“You,” the creature hissed at her, trying to scramble away from Bannack. “You are a traitor. Traitor!”
Bannack stomped down on the man’s throat, silencing him instantly. He looked at the woman.
“Are you alright?” he asked the hybrid woman.
She clung to Rilex, but nodded, glaring down at the body of the creature on the ground at Bannack’s feet.
“I have her,” Rilex said. “I’ll make sure that she gets to the shuttle.”
Bannack nodded and ran back toward the rest of the group. Azrael had lifted another of the hooded creatures into the air by its throat and Bannack watched him pull away the hood that covered its head. A sickening creature that looked like a grisly blend of Klimnu and Covra hissed at him.
“I should bring you back to Ryan,” it said in a voice that made Bannack’s skin crawl. “He could restore your wings. He could give you your strength back and make you more powerful than you could ever have imagined.”
“I don’t need Ryan,” Azrael said through gritted teeth. He rose up higher into the sky until Bannack could only see the dark shape of them against the sky. “My wings don’t need restoration,” Azrael said. “Each wound has only made me stronger.”
Azrael took his other hand and grasped the creature’s head. There was a chilling crack and the hybrid fell from Azrael’s grip into a heap on the ground. The winged man looked down at Bannack for a moment before flying away again. Bannack felt someone pull on his back and turned to see Loralia.
“Come on,” she said. “The hybrids and Valdicians are under control. Pyra wants as many of us as possible to continue toward the transportation bay. We need to find a pilot and get into the shuttle. Can you carry one of the women?”
“Of course,” Bannack said.
They ran across toward the others that had separated out from the main conflict and Bannack scooped one of the women onto his shoulders so that they could move more quickly. They had run a few yards when he reached down and swept Loralia up as well, holding her close so that he could both protect her and make sure that she got to the transportation bay as quickly and easily as possible. Behind them he could hear the sounds of the final gasps of the battle. He wondered how many of the hybrids had escaped and what would happen to those who survived.
Clouds had started to roll in, obliterating the glimmer from the stars so that they moved through almost complete darkness as they approached the transportation bay. When they finally reached it, George input his code into the keypad and they waited, barely breathing, until the click within the door told them that the code had worked and the lock had released. The human man pulled the door open, washing them with light as if the building itself were reaching out to protect them.
“Is there anyone here?” Zsilvia asked.
“There are always people here,” George told her. “Shuttles and experimental ships leave and arrive at all times, and they need maintenance day and night. At this time there will only be a skeleton crew, but there has to be someone who can help us.”
They streamed into the building as quickly as they could and as soon as the door closed behind them, a wave of relief passed over Bannack. It wasn’t over. He knew that it wasn’t. But they had survived the laboratory and made it to the transportation bay. They were closer to leaving Earth behind. George led them down the hallway toward the bay where they had left the shuttle when they first arrived. That felt like a lifetime ago. He could barely remember the sense of excitement and energy that had filled them when they first got off that ship. Now it seemed like they had always been embroiled in this horror.
In sharp contrast to the crowd of people that had greeted them when they arrived, the bay seemed empty and silent. The same shuttle that they had ridden to Earth was still sitting in its place. It looked larger and more beautiful than when they had first seen it and Bannack couldn’t wait to get inside again. He saw George looking around, rushing through the expansive bay looking for someone who might be able and willing to pilot the ship for them. The original pilot who had brought them to Earth wasn’t there and none of them had the skills necessary to bring them on this mission, and their only hope was that they would find another pilot who would be willing to go against regulations and head out on a mission that was both dangerous and unpredictable.
Behind him Bannack heard the door to the bay open and the rest of the group rush inside. He turned and saw Pyra carrying a hooded creature in his arms and another of the warriors supporting another as they came inside. Rilex and the hybrid woman came in last and Bannack could see the worry etched on her face.
“We need to get them inside,” Pyra said.
Bannack rushed up to him.
“Are these…” he started.
“The Valdicians were trying to drag them back to the torture chamber,” Pyra said. “These were slaves. We freed them.”
George finally reappeared with a man behind him.
“Pyra,” he said. “This is Fredrick. He is willing to pilot the ship for us. He doesn’t have full licensure from the University yet, but he knows how to operate the ship.”
“And he understands what he’s facing?” Pyra asked.
“I do,” Fredrick said.
“Very well,” Pyra said. “Thank you.”
Within moments Fredrick had opened the shuttle and they were inside, storing the supplies they had brought had aboard and choosing the passenger rooms where they could rest. Frederick had headed for the control room and everyone rushed to get into their pods for the ascent. Bannack could hear the various systems of the ship starting up and closed his eyes, awaiting the sinking feeling of the massive shuttle rising up off of the ground and soaring out of the bay.
The wait for the pods to open was excruciating. Bannack knew that he didn’t have much time and as soon as the lid to the pod lifted, he climbed out. Loralia stepped toward him and he rested a kiss to her lips.
