by LW Browning
Swords slashed through bodies; the fallen gushed blood. Some of the arrows found their targets, some did not. Claire's warning caused the raiders to lose the advantage of surprise almost before the attack began. Koda's people drove them back. When the leader of the attacking warriors fell under Koda's sword, the remainder of his raiders disengaged and ran back into the woods as if they had heard a signal. Koda and Kurt's warriors ran after the retreating raiders as they fled.
Claire reached out with her mind for Lodi. He had only moments left to live. Even now he spiraled into the abyss of death. Claire fought her way out of the protective circle of warrior guards and ran to Lodi, tearing her gloves off as she went. Claire fell to her knees and crawled between the legs of the warlords until she was beside him. She gasped when she touched her bare hands to his chest on either side of his wound.
Dren was standing over Lodi to guard the warlord from further attack. He knelt down facing Claire, Lodi between them. Claire's hands were on either side of the arrow.
"Pull the arrow," she said. Dren pulled the arrow out of Lodi's chest. The pain cut through Claire and she uttered a short scream. Lodi's feelings were an echo to her own as she used her empath ability to close his wound.
Dren looked between Lodi and Claire as Lodi's bleeding slowed. Claire felt the blood begin to flow from her chest. Lodi's wound began to heal. His blood loss slowed and finally stopped. Blood flowed from Claire as her body fought to heal itself. Lodi's chest wound disappeared as though it had never been. Claire's wound stopped bleeding onto the front of her khaki shirt as her wound healed also. Dren looked on, his mouth open, unable to form words.
Koda was close. Claire felt him.
The warriors who remained to protect the females and their fallen warriors gathered around as well. Claire knew her eyes were violet now and glowing.
She heard Reaf's harsh whisper to Osiria, "Give her room. She is – healing him..."
Lodi still needed help. Dren had cut the leather pants away from the wound on Lodi's leg. He was trying to stop the flow of blood. Lodi was still in danger. He had lost too much blood from the chest wound and could not afford to lose much more. Death was ready to claim him. Claire moved her hands to the leg wound. She gasped at the pain when the wound on Lodi's leg appeared on hers. It looked as though her leg was opened by an invisible sword. Osiria lifted Claire's skirt away from it. Blood poured from the wound even as it stopped flowing from Lodi.
After Lodi's leg healed, Claire's leg wound closed as well though much slower. At last, the blood flow stopped. Both of them were healed. Claire removed her hands from Lodi.
The blood loss had been significant. Lodi lay on the ground where he had fallen. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked up at her in wonder. When he tried to rise, Dren held him down.
"Be careful with him." Claire heard her voice as though in a tunnel. "He needs to rest and drink a lot of water."
She looked around to see if anyone else needed her. All she saw was blood. Var and Lars, efficient as ever, had finished off the enemy who were still breathing when the attack was over. Claire looked up at the group of people who surrounded her. She closed her eyes for a few moments. When she opened them again, she knew they were once again deep green.
Her clothes were covered with blood. She had healed before this, but they all had an illness, never open wounds. She had never seen so much blood, had never seen a battlefield. She could never have imagined the things she just witnessed. Koda was standing over her. Behind him, the headless body of an enemy he had killed. The blood from the body soaked into the ground.
Droplets of blood made their way down Koda's sword into the dirt and grass. The pungent smell of copper was so strong she could taste it.
Osiria knelt beside Lodi and touched his forehead. His breath was steady and even now. He opened his eyes again.
Claire looked at the people who had gathered to see her heal Lodi. They stood in stunned silence. After the noise and confusion of the battle, the wind itself decided to be still. The quiet was eerie. She shivered, and then began to shake violently. Cold.
Detaching from everyone left her alone with her emotions. She used much energy to heal Lodi and was now weak. Her shields were almost gone. She had shut them all out except Lodi when she healed him. Then she detached from Lodi.
