"Hierarchy?"
"Uh, I think I should leave that to Kiarra to explain." Bearcat floundered, as if he'd let something slip that he shouldn't have. "I really don't know who it was, and she may not know, either."
"What is a Ra'Ak? Really?" Joey asked.
"You might think of them as shapeshifters, of the worst possible kind," Bearcat replied. "They become giant serpents when they turn, and nobody's safe after that."
"I hate snakes."
"You won't like these, either. They generally don't like each other. They tolerate one another, that's it."
"What language is that—Saa Thalarr?" Joey asked. It was a good question, and one I'd considered asking.
"It's Neaborian, which is a dead language. Neaboria is the first world the rogue Ra'Ak attacked and destroyed. It's completely empty and deserted, now. Saa Thalarr, in that language, means hope and vengeance."
"So the Saa Thalarr protect the planets under attack by the Ra'Ak?"
"Not all of them, no," Bearcat sounded uncomfortable again. "Another question for Kiarra," he said, brushing further queries on the subject aside.
"What do you do if the Saa Thalarr loses?" I asked.
"Plan a funeral. For the Saa Thalarr and the world involved. Every challenge is to the death."
"Bear, stop scaring them," Kiarra croaked behind me.
"Kee, you should still be in bed." I watched in amazement as Bearcat immediately went into caregiver mode. He was at her side quickly, taking her arm and leading her toward a barstool. "Want something to eat or drink?"
"Both would be nice."
"Sweetheart, how are you feeling?" I was right behind Bearcat, gently shooing him away before taking over and lifting her onto a barstool.
"Better. Having my guts scattered wasn't fun," she admitted.
"I know. At least they're where they should be now," I soothed. "Thank goodness."
"Thank Pheligar. He's the one who managed that. Larentii are the most talented healers. With Karzac's help, of course."
"My love, look at me," I said, tipping her head up with a finger.
"Adam?" she said. That's all she had time for—I leaned in to kiss her gently.
"Protein drink," Bearcat placed a glass of pale liquid in front of her as I stepped aside. "Fruit and cheese," he set a plate of food next to the drink. "Protein drink first. You know the drill."
"They all become unbearable if one of us is injured," Kiarra grumped, lifting the drink with shaking hands.
"Let me help." I took the glass away and held it to her lips. Gripping my arm to steady herself, she drank. I rubbed her back with my free hand, encouraging her to drink as much as she could.
"Joey," Bearcat called softly. "Let's leave them alone."
"They have a M'Fiyah," Kiarra murmured when I took the glass away. She'd consumed nearly half of it, and I was content with that.
"M'Fiyah?" I wasn't sure I'd pronounced it correctly.
"Mate recognition. It's immediate with our kind."
"My heart, eat some of this and I'll carry you back to bed. We can talk there, if you want," I tapped the plate of fruit and cheese.
"I'm so tired, Adam." She leaned her head against my chest.
"I know."
"Has anyone told you what's happening on Earth?"
"No, and I haven't asked."
"Just as well. We can't do anything about it right now anyway. Lion will be ready to go back before I will."
"Stop worrying about that. Eat, then back to bed. Too bad my mother isn't here; she'd be fretting and watching every bite you took. If anyone could will someone better, it was her."
"I know you still miss them," she sighed, closing her eyes.
"That's neither here nor there," I said. "Eat, then bed. Don't make me tell you again," I teased.
She ate slowly. Deliberately. As if she were forcing herself. Still, she didn't eat much. "Is that all, sweetheart?" I asked when she sighed and leaned against me again.
"It's all I can handle, or I'll be sick."
"All right." Lifting her easily, I carried her toward the wood and iron steps leading to the top floor of her home. It was her home; Bearcat had confirmed that much. The windows were so tall in the kitchen that the view continued to the second floor balcony. I appreciated the design of it greatly.
"Who built your house?" I asked as we reached the second level.
"I did." Her eyes were closed, so I imagined that she'd had it built. "We'll argue about that later," she mumbled. "I'm too tired to do it now."
"Just let me know, so I can prepare myself," I whispered before kissing her forehead. "I wish I had body heat, to keep you warm," I sighed, placing her in bed and climbing in beside her. "I apologize for that."
