“It’s okay,” Dani said quickly, light as a feather with joy. “Don’t worry, Amman. We’re already having a party—that’s more than enough. I don’t need anything formal.” And I really don’t want to see an albino Jangxing.
“But you deserve more,” the distraught alien said. “You are Clan!”
Dani reached a hand out to touch the tall matriarch’s arm. “Amman, you’ve already given me more than I could possibly need. You’ve left your own home to come to a strange world to care for me. You can’t possibly think you owe me anything else.”
“But you are Clan and deserve to have your union celebrated in the proper manner. Hantili must be here to officiate. Taltos will be devastated to not act as sponsor. You young people are so very hasty!”
“Then we’ll wait.” Dani fought to hide her laughter. “We have time. Nothing has to happen today.”
“But…” Anna blurted out a protest, shooting Lateef an unreadable look.
“Neither one of us is going anywhere,” Dani said. “And no lack of ceremony will ever change how I feel about Lateef.”
Dani’s head spun with so much information coming at her. She was barely accustomed to feeling Lateef in her mind, even when his thoughts were shielded, but all of a sudden, everyone in the room was shouting at her. She looked over and saw Lateef slumped in his chair, pale as a ghost.
Dani’s hands rose to cover her ears before her head fell forward to rest on the table. Her breath came in short pants and she was aware of her friends’ panicked questions, but unable to respond, even when Charlie stormed in, responding to Anna’s panicked call.
“What is wrong?” Amman rolled Dani’s head to peer into her eyes carefully before turning her attention to the tray on the table. “Who is responsible for this food?” Amman picked up the mug and sniffed before throwing it across the room to shatter against the wall. Her nose wrinkled with disgust. “Tamarra!” The angry matriarch’s command carried through the entire house and several of the guests appeared in response to the commotion.
“We need an ambulance,” Anna said.
Dani fought to raise her hand to touch Lateef, as her chair seemed to dip and move erratically underneath her. She stretched her senses, straining to contact Lateef or Rissa as she had on board the Hatti ship so many months earlier. She felt a brief whisper of a familiar voice and then the connection collapsed. The abrupt silence after the cacophony of moments earlier was an almost physical shock.
“Lateef.” She whispered his name, only vaguely aware of Amman’s strong hands on either side of her face coming close to smell her breath.
“They have been drugged.” The tall woman held a finger to the rapid pulse in Dani’s wrist as she snapped out orders.
Tamarra appeared at Amman’s side and they conferred quietly as Dani continued to try to reach the motionless Lateef only inches away. Anna took her hand.
“He’ll be okay,” Anna tried to reassure her. “Help is coming.”
Dani jerked as a sudden premonition cleared her head for a few seconds. All the weird happenings suddenly formed a pattern. She gathered every ounce of energy she had left. “He’s here.” Tears stung her eyes. Terror wrapped skeletal fingers around her heart and she struggled to speak through chattering teeth. “Get everyone away, Anna. The shadow’s coming!”
“What shadow?”
Dani’s eyes fluttered shut as she tried to catch her breath and get her racing heart under control.
“Dani, what are you talking about? Who’s coming and what are they going to do?” Anna’s tone was calm, but she could sense the fear underneath.
“He’s so angry. He’ll kill everyone.” She shook her head as she tried to figure out how she knew disaster was closing in on them.
“How do you know?” Anna asked.
“Get the children away, please? Take them down to the Saunders.” Dani pulled the strength to beg from a reserve she hadn’t known she possessed. “Go with them and keep them safe! Hurry!”
“I’ll send them.” Anna pushed to her feet, obviously reluctant to leave her young friend alone. She threw a concerned look at the pair slumped at the table as she grabbed Charlie and ran out of the house. Dani sagged with relief and allowed her eyes to drift closed with the exhaustion that suddenly overwhelmed her fear. Charlie and Anna would keep the children and other guests safe. She could count on them. She heard a labored breath and her heart stuttered. Lateef! She tried to turn her head and reach out to him, but moving was too hard. Her body betrayed her as she clutched at the memory of the brief contact with Rissa and the belief help was on the way.
