by Octavia Kore
Up ahead of us Lief raises his hand and we come to a halt. “The facility is just up ahead.” His eyes fall on Kareen where she stands at Aquilian’s side. “I do not think it is wise to bring the kit until we have neutralized the Tachin.”
The minute my eyes connect with Aquilian’s he seems to know what I am going to suggest and I know I am going to have another fight on my hands. “I will not stay behind again, Ettrian.”
“Brother, please.”
“No! You have kept secrets, left out vital information.”
Along the bond I can feel his anger and I try to soothe him. “I have and for that I will apologize every day for the rest of my life if it will help. Let me do this. Allow me the chance to make up for my mistakes.” My hand rests on his shoulder and he rattles softly. “She cannot stay here alone. Yssig still poses a threat to her safety.”
As he thinks, Aquilian rakes his fingers through his quills before rubbing his hands over his face. Relief rushes through me when he nods slowly, but Kareen is not as pleased as I am. “Bring her home.”
A small foot stomps the ground, followed quickly by an impressive growl. “Not fair! I want to help. I want to save my mama!”
Crouching down in front our kit, I take her hands in mine, pulling her close. “You are the bravest kit I have ever met, but this is not a task for you. Your Papa Aquilian and I need you to be here when we bring your mama back. She will need your comfort more than anything else.” Blunt teeth worry her lip as her shoulders sag, but I can see that she understands. “Xia means the entire world to me as well and I promise you that I will do everything I can to return her to you.”
A sudden fierceness returns to her eyes, her nose scrunches up and her lip pulls back over her teeth in a snarl. “Better not mess this up, papa.” Before I can respond, she launches herself into my arms, squeezing my neck. This little female is the most amazing creature I have ever known. The depth of her love humbles me. “For real,” she whispers against the holes in my head. “Don’t. Mess. Up.”
Pulling away quickly, I stare down at my daughter. A rumble begins in my chest, rolling up my throat before it bursts from my mouth. For the first time in my life, I laugh out loud and not along the bond. While I have seen and heard Xia and Kareen do this, it feels incredibly strange to hear myself make the sound. It feels… good. With a deep breath, I pull my kit back into a quick hug and then force myself to stand. Leaving two of the beings I love most in this world is painful. For the first time I am thankful that Aquilian and I have grown up as outcasts. Everything we have gone through in our lives led us to this point.
It is obvious that my twin is reading my emotions by the way his face softens. He bends down, pressing his chest to mine. “Be safe, brother.”
Choking back the uncertainty that threatens to overwhelm me, I pull away from my family and turn to Lief, nodding my head that I am ready. From the moment we met this alien there was an immediate bond. I can remember the disbelief we felt the first time he told us he was from the Sun Father’s world. He taught some of us kits that the place we believed the Sun Father came from was actually a planet that his people inhabited. Many in our village believe him to be a liar, but Aquilian had been enamored. This alien male had treated him like an equal.
The world around us is glowing softly and it helps to put me at ease. As I follow closely behind Lief, I try once more to reach out along the bond to my mate, but come up empty. There should be something, any little sign that she is alive, but in the place within my mind that she has taken over, I can feel nothing. “Do you think she is still alive?”
“If there is one thing I have learned from my brother’s human mate, it is that they are a resilient species.” Lief’s lips curl up, his sharp teeth flashing in the same way Xia and Kareen’s often do and it sends a shiver down my spine. There is something far more daunting when this alien male smiles than when my little humans do it.
“Our human is delicate. Are they not all this way?”
“Perhaps they do not seem capable of great feats, but believe me when I say they have the amazing ability to prevail when you least expect it.” He shakes his head and smiles again. “Any female who has the patience to put up with you, Aquilian, and a kit must certainly be a force to be reckoned with.” We walk on a little farther, coming to a stop near the top of a small incline. “We are here.”
