“Wow, your new eye color really is gorgeous! I can’t get over it.” Liv leaned closer to get a better look at Dani’s new eyes. “They’re like Lauren’s only lighter.”
“Hers are more of an amber color,” Elise agreed. “And Dani’s are more champagne.
“More tea?” Sophie asked. The four of them were sitting around her food prep table drinking the hot Earth beverage brewed from some kind of leaves, according to Liv, and eating sweet confections called donuts. They were round with a hole in the middle and covered in sweet glaze which stuck to your fingers. They were also completely delicious, Dani thought.
“I’m so glad you convinced me to go to Ky,” she said, smiling at her new friends. “Thank you for pushing me in a direction I probably wouldn’t have taken on my own.”
“You would have gotten there eventually,” Elise said, smiling. “We just gave you a nudge in the right direction.” Her pretty face grew serious. “So is Kyron feeling better about using his Touch sense the way he did on Goshan Prime?”
Dani nodded. “Yes, since he got the forgiveness of the Goddess.”
“What?” Liv looked startled. “What happened? Did you meet her?”
“She spoke to us.” Dani was still in awe, remembering the experience. “We went to the Sacred Grove in the center of the ship so that Ky could ask a priestess for absolution. And when he knelt before her, we heard the voice of the Goddess.”
Dani closed her eyes, remembering that moment in the Sacred Grove, entering the green and purple trees…
“Are you certain this is the right thing to do?” she’d asked Ky as they removed their shoes. The Sacred Grove was holy ground to the Kindred and all who entered had to be barefoot. She didn’t know much about her new people’s deity but the gods she had worshiped on Goshan Prime had been vengeful and angry. It was considered better to try and hide sins from them rather than confess.
But Kyron seemed to feel this was something he needed to do, in order to be completely rid of his burden of guilt so Dani was willing to support him.
“It’s the only thing to do, little girl,” he said, arranging his boots beside her own small sandals. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to do it before.” He held out his hand to Dani. “Come on.”
“All right.” She took his offered hand and they walked into the shadow of the green trees. Their leaves, all different shades of green and purple, were rustling in the light breeze which played through their branches and their shadows soon hid the bright light of the green sun which was at the center of the Kindred Mother Ship.
The warm scent of growing things filled Dani’s senses and the soft blades of green and purple grass tickled her bare feet. She wasn’t sure what to expect but she had a feeling she and Ky weren’t alone here. There was a presence in the Grove—a feminine presence. It felt strong and wise and just and caring—it made Dani’s pulse quicken and she gripped Ky’s hand tighter.
Suddenly a woman appeared, coming through the trees to them.
“And who might you be and how can I help you?” she asked in a soft voice.
Dani tried not to stare but it was difficult. Though she had gotten used to males who had tan skin instead of blue, this female was something else entirely. She was tall for one thing—almost as tall as a Kindred warrior—and she had strangely lovely green-on-green eyes and green streaks in her long brown hair.
“Priestess,” Ky said, bowing his head formally. “I have come seeking forgiveness for a vow which I have broken.”
“I see.” The priestess nodded her head gracefully. “Say on, Warrior.”
“I…” Ky cleared his throat and Dani sensed this was still hard for him.
She squeezed his hand and sent a feeling of love and encouragement through their new mental bond. A burst of gratitude and love came back from the big Kindred and he was finally able to continue.
“I am a Touch Kindred, sworn to never use my Touch sense for anything but the pleasure of my female,” he told the priestess. “Yet I broke this vow and killed with it though I knew it was wrong.”
The priestess frowned. “This is a serious sin indeed, Warrior. For the details of this act, I feel I must see into you.”
Ky didn’t look very happy about this but Dani felt a surge of resignation from him, as though he had expected it.
“Very well,” he said and knelt at the priestess’s feet.
She went to him and placed her fingertips at his temples but before she could “see into him” whatever that meant, a warm, rich voice echoed in the Glade.
“My daughter, there is no need for your sight,” the voice said, obviously speaking to the priestess. “For I know this warrior’s heart and it is pure. He broke his vow but it was for the protection of his female.”
Dani felt a shiver of pure adrenaline run through her as the deep, feminine voice seemed to fill her entire body, even though the Goddess wasn’t speaking to her. She had never been in the presence of a real deity before—the experience took her breath away.
“Yes, my Goddess.” The priestess bowed her head submissively. “You are good to speak to us so.”
“Warrior,” the Goddess continued, addressing Kyron. “I absolve you of all guilt. Love the female I have sent you and honor her daily and I will be well pleased.”
“I will, my Goddess,” Ky said, squeezing Dani’s hand. “I will love her with every breath in my body every day of my life. I thank you for your absolution.”
