“Thank you.” Despite his claim not to be able to use the skills his mother taught him, she couldn’t help feeling he could have done all sorts of things while he was in her mind. Instead, he’d done only what he said he’d do and then he immediately withdrew. “So how does this work if my mind is shielded?”
“We both have access to anything that’s in the link. Think of it as neutral ground. Either of us can push images, memories, even emotions into the space connecting us. Then the other can access it, but it has to be intentionally offered.”
“Can I try?” Here came the test. If she was able to feed him false information, she’d know he could deceive her too.
“Of course. Choose whatever you like and simply push it through your shield.” She must have looked confused because he asked, “Can you still feel where I entered your mind?”
“Yes. At least I think so.”
“Good. Think of that spot as a doorway and pass me an image.”
She thought of Thea, but pictured her with dark hair instead of blonde and gave her a beaming smile, an expression she’d never seen on Thea’s face. She tried to manipulate the image while she looked into Sedrik’s eyes, but he was too distracting, so she closed her eyes. It was easier to locate the entry point, but when she attempted to push the altered image through the barrier, it automatically morphed into Thea’s correct appearance.
“Thea Cline.” He touched her hand and she opened her eyes. “Were you trying to show me something else? I felt some sort of struggle.”
Embarrassed to be caught, she shook her head. “You said there are no lies, no deception in the link. I was trying to find out if that was true.”
“It’s not my rule. It’s the creator’s.” He smiled. “Do you believe me now?”
She nodded, hoping he wasn’t too annoyed by her doubt. “Your mother sounds interesting. Will you tell me more about your family?”
“Would you like to meet my parents?” he offered with another smile.
“You mean in your memories, right? You’re not going to do some sort of psychic conference call, are you?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll just show you an image of them first, then maybe a memory. Close your eyes. It will help you concentrate.” He lapsed into silence for a moment as she followed his directions then asked, “Can you see them?”
She shook her head. “Nothing yet.”
“I’ll push the image closer. Tell me when you can see them.”
She waited, searching the darkness in front of her closed eyes. She saw a strange wavering motion, then a shadow separated itself from the darkness. The shadow slid toward her slowly, gradually coming into focus. “Oh, I can see them now.”
“Good thing.” He laughed. “That’s as close as I can get them without having you drop your shield.”
She tried not to be insulted by his playful criticism, but it still made her feel inferior. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I know. I was just teasing you.”
Not wanting to argue with him, she let it go. “Wow, you really look like your father.” The man in the memory was very tall and his military bearing was obvious even though he wore civilian clothes. Short dark hair and regal features, both very much like his son’s. Only their eyes differed. Sedrik’s phitons were purple, while his father’s were sapphire blue. And she realized she couldn’t say how handsome she found his father without admitting she thought Sedrik handsome too. “Does he always look so…mean?”
“Unless he’s looking at my mother. She’s the only one who can get that scowl off his face.”
She laughed. “Like father, like son.”
“I smile much more often than my father. But I admit, I mimic his expression when I’m trying to look fierce.”
She shifted her attention to the female image. The woman had brown hair rather than almost black like her mate and son. Her eyes were sky blue and the rings separating her irises from her pupils were blood-red. “She’s very beautiful. What’s her name?”
“Skyla. My father’s name is Kryton.”
After looking at each more closely she asked, “Is this image recent? They both look so young.”
“Rodytes age much slower than humans. Those with access to magic live even longer.”
“That’s right. Your videos claim longevity is one of the things females will gain if they mate with Rodytes.” Still not opening her eyes, she asked, “Is it true?”
“Yes. Mating with a Rodyte will more than double the human lifespan.” There had been no hesitation in his statement. He simply stated a fact.
Not ready to consider the information in a personal context, she digressed. “I’ve never seen red phitons before.”
“My mother is Bilarrian, not Rodyte. Red is the most common color on Bilarri.”
Rebecca stilled, then slowly opened her eyes. She knew Sedrik was battle born, so she’d presumed this was Kryton’s mate, not Sedrik’s biological mother. “Skyla was his war bride?” she whispered the phrase, horrified by the possibility.
He looked confused by her reaction. “Their relationship is complicated, but yes. They met for the first time when my father kidnapped my mother.”
Her eyes rounded and her jaw dropped. She tried to hide her distress, but it was no use. Her heartbeat sped and her hands began to tremble as anxiety swept through her. “Why in God’s name would she stay with him?”
His lips pressed into a disapproving line and he glanced away from her hostile stare. “Is it really so hard to believe that they fell in love?”
“Yes!” Memories came rushing back, filling her mind with situations she kept at bay through sheer force of will. “I know there’s Stockholm Syndrome and all that, but the entire war bride thing makes me sick.” Her heart beat so fast her chest began to ache and those hated memories rushed through her mind, a continual stream of misery. She pressed her fists against her temples, frantically trying to force the memories back into the past.
