ria told Star a little about the history of Clan Jasani, and why she had three mates. Star was fascinated, so much so that she kept forgetting to eat while Ria talked.

  Not long after they were finished eating Belle and Lonato decided they wanted their lunch, so Star went to feed them while Ria put the remains of their meal on the tray.

  “Ria, I don’t think I understand the purpose of the linking of souls.”

  Ria went to sit beside Star’s bed while she thought about how to explain it. “We Jasani believe that every soul has a destined mate. Just one. Humans, as an example, must search for their soul’s mate using their hearts and minds. For them, and most other races, it’s a matter of trial and error. There are a great many humans in the Thousand Worlds, so the odds are not in their favor to begin with. All too often two people will come together, only to find they were mistaken, and are not each other’s destined soul mates after all. Then they must decide if they will stay together anyway and be content with what they have, or part ways and take up the search again.

  “For Klanaren, it’s much different. Particularly for males. We are always born in threes. Always. Either three girls, or three boys. And we are always identical except for at least one identifying trait.”

  “You have two sisters, then?”

  “Yes. You’ve met Vari, who is eldest by a minute or so. I’m the middle sister, and as you may have noticed, the o
nly difference between us is the color of our hair. Well, mine’s longer, but that’s not a permanent trait. Our youngest sister has hair lighter in color than mine. Her name is BreeAnna but when we were four she decided she wanted to be called Bean. She refused to answer to anything else, and as far as I know, she’s never told anyone why.

  “One very important difference between males and females, aside from their sex, of course, is that males are born sharing one soul. Each of them carries a portion of it, which is why males stay together all the time unlike females, who tend to go their own directions when they reach adulthood.

  “There is only one woman, one berezi, who carries the mate to the soul a male-set shares. Only she is capable of binding the three parts of their soul together, completing them.

  “When they find her, they know it. There can be no mistakes, no guessing. Once they are linked together, her soul with theirs, their souls are bound for all time. They can’t even be separated from each other for long without it causing all of them deep distress.”

  “And you are the destined mate to the Katres?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “You are very lucky, Ria.”

  “You’ve decided you like them after all, huh?” Ria asked, smiling.

  “I am still hesitant about Thorn, and do not know any of them very well yet, but yes, I am growing to like them more and more. But that is not what I meant.”

  “What did you mean then?”

  “The search for a destined mate is the same for Brun as it is for humans. Only, for Brun, once mated, there is no going back unless death intervenes.”

  “Was Lonato your destined mate, Star?” Ria asked gently.

  “No, he wasn’t,” Star said. “He was beta of our pack. Second in command to my father, who was alpha. When my father died, and our pack escaped the Nomen, Lonato took over as alpha. It was necessary since my brothers went dank’jia, and perished during our escape.”

  “What is dank yah?” Ria asked.

  “It is close to a battle fever, but more,” Star replied. “When they saw our father die, they abandoned all sense and reason, as well as all caution. They attacked the Nomen, killing more than a dozen before they were killed by the Nomen’s weapons.”