Chapter Thirty
“I’ve waited so long for this moment, my sweet. My leader will be surprised to learn how successful our little experiment has been. I have proven the Apirri are not the only weapons we have.”
The possessive tone in the unfamiliar voice pulled Dani out of her stupor, although the words made no sense. She forced her heavy lids open at the touch of cold fingers on her arm. Dark, pupil-less eyes of evil set in the face of a gaunt giant stared back.
“I’m glad you’re finally awake.” He stroked her cheek. A false look of sympathy was plastered on his triangular face that had the remorseless, predatory look of a praying mantis.
“My associate overestimated the dose and I thought you would sleep through this party as you have done so many nights lately. I enjoy our time together so much more when you actively participate.”
His look turned her bones to rubber. Who is this guy? Can he be the figure haunting my nightmares? How is that possible? Dani tried to speak, but her muscles refused to obey.
“Nothing to say?” The creature gave her cheek one more caress, then turned his attention to Lateef.
The healer’s head rested on the table. His dark hair covered his face like a curtain.
The creature poked him with a long finger. When he got no response, he swung his fist, delivering a vicious blow to the side of Lateef’s head. The healer flew off the chair, landing in a senseless heap on the floor at the feet of Anna and Charles who stood against the wall along with several of the human and Hatti guests, all with their hands bound behind them. Amman was tied hand and foot to a sturdy chair. Her face was darker green than normal and a cloth napkin was stuffed in her mouth.
The monster growled and turned to someone behind Dani. “How much did you give him?”
“I dosed only the girl,” a familiar voice retorted. “You said to give her the drug. You said nothing about him.”
Dani recognized the Hatti woman who had given her the drink. Red haze filled her vision and she took deep breaths. I swear neither one of those bastards will walk out of here on their own. Her mind refused to consider the possibility Lateef didn’t move because he was dead. She would know if the unthinkable happened. All she had to do was stall and keep the monster’s attention on her until help came. Then everyone would be safe.
“This so-called Master Healer is such a weakling. I shouldn’t be surprised a small amount of the drug knocked him out. He’s nothing like Rissa.” He took a shuddering breath as a strange emotion crossed his alien face. “I would give much to own her. Surely Wendar will allow me to be in charge since I have proven the drug effective.” The last sentence was whispered.
“I gave the boy nothing,” the Hatti woman insisted. “He kissed this one and collapsed.”
“That was enough.” The tall man leaned over to pull Lateef’s eyelid open. He grinned at the hugely dilated pupil. “Even his human girlfriend has more stamina. You did well, Bilal. The clan will be yours once the Thane has been made to see reason.”
Amman let out a strangled protest and rocked her chair.
“What do you want?” Dani asked through dry lips. He couldn’t intend to destroy Amman’s clan, could he? She couldn’t imagine the prickly matriarch without the rest of the Hatti around her. Damn it, I’ve stopped on
e disaster already. I can’t let this fracking insect destroy an entire clan because of me.
The monster stiffened, as if he had heard her internal thoughts, then continued to examine Lateef. His indifference to her increased her fear. She somehow knew the reaction would be worse the longer the delay. Why didn’t I mention the nightmares to Lateef? Maybe he would have known it was all real and not my imagination.
“This healer interfered with my negotiations, and then you…” The alien turned on her with a fury that left her bones quaking. Long fingers curled into a fist raised in an unconscious gesture before he took a deep breath and obviously composed his features back into a semblance of calm. “And then you, the treasure I have been cultivating for many months, threw away your life by taking the bolt meant for the leader of those foolish Hatti. All of my work killing the old Thane and gathering allies was gone. Poof! That one act turned the entire Clan against me after all I had done to make the Beryllians take the blame!” Anger radiated from the tall figure as his fist opened and closed and his breath rasped in his narrow chest.
“I didn’t do anything.” Her denial was barely louder than the scraping of feet on the floor as a captive shifted position.
