The initiating pulses pounded into Kuno’s flesh. He wept.
And then, to Taren’s shock, Kuno rejected the power. Rejected! Such was Kuno’s strength. Mind, body, felinus and human spirits fought against Avenor.
Can’t let you do this. You could all die. I am hybrid, not pure. You can’t change a hybrid. You can’t save me.
“Hell we can’t,” Lenar said. “Shut up.”
Taren forced more power into Kuno. The pain lanced them both.
“Samantha, Shari-mine. Where are you? So many things to tell you…”
“Don’t you do it, Kuno. Don’t you dare try and say goodbye. You’re going to live.”
“Samantha fe’ha tu.”
“Your wife has been stolen,” Lenar said.
John was silent, cold. “Sammi? His aura flared, his souls, his body. Sammi! His scream shattered stars.
John woke, cold, aching. He forced open his eyelids. Beneath him, Taren was out to the world, and across his body, Lenar and Kareena, bodies intimately joined, but also unconscious. He touched each of them, his beloved friends before easing himself away.
What had happened? He ran his hands through his hair. The world felt strange; smelled strange. His body tingled from head to heels. He ached where Taren had anchored him.
He scented the air, lifting his head. Blood. He smelt blood. His blood and Sam’s. Memory returned in a gushing tide. He looked down at his body, only a slight red seam showed where he had been shot.
How close he had been to the Blessed Realm! Had it not been for his friends and the power of Kari’s mentoring and Len’s anchor holding him alive, while Taren had initiated the healing and the Change, he would be dead.
Where was Sam? Then he remembered.
John ran forward and crouched down. On the ground, in the midst of dried blood, he saw the pearl necklace.
He carefully picked up the broken strand, spattered with Sam’s blood. He growled, deep and low in his throat.
The world turned inside out.
When he became aware he was standing on four paws, tail swishing, nose lifted high, scenting the air. He smelled the unknown human and his Sammi. He could follow her trail. His claws extended. He would find the human who had done this and tear out his heart. He threw up his head and yelled to the stars.
“What the fuck is that noise?” Lenar mumbled. “I got a mother of a headache…Kareena, babe, what you put in my drink this time?”
He lifted his head.
John’s gaze met his.
Lenar gently disengaged himself from his lover and lurched to his feet. He shifted into his felinus self and became the golden cat.
John padded forward, ungainly in his new self and four feet.
“You’re gorgeous, Kuno,” Kareena whispered. “You’re twice Len’s size and tawny--gold and red with black. You’ve got Ronsevaal markings, too, around the eyes.” The two men regarded her and she pushed herself to her feet and took a tottering step before halting. “Len, you really feegled me. I can’t walk properly.”
Lenar ran a tongue over his fangs. Kari shifted to her cat self and wiped the smirk from the cat’s face with her claws.
John settled beside Taren and bent his nose to the cat-wing’s cheek. He blew a gentle breath over his clan-brother.
Taren swatted the cat away. “Go back to sleep, Jylan, I’m too tired for more games.”
I’m not playing any games with you. Taren, you bite. John hissed mind to mind.
Taren’s eyes snapped open. “Kuno?”
John sat back on his haunches. Who else?
Taren laughed. Then, sobering, he pushed himself to his feet. We have a Hunt.
Yes. I have the human scent in my nose and I’m going to gut him.
Not if I get him first, brother-mine.
“It is absolutely forbidden, Kuno,” the King said, leaning forward from his throne. “You are last of the house. Your duty lies on Chizan, nowhere else.”
“To hell with your rotting house, she is my fe’ha tu. If you think I would ever abandon her, you’ve got a feegling cat-brain, Your Majesty.”
“My son is correct,” a voice said behind them.
John turned, and beside him Taren tensed, Lenar and Kareena at the side, positioned themselves ready to spring to Kuno’s aid.
“The last time you ventured into the throne room, brother-mine,” the King said, “you threatened to kill me.” He motioned to the guards on either side of the room and they stepped forward in front of him.
“Garej, brother-mine, I am not here to commit murder. I am Herrall. I am King of Chizan.”
“You renounced your title and your name.”
“It was Starlight Madness. I had lost my mate. You’ve never mated, so what do you know? I am here to reclaim my title.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Will that be necessary?”
Kuno glanced at his father. It had been fifteen years since they had last met. His father was still tall and straight, the blue-black hair to his waist—so much like Hari, it made John’s heart cramp. But the white at his temples and the creases around his mouth and eyes were new, the outward signs of the time that had passed.
Herrall held out his hand to Kuno, palm up. “I hurt you badly, son of mine. Your mother would have bitten me on the bum if she’d been around.”
“If she’d been there, father, you would have had no cause to hurt me. We argued. I defied you. The blame was not yours alone.”
“This reunion is touching. It is ironic that the heir of our blood must be a wastrel sensualator,” the King snapped.
