"I was born in Atlanta," Conner laughed at my thoughts. "Shane was my best friend and next door neighbor. When I was made Saa Thalarr, I couldn't leave him behind, so he came along as my healer. And then Franklin showed up, and well, you can guess the rest." Conner sipped her tea. I was beginning to like her—very much.
"Connegar and I have been swapping mindspeech ever since you came back from the dead," Conner grinned. "And he named himself after me. Most Larentii do that—name themselves after their mothers. Renegar, well, Kiarra's name was Renée, before she came over. So Ren took that name. The other would have been a nightmare to pronounce if you stuck gar on the end of it." Conner snorted delicately.
I laughed. I couldn't help it. Conner smiled into her cup of tea. Connegar rumbled a laugh beside me.
"Now, why didn't you send mindspeech and tell us you were here?" Franklin, Shane and Tomas folded into the kitchen. Shane, in true, old-style Greg fashion, had his hands on his hips and lifted an eyebrow at me. "Conner Louella Francis, you could have said something."
"Don't you three-name me, Shane Patrick Taylor," Conner shook a finger at Shane. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop the giggles.
"Look who's here." Russell and Will walked in. "Lissa, it's been a while." Russell leaned in between Conner and me and pecked me on the cheek. Then he gave Conner a huge kiss.
"Lissa's responsible for that print of dogs playing pool in my billiard room," Russell rubbed noses with Conner before pulling away.
"Well, now I know who to blame," Conner swatted at Russell.
"He deserved it—Russell gave a perfectly good Monet to Wlodek because he didn't like it," I said in my defense.
"Is that what happened? Russell William Farleigh, your ass is in trouble now."
"Oh, she's using three names. I'm leaving," Will teased. I was now laughing out loud.
This happens often, Connegar whispered in my mind. It is quite amusing.
I like it, I sent back.
I am happy to hear your laugh, little rose.
"Connegar, why don't you take Lissa somewhere while I have a talk with Russell about expensive artwork," Conner smiled. "Lissa, don't let those old vampires bother you. Or just kick their ass. They'll learn quickly enough not to mess with you."
"I'll consider it," I nodded to Conner. She surprised me by giving me a hug, and then Connegar folded me away.
"Where is this?" I stared about us—we stood in a high meadow somewhere, while grazing animals bleated all around us.
"The Larentii homeworld," Connegar sat down in the grass and pulled me in his lap. "These are Falaca," he nodded toward the animals. They were wooly creatures, resembling a melding of sheep and llama. They also came in many colors, from black to white to a blue gray. "We make much of our clothing from their wool," Connegar wrapped long blue arms around me, and rested his chin atop my head. "We only use natural fibers, and no dye. And we kill nothing in the manufacturing of our garb. It is the way it has always been with the Larentii."
"Really?" I leaned aside to look up at him. His sky-blue eyes were amused at my question.
"Little rose, you have no idea how much I love you. So I must show you. Larentii seldom do this, but in this case it is warranted and deserved." I was about to ask him what was warranted and deserved, when it hit me. There isn't any way to describe it to someone who's never felt it. Light formed around us and I was drowning in love. That's the closest I can come to a decent description. I not only breathed love in; it soaked into every pore. And then the trilling came. Kyler explained to me later that the trilling is something the Larentii do for their mates. It is the most restful, intrinsically resonant sound in the universe, and soothes the soul. And just as it was intended to do, it put me right to sleep.
* * *
"Come on, lazybones," Drake and Drew were sitting on the side of my bed, trying to wake me. Drake was rubbing the base of my thumb gently with his. "Connegar sent mindspeech last night to tell us you were with him, and to let you sleep late this morning."
"I want to sleep some more," I mumbled, turning over on my side to face the twins. I had to; Drake still had my hand.
"No, little firefly. You have to wake, now. We'll dress you if you're not up to it. You need breakfast. We finished sparring with Dad and Uncle Crane two hours ago."
"Firefly?" I opened one of my eyes to stare skeptically at Drake.
"Karzac's good at handing out nicknames. He's calling you firefly."
"Uh-huh." I slapped my free hand over my face.
"He calls Mom ladybug."
"What's with the insect names?" I flopped over on my back and pulled my hand away to stare at the ceiling. It was slowly coming into focus.
"Karzac says you're the one nobody can see unless you flash your light and power briefly and when you do that, everybody has to sit back and stare in amazement."
