Twilight

by Christie Golden

  “I don’t care if he’s in a meeting, I don’t care if I don’t have clearance, and I really don’t care if I step on your strange-shaped protoss toes. You’re going to take me to him right now or else I’ll—”

  “Rosemary!” Jake cried, delight filling him and chasing away for the moment even the lingering throbbing ache in his temples. He pushed through the little throng, straining to see past the tall bodies of the protoss acolytes blocking his view. Down there, a group of alysaar clustered around several newcomers, including a tall, strangely-clad dark templar and a female templar in glittering gold and blue armor. And in the center, as they milled about, he caught just a glimpse of a sleek black head.

  She, too, pushed her way through and they hurried toward each other. He slowed and stopped, and so did she. They stared at each other for a moment. Jake wanted to hug her, and he thought maybe she wanted that too, but just as he stepped forward she shoved her hands in her back pockets and grinned up at him.

  “About time you got here,” Jake said softly. He drank her in—the short, glossy black hair, the large blue eyes, the Cupid’s bow mouth, the petite but, God help him, gorgeous figure that was snugly wrapped in formfitting leather.

  “Yeah,” she said. “When this is all over, remind me to never, ever get caught up in protoss red tape again.”

  Jake’s smile broadened. He realized with a hitch in his chest that he hadn’t honestly thought he’d ever see her again. He couldn’t help it. He closed the short but enormous gap between them, and swept Rosemary Dahl, assassin, traitor, drug addict, trusted ally, and holder of his heart, into his arms and embraced her tightly.

  And to his astonishment and delight, she didn’t resist.

  CHAPTER 18

  AFTER NOT NEARLY LONG ENOUGH, ROSEMARY drew back. Jake released her at once, feeling his face grow hot, and distracted himself by regarding the newcomers.

  “Jacob Jefferson Ramsey,” the dark templar said in a voice that was as dry as the strips of fabrics with which he had chosen to wrap himself. “Your journey has brought you here to the Alys’aril, the holiest of holies among my people. I am sure you and Zamara are properly grateful. I am Mohandar, and I, Selendis, Razturul, and Vartanil have accompanied Rosemary Dahl on her journey to locate you and the preserver who has chosen you for her host. I thought to arrive before you, but clearly, Zeratul is a step ahead of me.”

  Zeratul smiled slightly and inclined his head. “It is not I, but Zamara who is a step ahead of all of us, my old friend. She sought me out. She and Jacob have roused me from my lethargy. We only arrived ourselves a short time ago.”

  “Indeed?” Something flickered in the depths of Mohandar’s eyes. He turned to Jake. “I have been informed that you possess knowledge vital to the safety of our people, preserver. It is because of that information that I have revealed this site to Selendis and the other Aiur protoss. I hope I did not give that secret away too lightly.”

  Jake’s legs trembled. They started to buckle as the headache hit. He hissed at the sharp pain, reaching out and grasping Zeratul’s arm for support. Selendis’s eyes narrowed; she hadn’t missed the gesture.

  “You spoke truly,” Selendis said. Her mental voice was strong and yet soothing, definitely female but one used to command. It reminded him of Rosemary’s. She read the thought and he sensed she didn’t like the comparison, but she continued on. “The host is unwell. Have you determined whether or not you can successfully transfer Zamara’s essence before it is too late?”

  “The host has a name,” Rosemary growled.

  “Indeed he does,” said Zamara, and her possessiveness and care for Jake couldn’t be mistaken. “He is Jacob Jefferson Ramsey, and regardless of the outcome today, his name should be remembered by all protoss—not just preservers. He has sacrificed much in the bearing of me. We must hurry. I have no wish to see him suffer a moment more than is necessary.”

  “I agree. And I will take my leave of you now, so that you may attend to this.”

  Jake stared up at Zeratul. “You’re leaving?”

  Zeratul nodded. His eyes were kind. “I must. My lingering here will help nothing—I cannot be part of this transference. If it fails, I cannot help; if it succeeds, I cannot better that outcome.”

  Mohandar was nodding. “You will best serve on Shakuras, Zeratul. We need your wisdom in the Hierarchy—you are respected by all.”