He closed his large eyes for a few seconds as he visibly fought to control his temper. He plastered a smile on his alien face that shook her to the core. “It doesn’t matter what you believe.” His liquid velvet voice rasped along the inside of her brain as he ran a long fingernail along her jaw line. “What matters is you got in my way. You should have known better after all the time we’ve spent together. And after I learned your barbaric language. I am terribly disappointed in you, little one.”
Dani’s pulse accelerated to scary levels. She closed her eyes, trying to slow the racing of her heart. She had to stall. Rissa’s team couldn’t be too far away. How long had she been unconscious? Her mind was clearing almost as fast as the drug had knocked her out. If she could delay this monster, maybe she could regain her newly acquired psychic abilities and give Rissa an idea of what was happening. That would help, right? Dani, the Typhoid Mary of destruction, didn’t deserve to live. Not while Caitlin was gone. Eventually Lateef’s refusal to see the awful truth about her would crash into reality. I’m not the type to get the fairytale ending, but Lateef and the rest of my friends have to live. She concentrated, stuffing her fears into a tiny corner of her mind. She could have an amazing case of screaming meemies if she survived this, but until then she would be calm. I can do this. I just have to be brave for a few minutes at most. She opened her eyes to stare calmly into the soulless gaze of her enemy.
“Fine.” She was proud her voice shook only slightly. “Sorry for screwing up your plans. I thought you were a figment of my imagination I’m just a dumb human, remember? If you want me to help, you need to be a little clearer about what you want me to do.”
The bald man held her gaze for a long moment, trying to understand her change from timid to confident.
“I won’t interfere again, but please don’t hurt anyone else here.” She projected a calm she did not feel. “This is my fault. Give me a chance to make it up to you?”
A slow look of happiness built on the alien features. “You continue to exceed my expectations. Even so, you must be taught a lesson. I had to leave my slave aboard ship, but she will explain the rules to you. You still care too deeply about these pathetic creatures.” He waved a hand carelessly at the humans lined up against the dining room wall. “It is a fitting punishment for you to know you alone are responsible for their misery.”
“I’m not responsible,” Dani said. She struggled to keep her tone subservient, yet confident, though her confidence ebbed as she took in the sight of her friends under the watchful eye of the monster’s Hatti accomplice. “This is all on you. I can be your excuse, but I’m not doing anything. The karmic debt is yours.”
The bald man studied her. “Intriguing.” A puzzled look passed through his dark eyes then settled into a pleased gleam. “I shall enjoy breaking you, little one. We will have years to explore the limits of the foolish bravery you wear so proudly. Wendar thinks he is close to perfecting the…”
The wail of a siren in the distance cut his sentence off. Dani ruthlessly squashed the glimmer of hope trying to break through her calm shell. There was nothing the local rescue squad could do except get hurt.
“You need to leave now.” Charlie’s deep voice made Dani jump.
“You don’t think I came alone do you?” The monster took a step toward the Sheriff with an upraised hand.
Dani forced a snort of laughter out, desperate to keep his attention on her. “Of course not,” she said. “We all know you’re too afraid to go anywhere alone. You might run into a weak human who kicks your butt.”
She didn’t see the blow, but suddenly her face was on fire and she fell to the floor with a loud thud. Blood dripped from a split in her lip. The unexpected pain helped to clear her mind. As her tormentor buried one hand in her shirt, lifting her to slap her several more times, the fog broke. She called for Rissa at the top of her mental lungs.
“We’re coming!” Rissa’s calm mental reply steadied her. “Hold on for a few more minutes, Dani. There’s a shield blocking us from teleporting, but we’re close.”
The beating stopped. She could hear the horrified gasps of her friends. A hum filled her ears, loud enough to drown out the grumbles of anger as she stared directly into the enraged Falgaran’s eyes. No point in playing safe now. See how pissed you can make the bastard. She spit out a blob of blood. “Oh wait. It’s a not a weak human beating your butt. I’m a girl. That’s even worse than losing to a Beryllian healer. What do you…?”
