Chapter Thirty-one
“Here it is—the psychic knife.” Deep pushed open a door and ushered them into a large space that appeared to be set up like some kind of laboratory. To one side was a vast silver cylinder that looked to Kat like a massive oil drum turned up on its end. There were steps leading up to it and a door cut into its side which seemed to indicate that you were supposed to go inside it. Although I’m sure the people who went in there, didn’t go voluntarily, Kat thought with a shiver.
To be honest, the whole place gave her the creeps. The empty, echoing corridors and the medical complex, which Lock told her was just beyond this room, felt haunted. This is the place where they did those horrible experiments on the Kindred and their brides, she thought. How awful to be trapped down here and know that you were about to be torn away from the man or men you loved forever.
But wasn’t that pretty much what was happening to her right now? Kat pushed the thought away angrily. Yes, she cared for Lock—maybe even loved him. And yes, despite all the hateful things he’d said, she cared for Deep too. But one half of the dynamic duo didn’t want her and since they came as a matched set, she was going to have to get over both of them at once. I just hope it won’t be too painful, she thought, staring uneasily at the psychic knife. The more she looked at it, the less she wanted to get into it, or go anywhere near it for that matter.
To one side of the large silver drum was a bank of control panels. Deep went to them immediately and began manipulating the various slide-boards and holo-graphs.
“Good power flow,” he remarked as he worked. “Must be running on a longevity source.”
Lock frowned as he watched his brother work. “I don’t care how good it is, Deep, this is madness. Look at this place—this thing is an instrument of torture. And you want us to risk our lives in it?”
“You won’t be risking anything but your pride,” Deep snapped. “When you find out what a coward you’ve been.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Kat said, putting a hand on her hip. “I’m with Lock on this one—this entire place gives me the willies. And how do we know that thing is safe? I mean it has the word ‘knife’ in its name and it was previously used to torture people. Somehow I doubt it would get the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval—you know?”
“No, I don’t,” Deep said coldly. “But I do know this is our only option.”
“It’s not our only option.” Lock’s voice was quiet and tense. “We can go back home to the Mother ship and bond the lady Kat to us completely. Then we can spend the rest of our lives trying to make her happy.”
Deep laughed harshly. “Trying being the operative word, Brother. Bonding her to us would bring her nothing but unhappiness and pain, no matter how hard you tried to do otherwise.”
“That’s not true,” Lock protested angrily. “Or it wouldn’t be if you could just stop—”
“Stop what?” Deep raised an eyebrow. “Stop being myself? I’m afraid I can’t do that, Brother.”
“Don’t call me that.” Lock’s voice was a dangerous growl. “I told you I don’t want that relationship with you anymore. I don’t want any relationship with you.”
“Then press your hand to the scanner and get into the machine, damn you.” Deep sounded exasperated. “Look.” He pressed his large palm to a flat black screen on the control panel which lit up immediately with a low hum. “I’ve got the damn thing all set up—we just need to activate it and step inside.”
“How will separating the two of us from the lady Kat free me of you?” Lock demanded.
“Stop clouding the issue and just do it.” Deep took a step toward Lock who was standing his ground with his fists clenched. “You stupid bastard. If you think—”
“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” Kat couldn’t take any more. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, trying to hold back the tears as their negative emotions filled her to overflowing. More than anything she couldn’t stand it when they fought, when they hated each other out loud like that. Next they’ll be throwing things or Dad will hit Mom… No! She took a deep breath. They’re not Mom and Dad. They’re Deep and Lock. Get hold of yourself, Kat. Suck it up and deal.
She opened her eyes to see both of them staring at her with concerned looks on their faces.
“My lady?” Lock asked tentatively. “Are you all right?”
“Fine, I’m sorry.” Kat ran a trembling hand through her hair. “It’s just…you two shouldn’t be fighting. Especially not over me.”
“Are you saying you’re not worth it?” Deep gave her a penetrating glance. “Because I would have to disagree.”
“I’m worth it, all right.” Kat raised her chin and glared at him. “But I don’t want it. And I don’t want to come between you and be the reason you two start hating each other.”
“You’re not,” Deep said shortly. “So don’t worry about that.”
“I am,” Kat insisted. “And it’s not right. Twin Kindred aren’t supposed to fight like this, are they?”
