The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “What about the one I had just before we landed this morning?” Michael asked, then gave his head a shake. “Never mind, I got it. That was the one that sent the signal to Farnswaite, right?”

  “I believe so, yes,” Vikter replied.

  “Which reminds me that I had a headache the first day I arrived here. It started suddenly and lasted for a few hours, then stopped just as suddenly.”

  “That must have been the device picking up data from Farnswaite,” Vikter guessed.

  “This whole things makes me ill,” Michael said. “Even though the evidence indicates that the device can’t be activated through the barrier, I want it removed. Now. Please. Get it out.”

  “Michael,” Doc said. “We don’t know how this device works, or what might set it off. I think the safest way to remove it is the old-fashioned way.”

  “I agree,” Michael said. “Get a knife and get to it.”

  “I’ll give you a sedative first,” Doc said, but Michael shook his head.

  “For all we know this thing has a chemical failsafe trigger. A sedative could detonate it,” he said. “Just cut the damn thing out.”

  “I’d like to argue with you, but I can’t,” Doc said with a sigh. “Get your shirt off.” Michael sat up as Doc crossed the room, opened a drawer and dug around for a moment before finding what he wanted. He returned with an old-fashioned scalpel that he kept more for its interest than for use. He flipped on the sterilizing lamp and held the scalpel beneath it for a long moment, then turned it off and faced Michael.

  “What is it?” Doc asked, seeing a surprised expression on Michael’s face.

  “I’m not sure,” he said softly, staring at the lamp. He looked at Doc, forgetting the lamp for the moment. “Go ahead Doc, and don’t worry about me. I’d rather a neat cut than a messy explosion.”

  Doc sprayed Michael’s shoulder with a disinfectant, then glanced up at the image on the screen before setting the scalpel against Michael’s skin. Using quick, sure motions, he cut into the flesh, then down between two thick cords of muscle. He set the scalpel aside and reached for a pair of long, coated forceps. A few moments later, he held the device up, looking at it closely before laying it gently on a tray. Then he cleaned the wound and used a sealant to close.

  During the entire procedure Michael’s face had remained stoic, though the tightening of his body and neck told the Jasani looking on how much Doc’s procedure hurt. They were impressed. For a brief few moments, they had suspected this man to be a Xanti spy. Now, they suspected that, were he not a scientist, he would make a fine warrior.

  Trey and Dav took possession of the device, placing it in a protective shell and sealing it. If it were detonated, the explosion would be contained. At the same time, the shell would allow them to perform a detailed study of the device and learn how it worked. It was very tiny, and did not appear to contain any explosive that they were familiar with. Therefore, learning how it did work was imperative. This was their chance to answer the riddle that not everyone had thought of yet. Which was, how the hell did Sergio Farnswaite cause an explosion so big and so intense that it took out two stone buildings the size of the Research Center and the Infirmary?

  “Okay, you’re all set,” Doc said as he stepped away from the bed and stripped off his gloves.

  “Not quite, Doc,” Michael argued. “I still have a thing in my head, remember?”

  “I didn’t forget,” Doc said. “But in case you didn’t notice, that thing is lodged in your skull. I can’t cut it out so easily.”

  “I don’t care what you have to do,” Michael said. “I want it out.”

  “Dr. Davis,” Prince Garen said, addressing Michael for the first time. “I am Prince Garen. I would ask you, and it is up to you, to allow Doc to go about removing the other device in a way which will preserve it as much as possible. This will take more time then simply cutting in and yanking it free, but it will give us a whole device to study.”

  “I understand, Prince Garen,” Michael said. “As much as I despise having anything Xanti inside of me, I agree it’s best to have the thing in one piece.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Davis,” Garen replied. “As you are the new head of research here, I believe you may get some satisfaction from learning more of the Xanti from the device they used on you.”

  “Yes, I will,” Michael said. “Or would have, I suppose, since there’s no more center here to head.”

