Brides of the Kindred Volume One

by Evangeline Anderson

  For some reason Nadiah’s heart started racing. “Down to Earth? Right now?”

  “After the things you accused her of?” Sylvan frowned at Rast. “I don’t think so.”

  Rast frowned back. “Look, if you and your wife will vouch for her, I’ll take your word that Nadiah isn’t connected to this. But I need her to look at something. To see the spot where Tabitha disappeared.”

  “Tabitha?” Nadiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “The girl who was taken.” Rast ran a hand through his hair. “Her parents are frantic.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse but at the mention of the girl’s parents, Nadiah felt something loosen inside her. She lifted her chin. “I’ll come. But only if you give your word to treat me with respect. I don’t care if you believe in my gift or not but I won’t be verbally abused by you or anyone.”

  “Fair enough.” Rast nodded shortly. “I’ll meet you at the HKR building in half an hour.”

  Sylvan frowned. “I have not given my consent for this.”

  Sophia shook her head. “Honestly, Sylvan, when did you turn into such a caveman? Nadiah can go if she wants to.”

  “Not if she’s heading into danger.” Sylvan leveled a stare at Detective Rast. “See that you treat my kin with the respect and courtesy she deserves, Detective, or you’ll have me to answer to.”

  “You can think what you want about me but I’d never harm a woman.” Rast’s voice was harsh. “I’ve devoted my life to finding and protecting them, damn it.”

  For a moment Nadiah’s eyes fluttered closed and she saw a picture in her mind’s eye. A boy with light brown hair and truegreen eyes—the same color as Detective Rast’s. The boy was crying, tears streaming down his face as his lips formed a name she couldn’t quite catch. And then he was gone.

  The vision came and went so quickly she barely registered it, but somehow Nadiah knew it was important. “It’s all right,” she said, putting a hand on Sylvan’s arm. “He’s telling the truth—he won’t hurt me.” She looked at the viewscreen. “There’s a reason Detective Rast acts the way he does. A personal reason.”

  Rast’s face got red. He seemed about to say something but then he shook his head. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes,” he muttered and then his image winked out of sight and the viewscreen went dark.

  * * * * *

  “I got here as fast as I could. So you’re seriously calling in a psychic? I thought you hated that kind of shit.” Detective Jack Barnes, who had been Rast’s partner before he left the PD, looked at him in amazement.

  “I know how it looks.” Rast ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “But she seems to know something about the case. And you know how critical the first twenty-four hours are.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Barnes said dryly. “Critical enough for you to leave the PD and set up your own agency.”

  Rast nodded. “What else could I do? Just because someone is over eighteen we’re supposed to waste an entire day hoping she just ran off with her friends instead of being snatched by some creep?”

  Barnes waved a hand at him. “Don’t start on that again. Besides, I’m totally with you on this one. Most girls don’t take off all their clothes in a public place and suddenly—poof—vanish.”

  “Her friends say they saw her one minute and the next it was like she’d disappeared off the face of the Earth.” Rast frowned. Maybe literally if what Commander Sylvan is saying is true.

  “Well if anyone can find her it’s you.” Barnes clapped him on the shoulder. “Which is why I’m giving you this evidence.” He handed Rast a sealed plastic bag with the missing girl’s clothes and personal effects. “Just be sure you get it back to me by the end of the day, okay? It just came from the lab—not that I think we’re going to find much of anything on it. Whoever took her was quick and clean. A real professional.”

  “You got it.” Rast gave his former partner a nod. “Thanks, Jack. I owe you one.”

  “Just find her.” Barnes sighed. “Find her so I don’t have to tell her parents she’s gone for good. God, I hate that part of the job.”

  “Not half as much as I do,” Rast muttered. “I—”

  Just then the sliding glass door of the HKR building opened and a tall, slim blonde girl walked in. Though he had seen Nadiah just thirty minutes before on the viewscreen, Rast found he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her long waterfall of pale blonde hair brushed her bare shoulders. It was set off with a single streak of dark blue which emphasized her slightly tilted, exotic blue eyes. To cap it all off, she was wearing a long, clinging, pale blue gown that clung to her high, firm breasts and curving hips in a way that made it clear she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

  The effect was more exotic than erotic—somehow he knew Nadiah wasn’t trying to be provocative. Probably this was just the way people dressed where she was from. But despite the innocent way she carried herself, Rast still felt his shaft spring to attention inside his khakis.

