The first sensation that registered to any of Taren’s senses was the soothing sound of water lapping against a hollow structure. It felt as if she lay on a soft cloud, and an exotic scent in the air made her smile before she’d even opened her eyes. She was aware of a body at her back, moulding into the curves of her own. Lucian. Taren’s eyes parted, whereupon she gasped at where she found herself.
It was a huge, circular white room, with horizontal oblong windows all around the rim of the large, domed ceiling, and the portholes looked out into water, where schools of fish were swimming overhead. A beautiful blue-green light flooded the room through these portholes, as filtered sunlight penetrated the water above and shed refracted rays all over the floor of the interior. ‘Wow,’ she mouthed the word quietly, then turned about to find Lucian unconscious on the bed beside her and her heart soared with elation. We made it … somewhere? She gently kissed his face and neck, and Lucian began to stir. ‘Welcome to the universe parallel, my love,’ she whispered and kissed him on the lips, to which he responded with fervour.
‘Did we make it? Where are we?’ he asked when they came up for air. He eyed over the stunning architecture, without losing the hold he now had on Taren’s behind.
‘No idea,’ Taren admitted. ‘But we’re not on AMIE any more, and this sure isn’t Maladaan with water that clear.’ She referred him to a porthole above. ‘But we are still alive and that’s something to be thankful for.’ She kissed him again and the moment became rather heated until the thought occurred. Taren pulled back to ask, ‘Do you think we are being watched?’ and the notion put an end to their rollicking.
They both rose to have a better look around the large bedroom, and as Taren viewed the architecture she began to get chills of recognition. ‘I had visions of the planet we’d find on the other side of the universal tear. It had beautiful curved dwellings,’ she recalled, extending her arm out and up as she traced, in midair, the arch of the perfectly domed ceiling. ‘And all the windows were rounded.’ She admired some of the oval portholes from directly underneath.
‘Did you see anything else?’ Lucian queried — any information might prove helpful to them at this stage.
‘I did, actually.’ Taren hesitated to voice what she’d seen but could not repress her smile as it came to mind. ‘I saw a man here.’ She looked to Lucian to be sure he didn’t get the wrong impression of why she’d come, and she found him frowning. ‘I felt I knew him, and he rather reminded me of you.’
‘Sounds like trouble.’ He grinned.
‘He seemed very pleased that we were here …’ Taren went on.
‘That we were here?’ Lucian quizzed playfully. ‘Or that you were here?’
‘Hard to say, really.’ Taren was honest. ‘But he claimed to need my help, our help?’ She shrugged in conclusion. ‘That’s it.’
‘Is that a stairwell?’ Lucian looked to where the wall of the room curved at a more extreme angle and sure enough there was a curving staircase beyond that led down. ‘Shall we?’
Taren gave a shrug and nodded; they’d have to find out their situation sooner or later.
They exited the stairwell into a huge open living area, one quarter of which was a large open kitchen, wherein a fellow was juicing fruit.
They were both taken aback upon sighting him, as the fellow in question bore more than a striking resemblance to AMIE’s botanist, Ringbalin Malachi, only this man seemed more worldly and mature.
He was fair like Balin, but his hair was cut very short and he had a tiny pointed beard in the middle of his chin and a slender, well-trimmed moustache. Although this fellow was more physically fit than the manifestation of him that Taren was more familiar with, he still appeared more like a scholar than a warrior.
With the resemblance so striking, Lucian figured that their host might be the Grigorian who claimed to be Ringbalin’s higher self.
‘Armaros?’ He drew the man’s attention from his fruit and he smiled broadly.
‘Not quite,’ the man said, ‘but I am another manifestation of him, just as you and Dr Lennox are manifestations of the Grigorian Azazèl.’
‘How do you know that?’ Taren was delighted and fascinated, as she approached the outside breakfast bar, opposite where the Ringbalin lookalike was preparing his drinks.
‘My name is Noah Purcell.’ He smiled, passing Taren and Lucian a large fruity drink each, for which they thanked him. ‘I know so much about you both, because, as you have known another manifestation of me, I have known other manifestations of you,’ he advised, causing his captivated audience to gasp with surprise and fascination. ‘We have lived many lives and had many adventures together.’
Taren sipped the fruity drink through a thick straw and the dose of vitamins in a delicious liquid form was just what she needed, but then she suspected that Noah already knew that. He spoke their language very well and had a distinct confidence about him.
‘Where are we?’ Lucian inquired between sips. ‘If you don’t mind my asking?’
Noah was happy to oblige. ‘You are in the universe parallel to your own, on the planet Kila, which is native to this universe. You were once both very influential citizens on this planet several hundred years ago, the first Governor and Governess of Kila, Tory Alexander and Maelgwn Gwynedd.’
