Tell her that I have missed them as well.
"Mother says that she has missed them as well." Topaz parroted her parent without thinking.
"She speaks to you?" Karili steered her around a corner and whispered to one of the ubiquitous elvar.
"Since we were children. She is our greatest confidante." Topaz looked behind her, but Kirai was not following.
"What are you dragging my son into?" The tone was friendly, but the look in her eyes was pure steel.
"The humans have torn holes in the universe. Their presence off world is causing their dimension to shake apart. My sisters and I have been trained to locate and return them to their home in an effort to stop the degradation."
"What does Kirai have to do with this?"
"He wants me, and I want this. So, has agreed to partner me as I search out and deport the humans." A troop of elvar women with arms laden with fabric came around a corner and together they entered a large chamber that looked like a study.
"That is for you. Well, since you are hauling my son with you, you need to be able to move, so trousers, boots, tunics, breastbands and underwear." They entered the room after the elvar and Topaz handed herself over to those who actually knew what the hell was going on.
She was pinned, prodded, turned and twisted until she was ready to scream. Even getting fitted for her fitted jumpsuit hadn't been this involved. The miracle was that the elvar women had an outfit to put on her after about an hour of her shivering in a robe, making small talk with Karili.
"I do have to say, we were shocked to hear of Eiwyn's leaving Draven. It caused a ripple through out the universe. They are truly meant to be together."
"She believes it as well, but she has something to do and her daughters have to help her do it." Topaz knew it in her soul. Her parents would be reunited and if she was lucky, she would get to meet them.
Your father is all bluster, but he will accept you as his own even if his mind can't believe it. I will embrace you as my own one day. Do not think otherwise, child of mine.
"Kirai mentioned that you have nineteen other sisters?"
"Yes. My mother carried four seeds of new life. The humans removed them and split each into sections. For some reason, five was the number of survivors in each cluster." She shivered, but sighed in relief as the first of the elvar held up a pair of trousers and grinned at her.
Another woman returned with a pair of boots and soon, Topaz was dressed from head to toe, including underwear.
The shirt had wide open sleeves that could easily be folded back and it wrapped over her belly, held in place by a wide sash. Her trousers were tucked into boots that hugged her to the calf. Topaz stretched, jumped and twisted and then smiled happily at the elvar. "Thank you so much. Thank you as well, Karili."
"You are welcome, daughter. Since your mother is not here, it is up to me to continue where my friend is unable to."
That is so sweet, much nicer then when she was trying to seduce Draven out from under me.
Topaz laughed in surprise.
Karili looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What did Eiwyn say?"
"She said it was sweet of you to help me. Much better than when you tried to…" She wasn't sure if she could tell Karili the rest without giving offense.
The elder cackled. "Truly, you are one of hers if she told you that. Yes, I tried to lure her husband off, but it was only an experiment. I have no idea what I would have done if he said yes."
She always was honest. Even as younglings, she never could keep a secret for long.
Topaz was going to say something but Karili waved it off. "She was speaking to you, I can tell by the glow that forms behind your eyes."
"You can see it?"
"If you know what to look for. Now, what are your intentions with my son?"
Karili steered her to a lounge on one side of the room while the elvar kept working on her clothing, the needles occasionally catching the light.
"What do you mean, intentions?"
"Why are you with my son and will you remain with him once you have accomplished your goals?"
Topaz blinked. "I am with your son and will remain with him forever if I can. He helped me on an assignment and then took me home and to see my sister. I don't plan to leave him. I just want the humans returned to their world so I can enjoy going forward in my life with a clear conscience."
"Will you join with him in a formal union?"
Not until I can be there, you won't.
"Um. Not until Eiwyn is there to witness it." Topaz rubbed her forehead. "She is really serious about that."
"How long does she think that will take?"
The answer swung into her head. "Under three years. All of my siblings should be safe by then."
"Safe, what do you mean?"
