by Shyla Colt
Rivka's eyes shot open, and she placed a hand on her chest, relieved as she took in the sunlit room. She was back in her own time in her room. The familiar white walls had never been so beautiful. Tavel. The phone on the nightstand beside her rang. She reached over and answered.
"Hello?"
"Is everything all right? All of a sudden I felt very uneasy," Bastien said.
"No, we need to talk. I had another vision."
"You sound shaken. Are you okay?"
"I'm unharmed, but it was very intense. The message was clear."
"Hang on," he said. "R'Shar, take over for me. I have something important I need to see to immediately." His voice boomed on the other end of the phone. She hadn't seen him in military mode since she discovered he was her mate. It was sexy as hell. Moisture dampened her panties, and she rubbed her thighs together. This is so not the time to get female morning wood.
"Sorry about that. I'll be out of here in the next five minutes, and meet you at your place."
"Okay." They hung up, and she forced her body out of the comfortable warmth of her bed. Still groggy, she stumbled into the bathroom. She waved her hands and turned the shower on with her powers. Rivka shimmied out of her nightgown and undergarment, tossing them in the hamper in the corner, and stepped beneath the spray of water that had just hit the sweet spot between too hot and lukewarm. Head tilted up to the spray, she let the water wash away the grime and the chill her dream left in its wake. If only she could solve the problem presented as easily.
Ten minutes later she was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a warm oversized black sweater and a pair of black Converse. It was a good thing her schedule was clear, because she and Bastien had a lot to talk about. Today hearing his voice after the dream had felt better than it should've. Regardless of the friction between them, she trusted him. He was the General, the greatest military leader they'd had in eons. He'd lead them to the victory of two wars on their planet and become a symbol of hope and strength.
****
It took all of his self-control not to break every driving rule known to man. He'd been in the middle of a meeting when the blood drained from his face and a yawning pit of fear opened in his stomach. He'd never been as frightened as he had in that moment when he thought Rivka was in trouble. She’d answered her phone, and relief had flooded him at the sound of her voice. She was shaken, but safe. I have to tell her. The time for keeping things to himself was past. He winced. She was not going to like the fact that he'd held back … again. By the time he parked his car outside her condo he'd run through every feasible outcome, each worse than the one before. He adjusted the collar of his t-shirt beneath his uniform and cleared his throat. Might as well go get it over with. Opening the door he stepped out and walked to her door. He knocked, and she opened the door. Her face looked drawn and worried.
"Come on in." He followed her inside the kitchen where she gestured for him to take a seat.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
"I'm going to pour myself a cup of tea. This morning you could feel how upset I was through our link, couldn't you?"
"Yes, but it was muted. Like a radio station that fades in and out, enough so you can guess the song playing, but can't hear any discernible lyrics." He shook his head. "I know you won't like this suggestion, but I think we need to complete our connection. That paralyzing fear that had me wrapped up in its clutches earlier can't happen again. Not with everything that's going on and the important roles we play to our people—"
"I agree."
"Wait … what? Is this some sort of trap?"
"No." She held the warm mug between her palms, as if to ward off a chill. "The big bad that's coming is nasty. Distractions cause mistakes. I won't have that hanging over my head. The women in my dreams told me we needed to be united."
"You've dreamt of a woman?" he asked.
"Yes, a petite, brown-skinned woman with long dark hair and eyes that change with her moods."
"I've seen her." Rivka's eyes grew wide, and her mouth formed an O shape. "In my dreams I'm the male."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Because I didn’t want you to worry. You said after The Calling I might be sensitive to the energy. I figured this was an after effect, maybe even my own subconscious trying to work things out. I never expected you to be having a similar experience."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You have anything else you've been keeping to yourself?"
"No."
"Tell me about these dreams."
"They're more like flashbacks than anything. I'm a man who fights for a living, and she's the woman I love. I'm not sure why we can't be together, but I know our relationship is a secret."
"It has something to do with her position."
"Do you know who she is?" he asked.
"No. I think they may be us in another life."
"A soul memory? I never thought of that. Do you think it's important to figure out who they are?"
"Later. Right now the woman has a message to deliver. Tavel has created something that will endanger us all."
His brother's worst fear was realized. They'd been too late to stop him. He closed his eyelids and massaged his temples with his fingers. "What did he make?"
"She couldn’t say. We were separated, and I woke up. I don't think we're allowed to know too much. It might change things."
"Would that be so bad? Haven't enough people suffered at the hands of this mad man?”
"Yes, but when has that ever mattered? Look at history, ours and that of the Earth. Evil men do terrible things. We can't do anything to stop that. What we can do is fight back and never stop until we've ended their reign of terror." Her eyes glowed with her conviction.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm furious we don't have him in custody already."
"It's okay, I understand." She took a sip of her tea. "If we make the connection it'll change everything."
"I know, but what choice do we have now? I've tried to respect your wishes, go at your pace, and follow your rules. That's no longer plausible."
"Doesn’t make it any less scary."