‘Whoa,’ Taren exclaimed.
‘That is why our current governor had you both brought here, and kept your presence on Kila a secret,’ Noah outlined, ‘because you both have many friends and family still living on Kila who would wish to see you.’
As Noah had mentioned that their soul-mind had ruled on Kila several hundred years ago, this raised a point of interest with Taren. ‘So your citizens obviously have a life span similar to our own, of several hundred years or longer.’
Noah shook his head. ‘We are immortal.’ He smiled. ‘And are psychics one and all. We do not die, but can choose to ascend into the ranks of the Grigori, as your soul-minds here have already done.’
Both Lucian’s and Taren’s jaws dropped at this point; Taren was considering the implications of these citizens trying to deal with the closed-mind mentality of those in power on their lost planet, and she suspected Lucian was too.
‘Fear not,’ Noah assured them. ‘The relations between our planet and Maladaan have been amicable so far.’
Again both Lucian and Taren gasped at the news; this fellow was obviously telepathic.
‘You’ve found Maladaan!’ Lucian got the query out first.
Noah nodded. ‘And now we have found you —’ Noah looked back to Taren, ‘— the key to the solution for getting Maladaan back to where it should be.’
Taren wasn’t sure she understood. ‘You think we hold the solution?’ She nearly laughed. ‘The Grigori told me that you would have the solution!’
Noah was a little surprised, but had to laugh and shake his head. ‘The Grigori and the Tablet of Destinies told us that it is you who hold the key to this dilemma.’
Taren didn’t know what to say as she was temporarily disillusioned.
‘Not to worry.’ Noah placed a hand on her arm in comfort. ‘We’ve never failed to find a solution in the past and this instance will prove no different.’
Taren was filled with hope upon his touch, and looked to him, stunned to find he was more akin to Ringbalin than she’d imagined. ‘I believe that.’ She returned his smile, and tried to sound as positive as she could to return his hope in kind.
Lucian cleared his throat, clearly a little discomforted by the closeness of this stranger to his beloved, and Noah quickly removed his hand from Taren’s arm. ‘Is Noah the man you saw in your vision?’
‘What vision?’ Noah was intrigued.
Taren shook her head in response to Lucian’s query. ‘No … I told you that he reminded me of you. I’m a pre-cog,’ Taren explained for Noah’s benefit.
‘Interesting,’ he said.
‘You also said that you felt you knew him.’ Lucian was subtly referring to how friendly she already was with Noah.
Noah smiled, guessing the identity of the man that Taren had foreseen meeting. ‘The man you saw was most likely our governor, Rhun. And the reason you feel you know him is,’ he paused and took a deep breath, ‘and I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but in your lifetime here on Kila, he was the first-born son of Tory Alexander and Maelgwn Gwynedd.’
‘Our son!’ they both echoed in horror at once — they’d been lovers barely a month, so this was a little overwhelming.
‘Was he our only child?’ Lucian ventured to ask — half relieved that the fellow would not have any romantic interest in Taren.
Noah shook his head and grinned, hesitating to offer any further information.
‘How many children did we have?’ Taren warily ventured to ask.
‘Six —’
‘Six!’ Taren and Lucian gasped on the shock.
Noah nodded. ‘Four boys and two girls.’
Taren and Lucian couldn’t help but grin, horrified but intrigued by this other life they’d led. ‘What are their names? Tell us everything!’ Taren looked to Noah, wide-eyed with wonder now.
Noah boggled at the task of telling the epic tale. ‘I can tell you some, but I have recorded many chronicles of your adventures which you are both welcome to view for yourselves.’
‘Were we really that influential?’ Taren was taken aback that her past life had been so notable as to be chronicled.
Noah was so amused by her naivety that he had to pause a moment. ‘You two cut the deal that obtained Kila for our people; you are the founding father and mother of our entire nation.’
Taren went white for a moment.
‘Too much information?’ Noah queried their shocked silence.
‘No.’ Taren shook off her stunned state and smiled. ‘Tell us everything, starting with the names of our children.’
Lucian was keen to know more also, and sat down on a stool beside Taren, to hear the amazing tales of their lives gone by.
Jahan was still sleeping off the night before when his door chime sounded to alert him to a guest’s arrival.
His head was still a little foggy and weighted from the Buhula he’d been drinking during dinner at Patrick’s — the restaurant he’d taken Ibis-Swan and Jazmay to for dinner, following their day at the beach. There, they’d met up with a few of their old friends from university days as Patrick’s was the campus hangout. Jazmay had had the time of her life meeting the locals, eating, drinking and dancing. At this stage of the game, however, she seemed far more disposed towards Ibis than himself. That being the case, Jahan felt a little discouraged this morning. On the other hand, Jazmay had certainly warmed to him and was no longer treating him like an enemy.