“I know what you must be thinking, but it wasn’t like that for—”
“You have no idea what it’s like,” she snapped. “I know what it’s like to have someone force their will on me. I know what it’s like to be utterly helpless. I’ve been terrified and beaten.” Her voice rose with each sentence until she was shouting at him. “I’ve been raped and humiliated! I’ve been locked up and kept under guard. You can’t imagine… How could she ever…” Emotion clogged her throat and her entire body shook. She wasn’t crying. She just sat there vibrating with trauma that had been suppressed for much too long.
He closed his long fingers around her upper arms and pulled her up onto her knees. “Breathe, Rebecca. Take a deep breath for me.”
She hadn’t even realized she’d stopped breathing until she gasped in a lungful of air. The motion released something deep inside and tears flooded her eyes. “Damn it.” She squeezed her lids shut and clenched her fists, but it didn’t stop the deluge.
He pulled her into his arms, pressing her against his chest. “You’re safe, love. That’s all in the past.”
She shook her head, wanting to believe him, needing to believe, but Jim was still out there. And so was Abaddon. She hated tears, found them pointless and childish, but she couldn’t control the sobs and torrents of tears flowing from her eyes, wetting the front of his uniform. She wrapped her arm around his back and buried her face against the warmth of his neck.
He rocked her gently and stroked her hair, patiently waiting for her emotions to run their course. In fact, he was much more patient about the outburst than she was. She couldn’t wait for the humiliating weakness to recede and fought against its power every step of the way.
“I never cry,” she said when her emotions were finally finished embarrassing her.
“It’s not healthy to hold it all in. Everyone needs a good cry now and then.”
She sat on his lap, which put her face almost on a level with his. “When’s the last time you had a ‘good cry’?”
“Blood sports.” She smiled. It was easy to picture him stripped to the waist working out his frustration on one of his crewmembers. It was a pleasure just to picture him half-naked. “That sounds like way more fun than this.”
“I’ll turn you loose with a spar-bot once we reach my ship.” Which presumed she would now go with him like a dutiful captive. She tensed, ready to let him have it, when he whispered, “None of my men are going anywhere near you.” He wiped the last of her tears with his thumbs, then his gaze drifted down to her mouth.
Awareness arced between them, hot and electric. She pushed against his chest even as she licked her lips. If he kissed her, she’d forget all about this transfer and she really wanted to know more about him. “You were going to let me see your parents in action.”
With an audible sigh, he took one of her legs and bent her knee, maneuvering it over to the other side of his body. Understanding what he had in mind, she settled into the space between his folded legs and loosely wrapped her legs around his waist. The position was intimate without being sexual. At least it was while they were fully clothed. She placed her hands on his chest, absorbing the strong, steady rhythm of his heart.
He lightly brushed his fingertips over her eyes, closing her lids. The still image of his parents faded and a different scene formed. Skyla sat on Kryton’s lap, her legs draped over the padded arm of his high-backed chair. They kissed tenderly for a moment, then Skyla eased back. “Listen.” She looked at her mate and smiled, love warming her bright blue eyes.
“I hear nothing.” Kryton’s voice was deep and slightly rumbly, rather like his son’s.
Skyla laughed. “That’s the point, silly man. The house gets so quiet once the boys have all gone to bed. It’s finally peaceful.”
“But they’re not all in bed.” Kryton dipped his head to the side and looked at whomever was standing on the landing halfway up the twisting staircase. “Did you need something, son?”
The memory ended and Rebecca realized it had been Sedrik who was watching from the stairway. “Did you often spy on your parents?”
“I wasn’t spying on them. I forgot my datapad in the library and was heading down to get it when I saw them sitting there.”
“How old were you?”
“Early teens. Old enough to understand they probably didn’t want to be interrupted.”
The touching scene had been so different from her own childhood that she felt slightly jealous. Did he realize how lucky he was? “Are they always so affectionate?”
“Always. I mean they argue like any couple, but their love for each other, and for us, is unquestionable.”
She nodded, the lump returning to her throat. “It’s obvious.” She took a deep breath and then another, refusing to lose control of her emotions again. Once had been more than enough. She glanced at Sedrik. He stared back at her with mild curiosity. No wonder he was so obsessed with finding a mate. If his father could convince a war bride to stay with him, Sedrik must be sure that winning her affection was just a matter of time. “Except for Izondra, am I the first compatible female you’ve encountered?”
“Actually there have been two others.”
“Really?” That wasn’t the answer she’d expected. “What happened to them?”
“My brothers,” he said simply.
“Your brothers were also compatible with them?”
He nodded. “That’s not uncommon. Siblings are often compatible with the same female. It has created some interesting situations.”
“I can imagine.” And yet she couldn’t. There was nothing on Earth even similar to Rodyte courting. “So why did the other women choose your brothers over you?”
He shrugged. “Both times they simply got there before me. I didn’t really have a chance to court the females. Obviously, I’m a far superior choice.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Where do you get this ego?” When he just smiled in return, she asked, “Do you only have the two brothers?”
