The Forbidden

by Jessie Donovan

  Taryn rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. I've had morning sickness the last few days and it's put him in a sour mood, imagining the worst-case scenarios for what will happen to me and our daughter."

  Taryn's demeanor helped Kalahn relax a little. "Just wait until she's born. He'll be even worse."

  "Don't remind me," Taryn muttered. "So, are you ready?" She lifted a parcel in one of her arms. "I have all of the appearance transformation goodies needed from the Kelderan ship."

  Since Kalahn's face was well-known among the Kelderan people, her eldest brother Keltor had suggested that she try some of the makeup tricks he'd used to go incognito on Keldera. If it worked for him, it should work for her, too.

  "Just about." Kalahn turned back toward Ryven and looked up into his eyes. "I love you."

  Happiness and love filled his eyes. "I love you, too."

  Not caring about her brother, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ryven.

  Eventually, Ryven broke the kiss and laid his forehead against hers. "But that had better not be goodbye. After all, I'm still waiting on a certain question. And if this succeeds, I fully expect you to ask it soon."

  She raised her brows. "You know that if a female said that to a male, it would send him scurrying the other way?"

  "I don't think you're going to run, so I should be safe."

  She battled a smile and lost. "Cocky warrior."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Says the stubborn telepath."

  She laughed and kissed him once more before turning away from the male she loved. Squaring her shoulders, Kalahn nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go."

  ~

  Several hours later, Kalahn no longer had golden skin and blue hair. Instead, she temporarily had purple skin and black hair, all thanks to the special Kelderan cosmetics.

  Between her new looks and a dress more suited to merchant's employee, no one questioned her being brought into a cell inside the Kelderan jail.

  While putting her into a cell right next to the assassin would be suspicious—she'd been isolated for weeks, after all—Kalahn was put farther down in the same wing.

  While the cell wasn't cold, it was small, with three walls and a door. All she had inside was a bed, basin, pitcher with water, and a bucket to be used as a toilet.

  Since plumbing was still being developed, most Kelderans were learning to rough it. Still, being confronted with it in a small room only reminded her of how different things were from life back on Keldera with its fancy technology.

  She probably wouldn't miss it so much if it weren't for the people trying to kill those she loved. Her brothers suspected Kelderan technology had been stolen to aid in their tasks. So until they were neutralized, the colony transport ship might never be able to return to Keldera.

  And considering she hoped to bring Ryven's mother to Jasvar, Kalahn wanted her plan to work and set off a chain of events to end the threat. Ryven had lost his parents as a child; he shouldn't be separated from his second mother, too.

  In other words, she couldn't fail.

  So Kalahn focused on reinforcing the cloaking barrier around her and Ryven's signatures. While she couldn't keep up the complicated barrier that would hide them from other telepaths on the plane indefinitely, she should be able to maintain it long enough to complete her mission.

  Borzet had assured her that the assassin wasn't as skilled as he was, let alone at Kalahn's level. However, Kalahn wasn't going to allow herself to be overconfident. One mistake could tip the balance of power instantly.

  Someone knocked on her cell door before a slit opened at the bottom and a tray was pushed inside. Kalahn retrieved it and searched the food until she found the small capsule containing a message. Taking out the paper and unfolding it, she read: Interrogation is over. Prisoner back in cell.

  This is it. Crumpling the paper, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. While she usually didn't need to perform either action in order to use her telepathy, Kalahn didn't want to waste any unnecessary energy by standing or sitting. That meant less she'd have to take from Ryven.

  Speaking of her male, she felt Ryven's encouragement through the bond and drew strength from it. After a few seconds of soaking in Ryven's love as well, she exited their shared space and maintained a cloaking barrier around her mental self in the telepath plane.

  There were only two signatures nearby—Syzel's starship and the one she'd been shown before, a circle of stone trees surrounding something no one could see.

  The tree ring signature belonged to the female assassin.

  The further Kalahn went from her own place and toward the tree ring, the more she started to draw energy from Ryven. While she'd love to stay and study her opponent's signature for hours, she didn't have that option. Especially since the female could detect her presence at any time, and that would compromise the mission.

  Kalahn, Borzet, Ryven, and Syzel had discussed the best place to attack the female's signature. They'd decided on the top, where the circle of trees protected something.

  As Borzet had taught her, Kalahn gathered energy into a ball and imagined compressing it as much as possible. The more confined the energy, the bigger the resulting blast should be.

  She could feel Ryven weakening through the bond, but did her best to ignore it. She trusted him to let her know when to stop.

  When she finally amassed enough energy, she took a few steadying breaths. This was it. She would only have a few seconds to grab some thoughts before the female could patch up her defenses again. While it was possible to kill another person this way, Borzet had taught her how to avoid it. Kalahn wanted to protect her family, but she didn't want to kill anyone in order to do it.

  Matching her actions to her next exhale, Kalahn hurled the energy at her target. A blinding light filled the space and Kalahn rushed closer to the female's signature. A few thoughts drifted out.

  I miss them so much. But I must protect them. He'll raise them well.