“Here?” My eyes scan the horizon and I see nothing but trees, ground, and sky above. “Where?” Quietly I step up next to Lief and watch as he holds out something that resembles a smooth stone tablet. A series of shapes appear and the male taps at them, his brows drawn in concentration. As if by magic, strange walls begin to emerge from thin air. Where there was once a woodline, there is now a very solid, very alien building. While my village prefers to reside within the trees, there are some Dauur who prefer to construct homes using materials from the world around us, but none of them look anything like what sits before me.
A moment later the door facing us opens and I look up to see a satisfied smile on Lief’s face. “We have access.”
That is all I need to hear before I am racing across the ground, sending probes out along the bond to search for her. We do not come across any resistance as we enter. The space within is lit with the same lights I saw before and a wave of anxiety clutches at me. This has to be where I was before. To our right is a long hallway that branches off from the one we have stepped into. The light in this one is dimmed and there is a sudden sharp noise from somewhere inside that has our heads snapping in that direction. Lief immediately takes off toward the sound, my long stride keeping me right on his heels. The sense of urgency I feel turns to one of shock when a door glides open on its own and a room full of small beds is revealed. These are kits; tiny, newborn kits. They squirm around, hands clenching into small fists that are quickly shoved into their mouths. A few of them are curled on their sides as if they are conserving whatever warmth they have.
As I scan the beds, I spot only one kit out of the eight with features I recognize as those of a Dauur. The skin of the newborn is unlike anything I have seen before, patches of dusky grey are mixed in with a color slightly darker than Xia’s flesh. The kit’s facial features, although mostly Dauur, show signs that they may be human. The small protrusion in the middle is a very human nose. My heart aches and I allow myself to wonder for a moment if this is what my own kit will one day look like. The little pinpricks of emotions along the bond alert me that the kit is reaching out, seeking comfort. I try my best to calm the little one’s sadness, running my finger down their cheek, arm, and little hand softly. On this kit’s back is something I have never seen a Dauur born with and I doubt it is a human trait. Tiny, delicate wings are flattened against the skin.
“Lief?”
“I see them.”
I turn my head and see him cradling a tiny Venium kit in his arms. A pained expression paints his face as he runs his finger along the glowing pink fushori. The little wings on their back twitch with apparent irritation as he coos softly. A quick glance around the room makes it obvious that there are no mamas or papas with these newborns and my quills rattle with my unease. “We cannot leave them here alone, Lief.”
By the way he clutches the kit to his chest, I know he does not wish to leave them either. “I know you must make haste and reach your mate, but help me first. I need to make certain these are the only ones here. Check every corner, every door.”
I walk quickly between the beds, making sure my initial count is correct. At the very back of the room is a small nook I had not noticed. As I glance within I am met with a disturbing sight. On a raised platform rests a human female, smaller than my mate. Strange things protrude from the mask covering her nose and mouth. A sick feeling takes me over and I know something is wrong with her. “There is a human female here!”
Lief comes to my side, the kit still curled in his arms. He runs one finger along her throat gently before shaking his head. “She is struggling. I am not sure what is wrong wit
h her, but she is in critical condition. We will need to be careful when we move her.” I hear him sigh and our eyes meet. “Go find your mate. I will stay here and contact my team for immediate rescue.”
Without hesitation, I sprint from the room. Almost immediately I am aware of Xia’s presence, but a moment later sharp pain, absolute agony, shoots through the bond we share. The feeling is so strong that it is like a physical force, making me stumble. Everything inside of me calls out to her and I practically fly across the smooth floor. My mate is in terrible pain. I have made many mistakes lately, but I will not make another by waiting any longer.
White-hot fury courses through me at what I see when I enter a large, circular room. Lying on a table, much like the one I woke up on, is my mate. Arms and legs bound tight, fabric shoved into her mouth to quiet her. Sweat beads all along her pale skin as her chest rises and falls quickly in distress. Her green eyes roll to the back of her head as I watch one of the aliens reach into her open abdomen, ripping a pained moan from her. They are hurting her; killing her.