  “The Research Center will be rebuilt,” Garen said. “Don’t concern yourself about that.”

  “Thank you, Prince Garen” Michael said, relaxing a little. He’d been very disappointed to realize that the Research Center had been destroyed, and had thought that his new job had been annihilated with it. Knowing that he still had a Xanti device in his body disgusted him, but knowing he still had a job went a long way toward helping him get over it.

  “How long do you think it will be before you’re able to remove it, Doc?” he asked. “I know you have your hands full with those injured from the explosion.” As he spoke, Michael remembered Honey. He sat up and looked across the room. As far as he could tell, there’d been no change in her.

  “I’d like a run down on Honey’s injuries,” he said to Doc.

  Doc shot a quick glance to Vikter, then to Honey where she lay with Lance and Hunt standing beside her bed, then to Michael. “Of course,” he said, before rattling off the injuries. “The one I’m most concerned about is the head injury,” he finished. “Jareth will be here in a couple of hours, after he’s had a chance to rest. He has promised to heal her first.”

  Michael looked over to where a row of four beds held other victims from the explosion. Then back to Honey, Doc, and Vikter. Something was going on here that he didn’t know about.

  “I’ll be able to remove that thing in your head in about an hour,” Doc said.

  Michael nodded as he pulled his shirt on and hopped off the table. He walked toward Honey, noting the rising tension in Lance and Hunt as he approached. Their behavior was familiar somehow, but he couldn’t think why. Just as he reached the bed, the door opened and Berta entered with the Falcorans. Michael stepped back out of the way as Berta rushed forward and hovered over her niece for a long moment. He watched as Vikter explained to her what had happened, and assured her that Honey would be healed. He listened to them discuss the explosion with the Falcorans, who had overseen the first rescue efforts at the scene, but had missed the more recent events. And through it all, he began to understand what it was he was seeing.

  He moved forward to speak with Berta for a few minutes, and greeted the Falcorans. He joined the conversation while thinking about everything that had happened since their arrival on Jasan. It didn’t take him too long to decide what he should do. What he could do, without breaking his word, was another matter. Therefore, it took him far longer to make up his mind as to what he would do.

  The Falcorans offered to use their small amount of Water Magic to help Honey’s head wound. Michael watched, mesmerized, as the nasty gash on her head grew smaller, and some of the bruising faded. He thanked them profusely, though they seemed embarrassed that they were unable to do more.

  A few minutes later the Falcorans left, taking their Arima home with promises that they’d be notified if there was any change in Honey’s condition. By then, Doc’s hour was nearly up. He wanted to do something before Doc cut into his head, just in case.

  “Vikter,” he said in a low voice when the four of them were alone around Honey’s bed. “I don’t have much time, so just tell me, yes or no, is Honey your Arima?” The Vulpirans froze for a long moment, their reaction confirming his guess before the words were spoken.

  “Yes, she is,” Vikter replied. “You have my word, Michael, we would never do anything to dishonor you, her, or ourselves.”

  “I never imagined you would, Vikter,” Michael said. “I know that in some ways I’m blind, but I’m not that blind. I only have a few moments, but I wanted to tell you before Doc knocks me out that t
here’s a lot less in between you and Honey than you suppose.”

  “What do you mean?” Vikter asked, hope rising so fast he felt almost dizzy.

  “I would tell you if I could,” Michael said. “I’m sorry, but I am bound by my word. I can say only that when Honey awakens, you may tell her that I give my full permission for her to tell you three the full story, including my secrets that she has sworn not to tell, as I have sworn not to tell hers.”

  Vikter, Lance, and Hunt all bowed to Michael, their fists to their hearts. “We understand that you have done us a great favor, Michael Davis,” Vikter said. “We thank you for it, no matter what the outcome may be.”

  Michael smiled, and patted Honey’s uninjured hand gently. “Give her a hug for me when she wakes up, will you?”

  “I shall,” Vikter promised.

