by S. E. Smith
“Good morning!” Cara said brightly as she laid a tray full of food on a low table. “We thought you’d be hungry.”
“No, you wanted an excuse to find out what happened!” Trisha said with a grin as she picked up a piece of fruit from the tray and bit into it. “Damn, they have some good fruit here.”
She really hoped Abby wouldn’t get too upset with them invading her. Trisha thought with a sense of satisfaction that it was good to get out for a little while. What with everything going on, Cara’s poisoning and now Abby’s kidnapping, Kelan barely let her go anywhere.
“So, tell us all the good juicy details? I heard you fried Ben’qumain? How’d you do that?” Ariel said as she laid another tray with cups and a large pot of coffee down on another small table.
Trisha gave Abby a sympathetic smile as she accepted a cup of coffee from Ariel and the plate of food from Cara. Everyone seemed to wait until Abby sank down onto the soft cushions of the sofa and pulled her bare feet up under her before they helped themselves to the food and beverages.
Abby took a sip of coffee and waited a moment before she responded to the question. “I turned, can turn, into a dragon.”
Trisha’s mouth dropped open at Abby’s declaration. Her brain seemed to explode as it reviewed all the changes going through her lately; her skin changing colors, the sounds she was making, the feeling of something crawling under her skin. Was it possible she was going through some type of change as well? Was it possible she would be able to turn into a dragon like Abby? Trisha sat in numb silence as she absorbed all the facts and possible reasons. She stared at Abby closely, trying to see if there was anything different about her. If it was possible, why hadn’t Kelan said anything to her about it? Why did he not mention their being together could change her into something else? Something not quite human? Trisha laid a hand over her stomach as it rolled at the idea of something else living inside her body. What could she do to stop it? How did she get rid of it? A small whimper seemed to fill her at the thought of rejecting the new life deep inside her. Trisha forced herself to listen to what was going on around her. She would deal with this new information once she was alone again.
“That. Is. So. Cool!” Cara said excitedly her voice rising as her excitement grew. “How did you do it? Can I do it? Oh. My. God. I have to be able to do it. I could totally drive Trelon out of his ever-loving, fucking mind! Oh Abby, you have got to teach me how. Please! Please! Please!” Cara’s eyes were wild with the idea of being able to change into a dragon. Trisha could see the barely concealed excitemetheir Cara's eyes.
Suddenly a small chuckle filled the air followed by uncontrollable giggling. All eyes whipped around unable to believe where the giggling was coming from. Carmen wiped her eyes trying to stop from giggling.
“Oh Abby, please teach us. I would love to be able to give someone else hell and I’m sure I could think of a hundred different ways to do it in the form of a dragon.”
Trisha stared in wonder at Carmen. It was the first time in three years that she heard her laugh. A quick glance at Ariel showed tears forming in her eyes as she smiled softly at her younger sister. Trisha smiled hesitantly and joined in the fun. Soon, all them were giggling and making up ways they could drive the men insane by switching between human and dragon and using the symbioses. While Cara’s was the most creative, Carmen came up with the most devious and had all of them in hysterics. When Zoran walked into the room a couple of hours later and found all five women laughing uncontrollably he had a bad, bad feeling he and his brothers were in for trouble.
Trisha walked slowly back to her and Kelan's living quarters. Bio kept brushing up against her as if trying to calm the flurry of thoughts and doubts running through Trisha's mind. She enjoyed spending time with the other women but now all she could think about was what they were joking about. She needed more information, time, and a quiet place by herself to process everything. Was it really possible for her to turn into a dragon? If so, would it hurt during the changing? She had only seen Kelan in his dragon form once, the night they met. Even though she knew he could shift into another creature it just never seemed real since everything that happened the night Abby was kidnapped back on Earth seemed sort of surreal anyway. Trisha wasn't sure she was as enthusastic as the other women were about the idea of being able to turn into another creature. Trisha felt a stirring deep inside her and a low cry.
Want my mate, a soft voice whispered. Need my mate.
Trisha stopped in the middle of the corridor as the soft voice washed through her. It was almost as if there was someone else inside her whispering. Trisha wondered if this is what people who suffered from schizophrenia or multiple personality disorders felt. Maybe none of this was really real. Maybe she was just in a coma, or worse, in some government experiment to test the human mind's ability to determine reality from fantasy. Trisha started when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You are well, my lady?" One of the guards asked Trisha with concern.
"What?" Trisha asked confused. "Where am I? I mean, really?"
The guard turned to the warrior standing next to him and said something softly to him. The man gave a brief nod, looking at Trisha with concern, before he hurried down the corridor and disappeared. Trisha watched him go with a sense of panic building. What if they were drugging her? What if it was wearing off and they were going to go get more? She needed to get away. She needed to hide. Trisha thought of the thick forest surrounding the city. She could get lost in them and no one would ever find her. She could disappear forever and be safe. The low moan inside her started up again as if disagreeing with her logic. No, stay with my mate. Mate protect us. Care for us. Want my mate. The voice said a little louder as it became more agitated.
