Harry's Sacrifice

by Bianca D'Arc

  Harry knew the legends of his mother’s people. He’d heard about the secret society of warriors and assassins. They featured prominently in stories told to youngsters, but Hara seemed to think they were real.

  “The Zxerah are a fable,” Cormac said in his dispassionate way. “And while staying here might suit Hara…” Cormac stumbled, probably unsure what to call him now that the real Hara was up and around, “…Hara 2 and Roshin 72, since she was sent here to observe, I have a mission to complete and reports to make. I must be released from these chambers. I insist.”

  “And I insist that you stay. Am I not Hara Prime?” A quirk of one eyebrow dared Cormac to contradict him.

  “Based on current evidence, I believe that you are Hara Prime,” Cormac concurred.

  “Then I outrank you. And probably damned near every other Alvian on this planet. You will obey my commands.”

  Cormac seemed to ponder that for a moment. “I suppose you are correct.” Cormac’s head bowed slightly in acknowledgment. “Is there some way I can communicate with my subordinates in the camp above so they will know what has transpired?”

  “There is a way, but I forbid it for the time being. My awakening will lose all element of surprise should word get out too soon. I will let you contact your command when it is time. For now, you may talk to your second in command through the portal. It is not ideal, but it will do. You are not to mention me by name. You may tell your team that you are conducting important research and are searching for a way to lower the barrier from inside. They are to continue digging in order to free the rest of the ship. That ought to keep them busy for a while.”

  The lower part of the suit Hara wore began to pulse in a now-familiar rhythm. It was the signal that meant their initial meeting with Hara was coming to an end. Harry stepped back to allow Percival to maneuver in the hover chair.

  “I will watch over the next phase of my lord’s awakening. I suggest you three get some rest. We have slept far too long. We will want to meet with you as soon as he is fully out of the machine. Is that not so, my liege?” Percival looked to Hara for confirmation.

  “True enough, Percy. There is a sleeping chamber just beyond the galley,” Hara said to them even as the machinery around his lower body began to hum. “You’ll have to share. We weren’t expecting more than Harry and this is only a pod.” The sly wink that went with his statement was lost on the two modern Alvians.

  Chapter Six

  There were two sleeping chambers. One had two separate bunks and one had a large bed. It was probably Hara’s, but it was the only one that would fit all three of them.

  “We should use this room,” Harry stated as they all looked in the doorway.

  “All of us?” Ro piped up. Cormac shot him a sharp look as well but didn’t speak.

  “Look.” Harry faced his two companions. “I won’t let you out of my sight, Ro. And I’m pretty sure Cormac will say the same.”

  “You are correct. I have a duty to protect her. You have already proven yourself unpredictable and I will not see her come to any harm.” Cormac almost sounded possessive, but that wasn’t possible. Was it?

  “Agreed. Then the only logical solution is for us to stick together.” Harry could see Cormac thinking over his words. It was Ro who objected.

  “But this is clearly Hara’s room. We should not intrude.”

  “It’s the only way all three of us can be comfortable, and the big guy won’t be using it for the next few hours.”

  “It is the logical solution.” Cormac sounded almost surprised that Harry would be logical at all. It was mildly insulting but neither of the Alvians would understand, so Harry let it go as he had so many other slights in the past.

  Growing up among Alvians hadn’t been easy. The only real understanding he had was from his human family—the O’Haras and their big brood of kids. Mama Jane, his stepmother and his father, Justin, and uncles, Caleb and Mick. They understood him and never held his Alvian half against him. They accepted him as he was and loved him unconditionally. It was good to be loved. Harry felt lonely without them.

  Even with his long telepathic reach, he couldn’t quite touch Uncle Mick’s powerful mind. He was cut off from his family for the first time in a long, long time and it made him feel a tiny bit vulnerable.

  “Hey, kid, we’re here for you.” The unexpected telepathic touch was from Percival.

  “Damn. I’d forgotten what it was like to be around an empath. Sorry. I’ll try to keep a lid on it.”

