Laura Jo Phillips (21 page)

“Will you tell us where she is?” Merrick asked, his face drawn with tension.

“She is staying with the Bearens, at the Dracons’ ranch,” Aisling replied. 

“Thank you,” Merrick said, relieved that their Arima was on Jasan.  They could be with her in a matter of hours.

“Will you tell us her name, please?” Merrick asked.

“Her name is Berta,” Aisling said.  “I must warn you though, she is not in the best of health.  Berta was held prisoner for over sixty years, all of her adult life, without medical care.”

Aisling remained outwardly calm, but the Falcorans’ suddenly glowing eyes, clenched fists and tense bodies had her worried.  She had seen a male Jasani go into a blood-rage when she was at the Dracons’ ranch shortly after arriving on Jasan.  It was a terrifying thing to behold.

“But she is alive and well now?” Merrick asked.

“She is alive, and as well as can be expected considering her age,” Aisling said.  “She’s 82 years old.”

Merrick waved that off.  “That is nothing to us,” he said.  “We are older than that by a good many years and are still considered barely adults.”

“Yes, but you are Clan Jasani,” Karma pointed out.  “Berta is not.”

Merrick frowned at Karma, then shrugged.  “We thank you for this information,” he said.  “We promise that we will treat your friend, our Arima, with the utmost care and respect.”

“But...,” Karma began, but Aisling placed a hand on Karma’s elbow to stop her.

“Please give her our love when you see her,” she said.

Merrick nodded, struggling to contain his emotions.  He was relieved when it was finally acceptable for him to turn and leave, his brothers behind him.  As soon as they stepped outside of the Gryphons’ house they all transformed into their Falcorans and shot into the deep purple sky.

“I don’t think they got that part about Berta’s age,” Karma said.

“No, neither do I,” Aisling agreed.  “But they were close to a blood-rage as it was.  I don’t think they could have handled any more information than what we gave them.”

“Yes, I noticed that as well,” Karma agreed.  “I’m sure the Bearens won’t allow Berta to come to any harm though.” 

 “Nor will the Dracons,” Aisling agreed, refusing to so much as glance toward the Gryphons who still stood on the opposite side of the living room.  “I’m ready to go, how about you?”

“Yes, I’ll just get our bags,” Karma said.  She turned and walked past the Gryphons, picked up her bag, then Aisling’s, and carried them back to where Aisling waited.  Aisling took her bag from Karma and turned toward the front door. 

“Where are you going?” Olaf asked, bringing Aisling to a halt.  She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and arranged her face into the calmest, most serene expression she could manage.  Then she turned to face the men she loved.

“I apologize, I almost left without thanking you for your generous hospitality,” she said.  “You have made our stay here much easier than it would have otherwise been, and I appreciate it very much.  Now that the work is done, it is time for us to leave.”  Unable to think of anything else to say, she turned back toward the door and hurried out of the house, down the steps and into the car Elder Vulpiran had sent for them.

Chapter
20

Olaf, Rand and Rudy watched numbly as Aisling calmly walked out of their home, and out of their lives.  They listened to the door close behind her, frozen in place with indecision and shock. 

“Why did she leave?” Rand asked.

“Why wouldn’t she leave?” Rudy countered.  “We told her that we loved her, and at the first sign of trouble we turned our backs on her.”

“That’s not so,” Olaf argued.  “We had no choice but to defer to her true Rami.”

“They were not her Rami,” Rudy argued.  “We did not even wait to determine the truth of their claim before we ceded Aisling to them as though she were a prize, just as Karma said.” 

“You are correct,” Olaf admitted.  “Not that it matters.  Eventually her true Rami will show up to claim her, and we will be expected to give her up by our own laws.”

“Give her up?” Rudy asked.  “You would do that?”

“It is the law of our people never to interfere between a male-set and their Arima,” Olaf said.  “Would you break that law?”

“Absolutely,” Rudy replied forcefully.  “I would break any law, fight any battle for Aisling.  You would not?”

Olaf sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.  “Yes, I would,” he admitted.  “I love her, as you do.  Once she is ours, I would never give her up.”

“Then why did we allow her to leave?” Rudy asked.

“For her sake,” Olaf replied.  “It is better to let her go now so that when her true Rami find her, she is free to be with them.  If she stays, we will make her ours, and once that happens, we will never let her go.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Rand said quietly.

“What’s never going to happen?” Olaf asked.

“Aisling will never find another male-set,” Rand said.  “We are her Rami, just as she says.  I believe her.  I believe the way I feel about her.  She is meant to be ours, as we are meant to be hers.”

“Our mating fangs have not descended,” Olaf reminded him. 

“So what?” Rand asked with a casual shrug.  “Forget about your damn fangs, Olaf.  What do your heart and mind tell you?  How do you feel?” 

Olaf’s shoulders slumped.  “I feel as though I cannot breathe, as though she took all of the air with her when she left.”

“That’s how I feel as well,” Rudy said.  “Arima or not, she is meant for us.  She is the woman of our dreams.  We must get her back.”

“I don’t know how she could ever forgive us,” Olaf said.  “This is the second time we have hurt her.”

“If anyone has the heart to forgive us, it is Aisling,” Rand said.  “But we must be certain, Olaf.  We cannot do this to her a third time.  I would rather live with the pain of losing her than risk hurting her again.”

“Agreed,” Olaf said.  “Rudy?”

“What will we do if a male-set comes to claim her?” Rudy asked.

“We will fight,” Olaf said firmly.  “We will never give her up, no matter what happens, no matter the cost.”

“Then we should go after her,” Rudy said.  “And hope she forgives us again.”

Chapter
21

Before the driver opened the ground-car door for Aisling and Karma, Aisling knew that the Gryphons were standing outside of it, waiting for her.  She also sensed that they were very determined about something. 