Suddenly she was flying through the air. She hit the wall with a thud and slid bonelessly to the floor. Slowly she forced her eyes to open then tried to sit up.
“Stay still.” Anna crouched beside her and hissed the command. “You’re hurt.”
“Have to keep his attention,” Dani’s tongue felt like a giant slug with a tang of rust. Her ears rang so much she wasn’t certain she was actually making any sound. “Help’s coming.”
The Falgaran stalked over to tower above Dani, and Anna let out a startled yelp.
“I am the victor.” He bent over and grabbed Dani’s long hair, yanking her to her feet. Anna yelled and kicked the scrawny leg, but he casually batted her aside, ignoring Charlie’s bellow of anger.
“That’s what I want you to think,” Dani sneered. Blood dripped onto her shirt. Her head ached so fiercely she shook to the throbbing pulse in her skull. “How’s it feel to be beat by a girl?”
She was flying through the air again, certain she had lost a few seconds. She was going to hurt like hell when this was all over. She hit the ground with a thud that shook the house and was immediately hauled back up to her feet.
“Had enough?” The tall alien shook her like a rag doll.
“You’re still afraid to tell me who you are.” Blood filled her mouth and she let some dribble out.
A growing blood-lust mixed with anger rolled off her tormentor. She wasn’t certain which emotion would win, but she was keeping the brute off balance. I can live with that. As long as he hates me, he’ll leave everyone else alone.
Her back slammed into the wall. His large hand tightened around her throat and the world went dark.
A calm voice in her mind comforted Dani. Help was here. Her nightmare would all be over soon. She opened her eyes.
“You lose,” she whispered. The taunt pushed the creature past the boundaries of his control.
Her captor roared and tightened his grip around her throat.
Dani’s smile remained on her face although her fingers clawed at the restraining arm in a desperate attempt to get air into her starving lungs.
Her captor bellowed in pain as she drew blood, but the pressure on her neck never eased.
Dani’s vision tunneled
and her soul felt light. She reached for Lateef, expecting to find a void. Instead she got a response. His touch was light and confused, but alive.
‘Hang on, Dani.’ Rissa’s command rang in her mind.
Dani relaxed and her arms dropped. Lateef was alive. Help had arrived. She could let go.
Chapter Thirty-one
She floated on a cloud, calm and peaceful, with no pain or anxiety. She could hear someone calling her name, but responding was too much effort. So, she didn’t. She wasn’t sure who she was. She recognized her name, but it felt detached from her. She relished the liberating feeling. Subconsciously she knew she was guilty of some great crime and soon she’d face her punishment. Then the agonizing wait would finally be over. She was ready.
The sound of sobbing broke her resolve. She wasn’t certain where the sound came from, but the person was heartbroken. She had to help. She was responsible, somehow. All bad things were her fault. She was heavy now, no longer floating. The light dimmed, and the clouds no longer glowed. Slowly the sobs faded. She became aware of air moving in and out of her lungs, and the slow thud of her heart in her chest. She concentrated on those familiar sensations and gradually settled back into her own aching body. Memories sluggishly rebuilt. Her eyes drifted open to a muted light. She felt a weight on the bed and knew without looking Lateef was beside her. He had called her back. A hand touched her forehead and she forced her eyes to focus on the face hovering over her.
“So, you’re finally awake,” Mellora said.
Dani licked dry, swollen lips, too confused to respond.
“I hope this isn’t going to become a habit with you,” the dark-haired healer said. “Rissa keeps me busy enough. I don’t think my nerves can stand two of you with a hero complex.”
“Lateef?” She tried to speak, but no sound escaped.
“Lateef is okay,” Mellora reassured her. “So is everyone else. A bit banged up, but in far better shape than you. The Falgarans are in Alliance custody, the Hatti woman working with them is in Clan hands and there’s a line of people waiting for you to wake up so they can swarm in here and exhaust you again, all because they won’t believe me when I tell them you’ll be fine.”
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