Hope and Vengeance (Saa Thalarr, book 1): Saa Thalarr, book 1 (18 page)

"Does he have mindspeech? Do all of you have mindspeech?" Joey vibrated with excitement. If Bearcat had mindspeech, I could only imagine the messages that might pass between them.

"All of us have mindspeech," Bearcat's smile became a huge grin. "I don't suggest contacting Pheligar unless you're dying, though. Kiarra, Dragon and Lion are the only ones he answers willingly. The rest of us," Bearcat shrugged.

"I believe it's time you explained what Saa Thalarr means," I brought his attention back to me. It wasn't time to set up a date with Joey via mindspeech. It was time for answers.

* * *

"It is not time," Saxom snapped. "When it becomes necessary, I will tell you."

"I grow restless from inaction," Xenides complained. "Give the word and your enemies will die. You will have the seat at the center of that table."

"My plan is in place. You must stay hidden as long as possible. I intend to take what is mine, with Xavier's assistance. He has several under his command, and I prefer to place them at risk and keep you safe. If he fails me again, I'll allow you to challenge him. The outcome will not be to his liking."

"As you will it," Xenides bowed.

* * *

"You mean these things kill entire planets?" Joey gaped.

"They use them as feeding and breeding grounds, then leave them empty," Bearcat agreed. "But they can destroy planets, too—we've seen it happen before. That's why we fly under the radar, as your kind say, so they won't know we're there to stop them."

"What's to stop them anyway, if you challenge them?" I asked.

"The rules."

"There are rules?"

"Yes. But we have to face them to invoke the rules."

"That's weird," Joey muttered.

"Perhaps a flaw, when the rules were first devised. Before, there weren't any, and the Saa Thalarr were slaughtering them by the hundreds. The Ra'Ak Prince asked for rules. This is what we got."

"Who made the rules?" I asked.

"Someone so high in the Hierarchy, I can't even name them," Bearcat sighed.

"Hierarchy?"

"Uh, I think I should leave that to Kiarra to explain." Bearcat floundered, as if he'd let something slip that he shouldn't have. "I really don't know who it was, and she may not know, either."

"What is a Ra'Ak? Really?" Joey asked.

"You might think of them as shapeshifters, of the worst possible kind," Bearcat replied. "They become giant serpents when they turn, and nobody's safe after that."

"I hate snakes."

"You won't like these, either. They generally don't like each other. They tolerate one another, that's it."

"What language is that—Saa Thalarr?" Joey asked. It was a good question, and one I'd considered asking.

"It's Neaborian, which is a dead language. Neaboria is the first world the rogue Ra'Ak attacked and destroyed. It's completely empty and deserted, now. Saa Thalarr, in that language, means hope and vengeance."

"So the Saa Thalarr protect the planets under attack by the Ra'Ak?"

"Not all of them, no," Bearcat sounded uncomfortable again. "Another question for Kiarra," he said, brushing further queries on the subject aside.

"What do you do if the Saa Thalarr loses?" I asked.

"Plan a funeral. For the Saa Thalarr and the world involved. Every challenge is to the death."

"Bear, stop scaring them," Kiarra croaked behind me.

"Kee, you should still be in bed." I watched in amazement as Bearcat immediately went into caregiver mode. He was at her side quickly, taking her arm and leading her toward a barstool. "Want something to eat or drink?"

"Both would be nice."

"Sweetheart, how are you feeling?" I was right behind Bearcat, gently shooing him away before taking over and lifting her onto a barstool.

"Better. Having my guts scattered wasn't fun," she admitted.

"I know. At least they're where they should be now," I soothed. "Thank goodness."

"Thank Pheligar. He's the one who managed that. Larentii are the most talented healers. With Karzac's help, of course."

"My love, look at me," I said, tipping her head up with a finger.

"Adam?" she said. That's all she had time for—I leaned in to kiss her gently.

"Protein drink," Bearcat placed a glass of pale liquid in front of her as I stepped aside. "Fruit and cheese," he set a plate of food next to the drink. "Protein drink first. You know the drill."

"They all become unbearable if one of us is injured," Kiarra grumped, lifting the drink with shaking hands.

"Let me help." I took the glass away and held it to her lips. Gripping my arm to steady herself, she drank. I rubbed her back with my free hand, encouraging her to drink as much as she could.

"Joey," Bearcat called softly. "Let's leave them alone."

"They have a M'Fiyah," Kiarra murmured when I took the glass away. She'd consumed nearly half of it, and I was content with that.

"M'Fiyah?" I wasn't sure I'd pronounced it correctly.

"Mate recognition. It's immediate with our kind."

"My heart, eat some of this and I'll carry you back to bed. We can talk there, if you want," I tapped the plate of fruit and cheese.

"I'm so tired, Adam." She leaned her head against my chest.

"I know."

"Has anyone told you what's happening on Earth?"

"No, and I haven't asked."

"Just as well. We can't do anything about it right now anyway. Lion will be ready to go back before I will."

"Stop worrying about that. Eat, then back to bed. Too bad my mother isn't here; she'd be fretting and watching every bite you took. If anyone could will someone better, it was her."

"I know you still miss them," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"That's neither here nor there," I said. "Eat, then bed. Don't make me tell you again," I teased.

She ate slowly. Deliberately. As if she were forcing herself. Still, she didn't eat much. "Is that all, sweetheart?" I asked when she sighed and leaned against me again.

"It's all I can handle, or I'll be sick."

"All right." Lifting her easily, I carried her toward the wood and iron steps leading to the top floor of her home. It was her home; Bearcat had confirmed that much. The windows were so tall in the kitchen that the view continued to the second floor balcony. I appreciated the design of it greatly.

