03 Solar Flare - Spark Series (30 page)

She picked up her batons. Xera was fighting
one-handed, her right hand dangling uselessly by her side. She was
one blow away from disaster.

Grinning with savage fury, Brandy drove her
baton into the back of the killer’s knees, driving him to the
ground. He roared in surprise, then rolled and tried to kick her
feet out from under her. Xera kicked at his head, and he grabbed
her foot and tossed her across the room. She crashed against a
small shelf, sending a computer sprawling.

Brandy stepped in, the end of her baton
driven toward his throat. He deflected it, caught it and wrenched
it from her hand. In two seconds he was on his knees, lashing out
at her. The tip of the baton caught her high in the thigh, made her
stagger. He went in for the kill. Her spare baton was too far away.
She could deflect the weapon by moving in, but if she got too
close….

She was going to die. Again.

Before he could land the fatal blow, a
blurred streak pounced on him, pinned him to the ground. The jaqki
snarled as his teeth sank into the Hatir’s throat, crushing the
windpipe, tearing though muscles. With one vicious shake, he tore
the head completely off. Panting, he turned to look at Brandy.

“Nice job,” she said, feeling slightly
sickened at the mess. “A bit untidy, though.”

Azor growled, then shifted into his true
form. He had brownish blood on his mouth, which he wiped away with
the back of one hand.

He did a quick scan, noting the blood on her
shirt, the hole over her heart. “You’re hurt!” He stepped forward
and ripped open her shirt to get a clearer look at the wound, then
paused, baffled. He traced a hand over her chest, streaking the wet
red. “There’s no trace of a….” He frowned and glanced at her for an
explanation.

She cleared her throat and gathered the edges
of the rent in one hand. The room had filled with soldiers, plus
her curious sister. Ryven stood next her, still on alert. Several
of them had gotten a rather good look at her new wedding ring. “I
seem to have found a sudden gift for healing.”

Azor stared at her, then ran his hand over
her, searching for broken bones or cuts. He was oblivious to his
own nakedness.

Brandy sighed impatiently and shrugged past
him to grab a blanket off the bed. She handed it to him. “Cover
your assets, dear. I think we’re both more in need of clothes than
bandages.”

Xera coughed. She was holding her ribs, but
otherwise seemed undamaged. Ryven had an arm around her shoulders,
supporting her.

“Where are the kids?” Brandy demanded, coming
closer to look her over.

“They’re safe. They got out,” he said
gravely. “Thanks to you.”

Brandy grinned. “Well, it was rather
satisfying,” she said cheerfully. She could afford the humor, now
that everyone was safe. “Here, let me get my chair for you, Xera. I
don’t seem to need it at the moment.”

“And how is that?” Azor demanded, coming
closer. He glanced at the soldiers hauling the body away, but the
Hatir was truly dead. “That is your blood, isn’t it?”

She sighed, suddenly feeling tired as the
adrenaline faded. “About that…we have several things to talk about.
Would you mind if I cleaned up a little first? They might take a
while.” She glanced at Xera.

“I’ll take her to the doctors,” Ryven said.
“I’ll let you know what they have to say.”

Satisfied, Brandy nodded. There would be
plenty of time for talking later, once they’d taken care of
business. She followed Azor out of the room and paused, staring at
the twisted door. “Wow! What kind of explosive did they use? I’ve
never seen a door do that!” Designed to seal in case of a hull
breach, the heavy metal was shoved to one side, and curved like a
dish. It rocked when she tapped it with her foot. The doorframe was
twisted where it had torn free.

Ryven and Azor exchanged glances. Ryven said,
“There was no time for explosives. Your husband took it down.”

Her eyes widened.

“A jaqki is a strong animal,” Azor explained.
He looked slightly abashed.

Brandy laughed and hugged him. “That’s my
boy,” she said. Every woman should have a shape shifter for a
husband.

Brandy was in one of the padded practice
rooms, practicing her forms. A booming bass played from the digital
player at her neck, echoed from the room’s hidden speakers. She
held her staff straight in front of her, tapped the end firmly on
the mat for the ritual beginning. Then she was in motion, a sharp
dance, a deadly sonata. As she often did, she imagined her father
parrying, teaching. This had been their ritual, the song that had
bound them together.