  “No need. It’s good to feel something besides boredom and impatience. Hara’s not as even tempered as you are. Now get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us once you three have caught up on your beauty sleep.”

  “Will do.”

  “Oh, and the big guy says it’s okay for you three to use his bed. In fact, he wishes you luck.” There was a distinctly lascivious tone to that last comment that Harry chose to ignore.

  He wanted Ro. He desired her more than any other woman he’d ever known. He wanted desperately to have her. There was no doubt about that. She was gorgeous and her fragility appealed to him. But not with Cormac around and not if she couldn’t feel the same. He wanted a human woman for his mate. Someone who could love him and be loved in return. Someone who understood his feelings. Ro was pretty enough, but she was Alvian. Emotionally crippled and unlikely to ever recover from it.

  “Tell him thanks, but I want a human gal.”

  Percival sighed in his mind. “It will be your sacrifice then, but one you will find worthwhile in the end.”

  That last bit had the sound of prophecy. “What have you seen?”

  “Not me. Your ancestor. He sees all kinds of things and we discuss them. What else have we had to do all these centuries while we waited for you to find us? As your people would say, don’t sweat it. We’ll discuss this in detail soon. For now, get some sleep. You’re just about out on your feet.”

  A soft hand steadied Harry as he swayed.

  “Are you all right?” Ro’s gentle voice came to him. They were still standing in the hall and the two Alvians were looking at him strangely.

  “Sorry. Just talking with Percival. He says Hara knows we’re using his room and is okay with it.”

  “Percival is telepathic?” Cormac asked, one eyebrow going up in question.

  “He is like me. Half Alvian and half human. He has strong telepathy and empathy, I believe. Other than that, I do not know.” Harry saw no reason to lie. It wasn’t like Cormac would ever be able to use psychic abilities.

  Cormac was fully Alvian, and like all of the other Alvians who had invaded this planet, they had no psychic skills at all. He wouldn’t mention Hara’s gifts. Not until Hara himself was ready to disclose them. The very idea that some ancient Alvians had psychic abilities long before they mixed with humans was startling even to Harry. Better to let the ancient ones themselves disclose the how and why of it.

  Harry swayed again and Ro’s hand tightened on his sleeve. “You are tired. Let’s get some rest so we can approach this problem with fresh minds and bodies. There is nothing better to do at the moment.”

  “Good idea.” Harry let her lead him into the room and over to the big bed.

  She even helped him sit on one side and take off his parka. It was nice and warm inside the ship now that the systems were coming back on line. It was also nice letting her baby him a bit. Nobody had helped him out of his jacket since Mama Jane had when he was a toddler.

  Cormac said nothing, merely turning his back on them as he took off his own jacket on the other side of the large bed. When Cormac sat, Harry used the motion of the mattress to dip forward, catching Ro off-guard as he tugged her downward for a quick kiss on the cheek. He’d been wanting to get closer to her—even in this small, almost innocent way—for days. Ever since they’d run into each other in the hallway and her papers had gone flying every which way. He’d wanted to wrap her in his arms then but hadn’t dared.

  Ro pulled away on a gasp, unused to
simple contact with others, as were most Alvians. He could see she wasn’t unaffected. Harry’s lips were tingling where they’d touched her skin and her pale face was flushed with a becoming blush. Harry smiled. She didn’t say anything, her gaze flying from Harry to Cormac’s back. Clearly, she didn’t want to call attention to herself—or to Harry’s actions. Good. It would be their little secret.

  Harry shucked his boots after hearing Cormac’s hit the floor behind him. The loud thunks seemed to spur Ro into motion again. She dealt with her own footwear and then stood, eyeing the bed. She looked confused and it only endeared her more to Harry. She was so transparent to him at times. It was almost like being able to read her mind, though no psychic abilities were involved.

  “You’re in the middle, Ro.” Harry took pity on her confusion. “That way we can both keep an eye on you.”

