Chapter Eleven
Rona was waiting when she disembarked and though Parker knew she had to speak with the other woman, she sure as hell wasn’t leaving Kaje. Somehow the high priestess knew. She fell into step with Parker and Zola as they followed the tank to the infirmary.
“Vids of the attack have already hit the media system,” Rona said.
“Is that bad for us?” Zola asked.
“It’s excellent for the goddess cult and the Keep. Acceptance of the prophecy is spreading, which makes us stronger. In addition to that you’ve…enhanced the image of the clan’s strength.”
“But?” Parker asked. She knew there was a but. There always was.
Rona sighed. “Some people resent strength in others. Especially when that power is held by women.”
Parker didn’t need it spelled out for her. Especially in this warrior centric culture. And what about her warrior? She looked at Kaje, still in the tank, still unconscious. Would he resent her? Fear her? That was one thing she couldn’t stand to see happen. She had to get out of there. Go someplace she could deal with the turmoil that had settled over her. But she had to make sure he’d be safe first. She approached the healer who’d attached a tablet to the face of the tank. The display looked like a typical hospital monitor back home.
“He’ll be okay?” she whispered. It shredded her to see him like this.
“Twenty-four hours, priestess. Slower if he refuses to stay in the tank.”
“I thought once you went in you couldn’t get out for a full day?”
“Normally. But there are ways around the protocol. If he insists I’ll have to let him out.”
“Great,” she muttered, sarcastically. “Will he survive that?”
“He will. Most of his injuries are superficial.”
“The others?”
He tapped something on the screen and the readout was replaced with an image of his injuries. Jarek pointed to his thigh. “His artery was nicked. They got him into the tank in time though. It’s already healing.”
“Why is he still unconscious?”
“Sedative in the gel. He’ll come out of it in a couple of hours.”
Thank the goddess. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then turned back to face the others. Vidar was surrounded by his warriors but Rona and Zola had disappeared.
“Where did you go?” she asked Zola.
“The temple.”
“I’ll meet you there later.”
She needed time. Wasn’t sure of her control.
“Call me when he wakes up,” she told Vidar, who scowled back.
“He wouldn’t want you wandering around unguarded.”
“I can take care of myself. I think I proved that today,” she responded softly. Almost threatening.
He stayed silent several heartbeats and she could see the struggle in his eyes. Finally, he stepped back, and pounded his fist over his chest.
“Priestess of the Keep,” he said. “Go with the blessing of the warrior god.”
Every single male in the room snapped to attention, saluted in the same way, and echoed his words. Like their brief battle earlier, she knew this tale would spread. This was more than acceptance but she wasn’t quite sure what. She just knew she needed time alone to think.
“How am I supposed to respond to that?” she asked Vidar.
She heard the smile in his tone. “May the goddess watch over you.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“If they turn on me, I’m blaming you.”
Laughter rang in her head. “Of course, my Lady.”
“Oh shut up.”
“Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me.” She nodded, met everyone’s gaze before she continued. “May the goddess watch over you.”
The crowd parted as she walked through it. It felt damn near biblical. No one followed her as she left. She continued through the warrior’s compound to Kaje’s quarters, to his beach. Their beach. She sat on the bottom step and pulled her boots and socks off, then walked out onto the sand. It was a peaceful place but she was far from serene.
She was still so fucking angry. She wanted a real life. For the first time she had a shot at it and, Tel, that giant pain in her ass, was coming after her. Again. But this time, she knew exactly what she was capable of when she was enraged and let herself go. She’d never done that before, hadn’t dare release the full fury of her power. It had scared her, but no more. Kareena and Parker were family. Kaje and Vidar had her respect and friendship at the very least. There were people who wanted to take that from her. The enemy was out there. Waiting. Fuck them.
No one was going to ruin what she had found. What she was building. If Kaje still wanted her. The thought made her cringe. How many had she killed? Dear goddess, were any of them innocent? She’d always been so careful. And now she’d lost control so completely she wasn’t sure if she’d screwed up. Cry or scream? Which should she do? Then suddenly she felt Kaje. He was still unconscious, still hurt, but somehow he felt her confusion and reached out for her. She took her first steady breath for hours. He really was going to be okay. She put her boots on and headed to the temple, went straight to Rona’s office. The sight that met her eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. For a moment. Then stubbornness took over.
“Is this an intervention?” she asked dryly, stepping inside and allowing the door to swing shut behind her.
It was a hell of a gathering. Zola, Kareena, Janice, Britt, Rona, Kayna, and three other women that Parker assumed were priestesses. Rona handed her a goblet of gazzi.
“It’s a celebration for a job well done, daughter.”
The honorific surprised her. The approval stunned her. They weren’t afraid of her. They were welcoming her. She had no idea how to deal with that so she just sipped her wine.
“Kaje?” Janice asked, almost gently.