“Wait here,” he said. “Take a bath. Rest. Have something to eat. I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
He shook his head at her, a soft smile on his lips.
“I’ll be back,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
He gave her another kiss and left the passenger room, heading directly toward the room where he had seen Samira and Ty go when they got inside. Ty was coming out of the room as he approached.
“Let’s get started,” Bannack said.
“Does she know?” Ty asked.
“Not yet,” Bannack said. “I want it to be a surprise. But the trip will take less than a day. We don’t have much time to get everything into place.”
Ty grinned.
“I can handle the food. Let me find the kitchen and see what is available there and in the rations that we brought with us.”
Samira came out of the room and took Ty’s hand beside her.
“I can work on decorations and getting a room set up for you. If it’s alright with you, I can tell some of the other women and we can work together to set it up and then get Loralia ready.”
Bannack nodded.
“Thank you for your help,” he said. “I want this to be as perfect for her as possible. I know that this won’t be anything like what she would have imagined when she was younger, but I want to do everything that I can to show her how much I love her.”
“It will be amazing, Bannack,” Samira said. “What will matter most to her is that you even thought about her and want to do this for her.”
She smiled at him and hurried away. Bannack took a breath.
“I’m going to go talk to Azrael,” he said. “I asked his permission to have the ceremony.”
“Why?” Ty asked.
“He’s her father,” Bannack said. “I know that he never got to see her until now, but he has been thinking about her since then. I’ll never have the opportunity to meet the man who raised her. The least I can do is show respect to the man who’s the reason she’s here.”
“That’s true.”
; “Now I need him to tell me about the ceremony and what I need to do to prepare for it.”
“Good luck,” Ty said. “I’ll do whatever I can with the supplies that I find.” He started in the direction of the ship’s kitchen and then turned back toward Bannack. “Do you know if there would be a cake at the celebration after the ceremony?”
He looked so hopeful that Bannack couldn’t help but laugh.
“I don’t know,” he said. “But why don’t you go ahead and make one? This isn’t exactly a traditional ceremony, so I think that it would be alright to have a few unique things just for us.”
Ty smiled again and turned away, walking faster as he made his way back toward the entrance to the ship so he could find the kitchen. Bannack drew in a steeling breath and made his way down the hallway, hoping that he would find Azrael. He finally found him standing in one of the lounges, staring through the window at the sky as it zoomed past them.
“Azrael?” he said, hesitating at the door to the lounge.
Azrael turned to look at him and gave a faint smile that didn’t extend to his eyes.
“Hello, Bannack,” he said. “Please, come in.”
Bannack stepped inside and walked up to the winged man.
“I wanted to say thank you for giving me your blessing to have the tying ceremony with Loralia,” he said.
Azrael nodded.
“Of course,” he said. “I am so happy to know that my daughter has found love. I can only hope that she has the lifetime of happiness with you that I had hoped to have with her mother.”
“I do, too,” Bannack said. “And I don’t want to wait any longer, which is why I need your help.”
“What can I do for you?” Azrael asked.
“I want to have our ceremony before we reach Penthos,” Bannack said. “I know that it’s very short notice and that it won’t be everything that it could have been if we took longer to plan it, and maybe did it when we get back to Uoria, but I don’t want to go to sleep again without doing this for her.”
This time Azrael’s smile reached his eyes and they brightened. He reached out and took Bannack by the shoulders, staring into his face as if memorizing his expression in just that moment.
“I will do anything that I can to help you,” he said. “Aside from the time that I spent with her mother and bringing Loralia into existence, it will be the greatest honor of my life to give my daughter to you and create one family.”
Chapter Five
Loralia couldn’t relax. She knew that Bannack had told her that she should stay in the room and try to get some rest, but every time that she tried to sit down, the energy and anxiousness inside of her made her stand and continue to pace around the space. When she heard the door to the room open, she whipped around, ready to confront him about leaving her alone for so long since they boarded the ship. Instead, she saw Samira and Eden coming toward her. Eden held something folded in her arms while Samira carried a small bag in one hand. They both smiled at her, but she didn’t know why.
“Come with us,” Samira said, reaching for her hand.
“Why?” Loralia asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Eden said. “We are here to help you.”
“Help me with what?” Loralia asked.
She felt confused and nervous, but she let the women take her hands and guide her out of the room and down the hallway toward another room. When they got inside, Samira closed the door behind them and Eden guided her toward the edge of a large bathtub in the center of the room.
“When I was carrying Lysander, you were there to help me. You told me that I was going to be alright and even prepared me to hold a son in my arms. That was one of the most important moments in my life. Now I want to help you with one of yours.”
“I don’t understand,” Loralia said.