“Daughter,” the Goddess said and at first Dani thought she was speaking to the priestess again. But then the Goddess said, “My daughter Dannella, I see into your heart that you are sorry for what you have left behind.”
Dani’s heart was suddenly in her throat.
“Only…only my father, Goddess,” she whispered meekly. “I…despite all that he did, I was sorry that Lavi and I both had to leave him alone. He is old and left to die alone…” She swallowed thickly. “It is a sorry fate, even for a Monarch.”
“You love as a good daughter should.” The Goddess sounded approving. “But you must not go back to your home world, no matter how sad you feel. It is not safe for you there.”
“No, Goddess,” Dani murmured. “No, I…I won’t.”
“Good. I have but one more thing to say to you, child,” the Goddess said. “A message for your friend—tell her not to fret for either the father or the child for I am sending one to mend their hearts. She will heal that which is broken.”
“Then the Goddess stopped talking and the presence I felt in the Sacred Grove seemed to leave,” Dani finished recounting her experience to her wide-eyed friends. “But I don’t know what she meant by her last words.” She picked up her teacup and took a sip of the fragrant warm liquid. "Someone to heal that which is broken? What's been broken?"
“Tell your friend not to fret for the father or the child,” Elise murmured. “It seems strange but the Goddess does work in mysterious ways.”
“She usually gives prophesies about larger events,” Liv remarked. “But I think she cares about us on a personal level too—she sees the little things, not just the big ones.” She looked at her sister. “What do you think, Sophie?”
“The father and the child…the father and the child…” Sophie murmured, frowning. “I just don’t know. Unless…” She looked up at them. “Do you think she might have been talking about little Tsandor and his father, Commander Sazar?”
“The one you were talking about at the child care center the other day?” Dani asked.
“Yes, exactly!” Sophie had a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “I’ve been talking about him to Sylvan—wondering if we ought to take Tsandor in as a kind of foster child since his father is never around.”
“That’s a beautiful idea,” Liv said warmly.
Sophie sighed and shook her head.
“I thought so too but Sylvan says that the Blood Kindred rules about that are very strict and it would be a great insult to Commander Sazar to offer to foster his child while he’s still alive. Like telling him to his face his a bad father.”
“Well if he’s going to be an absentee parent the he is a bad dad…” Liv said indignantly. “I mean, that poor little boy, all alone and Christmas is coming up.”
“That’s what I was thinking too,” Sophie said. “That we could at least have him with us for Christmas—he and my twins love each other.”
“Christmas… is your festival of giving and love?” Dani asked tentatively, remembering what Ky had told her about the Earth holiday.
Liv nodded. “There’s more to it than that but yes, pretty much.”
“Maybe the Goddess is telling Sophie that Tsandor will be with his own family during Christmas,” Elise suggested gently. She looked at Sophie. “She knew that he was weighing on your heart and she wanted to give you some peace about it.”
“Maybe so.” Sophie nodded thoughtfully. “I’m still going to ask if we can have him over for some play dates once in a while.”
“If Commander Sazar ever comes back to the Mother Ship, you can get permission from him,” Liv said dryly.
“Actually, according to Sylvan he’s scheduled to be here soon,” Sophie said. “Apparently his last assistant quit and he has to go down to the Human-Kindred Relations building in Tampa to interview for another one.”
“Really?” Liv sounded interested. “Why did she quit? Did Sylvan say?”
Sophie shook her head. “I only know he’s been through like, five of them since he came to the Mother Ship. He’s an excellent diplomat but apparently a pretty bad boss.”
“A bad father too,” Liv said, frowning.
“But didn’t you say this male was still grieving the loss of his wife?” Dani asked. “Might that not make him angry or distracted?” She was thinking of the time after her mother had been killed and how filled with sorrow her father had been. Of course now she knew it had been sorrow tinged with guilt, which must be worse but still… “Grief makes a male do terrible things sometimes,” she murmured.
“I just don’t think there’s any excuse for neglecting your child. Poor little Tsandor. I hope the prophesy given to you really was about him,” Liv said to Dani. “It would take the hand of the Goddess herself to heal that situation.”
“Well, maybe she is taking a hand,” Sophie said thoughtfully. “I’ll keep watching for Commander Sazar whenever I do art time with the kids. But I believe something new is on the way for him and Tsandor both.”
“From your lips to the Goddess’s ear,” Liv said and took a bite of her donut.
Dani took a sip of her tea and felt a warm glow as she looked around the table at her new friends. She was living with the male she loved in a place where females were valued and equal to males. No one talked down to her or dismissed her just because of her sex—finally she could make her voice heard without fear of someone trying to silence her.
