As Jerden regained his senses, he heard the voices and quickly grasped the situation. From now on, she carries the fuckin’ gun. However, this was not the time to kick himself for being macho. The pain in his left leg was like nothing he’d ever experienced, and one brief movement was enough to inform him it was broken. Raising his head slowly, he studied the rocky slope before him. He wasn’t far from the edge, but it was very steep, and he could only see Sara.
For the moment, Jerden’s only advantage was that if he couldn’t see Nate, Nate couldn’t see him, either. He would have to climb up to get a clear shot—or at least stand up—and do it without making a sound. C’mon, Jerden. You’re a cat, remember? He wondered what had become of Cria. If Nate had already shot the leopard, he’d lost a valuable ally.
“You will not kill him!” Chantal’s voice sounded every bit as shrill and frenzied as it had the day she killed Audrey. “If he dies, you will burn in the far reaches of hell!”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” Nate growled.
Jerden heard the sounds of a struggle, the pop of a pulse blast, and Cria’s hiss. It was now or never. Ignoring the pain, he leaped onto his good leg just as Cria pounced.
Chantal fell, staring at Jerden with lifeless eyes as he fired a narrow beam that caught Nate in the center of his chest. Cria’s momentum pushed him over, the pistol flying from Nate’s hand as the big cat landed on top of him, fangs and claws bared.
Sara screamed and staggered, nearly falling backward over the edge, but somehow managed to regain her footing before running to retrieve Nate’s pistol. She had already found it and had it aimed at Nate when she glanced up and saw Jerden. Their eyes met and she let out a squeal.
“Jerden!” She ran back to the edge of the creek. “I thought you were dead!”
“Not yet.” Jerden had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life as Sara reached out a hand to help him up. Eyes blazing, cheeks flushed, her hair like a flame—she was the living, breathing image of a heroine.
With her help, he made it up the slope and into her arms. Their lips met in a desperate, hungry kiss that couldn’t even begin to convey what he felt. Relief, sadness, and yet ultimate joy that they were both still alive. Jerden vowed never to let a day pass without telling her—and showing her—exactly how much he loved her.
Cria sat on top of Nate’s motionless body, licking her paw.
“I’m guessing you shot him,” Sara said, frowning. “Was that pistol set to stun or kill?”
“Stun. But you know how it is with these Nedwut weapons.”
Sara helped ease Jerden to the ground, then shooed Cria away from Nate. “He’s still breathing.”
Jerden was pleased he hadn’t killed the man, but at the same time, he almost wished he had. “Chantal?”
“Dead,” Sara replied. Her lip quivered slightly. “H-how much of that did you hear?”
“Enough to know he lured her here.” Jerden shook his head in disbelief. “He did all this for money?”
She knelt down beside him. “Other people have done worse for less.” Covering her mouth, she choked back a sob. “Terrible, horrific, inhuman things. Things you wouldn’t believe.”
He didn’t have to think long to understand what she was referring to—and that was only what had happened to Sara, herself. Pulling her close, he held her, stroking her back until her sobs subsided.
She sat up, brushing away her tears. “Here I am, carrying on like a fool when you’re the one who’s hurt. How bad is it?”
“That’s about the only thing I can feel right now,” he replied, nodding toward his leg. “You know, I’m still not sure what happened. One minute I was sitting on the horse, the next, I was flying through the air.”
“You remember that? I thought you’d been stunned.”
Jerden smiled sheepishly. “No, much as I’d like to think it happened that way, I was conscious when I hit the ground. I actually fell off the horse.”
“Really?” She glanced at Cria as the big cat sat down at Jerden’s side, purring as she nudged his hand, seeking a caress. Danuban grazed nearby along with Yusuf. “I thought that was what happened until I saw Nate brandishing a pistol and heard Chantal screaming at him for killing you. Right before you fell, I heard Cria snarling, and Danuban went sideways. Nate claimed to have shot you. Obviously, he missed. Do you think Cria knew Nate was there and spooked the stallion on purpose?”
Cria yawned as though the conversation bored her. Jerden scratched her behind the ear. “She may have.”