The door chimed again, and Jahan was forced to rise and hunt up a pair of trousers to put on before he answered. He was surprised when he opened the door to find Jazmay, alone, awaiting him.
‘Good morning, Jahan.’ She smiled broadly, having anticipated his shock.
‘Well, good morning to you, Jazmay.’ Jahan fully awoke, and stepped aside to allow her into his sparsely furnished, and thus very neat, apartment. He then scampered to the bench to grab his communicator, before he lost track of the conversation. Jahan remained very calm as he put on the communication headset, although inside he was greatly encouraged to see her. ‘What can I do for you?’
Jazmay was eyeing the place over with approval. ‘Ibis and I are going to the beach again today, and I was wondering if you wanted to come?’
Jahan’s excitement cooled a little at the news that she was going out with Ibis again; was this just an obligatory invitation? ‘Well that’s a lovely invitation.’ He considered how he might better know her true intentions. ‘But Ibis is a very fine bird, I’ll just be in the way … but thank you anyway.’
Jazmay appeared a little bemused by his response and so boldly ventured to add, ‘I would really like for you to come.’
If she was giving up a day alone with Ibis, then Jahan figured he was certainly onto something here. ‘In that case, I’ll be ready in five minutes.’ He headed off to his bathroom. ‘Make yourself at home.’ He motioned her towards the kitchen as he entered his bathroom, closed the door, looked in the mirror at his image and gave a silent scream for joy. ‘Yes!’
They met Ibis at the island as before, only this time she had a girlfriend with her, who was also of the Falcon kind, and Jazmay was not at all surprised as she was introduced to Ibis’s latest love interest. The pair hung for a little while to chat and then took off, leaving Jahan and Jazmay alone — his greatest wish come true.
‘So it looks like you’re stuck with me for the day,’ he noted, sounding sorry for the Phemorian.
‘That was the plan.’ Jazmay brushed the sand off her hands, as she rose to stand over Jahan.
‘Surely not.’ Jahan played the sceptic. ‘Unless you’re planning to kill me?’ he joked warily, and Jazmay laughed.
‘The plan was not to kill you, but to thrill you,’ she said emphatically.
‘Really?’ He grinned. ‘That does sound promising.’
Jazmay rolled her eyes, having predicted his conclusion. ‘Get up,’ she encouraged, grinning in return.
So Jahan stood and faced her.
‘Turn around.’ She turned him about so that his back was to her.
‘It will never work this way,’ he commented seductively, as Jazmay placed her arms about his waist and pressed her body against his back — heaven!
‘Just relax,’ she whispered, as Jahan’s feet left the ground.
‘Whoa!’ he cried, as their rise got off to a shaky start; he was heavy, and Jazmay had only just got used to carrying her own body weight through the air.
‘Think, “light-as-a-feather”,’ she suggested, and as he did, they began to soar smoothly to greater heights.
‘Woo-hoo!’ he cried, as they left the beach miles below. ‘This is awesome!’
‘I know,’ Jazmay replied. ‘And if it wasn’t for you I would never have experienced this, so … thank you.’ She pressed her lips against his cheek.
Jahan wanted to turn around and seduce her that instant. Just that kiss on the cheek set explosions off in his chest; it was like being run over by a spacecraft!
Coincidentally, there was a spacecraft up ahead and it was heading straight for them.
‘Ah!’ they both cried out upon spotting it.
‘I thought you said we were out of the flight paths here?’ Jazmay squeaked.
‘It shouldn’t be out here!’ Jahan yelled back.
Once again Jahan found himself frustrated at not having assumed his immortal form as yet — if he had, he would have been able to teleport them out of the way.
‘Stay calm,’ Jazmay suggested, more for her own benefit, as she took a dive beneath the oncoming vessel and skimmed under it.
‘Oh no,’ Jahan muttered, foreseeing a disaster, for as the craft passed over them they were hit by the backblast of the engine and Jahan was ripped from Jazmay’s grasp and went plummeting back to Earth. Here it comes, he told himself as he tumbled towards the water below. ‘Ya-hoo!’ Jahan cried to avoid his fear as he crashed onto the ocean surface that shattered his body as efficiently as if he’d landed on cement.
Left rolling in the air, Jazmay panicked as she was tumbling too fast to regain her balance and catch the wind beneath her wings. She was utterly petrified of landing in the water, and her fear of dying was equalled only by her guilt at allowing Jahan to drop to his death.
He’s immortal! She shook off the shock that had a grip of her.