"S'okay," she mumbled, curling against my side. "Sleep now."
"Yes, sleep now, my heart," I whispered, trailing my fingers through silky, platinum hair. "I'm right here."
* * *
"She's all right." Griffin poured a glass of wine for Merrill. "Just weak. Larentii are the best healers I've ever seen. Pheligar will heal her before he'll touch any of the others."
"Thank the gods," Merrill sighed and lifted the glass. "Are you sure you won't transport me to England? I want to remove a few heads for this."
"I won't take you. Interference, you know," Griffin countered.
"Why do I get the feeling there's something else going on, here?" Merrill asked, holding up his glass and studying the red wine within it.
"I can't explain that, now. Perhaps later."
"Looks good," Merrill swirled the liquid carefully.
"I told you it was good. You haven't even tasted it, yet."
"Are you prepared for my anger if I get drunk?"
"I think I can handle it."
"Don't say I didn't warn you, brother."
* * *
Joey's Journal
"Griffin and Merrill are having a sparring match," Bearcat informed me. Yes, we were in bed. I think it was a record—I'd never gone to bed with anyone so fast in my life. He didn't disappoint, either.
"A sparring match?" I had no idea what he meant, and was too exhausted after marathon sex to figure it out.
"Griffin was vampire once," Bearcat leaned in for a kiss. "The claws are out now. Merrill has some anger issues, I think, and he's working them out. Don't worry, they won't hurt each other. Much."
"Are you sure?" I made an attempt to sit up in bed.
"I'm sure." He pushed me back down with a smile. I had no idea how he could be aroused again after such a short time, but he was. I intended to enjoy every minute of it.
* * *
I woke to find myself the only inhabitant of the bed. I'd slept through the day and Kiarra had gotten up without me. I cursed being vampire before rolling off the bed and searching for my shoes.
The sounds of an argument reached me before I made my way downstairs. Kiarra was having a disagreement with Pheligar, from the sound of it.
"You have refused consistently, but you interfered with one who is not an intended mate. Either make him your healer or I will carry him back in time." Pheligar sounded stern and unrelenting as I stepped softly down the stairs. "Bearcat has already offered blood—he and Joey have a M'Fiyah. Choose, Kiarra, or I will choose for you."
"Fuck." She sounded defeated. "You'd really take him back, knowing he has a M'Fiyah with Bearcat?"
"Bearcat was not the one to rescue him. You did that."
"Yeah. I did that, all right."
"You're not regretting that, are you?" I had to know. Joey was like an adopted child. One that I cared for.
"I'm not regretting saving his life," Kiarra huffed as I walked into her kitchen. "Blue asshole here wants to make a big deal out of it."
I wasn't about to agree with her—not in front of the being who could turn me into atoms on a whim.
"I am merely pointing out facts," Pheligar snapped. "I have not resorted to derogatory terms to do so. I can, if that is your wish."
"I do
n't need a healer," she pouted.
"Kiarra, you must leave that in the past. I realize it still troubles you. Get rid of it. You know this one will be good for you."
"You want Joey to be her healer?" I blinked up at Pheligar.
"That is exactly what I want. I believe he will work very well in that role. As Bearcat is also a healer, it will allow them to be together."
"They're together?" My voice sounded higher than I liked.
"Several times," Pheligar crossed arms over his chest, as if asking me to refute his statement. Wisely, I suppressed the urge.
"Never ask a Larentii a question unless you want the unvarnished truth," Kiarra muttered. "If they choose to answer, anyway."
"Either offer him your blood or allow Bearcat to give it," Pheligar said. "Or I bend time. Choose, Kiarra."
"Fine. If Bearcat wants to do it; I don't think I'm up for a blood donation at the moment."
"I know you are not," Pheligar's voice gentled. "I would suggest waiting, if you wished to offer. You must tell Joey; the final decision will be his, of course."
"Of course." Kiarra rubbed her forehead.
"I will heal the headache." Pheligar lifted her one-handed and placed large, blue fingers on her forehead. My jealousy roared to life.