Lodi groaned. "I am fine. Tired, but fine." He sat up and looked around at the sea of astonished faces. "What happened? Oh, you..." Lodi looked at Claire, at the blood on her clothes and then at his chest. "How?"
Lodi's voice sounded as though it came through a cloud of cotton blankets. His mouth was still moving and he was close, but the sound was farther and farther away.
Her hands, covered with blood, were sticky. She looked up to see the blood still running down Koda's sword. It seemed an eternity since she had last noticed the blood on his sword. She heard nothing now. Her vision grew dark. There was so much red and now everything was going black.
"And she is in shock." A deep male voice spoke from far away.
Koda caught her before she hit the ground. He lifted her in his arms and walked back to his tent with her. He laid her inside and left guards before he returned to the group that still surrounded Lodi.
Reaf and Dren helped Lodi back to his tent.
"I will take care of the raiders we captured," Var told Koda.
Warlords reported to Koda on their losses. When he was finally satisfied the camp was secure, the warlords gathered around him.
"What did the MX girl do?" Revi asked.
"She healed him. She touched him and healed him," Dare said.
"No, she touched him and his wounds became hers," Ache said. "She bled where Lodi bled. She had the same wounds, but – no one touched her." Ache shook his head as if to clear it.
"After Lodi's wounds stopped bleeding, her bleeding stopped as well." Dren stared into the forest.
"Did you know she could do that? Is that one of the mysterious abilities?" Reaf asked Koda.
Koda shook his head. "No, I did not know she was capable of that."
"I have heard rumors," Dare offered. "So much of what I heard was too bizarre to be believed, but some of it must be true."
“Aye, but how much is truth and how much is not?” Ache asked.
"Are her abilities dangerous to us?" Var asked.
"Aye, and what else can she do," Mack said.
"Whatever else she is or can do, my son is alive because of her," Reaf said.
Koda sighed. "Dare, get Calks on the com," he said. "I will have answers for this."
Inside Dare's tent, he set up a com link to Calks. Koda and Var and Dren waited while Dare made the connection.
A sleepy Calks appeared on the vid. "Greetings, Warlord Koda. Is there a problem?"
"We have had an incident that requires further information," Koda answered. "The girl healed one of my warlords. He was wounded."
"Ah, yes." Calks cleared his throat as his left shoulder jerked up. "The MX are very compassionate creatures. Did they both survive?"
"She passed out. I would know if you expect her to recover."
We used Claire to heal many times," Calks answered. "Is your warlord alright?"
"Yes, the warlord is fine," Koda replied. "I would know more of this healing ability."
Calks' smile was tight. "Healing is one of Claire's abilities. We did not advertise that gift. The people she healed were high government officials. It can cause harm, even death to the MX. We were careful in our selection of subjects for her."
Dare frowned.
Calks continued. "You said the warrior was wounded? She's never healed anyone who suffered from a wound. We used her to heal those who were diseased. Did his wounds appear on her body?"
"Yes, they did, and she bled from the wounds just as he bled," Koda said.
Calks lifted his left shoulder. "I see. She'll need to rest, but she should be fine. If she did not die during the healing, she will probably recover. She won't be able to operate at full empath po
wer until her strength returns."
"Is there anything else I should know about her?" Koda's jaw was set. They waited as a facial tic overcame Calks.
"Nothing that I can think of," Calks said.
"Signing off," Koda said as he motioned Dare to kill the com link.
"He should have mentioned this talent when you rented her," Var said.
"Yes, he should have. I wonder what else he neglected to mention," Koda said.
"He knew she would die if she wasn't strong enough. That means they have lost MX by making them heal their political officials," Dare said.
"What else can she do?" Var asked. “I think Calks knows more than he is telling us.”
Koda sighed and shook his head.
They walked out of Dare's tent to find the rest of the warlords waiting.
"Anything from the raiders we captured?" Koda asked.
“There were a lot more of them this time,” Foord said.
