Olivia frowned. "No, they won't do it. You'll serve his needs fine. You guys are both eggheads who love history. I half-expect you’ll start your own college with full exchange-student privileges with Earth schools." She held her friend closer. "So what if you're too old to have children? I don't think Mahvet cares much to be a father at this point in his life, does he?"
Kate took a deep breath and pulled away. "No, it's not the 'should we have children' question—although some in the clan harbor strong opinions on the topic. They feel it's worthless for older clan members like Mahvet to marry if they refuse to propagate." She looked down at her hands as she wrung them. "I can't supply him with a fresh blood on a regular basis. I have a rare blood disorder which makes my DNA unacceptable."
"So what?" Olivia shook her head. Another piece was missing in this puzzle. "Obviously, Mahvet gets his blood transfusions elsewhere when he needs them. There's more to a Pure Blood marriage than just being a blood bank, isn't there?"
"Not in the eyes of the Clan Alpha leadership. We human brides are expected to pull our own weight, and I lied on my application. I only told Mahvet about my blood disorder recently when he wanted to..." Kate sighed and closed her eyes. "I want to help him, but I can't."
"Mahvet didn't tell anyone else about your blood disorder, though. Did he?"
Kate shook her head. "No, he didn't. He's been covering for me for over a week now. They've been on him for not announcing our pair-bonding sooner, but in order to do so, he'd have to partake of my blood in the ceremony in front of the priestess and his family so I'd become a part of..." She took a deep breath. "You know what I mean."
Olivia forced a smile. She could barely recall what happened to her. Kate seemed more knowledgeable, so Olivia assumed her friend must understand the psychic link that came with pair-bonding.
"If Mahvet and I can't be together, then it's better if we're separated by a few billion miles. There’ll be more mail-order brides. He'll forget about me in time." Kate folded a blouse and deposited it in her open suitcase, sighing. "It won't be easy for me to forget about my time here."
Something still felt wrong to Olivia. Why would Clan Alpha dismiss Kate so abruptly? Olivia couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she didn't want to cause her friend pain by asking more questions. She sat with Kate and said little as they packed the Englishwoman’s bag and straightened up her area, waiting for the escorts to come and take her to the Portal.
"Thank you, Lauren." Kate patted Olivia's hand. "You've been a real source of strength through this trying time."
"You're welcome. Thank you for your friendship. I enjoyed learning about British history from your comments in our history class. You made us realize how our individual cultures shape our perspective on life and each other. It got me thinking—a lot."
"Thinking?" Kate raised a graying eyebrow. They both chuckled. "Thinking is good. What did it make you think about?"
Thinking—an activity I'm having some trouble with lately. Olivia struggled to get the words out. "Well... You wonder why with all their technological and genetic advancement... why the Pure Bloods didn't learn how to cure various blood diseases rather than giving up on those humans with them. It's a poor excuse to reject you. Maybe there's another reason behind your leaving?"
You know there is another reason, Olivia. The voice of Moreau flooded her thoughts. You can't say this out loud. It will hurt your friend's feelings to know she is special. We can't have special humans like her around. They could end up like Valori, and one of her is enough for our purposes...
"Valori!" Olivia cried as she sprang to her feet and then lost consciousness.
*****
"Lauren? Are you awake? Can you hear me?"
Olivia blinked rapidly and attempted to sit up, but her head throbbed and she fell backward into the bedclothes, rubbing her temples. Who was hammering a red-hot metal spike through her skull and why?
"There now. Take it easy," Kate said in hushed tones as she straightened the blankets and resettled Olivia's head against the pillows. "I'm here. In fact, I might be here for another week or so since I missed the routine Portal transport." She smiled. "You've got your own personal nurse in the meantime."
"Where am I?" Olivia squinted. The dim lighting looked extra-bright somehow, and she could barely make out Kate's face. "I'm not in the dormitory?"
"No, they moved you to your private quarters—and what nice quarters you have. It appears being engaged to someone with as high a rank as Moreau has its privileges."