"Great. I'm a utility company," I grumped, sitting up.
"What's wrong with our girl?" Drake pulled me against him, stroking fingers against the back of my neck. I let my head droop against his shoulder. "That's right, just relax," he kept stroking my neck, letting his fingers slide through my hair at times. I heaved a shaky sigh.
* * *
Two gates were my objective that day—after I had breakfast and convinced the twins I had things to do. They were disappointed, I could tell. I took out forty nesting pairs of Flakkar. Their numbers were getting smaller, but their attacks were just as destructive. Both worlds were in their industrial infancy and had no explanation for the disappearances among the population and no way to combat the Flakkar, even if they'd known the monsters were there. I gated back to Earth when I was finished, feeling weary.
Misting inside my bathroom, I managed a quick shower before walking into my bedroom while I toweled off. Drake was there in my bed, waiting for me. "We flipped a coin. I won," he said. He was completely naked, totally unembarrassed about it and was stroking himself as he watched me walk around the room wrapped only in a towel.
"I don't know what to do with you," I said, sounding frustrated. And I was having a difficult time taking my eyes off him. I'd read erotic romance novels that didn't get me this heated up.
"Come here and I'll show you," he purred, amusement lighting his dark eyes. "Come on, baby. I'll take good care of you, I promise."
What was I supposed to do? There was a very handsome man in my bed, offering to take care of me. I ended up at the side of the bed and he reached out, carefully taking my towel away with gentle fingers. Drake coaxed me into bed, put his hands on every inch of me and made me forget my doubts and troubles for a while.
* * *
"Anthony, what is taking so long?" Gavin always woke before Tony did, and he was eager to begin the hunt for three reported rogues in Amsterdam.
"Coming," Tony walked out of his bedroom, clean, dressed and ready to go. Both he and Gavin jumped when someone appeared in the tiny, safe house kitchen. Both relaxed when they saw who it was.
"I told you we'd see each other again," the tall male offered a smile.
"You look so much older," Gavin sighed, shaking his head.
"Hazards of the trade." A wry grin was offered. "Can't be helped."
"Why are you here? Is there a problem?" Tony asked with a frown. This one never came unless there was a problem somewhere. Neither he nor Gavin had seen him in more than two centuries.
"I came to give back what was taken from you," their guest replied.
"What?" Tony asked. Gavin's mask fell into place.
"Very important memories," their guest replied. Light formed around him while his eyes went dark as midnight, with stars shining through.
* * *
"What do you have, child?" Flavio looked up from his desk computer when Charles walked into his study, carrying a large file box. Flavio was puzzled—they no longer kept records on paper. Everything was electronic.
"I was asked to bring this to you, Father. It's important." Charles vibrated with excitement, and Flavio couldn't fathom the reason.
"Who asked you to bring it?" Flavio searched his only living child's face for answers.
"An old friend. He says this will give back what you lost. You and the Council," Charles grinned. "And when my friend says something like that, you can take it to the bank."
"Charles, no metaphors, please," Flavio stared at the box as Charles plopped it over the computer screen covering the center of his desk. Gone was the antique that Wlodek used so long—Flavio still had it, in his private suite. He used this desk instead, because the computer covered the surface.
"Go on, open it," Charles hid a grin.
"Child, if this is a trick," Flavio lifted the lid and light bloomed from the box.
* * *
"What do you mean, they all remembered? Is this some kind of joke? Belen says none of his kind had anything to do with it." Kiarra paced in her library, while Merrill, Adam and Pheligar watched.
"Flavio says Charles found an old box with all her information inside, and the memory triggered. Five minutes later, he received calls from the Council—they all remembered. We have no explanation for it. Flavio contacted Wlodek with mindspeech; Wlodek went to investigate. This box is what he brought from Flavio's office." Merrill jerked his head toward the box sitting on the low table between sofas. It contained records, photographs and legal documents. "And now, the entire Council wants a meeting with her. They all want her back. There's no way she'll consent to that. Lissa informed me plainly that she wasn't willing to answer to anyone, ever again." Merrill's voice held guilt as well as pain.
"I don't blame her," Kiarra snapped. "Merrill, if you'd bothered to tell me you were going to her alone; I would have told you it was a mistake. You should have taken Pheligar or Renegar with you. Preferably both of them, as she doesn't seem to hate the Larentii."