by Ann Mayburn
Chapter 13
Gwarnon
Lord Rell sat down next to Gwarnon, his face grim as he studied the bandaged wound on Gwarnon’s torso. Half of his ribs had been ripped away, along with one lung. The weapon the assassin had used was a powerful one, but the wound had been compounded by Lacey’s belt. During the ceremony, moving entirely on instinct, Gwarnon had activated the security feature on the belt and shielded his bride. That shield had saved her from taking any damage from the energy bolt, but it had reflected it back, and Gwarnon had ended up getting shot twice. Once from the would-be assassin, and once from the shot ricocheting off Lacey’s shield.
The damage was extensive, and it would take a while for Gwarnon to get back to full strength. Even with Kadothia’s advanced medicines, it took time for the body to properly regrow a lung. Shifting in the medical chair that was still working on his injured back, Gwarnon turned his head so he could give his old friend a wry smile.
“Sorry you missed the bonding ceremony. It was quite thrilling.”
Lord Rell snorted, some of the darkness leaving his grave expression. “I heard from Chel that when you woke up from your bond with Lady Jelizel breaking, the first thing you wanted to do was get married. Why was that?”
Gwarnon had been anticipating this question, and wished he had a better answer than, “I just had this feeling that I had to get married as soon as possible. That it was important. And I had…this sense that if I waited, something terrible would happen. That same feeling told me I needed to get married in the Lord of Life’s outdoor temple. I know it does not make any sense, and it was probably a result of the shock of the bond breaking—”
“Oh no.” Lord Rell shook his head, his casual sleeveless silver tunic that matched his braided hair glimmering slightly with his movements. “It makes a great deal of sense. After all, your natural father is one of the strongest danger sensors in his generation. It would make sense that his skill would trickle down to you.”
“But I have never felt anything like it before. Believe me, my mother had me tested extensively, hoping to trigger the gift. She went to…horrifying lengths to try and activate my gift. After much effort, she decided I was a dud, that the gift had skipped a generation. My mother told me I was so disappointing a son, the Lord of Life left me without any special skills.”
Gwarnon’s voice was rough by the end, and Lord Rell leaned forward and placed a hand on Gwarnon’s thigh. “Be easy, my friend. I have some news to share with you that you find difficult.”
“What, that my mother tried to have me killed on my wedding day?” Gwarnon spat out.
“We will get to that in a moment,” Lord Rell said while he stood from his chair and began to pace the luxurious silver and purple decorated parlor adjacent to Lacey’s, now their, bedroom. “Did your mother ever explain to you why she wanted you to bond with Lady Jelizel?”
Caught off guard by the question, Gwarnon answered honestly, “She didn’t have to. Lady Jelizel was intensely loyal to my mother and scared of her. She was a weak woman who would do whatever my mother wanted. Since no other Matriarch in her right mind would want to bond Lady Melissi’s son, Lady Jelizel was my only choice.”
Lord Rell paused, his hands behind his back as looked at Gwarnon. “I believe Lady Jelizel was selected to hold your bond for more than just her spinelessness. My mate, Commander Trenzent, can tell you more.”
Gwarnon tried to sit up straighter, to come to some kind of attention as the legendary scarred Commander came through the doorway, but the medical chair held him fast. It wouldn’t let his sense of honor injure him further. To Gwarnon’s surprise, Lorn and Nast—Lady Casey’s husbands—came in as well. Then Nosa and Cormac, followed closely by Phin and Karwin. The big Warriors all moved around the room, selecting chairs and sofas framed by exquisite leaf art on the walls of the parlor.
Lorn crossed his leg and gave Lord Rell a decidedly smug smile.
Lord Rell surveyed the group with a dry look as he said, “I do not recall inviting you in as well.”
“Our loving wives kicked us out,” Nosa said in his deep voice as he leaned against the wall next to his bondmate.
Walking over to Lord Rell, Commander Trenzent gave his blood brother a rare public show of affection. He touched his forehead to Lord Rell’s, something silent passing between them that had an intimate feeling that made Gwarnon look away out of respect. There was a deep affection there, the kind that grew between husbands over centuries.