  Zeratul shook his head. “I will not be returning to Shakuras, either. Soon, I give you my word—but not yet. There are some things, too long pushed aside, that I must investigate in order to help strengthen Zamara’s statements. I can add verification of some of her assumptions, I believe. And the more we know, the better armed we are.”

  Mohandar was disappointed but nodded. “You know what I do not…yet. If this is what you must do, then go. Adun toridas.”

  Zamara agreed with Zeratul’s statement, but Jake was sad to see Zeratul go. The dark templar hesitated, then spoke for Jake’s mind only.

  “I owe you a debt, human,” he said quietly. “Who knows how long I would have sat alone, staring at the waterfall and pink skies, wrapped in my misery as in a blanket. That is not who I am, and you helped remind me of that. Your kind is a young race yet, but already, a handful of individuals have proven to me and to others that you are a force to be reckoned with—and one that has inherent wisdom and potential. I was proud to call James Raynor a friend. I would be proud to call you that also.”

  His legs all but useless, his head pounding, Jake gazed up at the prelate. “I…would be proud as well,” he said.

  “Zeratul,” said Zamara, “in case the transference is not successful, let me share with you one last thing. I think it may be of great importance. Jake—I am sorry, this will hurt.”

  “Go for it,” Jake said, bracing himself.

  The image filled his mind and Zeratul’s. It was a distant, dusty world, like a hundred other worlds but for the strange rock formations that seemed too lovely to be coincidental. But nature did that; it was why humans could see rabbits in clouds and the faces of holy figures in frost patterns. Jake, the scientist, knew that. He knew it as he beheld the landscape, his gaze traveling across the swirls and whorls and formations, one of which dominated the landscape and looked to his scholarly eyes like a beast out of legend—a white, winged horse—

  “Hey!” he exclaimed in his mind to Zamara and Zeratul. “I know this place—this is Pegasus! I led a dig there….”

  He watched as the guided vision bore his gaze away from the natural Pegasus statue and gasped slightly. There, gleaming and bright and green and vibrant, and God help him, alive, was a xel’naga temple.

  It had most definitely not been there when Jake was leading the expedition. It had to have recently been unearthed—by an earthquake, perhaps, or storms, or perhaps it just simply decided it was tired of lying undiscovered and unappreciated and shoved its way through the earth under its own energies. With all that Jake had learned in the last several weeks, nothing would surprise him.

  He pressed a hand to his temple, breathing through his nose to try to will away the pain of sharing the vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rosemary watching him worriedly. He wished she didn’t have to see this.

  “I am sorry you were not able to investigate the site, Jacob, but at least you can tell us exactly where to find it. That this has come to light so recently seems to be of great importance,” Zamara said.

  Jake easily shared the information with Zeratul, absurdly pleased as, for the first time, he had something real and concrete from his own field of expertise to contribute. Zeratul bowed deeply to him.

  “Perhaps we will meet again, when the crisis is over, and we have protected our worlds and those we love. But for now, I must act.” The glowing eyes crinkled slightly. “It is, after all, what my friend Tassadar would have wished me to do.”

  He turned to the others. “Mohandar, Selendis…I believe that a battle which will need us both—need us all—is shortly to begin. I will r
eturn to Shakuras as soon as I may.”

  “We will await your return, Prelate,” Selendis said, and Mohandar nodded.

  “Krythkal…Zamara and Jake both are precious. Take the utmost care in what you must do.”

  “I shall bring to bear all my centuries of skill. And,” he said, chiding gently, “perhaps soon you will return here so that we may have your memories as well. Adun toridas, Zeratul.”

  “En taro Tassadar,” said Zeratul, and then he was gone without a backward glance, moving forward purposefully. Jake was glad of it. This was the Zeratul that Zamara had known, whose integrity and strength of purpose had convinced Tassadar that he was worthy of trust.

  Whatever happens to me, Zamara said for Jake alone, my people know as much as I can tell them.

  The ice pick in his head returned and Jake felt the blood drain from his face. Someone was there, holding his arm firmly, not letting him fall. He glanced up, assuming it was Krythkal or another protoss, and then down. Rosemary gazed back up at him.

