Curse of Soulmate--The Complete Series

by D. N. Leo

  Madeline picked up the little girl. She said something, and Sizx translated. “She said she can walk by herself. She didn’t want to hurt you before, and she’s sorry.”

  Madeline put the girl down. “You didn’t hurt me. You’re so brave. Thank you so much for your help.”

  The girl smiled. Madeline pointed to herself. “I’m Madeline.”

  “I’m Gaia,” the girl said in English. Madeline was astonished. Sizx raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m Sizx. Nice to meet you, Gaia.”

  Gaia processed the information for a short moment and nodded. Sizx smiled. The old man approached, speaking English this time. “I’m Niw Hance, Gaia’s grandfather. She loves to learn English.”

  “Very nice to meet you, Mr. Hance,” Madeline said.

  “Niw, please.”

  “Do you want Gaia to work for the Sciphils?” Sizx asked.

  “It’s up to her. Her father, Liam, can speak English well. But he likes to work here, not at Sciphil Central.”

  “What does he do?” Madeline asked.

  “He’s a medical doctor.”

  “Do people here get sick often? I heard you have a very pure environment compared to where I’m from,” Madeline said.

  “Where are you from?” Niw asked Madeline.

  Sizx cleared her throat, communicating that Niw shouldn’t have asked that question.

  Niw grinned. “No, people don’t get sick here. Medical facilities are used mostly for accidents, misuse of energy, or childbirth. Liam deals with research and development.”

  They turned into a small, charming town—looking surprisingly like any sleepy town in England—and stopped in front of a modern-looking house. Niw pressed his palm on a control panel, and the door slid open.

  Madeline felt the difference in air quality as soon as she walked into the front hallway of the house. It was liked stepping into an air-conditioned room from a burning desert.

  “We have a guest resting chamber. We’ll put him in there,” Niw said.

  Madeline nodded.

  Niw instructed two men to take Ciaran into the resting chamber. The living room—or whatever they called it here—had comfortable furniture and a screen in the corner. It seemed like a room in any ordinary household Madeline had seen on Earth.

  “What’s the deal with credited air?” Madeline asked Sizx.

  “When people contribute something of value, they are rewarded with air credits.”

  “So it’s like money?”

  Sizx nodded. “It’s an equivalent to your currency system. But don’t speak to civilians about it. They wouldn’t understand you. It’s not a language barrier, but rather a societal structure. It’s very different here compared to Earth.”

  “You seem to know an awful lot compared to the average person,” Madeline commented.

  “Well, I’m not an average person. I am educated because of my position in the intelligence system.”

  “Are you saying that average people in Eudaiz don’t have access to education?”

  “You’re putting too much of a negative spin on it, Madeline. Education is not a privilege in Eudaiz. It gives people knowledge and artificial skills. It does not necessarily nourish people’s natural talent. The only way to be happy is to live by your natural talent. If knowledge does not line up with your talent, it will cause unhappiness, and you won’t find a place in Eudaiz.”

  “Well, without education, people can’t get jobs. Will this still make them happy?”

  “Sciphils provide everything to the citizens of Eudaiz for free. People earn credits for their contributions because they want to give back. They want to contribute by creating value using their natural talents. If they don’t want to do anything, they don’t have to.”

  “So why in this super-nice society with super-nice people are there folks who want to kill Ciaran before his coronation? What will his death give them?”

  “You’re talking about Sciphils. Except for Sciphil Four, Kyle Wolf, all Sciphils are human. They’re more complicated.”

  The name Kyle Wolf hit her like a blast of icy water in the face. Madeline narrowed her eyes. “You’re saying Kyle Wolf isn’t complicated?”

  Sizx shook her head. “He might be. He was exiled before my time, so I don’t know.”

  The pain in her tummy started to throb again. Her vision began to waver. Madeline grabbed at the bookshelf for purchase.

  “Ladies.” Ciaran’s voice came from the doorway.

  Madeline drew in a breath and turned around to see her husband. She pasted a smile on her face and approached him. She played with the lapel of his shirt. “Well, I can see you’re fully charged now, warrior.”