A red haze falls over my vision and I feel my body move of its own accord toward the Tachin who works with his back to me. “She. Is. Mine.”
Chapter 21
Aquilian
From the large stone I am sitting atop, I watch Kareen as she plays. Bunnyfly races around her feet, zigzagging so that my kit stumbles over herself multiple times in an effort to catch the small creature. “You cheater!” she giggles along the bond. She knows that I am not like her, that I cannot “hear” in the same way she does and I have noticed that she has made an effort to speak often along the bond so that I may be included in her activities. It warms my entire being. The rammit jumps into the air, its feathered ears carrying it out of Kareen’s reach, but she has gone still, her face a mask of anger and her little hands clenched into fits.
“Kareen?” I call to her, but my eyes catch sight of a familiar form dashing through the forest. Yssig. The Lightborn male is heading straight for us. My heart races as I jump up, sprinting toward Kareen and pulling her behind me as I rattle out a warning. “Do not come any closer!”
“Please, Aquilian! She is in danger!”
“Who?” Kareen asks suspiciously as she peeks around my leg. “Who is in danger?”
“My sister. Her name is Yasi. Something is wrong with her.” He pants harshly and I can feel the worry rolling off of him. “They are beating her. She cannot defend herself!”
This concerns me. I have felt nothing along the bond, but that doesn’t mean what he says is a lie. Each Dauur has a different sensitivity when it comes to the mental bond we all possess. Familial and mating ties are always the strongest.
“I trusted you before and you lied.”
“I am not asking for trust or even help! I am asking you to step aside so that I may reach my family.”
Just as I am preparing to respond, a soft brush against my ilo has me spinning around. I catch only a glimpse of wild curls flying in the wind before my kit disappears over the hill that Ettrian and Lief walked only a little while earlier. “Kareen!” My feet eat up the ground as I take off after her, Yssig right at my side. When I catch up to her, I scoop my daughter up into my arms, shock hits me when she begins to flail wildly, kicking, and vibrating with words I cannot understand. Before I can even consider putting her down I feel her blunt teeth latch onto my hand. She bit me. This is obviously Bunnyfly’s influence.
“Let me go, Quilian! We have to help her!”
“Ettrian and Lief are helping your mama. Calm, little one!”
“Not Mama!” She screams as tears well up in her eyes. “They hurt me too!”
“Who hurt you?” I am immediately furious. “These aliens hurt you? When?”
Her little body goes limp in my arms like she has given up her fight. The tears flow from her eyes freely now and she uses her fist to swipe them away. “Nuh-uh. The people at the place I used to live, before we came here. They beat me too, Quilian. We have to save her.”
There have been many moments in my life where I have felt anger and a sense of unfairness, but it has always been over something that has been done to me. My jaw is clenched so tightly that I am surprised none of my teeth break. That someone who was supposed to care for my daughter could ever do anything to hurt her is appalling. If I ever meet these humans who laid their hands on a defenseless kit I will tear them limb from limb and bathe in their blood.
I look up at Yssig who watches us with sad eyes. We cannot let these Tachin harm anyone else. Although we had never planned on having our kit anywhere near these aliens, I know this is something important. My daughter has a past she is wrestling with and I realize we all have a duty to do what is right. Yssig and I race forward as he follows the call from his sibling. When we finally make it over the last hill a complex pattern of buildings is spread out before us. The Lightborn male does not falter at the sight like I do. Instead, he rushes forward as if a clan of nolfira are nipping at his heels. “Sun Father, watch over us.” I mumble as I rush to catch up.
The doors are flung open and it seems as if chaos has taken over. Yssig disappears down another hallway and Kareen points after him. There is an eerie silence along the bond, but it is hard to notice with the emotions of all the beings in close proximity beating at me. Determination, fear, anger, and sadness all assault me, but I push on after the other male. As we come up on an open door, I feel a strange vibration and see Kareen’s face pinch in concern.