“There’s worse occupations in the universe than being a sensualator,” Herrall hissed. “A wannabee king for starters.”
Laughter, quickly hidden behind discreet coughs emanated from the courtiers standing in various corners of the throne room.
“I ruled Chizan while you were out chasing ghosts.”
“A pity you weren’t out chasing the collector who’s taken our people. Your son,” John snapped.
“My son is dead.”
John frowned at him. How easily the old man gave up on his own flesh and blood. But that was Geraj. He’d never been a fighter, just an opportunist who had grabbed the throne. “You know that for a fact?” John demanded. “Don’t be so quick to abandon your son.”
Herrall visibly flinched at the words and then he straightened his shoulders and tilted his chin, flicking back his hair, so much like Harimal, that tears stung the backs of John’s eyes. So much alike…so little…
“I have laid my ghosts to rest, brother-mine. And as for ruling! From what I can gather you’ve been lucky to have survived this long. You’ve got good ministers, my good ministers, to thank for the continuing prosperity of Chizan.”
“I forbid the heir-apparent to leave Chizan.” The King paused. “Harimal was the first to do so and look what’s happened. He’s dead and a half-breed whore is the only thing—”
“Be very careful, Geraj. Very careful!” Herrall hissed. “Kuno is my acknowledged son.”
John stepped closer to the King. The damn coward stayed up on the dais, too scared to meet them eye to eye. “Like I give a damn what you order. I’m going to find Samantha and Harimal. I have a feeling if I find one, I find the other. We’re being collected.”
“If Chizan is so concerned with blood lines and breeding stock, I’m not past it,” Herrall said. “I’ve done it before for duty, I can do it again.”
John glanced sidelong at his father and saw the pain in the older man’s eyes. Like hell he could. Anymore than I can love another woman. But the King wouldn’t know. If the kingship passed out of the Ronsevaal line, so be it. Samantha was worth a world, a thousand worlds. He turned to go. His father’s hand on his shoulder restrained him.
“You will need the fleet behind you.”
“They won’t be able to keep up with my ship!” Taren snapped.
“You think?”
“I am in command of the fleet,” the King said, flingi
ng himself to his feet.
“Command is earned, brother, not bestowed.”
Geraj smirked. “Herrall, ever the philosopher!”
“No, you mistake me. I am Herrall, ever the King!” he said stepping forward, placing his foot on the first step of the raised dais. The king looked down. The two men locked gazes. The starlight crackled between them. “You can’t hope to defeat me, Geraj. Ronsevaal blood flows true in my veins, as it does with Harimal and Kuno. But never in yours.”
“Go to hell and take that whelp with you.”
“That whelp, you feegling idiot,” Herrall shouted, “is true felinus. He’s shifted! And he’s performed mutatis.”
John held his breath for what seemed like hours, but in reality, minutes. The mental contest between the men was soon over. The King crumpled back onto his throne and in the audience chamber, a cheer resounded.
Harimal had always told John that the court never fully accepted Garej as King. They would rather have had Herrall in the worst moments of his madness than the bloodless, gutless Garej.
Herrall lifted the sobbing Garej from the throne and sat down. “My first order as reinstated King is to call out the fleet. Captain Karev!”
The Korcan stepped forward and saluted. “Sire?”
“You will lead the fleet. Follow the Avenor’s ship. Think you can keep pace with it?”
“I know so.”
Taren’s derisive snort was lost on all but John.
“Minister Kalen.”
A middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed. “Yes, sire.”
“I want you to find out how Chizan security was breached. Someone invaded our planet, almost killed my son and stole his wife. The intruder must have obtained the codes to the planet-screen. I want to know how and I want that information fast!”
“I have already had the shield codes changed. Nothing unauthorized will get through our defenses again.”
“Good, very good. I suspect GTC may have been involved,” Herrall said. “They’ve been sniffing around the outer asteroid belt.”
John stared at his father. “GTC is here?” He had not heard a whisper of this and where GTC was concerned, Starwatch operatives were thorough and reported their opponent’s movements to the Board. As Director of Starwatch, he saw every report.
“By now our patrol will have closed down their base and sent them packing.” Herrall frowned at Geraj. “Just what did you think you were doing, allowing those feegling bastards here?”
“They offered—”
John snorted. “They offer you the world and then they take your world from under you. How much did they pay you? What, for star’s sake, did they want?”
“I would guess exclusive mining rights for star-crystals,” Herrall said.
“We don’t allow them off world.” John’s mind whirled with plots and counterplots. “You think that’s why I was attacked and why Sam has been stolen? She’s a bargaining chip? Her life for a trade agreement? Feegle it! Not even GTC…” His gaze rested on Geraj and he took one step forward, fists clenched.