Shut up. Trisha growled as she moved slightly closer to the man guarding her. I don't want to hear you. You are just my imagination. Something the drugs have created. Trisha wondered if Ariel, Carmen, Cara, and Abby were real or just actors made up to look like her friends. Since her abduction from Earth, she had been allowed only small amounts of time with them. Trisha looked down were Bio was nudging her hand. She looked at the huge golden creature closely as if seeing it for the first time. She jerked her hand away, suddenly afraid. Bio tried to send waves of warmth through the bands around her arms and neck. As soon as Trisha felt the warmth she started pulling at the bands, first the ones on her wrists then the one around her neck.
“Please, get off of me.” Trisha whispered hoarsely as an irrational fear began to spread throughout her body, leaving her shaken. “Please.”
The little gold bands dissolved slowly, as if reluctant to leave her. Trisha began breathing a little better once they were no longer touching her. Bio shook and lowered its head, almost as if hurt by Trisha’s rejection of it. It turned and moved down the corridor heading towards their living quarters. Trisha watched as it rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. She was so focused on wondering why she was feeling guilty she didn’t hear what the man next to her was saying at first.
“My lady, would you like to sit down and rest for a moment? I have sent the other guard for Lord Kelan.” The warrior was saying softly.
Trisha reacted without thinking the moment he touched her arm. Bringing her hand palm up in an arch, she slammed it into the warrior’s nose. Gripping the arm that touched her tightly, she rounded at the same time bringing her knee up into his stomach. The moment he bent over she doubled her fists bringing them down over the back of his neck knocking him unconscious. Trisha drew in a deep breath. She grabbed the man by his arms pulling him into a nearby alcove in the corridor. Using his shirt, she ripped strips from it and quickly tied his hands and feet. Patting him down, she removed the weapons he was carrying, tucking them under her shirt so they wouldn’t be seen. She mentally retrieved the map of the palace she drew on her many trips through it. Deciding on a seldom used entrance on the side near the kitchens, she moved quickly and quietly. She would seek cover in the forests. Once she felt safe, sh
e would think about everything she had learned and hope to God if she was under the influence of any medication it would wear off. She refused to believe her friends were real. If they were, she would revisit her strategy of offense if necessary.
Kelan was in a heavy discussion with Creon when the knock at the door interrupted them. Creon wanted the V’ager ready to go at a moment’s notice in case there were problems. Kelan was updating Creon where most of the Valdier fleet was at the moment and making some additional changes to repositioning some of the warships closer to the Sarafin and Curizan space borders.
“Come in.” Creon called out without looking up from the holoscreen in front of them.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but I need to speak with Lord Kelan for a moment.” The warrior said quietly. He stood near the door at attention waiting for permission to speak.
Kelan turned with a frown. The frown deepened with he recognized the warrior as one of the guards assigned to protect Trisha. Had something happened to her? She was supposed to be visiting with Zoran’s mate and the other females. At the thought of the other females, namely Ariel and Carmen, Kelan gave a silent groan. Had they talked her into helping them escape? He could care less if the other two females did, may the Gods and Goddesses of the universe help anyone they encountered, but he refused to let them take Trisha with them.
“What is it?” Kelan asked impatiently. So help him, if those other two females tried to influence Trisha he would ban them from ever leaving their living quarters again. He didn’t care what Mandra and Creon had to say about it.
The warrior stepped forward quickly. Once he was near enough to speak quietly he quickly explained the purpose of his visit. “My lord, your mate does not seem well. We were escorting her back to your living quarters after her visit with the other human females when she appeared to become very confused and frightened. She was unaware of where she was and was very, very pale.” The warrior paused before adding, “We could smell her fear. Something has frightened her badly.”
Kelan looked at the warrior carefully and saw the concern in his eyes. “Was there any food or beverages served? Do you think she could have been poisoned?” Kelan’s first thought was of what happened to Trelon’s mate, Cara. Could some type of poison or drug have been slipped into the refreshments the females consumed?
The warrior shook his head. “No, sir. All of the food and beverages were carefully monitored and tested before being served. I stopped on my way here to see if any of the other females were having difficulties and all appear fine, except for the one called Cara. She said she was ‘okay’ that she was on a ‘caffeine’ high and the way she was acting was not abnormal for her. Lady Abby was very polite and said she was feeling fine. The one named Ariel did her usual eye roll and the other one tried to attack me. Both behaviors were normal for them.”
Kelan nodded. He closed his eyes briefly and stroked the gold band on his wrist trying to communicate with his symbiosis. He frowned when he received an impression of his symbiosis feeling overwhelming sadness. Had something terrible happened to Trisha and his symbiosis couldn’t help her?
With a muttered oath, Kelan threw a glance at Creon who was watching him closely. “My mate needs me. Something is wrong.”
Creon gave a brisk nod. “I will check in with Zoran and with the guards protecting the other females. Let me know if you need additional protection or help for her.”