Lock looked troubled. “It’s true that we’re supposed to be of one mind on just about everything. We used to be, anyway.”
“Well we’re not of one mind on this,” Deep snapped. “You want to keep the soul bond and I don’t. So let’s just do this and get it over with.” He pointed to the flat black screen which had scanned his handprint. “Go on.”
Lock folded his arms over his broad chest. “I won’t.”
“Well, I will.” Kat stepped forward and slapped her palm down on the scanner. There was a low humming sound and her hand was briefly outlined by a brilliant white light. “There,” she said, stepping back when the process was complete. “I’m sorry, Lock,” she said softly, seeing the agonized look on the light twin’s face. “But I’m not going to stay with a man who doesn’t want me and since you two are a package deal…”
“I understand.” Nodding slowly, Lock pressed his palm to the scanner as well. Then he stood back and looked at Deep with real hatred in his brown eyes. “Now what, Brother?”
Deep took a deep breath and a look passed over his dark features too quickly for Kat to read. Remorse? Grief? Whatever it was, it was there and gone again, leaving his face perfectly blank. She tried to read his emotions but all she got was a storm cloud of negativity—too thick and black to penetrate or understand.
“Now,” he said. “We need to—”
“What you need to do is turn around slowly and keep your hands where I can see them.”
The deep voice behind them startled them all. Kat’s heart began to pound when she turned her head to see a huge male with glowing red-on-black eyes pointing some kind of weapon at them. He looked horribly familiar and suddenly Kat realized where she’d seen him before. That’s the one, she thought numbly, staring at him. The Scourge who kidnapped Sophie and was going to kill her. Oh my God, what is he doing here?
“Guys?” she whispered as Deep and Lock turned around as well.
“Get back.” Deep pushed her behind him and then he and Lock joined ranks, standing shoulder to shoulder to create an impenetrable wall between her and the threat. “What do you want?” Deep said, his voice a low, threatening growl.
“I could ask the same thing of you,” the Scourge returned. “What are you doing here on my home planet without invitation?”
“We didn’t realize we had to wait to be invited,” Deep said sarcastically.
“That’s no answer.” The Scourge sounded agitated now.
“And you’re not going to get one,” Deep snapped back.
“We’re not here to harm anyone,” Lock said, obviously trying to smooth the situation over. “Just let us leave and we won’t bother you again, I swear.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Peeking around Lock’s elbow, Kat saw the Scourge warrior wave his weapon menacingly. “Drop your weapons on the floor and march single file into the medical wing. Now.”
“What makes you think we’ll comply?” Deep demanded. “There are two of us and only one of you. Even if you shoot one, the other will still kill you.”
“You will comply because I won’t be aiming for you,” the Scourge said quietly. “I will set my sights on your female and I promise I will wound or kill her before either of you can kill me.”
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Deep snarled, taking a step forward. Lock put a hand on his arm.
“Deep, I don’t think we have any choice.”
“Listen to your friend,” the Scourge advised. He frowned. “I do not like to make such dire threats. I wouldn’t if I could be sure of you.”
“Sure of what? Because you can be damn sure we’ll carve you to pieces if you so much as touch our Kat.” Deep sounded like he was going into rage and Lock put a hand on his brother’s arm again.
“Deep, please.” He spoke to the Scourge. “What do you want from us? What’s your name?”
The Scourge gave them a level look. “I am called Xairn. And for now I just want to talk.”
“You want to talk? Then talk,” Deep growled. “I don’t see why we have to be disarmed to hear what you have to say.”
“Because my father is here in the Complex as well.” The Scourge raised an eyebrow at them. “Perhaps you know him—the AllFather?”
Deep swore loudly and Lock said,
“Of course we know of him. What is he doing here?”
A grim look passed over Xairn’s face. “Gathering power—soon he will be too strong to stop. If you wish to leave this planet alive you need to listen to me.”
“We’re listening,” Lock assured him. “What do you want to say?”
“Only this—I need your help to leave this place safely and I am willing to offer you mine in return if you’ll trust me.”
“Trust a Scourge? Not likely,” Deep spat. “As if—”
“I think we should trust him,” Kat said, stepping out from behind the brothers.
“Are you out of your mind?” Deep demanded. “Don’t you recognize this male? He’s the same one we saw attacking Sophia during our last joining.”