He shook his head. “Three, if you count Arton, but he was not born to Skyla. His mother was Kryton’s first mate.” Easily anticipating her next question, he said, “She had already passed beyond when Kryton first met Skyla.”
“Are your brothers older or younger than you?”
“Arton is older. Kaden and Dakar are younger.”
“You let your younger brothers get the jump on you?” she teased. “Shame on you.”
His brows arched and his gaze heated. “I knew the best was yet to come. That’s why I gave up without a fight.”
Heat rolled across her face then pooled between her thighs, making it hard to sit still. “Flatterer.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, but that was all he did before straightening again. “Now show me one of yours.”
She swallowed with some difficulty, saddened and embarrassed by the contrast between his parents and hers. “I can barely remember Dad, and Mom was… She had other priorities.” Like drinking and wishing herself into an early grave. Losing her husband had been devastating, Rebecca understood that, but her mother grieved at the expense of her only child who still needed her badly.
He searched her eyes for a moment, compassion softening his expression. “Go back beyond the pain. Show me the clearest image you have of your mother when she was happy.”
All of the memories from before her father’s death were more impression than detail. His loss eclipsed anything resembling happiness. Still, she closed her eyes and found an image, her parents walking hand and hand along the shore of a lake as she splashed in the shallow water nearby. She started to push the image toward the shielded opening in her mind, then paused. The opening was easier to find now that she’d pulled his images through the shield, yet it was starting to feel like a needless precaution. “Can you force your way through if you wanted to?” He was too skilled for anything else to make sense. However, she was curious to see if he’d admit it.
“I would never do that to you. I consider it a violation similar to rape.”
The vehemence in his tone made her open her eyes. “That’s not what I asked.”
He didn’t want to tell her, that much was clear in his expression. So it surprised her when his answer was brutally honest. “If I wanted to extract memories or force my will on you, I could do so without too much effort. But it would harm you badly and I want nothing but the best for you.” He paused for a breath and some of the tension eased from his features. “We want the same thing, to stop the Evonti. I believe you have information that will help me and I hope to earn your trust so you will willingly share it with me.”
She searched his gaze, trying to understand the forces that shaped his personality, resulting in the complex man he was today. He spoke of trust and cooperation, but she wasn’t quite ready to surrender her secrets. Still, it was nice to know more about him. It must have been difficult to be surrounded by wealth and privilege and yet be kept slightly apart from it. His parents were elite, while he was not. His mother sensed great potential, yet without the transformation program, the majority of his magic would always remain untapped, wasted. It had to be frustrating. “How much more powerful will you be if you gain access to your latent magic?”
He licked his lips, clearly uncomfortable admitting this as well. “My mother was trained by some of the most powerful mages on Bilarri, so she knows what she’s talking about. She thinks that the reason I keep having flashes of power is because my magic can’t be completely contained. She suspects my gift might even surpass hers and she is remarkable.”
“You don’t just want a mate. You want someone willing to go through transformation with you.” He didn’t deny it. She could barely imagine herself married, much less to an alien. Subjecting herself to some experimental procedure was unthinkable. Instead of starting a fight, she said, “You wanted to see my mother while she was still happy.” She closed her eyes an
d thought of her parents, producing the image with as much detail as she could remember. They both looked young and full of life as they walked side by side. This was the summer right before he died, when they’d gone to Lake Tahoe with the Dayton family. Both her parents had brown hair, her father’s several shades darker than her mother’s. Her father’s eyes were blue, her mother’s green, and they had a certain glow when they looked at each other.
Their devotion was bittersweet. Rebecca was glad there had been some measure of happiness in her mother’s life, but Rebecca felt cheated. It was tragic and frustrating that three children hadn’t been enough of a reason to make her mother want to go on living.
“Cancer is a horrible way to die,” he said softly.
She gasped and rocked back, extending her arms behind her. “I never said how she died. How did you know it was cancer?”
He placed his hands under her arms and gently pulled her forward until she sat upright again. “I have spontaneous flashes of perception. I can’t control them or predict when they’ll happen. If I overstepped my invitation, I apologize.”
She waved away his concern, but her heart still ached with all that could have been. If the Evonti hadn’t abducted her father, her mother wouldn’t have been left a miserable widow. Her childhood might have been more like his if the Evonti hadn’t come to Earth.
“My past is so unhappy,” she pointed out. “I want to learn more about you.”
For the next five hours, they passed memories back and forth. As they gradually became more comfortable with the exchange, the scenes became more personal, more revealing. He used gentle smiles, and soothing touches to coax her into sharing much more than she’d expected to share, but he offered just as much in return.
His life hadn’t been nearly as boring as he claimed. Frequent danger and a growing sense of responsibility began to accompany the more recent memories. He carefully avoided specifics, but she knew intuitively that he wasn’t some random commander. He was important, maybe even vital to the rebellion.
Triumphant (Battle Born Book 14) Page 8
