The Tigrens' Glory (Soul-Linked Saga) (Volume 9)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Kyerion!” Kirk shouted, breaking him out of the shock that had momentarily frozen him in place.

  He hit the floor on his knees alongside Kirk and Cade, already reaching for healing magic. He sent Water into Glory’s motionless body to assess the damage, sealing off blood vessels as he went.

  “Can you heal her?”

  Kirk looked up into the icy blue eyes of the white haired man standing over them. “We will not allow her to die,” he said. “Pusan-Lo?”

  “Yes, I am Pusan-Lo,” the man said. “Glory is as my daughter. Tell me what you need and it is yours.”

  “If you can discover how this injury was inflicted, and with what, that would help,” Cade said.

  “With pleasure,” came a deep voice they hadn’t yet heard. Kirk looked up at the speaker who joined Pusan-Lo, noting that he looked remarkably familiar. “You are related to Glory?”

  “I’m her elder brother, Lorence,” the man said. “I, too, offer whatever you require to aid my sister.”

  “Thank you, but we should get her back to the Ugaztun and into a healing tank,” Cade said. “Unless you have a healing tank here?”

  “No, we do not,” Lorence said. “Healing tanks do not work on the royal family, so Bashir banned them. Can you not transport her to your ship from here?”

  “Not with her injuries,” Kirk replied, surprising Cade.

  “Why not?” he asked, just as Kyerion withdrew from Glory’s body.

  “Because the process of transportation handles severe injuries unpredictably,” Kirk explained. “My studies of modern technology are incomplete, and I don’t want to experiment with Glory’s life.”

  “We need a private room, with a bed,” Kyerion said, slipping his arms beneath Glory’s limp body and standing up with her. “I’ve stopped the worst of the bleeding, but she will not live long without a great deal of healing. Quickly. We have little time.”

  ***

  Glory opened her eyes and looked around her dream valley, frowning in confusion. It was the first time she’d seen this place since the Tigren had destroyed the door in her mind weeks earlier. So why was she here now?

  “Glory,” Kyerion said. She turned around and smiled to see all three of her beautiful men walking toward her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as they surrounded her, their arms wrapping around her so that she was held close between them.

  “We’re on Ramouri,” Cade said. “Do you remember?”

  Glory’s frown returned as Cade’s reminder tickled a few memories free. “We were talking with Bashir and something happened. I can’t remember what.”

  “Bashir had a projectile weapon beneath the blanket on his lap,” Kirk said. “He shot you with a small bit of metal called a bullet.”

  Glory’s hand went to her throat. “I remember pain, like I was on fire. And a white tigrenca. Or was that a dream?”

  “Not a dream,” Kyerion said. “The white tigrenca is Pusan-Lo. Your elder brother, Lorence, took the throne from Bashir a few weeks ago in a palace coup. When he learned you were coming, Bashir leaked information regarding Pusan-Lo’s whereabouts to Lorence in an effort to get him and his men out of the palace before we arrived.”

  “I see,” Glory said, not really seeing much at all. In fact, nothing of what they’d told her so far made much sense, except that Pusan-Lo was alive and well. He was the only reason she’d returned to Ramouri. “Why are we here, in the dream valley?”

  “The bullet caused a great deal of damage,” Kyerion said. “The gun was directly in front of, and lower than you. This caused the bullet to enter your throat and angle upward, embedding itself deep within your brain, and destroying a great deal of brain tissue.”

  “That sounds bad,” Glory said quietly. “Can you heal me?”

  “We’ve healed you as much as we can,” Kyerion said. “Unfortunately, it is not enough. Not even a healing tank could regenerate the tissue that’s been lost.”

  “I’m dying then,” Glory said, the words bitter on her tongue. She looked into the faces of her men, her heart breaking. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Do not,” Kyerion said, placing a gentle finger against her lips though his eyes were fierce. “We have one more option.”

  “Conversion,” she said with sudden hope. “You mean to try to convert me.”

