by Debbie Behan
Woody persisted as if she were still in her body. Woody believed she had not gone and it gave Axon faith. He prayed as he had never prayed before and watched and waited.
Woody’s healing made her glow a little, something Axon had seen her do when she healed herself for him and Jett. She’d been given that gift for a reason and he trusted it was for now, that the supremacies of the heavens saw this coming and they wanted her to live through it. Please let that be true.
The glow was getting stronger. Cassie sat on the other side of Woody and laid a gentle hand on her damaged chest. She and Caitlin shared similar gifts and she used the healing influence she’d fed off Caitlin the night before. They both worked relentlessly. Axon saw a shadow overhead come and go. He knew someone was watching, one of the gods. Maybe Jett or maybe one of his brothers. He didn’t care who it was, he just wanted his girl back. The glow started to dull. Axon cried out again for help from the gods above, knew they were there, somewhere. Another shadow appeared and a man he had never seen before with red skin and cinder black hair knelt down, touching her head and forcing her to take a deep breath.
He stood up. ‘I am Apollo, sent by my father, who begged me for this favour. He tells me her name is Glow Girl and to tell someone he calls Wolf that his family sends their apologies.’
With no more words, Apollo, God of the Sun, healer and the son of Zeus was gone.
Axon dropped to his knees, unable to believe the evil bastards had even bothered to bring her back, but so very thankful right now that she had made a big enough impression on them that they had.
She was breathing. Woody picked her up and carried her inside. Axon was so weak from emotion that Kayden had to pull him to his feet. Putting a strong arm around him, Kayden walked Axon inside. There were dark shadows all around Cait. Axon knew it was probably Jett or his family that had not quite transformed to this atmosphere and watched, just out of view, to see if she would live. Axon yelled at them to leave her alone, that they didn’t deserve her. He was going to make them pay dearly for what they had done to her. An energy burst came from somewhere inside him and Axon appeared at Woody’s side, snatched her, transporting her inside the house so they could see her no more.
He stood shaking with her in his arms. When Woody, Kayden and Cassie came inside they tried to comfort him, seeing the mood he was in.
‘I am taking her home, where I can keep her safe. They’ll never attack my home now they know who we are. There’s no way they would ever deliberately hurt her. I’m sorry but I’m taking my team home. Kayden, I truly apologise for bringing my evil planet rulers to your home.’
Kayden breathed out heavily while he shook his head. ‘I don’t believe it was your gods. I know they have taken responsibility for it, but even Cassie is unsure it was them. Something’s not quite right, Axon, so before you go accusing Cronus and his family, let’s do a little recon and see where that bomb really came from.’
‘Agreed, but it’s not safe here for any of you either until we do find out. How about we all go up to Ara? My home is large enough for us all to stay while we nut it out. For now though, I can’t think further than getting Cait as far away from here as I can get her. There may be more bombs yet. This whole property needs a scan.’
Kayden’s eyes swept over Caitlin. He had two teams on their way and both should be kept from entering this danger zone. ‘What do you feel, honey?’ he asked Cassie.
‘Not safe.’
‘Then I’ll ready the Riders and we’ll leave immediately.’ He tuned in to both teams and relayed what had happened and that they weren’t to come anywhere near the house.
‘The others are only half an hour away,’ he said as he turned to Woody. ‘Prepare the horses. I’ve told them to drive straight to the paddock and we’ll meet them there.’
Woody snatched up the golden bridles, keen to get them all out of there as quickly as he could manage.
‘Well, I’m packed and there’s no satellite room to contact Zoren, so it looks like Axon’s home world’s it. You sure you got room?’
‘I’ll make room. Just get the hell out of here and don’t stuff around packing anything. I’ll have the staff fetch from town what you need. Rory knows the way so you won’t need to waste time working on coordinates.’ He could feel Caitlin breathing a little easier and wasn’t about to jeopardise her recovery by staying a minute longer. ‘I’ll take Cassie with me to keep both women out of any further danger. You will both have your hands full keeping the two teams from harm as I know you will.’