  Ciaran smiled. He rubbed his thumb on Madeline’s left cheek then pulled her into his arms. She loved the feel of his heartbeat and her body pressed against his.

  “How are you, Sizx?” Ciaran asked.

  “Very well, thank you. I’ve arranged a capsule with a friend of mine. We can leave when you’re ready.”

  “What I meant was how is your injury healing?” Ciaran asked.

  Sizx looked to the floor for a brief moment to wash away any expression on her face. Then she looked up. “It’s been tended to. Thank you for asking.”

  Ciaran raised Madeline’s chin. “Your temperature has increased.” The smile had disappeared from his face.

  Madeline shrugged and tried to ignore the pain. “No, it’s fine.”

  Sizx approached Madeline. Without saying a word, she grabbed Madeline’s arm and snapped a device at it. It felt like a gunshot.

  “What the hell was that?” Madeline asked angrily.

  “Temperature double the normal range,” Sizx said dryly, looking at her device. “What’s your injury? You’ve been rubbing your abdomen all afternoon.”

  Alarm bells rang in Madeline’s head. “Nothing. I don’t have an injury.” She withdrew, stepping away from Ciaran. Sensing something was going wrong, she scanned the room frantically for a way out.

  “Madeline!” Ciaran approached and held her shoulders. “Tell me what’s wrong, darling.” He pulled her into his arms again. “Please. We’ll get through this together. If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I won’t know what to do to help you!”

  She couldn’t tell him the babies were hurting her. A tear rolled down Madeline’s face. Ciaran’s eyes darkened as he saw the tear and her pain. He turned toward Sizx.

  “My wife is pregnant. Does it normally hurt so much here? On Earth, it only hurts if something is wrong.”

  “How long has she been pregnant?” Sizx asked.

  “Three days. What’s the normal gestational period here?” Ciaran asked.

  “Twenty-eight days,” Sizx said.

  “What? That’s ridiculous.” Madeline was astonished.

  “The baby is full-term in twenty-eight days. The terms are divided into four seven-day stages. Within the first seven days, the baby should be positioned in the birth chamber,” Sizx said.

  “What the hell does that mean? You want to rip my children out and put them into alien tubes?” Madeline roared.

  “It’s . . . it’s how it’s . . .” Sizx stuttered out an explanation.

  “What happens if the mother carries the baby full-term inside her body? Would it harm the mother?” Ciaran asked.

  “I don’t know,” Sizx said.

  “Get away from me.” Madeline shrugged of Ciaran’s hand, shoved Sizx, and tried to run to the door. But Ciaran grabbed her again.

  Hearing the commotion, Niw and Gaia came out to the living room. Gaia’s eyes widened when she saw Ciaran. Then she saw that Madeline was in tears.

  “What happened?” Niw asked.

  Ciaran figured that Gaia and Niw were related and that Niw was a man with a family.

  “My wife is pregnant. Can you tell me what will happen if she carries the baby full-term?” he asked while holding tight to a wriggling Madeline.

  Niw’s eyes were huge. “Your voice! I recognize it! You must be related to B
ran. You’re royal. You . . . you ought to be our king.”

  “Niw,” Sizx warned.

  Niw backed off when he realized he was approaching Ciaran.

  “Madeline is in a lot of pain. Please tell me, Niw, what will happen if a mother carries the baby in her body full-term?” Ciaran repeated.

  Niw gathered himself together and cleared his throat. “If the baby remains inside the mother in seven days, the pain will be fatal.” Niw grabbed at Gaia as if the little girl could help calm him.

  “Then I won’t let that happen.” Ciaran kept his voice low. His eyes were so intense they made Gaia squirm. Madeline struggled more but couldn’t break free of Ciaran’s hold.

  “Let me go, Ciaran. If anything happens to the children, I will never forgive you.” The pain intensified so much she couldn’t breathe properly. A mixture of sweat and tears streamed down her face.

  “I can’t lose you, Madeline,” Ciaran growled.

  “This is abortion, and I won’t accept it!” Madeline screamed and struggled harder. She kicked her legs, pulled at Ciaran’s shirt, punched his chest. Nothing worked to free her.