“I recognize him, all right,” Kat said evenly. “And I remember what we all saw. But I’ve talked to Sophie about what happened aboard his ship—he didn’t want to kill her. He was going to set her free.”
“If you’re speaking of the human female with the green eyes, that is true,” Xairn said, nodding.
“That’s her,” Kat said. “She’s like a sister to me.” She took a deep breath. “Look, we’re really just here to use your psychic-knife thingy—we’re not trying to start any trouble.”
Xairn raised his eyebrows in obvious surprise. “You wish to sever the bond between you?”
Deep scowled. “We were…wrongly and accidentally bonded. This is the only way to sever the bond.”
Xairn nodded slowly. “I see. Well, if you actually want the connection dissolved…”
“We do,” Kat said, throwing a glance at Deep. “Very much.”
Xairn shrugged. “You may use the psychic-knife if you wish—it is nothing to me. But my father may be here at any moment. He is in his Souda now, gathering strength and power. As soon as he feels strong enough he will be here—it may be several hours or a much shorter time before he appears. I cannot tell you for certain.”
Lock had a worried look on his face but he spoke calmly. “This is insane. We can leave and come back later—or possibly rethink the entire thing. But if the AllFather is on this planet, we need to go now.”
“Deep is right,” Kat said, nodding. “As much as we want to be free of each other, staying here is crazy.”
Xairn frowned. “But you haven’t achieved what you came here for.”
“He’s right about that in more ways than one,” Deep growled at Lock. “Or are you forgetting the secondary mission Olivia set for you, Brother?”
“Secondary mission?” Xairn looked wary. “Why else are you here?”
“We are also here to try and gather information about a missing human female—one we are certain was taken by your father for nefarious reasons,” Lock said. “Perhaps you know of her? Lauren Jakes?”
The effect on Xairn couldn’t have been more profound if Lock had shoved a double barreled shotgun into his gut and pulled the trigger. “Lauren? You’re looking for Lauren?” He looked shocked at first, but then his voice dropped to a low, menacing growl and he seemed to grow bigger somehow. It reminded Kat of how Sylvan had looked when he went into rage while protecting Sophie. “Lauren is mine. She’s mine,” Xairn snarled. “And I do not intend to surrender her to anyone.”
“So you do have her.” Lock’s voice was mild but his eyes were hard.
“You bastard.” Deep glared at the Scourge. “What have you done to the poor girl? Or maybe I should ask if there’s anything you haven’t done. Is she even still alive?”
Xairn’s red-on-black eyes flashed crimson. “Of course she is! Do you think me some kind of a monster?”
“Actually, we do,” Deep said. “We know exactly how you Scourge treat your females.”
Xairn lifted his chin. “Not me. I have never touched a female in anger—this I swear.”
“What about lust?” Deep raised an eyebrow. “Ever touched a female that way?”
Xairn looked suddenly ill at ease. “I…do not act on those emotions. I do not engage in the practices of my father and the rest of my people.”
“We’ll believe it when we see it.” Deep’s black eyes narrowed. “Where is Lauren now?”
Xairn bristled. “Someplace safe.”
“Can we see her?” Kat asked. “I mean, can I see her? I’m no threat,” she went on softly, meeting his strange, burning eyes. “And I think if we could hear from Lauren herself that you haven’t hurt her, it would make it a lot easier for us to trust you.”
Xairn looked at her appraisingly. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to let another female speak to Lauren. But I will not tolerate another male near her.” He glared at Deep and Lock and then nodded at Kat. “Come with me.”
She stepped forward to meet him, only to feel an iron grip locked around her upper arm. “Like hell, she will.” Deep pulled her back behind him.
“Deep!” she protested angrily but he ignored her.
“We feel the same way about Kat that you do about Lauren,” he told Xairn, his voice a low growl. “If she goes, we go. It’s as simple as that.”
Xairn frowned. “I suppose that is fair. But do not attempt to take Lauren from me. I have sworn that I will see her safely back to her planet but until then, I refuse to give her up to anyone.”
“Even your father?” Lock said softly.
Xairn’s eyes flashed crimson and his hands clenched into massive fists. “Especially him. Why do you think I need your help? He has four massive vat-grown guards with him. If they should catch us leaving I could only defend Lauren until I died. After that my father…” He shook his head. “I will not speak of it.”