  God, he wished he could forget the way she’d felt in his arms! Not to mention the sweet taste of her lips when he’d kissed her, like ripe cherries… Get hold of yourself, he told himself fiercely. She’s a fake. A fraud. Right. He just wished she wasn’t so fucking gorgeous—it was damn distracting. And the way everything shifted so enticingly under her gown when she walked didn’t help either. In fact—

  “Hey, is that her?” Barnes nudged him with an elbow, breaking his train of thought. “Wow, you can really pick ‘em, Rast. What a looker.”

  “Shut up.” Rast gave him a glare. “She’ll hear you.”

  “Hello, Detective.” Nadiah gave him a glacial smile.

  Rast opened his mouth to answer but Barnes beat him to it.

  “Well, hello pretty lady, I’m Jack Barnes, Detective first class.” Smiling, he took Nadiah’s hand in his and raised it to his lips. “When Rast told me he was having an expert come down from the Kindred ship to help with this case, I didn’t know he was bringing in a model.”

  Rast rolled his eyes. He loved Barnes like a brother but his old partner was kind of a dog when it came to women.

  “Thank you.” Nadiah smiled politely at Barnes. “But isn’t a model someone who wears clothing the manufacturer hopes other people will buy? I can’t possibly be one of those because my tharp is one of a kind.” She nodded down at her pale blue gown.

  “It certainly is,” Barnes murmured, eyeing her appreciatively.

  Rast felt a stab of jealousy as his old partner’s eyes crawled over Nadiah’s slender form like greedy spiders. “That’s enough, Barnes,” he said roughly. “She’s here to look at the evidence, not be your girlfriend.”

  “I don’t see why she can’t do both.” Barnes was still eyeing Nadiah like a hungry dog with a juicy bone.

  “Because you are already mated.” Nadiah withdrew her hand pointedly.

  “What?” Barnes frowned. “Oh, you saw my wedding ring, right? Let me tell you, though, we’re separated right now and I’m leaving her. So that shouldn’t pose a problem.”

  “What about your children?” Nadiah raised one slim blonde eyebrow disapprovingly. “You have a little boy and a little girl. Won’t they miss their father?”

  Barnes frowned. “Hey, how did you know that? You must have done some research on me or something, right?”

  “I’ve never seen you or heard of you before this minute,” Nadiah said. “I saw it when you took my hand—saw your family. They’re counting on you, Detective and your wife loves you very much. You should honor that love.”

  Barnes drew back, his meaty face suddenly pale. “Wow, Rast she’s spooky! How does she do that?”

  “I have no idea and no interest in finding out.” Rast frowned. How the hell had the girl known so much about Barnes and his family? Could it be just a lucky guess? He looked at Nadiah. “Let’s go.”

  “Where are you taking me?” She stood her ground, arms crossed over her breasts. “I’m not going until I know.”

  “To see some gian
ts,” Rast growled, grabbing her hand. “Come on.”

  * * * * *

  The ride through downtown Sarasota was charmingly foreign. It was also a little frightening. Nadiah had lived in grottos and enclosed spaces her entire life. Being outside, on the surface of a planet, with such a high, open sky above her in all directions made her feel rather like a tiny bug crawling under a blue bowl. Detective Rast’s vehicle was what he called a “convertible” and the warm wind blew through her hair as they drove through the city.

  It was hot and humid—almost oppressively so, especially compared with the frigid climate of Tranq Prime. But Nadiah felt it was worth it to be someplace so completely different and new—someplace so wonderfully foreign. She was glad, however, that she was visiting during the “cool” part of the year—at least according to Sophia. She couldn’t imagine what the temperature might be like during the hot season.

