The Forbidden

by Jessie Donovan

  However, all he knew was that the group of people consisted of all the telepaths and empaths—people who could sense and possibly manipulate emotions—from inside the human colony. They had also all been vetted and vouched for by Taryn Demara.

  And they were here to help Kalahn.

  It'd been almost two days since she'd fallen unconscious and with each passing day, her inner light dimmed a little more.

  He'd been tempted every second of the last two days to try transferring his energy to save her, even if it meant losing his life.

  If not for Borzet and the doctors arguing with him to let them try one more thing, he would've done it, too.

  Borzet stood in the center of the dozen people. He and the male at his side were the leaders of the group. The other male had blue skin and metallic silver hair, which easily identified him as Gerzalt, Nova Drakven's father.

  Ryven gently squeezed Kalahn's hand in his and asked one more time. "Are you sure this is a better idea than mine?"

  Since Ryven and Gerzalt had both been given ear translator devices, Ryven easily understood Gerzalt's reply. "I sense your worry and fear, son. But this wouldn't be the first time empaths and telepaths have teamed up together to save someone."

  "But it's never been done on Jasvar," Ryven stated.

  Gerzalt shook his head. "No. However, my people can possess a variety of abilities, including empathy and telepathy. Anyone who possesses an extraordinary ability on my former planet is trained in its uses. Working with a telepath to heal an injured mind is one of the many things I studied."

  Borzet spoke up. "While Hirlanzians only possess telepathy, Gerzalt has been training me almost nonstop over the last two days in how to work in tandem with the empaths. I believe we will succeed."

  So the fate of his female was in the hands of a few tired individuals.

  Taryn Demara spoke up from the corner of the room, where she stood with Kason. Thanks to the device in his ear, Ryven didn't need any help understanding her today. "I know you hate the unknown and any sort of risk. But Kelderan medicine isn't very effective at treating telepathic-related conditions. I trust both Borzet and Gerzalt implicitly. I believe this is the best chance we have at bringing Kalahn back to us, Ryven."

  Ryven looked back at Kalahn's face. While they weren't married yet, Kason had taken into account Ryven's doubts when it came to Kalahn's treatment. The final decision about what to do had been given to him.

  Brushing the hair from her forehead, Ryven retreated inside their shared mental space and examined her light. There wasn't much more than a flicker to Kalahn's presence. And if that weren't worrying enough, her barriers were gone, as were all of her improvements to their area. Ryven was singlehandedly protecting their minds from outside influence and harm.

  The telepaths and empaths could possibly fail and end up killing her, but she wouldn't last much longer without some sort of help. While there could always be a miracle, he preferred doing anything rather than sitting by and doing nothing.

  In other words, the combined telepathic and empathic healing procedure was his best bet.

  Ryven came back to the outside world. Standing, he leaned down and kissed Kalahn's lips. He murmured, "Fight for us, love. Whatever energy you have left, make sure to lend it to them. You need to pull through this."

  Kason placed a hand on his shoulder. "You need to stand back and allow them to do their work."

  After one more kiss, Ryven slowly released Kalahn's hand and allowed Kason to guide him to the side of the room. The dozen people of various races formed a semi-circle around Kalahn and joined hands.

  Ryven knew they'd do some sort of combination of power, energy, and emotions to try to heal Kalahn. However, the details fled his mind as he stared at Kalahn's pale face. All he cared about right now was seeing her eyes open and for her to smile at him again.

  As the people forming the semicircle began to chant in a specific rhythm—for something related to keeping time—Ryven forced himself to retreat and look back on the telepath plane again. It was up to him to allow the other telepaths inside his and Kalahn's mental space. After dismantling a small entrance, Ryven stood back as the seven telepaths came in. With any other situation, he would note each person and try to memorize the shape and colors of the mental presences.

  But he only had eyes for Kalahn's flickering light.

  Once the telepaths formed a ring around her, a blast of positive emotions filled the space. Hope. Happiness. Gratitude. Love.

