Marcus slid Taelon a look. “Your people really wouldn’t treat them badly for being different? They won’t distrust them or look down on them or ostracize them for being from Earth, a planet Ami admitted your people view as primitive and barbaric?”
He shook his head. “Our people aren’t just more advanced technologically. We’re more advanced socially. We learned long ago that we are far stronger as a society when we embrace each other’s differences. And that includes embracing the differences of those who choose to migrate to our planet. As long as deception is not their intent and they abide by our laws, your gifted ones would be welcomed.” He returned his attention to Ami. “You could serve as ambassador to Earth from Lasara. We have communication devices that can breach the distance between our worlds.”
“I know. But I’ll use those comms from here.”
His mind worked furiously. “What if—?”
“There’s something else,” Amiriska interrupted, then looked up at her husband. “Adira just went through an incredibly traumatic experience. Little Michael did, too. And they have been clinging to each other ever since.”
Michael, Taelon had learned, was a little boy about the same age as Adira who lived here with his adoptive immortal parents.
Marcus’s brow furrowed. Resting his hands on Amiriska’s hips, he drew her up against him.
And Taelon had to admit such an intimate pose would shock Lasaran people despite their being bonded.
Ami rested her hands on Marcus’s chest. “I don’t think uprooting Adira and taking her away from Michael and Seth and David and the two dozen or more other people here she loves would be a good idea. I worry what that would do to her. And I worry what it would to do Michael to lose Adira so soon after he lost his mother and after experiencing this latest trauma.”
Marcus pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I just knew how much you missed your family and wanted to do anything I could to help you make your way back to them.” He sighed. “I want you to be happy, Ami.”
“I am happy. And even though I’d love to see my family again, we have to do what’s best for our daughter.”
Taelon glanced down at the infant who now slept peacefully in the crook of his arm and understood more than ever what that meant. It made him want to weep. Because if he were in Amiriska’s position, he would remain on Earth, too, if that was the best way to ensure his daughter’s happiness and welfare.
Regret burned his stomach like acid. “You think it would harm your daughter to leave Earth?”
Amiriska turned to face him in Marcus’s arms but didn’t break her husband’s hold. “Yes.”
“Then I will offer no further protest.”
Tears welled in his sister’s eyes.
Lisa gently took their daughter from him, her face somber, and stepped back. As soon as his arms were free, Taelon moved forward.
Amiriska lunged toward him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “I’m sorry.”
His throat thickened. “I can’t believe I crossed the galaxy to find you and will now have to say goodbye.”
“Not goodbye,” she responded, her voice choked with tears. “Once you provide us with a Lasaran communication system, we’ll be able to see each other and speak anytime we want to.”
He hugged her tighter. “It won’t be the same.”
“I know.”
When she loosened her hold, he didn’t want to let her go but forced himself to.
She stepped back and impatiently swiped at the tears that dampened her cheeks. “You’ll have to help me talk Mother and Father into understanding that there are good people on Earth despite the torture we both endured and obtain their permission to allow gifted ones to migrate to Lasara. The first group could accompany you back. And if all goes well with them, Levik can help us with the logistics of sending more.” She frowned. “Wait. You are going back to Lasara, right?”
Taelon started to mouth an affirmative but realized his answer would depend on what Lisa wanted. He glanced down at her. “Lisa?”
Her eyes widened. “You’re asking me to decide?”
He was… and realized anew why Amiriska was hesitant to leave. If Lisa said she wanted to remain on Earth, he would stay. He could neither leave her nor force her to go where she didn’t want to go. He loved her. He wanted her to be happy. “Yes.”
Her expression softened. “There’s nothing here for me, Taelon. No family. No friends. I was actually starting to hope that maybe I could find that on Lasara with you.”
Dipping his head, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “You will, dashura.”
She smiled.
Lisa stole another kiss before Taelon straightened.
He curled an arm around her and stroked the baby’s soft hair while he started discussing… she didn’t know what.
Lisa kept the smile plastered on her face as panic swelled within her.
“What is it?” Marcus asked, interrupting Taelon midsentence.
She glanced up and found him staring at her. “What?”
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Your heart is racing.”
Right. With his enhanced senses, he could hear it. Damn it.
Taelon and Ami went quiet, both watching her expectantly.
She swallowed nervously and held the baby a little closer. “I’m kinda freaking out.”
Concern furrowed Taelon’s brow as he tightened his arm around her. “Why? Have you changed your mind?”
“No. I just…” She shrugged, wondering how to explain it. “I haven’t been happy in so long that now that I’ve found you and have our baby and you’re promising to whisk me across the galaxy to a utopian planet where it sounds like we’ll have a great future…” She took a deep breath. “I’m terrified that something is going to go really wrong and take it all away. I lost my mom. I lost my dad. I lost my home. I don’t want to lose you, too, Taelon.”
“You won’t lose me. I—”
The door abruptly slammed open.