Her father.

Azor had wanted to come with her, but she’d
asked for time alone. He’d been surprised by her revelations, but
not disturbed. That had come later, and for her. She’d been moody
the last two days as she processed the emotions that came with such
news. Her father’s blood may not have been hers, but she knew she
had his heart. He’d loved all his girls equally, just as Gem said.
For him, family had been a choice. He’d chosen to love her.

It did sting, her illegitimacy. She was angry
with her mother, that stranger she’d never known. Even if she’d
found a way to understand how it had happened, she still could not
forgive, not yet. Her father had been a good man. How could her
mother have left him?

She was angry with her doctor for changing
her, too. She didn’t appreciate change at the best of time, but
this was especially unwelcome. He’d messed with her very workings,
and now she was scrambling to understand the changes.

She was grumpy about the visions, too. If
she’d never come here, her sister wouldn’t have been in danger. A
truly useful vision would have told her that.

At least Vio Srie would pay for his crimes.
He’d been arrested and was being held on various charges, including
drug racketeering.

Added to her annoyance was a nagging feeling
that she would have to make her peace with Ryven. Although he’d
proven innocent of a desire to harm her sister, he was still
responsible for keeping her away from her family. Unfortunately,
Xera seemed at peace with that, which meant that Brandy would have
to stop hating him at some point. It annoyed her to give up such a
satisfying grudge.

Half way through her workout, Ryven himself
stepped into the room. He had the staff they’d given him in one
hand, and a calm expression on his face. “I had heard you were
sparring.”

She glanced at him, but didn’t slow. “Forgive
me, I do not want company today.”

He stepped closer. “My wife claims you are
brooding.”

“And?”

“It upsets her.”

Ugh! Another point in his favor. When would
it end? She wrestled with her conscience and lost. “Come on then,”
she grouched.

He stepped up, tapped the end of his staff on
the mat, and attacked her with lazy grace. “Your legs no longer
pain you?”

She grunted. He might be able to talk and
spar, but she was not in the best condition. It had been a long
while since she’d been able to really work her muscles. “No.”

“You miss your family?” He tried an overhead
strike, then a low blow to her legs, which she blocked.

“Not yet,” she said hesitantly, and he took
advantage of her slowness with a strike she barely caught. She
glared. Her muscles already burned from her earlier exertion, and
it would gall her to be forced to call a halt. Not that she thought
she could really beat him—the man was in prime condition, and she
knew he could be fast if he wished. It would have been nice if she
could have made a better showing, though.

He let her concentrate for a short while,
until she stumbled with fatigue. He checked a forward motion, his
hand outstretched as if to steady her, but she caught herself. He
stepped back a pace and rested both hands on his staff. “You must
have done this for a long while. You’re in poor condition, but your
technique is excellent.”

She leaned on her own staff while she caught
her breath. “Our Dad was a great teacher. It’s how I remember him.”
She felt the melancholy again. She glanced at the benches lined up
along the wall and limped over. While she might heal wounds
quickly, muscle fatigue still took a toll. Her arms and thighs
burned. She sat down with a sigh and uncapped the drink she’d left
there.

He followed her, but did not sit. He looked
thoughtful. “Xera mentioned your visions of me.”

She grimaced. The man just jumped into
conversations, didn’t he?

“They seem to have been useful. Thank you for
defending my family.”

“They’re my family, too.” There was a pause
as they sized each other up.

He cocked his head. “You’re angry at me for
marrying Xera. For keeping her with me.”

She squinted across the gym, considering how
to reply. “It didn’t make you popular.”

“I love her.” The words were simple, but his
gaze was straightforward, sincere.

It caught her attention like nothing else he
could have said. She stared at him, measuring the truth of his
statement. “It’s a cold love.”

He smiled faintly at that and sat down. “I’ve
watched you with Azor, and you with Xera. We aren’t as…exuberant…in
our affection, but we feel it. I’ve been told I am more reserved
than most.”