Privileges and punishments. Olivia was certain the sudden, great pain in her head was to teach her a lesson, to keep her silent about anything which could incriminate the family. Is this what being part of a mobster family was like?
"Rank? Thought we'd been taught they had a ruling council and all Pure Bloods were created equal." With some more equal than others. She pulled herself up to her elbows and focused on a point on the wall behind Kate until the spinning stopped. "How long have I been out? I sure am thirsty."
"A few hours." Kate poured her a glass of water from a pitcher on the nightstand. "You turned pale and appeared to be in a lot of pain. It scared me, so I ran and got help right away. The Pure Blood healers aren't quite as versed in human illnesses, so they called for a human medic. She took a quick look at you and told us to keep you warm and comfortable. She'll come by tomorrow to check up on you, but she said she didn't think it was anything to worry about. Happens all the time when humans and Pure Bloods bond, or so she says."
"What happens all the time?" Olivia found it hard to concentrate on their conversation. There was something important she wanted to remember... She needed to remember it right away. It was vital. "Kate, did I say anything before I fainted?"
Kate bit her lip. "You said you'd been thinking about why I was asked to leave. You said it didn't seem a very strong reason, particularly since the Pure Bloods possess such advanced technology and genetic techniques. You called out a name right before you fainted."
"A name? Can you recall exactly what I said?"
Kate nodded. "Valori. You called for 'Valori.' Is she a friend or family member back home?"
"Valori? She is my friend...my friend from this world." Olivia grimaced as another stabbing pain flooded her head. "Whenever I try to picture her, I get the worst headache."
"From this world?" Kate glanced about the room and lowered her voice. "Have you visited BloodDark before?"
Olivia fought hard to keep conscious. "Not as Lauren. I am.... My name is Olivia. I’m a spy."
"So that's why Moreau called you 'Olivia' once without realizing it. I did wonder." Kate frowned. "Oh, I wish they'd given me something more to ease your pain." She placed a cool compress on Olivia's brow. "Do you think they're poisoning you?"
"Mind control. To stop me from remembering what I've seen and heard."
"Then this mail-order bride business isn't all it appears to be?" Olivia nodded. Kate growled under her breath as she freshened the compress. "I'm glad they rejected me now—almost. Mahvet seems a decent sort, surrounded by some not-so-nice types."
"He is... maybe. Moreau's family...not at all." Olivia took a deep breath and held it, then released it. "I remember now. I need Annara to come and rescue me. Tell the medic to bring Annara—Annara from the council."
"Annara? Another friend from BloodDark?"
Before Olivia could make her mouth form the word "yes" she fainted.
Chapter Three
"Lie still. The healing stones are doing their job well."
Olivia blinked twice. Fuzzy splashes of color filled her vision. The voice didn't sound familiar, but she did as she was instructed. A pleasant, relaxing warmth penetrated her head and shoulders, taking the throbbing pain away. She sighed.
"Do you think she'll be able to travel soon?"
The second voice did sound familiar. Olivia lifted her head an inch. "Valori? Are you here?"
"Don't move," the first voice commanded. "You'll be able to travel in a little
while if you allow the healing stones to do their work."
Olivia could make out who was speaking to her now. The thin woman with a beaky nose and perpetual frown on her face had to be the medic. She occupied herself with removing small pebbles from a glass container and placing them on various points along Olivia's arms and legs.
The pain ebbed away from her entire body as the medic positioned the stones. Olivia drifted back to sleep, secure in the knowledge she wasn’t alone. She could wait to speak to Valori when she felt better. Valori would help her get in touch with Annara. It would all work out fine.
"Olivia, wake up now. It's time for dinner."
"Kate?" Groggy, but feeling better, Olivia sat up and yawned. "I feel like I've been sleeping for ages."
"You have been. Hungry?" Kate rolled a trolley containing two place settings toward the bed. "Look, they made us both a plate. How thoughtful."
Olivia scooted to the edge of the bed and put on her robe and slippers. Her stomach growled, protesting its emptiness. She picked up an eating utensil and dove into the casserole dish. "Hmm... Have they been treating you well, Kate?"