“Hold, Kuno San Duran!” Herrall’s voice, chill with authority crackled in the absolute silence of the chamber. “For the moment, who is responsible is not important. I have lodged a formal complaint of piracy with the Galactic Council. That will tie up GTC resources. And my brother will be indicted to answer for his duplicity in the GTC scheme.”
“You can’t do this. No King of Chizan has ever been charged, you—”
“It’s a day for firsts, then, Geraj. My hybrid son becoming felinus and you under arrest. Guard!” Herrall snapped his fingers and two cats leapt to Geraj’s side, growling, fangs bared. “He is to be confined to his apartment until the Justiciary arrives to escort him to Earth.”
“Charges against me and GTC won’t stand up in court.”
“Yes they will, because the GTC lobby has been indicted, too. Ortela has issued a class action against GTC and its subsidiaries. Trust me, GTC won’t be bothering anyone for a very long time.”
John stared at his father, as if seeing him for the first time. Herrall was ingenious where politics were involved. Relentless, inventive. Tangle with a cat and people got bitten. If that cat was also the King of Chizan… He grinned at his father. “Clever bastard.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Herral studied his son. “Do you really think that after I recovered from the Madness I forgot you and what you and your mother stood for? They killed my wife. You think I’d let them destroy you?”
“They killed mother?”
“Yes. She must have discovered their plans to mine the crystals. Kill her, and get rid of me to the Madness. Their plans almost succeeded, except they didn’t count on the recuperative power of Ronsevaal blood and the mutatis. The planet-crystals healed me. I pretended Madness for longer than I actually was. I’ve been watching the galaxy. And I’ve been making small, but regular donations to Starwatch—I have two thousand pseudonyms.”
“Actually, two thousand five hundred, Sire,” Minister Devril said, stepping forward. “I’ve kept receipts.”
Herrall laughed. John had not heard his father laugh in over fifteen years. “I was proud of you, John. Will you forgive me?” He held out his hand and John climbed the dais. He bowed. Harrell came to his feet and embraced his son, kissing him on both cheeks. He ran his fingers through his son’s hair. “You have my beloved’s coloring.” He stepped back. “Kuno, San Duran.”
“Sire.”
“Bring your Samantha fe’ha tu home. Bring Harimal home. No matter what.”
John nodded. “He’s not dead. I sense him.”
“Then go.”
John turned.
“Kuno, my son, be careful.”
“I’ll guard him with my life,” Taren said.
They strode out of the audience chamber. Kareena trotted to keep pace with the men.
“You sure you want to come with us, kitten?” Taren demanded.
“You might need a monitor.”
“I hope not, sweetheart,” John said. “I hope not.”
They reached the sleek hunter ship parked in space dock. The two draconis on board had run through the flight checks.
Clearance was given and the assassin’s ship streaked out of docking, earning a reprimand and a hefty fine for exceeding speed limits and safety protocols.
“Eat my neutrinos,” Taren snapped back at the official and hit the hyper drive. “Which way?” he asked glancing at John sitting next to him in the flight deck.
Kuno’s hand hovered over the onscreen star maps. He closed his eyes. He felt Sam’s cry and his gut clenched. He snapped his lids open. “This way.” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded chillingly distant.
“Right.” Taren shifted the drive beyond maximum. He caught sight of John’s frown. “Trust me.”
“With my life. With my wife’s life. And my brother’s.”
To Be Continued
COMING SOON
Starlight Madness
Samantha and John-Kuno have entered the final starlight ceremony: mutatis and they are joined in mind, body and spirit. When Sam is kidnapped, only John has the power to find her. He knows that the person responsible for stealing his beloved is the same one who has taken Harimal and the other shifters prisoner. But why? And John knows that time is running out—the longer he and Sam are separated the chances are that the madness will claim him.
Imprisoned by the evil starlord, Harimal and Samantha must pretend submission, to give the creature what it craves: starlight passion. Refusal means a madness, beyond the depths of Starlight Madness.
About the Author
Astrid has been writing since she was five years old and even then her stories were of the “fantastic”: aliens, spaceships, knights on magical quests. Astrid is an award-winning, best-selling author whose works encompass many genres and many formats (traditional print, electronic and POD). Active in s.f. fandom, she has organized s.f./fantasy conventions, edited over 100 fanzines, and run several
fantasy ‘fan’ groups. When not writing, Astrid works in her two and a half acre ‘garden’ in rural South Australia.
She has other speculative fiction and paranormal erotica with Extasy Books (Pride’s Passion, Forbidden Nights and For Eternity and 3 stories in the “Violet Visions” anthology) and is working on a five-book mainstream fantasy series of “epic proportions”. She is contracted to edit an anthology (“Fabled Towers”) featuring stories about the Arthurian myth. Astrid is a freelance editor and is contracted by an agency to assess and edit manuscripts.
Astrid invites all readers to her website: www.astridcooper.com and maybe sign her guestbook and/or email her, as she enjoys hearing from readers and other writers!
Starlight Passion Page 6