  Michael walked away, feeling that he had done the best he could, and hoping that it was enough. Then he put the matter from his mind and began asking Doc questions about the upcoming procedure.

  ***

  Honey swam up from the depths of sleep very slowly, her mind awakening gradually until a wave of pain engulfed her. She gasped softly as her eyes flew open in surprise, which only increased the dull pounding in her head. She tried to raise her hand to her head in an automatic gesture, gasping again at the sharp, intense pain the effort caused. What the hell? she wondered. She tried to raise her other hand, but felt a warm touch on her arm, stopping her. She looked down, not even trying to lift her throbbing head.

  “Do not try to move, zetia,” Vikter said, leaning over so that she could more easily see his face. “You are safe, and we are watching over you.”

  Honey felt relief wash through her at the sight of Vikter’s pale yellow eyes. She turned her head, just a little, and saw Lance and Hunt on the other side of the bed she was lying on. Her body relaxed automatically, and she didn’t even try to fight it. At the moment, she was in too much pain to care why it mattered so much that they were there with her.

  “What happened?” she asked, her voice coming out a soft whisper though she’d tried to speak in her usual voice. Suddenly she realized her throat was dry and scratching.

  “We will explain in a minute,” Vikter said. “First, would you like something for the pain?”

  Honey hesitated for a moment. She didn’t like pain drugs, but as a doctor she knew that sometimes they were necessary. Pain caused the body to tighten and tense, which could make injuries worse. A sharp stab behind her eyes that came and went in a flash, decided her. “Yes, please,” she said. “But nothing that will put me back to sleep.”

  Vikter looked over at Hunt, who nodded and hurried away. He was back a moment later with a pressure syringe which he handed to Vikter. She barely felt the injection, and sighed softly when the pain eased a few moments later.

  “Is that better?” Vikter asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” she replied. “Water, please?”

  Lance reached over her head, then lowered his arm with a bottle of water in his hand with a straw sticking out of it. They’d been prepared for her, she realized. They’d thought about what she might need or want when she awoke. The realization brought tears to her eyes, though she didn’t know why.

  Lance put the end of the straw between her lips and she sucked the cool, delicious liquid into her mouth. Vikter leaned over and gently wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks toward her ears.

  “Thank you,” she said after releasing the straw. “What happened?”

  Her voice was still a whisper, but the pain was less and her throat felt much better.

  “There was an explosion,” Vikter said. “We found you beneath a desk in the infirmary.”

  “Yes, I remember,” she said slowly. “Well, I don’t remember an explosion exactly. I felt the building jerk really hard and I thought it was an earthquake. I was sitting at the desk so I dropped to the floor so I could climb under it. I remember hitting the floor, and the wall behind me exploding. Nothing else.”

  “Maybe the explosion behind you pushed you beneath the desk,” Lance suggested as he placed the straw between her lips again.

  “I guess,” she said after she finished drinking. “What exploded? Was it an accident?”

  “No, it was not,” Vikter replied. He didn’t want to lie to her, but she didn’t need any gruesome details, either. “There was an explosion in the Research Center.”

  Honey thought about that for a few moments as she took another sip of water. An explosion in the Research Center large enough to explode a wall in the infirmary must have been really big indeed.

  “How bad?” she asked.

  Vikter bit back a sigh. The expression in her eyes demanded truth. “Both buildings were destroyed, zetia,” he said, not even realizing he was using an endearment. “You were injured, and the other occupant of the infirmary lost her life. A nurse.”

  Honey felt her eyes sting with tears again. She had only just met Tesla, but she was sad that the woman had lost her life.

  “A Katre male-set have also traveled to the next plane,” Vikter continued. “Two Lobo male-sets were severely injured, but Jareth was able to save their lives.” Vikter gave her a quick run-down on deaths and injuries, wishing he didn’t have to tell her. But she’d asked, and he would not lie to her.

  “Why?” Honey asked when he was finished.

