CHAPTER 13
I hesitated at the bottom of Max’s steps, wondering what to do. Now that I’d calmed down a bit, I could literally feel Thor at the Buri village, and knew he was also aware of me, but I wasn’t ready to face him yet. Those damn glimmers of light at the periphery of my internal vision were getting stronger too. I needed a distraction.
“Max, is Quilla Dorn at the Dynatec camp?”
“Yes, she returned thirty minutes ago, with a full knapsack.”
“And I bet I know what it was full of. Crystals. Max, I want you to run every test known to man on those crystals, right down to the molecular level. We’ve established they aren’t surge crystals like the one you run off of, but they do enhance psi ability. There’s something important going on with them, even if it’s not apparent on a cursory scan.”
“I’ll get started right away. And don’t forget, I need a sample of the Buri’s plants for DNA comparison.”
“You got the DNA for the Ashwani plants?”
“Yes, it came in while you were asleep.”
I started toward the Dynatec camp, strolling as if I were merely out enjoying the day. “Okay, I’ll get the plants to you later today.”
As I rounded the end of the lake, a thought occurred to me. “Thor, if you can hear me, I’m going to the Dynatec camp. I’d rather not have a Buri in attendance. I don’t want Dorn distracted.”
“The Crigo will be there?”
His voice was so clear, he could have been standing beside me, and I smiled at his wording. “His name is Crigo. His species is rock cat. And yes, I’m sure he’ll be there.”
“He would protect you if necessary?”
“In a flash. But I’m quite capable of protecting myself.”
“As you wish.”
I was starting to get the hang of this mind-bond thing, I decided. All I had to do was relax and pretend we were in the same room, talking. Nothing to it.
“We also feel each other’s emotions, and always know where the other is,” Thor commented.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I rolled my eyes, and then jumped when he did something to the bond that felt distinctly like a yank. “Hey, how did you do that?”
“Do not believe you have mastered all aspects of the bond, mate. You still have much to learn.”
Well, guess that put me in my place. I ignored him and focused my attention on the Dynatec camp. There were several people in sight, moving around, doing the routine tasks required in any camp. As I headed for a stocky woman working on a piece of machinery, Crigo stood, stretched and moved out of the jungle to intersect my path, a flock of dragon birds keeping him company. Even from a distance of twenty or so yards I could feel his anticipation.
Wonder what he thought I was going to do? For that matter, I wondered what I’d do. I had no plan except to follow where my instincts were leading me.
The woman was aware of our approach, although she wasn’t obvious about it. She didn’t look up until we reached her, and paid no attention to Crigo.
“Agent Smith.” Her head dipped in a nod of greeting.
“Something I can help you with?”
“I’m here to see Quilla Dorn.”
“She’s on the other side of the Quonset hut.”
“Thanks.” I knew Dorn was expecting us now because I’d seen another crew member slide around the hut in question when I stopped. Crigo stayed close as I followed the man’s path.
Apparently, life was good at the camp. I found Dorn and Frisk on a plascrete patio complete with an awning, table and chairs. From the sides, fans stirred the air, and the table was laden with fruit, cheese and thinly sliced meat. A bottle of wine was nestled in a bucket of ice.
Frisk was sitting like someone had strapped a rod to his back, but Dorn was the picture of languid repletion. With her booted feet propped on the edge of the table, she lazed in her chair, a crystal flute of wine in her hand.
“Agent Smith. This is a surprise.” She waved a hand at the table. “We just finished lunch, but feel free to help yourself.”
“Thanks. I already ate.” I pulled out a chair and sat down. Crigo positioned himself where he could stare intently at Frisk, his muscles tensed.
“What’s wrong with your cat?” Frisk asked, glancing nervously at Crigo.
“Oh, don’t mind him.” I bared my teeth at Frisk in a grin.
“He just takes exception to people who try to poison me. It’s been all I can do to keep him from turning you into dinner. Since I’m not always around, better watch your back in the jungle, Frisk.”
His level of tension increased as he kept his attention on Crigo, but from Dorn all I got was amusement.
“Jon, what have you been up to? Didn’t I tell you Agent Smith isn’t your run-of-the-mill GEP?”
I blinked in surprise. Was it possible she knew the truth about me? How could she? Only the boss and I knew, and neither of us was talking.
“I didn’t try to poison her.” Frisk was pouting like an overindulged child chastised by his mother.
Still a bit uneasy over Dorn’s remark, I forced myself to reply to Frisk. “Unfortunately, Crigo can be rather stubborn. He doesn’t believe you.”