“Maybe they decided to organize,” Revi smiled.
"There are four," Ache replied. "We got no new information from them. They refuse to swear allegiance to you, Sire."
"Kill them," Koda said.
"On my way," Ache replied, though he did not move. He did not want to miss this meeting.
Koda looked at Reaf's frown, "You have something to say?"
"The MX is powerful. You need to claim her. If the prophecy is true, claiming her will give you some control over her and some protection from her as well."
"The prophecy," Var snorted and turned his head.
"The guards are reporting the meteor showers began the first night you took her,” Dren said. “They have continued every night. I have seen them."
"Prepare for a Claiming Ceremony tonight at dusk," Koda said, "if she is conscious."
The warlords moved away except Var. "This MX girl could be very dangerous."
"The girl is mine," Koda said. "Dangerous or not, she is mine. I will mate and claim her."
***
Claire opened her mind before she opened her eyes. There were memories to process and something bad hung in the air. She was disoriented. Someone had removed her bloody clothes.
Osiria was in the tent with her. "You are awake, good. Do you suffer any ill effects from the ... healing?"
Healing. She had healed Lodi. "Is Lodi alright?" Claire asked.
"Lodi is fine," Osiria smiled at her. "You saved him from certain death."
Koda came through the tent door, Osiria smiled and left.
He gave Claire a look so intense, she did not have to be an empath to know he was furious.
"Is healing one of those abilities of which you do not speak?"
Claire pulled the blanket higher, closer to her neck. "Yes, Warlord Leader."
"I would know about the other abilities."
Claire began to shake her head slowly from side to side. "I cannot."
That look must intimidate many in battle, she thought. He moved closer to her. Instinct made her recoil. He was deadly. She must never forget that. He stopped when he saw her reaction to him.
"Never again will you put yourself in so much danger. Why do you fear me?"
"You – you ..."
His fierce look relaxed. He took a deep breath. "I am a warlord. War is my business. I forget that you are not accustomed to our way of life. You have no need to fear me, girl. I will not hurt you. I am sorry you had to see that."
She nodded.
Koda sighed. "Many want what we have so they try to take it." He sounded resigned to his way of life.
Unsteady on her feet when she rose, her balance failed her. Koda pulled her close to him. She gasped as he jerked the blanket away and her bare breasts pressed against the hard muscles of his chest. She was weak and shaky and still her body responded to him. What was happening to her? She began to struggle. His hands were hot on her back. He held her tight while he moved one hang to pull her head to him. He kissed the top of her head. Her face touched his smooth skin and his emotions flowed over her like warm water. Her own emotions rose up even as his threatened to overwhelm her.
This time, she recognized his lust. Her need was like a small flame kindled by his raw sexual power. She knew he could make the flame within her soar to a blaze that consumed her thoughts and overshadowed reason. His emotions were primal, male and violent, his muscles tensed as if for a battle. Those emotions were painful to Claire. She had just seen him kill with ease and without regret.
Time slowed. Each instant was a tableau that Claire studied. Moment by moment she allowed his feelings to flow into her. She examined his emotions, his memories. They were powerful, foreign. She absorbed and released his emotions back to him. She was gaining control of her gift.
Claire heard someone whispering, "Please." Some part of her mind recognized her own voice. She was asking him to stop the flow of emotions that threatened to consume her, but she was also begging him to quench the fire he had started within her.
Nothing had prepared her to deal with the lust of the big barbarian. She knew his pride, his strength, and his fierceness. He wanted to conquer her, possess and invade her. He left no room for her to fear him. She was shaking with need. Foolish girl, she was not gaining control of the situation. Her body's reaction proved she had no control when Koda touched her.