“Come on.” Kat shook free of Deep’s grip and gave him a glare which he returned with a blank expression. “Let’s go.”
It took a little maneuvering as to who was going to go first and who would have what weapon pointed at whom, but finally they entered the set of double metal doors at the end of the lab and found themselves in a long hallway made up of several glassed in rooms on either side.
Huddled in one of the rooms, wrapped in a long black cloak, was a beautiful girl with creamy mocha skin and striking amber eyes. Kat recognized her at once from the pictures Sophie and Liv had showed her.
“Lauren!” She ran to the glass wall of the room at once. “It’s really you!”
Hesitantly, the girl came forward. “Do I know you?” Her voice was muffled but understandable through the thick glass.
“No, but I know you. Or I know of you, anyway.” Kat turned to Xairn. “Please let me in to talk to her. I’m not armed—you can pat me down if you want.”
“No, he can’t!” Deep’s black eyes flashed possessively. “He won’t touch you or I swear to the Goddess—”
“I will take her word that she isn’t armed,” Xairn interrupted coolly. “And I will allow her into the cell with Lauren. She has been missing human companionship. Perhaps seeing another of her kind will make her feel better.”
“Thank you.” Kat stood by impatiently while he opened the door to the cell and then stepped in at once. “Lauren,” she said gently, taking a step forward and extending her hand. “It’s all right—I’m a friend.”
“I just can’t believe…after all this time…” Lauren stepped forward slowly. Hesitantly, she took Kat’s offered hand. “Are you real?” she whispered, squeezing her fingers. “Are you really real?”
Kat smiled at her. “Last time I looked I was. Large as life and twice as natural.”
Tears began to stream down Lauren’s face. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, blotting her eyes on the black cloak she wore. “I just…I just…”
“Hey, it’s all right. It’s okay.” Impulsively, Kat pulled her in for a hug. Lauren trembled and cried against her and Kat didn’t blame her a bit. God only knows what this poor girl has been through. Finally the sobs slowed and then tapered off to sniffs and hiccups.
“S-sorry,” Lauren said, pulling away. “Didn’t mean to cry all over you.”
“It’s fine,” Kat assured her. “I’m sure if our positions were reversed I would have done the same thing. I’m Kat, by the way. I’m a friend of your cousins, Olivia and Sophia Waterhouse.”
Lauren frowned. “Who? I don’t have any cousins.”
“Yes, you do. Your mom tracked them down and didn’t want to tell you until she was sure they wanted to do the whole family reunion thing. And they do, by the way—they can’t wait to meet you.”
Lauren looked dazed. “Wow…I don’t know what to say—I’ve always wished I had more family. I’d love to meet them too. I’d love to meet anyone on Earth right now.”
“Oh, they’re not on Earth—they’re on the Mother ship. Both of them are mated to Kindred warriors,” Kat explained.
Lauren’s amber eyes flickered to Deep and Lock, standing on either side of Xairn outside the glass cell. “And you are too? Is one of those guys your husband…uh, mate?”
Kat felt a pang of sorrow but she pushed it away and gave Lauren a smile. “Nah. Well—we do have a kind of connection but it’s not complete. And we’re going to get rid of it.” She eyed Deep. “Irreconcilable differences, you know?”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lauren murmured.
“What about you?” Kat asked, trying to phrase the question delicately. “How has, uh, Xairn been treating you? All right?”
“He’s been a perfect gentleman,” Lauren said quietly. “I know what you’re probably thinking about why they took me and it’s partly true. The AllFather wants to…wants to…” She shook her head. “I can’t think about what he wants to do. It’s too awful. But Xairn has promised to protect me from him and take me home.”
“Do you believe he really will?” Kat asked in a low voice she was pretty certain couldn’t be heard through the thick glass. “Look, it’s okay—you can tell me the truth. The guys I’m with are armed—we’ll keep you safe.”
Lauren got a stubborn look in her amber eyes. “I know how it must sound—like I have the worst case of Stockholm syndrome in history. But honestly, Xairn has never hurt me and I do trust him. He’s very repressed—I mean, wouldn’t you be if you had his father for a dad? And I get the idea he went through some pretty bad things in his childhood, though he won’t talk about it much.”
