by Kyle, Celia
“I understand.” She smiled. “I suppose we’ll have to spend some time apart.”
He shook his head violently, gripping her hands tightly with his own. “It does not work like that, Sasha. We will both weaken and sicken if we are separated for too long. I cannot just go back to work and visit you at week’s end.”
“I suppose not.” She frowned and glanced around, a thoughtful look on her face as she paused and pointed at a small group of Preor gathering on the opposite side of the parking lot. “What’s happening over there?”
“I set up an emergency clinic nearby. When we flew off to find you, a couple of the males must have followed us.”
“An emergency clinic?” she echoed.
“Yes. Well… when we were looking for you, we found some humans in need and I… I could not just leave them.”
Her eyes dampened with tears and she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re a true healer, Whelon.” Her voice was filled with such pride and appreciation that Whelon felt as if his heart grew in size.
“I was given the position of healing master not only for my skill but also for my heart,” he murmured quietly.
Sasha reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “What’s going on out there now? I know this suburb. I’ve been here a few times on charity drives. Where did you set up?”
“Farthing Street. There’s an abandoned shack we’ve converted into a field hospital for the locals.”
“I can’t believe this, Whelon!” She laughed, a light, tinkling sound. “I’ve been there. It’s known as one of the poorest sections of the city. Charity workers are scared to go there because of the crime rate. It’s like a warzone.”
Whelon frowned. “I have seen war, shaa kouva. This was nothing like battle. This was children starving, women in despair and men broken. Frightened, desperate people met us, not warriors.”
“I know.” She gently leaned against him as she pressed to her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his lips.
The connection between them was so strong it was as if they had stepped into each other’s minds. A shared desire to do good, to give comfort and share wealth was at their shared core. Neither could doubt that the movements of the universe had brought them together.
“Okay.” She glanced around quickly, looking at her mother who remined in the crowd talking with reporters—thankfully distracting them. “Give me a few minutes.”
Sasha disappeared back into the hotel room—the bathroom—and Whelon stood guard outside the room’s door. He ordered a few Preor who had followed from Farthing Street to set up in one of the empty hotel rooms, to install a relief clinic there as well. He asked for any student healers to be sent from the tower or the ship to his emergency stations and for them to bring as much tech and medical supplies as they could carry.
At least half an hour had passed and Jenna still spoke to the gathered reporters but made no attempt to speak with her daughter. Disgusted was too soft of a word for how Whelon felt about the female. She should be blessed and revered as the dam of his mate, by their side in bearing and there to croon to the dragonlets when they were born.
Instead, like many of the human-Preor mates, she would have to be kept far away and carefully watched so she could not destroy her own young.
No wonder the planet is going to hell, he thought in a fury. They cannot even care for their own young ones with compassion, let alone each other!
He turned back to the hotel room and spied Sasha exiting the bathroom. She was clean and dressed in loose slacks and a sweater, looking radiant now that she was clean and they were near one another.
She glanced around furtively and then grabbed Whelon’s hand. “C’mon,” she whispered. “Let’s get out of here!”
Instead of asking the questions that burned on his tongue, Whelon grabbed her hand and let her tug him around the corner of the building and out of sight of the cameras. As soon as they were hidden from view, she broke into a run—one he easily matched. They darted through the streets, turning this way and that, before quickly emerging onto Farthing Street.
As they approached his impromptu clinic and the massive table of food, Sasha squeezed his hand. “You did all this?”
“It was all I could accomplish in such a short time.” He grimaced with some regret that it was not more. “I require more supplies.”
“Whelon,” she murmured. “I don’t think you understand how much you’ve truly done. It might look simple to you, but these people haven’t had a good dinner in so long… Look, people are starting to come in from the end of the street.”
He glanced around, realizing the crowd around the makeshift clinic was twice what it had been before. They would need more supplies… fast.
Sasha giggled and squeezed his hand. “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
“What?” Whelon struggled to understand her words. Why would they need a boat? They were not near the ocean or other water.
Sasha shook her head. “Pop culture reference. I’m sorry, shaa kouvi.”
He smiled. “I am not familiar with that particular reference, but I am sure Penelope can educate me appropriately.”
“Who’s Penelope?” Sasha’s tone held a sharpness that was not present before, and Whelon smiled, feeling the edge of jealousy in his mate.
He leaned over and kissed her softly. “She is the ship, essentially. You shall meet her. I think you will like her. Most human-Preor mates do.”
“Okay…” Sasha mumbled thoughtfully and Whelon kissed her again, enjoying her closeness.
One of the young ones in line came running toward Sasha, arms up for a hug, and Sasha bent and let the child run straight into her, wrapping her arms around the child.
“Sashi!” the little girl cried out.
“Hello, Emma.” Sasha smiled. “How are you?”
“The dragon man.” Emma looked up at Whelon. “He brought yummy food! I’ve had three cupcakes!” Then little Emma giggled with glee.
Sasha laughed. “That’s great. Are you here with your mom?”
