Kierra's Thread (Argadian Heart Trilogy Book 2) (2 page)

“Captain, you’ve received a hail from Ednos.”

Captain Jarek Bakari looked up at the young ensign who stood
at attention before him. “Who from?”

“It’s Gavrielle Andromeda.”

A sense of foreboding rode him, knowing there would be only
one reason for Gavrielle to communicate with him. “Did she give an explanation
for her hail?”

The young ensign shook his head. “No, Captain, but she said
there was some urgency in her need to speak with you.”

Jarek rose quickly from his chair, turning away from the
observation window.
Thank Mylonna they were only hours from reaching Ednos.
“Thank you, ensign. That will be all.”

He hoped this mission turned out to be worth the chance he’d
taken in leaving Kierra without protection, because he had a feeling she needed
him or Gavrielle wouldn’t have issued the request. Usually, he only took on the
assignments that allowed him to return to Ednos within hours. This one had kept
him away for several days. At least he was now close enough to thoughtwalk if
need be. But why hadn’t Kierra called to him?

The answer was evident before he’d even completed the
question. Kierra had an independent stubborn streak that even in her worst
moments hadn’t lessened in the time he’d known her. She hated giving in to her
fears, hated the occasions when the memories swamped her, leaving her
vulnerable.

Waves of thought threaded from him to her in mindwanderer
fashion. Touching her surface colors, he knew instantly something had
frightened her enough to send her retreating to what she called her “secret
room.”

He pulled back from entering beyond the first layer. He
needed to speak with Gavrielle before approaching Kierra’s inner thoughts. It
was important to know what sent her running into the darkness after so many
months without incident.

His mission had been successful and a female Enforcer now
lay in stasis below deck. He’d received word of Kierra’s brother’s successful
recovery, and it had been decided that he should try to return with the female
so they could determine if there would be any problems with administering the
drug to the female Enforcers. Hence, Enforcer Daelyn Kapri had been secured and
was being transported back to Ednos.

She’d been as fierce an adversary as her male counterparts
and if her weapon hadn’t misfired, it would be Jarek or one of the others of
his team whose remains would be resting in dispersed molecules right now
instead of Kapri restrained and lying in stasis below.

The thought of his Kierra had kept him focused. The need to
return to her added speed to his movements in subduing the trained assassin. He
would not leave Kierra to face her demons alone.

She’d convinced him to take this mission against his better
judgment, knowing he would lose contact with her once away from the planet.
Thank Mylonna, the mission was almost completed. But apparently not soon
enough, because it looked like Kierra was in trouble.

He stalked toward the communications room. Everything was in
order, and they’d encountered no trouble on the return trip. The medical
practitioner who had accompanied them had removed the beamer from Kapri and it
had been destroyed. Jarek’s thoughts returned to Kierra.

Jarek’s home planet, Serdion had been conquered and
destroyed by the Argadian Tribunal. He’d been taken prisoner and the rest of
his family terminated. Collared quickly, the electrical surges controlled any
ability on his part to escape. Hatred fueled his need to survive and one day
seek retribution on those who had destroyed his way of life.

Upon arriving on Argadia, he’d immediately been offered on
the bondage block. The humiliation of that experience had almost outweighed his
desire for retribution. But if he’d fought the collar, he would have been
destroyed immediately.

They’d treated him like an animal, and he’d been inspected
by potential owners, his only covering the gleaming gold metal collar
controlling his strength.

He was a healthy male, sold quickly, and was led from the
exhibition platform to be presented to his purchaser.

All of his hate had centered on his new “owner”—Tribunal
Leader Odon, whose reputation preceded him. He’d wanted Jarek to submit to him,
and it had been the one thing Jarek would rather die than do. He’d suffered the
pain of the collar until losing consciousness, had survived the lash of the
electrical whip applied to his body, and still he’d refused to submit.

