by Roxie Ray
“I did not say I could not save him,” he said quietly, starting to shimmer again. “I said he is not for me to save. He has served his purpose well. Now, others must serve theirs.”
And before I could say anything else, he was gone.
Dhimurs entered the room, bleeding from a blaster wound on his upper arm. When he saw Zark lying on the floor, he bent down, snarling: “You fool, I told you to wait! Now look at you!”
“What are we going to do?” I demanded. “He's dying!”
“The Wrath's still up in orbit,” he said. “Torqa left it there, and Surge and I neutralized the hired guns who were guarding it before we came down to the planet's surface. Hopefully, the medical bay will have what we need to patch him up. I'll have to teleport us, if we're going to make it up there in time.”
“Teleport? You have that technology?”
He shook his head. “No tech, just a little gift I was born with. But teleporting all three of us up there is going to take a lot out of me, especially with this hole in my arm. We'll need to be out in the open for it to work. Come on, help me lift him.”
Dhimurs and I carried Zark out of the shuttle. I looked around and saw that most of the mercenaries had either fled or been killed – by a large group of humanoids with peach-colored skin, tribal markings on their foreheads, and clothes made of bark and leaves. They were armed with blasters and primitive-looking knives and spears.
“Macurians,” Dhimurs explained, seeing the confusion on my face. “When it looked like the Valkredians weren't going to make it in time, I had to improvise and call on the closest tribe for backup. Now hang on tight. We're only going to get one shot at this, and if I mess it up, we'll be floating around in orbit.”
Before I could ask him what he meant by that, there was a blinding flash of light, and a sensation like my stomach was being turned inside out.
When the light faded, we were on the Wrath, in the medical bay.
Dhimurs looked green and sickly, and for a moment, I thought he might faint. Instead, he shook his head as if to clear it, then lifted Zark onto the examining table and began to gather tools and supplies from the cabinets.
“I'll do what I can for him,” Dhimurs said, “but I'm not exactly Khim.”
“What can I do to help?”
“At this point, the best thing for you to do is stay out of my way while I concentrate on fixing this idiot, if only so I can shoot him myself for not waiting like I told him to.”
I gave Zark a kiss on the forehead, hoping it wouldn't be the last one I ever gave him. Then I withdrew to let Dhimurs work while I paced the corridors.
As I passed the galley, I looked inside – and saw Respen standing in the center of the room, as though he'd been waiting for me.
“I apologize for leaving so abruptly earlier,” he said softly. “I had to return the book to its proper place on Yuluna. It had been gone for far too long.”
“How did you travel all the way there and back again so quickly?” I asked.
“I did not travel, as you understand the term,” he replied. “Rather, I currently exist on both this ship and Yuluna, as well as several other points in the galaxy. How did your Earth writer Walt Whitman so charmingly put it? Ah, yes: ‘I am large. I contain multitudes.’”
“Well, now that you've got your book back, you can go ahead and remove the curse you put on Zark.”
“I am afraid, daughter, that this is simply not possible.”
I felt rage coursing through my whole body in waves. “So you won't even honor the deal you made with him?”
He shook his head. “You misunderstand. I cannot remove the curse, because I never placed one on him.”
“But… you told him you did…”
“No, he heard what seemed to make the most sense to him at the time. I never said I had cursed him. I merely told him that he was cursed. Which he was – long before Torqa stole the book, and long before he chose to take the blame for it.”
“I don't understand.”
“That is nothing to be ashamed of. Many people much older and wiser than yourself would still have difficulty accepting this truth as it was presented to them. Their own preconceived notions would prevent them from doing so.” He paused, and then went on. “Zark was born with a certain genetic defect. A sort of disease that, once it manifested, would break down his systems and eventually prove lethal to him. It's a rare malady, one that even the sophisticated medical instruments of the Valkredians would never have been able to detect. I sensed this as soon as I first became aware of him, just as I sensed the precise year and month that the disease would claim his life.”
“So why put him through all this? What are you, some kind of fucking sadist?”
Respen shrugged. “It was the only way I could ensure that he fulfilled his destiny.”
“What destiny?”
“To meet – and fall in love with – the only one in the universe with the ability to cure his illness: You, Miranda. Within your blood is a spark, a special genetic sequence, that can heal him once it has been joined with his blood.”
My ears were ringing. “Then… why not just tell him to find me, so he could take my blood and get rid of the disease?”
“I told Zark a story recently, daughter, in order to clarify something for him. Now I wish to tell you one, as well, for the same reason. There was once a little boy, and on his tenth birthday, he received a horse. The people of the village were overjoyed, and said that it was a marvelous gift for him. The seer of the village said, ‘We shall see.’ Several months later, the boy was riding his horse when it threw him off, breaking his leg in several places. The village doctor said the boy would never walk properly again, and the people said that it was a terrible tragedy to befall him. The seer of the village said, ‘We shall see.’ Two years later, a war broke out, and the men and boys of the village were sent to fight. They were slaughtered… all except the boy, who couldn't go with them because of his injury. The people said it was a great blessing that the boy was spared from such a ghastly fate. And the seer of the village said…?”