Lisa jumped, swung around, and gaped at the man who glared at them. He must be six feet, seven inches tall, only a tad shorter than Seth, and had skin as dark as midnight. Long, pencil-thin dreadlocks covered the top and one side of his head, trailing down his back to his hips. The hair on the other side was shorn close to his scalp in a fade with an elaborate design shaved into it. His eyes glowed an unearthly amber.
“David?” Ami asked hesitantly.
“What the hell is in my backyard?” he demanded in an accent Lisa thought was somewhere between British and Egyptian.
Seth abruptly appeared out of thin air beside him, a scowl on his face. “What is it?”
“We have company,” David growled.
Seth frowned, then looked toward the back of the house. “Friend or foe?”
“I don’t know.”
Two long swords appeared in Seth’s hands as he regarded the foursome. “Explain.”
Ami’s eyes widened. “Taelon. What did you do?”
Surprise, then chagrin swept across his features. “Oh. Right. When Lisa’s water broke, I, ah, summoned my ship.”
David shook his head. “I don’t see anything, but I hear an engine and heartbeats.”
“They mean you no harm,” Taelon quickly said. “I was uncertain of Seth’s healing abilities and thought having access to our med bay would be prudent.” His hand slipped down and pressed against Lisa’s lower back, urging her forward. “Come. I’ll show you.”
All crowded into the hallway.
As Lisa looked up at the men around her—every one of whom stood over six feet tall, had broad shoulders, and sported a lot of muscle—she felt downright tiny.
Something brushed her shoulder, and she turned to find Ami grinning at her. “They’re big, right?”
“Yes. Do they always wear black?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
“Killing vampires can be a messy business, and bloodstains aren’t as notice
able on black fabric.”
Lisa didn’t know what she found more disconcerting—that they spilled so much blood they had to wear special clothing to conceal it or that they had been doing that nightly for hundreds (if not thousands) of years without the rest of society knowing. In this day and age of electronic devices and social media, how the hell did they keep something like that secret?
“A carefully cultivated network of humans helps us,” Seth said.
She spun to stare up at him. “Are you reading my thoughts?”
“Yes.” He motioned to Taelon. “His, too. If I weren’t, there would be a hell of a lot more black-clad warriors in this hallway.”
This house did see an awful lot of Immortal Guardian traffic.
David escorted them out a back door and onto a wide covered porch.
A cool breeze ruffled her hair as stars sparkled in a cloudless night sky.
When the baby wiggled sleepily in her arms, she adjusted the blanket to cover more of her.
Silence engulfed them.
Too much silence.
She stilled. No crickets chirped. No frogs croaked. No owls hooted. No insects buzzed or hummed. No rodents or other creatures rustled around in the forest. It was as if she and the men and women with her were the only living things around for miles.
Creepy.
The night sky suddenly seemed to shimmer or ripple.
Frowning, she squinted, trying to decide whether she had imagined it.
The tall evergreen trees that encircled the clearing creaked as they uniformly leaned away from them.
Her eyes widened.
“What the hell?” Marcus whispered.
“Sorry about that,” Taelon muttered.
Four rectangular patches of grass flattened in the center of the clearing. A horizontal crack of light formed in midair, then lengthened downward toward the ground as if the scenery before them were painted on a huge wall and a drawbridge were lowering.
Lisa gaped as a ramp seemingly descended from nothing, providing a small glimpse of the brightly lit interior of a spacecraft none could see.
Beside her, Taelon chuckled.
She glanced up at him. “What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your eyes so wide.”
“I can’t help it. I’ve never seen a spaceship before.”
“This isn’t the actual ship. It’s a transport designed to carry us to and from the planet. The ship itself wouldn’t fit in the clearing.”
And the shocks just kept coming.
Seth sheathed one of his swords and drew a cell phone from his back pocket. “Chris. It’s Seth. … Some of your contacts in the military and intelligence agencies have access to satellite data, correct, including that scrutinized by NORAD? … I want you to put them on alert. Tell them to keep an eye out for anything that may show up in David’s vicinity and quash it as soon as it arises if it does.” He listened for a moment. “An alien transport vessel just landed in his backyard. … No, I’m not shitting you. … That won’t be necessary. … Thank you.” Pocketing the phone, he glanced at David. “Well, that’s a call I never thought I’d have to make.”
David grunted.
Booted footsteps rang out on metal.
A figure descended the ramp. Male. About six and a half feet tall and packing a lot of muscle. His skin was tan with a hint of gray, almost as if someone had used photo-editing software to desaturate his image. His hair was jet-black and shorn close to his head, his eyes dark, the expression on his rugged face grim.
Formfitting, leathery-looking dark brown pants and a matching shirt hugged his big body. Some sort of vest she thought might be body armor protected his chest and back. One hand gripped a weapon the length of a rifle but much thicker. Thick enough to launch a grenade, she thought. More weapons—both advanced firearms of various sizes and lots of blades—covered the rest of him.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Marcus reach over and ease Ami behind him.
Seth and David tensed.
Taelon strode down the porch steps and approached the imposing figure. “Ari’k.”
The male stopped and bowed. He began to speak in another language.
Taelon held up a hand. “Use Earth English so our friends can understand.”