Dorn swirled the wine in her glass, obviously dismissing Frisk’s attempt to do me in. “So what prompted this visit to our humble home, Agent Smith?”
Elbows propped on the arms of the chair, I laced my fingers together and tapped them on my chin as if I were thinking. “I guess you could call it curiosity.”
“Curiosity?”
“Yes.” I gave her one of the grins I normally reserved for Frisk. “I’m wondering what it’s like to own a company the size of Dynatec.”
Her full lips curved in a smile, and she took a delicate sip of wine before answering. “It has its ups and downs, just like any business. But it’s much better to be the boss than an employee, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t know. It is odd, however, that you bought the company right after the exploration team returned from Orpheus Two.”
Her direct gaze met mine. “There’s nothing odd about it. I was…acquainted with one of the team members, and he raved about Orpheus Two, until my interest was piqued. After I acquired the team’s official reports and Dynatec’s financial statements, I realized it was the investment I’d been looking for.”
“Too bad about the exploration team, huh?” I kept my gaze locked with hers and my barriers completely down. She gave away nothing, not by so much as a flicker of emotion.
“Yes, tragic accidents all. It’s almost as if they were cursed.”
I arched a brow at her. “I didn’t know clones were superstitious. Is it only you, or are all of them the same way?”
Her gaze darkened and her smile faded. She tried to hide it, but I caught a whiff of anger. Bingo. Definitely hit a nerve that time. Maybe if I got her mad enough, she’d slip and give me some information I hadn’t uncovered on my own.
I finally got Frisk’s attention too. He jerked away from his nervous perusal of Crigo to stare at Dorn. “A clone? Is she lying?”
“What I am is none of your business,” she snapped. “It has nothing to do with why we’re here.”
“Why, exactly, are you here?” I casually lifted a piece of fruit from the bowl, examined it, and put it back. “Most company owners stay in their nice, tidy offices and leave the grunt work to the help. Don’t trust your pal Frisk, Dorn?”
“Of course I trust him. I’m—” Suddenly she leaned forward, eyes narrowing to slits. “Where did you get that earring?”
“This?” I touched the black stone dangling from my lobe.
“One of the Buri gave it to me. It’s so unusual, I’m thinking about letting Max run some tests on it.”
“I see.” She stood abruptly. “If you’ll excuse us, Agent Smith, we need to get back to work.”
“Sure thing.” I pushed my chair away from the table and rose. “It’s been an enlightening visit. We should get together and chat more often.”
I sauntered away as though I didn’t have a care in the world. After one wistful, lip-licking look in Frisk’s direction, Crigo followed me.
Still not ready to face the Buri, I headed for Max, thinking furiously. Had I made a mistake letting Dorn know we were investigating the crystals? I didn’t think so. It may have pushed her into acting sooner than she’d planned, but I’d much rather she act hastily and make mistakes than wait and be better prepared. And while I believed she’d already planned to wipe out the Buri, I didn’t think it had occurred to her that I might figure out the true nature of the crystals.
If not for my night in the cave, she might have been right.
Maybe there really is a reason for everything.
But that would imply I was meant to bond with Thor.
Shaking my head at that melancholy bit of logic, I climbed Max’s steps, noting as I did that Crigo was heading back to the jungle, where he could keep an eye on the Dynatec camp.
“Max, increase the security level. I think Dynatec may try something soon.”
“Yes, Kiera. Do you have any idea what to expect?”
“Expect anything. And if there’s information you haven’t sent to the archives yet, do it now, even if it’s speculation. I don’t want to take chances.”
“Sending.”
Good. That made me feel a little better. Come to think about it, raising my own security level would make me feel better still. I took out a weapon, checked the charge, and strapped it on. “Oh, and Max, I really need you to put a rush on those crystal tests. Whatever you find, send it to archives even before you tell me. Same with the Buri plant DNA. I’m heading out to collect the samples now.”
“I’ll start on them as soon as you return.”
Grabbing some sample pouches from a storage compartment, I packed them in a spare knapsack and left the ship, headed in a half circle that would bring me to the fields while bypassing the village.
Only a few Buri were present when I reached the cultivated acres, clearing an irrigation channel. They looked up and smiled when I arrived, but kept on working.