“‘We shall see,’” I finished for him.
“Do you now understand?”
“No, goddamn it, I don't! What the hell am I supposed to glean from that stupid story?”
Respen sighed. “Most of the sentient races in the universe – no matter how advanced in their thinking, or their technology – have still managed to convince themselves that the way of things is simple and straightforward. Actions and reactions, causes and effects. But we Lunians learned long ago that this is not the case. All things must play out as they must… a vast tapestry that's constantly being woven into a complex and beautiful pattern, its design mapped out long before the universe was even born.”
“So destiny, then?”
He nodded. “That is a human term for it, yes, albeit a limited one. In order for things to unfold as they needed – in order for cosmic balance to be maintained – Zark needed to do far more than simply track you down and take your blood. He needed to recruit you for his mission, and believe it was his own idea to do so. You needed to share all of these experiences, in order to learn for yourselves that you were fated to be together. You needed to choose each other with your own free will, instead of forcing a mating out of necessity. More than that, Miranda, you needed to find out about the vastness and complexity of the galaxy beyond your own small planet… so that when the time came, you would be ready to be reunited with me, and to accept that I am your father. So you see, all things had to happen precisely as they happened. We all had our roles to play.”
Tears were welling up in my eyes again. “If you really came to Earth all those years ago… if you were with my mother… then why did you leave her?”
Respen put his hand on my shoulder tenderly. “It was difficult, but I had no choice. I could not be separated from the energies of my home planet for prolonged periods of time without suffering grave consequences. Yuluna was where I belonged. Sadly, your mother re
fused to come with me. The more she learned of the universe, the more it frightened her. She chose to raise you on your home planet instead.”
I took a deep breath. “I do love Zark. I do want to be his mate, and do everything I can to save him so we can be together. And I guess you're right… I wouldn't have these feelings for him if things had happened differently. So...thanks for that, I guess.”
“There is no need to thank me,” Respen answered. “We may make our own plans, but the universe directs our steps. I am merely pleased to have the opportunity to interact with my own beloved daughter, at last.”
“So what should I do now?” I asked. “How can I heal Zark?”
“Listen closely, my dear, and I shall tell you.
22
Zark
When I woke up, I recognized the medical bay of The Angel's Wrath. Akzun was sitting next to my bed. My midsection was sore, and I remembered that Torqa had shot me. I was lucky to be alive.
“I'm sorry I lost the Wrath, brother,” I murmured.
“It's all right – I got her back.” Akzun put his hand over mine. “Besides, it's hardly the first toy of mine you've been careless with, is it?”
I chuckled weakly. “Fair enough. So what happened? What did I miss?”
“Quite a lot, as it happens. We received Dhimurs' transmission, but we weren't close enough to get there in time, so he recruited a tribe of Macurians to help him rescue you and Miranda. We'll be owing them a lot of supplies and weapons to hunt with free of charge, thanks to their gracious assistance. When we finally did arrive, we took command of the Wrath again, so at least there's that. Torqa's mercenaries were captured or gunned down, so she's a leader without an army again – until she can find a new one, anyway. She did manage to flee with that monstrous new ship of hers, though… which is less than ideal, to put it mildly. Meanwhile, we've set a course for Valkred. We're going home.”
“The book…”
“…is back in Respen's possession,” Akzun said.
I tried to flex my fingers, but it felt like rusty nails were being hammered into my knuckles. The rest of my body was filled with pain, as well. “Then why hasn't the curse been lifted? Why am I still not craving blood? I don't understand! I did everything that Lunian bastard demanded of me, and he's left me to die anyway? After everything I suffered, all the risks I took, the things I put Miranda through to find his fucking book for him?”
Akzun raised an eyebrow. “I notice you're starting to swear like a human. I'm uncertain of whether that's a good thing or not.”
“How the hell can you sit there and joke about this?”
“Hush, brother. You tracked down Torqa.”
“She escaped!”
“Yes, well, that appears to be what she does best, doesn't it?” he replied ruefully. “But you made sure she couldn't harness the power of the book for her own evil ends. And besides, she can't keep escaping us forever. Eventually, she'll run out of rocks to crawl under, and we'll be there to stamp her out, along with all who stand with her.”
“Maybe you will, and maybe you won't,” I growled. “Either way, though, it doesn't look like I'll be around to see it, now does it?”
The door opened and Miranda walked in.
“I believe I shall give the two of you some privacy,” my brother said. “I suspect you might need it. We'll talk more later.” With that, he stood up and left.
My heart sank. It had all been for nothing. And all because I'd been foolish enough to take the blame for Torqa's theft, thinking it would be for the good of Valkred – and which hadn't even been a theft, since Respen had allowed it to happen. I'd always known the Lunians were a peculiar race, but I never dreamed they would be such manipulative liars and monsters. Had Respen put me through all of this pointless misery just to amuse himself, the twisted old glowworm?