“Where’s the Mordrial witch when you need her?” Sara muttered, getting to her feet. “Guess we’ll have to wait until Tisana’s back in town again so she can interpret for us. Should be an interesting story.” She pulled the comlink out of her pocket and flipped it open. “Reutal’s gonna have a field day with this one. He never could stand Nate.”
Jerden’s leg was lying at a very odd angle. He shifted it slightly, but no amount of repositioning eased the pain. All it did was make his head swim. “Might want to call Vladen while you’re at it. My body can deal with the fracture, but if we don’t straighten it out first, it’ll heal crooked.”
Nate groaned and began to stir.
Sara stomped her foot. “Nate Wolmack, if you so much as think about getting up, I’m gonna shoot you with your own damn pistol.”
Jerden nodded. “Better listen to her. She’s armed, and so am I.”
“And I’m really pissed.” Sara gritted her teeth. “So don’t move, say a word, or even make a sound. Honest to God, Nate, I never liked you, but I never figured you for a murderer.”
For a moment, Jerden thought Sara might be tempted to follow suit. Then he remembered that he had the pistol with the kill setting on it—which was probably just as well.
***
Sara made three calls. The first to Vladen, who seemed delighted to have a Zetithian patient he could actually treat for once and promised to arrive within the hour. The second was to the regional magistrate’s office, and the third was to the comlink in the barn.
Reutal answered. “What’s up, Sara?”
“Plenty. Can you fly my speeder back here to the creek? Jerden’s hurt.”
“Sure thing,” Reutal replied. “Why do I get the idea that there’s more to it than that?”
“There is. I’ll explain later. Bring Zatlen with you.” She flipped off the comlink. “I’ll be giving up guard duty shortly, Nate. And guess who’ll be taking over? Reutal, your biggest fan. He probably won’t be as forgiving as I am. He might even stun you a couple of times just for the hell of it.”
Nate raised his head and opened his mouth as if to speak.
“Don’t,” Sara warned. “I am so not in the mood to listen to anything you have to say.”
She was torn between wanting to do something—anything—to ease Jerden’s pain and her determination to keep Nate from moving a muscle. With her pistol aimed at Nate, she moved closer to Jerden. The best she could do was to place a hand on his shoulder, but he seemed to appreciate it nonetheless, giving her a brief smile. Cria remained close by, her vigilant gaze fixed on Nate.
“Hang on, Jerden,” she whispered. “The Trackers and Vladen are on their way.”
“Keep talking to me,” Jerden said. “I’ll conk out if you don’t, and I need to speak to the Trackers when they arrive.” He already sounded strange—his voice was growing faint and distant.
“Just tell me you love me.”
“I do love you, Sara, and I’ll keep telling you so—every half hour for the rest of my life.”
Nate let out a snort. Sara felt an overwhelming urge to kick him but somehow managed to restrain herself. Cria, however, had no such scruples and spat at him.
Zatlen and Reutal arrived a few minutes later. Reutal climbed out of the speeder, his eyes even more protuberant than usual. “What the hell happened?”
“It’s a long story,” Sara said wearily. “And I’d rather not tell it twice. The Trackers will be here pretty soon. You’ll hear it all then. In the meantime, would you please catch those horses before they eat any juluva weed? The creek bed is infested with it.”
By the time the horses were rounded up, Sara heard a humming sound in the distance and glanced up at the sky. “Looks like your ride’s here, Nate.”
The Trackers landed in a hoverpod, the large, bug-like vehicle sprouting legs as it settled on the ground nearby. After Sara relinquished guard duty to one of the officers, she and Jerden gave their statements to a young Levitian with cropped blond hair and jaw ridges even sharper than Vladen’s. Nate, for once, had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.
“There’s just one problem,” the tall Levitian said after scanning the dead woman’s implant. “This isn’t Chantal Benzowitz. Her name is Treanna Hwerthen.”
Sara frowned. “But I distinctly heard him call her Chantal, and Jerden recognized her—didn’t you?” She glanced down at Jerden, whose eyes were already heavy-lidded as he sagged against her.