Ignoring them, I collected samples from the species of plants that seemed to be the Buri’s main crops, and then moved to the smaller fields. The plants here were compact and more pungent. Medicinal? Herbal? Possibly both. I filled my pouches with a leaf or two from each and headed back to Max. Once there, I busied myself sorting them into containers in the lab so Max could access them, but I was running out of excuses for avoiding the village.
With a sigh, I finished the last specimen, brushed my hands off, and walked back to the control room.
Thor was lounging in an antigrav chair, gazing at the control panel as though memorizing it.
Surprised, I came to a screeching halt. “What are you doing here?”
He swung the chair around to face me. “The day grows long. Food is prepared. It is time to return to the village.”
“I was on my way.”
Gracefully, he rose from the chair. “I will walk with you.”
I nodded and started down the steps, Thor behind me. “It wasn’t necessary for you to come after me, you know.”
“I know.” He moved up to walk beside me and took my hand. “But we were only mated last night and have been apart many hours today. Is it so surprising that I wanted to see you?”
Ah, man. Talk about playing dirty. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. “I’m sorry I got upset earlier.”
He tilted his head down to look at me. “And I wish you could have been given a choice. But without the bond there was no way to offer one, no way to explain. Nor did we understand that there was even a choice to be considered. Among my people, Shushannas are born, not made. They grow up knowing what they are, where their duty and destiny will lead. None would consider denying what they are.”
“Thor.” I looked at him entreatingly. “I don’t even know what a Shushanna is. All I know is that you somehow changed me, and it scares me to death. There’s so much Dr. Gertz did to me that we don’t understand. I’m not sure I can tolerate even more surprises.”
We walked in silence for a moment before he answered, as if he were trying to think the explanation through. “We did not change you.”
He held a hand up when I started to protest. “We did not change you. As I said, a Shushanna is born, not made. Regardless of whatever else this man did, you were created with the capacity to be a Shushanna. Somehow the ability was blocked in you, but it was there. We merely unblocked it.”
“How?”
“Through the Demantti. They knew what you were and what was wrong. They fixed the problem.”
When he said Demantti, I heard the word crystals. “Do you know how the crystals work?”
“No. Only that they do. The how doesn’t matter so much to us.”
So much for a quick answer. But we were nearing the village and there was one more question I needed out of the way before we got there. “At least tell me what a Shushanna is.”
His brow furrowed. “It is not easy to tell.”
“Try.”
He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly. “A Shushanna is the lifeblood of my people, our heart, the very air we breathe. Without a Shushanna we die.”
Well, that certainly cleared that right up. That was sarcasm, in case you’re wondering. If anything, I was even more confused, and since we’d reached the village, we were out of time to talk.
And suddenly I had something else to worry about. What in the thirteen hells were those damn gossamer strands that kept floating on the edges of my mind’s eye? They were like a single thread from a spider web, drifting on the breeze, only visible when they passed through a beam of sunlight. But the closer we got to the village, the brighter they became, and I had to resist the urge to rub my physical eyes to see if they’d go away.
Thor tried to tug me toward the communal kitchen, but I barely noticed, all my attention suddenly focused on Poe as I stopped.
He was walking toward us, a spear over his shoulder, heading in the same direction we’d been going. Nothing abnormal about that. Except one of the shining strands was moving with him.
The closer he came, the brighter the strand grew. Then, when he reached me and kept going, the strand shifted from the right side of my internal vision to the left, and gradually dimmed as he moved farther away.
Could it be…?
I let my eyes go unfocused and concentrated. Sure enough, for every Buri moving about the village, a strand moved in conjunction, and they all seemed to be attached to me somehow.
Shaking my head in puzzlement, I let my vision go back to normal. If I was seeing the life force of the Buri, why were there so many of them? Even if I assumed some Buri were staying out of sight in caves, I figured there were less than a hundred Buri surviving on Orpheus Two. More than that, and they would have left signs of their occupation. But there seemed to be thousands of strands. It made no sense at all.
Admittedly, the majority of the filaments were clumped together, unmoving, so bright it was hard to distinguish individual strands. Maybe it just felt like there were more than there really were. Or maybe the extra Buri actually numbered in the thousands and were all wadded up in a ball, holding still just to fool me, I thought sarcastically.
A thought occurred to me. Could this clump be “the others” Auntie Em had referred to? And what about Elder’s request to “wake them up?” A slithery feeling of prescience slid down my spine, but before I could follow that line of reasoning to its conclusion, another phenomenon surprised me into losing my train of thought.
Gossamer strands attached to me somehow. Thor doing something that felt like a yank on our bond. Oh yeah, the pieces were falling into place.