She had seen the shadows that the huge sea creatures inhabiting the deeper ocean here on Kila cast upon the surface of the water, and if Jahan became a meal for one of them his immortality wouldn’t mean much.
Jazmay came out of her fearful tuck and straightened up to see the surface of the ocean racing towards her. She began flapping her wings madly to slow her descent and prevent an impact, knowing that if she wet her wings she was as good as dead. Her dive slowed, but her wing muscles proved not so strong as to prevent her plunging into the water.
Submerged in the unfamiliar substance Jazmay’s panic amplified, as her saturated wings weighed her down, despite her struggle to reach the surface. In a moment of clarity, she thought to resume her Phemorian form, but by the time she felt herself lighten, she was already starting to black out from holding her breath. She was determined not to breathe in, and with her last conscious thought Jazmay felt something grip her — she was dinner for a local predator, no doubt.
Back on the beach, Jazmay awoke to find Jahan leaning over her. ‘I thought you said that you weren’t going to kill me?’ he jested, whereby Jazmay gasped with relief.
‘I am so sorry, I —’
Jahan held up a hand to prevent her apology. ‘You’ve done me a favour,’ he assured, as Jazmay staggered up to stand.
‘You don’t need the communicator any more.’ She noted how well he spoke her lingo.
‘No.’ He smiled, pleased that she seemed pleased. ‘I understand you perfectly well.’
As the moment seemed uncomfortably intimate, Jazmay looked away from Jahan; she knew she should be thanking him for saving her life but seeing Ibis’s girlfriend flying into the beach waylaid her. ‘Look.’ She diverted Jahan’s attentive gaze.
‘They took her!’ She came to land on the sand and continued running on foot, pointing off into the fair aquamarine yonder. ‘The Princess of Tarazean has been kidnapped!’
‘The rogue craft?’ Jahan clarified. ‘How did they take her in midair?’
‘They netted her like an animal!’ The girl collapsed in grief for her royal highness. ‘Please, you have to do something!’
‘It was the MSS.’ Jazmay had recognised the craft as she avoided it. ‘They may be backwards in many regards, but they excel at entrapment.’
‘Well, thanks to my recent demise, I can pursue them.’ Jahan tried to put some distance between Jazmay and himself.
He’d never tried teleportation before today, but he’d been trained at university in how to employ the talent once his immortality had been assumed. Still, he was confident, as he had teleported Jazmay and himself from the ocean depths to the beach.
‘Not without me.’ Jazmay gave pursuit and took hold of his bare wrist and would not let go.
‘You’ve been subjected to enough from the MSS,’ Jahan declined her help, attempting to loosen her grasp on him. ‘And you’re not immortal!’
‘On Phemoria I was a Valourean, one of the Queen’s personal guard! I am a better warrior than you will ever dream of being, and I know how to fly that craft.’ She pointed up with her free hand.
Jahan pulled away, with a look of apology for doing so forcefully — Jazmay’s grip was rather strong. ‘I’ve already saved your life a few times now —’
‘Then you must give me the chance to return the favour,’ she demanded, ‘so I am not indebted.’
Jahan took offence. ‘I am not going to let you get yourself killed, just so you can appease some strange notion you have that you can’t be grateful for a man’s help! You don’t owe me anything for saving your life, a simple thank you would have sufficed,’ he said in disbelief. ‘But the truth is, it was my pleasure to save you, end of story.’
‘And what about the pleasure I might derive from knowing you have me covering your arse?’ Jazmay changed her tack suddenly, and her anger turned sultry.
‘The Princess!’ Ibis’s companion yelled, to remind them that there were greater perils unfolding at present.
Due to the time restraints Jahan backed away, shaking his head.
‘I’ve touched your bare skin,’ Jazmay blurted out, ‘please don’t make me commit treason to follow you.’
‘Jazmay, tell me you didn’t steal my DNA blueprint!’ Jahan was disappointed by her tactics.
‘Let’s not find out,’ she suggested. ‘Just take me.’
‘Must I fly after my princess myself?’ Their company demanded immediate action and Jahan resentfully caved, and extended his hand to Jazmay, who took firm hold.
‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered as etheric light enclosed them, ‘I was bluffing.’
When Jahan and Jazmay arrived in the rear cabin of the spacecraft, they found four MSS agents all huddled around their netted catch, ogling over her.
Before the agents realised they were there, Jazmay had gripped onto the overhead handrails that ran the length of the aisle and, raising herself upwards, she did a split kick that knocked two of the agents unconscious. She grabbed two laser guns from her victims and aimed them at the remaining two agents.
‘Now let’s all calm down a second.’ Jahan positioned himself on the sideline between Jazmay and her targets, knowing a death could start a war. ‘We only kill if it cannot be avoided,’ he advised her of Kila’s policy.