  “We believe that the goal was to destroy the Xanti prisoner,” Vikter replied. “In that regard it was successful.”

  “Jareth used too much of his own resources to heal those who would have died otherwise to be able to heal you right away,” Lance explained. “He has promised to return once he has rested a little. That is why Doc has not treated your injuries.”

  “I don’t want Jareth to waste energy on me,” Honey said. “I’m sure there are others who need it more.”

  “You are wrong,” Lance replied. “You are the most seriously injured of those here. You will be healed.”

  Honey decided to let it go. There was no use in arguing with them. She’d wait until Jareth came, and speak with him.

  “Honey, we would discuss something with you, if you feel up to it,” Vikter said hesitantly.

  “It’s better than lying here hurting,” she said with a smile that hurt her face.

  “First of all, there is something important that you should know,” he said. “Something we should have told you, but at the same time, could not, in all honor, reveal.”

  “I’m your Arima,” Honey said, sensing how difficult this was for him.

  “You knew?” Lance asked in surprise.

  “No, I didn’t know,” Honey said. “I suspected after healing the Lobos’ babies. But I wasn’t sure. This morning I asked Hope Bearen if it was so, and she said that it was.”

  “You don’t seem angry about it,” Hunt said.

  “Should I be?” Honey asked in surprise. Then she blushed, understanding what he meant. A married woman should be angry, or at least upset. “I’m sorry,” she said. “There are things I can’t explain. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “Actually, you can,” Vikter said. “Michael has asked us to tell you that you have his permission to tell us the entire story. We don’t know what that means exactly, but our curiosity on the subject obviously outweighs our common sense or we would not be bothering you with it now.”

  “He said that, really?” she asked.

  “Yes, he did,” Vikter replied. “We would never tell you an untruth.”

  “I know,” Honey said. “I’m just having a hard time adjusting to it.”

  “We ask that you tell us,” Vikter said.

  Honey felt the anxiety and tension coming from the three of them, and knew that they were barely maintaining their composure. But how to tell them? She looked at the water in Lance’s hand and he immediately helped her to have another drink. By the time she was finished, she’d made up her mind.

  “The nicest way to describe my marriage to Michael is to call it a political marriage,” she
began. “The truth is, it was blackmail. We were both forced into it by the Terien government. We give the appearance of a married couple because we have no other choice. Behind closed doors we are only friends.”

  She paused, sensing the rising anger in the Vulpirans. “Please, don’t get upset right now. I feel your anger, and it’s difficult to deal with at the moment.”

  “We apologize,” Vikter said. “We shall be more careful.”

  “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she continued, “but my father died when I was seven, so there was little money. I worked hard, got scholarships, and made my way through college and into medical school, advancing as quickly as I could to help save money. After I left home, my Mother began dating and met a man she liked. She found out too late that the man was married. There is no divorce on Terien, so there was no question of the man leaving his wife. Mother knew that, and accepted it. She said she didn’t want a man who could lie so easily, or so well, anyway. She wanted the child she was carrying though. Very much.

  “The problem was that the father of her child was not only married, he was also wealthy, well known, and a powerful official in the Terien monarchy. If Mother had lived to raise her child herself, everything would have been fine. But she didn’t. She had complications during the delivery and did not survive the birth.”

  Vikter, Lance and Hunt raised their fists to their hearts and bowed to her. Honey felt more tears roll down her cheeks, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She’d wanted to tell this story for so long, and now that she had permission from Michael, she was going to do it.

  “I was only half way through medical school with a newborn infant to take care of. I was going to have to quit school and work full time, of course. I was going to keep Nica, which her wealthy father didn’t like. Not a bit. I’d never asked him for a thing, but he didn’t trust me to keep my mouth shut, and he didn’t want it to get out that he had fathered an illegitimate child. The Terien public would not approve.” Honey paused, and Lance gave her the rest of the water in the bottle, while Hunt went to get a fresh one for her.