It was amazing what a new perspective on life could do.

The second Forack carelessly allowed that she might be well enough to get up from the bed, Jackie didn't let anyone keep her down. She practically bounced up from the sheets, taking the moment to feel just a bit guilty for the way the lead healer winced at that.

"Be careful," Forack warned her. "If you break something, most notably yourself, the harbinger will collect my head as bounty."

"I thought Nayanors didn't feel fear," Jackie replied happily, dressing in a hurry, anxious to see everything she'd been prepared to say goodbye to.

"We don't," Forack said sourly. "Not the way Terrans do. I don't fear death, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't prefer to keep on living. I don't fear enemies either, but unfortunately I'm blessed with a rather high intelligence. I have a very good imagination, female. I saw what your fated did to the last healer who displeased him and that had nothing to do with his fated mate. They would clean my blood off the walls for weeks."

"You're so dramatic," Jackie said. "I'm sure Kol-Eresh is reasonable about this. After all, you saved my life."

She stopped in the middle of her actions, regarding the healer who was still looking at her like she might combust before his very eyes.

"I haven't had a chance to thank you for that yet," Jackie went on quietly. "That's very rude of me and I'm sorry. Allow me to say this now, then. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

There was a hint of a smile on Forack's serious, disapproving face.

"You're welcome," he said impassively as if it wasn't a big deal at all. "I should be thanking you instead. Not only have you given me the opportunity to brag about the operation, but you are also correct about the harbinger. If you keep on approving, I can count on his continued good will. Let me just emphasize to you now that he is not a reasonable man."

Jackie pulled her new purple-adorned black coat on, zipping it up in the middle to hide the odd glow on her chest. She bet it would take her a while to get used to that.

"The harbinger seems alright to me," she argued, stepping into her warm boots. "For a Nayanor."

Ashley had been right. Talking to Nayanors was much easier when Kol-Eresh's shadow stood behind her, invisible but very much there.

Forack humphed, shaking his head.

"Kol-Eresh is a great man," he agreed. "But you have a distorted view of him, being his fated. You only see the best side of him from that position."

Jackie raised her eyes to the healer who suddenly seemed to realize he might have said too much.

"What do you mean?" she asked, making sure she'd gotten all the clasps of her boots right.

"Nothing," Forack said, backtracking so fast it made Jackie's head hurt.

The healer sighed, coming over to check her pulse for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"It's nothing," he repeated. "I'm just telling you that Kol-Eresh is a harbinger and like all of them, he is as hard and merciless as the roots of our world. You should not forget that if you want the bond between you to work."

"Yeah," Jackie said. "Before you said that I only saw the best side of him. I don't know how the fated bonds work on Luminos, but on Terra being in a relationship means you see everything. That's what being with someone means."

Forack let go of her hand and looked at her with a surprisingly kind gaze.

"You should be glad, then," he said. "Your relationship started with him kidnapping you. Even on Luminos it can't get much worse than that, so everything else should be easier for it."

Jackie laughed. Although it wasn't how she would have started her fated bond, personally, she thought the healer was right. There really were very few chances for things to go downhill from their first meeting. What could possibly bother her after she'd accepted that?

* * *

Out of her room, Jackie quickly found that there were limits to her freedom, but her newfound enthusiasm brushed over that like it was nothing.

Forack had apparently convinced Kol-Eresh that she needed to be kept under his supervision for a while yet and so the harbinger had extended their stay in the Black Hall where all the equipment and help was nearby in case something should happen.

Jackie found that surprisingly agreeable. It gave her a chance to get to know Ashley, who continued to show her that life on Luminos was possible without delving into the misery that got to many women who were brought there.

And of course she got to meet Ashley's fated, Harbinger Zar Kohora.

The first time Jackie saw the master of the Black Hall, the harbinger was very busy trying to break a few of her own fated's bones.

Ashley led her to one of the many training areas in the fortress. As they entered a large hall with a gigantic stone podium in the middle, Jackie could hear grunting and growls, mixed with clashes of metal on metal.

"Do they always make such a racket?" Jackie asked, looking up at the podium, seeing the two harbingers locked together, the long swords forming an x-shape in the middle.

"Yes," Ashley said, sighing.

There was a strange look in her eyes.

"I tried to keep them from doing this," the woman admitted, wincing as the fighters broke free of the deadlock. "Nayanors don't have friendly duels. The way they see it, the more you hurt your opponent, the more you respect them as a warrior. Since that's the basis of what passes for a friendship on this world, the fights between two equals are often the most brutal."