  “Yes,” Kyerion said. “We’ve read the accounts of previous conversions. There were a few cases where the process was used to save the lives of the Arimas involved.”

  “Damn damn damn,” Glory swore, even going so far as to stomp one foot on the ground. “This just…just…sucks!”

  “You don’t want us to try this?” Kyerion asked. Glory stared up at him in open mouthed surprise.

  “I’ve wanted you to try it from the first day you told me about it,” she said. “I just wanted you to do it because it makes sense, and it’s the most reasonable and logical thing to do. Not because you have to do it in order to save my life. That’s been done to death already. It’s practically a cliché.”

  “I admit, in all of our discussions on this matter, we did not take that particular point into consideration,” Cade said, his lips twitching with the effort not to laugh.

  “I’m afraid that, cliché or not, it’s our only option,” Kyerion said dryly. Then the light of humor left his eyes. “The truth is, Glory, even if you tell us not to do this, we’ll try it anyway.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Glory said. “I have no intention of objecting. I want to live. The first time I felt love for the three of you, I couldn’t even identify it. Now that I know what it feels like to love, and be loved, really and truly loved, I want more. I want my chance at happiness, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to get it.”

  “So will we, beloved,” Cade said. “I love you, Glory.”

  “And I love you,” Glory said, stretching up to kiss him. “I love each of you, separately and together.”

  “Know this, Glory,” Kyerion said, capturing her chin in a gentle grip. “If this does not work, and you find yourself on the other side, wait for us. We will join you as soon as possible.”

  “No,” Glory said, placing her palm on his cheek, covering the triple spiral that glittered there. “You mustn’t do that, Kyerion. The three of you must live out your lives as you are meant to do. If I don’t live through this, then I wasn’t supposed to. You cannot throw away your lives.”

  Kyerion’s eyes softened with regret. “I want to give you anything you ask for, Sendola, but I cannot give you this promise. I’m sorry.”

  Glory saw that she wouldn’t win this argument. She was just going to have to make sure she lived through what they were about to do. “All right,” she said. “I won’t ask for a promise. I‘ll just ask that you do everything you can to make this work. And an explanation for that word. Senola?”

  “Sendola,” Kyerion corrected, smiling. “And it means warrior woman.”

  “I like that,” Glory said, leaning up to kiss Kyerion on the chin. “And my promise?”

  “You have it,” Kirk said. “But, in return, we want your promise that you’ll make an effort to curb this penchant you have for brain injuries.”

  “I can make no promises,” Glory said. “But I will try.”

  “I suppose that is the best we can ask for,” Kirk said, smiling. “I sense your body weakening, Zeta. We will go now and try this. If it doesn’t work, we will come back here to speak with you again.”

  ***

  Kyerion opened his eyes and looked down and their Arima. She looked so small lying on the huge bed. The wound at her throat was healed, at least, but there was blood everywhere. He leaned down to press a kiss against her forehead while sending a thread of Water into her. Her life force was weak and waning. “The Dream Walk cost her,” he said. “We should not have done it.”

  “There’s no time for regrets, Brother, we must begin now,” Kirk said, reaching for Glory’s right wrist.

  “This will work,” Cade said with determination befo
re kissing Glory’s left wrist just over the pulse point. Kyerion nodded and firmed his jaw.

  “Yes, it will,” he said. “We will allow no other outcome.” He turned Glory’s head with gentle fingers and lowered his mouth to the soft skin on the side of her neck. He took a breath, then sank his mating fangs into her flesh. He felt an odd draining sensation as the binding serum rushed through the tiny openings near the bottom of each needle sharp fang and into Glory’s blood stream. After a few moments he sensed it was time to stop and his fangs slid free. He licked the pinpricks in her skin to close them, then looked up at his brothers. The first injection was complete. There was no turning back now. Whatever came next, it was out of their hands.

  “Now what?” Cade asked, lowering Glory’s arm back to the bed with extreme gentleness.

  Kyerion looked around the opulent guest suite Lorence had personally shown them to. “See if there’s a tub in that bathroom,” he said. “I’d like to clean all of this blood off of her, and ourselves, before she wakes up.”