Topaz sighed and scrubbed her face. "We have been raised to do what we are currently doing. Healing the breaches. We will not be safe until the humans or their remains are back on their world and away from the other dimensions."
"Are they that dangerous?" the older dragon raised an eyebrow.
"They used machines to do what we do naturally. The holes that they created are draining energy from their world and it is dying. If it collapses, the connecting ruptures will begin to suck in the worlds around them that they have visited. Stopping it then will be impossible."
Karili nodded. "Sound course of action, and I suppose I could wait for a few years to see my son properly bonded. Welcome to our family, daughter. I look forward to seeing you frequently in my home."
Topaz smiled. "I am sure that Kirai wouldn't have it any other way."
Karili got to her feet and took Topaz by the hand, leading her out to the gardens where the male in question was helping an older elvar move some stones in a sand garden. "You don't know him well yet, but you will. I can see that much in you."
"These clothes are very comfortable."
"The elvar will make more for you and I will deliver them to your home when they are complete. Do you cook?"
She grinned at the older woman. "No, but your son does so that works in my favor. All I know how to do is light hand to hand combat, with survival and tracking training."
"You are young, you will learn. Collecting skills is a great bonus of our species, due to our ridiculous life spans. You might learn more than you can imagine if you let yourself embrace the new."
Topaz watched the sun gleam on Kirai's marks and she cocked her head. "Where is his father?"
"Roku is at the court as Draven's bodyguard and companion. When Draven lost his wife, I lost my husband."
"He will return. I am sure of it. Eiwyn will send him home."
Karili wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I see him when I travel to the court. We still love and laugh like we used to, but Draven's sadness reminds us to treasure each other and gives us an intensity that we never had before."
"That is nice, kind of sad, but nice."
Kirai finished moving the rock to the old elvar's satisfaction and grinned as he approached them.
"Kirai, would you and your lovely companion care to join me for lunch?"
"Of course, Mother. Topaz, would you enjoy a snack?"
She smiled. "Yes, Kirai, I would enjoy something to eat. It seems like forever since I ate something."
He winced. She stifled a snicker as she reminded him of his lapse in the hospitality department.
Karili gave them an indulgent look and signaled an elvar female behind them. A table was set in the garden and they all knelt comfortably to enjoy a family meal.
The elvar that were serving were wearing a colorful rainbow of clothing that swirled and flowed as they moved.
Karili looked to one of the servers. "Leesha, are you aware of any couples who might like to spend some time alone in Kirai's dimension?"
The elvar spoke with a tone that hummed with the notes of a song. "Mor and Calla are willing. Calla is aching to try experimental recipes and she can't really do that here.
"
Kirai looked to Topaz and she nodded. It sounded like fun to have people working for her rather than order her around. "You can tell Mor and Calla that they are welcome whenever they are ready."
Leesha smiled. "I believe they are ready now. They started packing the moment that Kirai and his woman arrived."
The pointy eared woman with midnight hair and eyes with slit pupils gracefully rose to her feet and went off to spread the news.
"They really are looking forward to moving, aren't they?" She was curious by the behavior that she would have considered counter intuitive. After all, the elvar were safe at home surrounded by family and friends. Why would they want to leave?
"New experiences change us. Mor and Calla want change."
Karili sipped at her tea with a delicate grip and Topaz mimicked it.
It was harder to manage than it looked, but once she had the cup settled, it was easy to tip the cup so liquid flowed in a precise amount.
"Your new clothing looks very nice on you. The style suits you." Kirai's compliment sent a surge of heat to her cheeks. An image flickered in her mind of being over him with no clothing on either of them.
She blinked and shook her head. That image wasn't hers. It had been his angle looking at the marks on her body while she rocked on him. It was his mind to hers with a lascivious wink.
"Kirai. Stop that. Your mate isn't used to such mental play." His mother's voice shut the image down in a second.
"Sorry, Topaz. Apologies, Mother." He inclined his head gracefully, but there was an unrepentant gleam in his eyes.
