Harbinger (16 page)

“Danvier, I need to speak with you.” Garin sounded anxious and…sad?

Within the vision, Danvier sat and shook away sleep’s lingering haze. “What’s wrong?” The hours that he got to himself were precious and infrequent. It was unlike the general to intrude.

Crossing the room with long, purposeful strides, Garin stood beside the bed. “We have reason to believe Chandar is alive. Is there any chance you can sense her now?”

“What are you talking about? Chandar passed beyond years ago. I felt our connection snap. There is no way—”

“Indulge me.” Garin’s stern features looked downright grim. “Try to contact her.”

Danvier closed his eyes and searched his mind. For years after their separation, he’d tried to contact Chandar continually. Each failed attempt reinforced the conclusion that she was lost to him on this plain of existence. Reluctantly, he found the severed link, shrunken and shriveled from disuse. He poured energy into the connection and waited for Chandar to respond.

His entire being stilled, yet hope pulsed through his system. Could it be true? Had she been alive and unharmed all this time? The question brought him up short and dread doused the fragile spark of hope. Garin had said she was alive. He’d said nothing about unharmed.

Danvier concentrated on the connection, pushing it outward, saturating the link with energy. Nothing, no vibration or echo of sound indicated his sister was still alive. He pushed harder, intensifying his signal until his skull ached and his eyes burned. Still nothing.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, unable to conceal his glare. “Someone is playing games with you, with us. She passed beyond a long time ago.”

Garin didn’t argue. After a short pause, he nodded once then turned toward the door. He paused in the doorway and looked back at Danvier. “Bandar is convinced his source told the truth. You should prepare yourself for the possibility that this is real.”

The general left and the image shifted, spinning ahead almost two weeks. Again he was in bed, tossing restlessly in the darkness. The past two weeks had passed in an agonizing blur of hope and dread. Bandar had seen Chandar, or he’d seen a female harbinger claiming to be Chandar. Still, no matter how hard Danvier tried, he hadn’t been able to activate their link. It made him suspicious of the captive harbinger. If she’d really been Chandar, he should have been able to sense her.

Frustrated and fatigued, he thrashed on the berth. Echoes of his emotions rang through his mind, doubtlessly transferring to Haven. If she honestly wanted to understand him, this was a good place to start. So much of his life was conflicted. Forces often pulled him in opposite directions with equal intensity.

She pulled her mouth away from his and opened her eyes. “Is this a different memory?”

He nodded, not bothering to open his eyes. “Same situation, different night.”

Her lips returned to his and he carefully pulled her back into his mind.

In the memory, his movements became more violent. Fear and anguish distorted his features. “No!” He screamed then shook his head. “Please gods, no!” He sprang up in bed, eyes wide open, tears momentarily blinding him.

Again Garin entered without waiting for permission. He rushed across the room and bent to one knee beside Danvier’s bed. “What did you see?”

“It’s all true.” He shook and his throat was so tight he could barely force the words out. “Chandar’s alive and Akim has her. I felt her pain, her terror.” He shuddered and a ragged sob tore from his throat. He tossed back the covers and crawled out of bed, shrugging off Garin’s comforting hand. “How is this possible? Why couldn’t I sense her until tonight?”

Haven had seen enough of his vulnerability, his guilt and sense of failing. He pinched off the memory strand and eased her out of his mind.

Haven pressed her hand against her throat and rapidly blinked back tears. Fear, anger and frustration lingered in her mind. But most of all, she felt regret, cold, aching guilt that he’d been unable to protect his sister from those determined to manipulate and harm her.

“What did you do once you realized it hadn’t been a trick, that Chandar really was alive?”

“Zilor and I flew to Lunar Nine and helped with the rescue.” He took a deep breath and composed his expression, forming the serene exterior so different from his true personality. “Both Akim and his brother are now dead. But there’s one who remains untouched by the evil they set in motion.”

“Quinton? Many feel he deserves to die.”

One of his shoulders lifted, but the shrug was more thoughtful than dismissive. “I don’t honestly know who arranged Chandar’s placement, but only two people on Rodymia have that authority. As you guessed, one of them is Quinton.”

“And the other?”

“Pyre Sterling.”

He said the name with such venom it took Haven a moment to realize the implication. “But isn’t Pyre—”

“Yes. The female who gave birth to Chandar also allowed her to be placed with Akim.”

Horrified that any mother could be that cruel, Haven fought for words. She wanted to comfort him, calm the emotions he worked so hard to conceal from everyone. She just didn’t know how, didn’t know if he’d understand the difference between compassion and pity. And Danvier was much too proud to tolerate pity from anyone.

She’d heard rumors about Chandar’s captivity, but the stories varied greatly. She’d rather have accurate information from someone who knew. “How long had she been Akim’s prisoner before she was rescued?”

“Two years.”

Haven shook her head, too upset to speak. No wonder these were the best and worst days of Danvier’s life. He’d learned that his long-lost sister was still alive, but she’d been the captive of a malicious monster for the past two years. Haven understood the guilt he was feeling. His combination of anger and regret was similar to the emotions haunting her whenever she thought about Vinton.

Except that Danvier hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t even known Chandar was alive.

She, on the other hand, had sent Vinton’s killer to his front door.

Trying not to let her upset show, she shifted back, separating their pelvises, resting her weight on his legs instead. The new position was less intimate, less arousing.

Danvier pressed his hand to the side of her face. His other hand slid to the small of her back, preventing her from retreating any farther. “I don’t want this to make you sad. Let me show you something less gloomy.”

“All right. You said you lived with your uncles before you anchored yourself to Garin. What were they like? Are they still alive?”