She felt blessed and happy and right with her place in the universe, possibly for the first time in her life. But she still had one concern—she hoped that Sophie was right and the words of the Goddess were for that sweet little boy with the blond hair and the big blue eyes. She could still hear Tsandor’s soft voice asking, “Do you think my daddy will be coming home soon?”
“Please Goddess,” she prayed silently. “Bring him home to his son. And mend both their hearts as you have mended Ky’s and mine. Heal that which is broken.”
She didn’t hear the voice of the Goddess as she had in the Sacred Grove but she felt a warm reassurance and knew that her prayer had been heard.
The End?
Of course not, there are always new Kindred stories coming. Read on for a little taste of my first ever Christmas Kindred novel. And look for Kindred 21 in the coming year.
Hugs and Happy Reading to you all!
Evangeline
Author's Note: If you've enjoyed Freeing the Prisoner, please take a minute to leave a review HERE. Good reviews let other readers know it's okay to take a chance on a new series or author. Plus they give me the warm fuzzies. : ) Thanks for being an awesome reader!
Healing the Broken: A Kindred Christmas Novel
A warrior and his son, both broken by loss
A girl running from her past and trying to find a future
It's Christmas and the stakes are high.
Can Sarah learn to love Sazar and his young son Tsandor…
Or will her past ruin her last chance at happiness?
You'll have to read Healing the Broken to find out.
Chapter One
“He wanted to bite me. He actually wanted to bite me! Can you believe that?” The slender blonde girl dressed in an expensive looking professional gray suit sounded both incensed and incredulous. “I mean, who’s going to take the position when being bitten is one of the job requirements?”
Me, thought Sarah grimly. I will. Because I don’t have a choice. Because I need this job too badly to turn it down for any reason.
She looked down at herself, contrasting her ratty, ill-fitting black skirt and faded blue blouse with the blonde’s professional attire. One of the volunteers at the women’s shelter had kindly loaned Sarah a black blazer to wear with her outfit but it didn’t fit right, bulging oddly over her too-large breasts.
In fact, all of Sarah was too large—she was definitely what could kindly be called “plus sized.” But that was all right with her. It was better to be bigger, safer to be overweight at the Compound. Father Caleb was far less likely to notice you that way. In fact, Sarah had managed to be overlooked for years until—
She pushed the image out of her mind. Better not to think of that right now. She’d gotten away from the Compound and no one from The Brotherhood could find her—at least they hadn’t found her yet. And maybe, just maybe if she could get this job on the Kindred Mother Ship, they would never be able to find her again.
“Sarah Michaels,” called the bored voice of the attendant.
Sarah started at the sound of her name. She’d thought about giving a fake one but she had to have something real to put on her resume, which contained no actual work experience except for the secretarial duties she’d done in The Brotherhood’s home office.
She patted her thick chestnut hair, rolled into a bun at the nape of her neck, and adjusted her round glasses nervously on the bridge of her nose. The glasses were another part of her act—her camouflage. The lenses were clear, non-prescription glass—a pair she’d found in the drugstore years ago when her mother had first entered The Brotherhood, dragging Sarah along with her. Sarah didn’t need them to see but they, along with her frumpy clothes and the extra weight she’d put on, kept her from being of interest to men.
Especially to The Prophet, Father Caleb.
Several strands of hair had escaped from her bun and she pushed them back impatiently, wincing at the small pain in her palm as she did so. She’d cut her hand somehow, on the steel side of the seat in front of her on the bus. The small wound had mostly stopped bleeding but she hadn’t been able to get a band-aid to cover it. Surreptitiously, she blotted it one last time on the underside of her rusty black blazer, glad that the blood stain wouldn’t show.
“Sarah Michaels?” said the attendant again. She was a slim brunette seated at a gray metal desk. It matched the gray couches scattered around the large lobby of the Tampa Human Kindred Relations building, where the interviews were being held. Beside her was a twelve foot tall Christmas tree, decorated with red and gold ornaments and tinsel. It was incongruously colorful in the bland surroundings and it didn’t match the weather either—which was hot. Of course in Tampa, it was always hot.
“I’m here,” Sarah said, in a voice that trembled only a little. “I’m ready.”
She hoped.
“All right—go in through the double doors. Commander Sazar is in the second office on the left. He already has your resume.”
“Thank you.” Sarah bobbed her head nervously. “So…I’m interviewing with him exclusively? I mean, there aren’t any other, uh, supervisors or—”
“Commander Sazar doesn’t let anyone else help make his decisions,” the attendant said briskly. “He’s very particular about who he hires and he won’t allow anyone else to have a say in it.”
“Oh…okay. So I’m going to be in there alone with him?” Sarah asked.
The attendant must have seen the look of uncertainty on her face because the bored indifference of her own expression softened a little.
“Hey, don’t worry—he doesn’t bite unless you give permission first. He’s a Blood Kindred—not a monster.”