Odon had come close to killing him on several occasions, yet
at the last minute had relented. Jarek had never known why and hadn’t been
particularly thankful for the reprieve. Yet not a day went by that he hadn’t
planned for escape—and revenge.

Serdionese were a closed, secretive civilization. No
outsiders were allowed unless thoroughly screened for acceptance to live on the
planet. They were a hard-working, peace loving society and prized their
tranquility.

There is a certain rhythm of waves within the mind of each
Serdionese that allows for the recognition of a lifemate. To find a mate who
holds the same passion rhythm is a unique and precious gift. It is an
unconscious search of the mind, and when the vibrations touch and intertwine,
an immediate bond is created that cannot be broken. The rhythm offers a oneness
of mind that transmits to the soul and the surge of power only this level of
recognition can hold. It carries its own living presence and bound energy—as
though two bodies have merged to create one stronger being.

Jarek had forgotten about the bonding of mates. There was no
reason to remember, knowing most of his race had been exterminated. It was
unlikely he would ever locate his rhythm lifemate. Therefore, his mind had been
solely focused on survival and retribution.

Until the day Kierra Andromeda had been purchased and
brought into the demonic domain of Odon. Unbelievably, he’d known the precise
moment Kierra arrived. A jolt of recognition so intense the happiness almost brought
him to his knees as the waves passed through him. He’d had no choice but to
reach out and connect with her, to bind them quickly.

His consciousness jumped from his mind to hers, loving her
in an instant, binding her with the thread of his being, and drawing a thread
of her essence back to himself, weaving them together.

She hadn’t understood what was happening and had tried to
retreat from him, but it was too late. The fact that she wasn’t of his race
bothered him. Would she eventually understand? But in the end he had to trust
that Guardian knew what he was doing in binding them together.

Jarek’s impotence came in knowing why she was there and that
he couldn’t protect her. The only thing he could do was attempt to keep her
alive until he was able to discover a way to free them both.

And thus his descent into Haydon began as he bargained with
the only commodity he had available—something that Odon wanted—his own body—to
keep her torture to a minimum. And though he knew what lay behind the doors of
Kierra’s mind, he could never open himself to her fully. For her to ever
discover what lay hidden and locked away from her, could destroy her forever.

She had suffered too much. Still suffered with the belief
that she couldn’t give him the love she thought he deserved. Bonding for
Argadians was a physical sealing that he understood and wanted her to
experience for her sake.

But for the Serdionese, the true mating took place in the
mind. Kierra still didn’t understand that what they experienced together when
their energies united as one was for him the ultimate pleasure.

He sat at the communication terminal and hailed Ednos
through the communicator.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Patch me through to Gavrielle Andromeda, please.”

“Yes, Captain, right away.”

He waited long moments for Gavrielle to answer.

“Jarek,” her voice held a level of tenseness.

“What’s happened to Kierra?” There was no time to exchange
pleasantries, he wanted to reach Kierra quickly, but needed information first.

“As you know, Devon has returned.”

“Yes. And?”

“I can’t be certain, but I think it’s because of his white
hair. He has the look of an Enforcer. When she saw him—” Her voice trailed off.

Jarek knew exactly what had happened. “I understand. I’ll
try to reach her from here. Where is she now?”

“She’s locked herself in her apartments. She won’t answer
her communicator or the door. Help her, Jarek. I’m sorry.” He heard the tears
in her voice.

“It’s not your fault, Gavrielle. You know sometimes the
blackness descends on her without warning.”

“It’s not that,” she protested. “I didn’t think. I was so
excited about Devon returning, I didn’t think about what seeing him would do to
Kierra. I should have known. We could have done it under more controlled
circumstances.”

I could have been there is what she’s saying
. “Don’t
berate yourself. I shouldn’t have taken this mission. Never mind. I’ll do what
I can from here.”

“Thank you.” He heard the relief in her voice as the
connection was terminated.