Samira walked to the edge of the tub and started the water. As it filled, she drew small bottles and containers out of the bag that she carried. She sprinkled and poured various liquids and powders into the water until a sweet, fresh fragrance filled the air and the bath turned a delicate shade of pink. Eden stepped up to Loralia and helped her undress, then guided her down into the tub. The water around her was luscious and Loralia couldn’t resist the soft moan that slipped from between her lips. She rested her head back against the side of the tub and felt one of the women releasing the ties in her hair that held it high on her head. The silver mane tumbled down and she looked up to see Eden pick up a brush and begin to run it through the long strands.
For the next several minutes she let the women help her bathe, carefully washing her hair and pouring the sweetly scented water over her skin to wash away her sweat and the dust from the basement. By the time that she emerged from the water she felt clean and refreshed for the first time in as long as she could remember. Eden and Samira dried her off carefully and then led her back to her pod chamber. Samira unfolded the cloth that they had brought in with them, showing Loralia a beautiful champagne-colored dress. Loralia gasped and ran her fingertips along the delicate, silky fabric.
They dropped the dress over her head and let it fall over her body. It grazed her skin softly, hanging slightly too large.
“I had this at the house with the other women,” Eden said. “When they came to the laboratory, they brought my bags with them and it was in there. It’s a little too big, but we can fix that.”
There was a soft knock on the door and then Leia stuck her head in.
“Come in,” Samira said.
Leia was carrying a large bag that she lowered to the pod. She reached inside and withdrew what looked like a handful of ribbons.
“Will these work?” she asked.
Samira nodded.
“They’re perfect.”
She took the ribbons from Leia’s hand and came back to Loralia. Tucking the end of one of the ribbons beneath the narrow straps over Loralia’s shoulders, she drew the ribbon down so that it crossed over her shoulder blades. Samira brought them together, tightening the straps so that the dress fit more securely. The three women worked for a few more moments to gather her hair into long braids woven with the ribbons, then brought the braids up to pin them in place on her head. When she was finished, Leia reached into the bag again and withdrew what looked like flowers. She brought them to Loralia and rested them in her hand. Loralia touched them, realizing that they were crafted out of pieces of stiff paper that had been carefully colored with ink.
“I made them for you,” Leia said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make more, but I didn’t have much time.”
Loralia shook her head.
“They’re beautiful,” she said. “Thank you.” She looked up at the women surrounding her. “I still don’t understand,” she said. “What is this all about?”
Samira looked over Loralia’s shoulder toward the door.
“I think that there’s someone here to explain it to you.”
Loralia turned and gasped when she saw Bannack standing in the doorway. He had bathed and wore fresh clothing, but it was the look in his eyes that took Loralia’s breath away. The women walked away from her silently, each gently touching her back as they went, and disappeared out of the room. When they were gone, Bannack entered the room slowly and came up to her.
“You look incredible,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” she said. “So do you.”
Bannack looked down and then back up at her.
“I have loved you since the moment that I laid eyes on you. Even longer. From the moment that I came into existence, you were within me. My heart and soul have been waiting for you since then and it was the greatest blessing of my life when I finally found you. I know that I struggled to admit it for far too long. I never deserved for you to forgive me or to love me. I never deserved for you to overlook my behavior and offer yourself to me, but you did. You are my everything and I have devoted myself to trying to be the same for you. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you, nothing that I wouldn’t giv
e to protect you. I once asked you to become tied to me the way that your kind has always done. You agreed then, but I want to ask you again now.” Bannack lowered himself to his knees and took her hand in his. “Loralia, my mate, my life, will you please honor me by tying our hearts, our hands, and our souls together?”
Loralia laughed through the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, of course, I will.”
Bannack wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for an embrace before climbing to his feet. He began to guide her toward the door to the room.
“Everything’s ready,” he said.
Loralia felt her heart leap.
“Now?” she asked.
Bannack nodded.
“Can you think of a better time?” he asked.
Loralia shook her head.
“Never.”
They walked through the ship to the soft sound of singing from deep within it. As they walked it grew louder and finally Bannack opened a large door to reveal a lounge that was filled with a soft glow. As she stepped inside she realized that the glow was coming from lightsticks that had been tucked inside more of the paper flowers, allowing the light to pick up the color from the ink and carry it into the room. Smaller versions of the flowers were strewn across the floor, creating an aisle that led to Azrael where he stood on the far end of the room.
The rest of the group was lining the aisle, each holding another of the paper flowers, each created with different ink so that the lights created a flow of color through the dimness of the room.
“How did you do this?” she asked, the emotion in her throat making her voice soft and fragile.
“I had a lot of help,” Bannack admitted.
Loralia felt him squeeze her hand and they started up the aisle together. They were a few steps from Azrael when she noticed the braided cloth rested across his hand. The primary piece of it was the length that her mother had given her when she was young.
Loralia & Bannack's Story (Uoria Mates IV Book 4) Page 4