I'd have expected Akzun to say more – to show anger, to vow to avenge this revolting betrayal no matter the cost, to go to war with the Lunians if necessary.
But in the end, it wouldn't do any good, would it? I'd still be dead. And the last thing Valkred needed was another prolonged war, especially one in my name. At least Akzun was right; I had stopped Torqa from harnessing the book’s power, and in that way, my death would serve the empire – I couldn't have asked for a more worthy end than that.
“Thank you for helping me with my mission, my sweet Miranda,” I whispered, my voice raspy with agony. “I wish I could honor my promise to take you back to Earth, but it seems as though my brother will have to do it instead.”
“Actually, I'm planning to stay on Valkred for a while,” Miranda said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Maybe even permanently, I don't know. Carly told me how nice it was for her to have another human woman to talk to, plus she'll probably need help when the baby's born and Akzun's busy hunting down Torqa.”
“Won't you miss your home planet?”
She grimaced. “Zark, you've been to Earth. You've seen it for yourself. It's full of greed, corruption, ignorance, and injustice. One percent of the population has more money than they could possibly spend in twenty lifetimes, while the other ninety-nine percent go to bed hungry most nights and fight each other over basic necessities. Would you miss it, if you were me?”
I forced a smile, even though my face hurt. “I'm glad you're going to stay. I only wish I had more time left so I could be with you. So I could be your mate.”
Miranda leaned over, kissing my lips softly. “You are my mate, Zark. And I'm yours.”
I shook my head. “No.”
She tilted her head. “Then… you don't want me?”
“Of course I do. I want you with every breath in my body, every beat of my heart. I want to be with you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. And if our circumstances were different, I would swear before all the Succubi that we were fated to be together forever. But if you believe that is still possible for us, then you simply don't understand our ways, Miranda. We cannot call each other mates. We cannot share that bond – not when I am so close to death. It would be a sacrilege, an abomination. It would be selfish of me to demand such a thing of you… to leave you alone in the universe after I'm gone, incomplete, bearing a wound on your heart that will never heal.”
I expected her to be upset, perhaps even to weep. But she remained serene. First Akzun, and then her! Damn it, why was everyone acting like they knew something I didn't?
“But we talked about this, remember?” she reminded me. “You said that it didn't matter. That when beings mate for life, they all take that risk together.”
“That was when it was merely a risk, and not a certainty. You must let this go, Miranda. You must let me go, and learn to go on without me. Some day, you will find the one you were truly destined for.”
“Hush, Zark. I already have.”
“Damn it, you don't understand!” I said again.
She placed a finger across my lips gently. “No, you don't understand, my love. You see, as it turns out: I'm the cure for your illness.”
23
Miranda
Zark stared at me, mouth agape. “What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense! You expect me to believe you can lift this curse on your own? I know your powers have increased, but what could possibly have given you such an absurd idea?”
“Respen did,” I answered simply. “I found out he was my father, remember?”
“You were serious about that? By the stars, I thought you had just said it to distract Torqa! I didn't think for a moment that it was true!”
“It's very true. And there's more: Respen never put any curse on you, Zark. He was just telling you, in an indirect way, that you were born – or cursed, if you’d like to put it that way – with a rare genetic disease. One that the doctors on Valkred didn't know enough about to diagnose or treat. One that would remain dormant in your system until it suddenly manifested – which it did, this year.”
“That's… but… how can that be true?” Zark stammered. “How coul
d Respen know about that, when even I didn't?”
I shrugged. “Lunians know things. That's what they do. They read and decipher clues they collect from the fabric of the universe itself. I'm still learning a lot about it, but that's another reason I've decided to stay on Valkred – so I can keep visiting with Respen, and discover more about my abilities. Where they came from, and how to use them.”
“And… you say you're the cure to this illness I've got?”
“Yes, in a manner of speaking. My blood is special… maybe because I'm one of the only people who's the product of a human and Lunian mating, maybe due to some other random genetic quirk, I don't know. Not that anything in the galaxy is really random, according to Respen,” I amended. “But if our blood comes together through the Valkredian mating bond, my DNA will essentially stabilize yours, and you'll be healed.”
“But then why would Respen keep these things secret?” I exploded. “Why make us run such a gauntlet for no reason? There had to be a thousand easier ways for him to get us together!”
“Because if he'd told you outright that you needed my blood in order to survive, you'd have mated with me out of fear,” I explained. “You'd have done it because you didn't want to die, not because it was truly your choice or your heart's desire. You wouldn't have even known me, not really… any more than I would have really gotten to know you. You'd call me your mate, and maybe we'd even have learned to care about each other – but essentially, I'd have been your blood slave, just a well-treated one. This way, we both had a chance to find each other naturally and exercise our free will.” I frowned. “Although again, if everything in the universe is predetermined like Respen said, I'm still not sure ‘free will’ is the right term to use in this context. More like… actively choosing to accept our destinies, I guess. I still have a lot to learn about this stuff. I'm looking forward to it, though.”