“Yes, Prince Taelon. I’ve prepared the med bay.”
Lisa frowned. Really? That was it? No handshake, no hug, no Holy crap! You’re alive! I’m so glad you made it! or Good to see you again! after three years of silence and wondering whether or not Taelon had been slain?
Taelon seemed unfazed, as though he had expected such a wildly unenthusiastic greeting. “We won’t be needing the med bay. We are all well.”
Ari’k responded with an abrupt nod.
Ami pushed past Marcus and skipped down the steps with a smile. “Hi, Ari’k.”
No surprise lit the man’s features when he saw her. He bowed. “Princess Amiriska.”
Ami wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
His eyes shot to Taelon. But no emotion flickered in his expression as he stoically endured the embrace, keeping his arms at his sides.
Laughing, Ami released him and stepped back. “Sorry about that. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen anyone from home.”
“Touching an unbonded male is forbidden,” Ari’k said. His words carried no shock, sneering, or anger. He displayed no emotion whatsoever.
Lisa stared. Was he a robot?
No, Taelon murmured in her head. He is a Yona warrior. The Yona are flesh and blood but feel no emotion.
Again Ami laughed. “I know. I don’t care. It’s nice to see you again. It’s been a long time.”
“Indeed it has, Your Highness. You appear well.”
“I’m very well.”
Taelon motioned for Lisa to join him.
Ari’k turned to Taelon as she approached. “The king and queen contact me daily.”
Taelon winced. “What do you tell them?”
“That I have no news to report. They believe you and the princess are both dead.”
He swore. “I’m surprised Father hasn’t already sent an armada to kill all the Earthlings.” When Lisa reached them, Taelon looped his arm around her.
“He intended to,” Ari’k said, his piercing gaze studying the two of them and seeming to note every single point they touched. “But your brothers convinced him to wait.”
Taelon nodded and glanced at Ami. “I told you Mother and Father both vowed to wipe the Earth clean if I discovered the Earthlings had killed you.”
Swears erupted behind them.
Ari’k’s fingers tightened on his weapon.
“At ease,” Taelon said. “They’re friends. Allies.”
Ari’k nodded. “The Akselian rebel Janwar told Levik he had reason to believe you still lived. But your parents did not trust his information and wished to annihilate all Earthlings.”
Taelon and Ami shared a look.
“What stopped them?” Ami asked.
“I refused to abandon my post, and they didn’t wish me and the rest of the crew to come to harm,” Ari’k stated.
“So?” Taelon countered. “As long as you remained off-world, you would’ve been fine.”
For the first time, Lisa saw a tiny flicker of emotion cross the warrior’s face. Unease? “They think the ship is hidden here on Earth.”
Taelon frowned. “Why would they think that?”
Yep. That was definitely unease on the man’s face.
“Because I told them it was.”
Taelon’s frown deepened. “I ordered you to remain in space, hidden from the Earthlings. You disobeyed my orders and landed on Earth?”
“No.”
Taelon and Ami exchanged a puzzled glance.
“I don’t understand,” Ami said.
“Nor do I,” Taelon muttered.
All waited for Ari’k to explain.
“I lied,” he stated. And the faintest furrow appeared on his brow as though he couldn�
�t quite believe it.
Taelon and Ami gaped.
Lisa looked back and forth between them. “Why do you both look so shocked? He did it to save you, right, in case you were both still alive?”
Ami recovered first. “That’s why we’re shocked.”
Taelon nodded. “Yona always follow orders. Always. They never question them. They never disobey them. And they sure as hell never lie. All of those actions are spurred on by emotion.”
“If one doesn’t feel emotion,” Ami said, “one doesn’t form emotional attachments that might—for example—make one reluctant to admit a friend is dead and leave, compelling him to lie.”
Lisa joined Taelon and Ami in staring at Ari’k.
The silence stretched.
The Yona looked at Taelon. “I believe I may be malfunctioning.” He didn’t say something felt off or that he might be sick. He said he might be malfunctioning… as if he were indeed a robot and not a living, breathing being with feelings. “As soon as I spoke the untruth, I ended communications with the king and queen, went directly to the med bay and ran scans, but they uncovered nothing.”
Taelon didn’t seem to know what to think. “Did you admit you’d lied?”
“No. I instead continued the deception. I can find no explanation for my behavior.” Despite his stoic expression, he seemed upset by what all three considered a huge irregularity.
Well, this man’s actions had kept Taelon’s grief-stricken and rightfully infuriated parents from killing them all, so she felt bad that instead of celebrating that fact, he looked like he thought someone should punish him. “Maybe you weren’t so much lying as you were fulfilling Taelon’s orders,” she suggested.
Ari’k speared her with a piercing gaze. His dark pupils and gray irises were larger than a human’s, almost eclipsing all of the white. “Explain.”
“Taelon said he told you to stick close and wait for him to contact you, right?” Hadn’t Taelon told her something along those lines?
“Correct.”
“Well, you couldn’t very well do that if his parents’ fleet killed everyone on the planet, including Taelon, could you?”
“I could not.”
The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance Book 1) Page 26