“Definitely Chantal.” His voice was a faint whisper.
“Jerden!” Kneeling beside him, she cradled his head in her arms as his eyes drifted shut. Even though she’d known he would lose consciousness eventually, it still frightened her. “Where the hell is Vladen?”
“He’ll be here soon,” the officer said. “We flew over his speeder on the way.”
There was nothing to do now but wait for him to arrive. She sat down behind Jerden, resting his shoulders on her outstretched thighs, his head pillowed on her stomach. She traced the line of his brow with a fingertip and stroked the curve of a pointed ear. Zetithians were a strong, beautiful race, but so vulnerable while they healed themselves. She remembered Ulla telling her that she would get used to it eventually, but Sara wasn’t so sure about that. Even knowing he would awaken completely healed, it was still tough to see him so helpless.
When the whine of a speeder heralded the doctor’s arrival, Sara heaved a sigh of relief. Vladen greeted the young Levitian with a pat on the back. “My nephew,” he explained to Sara as he stooped to examine Jerden’s leg. “Hmph. Don’t need a scanner to see what’s wrong with him, now, do we?”
His hearty tone was undoubtedly meant to be encouraging, but Sara wasn’t buying it. “Better scan him anyway,” she said. “He landed on those rocks pretty hard.”
“Don’t worry, Sara. He can probably heal any other injuries without a bit of help from me, and I promise to give him a good going-over, but right now, setting the leg is far more critical.” Vladen reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out the scanner, took a quick reading on the leg, then knelt by Jerden’s foot and placed a leather loop around his ankle. “Good thing he’s not wearing boots—or pants for that matter. Makes my job much easier. Wish all of my patients wore nothing but loincloths.”
Sara was only grateful Jerden was unconscious. Vladen manipulated the bones back into place, pulled the leg straight, and sprayed it with a clear fluid, which hardened instantly.
“There you go, Sara,” he said, getting to his feet. “Call me when he wakes up and I’ll remove the cast. Shouldn’t take more than a day or two.”
“You’re forgetting the full scan,” Sara reminded him.
“Oh, right.” Running the beam of the scanner over the length of Jerden’s body, he glanced at the results. “Perfectly healthy, with the exception of the fracture and a few bruises. You, however, are pregnant with triplets.” Vladen grinned. “But I’m guessing you already knew that.”
“Yes, I did. But thanks for confirming it.”
“My pleasure,” Vladen said. “Well, must be off. I was on my way to deal with an inflamed appendix over at Bonnie’s.”
“Oh, no!” Sara exclaimed. “Whose appendix is it?”
“One of the younger ones. Karsyn, I believe.” Vladen rubbed a hand along his bony jaw. “Might be nothing but a tummy ache, but she’s been fussy for a while, which is unusual for a Zetithian child. Better have a look at her.”
“She seemed fine yesterday,” Sara said, frowning.
“Yes, I’m sure she was, Sara. But then, so was he—and the day before that, you weren’t pregnant.” With that parting shot, he waved good-bye to his nephew, climbed into his speeder, and took off.
He had a point. Things had a way of changing drastically in the space of a heartbeat. How much time had passed since Sara’s world had turned upside down? An hour, maybe two? Perhaps not even that long. Nate had already been taken aboard the hoverpod. As Sara watched, two of the Trackers carried Chantal’s body into the pod. The men returned a few minutes later, offering to fly Jerden back to the house.
Sara didn’t want him on the same pod as Nate and Chantal. It just seemed wrong. “No, but if you’ll help us get him into my speeder, Reutal and I can take it from there. We’ve carried him into the house before, we can do it again.”
Once Jerden was settled in the back of the speeder, the Trackers took off. Within moments, Sara couldn’t even hear the humming of the pod anymore, only the wind whispering through the oat stalks. She nodded at Zatlen, who stood nearby with the horses. “Go ahead and take them back to the barn. Reutal and I will fly back in the speeder.”