  Harry looked to Cormac for agreement. The other man nodded and lay down on his side of the large bed, leaving space for Roshin in the middle. Harry did the same and eventually she climbed into her spot from the foot of the bed.

  The last thing Harry remembered was going to sleep with a smile on his face.

  The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him by the shoulder. Harry came awake, realizing a few things at once. First, Ro’s soft body was spooned against his in the most delightful way. She fit his arms so well. Second, Percival was behind him in that hoverchair of his with a silly grin on his face. Third, Cormac was glaring at him from the other side of the bed. And to cap it all off, Ro came awake in his arms, a lovely look of confusion and warmth on her sleepy face. She really was gorgeous.

  “Is it time to get up already?” Harry asked no one in particular.

  “More than time. Hara and I have been hatching plans while you three snuggled. It’s time to get to work.” Percival maneuvered his chair back toward the door. “There are sanitary facilities through that hatch. Make use of them and meet us in the galley. We’ll have breakfast waiting by the time you’re done.”

  Cormac rolled off his side of the bed with a grunt and simply raised one eyebrow at Harry. “I’ll go first, since you two are…entangled.”

  Ro struggled a bit to get free, but Harry wasn’t letting her go that easily. Cormac stomped to the bathroom while Percival glided out of the room.

  “Ah. Alone at last,” Harry quipped, rubbing his chin over Ro’s soft hair. There was something so cuddly about this woman. He dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.

  “Please stop doing that and let me go.” Her voice was cold, unemotional. That, more than anything else, made him release her without even trying to coax a good-morning kiss out of her.

  She was Alvian. She couldn’t feel. She could never understand him. So why then was he so attracted to her? He’d never been attracted to an Alvian female, though he’d bedded a few before he realized they were too emotionally cold—for all their natural body heat when aroused. Without feelings, they could never touch his heart.

  He rolled out of bed and to his feet in one smooth move. Disgust aimed at himself filled him as he watched her get to her feet in an orderly, Alvian fashion. She could never love him. So why was he starting to crave that very thing?

  “You can have the lav next. I’m going to forage. There must be more than one lav in this place. And I need some clean clothes.” Harry spoke as he opened the door to the chamber and light spilled in from the galley beyond. A quick glance told him Percival and Hara were sitting around the table in their respective hover chairs.

  Conversation ceased as the panel slid open and a very different Alvian gaze met his. Different from almost all other Alvians he’d ever met. Hara had emotion. Only Davin came close and he was still a pale echo of the power of this man. No wonder he was such a revered leader if Harry felt all this from only a casual glance.

  “There’s another lav in there.” Percival pointed to the door to the second bed chamber behind him. “And some ship suits that will fit you.”

  “Thanks.” Harry winced as he caught Percival’s look of concern.

  Damned empath. Harry had gotten used to his adoptive mother and stepsister always knowing what was going on with him emotionally, but they were family. This guy was a stranger. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling to be so open and readable. Especially when he was used to operating in the emotional vacuum of Alvian society.

  Harry calmed down during his brief shower. He cleaned up and dressed in the spare shipsuit, as Percival had called it. The pale fabric brought memories of one of his recent visions. He’d seen himself in just such an outfit, though he’d never seen anything like it before. It was a one-piece jumpsuit with markings in the same ancient Alvian language as he’d seen in the rest of the ship.

  He found himself both reluctant and eager to get moving. He squashed the reluctance and tried to focus on the amazing discovery. Hara. In the flesh. Living and breathing. And most important of all—able to make a difference. If Harry’s visions were right—and they usually were—everything would start now. Change. Upheaval in the fabric of Alvian society and belief.

  Harry wasn’t sure exactly how, but things were going to change, starting now. Hara’s presence changed everything. All Alvians revered the man as one of their greatest leaders. Popular support was a given for whatever it was he wanted to do. Harry just had to find out if Hara was on board with reform for humanity. If not, he had to work on him, to make him believe what the Alvians had done up to now was terribly wrong.

  No time like the present. Harry took a deep breath and headed out the door into the galley.