That’s fine
, she thought. 
I can be pretty determined myself when I need to be.
 

With that thought firmly in her mind, Aisling got out of the car and faced Olaf, Rand and Rudy.

“Our transport is prepared to take us to Badia,” Olaf said.  “Elder Vulpiran told us that is your destination as well.  There is no reason why we cannot all go in the same transport.”

“Thank you for the offer,” Aisling said politely.  “We would prefer to take the transport Elder Vulpiran arranged for us.”

 “You are that angry with us?” Olaf asked.

“Yes,” Aisling replied.

“I am sorry for that,” Olaf said.  “However, the transport Elder Vulpiran meant for you will not be ready until tomorrow morning.  We told him that we would see that you got to Badia as you requested.  There is also the fact that we gave the Bearens, and the Dracons, our word that we would keep you under our protection.  If you would prefer not to talk to us during the journey, that is up to you, but we ask that you please journey with us, in our transport.”

Aisling glared at Olaf for a long moment, then turned to Karma. 

“It’s up to you,” Karma said with a shrug.  “Though, I don’t much like the idea of spending the night in a hangar.”

“Fine,” Aisling relented.  She didn’t want to be in the same transport with the Gryphons right now, but she didn’t want to spend the night in a cold hangar either.  Of the two options available to her, she’d take the Gryphons. 

The walk to the hangar where the Gryphons’ transport was kept was a silent one.  Since Olaf had told Aisling that she didn’t have to talk to them if she didn’t want to, and she certainly didn’t appear to want to, the Gryphons remained silent. 

Once they boarded the Gryphons’ transport Aisling was glad to see that it was big enough that they could all have privacy if they wanted, so she selected a seat near a window in the center of the cabin.  Karma sat beside her, and the Gryphons took seats near the front, respecting Aisling’s silent bid for distance.

Olaf resisted the urge to stare at Aisling, though he couldn’t help glancing at her now and then.  As the eldest brother, it was up to him to find a way to get Aisling to at least talk to them, if not forgive them.  He just wasn’t sure how to go about it.

He was so deep in thought it took him a few moments to realize that he was being stared at.  He glanced up and met Karma’s gaze with his own.  She rolled her eyes at him and gave her head a little shake.  Then she yawned widely and turned to Aisling who was sitting next to her. 

“Ash, if you don’t mind I think I’m going to go to the back where those big recliners are and catch some sleep,” she said. 

“Of course I don’t mind,” Aisling replied.  “I’ll wake you when we get to Badia.”

“Thanks,” Karma said as she stood up, yawning again.  She patted Aisling lightly on the shoulder, then made her way to the back of the cabin where she selected a recliner by a window and sat down.  She did not look in Olaf’s direction again, but Olaf knew that she was deliberately giving him the opportunity he needed to speak with Aisling.  He didn’t think she would have done it unless she believed that Aisling was willing to settle matters between them, and that gave him hope.

He took a few moments to compose himself before standing up and approaching Aisling. 

“Do you mind if I sit with you?” he asked.

“I thought you said I didn’t have to talk to you,” Aisling replied without looking up at him.

“You don’t,” Olaf replied.  “But I would like to speak to you.”

Aisling glanced up at him for a brief moment, then looked away before nodding.  “It’s your transport.”

Olaf sat across from Aisling so that he could see her face.  He knew that both Rand and Rudy were watching carefully, though they were keeping their distance.  They did not want to overwhelm Aisling.

“May I ask, why are you going to Badia?” he began.

Aisling looked at him in surprise, forgetting that she’d just said she didn’t want to talk to him.  She hadn’t expected that question.  She considered her answer for a few moments before deciding to just tell him the truth.  What difference would it make?

“I am going to Rathira.” 

“Rathira?” Olaf asked.  “I have never heard of this place.”

“It’s a Class D planet about three weeks travel from Jasan.”

“Class D planets can be very dangerous,” Olaf said.  “They are generally quite primitive.  Why do you need to go there?”

Aisling frowned.  Did he think she was stupid?  She was well aware of the dangers of a Class D planet.  Nevertheless, she had to go and would not be deterred again.  “Olaf, why do you want to know?”

“Because we care about you,” Olaf said softly.  “More than that, we love you.  We are sorry for our reactions to the Falcorans’ claim, and even more sorry for not having more faith in you.  We ask that you give us another chance.”

Aisling instantly wanted to forgive them.  She just couldn’t help herself.  But at the same time, she knew that unless the real problem was addressed, the scene they’d just had would be repeated.  She was not their Arima, and they had a problem with that.  A problem that she was probably going to make worse, but she had to be honest.

“What would you say if I told you that my blood test results indicate that I am a
berezi
?” she asked. 

“I would say that it proves you are supposed to be our Arima,” Olaf said without hesitation.  “You were correct, Aisling.  Other than the absence of our mating fangs, we have all of the indicators of a male-set who has found their Arima.  What’s more, you have all of the indicators of an Arima.  We will no longer doubt this.  We will not question our feelings for you again, nor yours for us.”

“I don’t understand why you’ve changed your minds, again,” Aisling said, wanting to believe, but needing to understand.

“Because we have dreamed of you.  For centuries,” Rand replied, joining them. 

“What?” Aisling asked, not sure she understood him right.

“We have dreamed of one woman our entire lives,” Olaf said.  “A woman with hair the color of flame and eyes the color of my own.  A woman with the courage of a warrior, and enough heart to love all three of us in spite of our failings.  You, Aisling.  We have dreamed of you for so long that when you actually showed up, we hesitated to believe what was before us.” 

“Dream,” Aisling said softly.  “Do you know what my name,
Aisling
, means?”

Rudy joined them, and the three of them stared at her blankly.