  Regardless of the temperature, downtown Sarasota was exciting. There were tall buildings everywhere and the road they were traveling on was lined with a type of vegetation called palm trees. The people all wore light, casual clothes and pants which stopped above the knee. Many of the women had footwear on which exposed their feet—shocking to someone who had grown up on Tranq Prime, but obviously no big deal here on Earth. Clearly the natives were used to the heat and dressed accordingly. Nadiah wished they could stop the car so she could get out and explore—there was so much to see!

  “You keeping looking around like that, your eyes are going to pop out of your head and roll down the street.” Rast gave her a sidelong glance as he steered the vehicle.

  “Excuse me for being excited,” Nadiah said icily. “This is the first foreign planet I’ve been on. It’s exhilarating to see someplace so completely different from my home world.”

  “Too bad you’re not here for a better reason.” He sighed moodily and looked back at the road.

  “Yes, I guess you’re right.” Nadiah felt suddenly guilty. What right had she to enjoy the sights and sounds of the foreign city when the whole reason she was here was to find evidence about a missing girl? A girl who was probably still being held and tortured by the AllFather that very minute. Just thinking about it brought a lump to her throat and tears to her eyes.

  “Hey.” Rast threw her another glance and then looked at her more fully. “Hey, don’t cry.” He sounded almost panicked. “Look, I’m sorry. I know I’m a bastard sometimes. I just get so wrapped up in the case and I don’t think before I talk.”

  “I’m not crying because of you,” Nadiah said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I’m thinking of Tabitha. Of what I saw in my dream last night.”

  Rast frowned. “Back to that again, are we?”

  “And you’re back to denigrating my gift.” Nadiah was suddenly furious. “I warn you, Detective Rast, I won’t put up with it. Either treat me with respect or turn this vehicle around right now and take me back to the HKR building.”

  “Okay, sorry.” He gave her a look of grudging respect. “You sure know how to stand up for yourself.”

  “I’ve had to,” Nadiah said grimly. “If I didn’t know how to stand up for myself I’d be back home right now mated to Yo-dah and having ugly babies just like my parents want me to.”

  He frowned. “Is that some kind of an arranged marriage thing? They still do that where you’re from?”

  “It’s more than that—stronger than that. A blood bond.” Nadiah sighed. “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand.”

  “Maybe not completely,” he said, steering the car around a bend. “But I do understand being told to do something by someone in authority that I knew in my gut was wrong.”

  “What did you do?” Nadiah asked, interested despite herself.

  “I left,” he said shortly. “Struck out on my own.” He gave her a glance. “I’m guessing you did to.”

  “I did.” She nodded. “But I’ll have to go back eventually. My problem isn’t one I can run away from completely. Soon I’ll have to face it.”

  “Face what, exactly?” He sounded genuinely curious.

  “The blood bond. It’s…never mind.” Nadiah shook her head. “It’s complicated.”

  “Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. I get it.” He shrugged. “But did you actually say that the guy you were supposed marry is called Yoda?”

  “Yo-dah,” Nadiah said, and frowned when he laughed. “What is it? Why does everyone find his name so funny? It’s a very old and well respected family name where I live.”

  “Where you live,” he said dryly. “In a galaxy far, far away, right?”

  “Well, yes.” Nadiah crossed her arms over her chest. “But so what?”

  “Nothing.” But there was a small smile playing around the corner of his mouth. “It’s from a movie. Maybe if you’re here long enough I’ll show it to you.”

  Nadiah raised an eyebrow at him. “Why Detective, are you asking me to a social event?’

  “You mean like a date? I never said that.” He frowned again. “Forget I said anything. It was a stupid idea.”

  “Not necessarily. And anyway I—oh! Oh!” Nadiah popped open the restraining harness that was holding her in place, stood up in the car and pointed. “Look! Look there they are!”

  “Hey, stop that! Get back down here!” Rast tugged at her tharp which twitched slightly at the feeling of a strange hand on it. “That’s against the law,” he yelled. “Not to mention damn dangerous. Sit down!”

  But Nadiah was far too excited to hear anything he said. “The giants!” she said, still pointing excitedly. “There they are! They’re just exactly like I saw them in my vision.”