Experimentally I searched for the strand that linked me to Thor. It wasn’t hard to find since he was standing right beside me, looking on with interest. Plus, his strand was denser and brighter, more substantial than the others.
I closed my eyes and mentally reached out, careful not to be too harsh or abrupt. It was the oddest feeling, kind of like trying to grasp a slippery eel that wiggled to get away. But I held on, gave it a gentle tug, and was rewarded for my effort when Thor jumped.
I released it and opened my eyes to find him smiling at me.
“You learn fast, mate.”
“Yes. I do. So tell me, am I mated to all the Buri?”
His smile faded to a frown. “No. You are my mate alone.”
“Then why am I seeing strands that correspond to all the Buri’s life force?”
“You are Shushanna.”
It was all I could do to keep from screaming in frustration. “Yeah, I got that.”
Before I could continue, he changed the subject. “Your talk with the others went well?”
“I suppose you could say that.” Reaching out with one hand I touched his arm. “Thor, you need to prepare your people. Dynatec won’t let anything stand between them and ownership of this planet. I’m afraid they plan on wiping you out. If you have weapons other than spears, now is the time to start keeping them with you.”
He nodded. “I have suspected as much. I will tell those with swords to arm themselves.”
“Good.”
“Now come.” He headed toward the kitchen again. “The food is prepared.”
“Is food all you ever think about?” I groused, following him.
He shot me a teasing glance from his ebony eyes. “No.”
Well. That sure came across loud and clear. A wave of lust flashed through my body. I suppose being his mate did have some perks. And frankly, I could hardly wait to enjoy them. “So why are you walking so slowly? Do we have to stay until everyone has finished eating? I mean, I’d really hate to break some Buri protocol, but…”
My voice trailed off as Thor laughed. It was the first time I’d ever heard him laugh aloud, and it gave me a warm melty feeling in my middle. “I’m being too pushy, aren’t I?”
He smiled down at me. “I like it that you show what you feel. Especially when it comes to making love.”
“Nope, not a shy bone in my body. Are you sure we have to eat first?” Just thinking about dragging him to bed was getting me all worked up. “I mean, we could eat in, say, an hour or two. Three at the most.”
A sigh lifted his broad chest. “I must be there to hear reports.”
Well, damn. Okay, I could tamp my libido down for a while longer. And anticipation did heighten the pleasure, right? Right. My sigh echoed Thor’s. “Let’s get this over with.”
All the Buri that weren’t on guard duty were in the communal kitchen, but they’d left space for Thor and me at the main table. We squeezed in just as the dishes of food began to make the rounds, and I helped myself to something that looked like roast beef and gravy. Thor assisted by dumping a large spoonful of green leaves on my plate, along with some tubers.
I took a tentative bite, realized it was good, and dug in. It never hurt to replenish my strength, after all. Especially since I planned to expend a lot of energy later.
We were nearly finished when Auntie Em leaned across the table and spoke to Thor. “Is she ready to assume her duties yet?”
The bite I’d just taken went down wrong and I almost choked when I realized she was talking about me. He gave me a solid swat on the back before answering her.
“She does not know what her duties are, and we have no other Shushanna to teach her. Have patience. She will learn.”
Auntie Em made a harrumphing noise before turning to speak with Churka. I wanted to know what the two females were talking about, but Thor was chatting with a sandy-colored Buri and paying no attention to them.
I’d noticed this particular Buri worked in the fields a lot, and it seemed he was having problems with small, scaled herbivores eating his crops. By the time he got close enough to use his spear, they spotted him and fled. He’d considered a fence, but doubted it would do any good since the creatures were agile climbers. Plus, by the time they built a fence for all the land they’d cultivated, there wouldn’t be any crops left to protect.
Both Thor and the other Buri were at a loss as to how the problem should be handled, other than placing guards at strategic locations around the fields at night.
Maybe I could help a little. “Max, do we have bows left from that trip the Cygnus sector?”
“Only three, Kiera, and ten arrows each to go with them.”
“Ten arrows each will be enough if they recycle them. Put them near the hold door and I’ll pick them up tomorrow.”
Thor turned to me, one brow arched in question. “What is a bow?”
“It’s a device used to shoot small spears over a greater distance than you can throw your bigger ones.” I formed a mental image of a person shooting an arrow from a bow. “It should allow Gardner here, along with two others, to hunt the herbivores without getting close enough to scare them off. But it does take practice to be accurate, and they’ll have to be careful not to lose the arrows.”
