Between Darkness and Light (105 page)

“Just leave it that it goes back to his time on the
Kz'adul
,” said Ghidd'ah more moderately. “Anything else is too complicated. We better be leaving, Zayshul,” she said, getting up and draining her drink. “If we're lucky, no one will ask any questions.”

“Are they still looking for me?” she asked, standing up.

“No, I told M'kou our story and he was satisfied,” her friend said.

When the two females had left, he looked at Jayza. “Banner had company last night?” he asked, needing to say something.

“Yes,” said Jayza, joining him at the meal counter. “Lorish. I saw them come down here.”

“I was surprised to see you leave the pool alone.”

Jayza grinned. “She joined me a short while later.”

“Thank you for ...”

“It's nothing,” said Jayza, interrupting him. “We've all had a lover with a stroppy relative at one time or another. Protecting Doctor Zayshul's privacy is only right.”

He relaxed, immensely relieved that the youngster had interpreted the whole affair as just a need to protect Zayshul from Kezule and was unaware of the undercurrents.

“Might be wise for us to leave for the mess now as well,” he said.

“When you've refilled the bowl with incense, you put the box back here,” Tanjo was saying as he shut the cupboard door in the shrine's office. He turned round to find Dhyshac had vanished and he was talking to empty space.

“Dhyshac!” he called, frowning as he walked to the door. This was most unlike the cub. He was a good student, and meticulous with any task he was given. Just like his father had been, in fact.

The shrine room was empty, too. Even more puzzled, Tanjo walked through it, reaching for the child with his mind. Nothing. Now concerned, he picked up his pace, hurrying out into the corridor. He had a choice of two directions, and didn't know which to choose because the area was deserted and he couldn't sense the child at all.

In the distance he heard the elevator whining as it began to move. Playing a hunch, he headed toward it at a run.

 

Dhyshac stepped out of the elevator into the landing bay. He'd never been down here before on his own and was a little intimidated by its size. Moving away from the elevator and keeping close to the wall, he headed for the Landing Control room.

Excitement surged through him again. They were near, very near. It wouldn't be long now. He could feel his brothers' and sisters' presences in his mind anxiously waiting for news from him.

A warning klaxon sounded and the crews working on the parked shuttle and fuel tender ran to the sides of the bay. He snuck forward, peering round the Landing Control room, trying not to be seen as he stared at the pale blue shimmer of the force field across the entrance. Just beyond it he could see an approaching craft.

A hand fell on his shoulder, gripping him firmly but gently. “Dhyshac! What are you doing down here? You know you're not allowed in the landing bay alone!” said Tanjo.

“They've come for us,” the cub said, watching the craft—he could see it was a shuttle now—approach.

“Who has?” asked Tanjo, confused.

His body taut, Dhyshac waited, totally focused on what his inner senses were telling him. He was on the shuttle, he could feel his presence even though he knew nothing else about him. Blood was calling to blood, and he couldn't have ignored it even if he'd wanted to.

Automatically compensating for the lensing effect of the field, he could see the shuttle growing larger and larger.

“We shouldn't be here,” said Tanjo, attempting to draw him back to the elevator. “Accidents happen, Dhyshac, and particularly when a craft is landing. It's a very dangerous time.”

He tried to dig his claws into the metal flooring, resisting the senior Brother's attempts to move him. “No,” he said firmly. “They're almost here. I need to see him.”

Slowly the shuttle penetrated the shield, bringing the high whine of its engines with it. The dissonance dropped down several notches as it nosed its way into the bay until it reached the large cross painted in the middle. It almost appeared to hang suspended in the air, then gradually, it sank to the ground, the wailing of the engines becoming louder until it finally touched down. Then silence fell abruptly.

From behind them, ten armed Brothers erupted out of the elevator, taking up positions facing the shuttle's air lock, their weapons held upright but ready.

As the air lock opened, Dhyshac pulled away from Tanjo and began to run over to it.

“Dhyshac!” yelled Tanjo, heading after him.

He could see them coming out onto the ramp. Ducking and weaving to avoid the landing crew now chasing after him, he kept going. He
had
to reach them, find the one whose presence called to him, for all their sakes! Through the ring of guards he could see the lead male on the ramp stop to look in his direction. A jolt of recognition ran through him, then he felt the touch of the adult's mind, heard it say his name.

Only feet from his goal, he stumbled, almost losing his footing in shock.

From behind, hands grabbed at him, lifting him in the air. “Got him!”

As the dockhand turned away from the guards and the shuttle, he struggled frantically, knowing he couldn't get free, knowing he couldn't allow them to deprive him of this meeting. For the first time in his very short life, he opened his mouth and screamed piercingly in anger laced with terror.

With a matching roar of anger, Kaid, closely followed by Rezac, launched himself off the ramp, running for the male who'd grabbed the cub. He heard the whine as ten rifles were powered up and centered on them. Ignoring it, he rammed aside the guards trying to block him. Skidding to a stop, his face a mask of fury framed by a halo of raised hair, he grabbed the dockhand and swung him around.

“Give me my son!” he snarled, reaching for the struggling, screaming cub.