Kayden hugged Cassie. ‘I need you safe and I promise to see you in a couple of hours.’ He kissed her and let her go just as Axon moved so she touched his shoulder and they were gone from sight, shimmered out leaving Kayden and Woody to deal with the clean-up.
‘Let’s do this.’ Woody said as they strode out to organise the move up to Axon’s home world.
Riders Sojourn
(Ara)
Axon transported Caitlin directly to her bedroom. ‘Cait honey, keep breathing?’ he whispered to her and each lungful of air helped him believe she would live.
He laid her gently on the bed to free his hands, pulled an earpiece from his pocket, and inserted it in his ear. Worried she would stop breathing, he sat beside Caitlin so he could continue stroking her.
‘Nigel, you got me.’
‘Yes my Lord.’
‘Cait has been hurt again, bad this time. Get me the doctor.’
‘Right away my Lord.’
‘Nigel.’
‘Yes my Lord.’
‘We have Riders on their way. Two sets; so get an extra five rooms ready.’
‘Doctor first, then rooms. Consider it done my Lord.’
‘And Nigel.’
“I know, don’t switch off.’
‘Good, now move it and get up here as soon as the staff are organised and doctor has been contacted.’
‘Very good my Lord.’
Anxiously waiting for Nigel to join him, Axon listened as he summoned the staff while on the phone to the doc.
****
Nigel arrived still flustered, worried after he heard the tone of Axon’s voice.
One thing Nigel had learned while working for his lord was that when he was upset, there was a damned good reason.
‘Organised, my Lord.’ His words caught in his mouth when he saw Caitlin in a terrible state. The smell of burnt clothes and skin made him shudder. Beside the bed sat Axon and standing next to him was a pretty young lady, looking sad, with a wet face from so many tears.
Axon started to bark orders at him and it took a couple of seconds before any of the words made sense. His eyes hadn’t left Caitlin, the friend he had made, the girl he adored. ‘Doc Petersen is off world.’
‘Then contact the physician Lepius. He is friends Cassie.’ He turned to her, ‘can you get him clearance to go off world and see to Cait.’
‘Sure, point me in the direction on a NAVcom and I’ll contact Zoren for permission. He allows Lepius to travel when it’s for a rider.’ Cassie was more than willing to help in any way she could.
‘Would you like Cassie to be taken to the tower now?’ the butler asked.
‘Yes, and then to her room.’ He turned to Cassie. ‘That’s if you wish to clean up at before Kayden arrives.’
It was only then that Cassie inspected herself. ‘That would be appreciated if you don’t need me here.’ She wiped at the blood on her arms that was from holding Caitlin.
‘Once the doctor has been I will come and find you and let you know how she is doing.’
She nodded and Axon could see she was still in shock. ‘Have a maid stay with her until Kayden arrives,’ he instructed Nigel. ‘She will be poorly while Cait is ill. They are somewhat linked as they have just come from a training exercise. Kayden hasn’t had time to severe the connection yet.’
‘Are you ready?’ Nigel inclined his head as he spoke to Cassie.
She nodded and moved towards him.
‘And�
��’ Axon scowled at his butler.
‘Yes my Lord, I have a couple of hand maidens on the way to run a bath and have fresh clothes waiting for when you get Caitlin out.’ He looked back at her, the sadness for her obvious.
‘Now, man!’ Axon gritted his teeth, took a breath and calmed himself.
The butler bowed. ‘Yes my Lord, consider it done!’
Hand on the door, Nigel opened it wide for the two maids that bustled in with fresh towels and toiletries.
Axon saw Nigel hesitate. ‘Yes?’
‘I will have a team waiting for the ten Riders. Will there be other horses?’
‘Yes, Starburst and a spare horse for Cait. Tell the stable hands they get priority; those two are sure to be spooked, not having their riders.’ Axon said.
The left with Cassie and the two hand maidens worked feverishly running a bath, lighting the fire and hanging a change of clothes for both Axon and Caitlin by the hearth to warm.
While they got everything organised, Axon was busy speaking to Zoren, the entire time very lightly stroking Caitlin’s hair to let her know he was there with her.