  “Excellent idea,” Cade said. He climbed off the bed and crossed the enormous room into an equally enormous bathroom, which held a bathtub the size of a small pool. He started the taps and went looking for shampoo, body wash, and towels. By the time Kyerion carried Glory in, the room was warm and steamy. Within minutes they were all sitting in the tub, relaxing for the first time in many hours.

  Kyerion sent a thread of Water into Glory, just to see how she was doing. He felt the blood drain from his face when he sensed the burning pain slicing through her unconscious body. “She’s in pain,” he said. “Her organs are changing rapidly but, unlike the reports we read, her body isn’t reacting to it.”

  “That was fast,” Cade said, reaching out to stroke Glory’s cheek lightly, needing the contact with her.

  “Yes, it was,” Kirk replied. “According to the data I read, the pain didn’t come until after the sleeping stage.”

  “True, but in our time, women did not suffer such pain at all.”

  “Good point,” Kirk said. “I’m glad she has so much Klanaren DNA, but it’s frustrating not knowing what to expect.”

  Kyerion nodded, then checked her again. After a moment he pulled back. “I think the process is already beginning to slow down. We should keep checking for signs of change.”

  “Do you think this will work?” Kirk asked.

  “Yes, I do,” Kyerion said. “But, I meant it when I said that I cannot abide by her wishes. If this attempt fails and we lose her, I will join her on her journey to the next plane.”

  “As will I,” Kirk said.

  “That’s a given,” Cade agreed. “But I have a strong feeling this will work. I find myself looking forward to having an Arima, and little ones of our own. I hope that Glory will agree to try right away.”

  “She might,” Kyerion said. “Though we haven’t discussed it with her yet, her reaction to the possibility of not having children indicates she might not be adverse to the idea.”

  “It would be an enormous blessing if she conceived during the soul link triad,” Kirk said.

  “It would indeed, though it happens rarely,” Kyerion agreed.

  “Do you think it would be wrong to see if such an event is possible?” Cade asked.

  “Not as long as we refrain from doing anything to manipulate her cycle,” Kyerion said.

  “Agreed,” Kirk said. “I’ll check, you two keep an eye on her vitals.”

  Kyerion nodded, then watched as Kirk closed his eyes and focused. He sensed Water magic going into Glory’s abdomen, then shifted his focus to Glory’s respiration. A short time later Kirk opened his eyes and smiled.

  “She is in the optimum stage for conception,” he said. “Perhaps this is yet another sign that we are doing what we’re meant to do.”

  “I’m certainly willing to see it as such,” Kyerion said. Glory’s eyelids fluttered, capturing their immediate attention. “One moment,” Kyerion murmured before sending himself back into her body. Kirk and Cade held their breath as they waited. “The pain is almost gone. I think she’ll awaken soon. Let’s get her bathed and out of here.”

  Working together they quickly finished bathing her and got her into bed, then Kyerion checked her again. “The pain is gone,” he said, frowning. “I’m not really sure what to do next.”

  “I think we should go in and see if her brain injury is healed,” Kirk said.

  “And I think you should give a girl a minute to open her eyes before you go playing around in her head,” Glory said. Her voice was faint, but it was still the most beautiful sound any of them had ever heard.

  “Can you open your eyes?” Kyerion asked.

  “Trying,” she said, her forehead creased in a frown. It took another few moments but finally her eyes opened, blinked, then focused on each of them in turn.

  “Am I really awake this time?” she asked.

  “Yes, you are,” Kyerion said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “How do you feel?”

  “A little slow and a bit achy, but no real pain,” she replied. “What’s next?”

  “The mating fever is next, but before it begins we need to make sure your injuries are fully healed. After that, there is something we wish to discuss with you.”

  “Of course,” Glory said. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Remain still and try to relax,” Kyerion said. Glory nodded, then watched all three of them go into what looked like a meditative trance. She felt a warm tingling sensation in her head that was strange, but not unpleasant. Before long they opened their eyes again and smiled.