Jackie looked up, concerned. The harbingers were circling each other, swords held at the ready easily in one hand. They were both topless, wearing no armor or even armguards to protect themselves from the cut of the sharp blades. Nayanor swords were so big even a graze could be enough to take someone's arm off. It wasn't a comforting sight, even if Jackie couldn't deny the surge of lust that shot through her.

Seeing Kol-Eresh half-naked, his powerful body covered in sweat, his dark eyes bright and wild... it took a considerable effort of will to look away. The past days had fueled Jackie's lust to a level where she began to suspect that the diadon was somehow turning her sex drive up to eleven. She couldn't remember desiring anyone as badly as the harbinger, now that she knew there was nothing stopping her from enjoying what he offered.

She was still fragile from the surgery – more than likely the only reason the harbinger himself was deigning not to touch her too much – but the hunger in Jackie was growing by the minute.

"Are they going to get hurt?" she asked Ashley, who was also observing with interest.

"Probably," her new friend said. "The trouble with harbingers is that they're so damn proud. I have no idea what would have to happen for one of them to call it quits. That would imply weakness."

Her tone was clearly distasteful. Jackie glanced at her, surprised to see such a look on Ashley's face. She'd begun to think of Ashley as a human Nayanor, so at home on Luminos she could almost be one of them. At that moment it became obvious to Jackie that she was, in fact, far from it.

"You're afraid," she said before she could stop herself.

Great job stating the obvious, Jackie's mind chided her.

"Of course I am," Ashley said with a sad smile. "Zar is the best part of my life on Luminos. He's also the worst, because he is the cause of so much heartache for me. You can never truly tame a Nayanor. There is no putting an end to their recklessness."

She paused, walking toward a set of seats. Jackie sat next to her, waiting for her friend to continue. She was curious about any insight to her new life that Ashley could give.

"Did he tell you about the year he was born? The year when the storm breached the fortress his mother was in?" Ashley asked.

"He did," Jackie said, looking at the fighters. "I can't even imagine it. I bet I'll be freaked out when the first long night comes."

"There's no shame in that," Ashley said smartly. "Did he also tell you what the price of life was in that fortress?"

"He said most of the people there died," Jackie offered. "Not very many details. I think he didn't want to scare me."

"I won't either, then," Ashley agreed with an apologetic smile. "Just this. Harbinger Rhyslan's father died there, protecting his fated and his son. And while I naturally want to live, and for my own sons to live, that... That is what scares me the most on Luminos.

"I used to imagine it happening during a storm. Maybe a breach somewhere. I know exactly what would happen. Zar would kiss me goodbye and rush off without another word to do everything in his powers to save me. And if he never saw me again, he'd die proud and happy to be giving his life for me like he believes is right. All the heartache would be mine."

Ashley quieted and the silence was deafening despite the noises of the fighters coming from above. The woman shook her head then, seeing Jackie watching her wordlessly. It was clear she was about to apologize, say she shouldn't speak of her fears, but that was not what Jackie wanted. If she was going to live on Luminos like all the women who shared her fate, she didn't want the sugarcoated version.

She took Ashley's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before her friend could start taking her words back.

"I wonder if Kol-Eresh would let me stay here in the Black Hall. It seems like the safest place there is," Jackie said instead, changing the topic.

Ashley nodded, laughing.

"It is, there is no denying that," she said. "But Kol-Eresh will take you to his own fortress, you can bet on that. Staying here while his people are at his own domain is – what? All together now!"

"Weakness," Jackie said, checking whether the harbingers heard them or not. "Gods, these guys. I wonder why they have to make their own lives so complicated. Have you ever asked Zar about the irony?"

"What irony?" Ashley asked, looking over at the podium when a sharp cry of pain rang out.

Up above their heads, it was impossible to tell which one of the fighters had cried out.

"This obsession with power and cowardice," Jackie explained. "The harbingers are the most influential men on Luminos, right? But they're simultaneously the least free. All these rules, the posturing they have to do. All the challenges they constantly have to give and take. Do they not see the cage they're living in?"

"Oh, that," Ashley said, smiling approvingly. "They know. Smarter ones, at least. I just don't think they see it the same way we do. They view it as... some sort of a sacred challenge. Like being forced to accept all this nonsense is a way for the gods to test them.

“Nayanors don't believe in duty as such, they get it terribly confused with submission. It's more like a with great power comes great responsibility thing. They all scramble for the chance to prove they're up for it."

Jackie couldn't take her eyes off Kol-Eresh the whole time they were talking. Her fated was breathing heavily now, as was Zar Kohora. The amusement and glee was plain to see in their eyes and Jackie would have bet a great deal of money that she knew why they looked so happy to bleed.