  And a multitude of others he couldn't even identify straightaway.

  Energy swirled around Kalahn, the different colors of the telepaths forming a sort of rainbow. While he couldn't see it, the positive emotions moved away from him and he knew they'd be joining the ring of light around Kalahn.

  If all went according to plan, the mental energy combined with the positive emotions would help feed Kalahn's mental self to the point she could heal on her own.

  There was probably a complicated scientific explanation for how it worked, but he didn't care what it did as long as it was successful.

  The swirling ring of rainbow light intensified, moving closer and closer with each pass to Kalahn's flickering presence. While rationally he knew it needed to engulf her, his protective instincts shouted for him to go and guard the woman he loved.

  As if sensing his desires and possible protection, the rainbow light immediately engulfed Kalahn, hiding her mental self from everyone on the telepath plane.

  The seconds ticked by, the light around her growing dimmer and dimmer, until it eventually evaporated. At the same time, a force pinned him to the wall of the shared space.

  At first, Kalahn's flickering presence was unchanged in appearance or intensity. However, Ryven didn't give up hope yet. He needed to do his part to give her the final push.

  Sending love through their mate-bond, he said telepathically, I love you, Lahn. Wake up so I can show you how much.

  The light remained unchanged. He was about to say something else when Kalahn's mental presence doubled in size, and then again, until her light was nearly as bright and large as before the attack. True, it was slightly dimmer than he remembered, but it was far from dying out.

  A weak voice filled the space. Don't call me Lahn.

  He smiled. Lahn, Lahn, Lahn. Wake up and tell me to stop.

  Ryven waited to see if Kalahn would open her eyes. Some might say that goading his female would be the wrong way to go about it. But he knew Kalahn, and irritation was a strong motivation for her.

  Kalahn's eyelids fluttered open. Her voice was so low he could barely hear it. "Don't call me Lahn."

  He pushed past the telepaths and empaths to Kalahn's side. He kissed her before laying his forehead against hers. "You're awake." She grunted and he grinned. "Kalahn."

  "Better," she whispered.

  Merctor pushed to the other side of the bed and stated, "I need to examine her, Ryven."

  All he wanted to do was crawl next to Kalahn in bed, hold her close, and never let go. However, he settled on taking her hand and never breaking eye contact with her. Since Borzet had told him that he couldn't use telepathy with Kalahn until she was deemed fully healed, he contented himself with conveying emotion with his eyes and his markings.

  When his markings turned pink, the color of love, Kalahn's did the same.

  Merctor finally finished and said, "Physically, her vital signs are stronger." He looked to Borzet. "Can you judge her mental state?"

  Borzet moved around his and Kalahn's shared mental space. In all the commotion, Ryven had forgotten the other male was still there. But at least the other telepaths and empaths had exited the mental area and left them alone.

  After a short while, Borzet finally spoke aloud. "Princess Kalahn is stronger and out of immediate danger. However, she needs to heal and take it slow for a little while; otherwise, she might regress."

  Ryven jumped in. "I'll ensure she takes it easy, even if it means strapping her to a bed."

  The
green-skinned male shook his head. "It's not just physically she must rest. She came extremely close to a telepathic burnout. I'm confident she'll regain her strength in time, both physically and telepathically, but she mustn't overstretch herself. So apart from emotions through the mind-bond, you must refrain from speaking to her via telepathy."

  Ryven cupped Kalahn's cheek. "I've spent most of my life talking to her only using my mouth. I'm sure I can manage it once more."

  Kalahn gave a weak smile. "I want to be witty, but my mind is foggy. So you'll just have to put up with a boring version of me until I can think straight again."

  "You'll never be boring, Kalahn." He kissed her lips. "You being here is all that matters."

  As he stared into Kalahn's eyes, Ryven put every bit of love he had for the female into his gaze. Kalahn whispered, "I'll soon have a question to ask you."