“They’re both still alive.” He slid his hand down her neck, pushing his fingers barely inside the neckline of her dress. She held perfectly still, not wanting to encourage him, yet unable to pull away. “Keyran, the older brother, is serving aboard the
Undaunted
.”

“Isn’t that Garin’s ship?” He referred to General Nox by name so often she was starting to do the same. Probably not a good idea. She’d have to be more careful.

“Not anymore.” He flashed a secretive smile. “An outlaw can’t command a Rodyte spaceship, especially one as important as the
Undaunted
.”

“Someone needs to tell his crew.” She found herself smiling back at him. “I’m pretty sure they’d still follow him through hells outer rings.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re right.”

She didn’t want to know about Garin Nox. She wanted to know Danvier better, a lot better. The more time she spent with him, the more fascinated she became. “Back to your uncles.”

He paused, almost as if he’d refuse. Then his fingers began to wander again. He created teasing patterns across her upper chest, making her restless and ready for more intimate touches. “Kotto, the younger brother, commands the
Crusader,
that’s one of the ships at Lunar Nine. As I said, he’s mated to a hybrid named Raina and they’ve just started the transformation process.”

“What was Kotto like as a guardian? Who was the disciplinarian?” It was obvious he was ready to move on, to stop talking and explore their attraction. She wasn’t opposed to the exploration. She just wanted a clearer picture of the forces that had shaped him first.

He shrugged. “They’re typical battle born soldiers. Their lives were a regimented routine. They did whatever they were ordered to do and went wherever they were ordered to go.”

“And you just went along with them?”

His fingers followed the front of her dress, dipping down to where the buttons started. He brushed the top button with his thumb, obviously wanting to push the pearlescent fastener through its hole. “I stayed with a series of families until I was thirteen. Young children aren’t allowed on battle ships. We knew Pyre was keeping track of me. It’s not easy to hide a harbinger. But she didn’t seem to care until I went through puberty and came into my power.”

“What did she do then?”

“She sent a message ordering me back to the academy. When I ignored it, she came after me with a full contingent of armed guards.” He spoke casually, but an image flowed into her mind. She saw a tall, silver-haired youth flanked by fierce-looking soldiers. They faced off with a stunningly beautiful female with color-morphing hair. Her features were sculpted and elegant, yet her blue eyes were cold. The youth appeared brave and defiant, but his hands shook. Then Haven felt his conflict, anger twisted around sorrow and longing-softened hate. He knew this female was his mother and part of him still ached for her love, yet she was also his enemy.

The past blurred and the youth became the stubborn man sitting in front of her. As usual, pain simmered just below his calm surface only hinting at the torment inside. “How did you escape or did you go back to the academy for a time?”

He shook his head then moved his hand back to her shoulder with a sigh. Apparently, he was too engrossed in the past to tease her. “My uncles anticipated the move and had reinforcements in place. Pyre has always been predictable. However, my uncles knew they were no longer able to protect me, so they took me to someone who could.”

“Garin?”

He nodded. “Garin had just been named general and Pern was still alive. One of the reasons Quinton hates Garin so much is because he was one of Pern’s favorites.”

“Even crown stirates are susceptible to sibling rivalry?”

One of his silver brows arched and his gaze brightened. “Sibling rivalry among rulers often ends in fratricide.”

“True.” For a moment she just gazed into his eyes. His glistening silver phitons were undeniably Rodyte, but the vivid blue made her think of the sky above Earth. The unusual combination soothed her, made her feel at home. “Did Pyre just give up once you were with Garin? That doesn’t seem like her.”

“After I ignored her repeated attempts to contact me, she petitioned the steering committee. The other guild masters wanted nothing to do with a conflict involving the military. So she took her petition to Pern, but they’d never gotten along.”

“How did Pern justify letting you stay with Garin?”

Danvier’s scoff was surprisingly bitter. “Pern Kiere never justified his decisions to anyone. I’d anchored myself to Garin by then, so there wasn’t much he could have done even if he’d wanted to help her. If an anchor link is destroyed by anyone other than the harbinger who created it, both anchor and harbinger die.”

Talk about dedication. Few couples would agree to such a link. “And you’ve been with Garin ever since?”

“Yes.” He slid his hands up her arms so they both rested on her shoulders. “What else do you want to know? Your scent is driving me crazy. I’m not sure how much longer I can indulge your curiosity.”

“You’ve been surrounded by battle born soldiers since you were a child. Have there been no important females in your life?”

“There have been females from time to time, but long-term relationships are all but impossible for battle born soldiers.” He wasn’t actually a battle born soldier, but it was easy to understand why he thought of himself in those terms.

She didn’t want to know about his lovers, especially if they meant little to him. So she let the subject drop.

But he stared past her for a moment then looked into her eyes. “Actually, there is one. Her name is Skyla Lux and she’s one of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever known.”

Tension coiled around Haven’s heart. His tone was hushed almost reverent as he spoke of this other woman. It never occurred to her to ask if he’d ever been in love.

He chuckled, then brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “This is Skyla.” He gently pushed her image into Haven’s mind.

Skyla was stately, with silver-streaked brown hair and thin red rings in her bright blue eyes. Age was hard to determine with Rodytes, but she was easily old enough to be Danvier’s mother. Wait a minute. Red phitons meant she was Bilarrian, not Rodyte. Haven blinked away the image and looked at Danvier. “She’s Bilarrian. Who is she?”

Danvier smiled, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Bandar and Zilor, Garin’s younger brothers, went through training with Sedrik and Kaden Lux, so they often spend holidays and leisure breaks with each other. There’s an older Lux brother as well, but he’d already been deployed by the time his brothers went through training. Skyla is their mother. She’s kind and compassionate, shrewdly intelligent. And, believe it or not, she came to Rodymia as a war bride.”