All warrior races in the Union shared that joy – of finding a worthy opponent to test their skills. It figured harbingers only had other harbingers to really get their blood racing in a battle.

"Is it worth it?" she asked Ashley suddenly.

Jackie hadn't known the question was right there, on her lips, ready to be uttered into the world. It had become so natural to her to hold back all notions of affection and possibly even deeper feelings that it was hard to tear those walls down. Especially with a Nayanor warlord as her fated.

That was, of course, the nice and rational theory.

Truth had Jackie looking at Ashley for the answer that had been pestering her for days now.

If I can really live now, could I live with him?

The sight before her eyes was the answer. All tiredness and concern was gone from Ashley in a second. Her friend seemed to sit straighter all of a sudden, resembling the confident woman who had greeted Jackie before the gates of the fortress once again.

"Yes," Ashley said.

Their conversation was brought to a swift end when there was a shout from up on the podium and in the next second, the harbingers dropped from it like rocks. They landed right before the women, crashing down on the ground so hard Jackie was sure they both broke at least a few ribs. She and Ashley jumped out of the way, fearing the razor-sharp blades of their swords, but neither man had let go of their weapon.

Blood started trickling to the floor from the wounds the men had suffered, coming from deep gashes cut by the blades. Jackie watched with her mouth dropped open while Ashley looked like she was resisting rolling her eyes with sheer willpower.

Jackie thought of what Ashley had said before. If they didn't somehow put an end to the duel, there was no way the warlords were going to do it themselves before one of them was sent to the healers.

Hopefully more or less in one piece.

She liked Ashley way too much to wish that it was Zar.

"I'm up," Jackie told Kol-Eresh instead.

"So I see," Kol-Eresh replied, jumping back to his feet as Zar Kohora did the same. "Does Forack know?"

It was weird seeing someone who could match her fated in size and power. Jackie didn't think many Nayanors compared to those two in front of her. Both were regarding her and Ashley with grins on their faces as they never truly took their watchful eyes off their opponent.

Zar Kohora reminded her of her own fated a lot, only the bright beam of mischief was much cleared in the eyes of the master of the Black Hall.

"Forack knows," Jackie assured the harbinger. "He's probably watching me right now from somewhere in the shadows. You really need to stop scaring people into thinking their lives depend on my health."

"They do," Kol-Eresh said.

Zar Kohora had an approving grin on his lips and Jackie had to resist looking at Ashley to see the suffering gaze she didn't doubt was there.

"And he better not be watching you," Kol-Eresh continued, raising his sword.

"I've killed men for less," Zar Kohora growled, nodding, lowering himself into a stance to brace for the blow.

Jackie knew she had to do something before the harbingers were too caught up with their duel to pay attention.

"I thought that maybe you would want to watch me," she said.

Gods, the subtlety.

Whether the comment passed her harsh inner criticism or not, it certainly did the trick.

Kol-Eresh's sword stopped in mid-air and he had to jump out of the way of Zar's counterstrike to avoid getting his chest cleaved in half. When the harbinger's dark eyes fell upon Jackie, she nearly moaned.

The teasing hint had been meant to get her fated's attention, but Jackie quickly came to realize she'd just committed herself to something she couldn't easily back away from.

Three drops of blood and a whole lot more.

The thing was, seeing Kol-Eresh's hot gaze already undressing her, Jackie didn't really want to back away anywhere. In fact, she wanted to get a lot closer to him.

With obvious difficulty, Kol-Eresh tore his gaze from her and looked at Zar Kohora.

"You get to keep your life for now," he said.

Zar Kohora laughed, his voice dark and sonorous. He rested his sword on his shoulders and nodded without another word, a knowing look in his eyes.

Judging by Ashley's impressed nod, Jackie figured it was the most peaceful way the duel could have ended. The other couple made themselves scarce to allow them privacy, which Jackie thought was uncharacteristically nice of them.

But I guess Nayanors know when a fated couple wants to be alone.

"Now," Kol-Eresh growled, bringing her into his arms with one swift pull. "Do you want me to be gentle with you?"

His strong, masculine scent washed over Jackie like an aphrodisiac. Her hands were pressed against her fated's firm, chiseled, warm chest. Without realizing it herself, Jackie was running her fingers over his muscles, mapping his perfect form.

It would have been safe and reasonable to want their first time to be slow and careful, but the harbinger's strength was turning her on so much Jackie didn't think she could bear waiting.

"Gods, no," she said.