‘Zoren, they almost killed her this time. I want her out of the Riders. She is to be my wife and I won’t keep putting up with these “accidents” as you call them.’
‘Axon! I knew it was wrong to sanction your mateship with this woman. You have become to personally involved! As far as I can tell, this didn’t come from the gods. The chatter we are picking up is mostly them in shock, finding out who you and Caitlin really are. This cloak and dagger, hiding behind aliases has made this situation worse.’
Axon’s temples throbbed as his annoyance built. ‘That may be true. I continued with the pet names to keep Caitlin alive. Yes it is obvious now, that it did not work. Even so, I’m pulling her from the team.’
‘No you will not, get in here now!’
Axon tapped his earpiece to lower the sound from the vibration and loudness of Zoren’s angry reply.
‘Zoren!’ His tone matched that of his boss. ‘I am waiting for Kayden and when I have settled your other Riders, I will.’
On the mention of him looking after the other team it calmed Zoren. ‘Was anyone else hurt?’
‘Just Cait.’
‘I appreciate you putting them up Axon, you’re a good man, but as for this hysteria regarding Caitlin, that isn’t going to happen no matter how big a tantrum you throw. Not her, mate. Sorry!’
Axon too calmed. Zoren had his way of defusing situations.
‘You still there, Axon?’
‘Yes!’
‘You okay?’
‘What if she wants to leave? Will you let her, Zoren?’
Axon could hear him exhale deeply. ‘Maybe.’
‘Then we will leave it up to her.’
There was no answer at the other end of the line and Axon didn’t expect to get one. Zoren wouldn’t tolerate the subject being brought up again and Axon had given it a shot. He knew Zoren had also grown to admire Caitlin. She belonged to so many and he wondered if at any time in their lives, she would ever just be his.
‘The bath is ready my Lord.’ The maid gestured to help him undress Caitlin. He nodded and both quickly and yet skilfully, barely moving her, undressed Caitlin and then Axon.
‘Here!’ He pulled a bottle out of his side dresser and handed it to one of the women. ‘Pour half of this mixture into the water.’ It was the potion the doctor gave him to use when Caitlin was cut and bruised the first time she had come to him.
Holding her in his arms he lowered them both into the water. He was so glad she was unconscious and couldn’t feel the pain of the water against her wounds. Next he had the women gently sponge off the soot and dirt from the blast so the doctor could see the damage.
‘Enough!’
Both maids straightened, waiting further orders.
Back on the bed, they dressed her with care while Axon changed, and brushed his hair. Then he turned to see them drying her hair, which lay around her like a copper glow. Her angelic features, even though puffy, still astounded him. To him she was the most beautiful of all women.
The door opened and Nigel entered. ‘The doctor is here my Lord.’
‘We are ready – send him in.’ Axon nodded to the man who entered. ‘Doc Lepius, so glad you could make it.’
‘Heard about the bombing and as soon as the call came through, grabbed my medical bag and came straight over.’
‘Did you hear Zeus sent Apollo to revive her?’
He nodded, already digging in an opened bag for his NAVoscope that he inserted into each ear to hear her internals. On his hand he placed a NAVscan that he held a few centimetres above her and moved it slowly, checking her vitals. The thing beeped and made noises enough to wake even the heaviest of sleepers as it began to find problems and repair them.
‘Has she regained consciousness at all?’ Lepius asked.
‘Nope, it’s scaring the hell out of me, but I’m trusting Apollo is good at what he does.’
‘Mmm.’
‘What do you mean by Mmm?’
Axon understood when Lepius zoned out to care for his patient. Soon enough they could talk. In the meantime Axon paced, worried and watched. Lepius still had a lot of work to do and obviously needed quiet to pick up all the problems. It was an hour later before he sat on the bed beside Caitlin and patted her hand.
‘I’m sorry but I have done all she is allowing. There is a block, a reason she is not responding as well as she should.’
‘Did the gods do something to her? Has someone put a spell on her?’
‘I don’t know. I think it comes from her.’