  Even though he wanted to make Kalahn his bride right then and there, he replied, "Whenever you're ready, I'll be here. And just so you know, I expect romance. Lots of it. Flowers strewn about the floor would be a good start."

  He winked, and Kalahn snorted. The sound helped to erase a fraction of his built-up stress.

  His semiprivate reunion with Kalahn was short-lived, however, as Kason and Taryn took Merctor's place on the other side of the bed. Kason took Kalahn's other hand and said, "It's good to have you back, sister."

  Kalahn moved her gaze to her brother. "I agree. But since I don't have unlimited amounts of strength, we can share relief later. Will you fill me in on what happened after I blacked out?"

  Taryn snorted. "Stubborn as your brother, that's for sure. Here you are, back from nearly dying, and you want to know how your mission went."

  Kason spoke before anyone else could. "She has a right to know. After all, without Kalahn, we never would've found out what we did."

  "What did you discover?" Kalahn asked.

  Kason glanced at Merctor. "Does she have the strength for this?"

  "Keep it brief. I suspect hiding it from her will only prevent the princess from resting."

  Even the doctor understood Kalahn well.

  Kason signaled and waited for all of the telepaths and empaths to leave before he focused back on his sister.

  Ryven resisted growling and telling Kason to hurry up. He, too, had been kept in the dark about what Kason had discovered.