“Yes, Mommy is waiting in line. I’m watching the TV.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’m on my way and will be there soon. I’m going to help the dragon man.”
The little girl hurried off, laughing as she returned to her mother. Whelon turned to Sasha and found her warm blue eyes staring back at him. The compassion they showed for others bonded them more closely than even the Knowing had accomplished.
Whelon gripped her hand and strode toward the field clinic, knowing they would work tirelessly into the evening to make sure everyone was treated and fed well. It was as if they shared the same soul.
Chapter Fifteen
Sasha’s shoulders and hands ached as she stood, arching her back to stretch her tired muscles. She reached up and wiped a line of sweat from her brow, a heavy sigh escaping her chest.
She’d been helping Whelon for a few hours and the exhaustion and sore muscles only made it all the more satisfying to her. It was hard to believe that only this morning she had been utterly incapacitated, dying of Knowing sickness. The process itself told her that as long as she stayed near Whelon, the illness would never return.
They needed each other in ways a human could never understand. Once the Knowing began exchanging information between them, it seemed to alter them at a cellular level. It wasn’t like an addiction where the affected found themselves chasing a hit until they came to grief. No, it was a balanced chemical reaction that drew them together.
It’s mystical, she thought as she moved a new crate of medical supplies toward Whelon’s workbench. It’s not something a human could ever understand. It’s almost like I’m part Preor now, not completely who I used to be.
The thought scared her a little bit, but ultimately, she wasn’t unhappy with the events that had transpired. She had often dreamed of a love that fed her soul and comforted her heart. In quiet, lonely moments she found her thoughts slipping away and indulging in fantasies where her perfect c
ompanion understood and loved every inch of her for who she was, not what she could give them.
She realized now how lonely she’d always been. She didn’t have real friends, only people she occasionally partied with. They wanted to be seen with her and possibly backstab her for a better position with the networks. She had the occasional boyfriend, but her mother had put a stop to those relationships quickly.
Mother didn’t want me to have any support, she thought furiously. She made sure I only ever had her. That way, I could never be free.
She continued toward Whelon. Her mate was bent over examining a little girl. The tired mother remained close, swiftly devouring a sandwich from the free food Whelon and the Preor had provided. The crowd had grown by the hour and it looked like the entire street and those beyond had come out to either take advantage of the food or see a healer.
Sasha had seen a few nasty looks in the gathering, some not appreciating the Preor’s presence, but they couldn’t afford to refuse their help. Sasha spied one man in the crowd with a severely broken arm who scowled at every winged male who walked past. It was clear from the angle of his arm that he needed attention and was swallowing his pride to come in for treatment, even if it vexed him to ask for help from the aliens.
“Sasha,” Whelon called for her and she hurried the last bit of distance between them. “Can you comfort little Marie while I swab her throat.”
“Of course.” Sasha smiled and placed her crate nearby before focusing on the little girl and stroking her curly hair. “This won’t feel very nice, sweetheart, but it will be over quickly, I promise.”
“Then I can go back and get some more food.” Marie’s eyes brightened and Sasha nodded and smiled.
She held the little girl, rubbing her back gently while Whelon quickly took the swab and then placed it in a sample container. The mother thanked them both, her eyes downcast. Sasha knew a lot of the residents had shut down, so used to not being helped that they were sullen and angry with the world. It would take more than a day of free food and medical treatment to make them trust others again.
Whelon wrote rapidly in a thick book, every page covered in flowing alien script. He had kept a rough file on everyone he had treated, knowing he would be back to follow up on his patients.
Sasha noticed his frown and touched his shoulder gently. “What is it?”
Whelon shook his head and rubbed his chin. “I hope it is a simple throat infection. Perhaps tonsillitis. But it could be tubuerculosis.”
“What? Isn’t that completely wiped out now?”
He nodded, a grim twist to his lips. “It should be, but these conditions are appalling, so anything is possible. She may just have enlarged tonsils and a bit of a cold, but that swab will tell us.” He sighed and stretched his neck until it cracked, spreading his large wings until those joints snapped and popped as well. “I’ll set up a surgery in one of our short flight shuttles. Then I can do all of these minor operations on the premises.”
Sasha was shocked by the idea of operating on people outside a hospital but before she could question Whelon further, a shrill voice cut through the air just outside the room. “Let me through, damn you! Is she in there? She is. Isn’t she? Or did you take her back to your ship already? You did! She’s gone! Help, help!”
“As usual, Mother asks questions so fast it’s obvious she doesn’t really care about the answers.”
“She took a while to locate you,” Whelon pointed out.
Sasha shrugged. “She was probably doing an interview.” She sighed. “I better get out there.”
Before Whelon could protest, Sasha headed outside the makeshift clinic and held up her hands, waving for attention. “I’m here, mother. You can stop with your shouting.”
“Sasha!” Her mother cried. “Where have you been? Why are you… in this place.”