Kat nodded noncommittally. “Sounds like he has major issues.”
“He does. Seriously though, he’s one of the good guys. Even though he’s one of the bad guys—if you know what I mean.”
Searching her eyes once more, Kat and found nothing there but sincerity. She nodded. “Yeah, I know. But this whole idea of him taking you home…don’t you think it would be better if you came with us instead? We’re going straight back to the Mother ship and from there it’s a hop, skip, and a jump to Earth.”
Lauren bit her lip. “Probably… But I don’t exactly know how…”
“How to talk to him about it? Leave it to me.” Kat put an arm around her shoulders. “Right now, we’ve got to get out of here before we can start dividing up the carpool. Come on.”
“Okay.” Lauren nodded.
“Good.” Kat turned and rapped briefly on the glass. Xairn opened the door and she and Lauren stepped out. “Hey, guys, it’s okay. He’s all right,” she said, nodding at the big Scourge. “Lauren says he’s a perfect gentleman.”
“I am a what?” A look of incomprehension creased Xairn’s stern features.
“It means you’ve never taken advantage of her,” Kat said tactfully. “Or hurt her.”
“Of course I haven’t.” Xairn lifted his chin. “I would rather die.”
Deep gave him an appraising look. “You sound like one of us—a Kindred warrior. We also would rather die than hurt our females.”
“Physically or emotionally?” Kat gave him a penetrating look.
“We have no time for bickering,” Xairn reminded them sternly. “We must leave this place quickly, while my father is still in his Souda. I was going to take one of the abandoned ships from the battlefield and return Lauren to Earth. But now…” His red-on-black eyes flickered over Kat, who still had her arm around the shivering Lauren. “Perhaps…perhaps you should take her with you.”
Deep raised an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t trust her with another male.”
Xairn’s eyes flashed crimson. “I don’t. But I see now that she needs the comfort of her own kind. And…” He looked at Deep and Lock and back at Kat again. “No matter what you say, I do not believe the two of you have any interest in another female besides your companion.”
“You’re right about that,” Lock said quietly. “We have no interest in Lauren—although we will swear to protect her.”
“She has kin aboard our Mother ship,” Deep said. “We’ll see that she gets there safely and is reunited with her family.”
Xairn nodded. “Then she shall go with you. Come.” He turned to lead the way out but Lauren called his name.
“Xairn, please,” she said softly.
“Yes?” He turned to face her.
“What about you? Will you…come with us?”
His rough voice gentled. “No, Lauren. I cannot.”
“But why? What are you going to do?”
“Take a ship and get as far from my father as possible.” He jerked his head in the direction of the doors. “Come. Time is running out. My father will not remain in his Souda much longer. And if he finds us, none of us will get anywhere.”
“True enough,” Deep growled. “Let’s quit this place. We can come back later when it’s deserted again.”
“Or not at all,” Lock muttered.
Kat felt a great surge of relief. We’re leaving. We’re not going to do it. Not going to cut the bond! Up until that moment, she hadn’t realized how very much she didn’t want to be separated from Lock and Deep. She had forced herself to think it was all right because it was so clearly what Deep wanted. But now that it was no longer an option, she couldn’t help hoping that he could be made to see reason. That he could learn to care for her as Lock did and the three of them could be happy together.
Stupid, whispered a little voice in her head. You can’t change how he feels. You need to give up that idea right now because there’s no way it’s going to work. But despite the negative self-talk, Kat couldn’t help the hope that bloomed in her heart. She kept feeling that there was something about Deep—something standing in his way. And if she could just find that last barrier and remove it, maybe—
“Well, well, how very fortuitousss…it ssseems we have visitorsss.”
The soft hissing voice froze all of them in their tracks. Kat turned her head slowly, dreading what she was about to see but completely unable to help looking.
It was the AllFather—or the outline looked like him, anyway—encased in a huge, slimy, blackish-red bubble of blood. And he was surrounded by four of the hugest creatures Kat had ever seen—no doubt the vat-grown soldiers Xairn had mentioned.
Kat couldn’t be sure, but she thought the AllFather might be smiling—or maybe it was just his eyes glowing with eagerness and greed as he looked them over.
Oh my God, we waited too long. He’s here and now we’re trapped—what the hell are we going to do?