  “You’re fully healed,” Kyerion announced.

  “There’s still a slight discoloration around the healed areas,” Kirk said, “but the process is ongoing. Even that will be gone soon.”

  “That’s a relief,” Glory said. “See, I told you guys this would work.”

  “We’re not finished yet,” Kyerion warned, “but we have gotten through the worst of it. Now we’d like to have that discussion we mentioned.”

  “Sure,” she agreed as she tried to push herself up. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Children,” Kirk said as he lifted her up and waited for Cade to place pillows behind her before setting her down again.

  “What about them?” Glory asked.

  “We want them,” Kyerion said.

  “I never once thought that having a family was in my future,” she said. “The first time I ever allowed myself to wonder what it would be like was when I saw Lariah’s daughters, but even then, I didn’t think of it as anything more than an unattainable fantasy. Now that it’s a real possibility, and I have you three to share my life with, I find that I want it. I want it very much. But I know absolutely nothing about children. I’ve never even seen an infant up close, and I’ve only spoken to a handful of children in my whole life. I didn’t even have playmates when I was a child myself.”

  “We have no experience with children, either, but we’ll have nine months to learn,” Kyerion said. “I think we can arm ourselves with enough knowledge in that span of time to adequately care for our own offspring.”

  “That’s true,” she said, relaxing a little. “Also, Lariah Dracon is my friend, and she has six children. I’ve no doubt she will share her expertise with us if necessary. Why did you want to discuss this now?”

  “While you were unconscious we checked and discovered that you are at an optimum time in your cycle,” Kirk said. “You could become pregnant when we do the soul-link triad, which is generally considered to be lucky. But, if you prefer not to, let us know and we’ll make some adjustments before the mating fever begins.”

  “No,” Glory said, shaking her head firmly. “I’m counting on the fact that we’re supposed to be together to get us through this conversion. I’m not going to mess with that by trying to alter fate more than we already have. If we’re meant to get pregnant now, then we will, and I'll be very happy about it. If not, then it will happen another time.”

&
nbsp; “Agreed,” Kyerion said.

  “How much longer until the mating fever begins?” she asked.

  “From the conversion accounts we’ve read on fully human women, it begins almost as soon as they wake up, and reaches a near critical stage very shortly thereafter,” Kyerion replied. “In our time, it could take as long as a full day, and does not become critical until the end of that time period. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

  “Do we have to wait until it reaches the critical stage?” Glory asked. She’d read those accounts too, on the journey from Jasan to Ramouri, and would prefer not to endure an arousal so intense it was painful.

  “No, not at all,” Kyerion said. “We can begin whenever we want, unless the mating fever hits.”

  “Good,” Glory said. “Since we have a bit of time, will you tell me what happened with Bashir?”

  “He’s dead,” Kirk said flatly.

  “I kind of thought that but I wasn’t sure,” Glory said. “You said in the Dream Walk that Pusan-Lo was the white tigrenca, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Kirk said. “We’ve never seen a white tigrenca before, or one without stripes. He’s an interesting fellow.”

  “I always wondered about him,” she said. “I never thought he could actually shift into a tigrenca, but I suspected he had some of the same traits I had.”

  “Kelta Zainlea gave him the ability to shift when he rescued you from Bashir’s dungeon,” Kyerion said. “She did it so that he could better protect you.”

  “Did Rollo lie to us about him being held prisoner?”

  “No, surprisingly, he didn’t lie about any of it,” Kirk said. “When Rollo tried to claim you on Jasan and Garen threatened Ramouri with war, Lorence happened to be present and overheard the conversation. That’s when he became suspicious. He discovered a lot of Bashir’s secrets, including the fact that he’d banished you from Ramouri. That’s when he decided enough was enough and forced Bashir from the throne in a mostly bloodless coup. The first thing Lorence did once he held the throne was send an emissary to Jasan to check on you, and to let you know you were welcome to return home whenever you wanted. No one knows what happened to the messenger, but he hasn’t been heard from since. The consensus is that Bashir had him killed.”