  After a beat, more came. I've been attacked. I'm sorry, but I can't allow any of them to be discovered. The secrets will die with me. I love you. Goodbye.

  Kalahn decoded her words—the female assassin was going to attempt to kill herself.

  Kalahn had a split-second decision to make. But in the end, it all boiled down to one thing.

  She couldn't let the female die.

  Pushing aside morality, she dropped her invisibility barrier and dove into the crack in the assassin's signature. She quickly dismantled the female's inner shields and touched her mental presence.

  Much like what had happened with Ryven, memories flew through Kalahn's mind. However, before she could contain them, she needed to do something else. Wrapping herself around the female's mental presence, Kalahn squeezed until the female fell unconscious.

  She would no longer be able to commit suicide.

  Just as Kalahn was about to pull back, Ryven's weak voice came through the noise. Kalahn. Stop.

  She wanted to stop, but the rush of memories made it impossible for her to concentrate, let alone leave the female assassin's mental space.

  If she wanted to get back to Ryven, Kalahn needed to contain the memories. Only then could she pull back.

  Working as quickly as she could, she finally reached a point where she had most of the memories contained and she could concentrate on something besides the mental vault.

  Kalahn left and headed back toward her own space as fast as she could. However, when she arrived, she instantly looked around for Ryven.

  But instead of the warm, glowing presence she'd come to expect, there was barely a flicker of light.

  He was dying.

  And it was all her fault.

  No. She wasn’t going to let him go. She needed to save him by any means necessary, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

  Kalahn wrapped herself around Ryven's spark and channeled as much energy through the mind-bond as she could. She couldn't lose him, not now. He'd trusted her and she'd let him down. She said sternly to him, Live, Ryven. You nee
d to live.

  He never replied, which worried her further, making her transfer even greater amounts of energy to him.

  She had no idea how long she both tried to save him and tried to coax a reply, but eventually her own consciousness faded and she blacked out.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ryven woke up some indeterminable time later, opened his eyes and was greeted with a dark room filled with medical equipment.

  Recent events flooded his mind and he instantly checked inside their mental space. He finally found Kalahn's presence. However, the usually large, round form was a tenth the usual size. Kalahn? Can you hear me?

  Silence.

  He turned to try to sit up, but that's when he noticed he wasn't alone in the room. Kalahn was in a bed next to his. There was also a doctor standing near her, but Ryven didn't pay him any attention as he slowly stood and moved to Kalahn's side. Taking her hand, he brought it to his cheek. "Kalahn? Wake up, love. I need you to wake up."

  The Kelderan doctor, Merctor, spoke. "She won't be waking up anytime soon."

  If ever was left unsaid.

  Never taking his gaze from Kalahn, Ryven demanded, "What happened to her?"

  "The best we can tell, she overstretched her powers. And when she saw you were dying, she transferred her own energy to save you."

  He took in Kalahn's pale face and wished he knew of a way to bring her back. "There has to be something you can do, Merctor."

  The doctor shook his head. "Telepathy is beyond my sphere of knowledge, especially for someone on Princess Kalahn's level."

  He met his friend's gaze. "Where's Borzet? Maybe he can tell me how to give her some of my energy."

  Merctor replied, "Borzet already told us not to try that. Passing energy back and forth will eventually kill you both. It's up to Kalahn to wake up."

  He looked back down at Kalahn, smoothed her blue hair back from her forehead, and kissed her temple. He whispered, "Don't you dare die on me, Princess. I still have debts to pay."

  He willed for her to wake up and tease him, but Kalahn remained motionless save for the rise and fall of her chest. His heart constricted. Kalahn should be the one alert and lively. She shouldn't have sacrificed herself to save him.

  He retreated inside their mental space and swirled around Kalahn's small, flickering presence. Kalahn. Wake up, love.

  Still silence.

  Remembering how she had reached out to him when he'd been injured, Ryven carefully directed a thread of his mental self outward. He wouldn't consume Kalahn like she'd done with him, but he let a small part of himself wrap around Kalahn's light.

  He then sent every loving thought he could toward her, including memories of their first kiss years ago. Him kissing her jaw to see if she could keep her marking colors dark blue. Her making him come with her mouth. The endless teasing of her fantasies.

  Ryven had no idea how long he stood there trying to coax Kalahn back, but eventually, Kason's voice filled the room. "She'll wake up, Ryven. Kalahn isn't one to give up lightly."

  He met Kason's gaze. "At least tell me her sacrifice was successful."

  "Yes and no."

  He sighed. "I'm in no mood to drag information out of you, Kason. My soon-to-be bride almost forfeited her life to help you. So tell me exactly what you've discovered."

  Kason crossed his arms over his chest. "The assassin fell unconscious and mumbled a few things about her children and protecting them. Some other ramblings gave us the location of her mate. Guards are bringing him and their children back here as we speak."

  "The female had children?" he asked.

  "Yes. There must be a specific reason why she was going to such extremes to kill the royal family. Thanks to Kalahn, we should be able to find out why."

  Ryven grunted. "I sense Kalahn learned more, but I'm not sure what."

  "I have no doubt she'll wake up to share it. She's always wanted to be useful."