‘Why would she not want to be well? This is ridiculous. I am losing patience with these rulers or whatever continues to possess her. I want my fiancée back – for good!’
‘She is a powerful woman.’ Lepius faced him. ‘I doubt there is any man, human or immortal that will ever totally own Cait. If you continue down this path and insist on marrying her, my advice is to learn patience. You have to let her go. If she is truly yours, when her work is done she will always come home here, to you.’
‘You know me Doc, I am what I am. I will not change for any man never mind a woman.’
‘Then if she lives, end it. Send her back to her own home world with her team.’
‘Hell no!’
‘Then it is you that must change Axon because she will defy you to do what she needs to. This will put you in a world of pain if you are not accepting of the person she has become, and is still becoming.’
‘Becoming? There is more?’
‘She is only young in our world of magic, Axon. You know this. You also feel her power or you would not be this attracted. I always told you it would take an incredible female that would capture you because of your own supremacy. You need equal or more. In her, my friend, you have found a perfect match,’ Lepius said.
Axon ran a hand roughly through his hair as his eyes fell on Caitlin. ‘She is my opposite and at times feels like my nemesis yet I melt when I look at her. I hurt here.’ He rubbed his chest over his heart, ‘when I hurt her.’
‘And now you understand how Hades feels. She has given him her love too. Not as she has you, but a friendship that will last eons.’
‘Like hell! That ends now! That ended when he did this.’
Lepius stood. ‘I will leave you with this thought. If Hades feels as you do, could he have done this? He is no fool and sees how perceptive Cait is, that she’d have picked up the danger from wherever she was located and found a way to be there.’
Axon was flushed and livid. ‘He knows nothing of Cait and, he is a fool! I hope he rots in hell for what he has done.’
Lepius packed up his medical gadgets and ignored Axon’s outburst. He had known him long enough to see his love and possessiveness of Cait was clouding his own astuteness. ‘Call me if there is any change.’ He patted Axon on the back as he left.
Axon didn’t even notice Lepius go. Caitlin had groa
ned and he hastily sat on the bed to soothe her. ’Cait honey, you have broken some ribs and your insides are a mess but could only be partly repaired. You have to let the doc help you,’ he pleaded but she was still, unmoving and back in a deep sleep.
He ran a hand through her hair. ‘Don’t worry, your team are on their way. Maybe they can do what you wouldn’t let the doctor.’
The feeling he was alone had him look around and notice Doc Lepius was gone. The doc mentioned once he’d met the Cloud Riders and what a scary lot they were when they had a member down. He knew Rory and his team would be in a right mood with Caitlin injured again. It was probably for the best the doc didn’t witness their wrath. Rory on his own was someone not to muck with when annoyed. Just his eyes alone would scare the bejesus out of anyone the way they electrified and glowed when he was pissed off. It gave him comfort to recall how Caitlin, half Rory’s size, ignored it and gave him attitude anyway.
‘Keep fighting Cait, just like that. Don’t you dare die.’ Axon tapped his earpiece, ‘Nigel – send in a chamber maid to watch Caitlin. I have business to attend to while she sleeps.’
‘Very good, she is coming in now.’ Axon heard the door handle turn.
Caitlin looked so little and helpless when he covered her up and he just wanted to get in there with her and hold her, but had too much to organise first. He kissed her. ‘I love you sweetheart, thanks for staying alive for me, for us. I promise I will try to change, please stay,’ he whispered.
‘Sorry to disturb you my Lord but there is a caller on Navcom that insists on speaking to you only.’
‘ID?’
‘System didn’t register a place of origin sir.’
Axon was pretty sure who it was and didn’t want Caitlin to hear what was going to be said. After leaving instructions to be called as soon as Caitlin woke, Axon slipped quickly out from the room. He had been waiting for Hades the traitor to call.
‘How dare you lie to me, to her? You nearly killed her; what the hell were you playing at? She’s breathing but that’s about all at the minute. If she dies, Hades, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself. And when I’ve finished with you, your brothers will have the same fate.’ Axon shook with rage.