Rising from the terminal, he left the communications room
and walked back to his quarters. When he entered, he pressed the intercom. “I
don’t want to be disturbed unless there’s an emergency. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Captain,” the voice affirmed.

“Anything I need to know right now?”

“No, Captain. Everything appears quiet and on course.”

Jarek broke the connection and turned away. Stretching out
on the bed, he took several deep breaths. Visualizing the slender thread that
would lead him to Kierra, he followed it and entered her mind, following the
path to her secret room.

*         
*          *

“Kierra.”

She heard Jarek’s voice and opening her eyes, saw a glimmer
of light as the door swung open. Shifting to a sitting position, Kierra saw his
shape filling the doorway. The cocoon of blackness slowly began to lift.

“Kierra, I’m here. Tell me what’s frightened you.” He
reached out a hand to her, beckoning her to go to him. She couldn’t refuse.

Kierra had known deep down that he would come. Somehow Jarek
always knew when she needed him. Slowly she rose to her feet. Memories
flittered beyond the door—she could feel their shadows waiting for her and
halted her progress across the small room.

“Kierra.” His voice was firm, demanding her attention. “I
won’t let them hurt you.”

“I know, Jarek.” She reached out and he took her hand, his
fingers warm, reassuring. “I wanted to do this on my own. It makes me feel so
weak that you have to keep coming to my rescue all the time.”

He pulled Kierra into his arms and out into the corridor of
her consciousness. “We are as one here, Kierra. Come with me to sanctuary. Away
from the darkness.”

She let Jarek lead her along the corridor of her mind, past
the closed doors to her memories. In the sanctuary of his consciousness she
could love him the way he should be loved. He took her outside herself, away
from Before where they could be only in the Now.

When she followed him along the silvery thread, there was
nothing beyond the two of them, the way he touched her, made her feel. There were
no scars as reminders—nothing of reality to force her from him.

Jarek knew every room in her mind—one by one he’d made her
open to him. And in those rooms holding the monsters, he’d helped her fight
their control.

In the place of energy that was his mind, Jarek led her to
his sanctuary—that Eden of happiness they could share. Once they entered,
colorful rhythms of tranquil beauty would surround them.

It was odd that although she had shared all of herself, even
her most intimate of corners, this was the only part of Jarek’s consciousness
he shared with her. There were one or two rooms of family memories, but further
down the darkened corridor he refused to take her.

They stopped at the gate to sanctuary.

“Before we enter, tell me what frightened you.”

She didn’t want to talk about it. To have him know how weak
she was. He tilted her chin up, forcing Kierra to look at him.

“All right. It was my brother. I knew he would have the
white hair of an Enforcer, but the reality of seeing him, knowing that he was like—”
She couldn’t continue.

“It’s all right, Kierra. I’m sure he understands what
happened. If he doesn’t, we’ll explain it to him when I return.”

“How are you here then, if you’re not on Ednos?”

He smiled. “The thread that binds us is strong. When I heard
from your mother, there was no choice but to come for you.” His gaze met hers.
“You knew I wouldn’t leave you alone to face these fears. You should have
called for me.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. I wanted to handle it myself.
It’s not right to tie you to me. To be with you here is beautiful, but when we
are within our physical environment, I can’t be with you. And you deserve
more—a whole person. I’ve tried, but the pain of being touched by
anyone—particularly any male is something I haven’t been able to overcome. I
may be walking and breathing, but I’m not alive. They’ve taken the girl I used
to be and all the passion I had for life from me and I can’t seem to find my
way back.”

“Kierra, don’t think about it anymore. Each day you are
returning. It is slow. Don’t you feel it as well? Sometimes I look in your eyes
and I see you—like here. It may be a flicker, but it’s more than it was when we
left the compound.”

“I want him dead, Jarek.” It was her darkest desire, locked
away in a small room at the very back of her subconscious. There was a thirst
for blood—for revenge—that frightened her.

“I know. I have seen it. One day he will pay for what he’s
done. We will see to that.”