"What is the Star Maiden afraid of? You are a conduit for the power of the Stars. The energy that created us lives inside you."
"Yet, I still hurt just the same as anyone one else."
He reached across the table and took her hands in his.
"I can't change the past. I wish I could. I really do. The careless way I handled The Purge was unforgivable, and knowing I caused that sort of pain to the one person in the universe destined to be mine alone will always weigh heavily me. What I can do is promise you I will never do anything even remotely like that again." He peered into her glossy eyes. "Do you believe me?"
"Yes, I do." She sniffed.
"Good, I'm asking you to trust me, take this leap of faith. I'm just as scared as you, hell maybe more. I'm new to this and the emotions you evoke are anything but simple. You challenge me at every turn." He snickered. "I've done more new things in the months we've known each other than the entire five years I've been on Earth. It's time."
She nodded her head.
"Okay, let's do it." He paused. It wasn't like her to give in so easily. "Really?"
"Yes, you're right. It's time. Prolonging things isn't doing anyone any good. It's time we face this thing head on. I'm grateful you gave me the time I needed to get to know the man you’ve become." She took a deep breath. "Let's go to my room and get things ready." Despite the circumstances his heart sang with joy. They were linking their life forces, powers, and minds. They rose, and she took his hand, leading him to her room. He sat down on the light blue, Duvet-covered, queen-sized bed, and tried his best not to squirm as she gathered incense, soul crystals, and diadems. She lit the cones of incense in circular, jeweled brass holders. The rich smell began to fill the air, relaxing his tense muscles.
"I've chosen purple stones to represent me and red to match your aura
." She placed the stones on the floor. "Come sit beside me." He moved off the bed and lowered himself to the ground to sit cross-legged beside her. "The Diadems represent male and female energy for us. They look similar to a crown and tiara because as we make this bond we're declaring ourselves rulers of the other's heart." She placed the feminine piece on the floor between them and picked up the one that resembled a crown. "I give you my heart for safe keeping. I bind my soul to yours for the entirety of this life. This is the vow of Rivka T'Shar." She leaned over to place the silver-colored piece of jewelry in his hair. A hum filled the air. Curling wisps of deep purple circled around her. The swirls moved from her toward him, winding around his body with a life of their own. Rivka sank back down onto her heels.
"Is this … your aura?"
"This is the very essence of who I am." Awe filled him. Water welled in his eyes. Unable to form words worthy enough to be spoken he sat up on his knees, took the diadem in his hands, and carefully leaned over to place it on her head. "I give you my heart for safe keeping. I bind my soul to yours for the entirety of this life. This is the vow of Bastien D'Shar." His body began to tingle. A hum filled the air as energy gathered in the room. He watched with child-like wonder as swirls of red teased her hair and playfully circled her body. She giggled. The stones that sat between them began to pulse. What started as flickers soon morphed into a steady light that grew brighter and brighter.
"What does that mean?"
"It means we're a very powerful match." She reached out her hands, and he took them. They both gasped. Heat rushed to his body, and he trembled under the weight of the power that coursed through him. I feel like a live wire! Red and Purple formed a wall around them, weaved together, and blended to become a beautiful deep red that reminded him of wine.
"This is it!" Rivka's breathy words brought his attention to her. The power filled her, and she glowed with golden light. She leaned her head back, and the world around them exploded in a brilliant display of color and emotions. Suddenly he was drowning in everything that was Rivka. From the trivial fact that her lucky number was forty-nine to her inner most thoughts, it was an immersion in another being perfectly suited to him. He basked in the warm sensation that took hold. It was like standing next to the sun without getting burned. Beautiful. Isn't it? The words stunned him.
Rivka?
Better be.
He laughed out loud.
Oh, I like this very much. He felt her smile in his head. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when they came back to reality. His body was stiff from lack of movement, and they both groaned as they stretched their legs out. What does one say after something like that?
"Wow?" Rivka suggested.
"You heard that?"
"You were practically shouting it at me."
"This is going to take some getting used to."
"We'll get better with time, and our privacy will be restored."
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Strange…." She held her hand out, rotating the wrist experimentally. "It's like getting a new body and trying to figure things out." He felt the new wealth of power inside him, waiting to be tapped and tested. He wanted to explore his new reality; however, now wasn't the time. He stretched his arms over his head and groaned.
"I don't know about you, but that took a lot out of me. What do you say we head to the kitchen to refuel and relax?"
"I'm right there with you."
"Let's take off the Diadems first." She removed her own and walked over to her dresser where she set it inside a velvet-lined box, where his rested a few moments later. Rivka twined their fingers and lead him down the hall. Everything is different now.
"Yes, it is," she agreed.
"As much as I'd like to believe everything between us is fixed, I'm not that naïve." His voice was overly loud in the silence of the hall.
"No, but I'm done resisting. It's time to let nature take its course."
"Just like that?"