  “Whatever it is you’re going to do to him, Krythkal,” Rosemary said steadily, “you better do it soon.”

  Krythkal nodded, troubled. “Agreed. I shall assemble my best students to help me, and we will begin at once.”

  Jake looked at the little group that surrounded him as he followed Krythkal. By anyone’s estimate, it was an odd assembly. Two ancient dark templar and a younger one, one executor—female at that, which Jake knew was rare—a rather enthusiastic youngster that he understood was a Furinax, a craftsman, and two humans, one of whom had a preserver in his head.

  He chuckled softly. “Bet you never thought you’d see this,” he said, directing the comment to everyone.

  “Truer words were never thought,” Mohandar said. “The ways of fate are strange indeed.”

  He felt Vartanil’s gaze boring into him and turned to regard the young protoss who had slowed his long-legged pace to Jake’s. “Jacob, it pleases me so greatly to be here with you and Rosemary. To lend my support, however weak it might be, to your cause.”

  “Vartanil was a strong voice in the Hierarchy,” Selendis said, looking over her shoulder as she strode ahead of them. “I do not think Rosemary alone could have persuaded them. At least not in time. You were of more aid than you suspect, Vartanil.”

  Vartanil ducked his head. If protoss could blush, Jake thought the Furinax would be scarlet by now.

  “Thank you,” Jake said quietly. Vartanil turned radiant eyes upon him.

  “It didn’t help that the only human female they’d met was Sarah Kerrigan,” Rosemary said. “Nothing like a mountain of prejudice to climb over.”

  “Your sincerity and concern for Jacob was a great factor in our decision as well,” Selendis said. “We did not expect to see such ferocious dedication in one of your species.”

  Rosemary didn’t look at him, but her cheeks were more traitorous than Vartanil’s. “Yeah,” she said, “whatever. So, how does this thing you’re going to do to separate Jake and Zamara work?”

  Krythkal turned expectantly to Jake. “Oh, right,” Jake said. He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling again the tingling sensation as his fingers closed around the crystal, and handed it to Krythkal. The protoss started as the crystal settled in his long-fingered palm. Jake felt his surprise and pleasure wash over them all.

  “It is…astonishingly pure,” Krythkal said, in slight awe. Recovering, he added, “The alysaar have, over the centuries, developed a technique for the joining of thoughts that enables us to transfer them to certain khaydarin crystals that have been specifically attuned for the task. It is a recording device. It stores the memories as images and information that can then be accessed later by anyone who has been trained in the proper technique, which is very simple.”

  “Like a hologram,” Rosemary said, nodding. “Gotcha. But Zamara’s kind of…a super memory holder, right?”

  Krythkal was clearly worried. “Yes,” he said. “We have never attempted anything this ambitious. Also, we are used to probing protoss minds, not terran minds. I will do the best I can, but I fear I cannot promise anything.”

  It would have to do.

  A few moments later, Jake found himself in a narrow chamber. He, Krythkal, Selendis, Mohandar, Razturul, Rosemary, and Vartanil crowded the tiny space, and when two more alysaar approached, it got positively cramped. He glanced down at the small raised table in the center of the room, made of the same black polished stone that comprised the rest of the temple. It didn’t look very comfortable.

  Krythkal turned to them. “The fewer present, the better. We will need to concentrate quite intently.”

  Selendis nodded and inclined her head. “We will wait outside then.”

  “No,” said Rosemary.

  Selendis turned to her, slightly annoyed. “You wish to be a distraction in this delicate operation?”

  “I—of course not. But I thought maybe I could help.”

  Jake’s hand shot out, almost of its own volition, and grabbed Rosemary’s. Startled, she glanced up at him, and he felt her start to pull back.

  Stay with me.

  Her eyes widened slightly as he sent the thought, lacing it with everything he felt for her. Her lips curved in a slight smile and she nodded. He wanted then, so badly, to read her thoughts—to know exactly how she felt, as he had let her see. But he wouldn’t do that. He’d promised.