Parker reached out, touched his mind. “He’ll be fine.”
“Good. So the issue at hand. Tel.”
No one said anything and she realized that Rona expected her to take the lead. A few hours ago she might not have understood. Might not have wanted to get involved. Now she did. She’d chosen her side. She stepped forward, looked at Janice and then Britt.
“The goddess cult will deal with Tel. I will.”
Britt rolled her eyes. “You know that won’t fly.”
She shook her head. “You can’t do what I can. And you can’t touch what Zola and I can do together.”
Somehow they’d merged perfectly in that battle, anticipating each other, skills complimenting each other. But it was so much more. She’d felt touched by the divine. It made her leery and giddy at the same time.
“Have we been drugged?” she asked Zola.
“I don’t think so.”
“So this connection. You think it’s real?”
“What if it is? What if there is a goddess here, waiting, and she’s chosen us?” Kareena said, entering the private conversation.
“Y’all need to start sharing with the rest of us,” Britt said, sounding peeved. Like hell.
“You said there were vids? I need to see those first,” Parker said to Rona, who shrugged one shoulder and picked up a remote.
A screen slid down from the ceiling in front of the bookcases and Rona typed some commands on the tablet on her desk. The video started with her walking out of the alley, Zola at her side. Parker was clearly focused on the enemy. She walked right towards them, her eyes almost glowing. Zola stayed with her, a negligent flick of her hand deflecting every shot aimed at them.
“Oh wow,” Zola breathed, at her side. “We were awesome.”
“But how did we do it?” Parker replied just as softly.
“No idea. But it clearly works. Now what?”
Parker looked at Rona. “I can track them. I want them.”
“That’s a political decision,” Rona said, shrugging, looking almost indifferent while her eyes screamed revenge. “The goddess cult doesn’t interfere.”
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“And you’re not going to tell us anything, are you?” Britt asked.
“The cult and the Keep will deal with whatever comes at it,” Rona said. “Our goddess has chosen.”
“How do you figure that?” Janice asked.
Rona’s smile was beatific, and she pointed them out, one by one.
“The mother.” Kareena.
“The warrior.” Parker.
“And the artist.” Zola.
She wanted to protest, she did, but she felt something here that was so far beyond her.
“I thought it was warrior, artist, healer,” Britt said, making it clear the order she expected things to land in.
“The mother is the healer. She is…everything. And so are the warrior and the artist.” Rona paused. “The goddess has brought her vessels back with no foreknowledge, but she hasn’t brought them back weak.”
But Parker did not want to be a killer. Didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in that trade. Running and hiding.
“This has got to end,” she said.
Tel coming after her was one thing. But going after Kaje? Un-fucking-acceptable. He would be off limits, damn it.
“I agree,” Britt said. “But priestess or not, how likely is it that your der’lan will allow it?”
“First, that isn’t official. And second, this threat is against me.”
“And third, we won’t have to track them,” Zola said.
That was true. They’d already talked about letting Tel come to them. She’d just been too angry to wait.
“I agree with Zola,” Rona said. “They’ll come after you here. During the celebration.”
“Yeah,” Parker said.
“Nerine? Do you see anything?”
One of the priestess turned from the balcony doors and stepped closer. She was tall and thin with long pale blond hair and eyes so light blue Parker wondered if she was blind.
“Nerine is a seer and runs the Saber City temple,” Rona told the room.
“I don’t see anything particular. Danger, of course, and it will be here, but I can’t see who it’s from or what the outcome will be. Only that they are at the center of it,” Nerine said, indicating Parker, Zola, and Kareena.
Kareena snorted. “Roarr’s just gonna love hearing that.”
Every woman in the room who wore a mate mark grimaced in sympathy. And she was seriously thinking about taking Kaje on? That might come back to bite her in the ass.
“Do you think we could practice what you and Parker did? Maybe it will work with me too,” Kareena suggested.
“It’s worth a shot,” Zola said.
“Too bad we only have one telekinetic,” Britt mused.
“That’s not exactly true,” Rona said. “We only have one Earthling telekinetic.”
Now Parker understood why the unknown priestesses were in the room.
“Selene, and Lena. Two of my best.”
“Can you do what Zola can?”
“Not as accurately or for a long length of time,” Lena said. “We’re not as strong.”
“If you’re interested they can work with you at the temple in Saber City.”
While the women made plans, Parker walked out onto the balcony. A moment later Kareena joined her.
“You okay?”
“Not a scratch.”
“Really?”
“I’m not the one who nearly got blown up.”
“No you’re the one who walked into a hail of weapons’ fire. What the fuck was that about?”
She sighed. Sometimes it felt like she’d known Kareena forever and she knew her best friend wasn’t about to let her off the hook now.
“I thought Kaje was dead. I kind of lost it.”
Kareena gaped.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped. “If it had been Roarr what would you have done?”
