Daelyn wanted to deny what she felt for him, to force him from her. What he offered was fantasy.
“Come with me now. Say you will accept me as your taman.”
He had no idea how badly she wanted to go with him. Daelyn had never sealed with another male, never known that level of intimacy with another, had never wanted to. Her depth of feeling for Alekos frightened her. She realized now that she would have given her life to save his when she went with Eluria to mount the rescue.
It had not strictly been out of guilt and to make reparation. She had loved him even then.
She reached up to touch his face, knowing there was no other answer, no matter what the Beyond held for her. “I will come with you, but I will not follow you. I will stand and fight by your side. I will be your tafai if you wish. I cannot give back what I have taken from you, but I will give you the Beyond if I can.”
He pressed her hand to his lips, his tongue stroking her palm and she shivered at the intense pleasure of his touch. He then pressed her hand to his cheek.
“I do not want you out of some misplaced guilt you may hold. I don’t want your guilt. Tell me it isn’t the need to pay for the Before that drives you now. Leave the memories in the Before where they belong. We move forward from here to the Beyond, both of us redeemed by this odd love we have found.”
“It is not guilt that makes me wish to be with you. I believe Guardian set us on this path from that first moment. I tried to deny it, but it was not to be. Are you certain, Alekos? Is this truly what you want?” She had to be sure.
“I’m not like my brother. He knew from the beginning who his mate was and all of that was taken from him. But he’s found his happiness. I’ve lived with uncertainty all my life. Life with me will not be easy, I’m used to being alone and taking care of myself.” The corner of his mouth quirked upward. “And giving the orders.” He again gazed down at her and brushed his thumb across her full lips. “But when I met you, something inside me changed. I would have continued alone had we not met again. We cannot refuse what Guardian has offered us.”
“One,” was her answer. “Union as one.”
Alekos leaned over her and his hands and mouth again claimed her body, a slower affirmation of the bond they swore to one another.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tonight was their last night on Ednos and Gavrielle chose to host a family dinner. Surprisingly, Daelyn looked forward to leaving with Alekos and being alone with him, eager to begin the adventure with her chosen taman.
She still had a difficult time believing that Alekos Andromeda was her taman. It was something she never would have dreamed would occur. Yet so much had happened over the last few weeks. She could not now imagine a Beyond without him. Oh, he still attempted to exert his dominance, but they had come to agreement.
She smiled as she thought about their method of negotiation. It was her feeling that they argued just so they could have the pleasure of making up.
As an Enforcer she had always worked alone, unlike some who worked in tandem. Alekos, the infamous Ravager, had also led a solitary existence. In the last few weeks as they prepared the ship and reviewed maps, listened to the most recent reports of Tribunal activity, they came to act more as one with like minds. Except for the occasional disagreement.
“What are you thinking?” Eluria asked from across the room. “It looks like you are far away.”
“Looks to me like she has my brother on her mind.” Kierra laughed.
Daelyn shook her head. “It seems he is no longer far from it.”
Kierra nodded. “As it should be between those sealed in union. I’m glad you found each other. I didn’t like to think of either of you alone. You both deserve happiness.”
Alekos assured her he had not divulged how he sustained his injuries. His belief in her at times still left her breathless. He truly did love her and Guardian had offered her a most precious gift in making him her taman.
“How are you feeling, Eluria? No ill effects as of yet?” Daelyn wanted to turn the subject of the discussion from herself. Eluria smiled and patted her abdomen.
“None yet. But Devon is being ridiculous. He treats me like spun glass and thinks I will break at the least movement.” She laughed softly. “He will make a good sire.” Tears glittered in her eyes.
Suddenly a memory surfaced in Daelyn. How could she have forgotten? “Eluria,” she gasped, “I’ve remembered something. Haydon, how could I have forgotten something so important?”
Kierra and Eluria turned to look at her. “What is it? What has you so upset?”
“On Argadia, when I was with Zydon, he revealed something. How could I have forgotten? I am so sorry.”
“What is it? What did my father say to you?”
“It must have been the drug,” Daelyn muttered, then turned to Eluria. “It was just before the explosion. He told me that he had not sired you. He is not your true father.”
Eluria gasped and fell back onto the lounger. Kierra sat beside her and grasped her hand.
“Mylonna, how could I not have known? It all makes sense.” She looked at Daelyn and the look in her eyes took Daelyn’s breath away. “I do not carry his blood. I cannot pass on the evil to my child.” Then she burst into tears, covering her face with both hands. “You do not know the guilt, the fear I have carried for my child.”
Daelyn hurriedly sat down next to her and put her arm around her. “I’m sorry. I should have remembered. I don’t know how I could have been so thoughtless.”