She raised a brow, but refrained from
mentioning a polar freeze. The man was trying, and she suddenly
realized that she wasn’t the easiest person to thaw, either. She
made a noncommittal noise, vaguely encouraging.

He sent her an ironic glance. “You are coming
to Rsik with us, aren’t you? She’s been worried about that,
too.”

Brandy offered a wolfish smile. “Are you
worried?” She didn’t mean about the journey, and he knew it.

He laughed. “No. You’re open in your attacks.
It’s those who hide their feelings that worry me.” He paused and
said softly, “Xera is very happy you came. It’s been good for
her.”

She groaned in her head. Tears prickled her
eyes and she looked away, across the building. The man knew her
weakness. “I’m glad.”

He stood after a moment and offered her a
hand up. “She’s going to ask if we have made a truce.”

Brandy sent him a sly look. “Can’t you manage
your wife? They’ll nag you to death if you let them.
Harrisdaughters, that is.”

The man actually grinned. “Will they, now?
You’ll have to tell me what to watch for.” She grinned back.
Co-conspirators, they headed out of the gym.

EPILOGUE

“So that’s Rsik.” Brandy watched the view
screen with her arms crossed. She regarded the planet with more
than passing interest. She wanted off this ship! The visit to 4
Zega, the infamous desert planet where Xera and Ryven had met, had
been an interesting distraction, but it was definitely not up to
Brandy’s standards. She’d been assured that Rsik, the Scorpio home
world, was much nicer. She hoped that was true, because she
couldn’t bear the thought of traveling back to Polaris right now.
Eight months was far too long, and she hadn’t spent the last four
in cold sleep. She and Xera had too much catching up to do to waste
on sleep. Even so, they’d appreciate a little more space between
them. Lately they’d gotten snippy, as only sisters could do. A
little more elbowroom would fix that.

Azor glanced at her and wrapped an arm around
her waist. He hadn’t let the Scorpio’s reserve keep him from
embracing her whenever he chose. “You’ll like it.” He waited a beat
and said offhand, “We may even stay awhile. Ryven offered me a job
with his security team.”

She frowned. “You want it?”

He shrugged. “It sounds interesting. I’d like
to explore this world for a while, maybe even a couple of years.
Would you like that?”

She hesitated, unwilling to commit, but he
knew her well by that point. He feigned surprise. “You’re not ready
to leave already, are you? I didn’t think you’d want to be trapped
on a ship again so soon.”

She shuddered. He was right about that. She
was going crazy with boredom. She needed something to do!

“You could get a job here, too, if you feel
restless,” he suggested. “That might build up your tolerance for
doing nothing again.”

She elbowed him for his teasing, but she was
genuinely appalled at the amount of inactivity he was suggesting.
“I suppose I could handle a working holiday,” she said
casually.

He laughed and gave her a little squeeze.

Ryven glanced their way. Now that she knew
him better, she could see that he was faintly amused. “You should
find your seats,” he suggested. “We’ll enter the atmosphere
soon.”

And soon after that, they would meet Xera’s
in-laws. The idea made her slightly nervous. Azor glanced her way
after they’d strapped in and took her hand. The touch calmed her.
She wasn’t alone.

She glanced at the windshield as it began to
glow with the flames of reentry. Much like her life, the world
seemed to go up in flames, but once the smoke cleared, she’d found
her life to be better than she’d ever imagined.

She smiled at Azor with love in her eyes. As
long as she had him, she would not be afraid.

She glanced at the windshield just as the
fire began to clear, revealing clear blue sky. With a smile, she
sat back to enjoy the ride.

About the author:

I'm a stay at home mom with three kids, a dog
and an active imagination. I spent the first 34 years of my life in
Alaska, land of the midnight sun, but these days I'm located in
Washington, and am enjoying a much warmer sun :)

I'm married to my high school sweetheart,
John, who is known to bring me flowers "just because".

My leisure time is filled with gardening,
sewing, art and reading.

Connect with me online at:

www.autumndawnbooks.com