"I like the man you've become. To continue to judge you by the choices you made in youth would be unfair and pointless. When I came into this it wasn't with the intention to act like a shrew or bust your balls. It was to protect myself until I knew who you were and maybe to test you, push you to your limits. Your choice controlled so much of my life I was looking to get some of that power back. I'm not saying it was right, but I won't apologize because I think we both enjoyed the game."
"Does that mean it's coming to an end? I found I like a little domination."
She grinned.
"I enjoyed breaking you in."
"There's more?"
"If you want there to be."
"I do." He cleared his throat as they entered the kitchen. "About that drink…"
She laughed. Twenty minutes later they'd both eaten a sandwich and downed a couple of glasses of water. Once their bellies were full and their energy was replenished, it was time to get back to the topic that had brought him over in the first place.
"Your vision?"
"Right." She closed her eyes, and scenes began to play in his head like a movie. It was an odd sensation, having someone else in his mind. It was like being watched from a distance and feeling their gaze, except with Rivka there was no creepy undertone. He felt complete, like he'd been walking around his whole life with a hole he hadn't realized needed to be filled. When she pulled out he blinked, taking a moment to root himself in reality.
"This is bad. Tavel's unstable and corrupt. Anything he has a hand in creating is going to be destructive. Let's just hope whatever it is can’t reason … or follow orders." The thought made his blood run cold. It'd be all out war. One they weren't ready to fight.
"We need to move forward fast."
"How?"
"By getting more intel, poking into his connections and figuring out what was going on in his lab. When the lid blows of this thing I want to have a plan of action ready to launch. Can you find out anything else?"
"I can try, but you know it's not something I have control over."
"No, but the woman seems to be very connected with you, and there has to be a reason why we're dreaming about these specific people."
"Yes, I agree. I want to show you something." She closed her eyes and slipped into his mind. He remained silent as a scene with the past Star Maiden, Estria, played in his head. All of this was predestined! Knowing they'd been working their way to this relationship from the moment they were conceived took some of the weight of guilt off his head. It was meant to be hard. It was their price to pay, for what he wasn't sure. He emerged intrigued.
"Who do you think we were?"
"I don't know. For years I tried my best not to think of that day. I knew if I did I'd go mad. There are a million different tales of woe, some grounded in truth and others a figment spun of only the barest whisper of events that actually happened. Our people are known for their romanticism."
"It seems important." His words were muffled as he talked more to himself than her. "I think we should look in the royal library." The library was one of many national treasures they had brought with them when they relocated.
"Now?”
“Might as well. I have the rest of the day off.”
Chapter Twenty-One
She wasn’t sure what they were looking for, but nothing had sparked for her or Bastien as they poured over old tomes. The number of star-crossed lovers was higher than one would think. Plenty of skirmishes had been caused due to the love of a woman or a man. The writing on the yellowed scroll in front of her blurred. Her eyes felt sand paper lined. She squeezed them shut, desperate for moisture and a break.
“I think we should call it a day.” She glanced down at her watch, late afternoon. Bastien closed his book and sighed.
“You’re right. We’ve been at this for hours, and I don’t feel any closer to an answer.”
“Me either.” Dejection and frustration mingled, and mixed, bringing her down from the high their bond had provided earlier.
H
er stomach growled.
“Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Why don’t we head down to the kitchen to refuel and give our minds a rest?”
“Sounds fantastic.”
“Sandwiches sound okay? We’ve already missed lunch and to be honest, I have no clue what’s in our cabinets.”
“Right now sandwiches sound like a five-star meal.”
“Perfect, come on. No more thinking right now.”
“I’ll try not to. But I have one of those minds that never slows down until I finally pass out at the end of the night.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“It is.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Then I guess we’ll have to think of other ways to tire you out at the end of the night.”
“I like the sound of that, General.”
The playful banter continued, lightening her mood like a burst of sunshine after a storm.
“Sit at the table, and I’ll call out ingredients.”
“I can help.”
“No, I can feel how tired you are. Take a load off, and let me do the work for now.” She wanted to protest, but his logic was sound.
“Okay, thanks.” It was an odd thing, having this man take care of her. Get used to it.
“You’re getting good at that.”
“I’m trying.” He opened the stainless steel doors. “Ham, or turkey?”
“Turkey.”
“We have mayo, Miracle Whip, mustard, Colby, Sharp Cheddar, Provolone, lettuce, tomato, and onion.”
“I’d like a turkey sandwich with mayo, sharp cheddar, and lettuce.”
“You got it. How about…” He rummaged through the shelves. “A pear and a glass of water to go with that?”
“Works for me.”
He hands her a bottle of water out of the fridge and went to work pulling out ingredients. She studied him as he made the food. It felt good being linked to this man. It shocked her. After being on her own for so long she imagined the process would be a lot more painful and awkward. It was amazing how exquisite the world had become when she looked with her new eyes. The chaos and pain that surrounded them paled in comparison to the haven they created together. Why was I so worried about our union making me weak? Here lay a strength unparalleled to that she possessed solo.