So the blonde applicant who had stalked out of her interview in a huff had been telling the truth—Commander Sazar did bite. Or at least he wanted to bite. Oh God, what had she gotten herself into?
I haven’t gotten into it yet and I need this job, Sarah reminded herself grimly. I need to get away from Earth and hide somewhere The Brotherhood and Father Caleb can never find me.
She could still remember the last girl who had run away from the Compound—Jennifer Hastings—that had been her name though everyone called her Sister Jenny. Sarah remembered how the Controllers had found her and brought her back, tied and gagged in the back of a van. The way she had screamed and struggled. And later, the drugged, dazed look on her bruised face when she stood before the alter to become a Bride of the Prophet, as all young women in The Brotherhood were expected to do so they could bear holy children to replenish the Compound…
Sarah pushed the memory away and gripped her tattered brown handbag firmly. Inside it was a cheap comb, a little tube of clear lip gloss she’d gotten as a free sample at the drugstore, and her birth certificate, which she’d managed to steal from the files of The Brotherhood before she ran. That was important because she didn’t have a driver’s license—women in The Brotherhood weren’t allowed to drive. She didn’t even have bus fare for a ride back. If she failed this interview, she’d be walking back to the shelter.
Well then, I’d better not fail.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and pushed through the double doors to go meet Commander Sazar—the man, or rather Kindred, she hoped would be her new boss.
* * * * *
Sazar looked up in irritation as the final applicant knocked timidly at his door. None of the other applicants had been right and the last one had been the worst of all—slim and blonde which reminded him entirely too much of Malinda.
The thought of his dead wife’s name caused a dull ache to rise in his heart. She had been his mate for just three years before she had been taken from him leaving only the boy behind. The boy who looked so much like her with his golden blond hair and large blue eyes…
He pushed the thought of his son away guiltily. He ought to go and see the boy—he knew he should. But work kept him so busy and every time he saw Tsandor it was as though Malinda was looking at him through those crystal blue eyes…
“Commander Sazar?” The girl had a soft, low voice he found oddly soothing. Her appearance was soothing too—nothing at all like Malinda, he saw with satisfaction.
She was plump and short—she wouldn’t even reach his shoulder, Sazar estimated, taking her in with his sharp, pale eyes. She had a soft, pretty face and her hair was dark brown. Her eyes, somewhat obscured behind round lenses, were an indeterminate shade of hazel. Perfect—she didn’t resemble his lost wife in any way.
Then her scent hit him.
He stiffened a little as she walked into the temporary office he was using for Earth-side interviews. Gods, that scent. It was light and fresh and feminine but there was a deeper note underneath—a sweet, coppery aroma.
The scent of fresh blood.
Haven’t smelled blood that sweet since Malinda!
As a Pitch-Blood Kindred, Sazar had what other Blood Kindred considered a disability. Instead of biting only to heal or pleasure his mate, he actually needed blood. Not a lot of it and not often but it had to be from a willing female and right now it had been days since he’d had a female willing to let him bite her.
He could still remember his last executive assistant—her big, frightened eyes and the way she’d trembled when she allowed him to bare her wrist for his fangs. The way she’d fainted from the pain when he pierced her…
Sazar had let her go after that, much to her obvious relief. He couldn’t help it that his bite was so painful—it would hurt any female who wasn’t either his mate or at least reasonably compatible with him. There were ways to make it hurt less but he couldn’t engage in that kind of activity with a female who worked for him. He couldn’t help needing blood but he refused to take advantage in that way.
“Commander Sazar?” the girl said again and he realized he’d been sitting there, staring at her—More like smelling her, whispered a sarcastic little voice in his brain—and not saying a word.
“Ms…” He looked down at the resume in his hands—which had hardly anything on it.
“Michaels,” she finished for him. “Sarah Michaels.” She walked up to the desk and held out her hand.
Sazar started to take it, then realized this was where the scent of fresh blood was coming from. Gods, it smelled good! So fucking tempting he wanted to drag her across the desk and bury his double set of fangs—which were growing longer and sharper by the minute—in the ivory skin of her throat.
No! He pushed the impulse away harshly. Yes, her blood smelled good—incredible to be honest—but that was only because he’d gone without for far too long. He would ignore his darker instincts and conduct this interview in a professional manner.
He had no choice.
Author's note: Want more? Of course you do! Healing the Broken will be out sometime in November. I'm so excited because this is my first ever Kindred Christmas novel. I love the idea of Sarah introducing Sazar to Earth Christmas traditions and I'm having so much fun writing the crazy trouble they get into. Be looking for it soon and for Kindred 21 next year!
Hugs and Happy Reading to you all!
Evangeline Anderson : )