  Selendis was looking at them both. “Perhaps your presence would be a positive thing,” she allowed. “If it strengthens Jacob’s spirit.” She turned to Jake.

  “I have every confidence that this will be a success, Jacob Jefferson Ramsey. I look forward to when we will speak again.”

  He nodded. She shifted her gaze, and he knew she was speaking with Zamara. With a brief, brusque nod, Selendis left. Vartanil lingered.

  “Go on,” Rosemary said. “He and Zamara are gonna be fine.” As if she actually could foretell the future, Vartanil executed a low bow and left as well. Mohandar said nothing to Jake, but he knew that the old protoss and the preserver had exchanged a few words.

  The door closed quietly behind them. Jake, Rosemary, Krythkal, and his two attendants were alone in the little chamber. He looked at the flat slab and suddenly a shiver went up his spine.

  It reminds me of what we saw in the chambers, he sent to Zamara.

  I know. But there is a world of difference between what Ulrezaj did and what is about to happen to us.

  Are we sure? Ulrezaj used to be one of these guys, after all. And they are dark templar…maybe this Krythkal secretly hates preservers, because you do naturally what he can’t ever hope to accomplish.

  Perhaps, she agreed, and he was totally unnerved. Although I doubt this. Jacob—there is no other choice. It is your life at stake, and my knowledge. They cannot continue together any longer.

  He nodded and lay down on the cold stone slab, shivering a little where it touched his bare skin. “You might at least offer a guy a blanket,” he joked.

  Krythkal regarded him steadily. “You will shortly be in a mental state such that you will be completely unaware of your physical body,” he replied. Like that was any kind of reassurance.

  Jake sighed and stretched out, folding his arms, prickling with gooseflesh, across his chest. “Okay, let’s get this over—”

  Her lips were soft and warm on his, but not gentle. As he’d imagined far too many times than was good for his sanity, Rosemary’s kiss was as fierce and passionate as she was, and after the initial shock had passed Jake responded. His arms wrapped around her small frame and pulled her close for a moment that was both long and timeless and far, far too short.

  When she pulled back, he was shaking. She seemed completely composed, of course. She smiled and gave him a wink.

  “You. Don’t. Die,” she said.

  “Okay,” he stammered. The grin was stupid and as unstoppable as the rotation of a planet. He sensed the protoss’s confusion, annoyance, and humor, but none of that mattered.

  We’
re surviving this, Zamara.

  I had no idea that a terran gesture of affection was such a powerful force, Zamara said wryly, but she was pleased for him. As Jake lay back and closed his eyes, he felt her wrap her essence around him like a cat curling up for a nap, and in the midst of his giddiness, he knew sorrow. Even if this attempt was completely successful, she would never be in his mind as she was now.

  I will miss it too, she said, reading his thoughts even as he formed them. I had not expected to become so fond of you.

  Me neither.

  The slab beneath him was firm and cold, and then, all sensation of it was gone.

  Jake opened his eyes to a scene of bright sunlight, steamy warmth, and an overabundance of green. He realized that he was on Aiur, but Aiur before its devastation and fall to the zerg. He turned and knew whom he would see, and smiled at Zamara.

  She was clad in the clothing her corpse had worn: purple and white robes, shining and soft and suiting her admirably. She tilted her head and half closed her eyes, but he did not need to see her in order to feel her smile. They sat as they had done so many times before as Jake had watched the unfolding of one of the myriad memories Zamara kept. But this time, while this image of an untouched Aiur was a memory, Jake knew that he would not see anything else. This was how Zamara wanted their separation to occur.

  He sensed Krythkal’s thoughts, wafting to his mind like the scent of flowers on a breeze.

  “The crystal is astoundingly pure. I think it will successfully contain all the memories.”

  “What about Jake?” Rosemary demanded. It was good that they would get whatever it was that Zamara was so insistent was important, of course, but her concern was Jake. He lay alarmingly still on the dark stone slab; she wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

  “I do not understand human anatomy, child,” Krythkal chided her. “All I can do is remove Zamara’s influence from him. You will have to turn to your terran physicians after that. Now be silent, and let us complete this.”