Commander Trenzent, a legend among the Kadothian Warriors, was Lord Rell’s bondmate and husband to Lady Paige. Gwarnon wasn’t surprised to see Nosa and Cormac, or Lorn and Nast here as well. All of Lady Roxy’s friends considered Lacey one of their own and would have come to visit as soon as they could. Casey especially had a case of hero worship going with Lacey, as she thought his Matriarch was ‘one bad ass bitch,’ in her words.
Lord Rell rolled his shoulders, letting out a sigh. “I just spoke with my Matriarch, and she assures me they are merely indulging in girl talk that would bore us to death.”
A wave of tension went through the room as the men eyed each other and no doubt thought about the scene upstairs.
All of the Matriarchs were now gathered in another room of Lady Tara’s vast manor, plotting all kinds of trouble. With this public showing, they were saying to all of Kadothia that they were friends and supports of House Taylor—something he appreciated. Gwarnon didn’t need anyone to tell him that after surviving the assassination attempt during their wedding, their family would become a major symbolic target for the anti-Earther movement.
The sooner they could get off Kadothia, the better, but his people on Madre Tierra needed a little more time building the infrastructure they would need to begin construction on their manor. They wouldn’t be able to safely move to Madre Tierra for at least another two months. Gwarnon hated endangering the people of Lady Tara’s Territory, but this was probably one of the safest places in Kadothia for them. According to information rolling in through his crystal implant from his crew, Lady Tara’s people were furious that this had happened on their watch and would worker hard to keep their Matriarch safe.
Not that they needed to worry. Though Lacey had her crystal implant set on do not disturb, he could feel how angry his alyah was through their bond. Whatever they were talking about had her incensed. Chel was currently guarding them, and he told Gwarnon that Lacey was doing something the other women referred to as ‘ranting’ and ‘letting it all out’ and ‘venting’. He sent Gwarnon a mental image of Lacey striding back and forth in a feminine room filled with flowering plants and a living canopy of swaying leaves above. The other women were all lounging around comfortably on a variety of chairs and sofas, obviously relaxed. Small tables were placed near the chairs, and held trays filled with sweets and small bits of artful fruit.
A tranquil, warm scene—if you took his alyah yelling about everything being a bunch of fucking bullshit out of the image.
Looking at Lord Rell, Gwarnon said, “You do realize our wives are currently plotting all kinds of mischief upstairs.”
“The Coven,” Lorn said with a smirk, the same blue eyes he shared with his mother, Lady Elsin, sparkling with humor, “that is how they referred to themselves. Lady Casey said they all had witch like powers now, so the Coven fit even though there are five of them instead of thirteen. And, before you ask, no, I have no idea what she means.”
Nast shook his head, his mane of red, orange, and gold hair held back in a tight Warrior’s braid. “I believe a witch is some kind of magic user in their culture. Since their gifts from the Lord of Life could indeed be considered magic, I believe the name fits. Powerful witches, indeed”
Lord Rell gave the other man a slight nod. “I do not believe they realize just how formidable they are, not yet. Lord of Life help the galaxy once they realize how much influence they wield between them.”
“Hopefully enough to withstand what is to come,” Nosa said in a grim voice.
Confused, Gwarnon was about to ask Nosa what he meant when Lord Rell cleared his throat. “If we could get back to the task at hand—Tren, would you please share what you found on Lady Jelizel’s estate?”
Running a hand over his short silver and black hair, the scared man frowned as he said, “I found evidence that Lady Jelizel had a rare gift that was mislabeled as a shield. Her real gift was being able to force the gifts of others into dormancy, like burying a seed too deep to reach sunlight, leaving the plant thinking it is living through an eternal winter. Rell and I think that you had such a severe reaction to the bond breaking because your gift, which had been suppressed by Lady Jelizel during your bonding, was finally released. We believe you have precognition, like your father, and that your mother concealed it from you so that someday, when she finally managed to break you, she’d have you as a backup for your father.”