“Point taken.” A heartbeat’s pause. “Why aren’t you wiped out?”
“I drew on my reserves. I’m okay, just a little tired.”
Again, she’d surprised her old friend. “You’re stronger than me, aren’t you? And by a lot. Why didn’t you tell me?”
How could she possibly answer that? She hadn’t said anything because she had no idea how strong her telepathy was? Because she was sure people would fear her if they did know? Even her best friend.
“I would never turn against you, Parker,” Kareena said softly, gently, as if she knew exactly what was going through Parker’s head. When she checked though, her shields were rock solid.
“How did you know?”
Kareena grinned. “I know what a worrier you are.”
“Too late to worry now.”
And there was no telling what the consequences would be. They stood there silently, companionably, leaning against the railing for a long time. She was aware of Kaje waking. Of his leaving the tank and rising in fury. Sighing, she left to face the dragon.
Chapter Twelve
It was a struggle to wake up but he had to get to Parker. Had to protect his der’lan. When he finally got his eyes open he saw through a film of green. He found the comm button at his side.
“Get me the fuck out of here, Jarek.”
The warriors hanging out in the infirmary hadn’t noticed him waking up. They sure as hell noticed now. Jarek stood in front of him in seconds, Vidar at his side.
“You should stay in a few more hours.”
He looked at his brother. “Break the glass.”
Jarek moved before Vidar could, inputting the code to drain the tank. “This is against my advice and I am not releasing you from the infirmary,” he snapped.
“Understood.
A few minutes later he was covered only in a sheet while Jarek bandaged up the worst of the wounds.
“What the hell happened out there?” Kaje asked.
“You got shot down.”
“After that,” he snarled. Judging by the uneasy looks around him, he really didn’t want to know. He could feel Parker. He knew she was fine. But… “Vidar?”
He pulled out his tablet and brought something up on it, but paused before handing it over. “Just remember that she’s fine and she thought you were dead.”
“What did she do?”
“If I was a religious man I’d say she invoked the goddess.”
Hell, that couldn’t be good. He held his hand out. “Let me see.”
He watched in stunned, awed horror as his mate walked into the middle of a firefight like she was a queen strolling through court. Zola stayed with her, waving her hand at laser bolts and knocking them out of the path. Then the camera panned and Kaje saw men, rebels falling, bleeding from the ears and nose. It only last seconds but they were the most incredible, terrifying, and enraging seconds he’d ever seen. He’d ordered her to not endanger herself and what had she done? Dared the universe to take her down.
“Where is she?”
He didn’t bother to hide his fury and several of his warriors straightened, wary expressions on their faces. They should be worried. Where the hell was she? Why hadn’t she stayed in the infirmary with him?
“She’s at the temple.”
“Not anymore,” Parker drawled from the doorway. “You called?”
He looked her over. She still wore her weapons and showed no signs of injuries.
“What the fuck is the point of those if you plan to walk into the middle of a battle and never draw them?”
“Saw that already, huh?”
Her tone was light, almost teasing. He was tempted to bend her over his knee here in front of everyone.
“You’re pushing it, baby.”
She sighed and swept her gaze over the gathered warriors, then stepped into the room. “Could we get a little privacy?” No one looked willing to leave and she gave them a cocky grin. “No worries. I can handle the dragon.”
Vidar stared at her. Hell, so did Kaje. He never would have guessed she had this side. His brother laughed, looked at him. “You too deserve each other.”
Everyone left but Jarek. He glared. “Do not even think about leaving this infirmary,” he snapped before stalking far enough away to give them the illusion of privacy.
Kaje had no idea what to say. He wanted to shake her and hold her at the same time.
“I thought you were dead.”
It wasn’t the words that made his tongue freeze. Vidar had warned him. It was the raw, naked fear in her eyes, in her voice.
“So why did you decide to join me, baby?”
He held his hand out. When she took it he pulled her closer until she sat on the edge of the bed.
“I wasn’t trying to get killed.”
So serious, his der’lan. He lifted his hand to brush his thumb over her lips.
“What would you call it then?”
“Vengeance,” she said without hesitation.
“Could you wait until you’re sure I’m dead next time?” This was a damned strange conversation to have with her. “Why didn’t you know? You can access my mind easily. Surely, you looked.”
“The connection was severed when you got knocked out. I couldn’t…find you.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” He knew there was something.
She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. That’s it.”
He knew she was holding back. He didn’t think he’d get anything out of her until later, but he was damned sure going to try. Unfortunately, Roarr came in.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Where are you going?”
“My quarters’.”
“Not alone.” She should be safe in the Keep, but she’d put a huge target on her back.
“Vidar is waiting outside,” Roarr said.
“Of course he is,” Parker huffed.
She left before he could stop her. Since Roarr stepped into the space she’d vacated, he couldn’t stop her.
Irresistible (Delroi Prophecy) Page 11