Olivia studied the middle-aged woman's composed face. Kate kept a stiff upper lip, but Olivia spotted the slight downward twinge around the corners of the quick smile Kate flashed in response. Olivia could tell it hadn't been easy.
"Well enough. They've allowed me to be your nurse and remain in the dormitory, but I'm not welcomed elsewhere." Kate lowered her eyes to her plate. "No doubt they'll make certain I'm sent back to Earth on the next scheduled Portal trip."
"Have you seen your professor?"
Kate shook her head. "No, I thought about slipping into the back of the room during the daily tutoring session, but I just couldn't." Her shoulders slumped. "It's best to make a clean break and not draw things out."
"You miss him, though. Don't you?"
"Is it obvious?" Kate forced a laugh, then dropped her fork. "One thing I won't miss is this food. Even the purple mash is off today."
Olivia had been shoveling her dinner so fast into her mouth she hadn't realized the taste did seem different—even for BloodDark cuisine. She put down her utensil. "You're right. It's a bit more bitter than usual. Oh, no..."
"What is it?"
"Maybe they put something in it like drugs. How would we know?"
Kate's eyes widened. She shook her head. "No, they wouldn't do such a thing. Why would they? They want me to go home, and they act anxious for you to recover."
"Really?" Olivia looked askance at her friend. "Have you talked with Moreau or any of the other Pure Bloods in charge?"
"Only the one time when I told them you'd fainted. They acted concerned about your health."
"You didn't tell them about Annara, did you?"
Kate frowned. "Who's Annara?"
Did it mean Kate had forgotten what she'd said to her, or she was playing stupid on purpose? Olivia decided to go with the first one and feel her out. "Nobody important." She swallowed some water and did her best to act casual. "I didn't happen to mention any other names in my delirium, did I?"
"None I recall. You were mumbling a bit, so the medic might have heard something, but I can't say for certain."
Olivia clenched her fists in her lap. Something was horribly amiss—But what?
"When will the medic and her assistant come back?" Olivia ventured. "I thought I heard them talking earlier today about how I'd be ready to travel before long."
Kate frowned. "That wasn’t today, Lauren. They were here last week."
"Did you call me Lauren?" A cold shiver of dread tingled down Olivia's spine. Not was all as it appeared. "Kate, I think you're forgetting things."
"Forgetting things? How so?" Kate shook her head and tutted. "I pride myself on my excellent recall of facts as a researcher. Surely I can remember the medic last calling upon you a week ago, and I definitely know your name.”
Olivia's voice rose as panic took hold. "A week ago? Then why haven't you transported back to Earth yet?" The blank stare on the older woman's face rattled Olivia to the core. "Kate, are you and Mahvet still engaged?"
"Of course we are. Why would I come all this way to BloodDark just to..." Frowning, Kate rubbed her temples. "Something isn't right here. Why am I so confused?"
"We've been drugged—or at least you have," Olivia explained.
"It doesn't affect me like it's affecting you, Kate. It could be because my blood chemistry is different now and it won't, but I think someone wants us to lose our recall of what's happened here at the Clan Alpha house."
Olivia attempted to stand, but found her legs weak and uncooperative. She sat down again. "Crud. Maybe the drug is working on me. We've got to leave this place fast, as in right now."
"Where would we go?" Kate's voice went up an octave with fear. "How can we get back to Earth without the clan's help?"
"I have friends who can help us." Olivia tried standing again and made it to her feet this time. She wobbled, then balanced herself with a hand on the cart. "I need to get dressed, and then we both can get out of here."
With Kate's assistance, she found her jeans, a comfortable t-shirt and a denim jacket. No sense pretending to be Lauren dressed in the argyle socks and short skirt. She needed something she could move in.
"Thank goodness I have flats to wear." She scrunched up her nose, considering Kate's proper English librarian-styled attire. "Can you walk fast in those low heels? You sure you didn't bring some jeans or slacks and a pair of sneakers?"