"That will not do," Karzac appeared beside me. Before I knew it, I was flat on my back, staring up at Karzac, who held me down with one hand. Past him, I gazed at Pheligar, who still held Kiarra in his arms. My jealousy had fled. Karzac took his hand away from my forehead.
"Jealousy is not tolerated," he huffed and walked away.
I wanted to ask how a healer had manhandled me so easily. I decided that I didn't want to know the answer. "You will no longer feel that emotion," Pheligar settled Kiarra on her feet nearby. "Karzac holds the power to remove it, as do I and some of the others. It is a useless and often harmful nuisance."
How? I wanted to shout. They'd done something to me and I couldn't prevent it. "Adam, you'll have to make a choice eventually," Kiarra dropped to the floor beside me. "If you refuse, you can have your jealousy back, no questions asked. For now, you're safer without it."
"Far safer," Pheligar agreed. "Tomorrow, Kiarra, you will tell Joey, and he will decide. I will return for that conversation." Pheligar disappeared.
"Where is Joey now?" I sat up and frowned at Kiarra.
"He's still in bed with Bearcat. On Tiger's planet."
"He's not here?"
"Adam, he's fine. Stop worrying."
"What about you? Are you fine?"
"As fine as I can be after losing an argument with Pheligar."
"Does that happen often?"
"More often than I like. The others don't get to argue with him. He won't even listen."
"Sounds like a few vampires I know."
"I think everybody has someone like Pheligar in their lives. It's a law of physics or nature—take your pick."
"Are you teasing me?"
"Yeah. I guess." She raked her hair back and shook her head. "Why do you ask?"
"I thought your kind couldn't lie." I did the teasing, this time.
"We can't deliberately lie. We can tease, tell jokes and employ sarcasm, so be prepared."
"Why does it bother you so much to have a healer?" If I'd had any sense, I'd never have asked the question.
"I don't talk about that," Kiarra responded coldly before disappearing. It wouldn't have been so bad, but I'd been left alone—still with no knowledge of where I was or how to get home again.
Chapter 10
Dragon brought her back shortly before daybreak. I'll admit that I was angry by that time, so we didn't speak. She brushed past me on her way to the stairs and her bedroom.
I watched her go with a scowl on my face.
"Vampire, she was raped by her healer. Now do you understand?" Dragon turned dark, glittering eyes in my direction. He was angry and didn't bother to hide it. After watching him kill vampires with ease, I knew not to argue. "That's why she wakes from the healing sleep. The rest of us can't. She can, because that's when she was attacked—after she was injured and he placed her in a healing sleep. Go to bed, leech. It's almost daybreak."
He disappeared, leaving me gaping like a fool at the space he'd occupied seconds earlier. I'd been insulted, but felt it was deserved—up to a point. I'd asked a sensitive question, never realizing the damage it might cause. I had a ready argument, however. I realized as much as I climbed the steps to the second level.
Joey's gay, my heart, I sent. He loves you and will never bring you harm.
I received no reply.
* * *
Nobody spoke to me when I made my way into the kitchen after nightfall. Dragon, Lynx and Lion had come. Pheligar was also present. Kiarra sat on a barstool, arms crossed tightly and head bowed, as if she were under siege. In a way, I suppose she was.
"Bearcat says they're on the way," Dragon announced, his leather pants creaking softly as he took a seat at the island. Kiarra sat on the opposite side, alone and unresponsive. She'd let her hair fall across her face so I couldn't read her expression. It didn't take a genius to know she was upset—not just with me, but with all present.
"Adam?" Joey sounded terrified when he appeared with Bearcat. Kiarra's head jerked up. "Adam, he's going to take me back and let me die." Joey wiped tears away.
"You didn't." Kiarra accused, glaring at Pheligar.
"I merely offered the truth," Pheligar huffed in indignation. "Surely you recognize the value of it. I informed him that you didn't want this and taking him back was the only alternative."
"I said all right, you bastard," Kiarra slid off the barstool and stalked toward the tall, blue-skinned Larentii. "The choice belongs to him, now. That's where we left this." Kiarra stopped before Pheligar, her hair crackling with energy. "You did this to upset him. And me. Admit it," she jabbed a finger into his chest. She had to raise her arm to do it.