  “Do you have anything to help with her pain?” Ciaran asked Sizx.

  She nodded. Madeline felt a needle poke her, and then her head lolled onto Ciaran’s shoulder.

  Chapter 14

  Ciaran brought Madeline to the bedchamber where he had previously been resting. He brushed away the tangle of stray brunette curls on her forehead. She was asleep, but the pain still hovered on her face. Dark shadows had formed under her eyes. He rubbed his thumb on the dimple of her left cheek.

  Fear clawed at him now. If this pregnancy cost him his wife, he wasn’t sure whatever it was he was doing in this universe made any sense.

  There was a noise at the door. Ciaran looked up and saw Niw. The old man hesitated for a short moment and asked, “Are you Ciaran LeBlanc?”

  It didn’t matter whether Niw was Eudaizian or human. There was one thing Ciaran had taken from Earth that he was sure was applicable in any universe—his life experience and his ability to read people. He knew Niw was an honest citizen. Ciaran nodded.

  Before Niw could say anything further, Sizx rushed in and had Niw pressed against the wall in a second, her small gun pointed at his neck. “You’re not supposed to solicit information, Niw.”

  “Let him go, Sizx,” Ciaran said.

  Sizx looked at Ciaran then released Niw. Niw shifted his sore shoulder. “Regarding your wife, I have called my son, Liam. He’ll be home shortly and will examine her. He’s a medical doctor.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it,” Ciaran said.

  They heard the door open and close. “That must be Liam.”

  Sizx kept her hand hovered above her gun as a tall man in his mid-thirties with sandy hair and blue eyes entered the room.

  “This is Liam,” Niw said.

  Apparently, Niw had briefed Liam, and the doctor’s measured eyes landed directly on Madeline.

  “Is she injured?” Liam asked Ciaran.

  Ciaran shook his head. “Madeline has to be in Tower One by tomorrow for her officiation of Sciphil One position. I trust you know how important that is to Eudaiz. I sedated her because her pain was bad. I wouldn’t care to give her another dose of sedative. Do you have any ideas?”

  Madeline stirred in her sleep and awoke. As soon as she opened her eyes, a searing pain shot through her body. Ciaran could read the pain in her eyes as he held her hands. “If you tell me you want the pain to stop, I’ll take care of it,” Ciaran said.

  “How can you say that to me? What do you mean you’ll ‘take care of it’? These are your children as well,” Madeline said.

  “If carrying them is going to cost you your life, I’m not going to just sit here and let it happen.”

  “I’ll never forgive you if you do anything to harm our babies, Ciaran.”

  “I can handle your anger. I’d rather have you live to torment me.”

  “I can give her something for the pain. We can decide the next step later,” Liam said.

  “Please,” Ciaran said.

  The doctor pulled out a compact medical box. He prepared something on a handheld device, and it produced a small, square patch. “Right arm, please,” he directed.

  Ciaran held Madeline’s right arm out, and Liam pressed the patch to the inside of her wrist. It stuck on and then evaporated and absorbed into her skin, providing instant pain relief.

  “Thanks, Liam,” Ciaran said.

  Liam nodded and stepped back respectfully. “She can use this pain suppressor only once every forty days. Each time, it will last only two days.”

  Madeline sat up. “Thank you,” she said.

  “What is the safest way to go to Tower One, Sizx? Do you think it’s safe to contact Sciphil Seven to get some assistance?” Ciaran asked.

  “No, it’s not safe. I told Madeline that. Someone at a high level doesn’t want you to live until your coronation. If we use the system to contact other Sciphils, it will alert everyone.”

  “Can we use a private communication channel? I trust Sciphil Two, Ayana, and Sciphil Nine, Pete.”

  “I don’t have a direct private connection, but you do. It should be programmed into your wrist unit. Where is it?” Sizx asked.

  “Lost it in the fight,” Ciaran mumbled. “But you made the transport arrangement using the system. Wouldn’t they know already?”