"Who built your house?" I asked as we reached the second level.

"I did." Her eyes were closed, so I imagined that she'd had it built. "We'll argue about that later," she mumbled. "I'm too tired to do it now."

"Just let me know, so I can prepare myself," I whispered before kissing her forehead. "I wish I had body heat, to keep you warm," I sighed, placing her in bed and climbing in beside her. "I apologize for that."

"S'okay," she mumbled, curling against my side. "Sleep now."

"Yes, sleep now, my heart," I whispered, trailing my fingers through silky, platinum hair. "I'm right here."

* * *

"She's all right." Griffin poured a glass of wine for Merrill. "Just weak. Larentii are the best healers I've ever seen. Pheligar will heal her before he'll touch any of the others."

"Thank the gods," Merrill sighed and lifted the glass. "Are you sure you won't transport me to England? I want to remove a few heads for this."

"I won't take you. Interference, you know," Griffin countered.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something else going on, here?" Merrill asked, holding up his glass and studying the red wine within it.

"I can't explain that, now. Perhaps later."

"Looks good," Merrill swirled the liquid carefully.

"I told you it was good. You haven't even tasted it, yet."

"Are you prepared for my anger if I get drunk?"

"I think I can handle it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you, brother."

* * *

Joey's Journal

"Griffin and Merrill are having a sparring match," Bearcat informed me. Yes, we were in bed. I think it was a record—I'd never gone to bed with anyone so fast in my life. He didn't disappoint, either.

"A sparring match?" I had no idea what he meant, and was too exhausted after marathon sex to figure it out.

"Griffin was vampire once," Bearcat leaned in for a kiss. "The claws are out now. Merrill has some anger issues, I think, and he's working them out. Don't worry, they won't hurt each other. Much."

"Are you sure?" I made an attempt to sit up in bed.

"I'm sure." He pushed me back down with a smile. I had no idea how he could be aroused again after such a short time, but he was. I intended to enjoy every minute of it.

* * *

I woke to find myself the only inhabitant of the bed. I'd slept through the day and Kiarra had gotten up without me. I cursed being vampire before rolling off the bed and searching for my shoes.

The sounds of an argument reached me before I made my way downstairs. Kiarra was having a disagreement with Pheligar, from the sound of it.

"You have refused consistently, but you interfered with one who is not an intended mate. Either make him your healer or I will carry him back in time." Pheligar sounded stern and unrelenting as I stepped softly down the stairs. "Bearcat has already offered blood—he and Joey have a M'Fiyah. Choose, Kiarra, or I will choose for you."

"Fuck." She sounded defeated. "You'd really take him back, knowing he has a M'Fiyah with Bearcat?"

"Bearcat was not the one to rescue him. You did that."

"Yeah. I did that, all right."

"You're not regretting that, are you?" I had to know. Joey was like an adopted child. One that I cared for.

"I'm not regretting saving his life," Kiarra huffed as I walked into her kitchen. "Blue asshole here wants to make a big deal out of it."

I wasn't about to agree with her—not in front of the being who could turn me into atoms on a whim.

"I am merely pointing out facts," Pheligar snapped. "I have not resorted to derogatory terms to do so. I can, if that is your wish."

"I don't need a healer," she pouted.

"Kiarra, you must leave that in the past. I realize it still troubles you. Get rid of it. You know this one will be good for you."

"You want Joey to be her healer?" I blinked up at Pheligar.

"That is exactly what I want. I believe he will work very well in that role. As Bearcat is also a healer, it will allow them to be together."

"They're together?" My voice sounded higher than I liked.

"Several times," Pheligar crossed arms over his chest, as if asking me to refute his statement. Wisely, I suppressed the urge.

"Never ask a Larentii a question unless you want the unvarnished truth," Kiarra muttered. "If they choose to answer, anyway."

"Either offer him your blood or allow Bearcat to give it," Pheligar said. "Or I bend time. Choose, Kiarra."

"Fine. If Bearcat wants to do it; I don't think I'm up for a blood donation at the moment."

"I know you are not," Pheligar's voice gentled. "I would suggest waiting, if you wished to offer. You must tell Joey; the final decision will be his, of course."

"Of course." Kiarra rubbed her forehead.

"I will heal the headache." Pheligar lifted her one-handed and placed large, blue fingers on her forehead. My jealousy roared to life.

"That will not do," Karzac appeared beside me. Before I knew it, I was flat on my back, staring up at Karzac, who held me down with one hand. Past him, I gazed at Pheligar, who still held Kiarra in his arms. My jealousy had fled. Karzac took his hand away from my forehead.

"Jealousy is not tolerated," he huffed and walked away.

I wanted to ask how a healer had manhandled me so easily. I decided that I didn't want to know the answer. "You will no longer feel that emotion," Pheligar settled Kiarra on her feet nearby. "Karzac holds the power to remove it, as do I and some of the others. It is a useless and often harmful nuisance."

How?
I wanted to shout. They'd done something to me and I couldn't prevent it. "Adam, you'll have to make a choice eventually," Kiarra dropped to the floor beside me. "If you refuse, you can have your jealousy back, no questions asked. For now, you're safer without it."

"Far safer," Pheligar agreed. "Tomorrow, Kiarra, you will tell Joey, and he will decide. I will return for that conversation." Pheligar disappeared.

"Where is Joey now?" I sat up and frowned at Kiarra.

"He's still in bed with Bearcat. On Tiger's planet."

"He's not here?"

"Adam, he's fine. Stop worrying."

"What about you? Are you fine?"

"As fine as I can be after losing an argument with Pheligar."

"Does that happen often?"

"More often than I like. The others don't get to argue with him. He won't even listen."