Pheligar didn't flinch.
"What's going on?" Joey wiped away fresh tears; he was clearly upset. I pulled him toward me and rubbed his back.
"You're going to be Kiarra's healer, Joey. I was there when she said she wanted you. Pheligar is just being an asshole. I hear he does that a lot."
I wasn't the one who had to be truthful. Pheligar and Kiarra were both telling the truth—just different versions of it. Before and after versions, if you will. Somebody had to play peacemaker and keep the situation from deteriorating.
"Kiarra's just afraid, Joey. Nobody's bitten her before. I know Bearcat may have offered, but to be her healer, I think you need that connection."
"What?" Kiarra and Pheligar said in unison while turning in my direction. Kiarra wore a look of confusion—Pheligar appeared smugly satisfied.
"Yes. I believe you need her blood. I heard Griffin gave Merrill blood, and they get along pretty well."
"But, uh," Joey began. Yes, he knew what would happen. I was looking forward to it.
"But," Kiarra echoed Joey.
"Sweetheart, he won't hurt you. Every vampire is taught how to deliver the bite."
"He's right," Dragon sighed. "You didn't give blood to the last one—you inherited him. Griffin's first healer was killed, so he inherited him before that—from Lisster, when he retired. You got him after Griffin asked Amara to be his healer. He had no blood connection to you."
"But," she repeated, shaking her head, her face going pale.
"I won't hurt you, I promise," Joey begged. "Please." He held a hand toward her.
"Joey," Kiarra stepped forward and I could see she was trembling. "Your life is safe. If it weren't—if I didn't care about you, I'd have let you die on cold concrete. There are so many things you don't know," she sighed before offering him a hug and pulling away.
"Joseph David Showalter, do you want to be my healer?" she asked.
"Yeah. I do," he nodded enthusiastically.
"Then you'll be my healer," her voice trembled on the words. "My blood is a gift to you, Joey. You will take no ha
rm from it. There are no bindings or conditions, it is freely given."
I watched as a tear slipped down her cheek. Stay here, Lion's huge hand gripped my shoulder.
"I won't hurt you," Joey repeated, gripping the back of her neck. Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss against the artery in her neck. I tensed. Lion's grip tightened. I heard the gasp as Joey's fangs penetrated soft skin. He drank. I held my breath.
"Enough," Pheligar said quietly. Joey withdrew, licked the wound clean and turned in my direction.
Kiarra dropped to the floor in a faint behind him.
* * *
"He'll sleep for twelve hours or so," Lion said. Joey took three steps toward me before he'd gone down. I caught him on my way to Kiarra. Pheligar got to her first. There was no jealousy as he lifted her off the floor—merely irritation, as I wanted to see to her.
I was the experienced vampire. I knew the effects of the bite. Pheligar should have let me take care of her, instead of disappearing with her in his arms.
I carried Joey upstairs instead, feeling numb as I made my way up the steps. "The blood will change him," Lion continued. "He'll be able to walk in daylight."
"What?" I stopped abruptly, Joey's legs swinging with the cease in momentum.
"Changes happen. He won't be forced to consume blood if he doesn't want it. Bearcat and Karzac will teach him what he needs to know, in order to serve as Kee's healer."
"You mean to tell me that there really is something that can cure vampirism?" I began walking again.
"You heard her give permission," Lion said, reaching for the doorknob to my bedroom. "Without that, you'll die if you take our blood. It's the way we're made. Our blood isn't a cure for vampirism, unless we want it to be a cure for vampirism. Got it?"
"Absolutely."
"No, you don't. Somebody will explain it better, later. We have to put Joey to bed, first."
"What about Kiarra?"
"Who knows where Pheligar took her? He never tells us anything. They could be on the Larentii homeworld, for all I know."
"Then I want to go there. I want to see her."
"Nobody goes to the Larentii homeworld. Nobody knows where it is. You have to be escorted there—by a Larentii."
"I'll take care of Joey," Bearcat said. He'd followed silently behind Lion and me, concerned, no doubt, about Joey. "You can hold your debate downstairs if you want. I'll stay with him."
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