Zatlen mounted Yusuf and cantered off, leading Danuban. Sara watched until they disappeared over the low rise of the oat field. “Why don’t you fly the speeder, Reutal? I’ll ride in back with Jerden.”
Reutal frowned. “Are you okay, Sara?”
She shook her head. “No. Not really.” Glancing in the direction Zatlen had taken with the horses, she almost wished she’d gone with him. A gallop across the fields would have helped to banish the terrors she’d faced that morning. Cria leaped gracefully into the front seat of the speeder, almost as though she knew Sara intended to ride in the back with Jerden. “But I’ll be better soon enough—and so will Jerden.”
***
Later that evening, Sara received a call from the regional magistrate. A Mordrial by the name of Suharken, his ability to read emotions enabled him to spot a liar quicker than anyone on the planet. Sara didn’t have to be able to read minds to know he hadn’t believed a word of Nate’s statement. The look on his face was quite enough.
“We ran a DNA test on the deceased, comparing it with the police records on Rhylos. She’s Chantal Benzowitz all right, but her identchip identifies her as Treanna Hwerthen—and her implant matches it.” Suharken’s swarthy skin and piercing black eyes made him a forbidding presence, but his smile was apologetic. “Our friend Nate obviously has connections with some pretty shady characters. Chantal landed here with a fake ID—a damn good one, by the way—and was married to him at the spaceport.”
“Married?” Sara could hardly believe her ears. “After all that crap about him wanting to marry me?”
He nodded. “And as the spouse of a current resident, she was automatically granted permanent status.”
Sara took a moment to put the pieces together. “Oh God, that was brilliant! Single men advertise offworld for wives all the time. Nate would’ve looked as though he’d been duped into bringing her here to find Jerden—and with her dead, she couldn’t say otherwise. He’d be a widower and free to try again with me.”
“Possibly.” Suharken scratched the back of his neck, tugging at his collar as though it choked him. “For the record, at the time of her arrival, we had no reports of the escape of Chantal Benzowitz and therefore had no reason to question her identity. It wasn’t as though she’d escaped from jail here, and Rhylos is a long way from Terra Minor.”
He was either explaining or making excuses, Sara wasn’t sure which, but she wasn’t interested in that. She had other questions. “What I want to know is if Nate was broke, who paid her passage? Space travel isn’t cheap and neither are fake identchips.”
“He isn’t saying,” Suharken replied. He leaned back in his chair. “My guess is he borrowed the money from someone, promising a big payoff after he gained access to your fortune.”
Sara’s face grew hot with anger. “He would never have gotten a single credit out of me. I would never have married him. Ever.”
The magistrate shrugged. “Maybe someone owed him a favor. You never know with those types. His record was clean, or he couldn’t have immigrated here to begin with, but there’s no way of knowing who his friends are. We can’t screen everyone for everything.”
Sara heaved a sigh. “I know that, and right now, I’m not sure I care. I’m just glad it’s over.”
She was letting him off the hook, and Suharken obviously knew it. He seemed relieved now, his smile almost genial. “I’m afraid the formalities will take a while, but it’s nothing you need to worry about. We’ll keep you posted.”
Sara thanked him and terminated the link. She sat for a moment, only then realizing how exhausted she was. It had been a very long day. She got ready for bed and went into the bedroom, just as she had done the first night Jerden ever spent in her house. Cria lay beside him and several of the cats were curled up at the foot of the bed. As before, Cria relinquished her post when Sara approached.
She stroked the big cat’s broad black head. “Thank you for saving his life, Cria. And don’t look so modest. You saved him, and you know it.”
Cria purred, nudging Sara’s hand.
“And now it’s up to me to keep him safe.” Her other hand slid across her stomach where Jerden’s children were growing. “I’ve got to keep them safe, too.”
Cria blinked slowly, as though promising her assistance.
“Thanks. I’ll need all the help I can get.” Sara shut off the lights, pulled back the covers, and slid in beside Jerden. Unlike that first night, she didn’t hesitate to draw close to him, resting her head on his chest. His heartbeat was slow, but steady. He would sleep a while longer yet.
And so would she.