He forced her down under him as he pushed his knees between her legs and spread her wide. His lips sought hers and she opened her mouth to his plundering. He kissed her as though he were dying and her kisses kept him alive. The warlord lowered his head to her breasts. She gasped and whimpered as he suckled there while she wrapped his hair around her fingers and enjoyed the feel of it in her hands. Claire reveled in the touch of his mouth on her, of his skin against her own and his hands on her body. He sucked hard at her pink-tipped peaks. She writhed beneath him, her need the only thought in her mind. When he touched her face, Claire felt his possession of her. His hands were hot, branding her, claiming her body everywhere he touched. He claimed her soul when his emotions flowed into her.
He tortured her with kisses. She cried out when he began to probe between her legs with his hand. Her body wanted his touch. She tried to move her hips, but he pinned her with his weight. He was going to have her where he wanted her and she could struggle or not, he was going to have his way.
Only then did she realize she was struggling, against her need or his, she did not know. The tension was unbearable until he gave her release. She would take whatever he gave her. That thought was strong and clear and made something inside her twist. She seldom read another's thoughts so clearly.
He moved down, pulled her legs wide and ravaged her core with his mouth. Claire tossed her head from side to side, her desire building beyond anything she had ever imagined. Craving rose within her like a force of nature. Tension built until she broke from it. She came apart under him and would have gone flying out into space had he not held her down.
As the last spasm of her release twitched deep inside her, he lifted his head and pulled her up. He turned her over and pulled her to her knees. She felt his manhood positioned to enter her from behind. "Stay. Take it." He fisted his hand in her hair, moved it to one side to bare her neck before he bit down on her to hold her in place. His teeth broke the skin on the delicate curve where her neck met her shoulder. She cried out, panicked, tried to get away from him. He put one arm under her hips, pulled her to him. She screamed with the shock of his penetration and his emotions.
He began thrusting long, slow strokes that caused the fire inside her to burn again, even hotter this time. How could that be? He was in control. All she was able to do was accept him. He claimed a part of her with every thrust.
When she whimpered, he stroked harder and faster. She felt his satisfaction at the violence of the sex, his enjoyment of her heat and soft wetness as he pounded into her and overwhelmed her senses. His pleasure at the taste of her blood in his mouth burst in her mind. Her tension built beyond what she could endure. He reveled in her need, he
r softness, her feel, her taste, and her smell. She thought he was never going to get enough and she was going to die beneath him.
He released her from his bite. “You are mine.” He ground out hoarsely as he pulled almost completely out of her.
Claire was frantic in her need. She looked back at him.
“Say it.” Koda said.
She tried to push herself back onto him... but he held her fast. “Say it.” He grunted.
“Please, I cannot,” she cried.
“You are MINE,” he groaned and thrust hard into her.
She felt an emotion from him that she could identify only as rage. Her orgasm crashed through her with the sensation that she was being ripped open from the inside. When her muscles tightened around his manhood, milking him, pushing him over the edge, he roared at her and pumped his seed deep into her womb.
Claire felt the primal need within him, wild and dangerous and conquering as he filled her. She knew his satisfaction as he mated with her, knew his shock as his orgasm continued, went beyond anything he had ever experienced. Even as she recognized his emotions, she was aware of them in a vague, dreamlike way. Her emotions screamed at her. The orgasm broke apart deep within her very essence. Just as she thought it was over, another wave hit her. She was helpless to do anything except endure while the waves built and rolled through her, again and again.
When it was done, they both felt the last twitch deep inside her belly. Tears ran from her eyes. He released her hair and was careful to ease her down to the floor of the tent. Koda had been holding her to him with one of his strong arms under her hips. He was gentle with her now as he lay down beside her and pulled her close to him. How strange that he should be so gentle after and so brutal during. He licked the bite mark he had left on her.
He lifted her face to his. "You are mine. Mine. And I am yours." He whispered as he looked into her eyes. "Say it."
His proprietary feeling toward her was more than Claire was able to process. She was confused, different somehow. He had changed her. The release had been emotional as well as physical. The bite caused a change in her. Tears streamed from her eyes.