Their meal concluded with a range of fresh fruit and Topaz continued to gain skills with the eating sticks.
When Kirai helped her to her feet and kissed his mother on the cheek she was stuffed, but satisfied with the first visit to his mother's home.
A male and female elvar greeted them when they entered the dim expanse of the home once again. "Greetings, Kirai, Topaz. I am Mor and this is my wife, Calla. We have volunteered to join you at your home and will attend to your house and garden while you are there or away."
"Thank you, Mor, Calla. We are happy to have you in our home." He shook the elvar's hand and clapped him on the shoulder.
Topaz was watching closely and when Kirai's hand touched the elvar, the other man's eyes sparked with energy. She suspected that the ability of the elvar to live off the energy of the dragons was not a lie. They both looked energized just being near Kirai.
Calla held out both hands, so Topaz covered them with her own. "Thank you for your invitation into your home. Mor and I appreciate being on our own for a while."
Topaz smiled and gripped the woman's hands before releasing them. "We appreciate you coming along. I don't know how to do any of the standard things that women should know."
Calla smiled. "I am an excellent teacher. Anything you want to know, I will show you."
Kirai spoke. "Why don't we get going? Topaz can take us home. Thank you for your hospitality, Mother."
"It is always a pleasure to see you, my son. Bring Topaz back frequently or I will seek you out."
"Yes, Mother. Thank you again."
Topaz was caught in a hug and reciprocated quickly with some confusion. "You are welcome to visit as well, daughter. Consider this an annex to your home."
"I will. Thank you, Karili."
Before she could get tangled into the realm of more hugging and formalities, Topaz opened a portal to take them home.
She led Calla through while Kirai's hand helped Mor reach the other side where the house was perched in majestic silence on the gorgeous expanse of green lawn.
"The house is wonderful." Calla smiled and her genuine enjoyment of the house warmed Topaz for some reason.
It was weird, but she thought of that building of pale wood as home already, but home it was.
Epilogue
After Kirai showed Mor and Calla their rooms, he returned to her with a gleam in his eyes. "What would you like to do now?"
Topaz swayed toward him, lifted her left arm to caress his chest, and jerked her sleeve back to expose her scanner. "I would like to find a human and dump them back to earth. How about you?"
He put his hands on her hips and kissed her nose. "If that is what will make you happy, we can visit five likely worlds that would support their kind. Only five, and if we don't find any in those five, we will return home and try again tomorrow."
"That is fair. Let's go."
He put a white shirt and loose vest on, then escorted her to the front of the house.
"Why don't we open them from inside the house?"
"It is considered rude. Now, I will shift and you will ride me. If you find a human on your scanner, just sing out in your mind and I will find them."
"Good. Now get scaly so I can climb astride you and we can keep working on my riding skills."
He kissed her with a passionate intensity that left her breathless and shifted into his huge golden form.
With a grin, Topaz clambered up his side and settled on his neck, waving at Mor and Calla as a rift opened up and took her to a world that might contain a human to send home.
Earth was going to get a whole new bunch of unscheduled retrievals. Once in the D.A.R.E. project, always in the D.A.R.E. project.
Extraction at any cost and hey, Topaz needed a hobby.
About the Authors
Tianna Xander is an eclectic author of numerous paranormal, sci-fi, time travel romance erotica books. Gaining inspiration for her characters and dialogue through her family and her addiction to the internet, she never fails to amaze readers with each new book she creates. As a reading junkie herself, Tianna has no problem reading whatever is available at the moment from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias to books on solar energy.
Tianna's life wouldn't be complete without a happily ever after of her very own. She resides in Michigan with her husband, two children, three cats, two dogs and an intimidating bunny. Never one to fail to give credit where it's due, she commends her family for their constant support. After writing many books and receiving rave reviews, her family is just as proud of her. Always full of ideas, Tianna rarely puts the pen down, so readers can look forward to many more exciting stories in the future.
Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there.
She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis.
In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.
Viola's fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush.
Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
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