“Lady Jelizel wasn’t a willing accomplice of your mother. She collected information on Lady Melissi over the years, enough proof to cause your mother problems,” Lord Rell grimace, “but I am not sure if it is enough to get her convicted. Your mother holds an astonishing amount of power and loyalty. Why the Lord of Life gave her the gift of manipulation, I will never know.”
Chel came into the room, panting as if he’d been running, “Gwarnon, are you all right? Lacey and I felt your distress.”
Gwarnon reached out and clasped his blood brother’s hand, anger at his mother speeding his heart as he mentally caught Chel up on what he’d learned.
“That bitch,” Chel growled then turned to Lord Rell, “Please tell me she will be punished for this.”
“I swear to you, I will go after her with everything I have, but as I said, she is powerful and crazy, but also very smart.” Lord Rell exchanged a look with Commander Trenzent before nodding, “We do not believe she will bother you for some time to come. She will be too busy trying to control the damage Lady Jelizel’s accusations cause.”
“Lady Elsin,” Lorn said, “is especially interested in anything that can take Lady Melissi down. My mother has loathed her for years but has been unable to legally go after her. She will keep Lady Melissi quite busy, I assure you.”
“That is one small relief,” Gwarnon muttered, “but what about the group that tried to kill Lacey? If I had not activated her belt, she would have died despite my body absorbing the majority of the blast. The shooter was aiming for her head and would have taken it clean off. The anti-Earthers do not like how she has become a hero to many, a Matriarch who fought the Hive and won. It has made her an idol many Warriors, and there are Kadothian Matriarchs who resent Lacey for taking way attention from them.”
“We believe she would be safer on Madre Tierra,” Phin said with sadness shining in his expressive eyes. “The greedy part of my heart wants you to stay, to spend more time with our new daughter and granddaughter, but it is for Lacey and Jillian’s sake that we suggest you accelerate your plans for your new Territory. As much as it pains and shames me to say it, Lacey is safer on Madre Tierra than Kadothia.”
“Thankfully,” Cormac said with his trademark trouble making smile, “Like our own wife, your Matriarch is, to quote Roxy, ‘rich as shit’, which will benefit you greatly in helping to settle and build your Territory.”
“And Roxy will be sending a group of slaves she freed after winning them from the Baladium to your Territory on Madre Tierra as well,” Nosa added. “Many of them are gifted craftsman and artists, they will help you with building your new home.”
Lord Rell glanced at his husband, then said, “Paige is also committed to helping Lacey, and has offered to send a contingent of our people to help and plans on personally helping out as well. She is greatly looking forward to visiting you on Madre Tierra.”
“I think,” Karwin said as he looked out the window of the parlor, his gaze distant, “our women are all homesick. While Madre Tierra may not be an exact replica of Earth, they are all entranced by the idea of being able to visit a place that is almost like their home. I predict that Lady Lacey will have many visitors in the future. Right now, the girls are all trying to figure out when Christmas would be on the Kadothian calendar so they can have a big party.”
“I will need to research this holiday,” Nosa said, looking intrigued. “Our guide says one of the creatures associated with the holiday is an elf. Roxy called me an elf the first time she saw my ears.”
Lorn gave a loud laugh, then sent them all a mental image via their implants. It was the portrait of a man with short curly hair and the soft body of a baker who liked his sweets, wearing an ill-fitting green jacket with shabby fur at the collar and sleeves. He also wore an odd-looking hat that was too small for his head with a red feather. The bright yellow tights were equally garish, and his shoes were black with twisted points at the tips. The color combination was jarring, and he stared at the word Elf above the image of the curly haired man…then imaged Nosa wearing that outfit and burst out laughing as well.
Right away he clutched his side, his healing internal organs sending shards of discomfort through his nervous system.
“You are in pain,” his blood brother said in a low voice as the men continued to tease Nosa about being an Elf, and making a promise to all watch the movie together at Christmas.
“I am fine,” Gwarnon said, knowing lying to his bondmate was stupid.