  Ryven looked back at Kalahn's sleeping face. "Just make sure to tell her that when she regains consciousness. You have no idea how much she wanted you to notice her as more than a sister to be married off, Kason."

  "I can't change the past, but Kalahn has more than earned her place in my inner circle. If she reaches out telepathically, ensure she knows that I'll have other assignments for her. Provided she wants them."

  Ryven smiled. "She'll want them."

  Kason grunted. "Good. Keep me updated on her status. I need to help with the incoming arrivals."

  "I will. And normally I'd offer to help you, but I'm not going anywhere until Kalahn wakes up."

  Kason put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I wouldn't expect you to. Just make sure to take care of yourself as well. Borzet will be along shortly to see if he can help heal Kalahn's mind, and having you awake will probably make that situation go smoother."

  Ryven paused, but decided he had to know. "Will there be permanent damage?"

  "It's too early to tell. But knowing Kalahn, she'll find a way back to us."

  After a few more seconds, Kason murmured his goodbye and left.

  Ryven pulled up a chair and sat next to Kalahn's bed. Not knowing what else to do, he sang her some of the lullabies and songs his adopted mother had sung to him. They had always had a way of soothing his soul and bringing him out of a fever in the past. While it probably wasn't sound medical advice, it couldn't hurt to try everything he could to bring back the female he loved.

  ~~~

  Thorin Jarrell stared at the little girl with red skin and did his best not to gawk.

  The daughter of the female assassin was part-Brekvan. Not from her mother, who was part Hirlanzian, but rather from her father's side.

  He didn't understand Brevkan females as well as males since he'd never met one. At least, he'd never met one that he knew of. According to his bride, Vala, there were many who lived pretending to be full Kelderan, much like he'd done for most of his life.

  But the little girl was important because she was a sign of what his bride had been suggesting to him. Namely, that there were other part-Brevkan Kelderans inside the Jasvarian colony.

  He'd wondered as much when Syzel had told him about the security breaches and the faked information concerning the passengers and their genetics. But seeing the little girl's red face was undeniable proof. No Kelderan had skin that color, and a DNA test had confirmed her heritage.

  Her older brother sitting at her side had light blue skin, which hid his non-Kelderan heritage. Blue was one of the skin tones that Kelderans, Hirlanzians, and Brevkans all shared.

  As he watched the boy play with a wooden starship and the little girl attempt to draw something on the paper in front of her, Thorin wished he could interrogate the father instead. But Kason had asked him and Vala to talk with the children, and he wasn't one to turn down a request from the leader of the Kelderan colony. He and Kason had never gotten along earlier in their lives and only recently had learned to work together, but they both wished to protect the colony and their respective brides above all else.

  Vala sat across from the little girl, drawing her own picture. When Vala finished, she turned it toward the girl named Arvia. "Can you guess what this is?"

  The girl glanced up. "A flower."

  Vala snorted. "It's a bird, actually. What are you drawing?"

  Arvia didn't answer but continued sketching her picture. It was her brother who finally spoke. "It's one of her nightmares."

  Vala leaned forward to get a better look and gasped. Glancing over her shoulder, she met Thorin's gaze and said, "You should see this."

  He'd never been good with children, but he would do anything for his bride. So Thorin squatted down at the low table and studied the scribbles.

  While abstract, he saw a field of people lying in what had to be pools of blood.

  The picture answered his question as to whether Brevkan females had rage visions or not.

  He moved his gaze to the young female's face and wished he could protect her from such dreams. Thori
n had nearly gone crazy from trying to contain similar visions for almost thirty years. He didn't wish that fate upon anyone.

  Which meant his and Vala's plans to seek out the other part-Brekvan individuals and learn as much as they could about their whereabouts, so that they could help all of them, would have to be accelerated.

  Vala touched his shoulder and he met her eyes. "We have to help these children, Thorin. Once the dust settles down with Kason and his family, I think it's time to ask for his help. I can't bear to watch these children go through what you did, especially if there's a way to calm it."

  He nodded. "I think it's time to find the other hidden individuals, starting with those on Jasvar."

  Thorin and Vala went back to watching Arvia. He understood why the female assassin and her lord would want to protect their children. However, he wasn't entirely sure why killing the royal family would help their situation. There had to be someone out there spreading misinformation. He needed to discover from where and try to stop it before it only made things worse. Because if extremist groups became the norm on Jasvar, Keldera would stop sending colonists.

  And if that happened, who knew what might happen to the Kelderans who already lived on Jasvar. After all, the Earth Colony Alliance sent observers to the planet. If they saw the Kelderans as a threat, they'd be forced to leave.

  Which meant they would have to return to Keldera. The thought of his Vala being forced back into the shadows as a Barren stoked his anger. Only because of his bride's presence nearby did he not fall into a rage.

  No, he wouldn't allow the anger to take over. Vala deserved better.

  It seemed Thorin's list of duties on Jasvar kept growing. But he'd only recently found love and happiness. He wasn't about to give it up. He'd do whatever it took to hold onto them.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ryven looked at each of the people standing in Kalahn's room and wished he knew anything about most of them.