Kelan stormed out of the room followed closely by the warrior. A shiver of apprehension went through Kelan as if something bad were about to happen. All he knew was he hoped the Gods and Goddesses had mercy on anyone who wanted to harm his mate because he wouldn’t.
Chapter 12
Trisha wiped a hand across her forehead. She looked around at the huge trees surrounding her and forced herself to push forward. Today marked the third day since she escaped from the palace walls. She was steadily moving further and further into the deep forests. The first night she pushed for distance not worrying about leaving tracks. Once she felt she covered a fair distance from the city, she slowed and began a more methodical path through deeper forest cover. At one point during the second day, she used a large river to cover several miles, letting it pull her along with the current. It was the sight of several dragons soaring above the river that finally drove her back to shore. She was using natural debris that was floating as a cover and sank as far under the water as she could when they flew over her. She watched them through the tangled limbs as they swept up and down before turning further north. She didn’t know if they were real dragons, just some type of aircraft designed to look like one, or if it was a drug causing her to hallucinate. She knew she couldn’t be discovered. All of her dad’s training was kicking in. She traveled throughout the last two nights stopping only once an hour to rest for fifteen minutes. Several times, she sensed she was being followed by a larger predator and she moved up into the trees waiting and watching as they passed under her. She continued to do the same each day after that until she figured she was more than a hundred miles away from the palace.
Trisha began focusing on the clues her surrounding environment provided her. She discovered the limbs on the massive trees were much larger than any she ever saw before in the mountains around her home. The third morning dawned bright and clear and she was able to see quite a ways from the perch she was currently in. The logical part of her said if she had been drugged, the drugs would be out of her system by now and all of this was as real as she was. Trisha drew in a deep breath. She would have to be careful. She wasn't ready to be found yet, not until she came to terms with what was happening to her. Trisha stood up and began moving again.
She decided to take advantage of the huge trees and their interwoven limbs to help get her further away. She used them as a type of above ground highway, much like the squirrels did back home. It slowed her progress but increased the difficulty of being able to track her. In addition, she used some of the mud, moss, leaves, and small branches as camouflage. She carefully applied a thick coating to any visible skin. She would need to stop and repair it; but, unless she needed to retreat back into the water again, she should be less visible. She weaved thin twigs through her long hair, braiding them in and out and letting them stick out at an angle to resemble some of the nearby bushes.
Once she was satisfied she had done her best to blend her person with the surrounding forest, she looked at the weapons she took from the man in the corridor again. She studied each piece carefully. She had a long, curved knife about two feet in length, some type of gun, and a smaller knife. She shoved the smaller knife in her boot. Looking around, she saw several branches that would make a good bow. Balancing along the limb almost forty feet in the air, Trisha cut a branch making sure it was not one that would be instantly noticeable. She carefully laid down several long, thick leaves to catch the shavings as she worked on shaping the bow. It would take her several days to get it just right and to cure it but she could work on it when she took her breaks. She didn’t want to stay in any one place for more than an hour. Once she felt confident she was safe, she would stop to hunt. She would need protein to help keep her muscles from deteriorating.
Once the initial shape was done, Trisha carefully rolled the shavings up in the leaves and tucked them inside her shirt. She would use the shavings, as well as some dry moss, to build a small fire once she found shelter for the night. She stood up listening carefully to the forest around her. It was her early warning system. She paid close attention to the changes as several dragons flew over earlier. She noticed the birds let out a long, sharp whistle of warning as they approached and a series of small, chirps when they were gone. She also noticed several plants tended to close up as they came by. She suspected it was a defense to protect their seeds which the dragons more than likely ate. She would have to check it out. Food and shelter were important if she was to remain strong. She spent the next six hours moving as rapidly as she could. She used the trees as much as possible. When it became too dif
ficult or dangerous, she moved back down to the forest floor. She stopped frequently to rest. She could feel the drain on her body from the stress, intense physical activity, and lack of food and sleep. The last thing she wanted to do was make a stupid mistake that could get her hurt or killed. She would need to find food and shelter tonight. She needed both desperately. She would push on for a least another hour before she started to look for both, she decided.
It was closer to two hours later before Trisha glanced up at the sky. Dark, angry clouds were rolling in. She could smell rain in the air. She would need to seek shelter soon. She didn’t want to take the chance of getting caught out in a bad storm. Trisha used the trees to cover about a mile of terrain before she climbed down. From her perch up high, she was able to see some of the plants that reacted to the dragons. She moved slowly, staying to the shadows until she was close enough to jump the remaining distance to the moist forest floor. Working her way careful so she left as few broken leaves or impressions in the soft soil as possible, she came up to one of the huge flowering pods. In the center of the pod was a type of seed similar to a sunflower seed, only about the size of a cantaloupe. Trisha used the long knife to work two of the seeds free. As she drew them close, she felt the thing inside her moving again. Trisha held still and focused on the feeling.