“You know I come here for charity work, Mother. My mate and I are working, trying to help these people.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed dangerously and she flicked her gaze around as if the people were as inconsequential as flies. She stuck out a hand and grabbed Sasha’s forearm in a punishing grip. “You’re coming with me. Now.” She yanked on Sasha’s arm and instantly three Preor surrounded them, almost, but not quite, touching Jenna.
“Take your hand off the healing master’s mate, please.” The tall Preor with the white wings—Amryn—had the fakest smile on his face that Sasha had ever seen. It barely concealed the threat inherent in his tone.
“Excuse me?” Jenna exploded furiously, releasing Sasha to prop her hands on her hips. “She’s my daughter—”
“And my mate.” Whelon pushed through the crowd and took Sasha’s other arm, gently moving her a few steps away and out of her mother’s reach.
“Sasha is a friend of the Preor,” one of the other warriors announced. “We must protect her. Especially from those who are not friends of the Preor.”
Jenna took the hint, and from the look on her face, she wasn’t happy. “She’s my daughter!” As if that explained everything.
“It’s okay. I’m going.” Sasha moved toward her mother and held up a hand to the other Preor warriors.
“But Sasha…” Whelon tried to stop her. “You can’t…”
“I have to.” She gave him a look tinged in regret but let her mother lead her away. As they strode through the streets, Sasha tuned out the usual tirade of how wasteful and dangerous her acts of charity were.
“Anything could happen to you in a den like that!” her mother scolded. “You could get raped, beaten, robbed. At the very least it’s a waste of time. You could have been recording a fashion beat at the beach now that you’re yourself once more. Instead you’re crawling around in the dirt, getting covered in filth. You didn’t even film it for publicity!”
“Yes, Mother,” Sasha answered automatically.
Jenna frowned, perhaps noticing for the first time that her perfect doll wasn’t responding as she normally did. She didn’t let her slow her as she dragged Sasha back to the hotel, though.
“We need to get out of here,” Jenna declared, throwing their things into bags. “We have to get back into the city.”
Sasha watched out the door as Preor hurried through the streets, their tall stature and colorful wings marking them as strange and alien to any onlooker. She knew they were in a hurry to leave now that the sun was easing toward the horizon. They all had places to be.
Sasha knew they would return, but seeing them leave kicked a hard knot of nausea in her gut. Or was that the Knowing sickness resurging already? She knew she would get sicker the longer she was away from Whelon and she would have to find a solution to that very soon.
We can’t be apart, but we can’t be together! Her thoughts were dark and twisted, frantic and close to hysteria. She had felt fine walking away from him, but now that he was literally flying away, panic nipped at her with sharp-edged teeth.
Her eyes stung, dampening with tears, and she could hear her mother screaming about something. She wasn’t sure if her mother screamed at her or the rest of the team, and she… didn’t really care.
I could jump on that shuttle and never come back, she thought with longing. But then the Preor would never be welcome on Earth again. No one would find their mates.
Sasha couldn’t live with that eventuality. The only choice she had was an impossible one—to be separated from Whelon.
Chapter Sixteen
Climbing onto the short flight shuttle to leave was the hardest thing Whelon had ever done. His dragon roared with such menace he felt as if his skin were being shredded from inside out. There was no way to explain to the beast that there was a good reason for his actions.
He settled into a seat among the other Preor warriors, the Knowing sickness creeping into him ever so slowly. The dragon fought, demanding he take his mate back no matter her choices. Whelon kept his eyes closed and took deep, cleansing breaths until the shuttle took to the air. He knew it would not take much for his dragon to shift rig
ht then and there and tear the machine apart in an effort to get back to Sasha.
He focused on his duties back at Preor tower. He still had not seen Ellie, Delaney, Lily nor Hannah, and he was concerned for them all. Lily’s implants had changed her body in ways no one had ever seen. Even though they had been removed, the process had given her a unique cellular structure. Subsequently, no one had any idea how pregnancy would affect her.
Delaney was a similar case—years of enhancements and then a complete collapse back to her original state. She was an anomaly in the same way as Lily.
Then there was Ellie… and Charlie.
Damn the skies, he thought. I forgot about the invisible rat. I thought her physical changes came from injuries sustained in the crash, but I forgot about the little friend that constantly messes with her molecular structure.
His dragon scratched around in his head, but Whelon shoved the beast aside. He was on track now, focused on his duties so he could forget about the Knowing sickness for a short time, at least.
He let his thoughts slip to Hannah and Melissa. Hanna would be fine, he was sure. She still had her other babe at the breast, and from what Chashan had said, was bearing well. She may become fatigued by the strain of her earlier pregnancy, but her problems did not have the same potential for complications as the others endured.
Melissa truly worried him. She was young, strong, and healthy, yet she developed high blood pressure and showed signs of extreme fatigue. Some women simply did not cope well with the strain of pregnancy and perhaps Melissa was one of those human females.
Whelon carefully cycled his thoughts through all of his patients, thoroughly examining every detail he could recall so he would not think about Sasha. The Knowing sickness continued to creep up on him and he would do anything to ignore its presence.