‘Big mistake,’ said one of the remaining agents, as he pulled his weapon and fired. A laser blast tore through the air towards Jazmay but Jahan knocked her off balance and took the shot in the gut — Jazmay’s head collided with the wall and her weapons went flying out of her hands.
Jahan saw Jazmay’s mortified expression as she lay on the floor beside him. ‘Jahan?’ she uttered, and then screamed as she was yanked to her feet by her hair.
Ouch, Jahan protested the all-consuming pain of his injury, but now that he was immortal he recovered quickly.
In front of him the cockpit door opened and another agent entered the rear cabin. ‘What the hell is going on here?’
Jahan lay still on the floor.
‘Where the hell did he come from?’ He kicked Jahan a couple of times, but when he heard women’s cries from the back of the plane, he moved to investigate.
Jahan rose quietly behind the agent and, noting the hatch in the floor to the cargo hold just ahead of the agent, he willed the hatch to open and was rather stunned by his own power when the metal hatch complied. Jahan grabbed hold of the overhead handrails and booted his target off balance and into the cargo hold.
At the sound of tearing fabric, Jahan raced towards the remaining two agents at the rear of the cabin and ripped them one by one from their activity and, with a swift punch to their jaws, tossed them into the hold which he then locked shut.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked from his squatting position next to the hatch, too afraid to look and see for himself.
‘I am,’ Jazmay replied, sounding groggy but not as distressed as expected.
Jahan, given leave, looked to Jazmay, to find her a little ruffled and bruised, but otherwise intact.
‘It was this suit you gave me — they couldn’t tear it off, as it kept repairing itself.’ She burst into laughter, and then tears.
Jahan scrambled quickly over to embrace her, but she held him off.
‘I’m good.’ She took a deep breath to hazard an uncomfortable yet sincere smile that held Jahan spellbound.
‘Jahan!’ Ibis squawked from her tangled filament restraint, to entreat some assistance.
Once freed, the princess hugged Jahan tight. ‘Thank the universe you came, I’ve never been so scared.’
‘I got you.’ He embraced his friend tightly to reassure her. ‘You’re safe.’ He pulled back to get a nod from her.
‘But how did you get here?’ Ibis queried with concern, knowing there was only one answer. ‘You died?’
Jahan knew what Ibis was thinking. ‘I wish it was as heroic as you think, but the truth is, we had a run-in with this craft also.’ He set the princess to balance on her own two feet. ‘I’d best go deal with the pilot, I guess?’ Jahan headed to the cockpit.
‘But you’ve saved my life,’ Ibis called after him. ‘I will see that you are justly rewarded.’
‘No need.’ He turned back to emphasise his frustration. ‘What is it with you women? Just a “thank you” is fine.’ Jahan left before he said something he’d regret.
‘He’s saved my life today too, twice,’ Jazmay muttered to Ibis on her way past, as the princess appeared bemused by Jahan’s hostility. ‘I find it difficult to express gratitude.’
‘That explains a lot,’ Ibis commented, after Jahan slipped inside the cockpit, and a scuffle was heard to erupt. ‘Can’t you just admit that you’re fond of him? Cause to me it’s as plain as day!’
The Phemorian appeared affronted.
‘Come on.’ The princess did not back down. ‘Not even concern for me would compel you to confront these bastards again, so why did you do it?’ Ibis raised both brows in conclusion.
‘I owe him,’ Jazmay defended, ‘that’s why.’
‘Come on,’ Ibis appealed, ‘you’ve got to admit he’s a wonderful person.’
‘Then you date him,’ Jazmay whispered harshly.
‘I would.’ The princess flashed a cheeky grin. ‘But I’m not the one who saw him in a vision of my —’
Jazmay cut her off. ‘You promised you’d never mention that.’
‘To another living soul.’ Ibis motioned to the empty cabin around them. ‘Just give him a chance, can’t you?’
The Phemorian was still hesitant to comment, when the plane started to tilt downward.
‘Hey, Jazmay, a little help, please,’ Jahan yelled from the cockpit, and Jazmay used the excuse to escape.
Once the morning’s stately responsibilities were out of the way, Rhun disappeared from his office to check whether Taren Lennox and Lucian Gervaise had come out of their comas.
He arrived in the lake house lounge room to find the two people in question quietly absorbed in viewing some of the telepathically recorded accounts of the lives of the Chosen that were stored on hand-held orbs from Noah’s vast library of immortal history. Both Taren and Lucian were so absorbed in the telepathic transference that they remained completely oblivious to Rhun’s arrival.
Noah was there to greet him, however, and led Rhun aside to a quiet corner, where they could talk without disturbing their guests.
‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’ Rhun referred to the historical orbs being viewed by the pair.
‘They were curious,’ Noah defended with a shrug, ‘and I couldn’t think of a better way to familiarise them with the Chosen and Kila. And they do need to know everything if we are to solve the Maladaan crisis.’
‘You mean they don’t have the solution?’ Rhun was deflated. ‘But I thought that was the reason that the Grigori sent them to us?’
‘I am sure it was.’ Noah raised both brows. ‘But, cosmologically speaking, you should know by now that answers are never that simple to come by. I believe Taren still holds the key, we just haven’t discovered it yet. But we will,’ he added surely.
Rhun nodded to accept that they had quite a bit of brainstorming ahead of them yet.
‘Taren informs me that she is precognitive,’ Noah said, ‘and I believe she saw you in a vision she had before she’d even left her own universe.’
‘Whoa, really?’ Rhun was fascinated and looked back to the young, brunette version of Tory Alexander. ‘That was something my mother had a talent for, too.’
‘Indeed,’ Noah gave a wee chuckle, ‘it’s all very interesting.’
Rhun looked to the historian who was as happy as a clam, despite the imminent threat of war he had foreseen if they failed to come up with a brilliant plan. ‘You get more and more like Taliesin every day.’
Noah found this flattering and laughed again. ‘How is our young friend, Telmo Dacre, doing?’
‘Very well,’ Rhun replied, ‘he’s remembering more every day.’
‘What does he have to do with all this, I wonder?’ Noah pondered, still grinning. ‘Surely it is no coincidence that his old soul has shown up at this dire time?’
Rhun began to understand En Noah’s good mood; all he could see was the grand mystery of it all — one huge puzzle before them, to be solved. ‘We should get all the puzzle pieces together, do you think?’
‘One piece at a time,’ Noah suggested.
‘I don’t know how much time we have.’ Rhun was still anxious — that was his job. ‘The powers that be on Maladaan must be getting very restless and paranoid by now.’
‘Oh, my Goddess!’ Taren came out of her trance state and placed the orb she held on the table before her. ‘Who would have thought that horrid witch was me!’ she commented to herself with a laugh and looked up to En Noah as he approached her. ‘Or that that awful wizard was you!’
‘We must all experience the darkness as well as the light,’ he conceded with a smile.
Taren looked past Noah and noted they had company. ‘You must be Rhun?’ She recognised him from the histories she’d been viewing, and even though he was not her son in this life, she was very honoured to make his acquaintance.
‘I am,’ he replied, with an awkward smile. ‘Noah tells me you have foreseen our meeting?’
As Taren moved past Noah on her way to greet the man from her vision, she served the historian a smile, thankful to have been spared a long explanation. ‘I did,’ she confirmed, ‘and at the time I had no idea who you were …’ She paused to look at him and was unexpectedly overcome with emotion. ‘But now I do.’ Taren bypassed the hand he was holding out to her, flung her arms about him and hugged Rhun tight.
After a second of startled surprise, Rhun hugged her back. ‘I missed you both, so much,’ he admitted quietly, obviously a little emotional himself. It took a second to pull his emotions into check, but when Rhun had, he withdrew to extend a more formal greeting. ‘Welcome back to Kila … Goddess knows, I really need you now.’
Taren gasped as she witnessed the vision she had foreseen of Rhun unfold before her eyes. ‘You are the one I was destined to meet.’ Not that she’d doubted it, but now it couldn’t have been surer in her mind.
‘We’ve certainly landed amid friendly company,’ Lucian commented as he approached the governor and held out a hand to him to introduce himself. ‘Lucian Gervaise.’
‘I know.’ Rhun grasped his hand and shook it with both of his own. ‘Rhun Gwynedd.’
‘I know.’ Lucian referred back to the orb he’d been viewing. ‘That was a hell of a time on Earth, the Dark Ages,’ he commented, ‘makes me mighty glad to be here.’
Rhun was amused by the comment. ‘I concur.’
‘I see many similarities between your Earth and our Maladaan, I can only thank the cosmos that my people never discovered religion!’ Lucian emphasised what a debacle that would have been, and made everyone chuckle with the comment.
But the laughter ceased as Avery, wings flapping in panic, suddenly appeared in the room. ‘There you are …’ He was looking at Rhun but was distracted by their guests. ‘You’re awake?’ His wings immediately dropped to a restful position against his back.
‘You have no idea,’ Taren commented, recognising the character as one of their other sons. ‘And you are the Lord of the Otherworld.’
‘Why yes, I am.’ Avery puffed out his chest, proud of the fact. ‘How did you guess?’
Rhun rolled his eyes. ‘Well the wings and pixie features might have been a wee clue … our visitors have been viewing En Noah’s chronicles.’