“Sure you are,” Chel said as he stroked Gwarnon’s hair, then pressed a button on his chair.
Gwarnon glared at Chel, then sighed as the sleeping serum hit his system, making everything relax as he drifted, floating on the love coursing through their bond.
Chapter 14
Lacey
Five Kadothian Months Later
Leaning against the fence railing made to mimic the wood of Earth, Lacey watched the two dozen or so horses milling about inside the large corral. Ranging from deep brown touched with black to a vibrant red and white paint with a sassy attitude, the horses all seemed to be doing well despite their journey to another galaxy. Her attention was caught on a pretty bay trotting past, with her foal bouncing around her as she inspected the arena with a snort.
“Thank you for taking care of the horses,” Michelle, a newly bonded young Earth Matriarch from Wyoming said as she placed her booted foot on the railing. “I can’t believe they’re being such assholes about my Territory.”
Lacey sighed, tearing her gaze from the horses to consider the freckled young woman standing next to her. “Well, we have plenty of room on Madre Tierra. We’d be happy to have you and your family here helping us settle the planet.”
“Thanks,” Michelle said with a distracted smile, “but my bondmates worked too hard to win their Territory to just give it up because some Kadothians are anti-Earther assholes. I’m going to get my Territory, even if I have to strangle the Regional High Congress myself.”
Lacey gave the other woman’s shoulder a pat, both of them quiet as they watched the horses grow bolder, to begin to run around and whinny beneath the eyes of an adoring crowd.
If Lacey had been asked a year ago where she thought she would be today, it certainly wouldn’t have been standing in her Territory, on a newly forming planet, hanging out with a cowgirl from Wyoming and the wild horses she rescued from a government horse slaughter. Across the arena, a large group of Kadothian males, scientists mostly, stared and pointed at the horses like a bunch of excited little kids. Michelle’s husbands were both biologists and they were fascinated by Earth creatures.
“You got this place built pretty quick,” Michelle said as she took in the large red Earth style barn and the cottages still being constructed for the people that would be learning to work on the horse ranch. “Wish it only took a day to build a barn back on Earth.”
Lacey nodded in agreement as she took a slow look around the land, at once familiar yet different than the Earth she’d grown up on. Only half of Madre Tierra was habitable at the moment, the Kadothian engineers responsible for transforming the frozen moon into a livable plan
et were still working on some of the trickier terrain. But the oceans and ice caps were in place and functioning, and the weather was at times a little temperamental, but seemed to be settling into a normal pattern.
“I have to head back up to the manor,” Lacey said as she gave Michelle a hug. “My men know that they’re to assist you in any way you need. Just give me a call on the old head phone,” she tapped behind her ear where the crystal implant was, “if you need anything.”
Michelle hugged her again, harder this time as she whispered, “Thank you. I hated the idea of the horses being kept in stasis for maybe years while the Territorial Congress debated allowing Earth animals in their Region.”
Looking at the magnificent creatures, a few of the tamer horses now getting rub downs from the adoring crowd of Kadothian males, Lacey said, “They, and you are welcome here for as long as you need. I promise you, we’ll take good care of them.”
“Horsey!” came Jillian’s piercing scream, loud enough that most of the horses halted their movements and turned to see what that noise was.
Her daughter ran up to the fence, fearless as always, with her personal guards in tow.
Jillian, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt like Lacey’s, climbed up onto the railing next to Lacey, while Wythe stood a respectful distance away, but always on guard.
Life wasn’t always easy, or safe, on Madre Tierra. There had been a few attacks, both by bounty hunters and anti-Earthers, but they had all been unsuccessful. Mainly because Kadothia took its defenses seriously, but also because Lacey’s people were loyal and loved their Matriarch and her family. It was weird at first, she wasn’t used to feeling like royalty, but as time went on she got more and more used to the idea that they didn’t view her as a Queen, but a mother.
“Horsey!” Jillian yelled out again, holding one hand out as the other clutched the railing, her sunflower yellow hair streaming about in the breeze. “Come here horsey, please.”