“Babies!” She breathes excitedly, but I shake my head.
If Lief and Ettrian have found the kits I know help is already on the way. We need to focus on finding Yssig’s sister. The sudden rage that slams into me from the bond I share with Ettrian sends me into a panic, but the fact that I still cannot feel our mate scares me even more. Almost there. I repeat to myself over and over as we make our way to the place I can feel my twin. We cannot lose Xia. The longer I allow my brother’s furry to flow through me the more I can feel my body shaking. In my arms Kareen is a steadying weight, the only thing keeping me from tearing through this place and killing anyone I come upon.
There is a bright light at the end of the hall and we suddenly find ourselves in a large open room. This part is brighter than anything I have ever seen and I squint against the reflection that bounces off of the white walls. Yssig darts off to the right, but I come to a stumbling halt when my eyes fall on Ettrian. Kareen, who hasn’t seemed to notice her papa, wiggles wildly until I lower her to the ground, running after the other Lightborn male as he searches for his sister.
Too shocked at what I see, I don’t try to stop the kit as she leaves. On the long table before Ettrian our mate is laid out. Her arms and legs are stretched out and red blood is spilling from the gaping wound in her abdomen. She is dying. I feel my knees slam against the hard floor and realize I must have fallen onto them. My heart pounds hard in my chest and my lungs do not seem to be working properly. The entire room begins to spin around me. Do not panic. She is not gone. She cannot be gone. As I sit on the floor I see my twin’s mouth moving, but I do not understand him. Someone rushes past me and I am only mildly aware that this is Lief; his green fushori glows brightly against all of the white around us.
The Venium reaches Xia and immediately begins trying to put her back together. “Do not hurt her! She needs a pod! Stop!” I am launching myself forward, stumbling to my feet when Ettrian slams into me, his arms wrapping around my upper body as he tries to hold me back.
“He is helping her! Aquilian, stop! He is trying to save her life.” My brother sends soothing thoughts along the bond and I try desperately to cling to his hope. Just his touch is enough to ground me and bring me back to reality. There are flashing red lights now, and sharp vibrations race along my ilo. Something is happening and I have a feeling it is not anything that will help us.
Lief has finished his work on Xia, but she still looks dangerously pale and remains unconscious. “She will live.” He tells us, looking up from a monitor at his si
de.
“Kareen!” I spin away from my brother to look around for our kit. She is within one of the open rooms behind us, cooing softly to a young Darkborn female Dauur as she holds onto her. Yssig is standing over two corpses that I assume belong to whatever guards had attempted to stop him. On the ground near the back of the room is an unconscious Doxal. He seems injured, but alive.
“We need to leave. The Tachin have activated the self-destruct sequence for the complex. There is not much time.”
Ettrian lifts our mate into his arms, pressing her close to his chest. “The young?”
With a quick motion for Yssig to follow, Lief jerks his head toward the hall we came from. “My team is here. We will grab the young ones and go. There is no time to search the rest of the facility.”
As quickly as we can, our group races down the hallway back toward the room where Kareen heard the kits. Lief is in the lead, urging us to hurry as the lights flash from points on the walls all around us. As we reach the door the Venium male stops dead, causing me to crash into him. Before I can ask him what the problem is, I peer inside and see the lone Lightborn Dauur male standing among the beds of wriggling newborns. He is staring down at the tiny kit in front of him, his fingers gliding slowly over the patchy skin as a sad rattle fills the room. His hands glide over the nubs on the back of the newborn's head before he lifts him into his arms.
“Place the kit back in the bed and step away.” I command, fearing for the newborn’s safety.
“He is my son.” The male’s voice is soft and sad as he brings the kit to his chest, his lips pressing firmly to its head.
“Grab the rest of the newborns and let’s move. There is not time to stand here chatting. Move!” Lief shouts.