‘Splendid, that does seem to save a lot of mucking about.’ Avery slapped his hands together, well pleased.
‘You aided the Grigori to save our planet …’ Taren added, having gleaned that information from En Noah and feeling that deserved a hug of thanks also, ‘… making you a legend in my eyes.’
Avery too seemed overwhelmed by her energy, as he immediately began shedding tears. ‘Thank you, Mother —’ He pulled himself away to scold himself. ‘I did not say that!’ He looked to Taren to explain. ‘It’s just that your energy is like —’
‘Relax.’ Taren held up both hands to urge him to calm. ‘I know, and we are perfectly okay with it.’ She looked to Lucian to include him in the equation, but he did not look so sure.
‘Didn’t we know any women on this planet?’ The comment said it all to Taren, and she walked over and gave him a hug, as Avery chuckled.
‘Still as jealous as ever,’ Avery explained his amusement.
‘Avery.’ Rhun clicked his fingers to get his brother’s attention. ‘You were looking for me?’
‘Oh, yes, I was.’ He turned his mind to more serious affairs. ‘Jahan and Jazmay have captured an MSS craft they found speeding through our no-fly zone. The craft in question nearly kidnapped the Princess of Tarazean.’
‘What in the name of the universe are they playing at?’ Rhun was annoyed. ‘I told them I would consider any unannounced craft as an act of war!’
‘Oh no.’ Taren realised the situation between the two planets was already turning sour.
‘Don’t worry,’ Rhun assured her, ‘we have this under control.’ He looked back to Avery. ‘Better fetch Ronan to my office, to aid with the questioning of the crew.’
Taren gasped, panicked by the mention of the name. ‘Not Chief Ronan, the head of the MSS?’
Rhun cringed at his error in mentioning him.
‘We are aware you two have a history,’ Avery cut in, ‘but I can assure you that Zelimir Ronan is a different man since his death.’
‘What?’ Taren was a little confused.
‘No time to explain, we really need to go.’ Avery bowed out. He looked to Rhun, who nodded in accord.
‘I’ll be back as soon as I can,’ Rhun advised Taren and Lucian, before vanishing from their midst. Taren grinned broadly in their wake, despite the news that Ronan was on the planet.
‘I thought the chronicles were exaggerating, but our boys really are some of the most gung-ho men you’re ever likely to meet.’ She shook her head in wonder, unable to keep her thoughts from drifting to Starman. She had seen him in En Noah’s chronicles too and felt it wasn’t any wonder she felt an affinity with him — in her life as Tory Alexander, Zeven Gudrun had been Brian Alexander, her brother. ‘This place is just amazing!’ Taren’s eyes watered as she realised how much, as a psychic, she could learn from these people, and a mass of excited energy welled in her chest.
Lucian nodded, in tune with how she felt. ‘Feels like home.’
In his office, Rhun was greeted by the six detainees, Jahan and Jazmay. ‘So.’ Rhun looked directly at the crew, who were all still stunned by his sudden appearance before them. ‘To what do we owe the honour of this visit, gentlemen?’
Predictably, all the men maintained their stunned silence.
‘Shall I fetch some Nerguz modules, Governor?’ Jahan queried, ‘This may take some time otherwise?’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ Rhun advised as Avery appeared with Ronan.
‘How can I be of aid, Governor?’ the chief of the MSS questioned.
‘Why are you here?’ Jazmay was immediately enraged to see him, although she barely recognised him in the local attire and he’d dropped several pounds since last she’d seen him.
‘Chief Ronan?’ the agents queried with disbelief and relief.
‘Do not trust this man!’ Jazmay pointed a finger at him. ‘Allow me to kill him for you, it would be my pleasure.’
Jahan was forced to restrain Jazmay as she took a flying leap in Ronan’s direction and managed to slap the chief across the cheek.
‘Let me go!’ she hissed at Jahan.
‘Not until you compose yourself in the presence of the governor,’ he whispered softly. ‘Please.’
She calmed, and took a deep breath, before looking back to Rhun. ‘My apologies to you, sir.’
Rhun nodded to accept. ‘I respect your view, Miss Cardea, and I understand your concern and confusion in this instance. But I assure you, I have the situation well in hand. You are both dismissed.’
‘Thank you, Governor.’ Jahan escorted Jazmay from the room.
‘Now,’ Rhun slapped his hands together, ‘let’s get down to business.’ He looked to Chief Ronan, to find his jaw dropping in shock. ‘I’m sorry about Miss Cardea, I should have dismissed her sooner.’
‘No, it isn’t that.’ The chief snapped out of his daze. ‘That young man reminded me of someone I used to know.’ His voice wavered a little and then he cleared his throat to get down to business. ‘Do carry on.’