  “No. I made the arrangement for my personal use, telling them my private capsule broke down. They don’t know I’m with you and Madeline. But, of course, the council had been alerted about the attack on your capsule, and they know that you’re missing.”

  “Regarding the reserved energy patch, is there a way that I can get around dropping like a stone when the energy runs out?”

  Sizx smiled and shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

  “How do I get a patch like yours? I can’t borrow yours all the time.”

  “You shouldn’t abuse it. For ordinary people like me, each person is allowed one patch. It’s rechargeable and can be purchased with credit. Most people don’t need it. But I don’t know about a Sciphil’s energy. That information is confidential.”

  Gaia ran into the room and climbed onto Madeline’s bed. “You get well. No more tears,” Gaia said and put her arms around Madeline.

  “She learned those English words in the last hour?” Madeline asked Niw.

  He nodded and smiled. “She has a talent for language.”

  Madeline played with Gaia’s beautiful blond hair. “This is Ciaran,” she told Gaia. “He’s my husband.” And to Ciaran, she said, “And this is Gaia. She gave me flowers in the meadow and called for people to help you.”

  “Thank you, Gaia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ciaran smiled.

  “You speak like Bran. Are you a prince?” Gaia asked.

  Niw interrupted, “She watched all of Bran’s recorded holocast.”

  Madeline smiled, recalling the TV-like screen that she saw in the living room. Holocasts here must be like TV network broadcasts. And the recording must be like video tape. She smiled to herself. This wasn’t too bad. She didn’t have to ask Ciaran for an explanation every time she ran into a new vocabulary word.

  “I’m not a prince, but I can take you to a castle if you like,” Ciaran replied to Gaia’s question.

  Gaia turned around, looking at Niw for permission.

  “Yes, you can go if you behave yourself. Now go watch the holocast again and learn some more English,” Niw said.

  Gaia nodded, jumped off the bed, and ran out of the room.

  “Kyle.” Madeline was barely audible.

  “What?” Ciaran asked, grabbing his daggers.

  “It wasn’t exactly Kyle, but something really close to him,” Madeline elaborated.

  “The Black Rock creature,” Sizx said, understanding.

  “We’ll leave right now,” Ciaran said and pulled at Madeline. He looked at Niw and Liam. “Anyone else in the family who sta
ys here besides you two and Gaia?”

  “No. Only the three of us in this residence,” Niw said.

  “Get Gaia. All three of you should leave with us,” Ciaran said.

  Liam rushed to the living room, grabbing Gaia. Niw led the way. “Back door, please,” Niw said. They turned down a small corridor and exited the residence.

  Chapter 15

  Niw led the group, running from the alley to the meadow. Carrying Gaia, Liam moved smoothly alongside his father. Ciaran, Madeline, and Sizx followed the Eudaizians. They reached the meadow safely.

  “At which gate did you leave the capsule?” Niw asked.

  “One,” Sizx said.

  “We’ll cross the meadow then,” Liam said.

  They followed the alley. In the distance, they could see the shapes of half a dozen men approaching.

  “That’s them. They have a sense similar to Kyle’s,” Madeline said.

  “Are you sure?” Niw asked. The six men looked like ordinary citizens.

  “Black Rock creatures can take any form. You should know that, Niw,” Sizx said.

  “You all stay here. I’ll check them out. I assume the Black Rock creatures don’t have blood. Am I correct?” Ciaran asked.

  “Yes, but you can’t go out there by yourself—there are six of them,” Sizx said.

  “Easy enough for me to handle if I don’t have to worry about three civilians, a pregnant wife, and a child.”

  “You might as well call me an invalid,” Madeline said. “Look, warrior, you won’t be able to tell if they’re Black Rock creatures or not. I have to get closer to them to confirm it for you. I don’t think stabbing people to see if they bleed is a very good idea.”

  “There’s another way to check,” Niw said. “Their voices. I’ve heard they have hollow voices. Let me speak to them.” Niw marched toward the group of men.

  “Don’t let Gaia watch this,” Ciaran said to Liam. He grabbed Madeline’s hand. “Stay behind me,” Ciaran said to her, and Madeline nodded. They walked out from their hiding place. Sizx followed.