  Kalahn's sacrifice had damn well better have been worth it.

  ~~~

  Kalahn struggled to keep her eyes open. Her body and mind demanded rest, but she needed to make sure her family was at least somewhat better protected first. Because if her mission had been successful, it meant she could finally ask Ryven to be her lord.

  Maybe they could even retreat to an isolated place for her recovery and get to simply be together without any other prying eyes or expectations.

  So while probably only seconds had passed for Kason to answer, it felt like years. Her brother finally spoke again. "The female assassin, Pelryka, is alive. She's also led us to her lord and children, which are the key to everything."

  She barely noted that it was the first time Kason had used the female assassin's name before focusing on the bigger picture. "Which is?"

  Taryn jumped in. "Kason will drag this out, so let me tell you. As we suspected, Pelryka is part-Hirlanzian. However, the interesting part is that her husband is part-Brevkan."

  "Like Thorin," Kalahn stated.

  Taryn nodded. "Yes. The pair have two children. While the son can pass as Kelderan, the little girl has red skin and will instantly be identified as something else. The female was trying to protect her children. And through a warped sense of reasoning, she believed getting rid of the royal family would make it easier to change the laws surrounding the halflings inside Kelderan society. Especially those with Brevkan parentage, like her son and daughter."

  The Brevkan wars had devastated Keldera, and no doubt many would still blame, not to mention harm, anyone who could be linked to them.

  Ryven jumped in. "But the royal family can't change the laws without the commoners' representatives. So why go after the royal family?"

  Kason answered, "We're still working on extracting information, but the best we can tell, there is someone or a group of someones spreading lies and misinformation to help target the royal family. Keltor has information on one such group, but nothing was ever said about the rights of those with some Brevkan heritage. He and I are trying to determine if they are the same group with two factions, or if this is another group entirely."

  Even with Kalahn's tired brain, she put some of it together. "The female was trying to assassinate us so her children could gain rights?"

  Taryn bobbed her head. "Yes. It doesn't excuse her actions, but I at least understand them now." She placed a hand on her lower belly. "My child isn't even born yet, and I would do anything to protect her."

  Ryven leaned forward. "So what's being done about all of this?"

  Kason grunted. "Thorin and Vala have an idea, one that may help discredit the person advocating that the only way to gain greater freedoms is to kill the royal family members. There are more part-Brevkan individuals on Keldera than I had been aware of. The Barren, apparently, take care of them when younger and some may be willing to reach out to their now-adult charges and convince them to talk with Thorin about going public. While outing them and protecting them on Keldera is too great a step right now, Thorin and Vala are going to search for them here on Jasvar. Maybe if they cooperate with the colony's administrative council and show they are just like anyone else, then the news will spread back home and give hope to those living in the shadows."

  "And the female, Pelryka?" Kalahn asked.

  "She will remain imprisoned," Kason stated. "However, if she and her lord break their silence and share the information we need, then she may get probation. Either way, her children will be guaranteed protection for as long as they are on this planet. I won't let innocents suffer because of crimes committed decades ago. They are not to blame for their Brevkan ancestors' actions."

  Despite the heaviness of her entire body, Kalahn drew on what little strength she had to say, "When I saved Pelryka from suicide, I unintentionally obtained all her memories. Once I'm stronger, I can look for anything we need, to help your search."

  Ryven caressed her cheek. "Are you sure? You don't have to. I know it's not easy reliving other people's pasts."

  She shook her head. "No, I need to do this. And it won't be so bad this time since I'm not planning on marrying her."

  Ryven filled in the others about Kalahn accidentally taking his memories before adding, "Then Kason can use what you find against Pelryka's information to gauge how well the female is cooperating."

  Kason said, "It can also give us more information about how and why Pelryka felt she needed to kill us."

  Ryven stilled his fingers on her face. "Yes, but later. For now, Kalahn needs to rest."

  Kason frowned, but Taryn placed a hand on his arm. "Let's give them some privacy, Kason. They've earned it."

  After Kason and Taryn murmured their goodbyes and exited the room, Kalahn looked over at Ryven. "There's so much I want to say, but I'm struggling to stay awake."

  He gently laid down next to her and put an arm over her waist. After kissing her neck, he whispered. "Sleep, love. We have the rest of our lives to talk."

  Snuggling closer against his body, she reveled in his heat and scent. Love also emanated from their mind-bond.

  All of her doubts and worries about what still needed to be done to protect her family fled her mind, and she fell asleep in the arms of the male she loved.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kalahn watched Ryven's sleeping face, taking in the small crinkles at the corners of his mouth and at his eyes. She almost traced them, but held back and listened to the slow rhythm of his snores.

  Some might be bothered by his soft snoring, but to her, it only reinforced that he was alive.

  She'd come close to losing him when she'd
drawn too much power from him during her mission. And when faced with Ryven's death, it'd been unbearable. So much so that she hadn't hesitated to risk her own life to save the good-humored, fierce warrior currently lying next to her.

  To say she was happy they were both still alive and together was an understatement.

  He stopped snoring right before his lips curled up. He whispered, "Had your fill yet, Lahn?"

  "Of your snoring? Yes, yes I have."

  Chuckling, he opened his eyes and tightened his arm over her waist. "Someone's feeling better today. And I didn't even have to use my magical lips to cure you."

  She rolled her eyes. "Most people would be nicer to someone who's recovering from nearly dying."

  "Yes, they would. However, admit it, it'd only irritate you if I did."

  "I would argue, but unfortunately you're right."

  He winked. "See, there's a reason you love me."

  She caressed his jaw, running her fingers through his short stubble. "There are many reasons, but irritating me isn't high on the list."

  He placed his hand over hers, stilling her movements. "Irritation should be one of the top ones. After all, it's how I coaxed you back to me."

  As she stared into Ryven's eyes, Kalahn couldn't help but smile. "It did, although I hope that's not how you plan to solve everything with me. Because one day you could wake up with no hair and some rather interesting skin concealer colors. I'm thinking of making you a rainbow warrior."

  He pulled her closer, until her body was up against his chest. "Cheeky princess. But no, once you're healed and cleared by the doctor, I'm going to use my lips for much better things than talking and irritating you."

  Ryven closed the distance between them and kissed her gently. Kalahn sighed and Ryven took advantage, slipping inside her mouth and caressing her tongue with his own.

  He took his time tasting her, letting her know how much he'd missed her. And even though they should both be safe for the foreseeable future, Kalahn committed every lick and caress to memory. She would never take her time with Ryven for granted ever again.