Rhun looked back to the captured agents. ‘I’ll ask you again, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?’
The agents were confused by the presence of the chief, but remained silent.
‘Answer the man!’ Ronan ordered impatiently, just as he normally would, and the agent in charge didn’t dare defy him.
Apparently Maladaan had received an automatic SOS communication from the AMIE vessel before Rhun had shut it down. ‘The communication advised that there were two humans on board, but when we arrived at the vessel, it had been shut down and vacated. There was an aircraft missing from the hangar bay, which did not land on Maladaan, and so we were sent to Kila to scout for it,’ the agent concluded.
‘And kidnapping the Princess of Tarazean?’ Rhun queried. ‘What did that have to do with your mission?’
‘Sorry, sir.’ The agent in charge remained focused on Ronan. ‘But we didn’t know she was a princess, we thought she was just a local bird.’ His men suppressed chuckles at his pun.
‘Why did you not announce yourselves?’ Ronan was furious and all the agents sobered once more. ‘This is completely unacceptable, it breaches the treaty we made.’
‘With all due respect, Chief Ronan,’ the agent piped up, ‘I don’t give the orders, I just follow them.’
Ronan inhaled to calm himself and turned to Rhun. ‘I apologise for the breach in protocol,’ he advised. ‘I shall travel back with this crew to Maladaan and inquire into this further.’
‘That would be appreciated.’ Rhun knew how much Ronan did not want to leave. ‘I shall have Avery go with you.’
But Ronan held up a hand in decline. ‘Thank you, but no. I feel that will only escalate the situation.’
‘I wish to ensure your welfare,’ Rhun informed, and Ronan nodded, understanding that he did.
‘I shall stay in communication,’ he assured.
‘If I do not hear from you every twenty-four hours I will be sending the Lord of the Otherworld after you, and his minions will not be so easy to deal with as mine.’
‘I shall make that perfectly clear, Governor.’ Ronan bowed out of the meeting and ordered his men after him.
‘The war begins,’ Avery commented in an aside to his brother.
‘I fear it does,’ Rhun concurred. ‘So we had best hurry up and figure a way around it.’
‘Why is our good governor consorting with the likes of Ronan?’ Jazmay waited until they had left the governor’s building before she voiced her concern to Jahan. ‘Ronan will poison his mind!’
Jahan laughed off her concern and she frowned. ‘I think you shall find it is the opposite way around, and our governor’s ways will rub off on Ronan, just as they did on you!’ he said and Jazmay stopped frowning. ‘That’s why he is the governor, and I’d trust in his word, if I were you.’
Jazmay was inclined to believe Jahan. ‘I cannot help but be fearful.’ She defended her behaviour. ‘Kila is so wonderful, I want to protect it from the corrupted ways of our universe.’
‘We developed from a corrupted society just like yours. I have memories of past lives that would make even a hardened warrior like you sick.’ Jahan walked backwards in front of her as he spoke. ‘But we came through it, and so can Maladaan, and every other planet in your universe!’ he claimed, but she looked doubtful. ‘Sooner or later your people will work out that it just pays to do good by others.’
‘I guess I am learning that,’ Jazmay admitted, her mood taking an upswing. ‘And if it is true that Zelimir Ronan is learning that too, then —’ she shrugged, ‘— I guess anything is possible.’
‘Like you accompanying me on a date?’ Jahan jumped at the opportunity to ask.
Jazmay sobered again, and was thoughtful. ‘Why are you so persistent?’
Jahan did not take offence, but remained upbeat. ‘Because I want to show you stuff, take you places, teach you things, and bring a little joy into your life, but I can’t do that unless you agree to hang out with me.’
The Phemorian’s hard exterior began to crack. ‘I’m not really a hearts and flowers kind of girl, Jahan, you know that,’ she advised surely and then melted into a smile. ‘Just take me back to your place.’ She moved in for a kiss, which he forestalled.
‘What if I need the hearts and flowers?’ he asked and grinned as she began to laugh. ‘No, seriously,’ he insisted. ‘I like a little romance, and you could certainly use some.’
‘Oh really?’ She broke away from him, pretending to be affronted, but smiling all the while.
‘Yes, really,’ he insisted, with a nod in agreement with himself.
‘Have it your way, then.’ She strutted off, in a playful huff. ‘Pick me up at dusk.’
‘I’m not planning that kind of date. I’ll pick you up at dawn, but only if you put Fari on a leash!’ he called after her.
‘Your call,’ she granted and walked on.
Jahan was compelled to smile as he watched Jazmay stroll away, her long, dark hair blowing in the breeze. ‘There goes my life after death.’