Eluria wiped the tears from her cheeks, turned to Daelyn and gripped her hand. “He beat you, Daelyn. And you had the drug in your system. It really is a wonder you remember anything of that day. But you did remember and you have eased me with your words in ways nothing else could have.”
“I just wish I had remembered sooner. I’m so sorry.”
“You have done so now and that’s what’s important. And you have given me peace with that knowledge. My child will be safe. One day we will end the Tribunal’s reign of terror.” She rose from her seat. “Come, the others are waiting.”
All three women got up and moved toward the dining room. Devon, Alekos, and Jarek were already seated, involved in a tactical discussion of some sort. All three looked up as their tafais entered the room. They separated and joined their females. The look in Alekos’ gaze filled Daelyn’s heart with joy. His arm circled around her as she sat next to him and his lips claimed hers.
They separated as his mother entered the room with a tray of serving dishes, and Kierra hurried to help her lay them out on the table. They all sat in silence for a moment, their heads bowed in thankfulness to Guardian, hands clasped.
Daelyn glanced up and around the table, looking at each face individually. It was a wonder to her that she had become a part of such a wonderful, loving family. How her life had changed.
This was the heart, the knowledge that although they might be at war with a savage and powerful enemy, wounds and scars could be healed, love could blossom, and life would be renewed.
Her hand tightened on Alekos’ hand, and she felt his strength and forceful love pass into her. She in turn passed that strength on to Jarek who sat next to her, and on and on it went, each giving to the next, depending on the person next to them to magnify the strength, determination, and commitment to a society built on freedom for all, and not fear.
On the morrow she and Alekos would board the ship they had made their own and renew their fight. Together. It was the beginning of their Beyond, on a ship newly christened Ravager’s Redemption. And her own as well.
~ 0 ~
The Argadian Heart Trilogy
Continue the adventure with:
Eluria’s Enforcer (Book 1)
Kierra’s Thread (Book 2)
Glossary
Anstillia Cord: Female body part.
Beamer: Tracking device
Before: A time prior to the beginning of the rebellion.
Delanian Ale: Fine wine
E
dnos: Planet sanctuary for the rebellion
Guardian: God/Goddess-non-gender (top level)
Haydon: Hell
Honeyberry Nectar: Sweet syrup
Hovercade: Hummer style of vehicle
Khout: Penis
Kyrle: 4-legged mammal
Lydion: A form of Heaven
Maigin: Young Girl
Mylonna: Male god at the right hand of Guardian (Symion and
Mylonna provide balance to the world)
Nanus: A type of nano technology
Na-nivia: Endearment – my love
Plordium: A metal ore which can hinder tracking detection (like
lead).
Purity: Virginity
Rozanna blooms: A flower similar to roses.
Seal: Sexual intercourse which includes a spiritual joining
(union-completion-balance) (Argadian)
Serdion: Once a thriving planet, now deserted
Shax-ra: Womanhood
Stasis: Sleep
Stasis vision: Dream
Symion: Female goddess at the left hand of Guardian
Talagite: Mineral equal to diamonds or gold
Tafai: Wife or female life partner (female soul-flame)
Taman: Husband or male life partner (male soul-flame)
Twilight Companion: Courtesan
Union: Marriage
Velocitor: Dune Buggy type of transportation
Vibris: Khout (penis) tentacles/tactiles
Vidviewer: Television
Vocommator: Vocal communicators; also known as vo-comms
Zyflamite: A type of explosive (like dynamite)
Author Bio
Adrianna Dane has been putting pen to paper since the age of ten. She currently resides in the state of Washington. She has a great fondness for using a fountain pen when writing her first drafts. Hobby interests are varied, including photography and traveling.
The first defining love story Adrianna read back in junior high school was "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, and that set her on the road to her long-standing love affair with books of all genres. Her inspiration in writing often can be found by listening to song lyrics, from hard rock to classical, and reading poetry by such poets as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allen Poe, and Ranier Maria Rilke. But finding inspiration for her stories truly has no boundaries for Adrianna.
In 2006, her dark fantasy GLBT story, Body Parts, won its category in the Dream Realm Awards. Adrianna has written more than 100 stories, short, novella, and novel length, delving into many facets of the human condition - contemporary, futuristic, and fantasy, and all the flavors therein and in between. In other words, wherever the story and the characters, as well as their intricate stories, take her imagination, then her pen and/or computer keyboard, are sure to follow.
Networking Links
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Blog: https://eclecticalchemy.wordpress.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/adriannadane/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/749073.Adrianna_Dane
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Ravager's Redemption (The Argadian Heart Book 3) Page 10