"I do have some walking shoes and trousers in my suitcase." Kate pursed her lips. "Can we take all our things when we leave?"
"No, we'd better not. We can send for them later." Olivia slipped on her jeans under her nightgown and zipped them up. "Right now, it's important we get far away from the negative influences of our hosts."
"Negative influences?"
"Yes, the drugged food and the..." Olivia paused in mid-thought. Why had she been bedridden in the first place? Because I remembered why I'd come to the Clan Alpha house to begin with...and the punishing headaches Moreau caused me to shut down.
"Weird." Olivia touched her temples. "I don't have a headache."
Kate helped her out of her gown and into her t-shirt. "The healer's hot pebble treatment worked well. You're feeling much better, aren't you?"
"I am. Miraculously so. This means something."
"Good. Then you won't get lost on your way to find your friend Annara."
Olivia took a step backward from Kate. "What do you know about Annara?"
Kate blinked and stared back. "I...I don't know anything. You just mentioned she was a friend of yours on BloodDark."
"I mentioned Valori was a friend as well. Why the sudden interest in Annara?" Suspicious, Olivia went to the door and cracked it open. She peeped out into the corridor. "Awfully quiet for meal time at Clan Alpha."
"It is quiet. It's mid-way through the rest period." Kate's manner appeared distant and stiff. She acted like a marionette under the control of an expert puppet-master, but she was resisting as best she could. "We should be leaving now, so the night watch can follow us and not cause any alarm to the new brides."
Olivia gulped. Kate has been drugged, and I've been rewarded with no headaches so I could think clearly enough to lead Moreau and accomplices to my friends on the council.
"Kate, I think you're going to have to sit this one out." She guided her friend over to a chair and sat her down. "You're not feeling well."
"I'm not feeling well," Kate repeated in small voice.
"You ate something which didn't agree with you, so you're going to take a nice long snooze on my comfortable bed after I leave the room. You won't remember this conversation when you awake. Understand?"
"I understand."
Whoa... I've gained some mind-influencing powers along the way here. Or is it the drugs. Mine? Hers? Who knows?
It's partially my powers, came the voice of Valori in her mind, but you are strong, Olivia. Leave now.
Valori! I knew you were nearby. Thank you.
Olivia slipped on her jacket and shoes and crept out the door, making her way down the corridor without a sound or a backward glance.
*****
"I can’t believe you got past those brutish Overseer guards the Alphans have at their front doors." Annara flashed her a big smile. "You sure you didn't have any help, Olivia?"
"I may have had a little," she admitted, "but I don't want to get this person into trouble, so I'd rather not say anything out loud."
Even with the sour expressions some of the council members gave her as they glided in and out of the library chamber, Olivia was still glad to be back in the council hall and away from Moreau. Relaxing in the big overstuffed chair, she curled her legs up under her seat and sighed.
Annara sat down in the chair opposite. Even though she was now working for the council, the dark-eyed former Resistance fighter still wore a brown leather jacket, jean-like pants, boots...and carried a weapons pouch. Olivia had always appreciated that.
Annara glanced about the room and lowered her voice. "Yes, it's better if you don't say too much on the topic. You never know who's listening—or reading your mind—on this planet. Dradix might be able to help us solve the problem."
Dradix? The Deltan reminded her of Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings”, with his long, silver hair. He worked in the Portal control room. Olivia didn't know whether to feel safer knowing the Pure Blood scientist was a loyal and willing employee of the new majority human ruling council, or suspicious because this had never been mentioned before.
Suspicion won out. Olivia leaned forward and leveled a hard stare on her companion.
"Annara, why didn't you tell me before I volunteered for this mission about the mind control possibilities between a pair-bonded human and a Pure Blood?"
Annara pursed her lips. She ran a hand through her short, thick black hair and cleared her throat, looking around the chair to make sure her crossbow and other weapons weren't stowed far from her grasp.
You can take the girl out of the wilderness but you can't take the wilderness out of the girl. Olivia tapped her fingernail against the armrest, her impatience growing by the second. She's definitely hiding something from me.
Olivia's Decision Page 2