  Cormac was already there, sitting at the table, deep in conversation with Percival and Hara. The door across the room slid open and Ro stepped through, her deep-blue gaze meeting his across the width of the galley. Without words, they walked toward each other, approaching the center table from opposite sides.

  The table was round. Hara sat to Harry’s right, Cormac and Percival to Harry’s left. Ro sat across.

  “Now that we’re all here, Percy and I will bring you up to date on what we were doing while you slept.” Hara took charge, as Harry had expected. “First, we’ve checked and started the rest of the ship’s systems. Everything will be coming online shortly, including hydroponics, so there will be fresh produce when Percy and I are able to eat solid food again.”

  “Probably about a week,” Percy confirmed. “Until then, there are rations available for you three and we’re on a liquid diet.”

  “Now.” Hara drew their attention as he raised a console out of the previously smooth table. “Let’s get started. Harry, I believe we should first contact your sister and her mates. If anyone can connect us via secure crystal, it will be the Chief Engineer. Would you place the call, please?”

  Hara swiped his hand across the surface of the table and the com console swiveled around to where Harry sat. Interesting technology these ancient explorers had. He’d never seen anything like it, even in the Council Chambers.

  With a little coaching from Percival, Harry was able to access the correct controls to place a call to his sister Callie’s secure line. She answered only a few minutes later.

  “Harry? It’s the middle of the night. Are you okay?” She blinked awake as a holographic image of her appeared over the center of the round table facing Harry. “Where’ve you been? Everyone’s been trying to locate you, but you’re beyond even Uncle Mick’s reach. Where are you?”

  “Uh… I’m not exactly sure of the compass position, but I’m somewhere near the North Pole, I think. Ice everywhere, but I’m warm and safe, inside a ship, buried in a crevasse.”

  “You’re what?” She seemed more awake now and Harry had to smile. Callie and he had been best friends since they were babies. They shared a father but were born of different mothers at almost the same time. She was more like a twin than a half-sister, even though she was completely human.

  “Don’t worry, Cal. The reason I’m calling… Is Davin there?”

  “I’ll get him.” She left visual range for a moment
and returned with her Alvian mate, who wore a look of concern on his face. Behind him was another male—the human male in the Resonance triad, Rick. He wiped sleep from his eyes even as he hovered over Davin’s shoulder, one arm around Callie’s waist as Davin took the seat in front of the com console.

  “What can I do for you?” Davin, despite having had emotions all his life, was as down to business as the rest of the Alvian race.

  “It’s a matter of secure communications. Someone I’ve met up here needs to locate someone down there and communicate over a secure channel. Can you help us out?”

  “That will depend on who you want to talk to. I can route comms through here, but it will depend on what sort of receiver is on the other end. Where are you calling from?” Davin’s brows drew downward as he pushed buttons on the console in front of him. “I can’t trace it.”

  Harry looked over at Hara, unsure how much he could reveal to Davin at this point. Eventually it would all come out, but Hara seemed to want to control the when and how of his revelation.

  “Tell him you need to find the Patriarch,” Hara said quietly. They all knew his voice would be heard on the other end, but unless the camera was aimed in his direction, Callie and her family couldn’t see him.

  “Did you hear that?” Harry asked.

  Davin sat back in his chair, clearly surprised. Rick’s face closed up and Callie did her best to hide her shock. Clearly, they all knew something about this Patriarch.

  “Who wants to know?” Davin asked finally, as if weighing his response carefully.

  A quick glance at Hara’s face told Harry that he didn’t want to reveal himself completely yet.

  “It’s safe. I can vouch for him as if he were family.” Harry’s smirk wasn’t lost on anyone, though the three on the other end of the line didn’t quite understand what he meant.

  Davin seemed to come to a decision. “It just so happens we have had recent communication with the person you seek. While I won’t give you his direct line, I am willing to route you through to him, if he also agrees. But you have to give me something to convince him of who is seeking him. A code perhaps?”