Dhyshac's hands scrabbled at him, trying to find a grip on his jacket as the dockhand hurriedly released him. As the cub held on for dear life, his legs frantically attempting to find a foothold, Kaid, used to holding Kashini, grabbed hold of one windmilling leg and wound it round his waist. Pulling him close against his chest, and with Rezac pacing him, he backed off to the shuttle ramp.

“Stand down!” a voice, recognizable as L'Seuli's, roared over the comm as Tanjo strode into the scene knocking the rifles of the nearest Brothers aside.

“You will not point guns at a cub!” Tanjo roared at them.

At the foot of the ramp, surrounded by the rest of his team, Kaid stopped and adjusted his grip on his son.

“Dhyshac,” he said, stroking his sobbing cub's head. “Relax, I have you.” He looked up at the brown-pelted figure of the Instructor as the older male finally turned to face them. “Well met, Tanjo,” he said, flicking both ears as he tacitly acknowledged the debt he owed him.

“He knew you were coming,” said Tanjo. “Before you arrived. I don't know how.”

Kaid nodded. “I sensed him, too. Where are the others?”

“Safe,” said Tanjo, moving closer so he could use hand signals to Kaid without being seen by the guards.

They're quartered with Tanjo and his Sleepers,
Kaid relayed to the others. “What's with the welcome party?” he asked casually. “We didn't come here to do battle with anyone.”

“I don't know. Probably Captain Kheal's orders. I was in the Shrine with Dhyshac teaching him religious duties when he suddenly bolted down here,” Tanjo said with a smile. “I should have known nothing would keep you two apart.”

He felt Dhyshac move in his arms, lifting his head to look at the others in the group. “Is she my mother?” the cub asked, rubbing the tears from his eyes as he stared down at T'Chebbi.

“No, she's your Aunt,” he replied. “Carrie, my mate, will be your mother. Will you go to her for now, taiban?”

“I'd like to meet you,” said Carrie, coming to stand beside him.
Your father needs to deal with the guards, Dhyshac,
he heard her send.

Reluctantly the cub nodded and began to loosen his hold on his father.

Don't worry,
Kaid sent,
no one will take you from me now.
Still keeping his eyes on Tanjo and the guards, he lowered his son to the ground, holding his hand as he passed him back to Carrie. Immediately he sensed the others forming a living shield beside him in front of Carrie and Jo.

“Where's Commander L'Seuli?” he asked.

Tanjo looked behind him. “Probably on his way,” he said.

Minutes later, L' Seuli, his black robes billowing, came striding across to them. “Stand down,” he ordered the guards as he passed them. “You can see there's no threat, especially now he has the cub.” He stopped in front of Kaid. “I've been expecting you,” he said.

“Obviously.”

“L' Seuli! How nice to see you,” said Carrie, pushing through the others, still holding Dhyshac by the hand. “I hear you've a Leska now, too! When do we get to meet her?”

L'Seuli smiled wryly at her. “Hello, Carrie. Nice move, getting the Touibans to bring their ship for you. It wasn't anticipated, but then you never do what we expect, do you?”

“We try,” said Carrie with a grin. “How about showing us some hospitality, or do you and Captain Kheal intend us to stay here and chat at gunpoint?”

“Of course not, now that we know you're not storming us by force,” he said, half turning. “Dismissed,” he said to the guards. “We'll go to my office.” He looked at Tanjo. “Bring the other cubs over, Tanjo, please.”

Tanjo bowed and turned to go.

“Tanjo,” Kaid called out as he reached to pick Dhyshac up again. “You have the thanks of my Clan.”

The Brother smiled before he headed over to the other shuttle.

In the elevator, Carrie leaned forward to stroke Dhyshac's cheek. “You're so grown up,” she said, grinning at the child. “Almost a youngling.”

Kaid leaned quietly against the back of the elevator as his cub's mind tentatively reached for his. He responded, letting his son experience his emotions at their meeting, letting him know how he was acknowledged and welcomed, and loved.

Dhyshac's mind opened up to his father's little by little as each feeling of loneliness and isolation, of being an object of uncertainty even at Haven, was met and answered with his father's simple reply.
I'm here, you're my son, we belong to each other always, and I love you.

Carrie leaned against him, her presence on the edges of theirs, letting the cub know that she felt the same. When she sensed that Dhyshac no longer needed the continual mental reassurance, she said quietly to Kaid, “Shall I do the introductions, or will you?”

You do it,
he sent, resting his head against Dhyshac's.
I'm still getting to know my new son!

“You're going to be a little overwhelmed, I'm afraid, but it can't be helped,” she said with a smile.

“I'm Rezac, your father's brother—your Uncle,” said Rezac, grinning down at him. He pointed to the dark-haired Human female beside him. “This is my mate, Jo, your Aunt. I understand what it's like to have no family one day, then suddenly have brothers and Aunts and Uncles, because it happened to me.”

“And this is Garras, and T'Chebbi,” Carrie said, pointing to the two beside L'Seuli.

“A family outing,” said L' Seuli dryly, with the ghost of a smile.

“I haven't met your kind before,” Dhyshac said, looking back to Carrie.

“We're Humans,” she said, reaching up to touch him again. “I brought you a vid of your other brother and sisters since they couldn't come with us. I'm afraid they're very young, still infants.”