With a nod, he explained everything I’d just told him to Sandy. The Buri gave me a brief smile and dipped his head before leaving.
During the next thirty minutes, four more Buri approached Thor, three males and one female. Since the conversations appeared to be routine reports that I couldn’t help with, I finished eating and then just waited.
About the time I got my hopes up for an escape, Churka walked over and sat beside me, then peered around me at Thor. “She can understand me now through the bond?”
“Yes.”
To my surprise, she smiled and took my hand. “As eldest female of my family, it is my duty and privilege to welcome you, sister. We”—she gestured around at the other Buri—“knew you would come, but did not realize you would be the mind mate of my brother. I am pleased that it is so.”
I returned her smile before what she’d said sunk in. “Whoa! Back up a sentence or two.” My glare landed on Thor. “What does she mean, you knew I’d come?”
He returned my gaze calmly. “Our grandsire was descended from a long line of Shushannas and had the gift of foretelling. He said that when our need was greatest, a Shushanna with hair the color of the sun would come to us, and she would be the greatest Shushanna we have ever known.”
My mouth gaped for a second, and then closed with a snap. “That’s why you decided I was a Shushanna?”
Churka was watching us like a spectator at a spaceball match, a puzzled look on her face. Thor and I both ignored her while he answered me.
“I suspected it when I first saw your hair. My suspicion was proven correct when your leg healed. Only a Shushanna is capable of such a thing, and if it had not been true, the Demantti would have had no effect on you.”
Even though my teeth were clenched, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. We’d been over this, after all. He couldn’t have told me before because we couldn’t communicate. He hadn’t withheld the information deliberately. It wasn’t his fault.
Forcing a smile, I turned back to Churka. “Thank you. I too am pleased to have a new sister.”
At least I didn’t lie. It would be kind of nice to have someone around I could claim as family, even if it was only temporary.
Thor nudged me, his gaze warm. “We are both your family now. All of us are your family, your tribe. We belong to you as much as you belong to us. No matter where you go or what you do, that will never change.”
At that moment, I could state positively that Naturals who think GEPs have no souls were wrong. My eyes misted up and I couldn’t speak for the lump in my throat, but my soul yearned with every fiber of its being, because Thor was offering me something I’d never dared to believe would be mine. He was offering me the chance to fit in, to be part of a greater whole than I’d ever been before. Not only did they accept my strangeness, they embraced and celebrated it, something I’d never managed to do for myself.
If I hadn’t already fallen in love with him, I would have then. And the surprising thing was, it didn’t scare me this time.
I still didn’t see how things could work out in the end, but at least I was willing to entertain the notion that we might be able to reach an agreement that would suit everyone. I’d have to think about it some more.
Thor had finished eating while I mulled that over. Placing his wooden utensil on the table, he turned to me. “The reports are done. Are you prepared to leave?”
“Yes.” I jumped up so fast I almost knocked over the bench, grabbed his hand and towed him out the door behind me. But when I headed for my quarters, he pulled me to a stop.
“No. We will go home.” He gestured at the stone edifice.
Home? That’s our home? I whipped around to stare at the graceful structure. The Buri had constructed that magnificent building for Thor and me?
“I am leader, you are Shushanna, we are bonded. My people were pleased to so honor us.”
“But it’s too much!” My protest was damn near a wail, and I forced myself to calm down. Max was the closest thing I’d ever had to a real home, and until now I’d thought it was enough. I’d been wrong. Because the thought of a real, solid, unmovable dirt-side home filled me with such a deep longing that my eyes stung with the effort not to weep.
“Compared to the hope you have brought my people, this is a small thing.”
“What hope?”
He held out his hand. “Come. We will not be interrupted here. I have explained ‘honeymoon’ to my people. They agree it is a wise habit to cultivate.”
With a groan, I walked across the clearing with him. That honeymoon thing was coming back to bite me in the butt. But if it bought me time alone with Thor, I’d live with it.
Accepting his offered hand, I followed him inside. “What hope?”
He looked down at me, a smile tilting the corners of his expressive mouth. “Is it not your purpose to find a way for my people to reproduce?”
Suspicious now, I squinted back at him. “Yes. That’s part of my job.”
“Because we have so few, children are precious to us.” He stopped and faced me fully, serious now. “Your purpose brings renewed hope to my people. They know you will give them their hearts’ greatest desire.”
Oh, sure. Nothing like a little pressure to encourage a girl’s fear of failure.
You will not fail.