  Rast pulled the car into a parking space and stopped with a jolt. With a scream, Nadiah toppled over backwards and sideways. Her head hit the steering mechanism and she somehow landed in Rast’s lap.

  “Ouch!” she gasped, looking up at the stern look of disapproval on his face. “Why did you do that?”

  “To prove a point—you can’t stand up in a car while it’s driving.” He looked anxious. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, though. Is your head all right?”

  “I think so.” Nadiah touched her forehead lightly with her fingertips. “Ow.”

  Rast swore. “Damn it, you’re bleeding. What am I going to tell your cousin?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll tell him it was an accident.” Feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the intense way he was staring at her, Nadiah struggled to sit up and put some distance between them.

  “Come back here.” Rast grabbed her by the arm. “You’re not getting out of the car until I do something about that.” He reached across her and fumbled around in a small compartment located right above where her knees had been. “Here, I always keep this handy.”

  “What is it?” Nadiah asked as he opened a small white box with a red symbol on it.

  “First aid kit. Hold still.” Working with surprising gentleness, Rast captured her chin in one hand and proceeded to dab some soothing ointment on the cut above her forehead. For some reason Nadiah’s heart started pounding faster and she found she couldn’t meet his eyes. Goddess, she wished he didn’t smell so good! Warm and spicy and somehow completely male.

  “Don’t worry about Sylvan,” she said, looking down at her hands as Rast worked. “He’ll understand. I was always getting into trouble when I was younger. He always said watching me while my parents were away made him more nervous than fighting a hungry vrana. He—” Realizing she was babbling, she made herself stop. “Are…are you almost done?” she asked, daring to look up at him briefly.

  “Almost. Just need to put a band aid on it.” He fished a small flat, rectangular packet out of the little white box and opened it. “This is kind old fashioned,” he said, sounding apologetic as he applied the adhesive tab to Nadiah’s cut. “But I don’t have any wound-seal or flesh-glue in my kit. There.” He finished and sat back a little as though to examine his handiwork. “That’ll do for now but you’ll want to have a doctor look at it when you get
back to the ship. Or maybe a plastic surgeon.”

  Nadiah frowned. “You have a surgeon who deals with inanimate petroleum products? Why should I consult someone like that about my wound?”

  His lips twitched and it looked like he was trying not to laugh. “A plastic surgeon is someone who deals with cosmetic damage. You should see one so you don’t get a scar. Wouldn’t want to ruin that gorgeous face of yours.”

  Nadiah put a hand to her cheek. “You…you think I’m gorgeous?”

  Rast’s face went red and he frowned. “Forget it. Just see one, okay? And don’t try a stunt like that again. Standing up in a moving vehicle is really dangerous—you could have been killed.”

  “I’m sorry if I upset you,” Nadiah said contritely. “But I just got so excited. This is exactly what I saw in my dream.” She gestured to the kissing giants. “But they’re not alive, are they? Is it some kind of art?”

  “It’s a statue based on a famous picture. After World War II, one of our greatest global conflicts, was over, there was a lot of celebration. A sailor returning from the war grabbed a nurse and kissed her. Someone snapped a picture and a local artist decided to turn it into this.” Rast turned to look at the kissing figures as well. “The piece is called Unconditional Surrender.”

  “I can see why,” Nadiah murmured. Hopping out of the convertible, she went to get a closer look at the huge figures.

  The male giant was dressed in a blue uniform. He had an arm looped around the neck of the female and was bending her back, forcing her to rely on his strength to hold her up while he kissed her senseless. The female wasn’t fighting his fierce embrace. Rather she almost seemed to welcome it as she clung to him.

  What a romantic depiction, Nadiah thought. He’s so focused on her, so fierce in his desire. For some reason her fingers crept to her own lips as she remembered the luck kiss at Sophia and Sylvan’s joining. Detective Rast had come up and was standing right beside her. Nadiah cast him a sidelong glance and saw that he was looking at her. Quickly she dropped her hand and looked away.

  “Um, so is this where she—Tabitha—disappeared from?” she asked, trying to sound casual.