“They checked all of the places where Averil was before her attack. Now, they’re thoroughly checking the community store and Harry’s home. Hilda is fine, but we’re keeping her downstairs here until this mystery is solved. That’s all I know for now. It’s damn frustrating.”
“Dr. Talisman.” Kira spoke up. “I understand you know more about our physical and chemical makeup than most of our doctors.”
“I’ve done some individual studies and written several research papers for our other physicians.”
“Then I’d like to make a suggestion. As most of you know, Averil and I are twins, but not identical. Although we do share more than most fraternal twins. To explain, I’d say we were not totally identical, nor totally fraternal.
“Averil has survived the poison that apparently attacks the body like a virus. I’d like you to take some of Averil’s blood and put it in me. Then we’ll wait twenty-four hours. If you can keep the patient alive until then, you can remove a pint of his blood and give him a pint of mine.”
“You are hoping your blood mixed with your sister’s will make antibodies to fight this poison?” Jack asked.
“Yes.”
“I have to tell you I doubt we can keep Harry alive that long. And if we did, why not just use Averil’s blood?”
“Because ours mixed together will be stronger.”
Everyone in the room stared expectantly at Kira. “Would you care to explain?” Mitch asked.
Averil glanced at Kira. “I think we have to let the people in this room know, Kira. I’m sure our secret will stay safe with them until the right time to tell the others.”
Kira nodded in agreement. “I chose to live away from my family because of my differences. I didn’t want to be seen as a freak of nature.” Kira glanced down, away from all the attention on her. “My mother did not know of anyone else like me, and she encouraged me to stay safe.” Kira nodded to Averil. “Averil has some of my skills, but not as many and not as strong, so she stayed with Mom and Dad and visited me as often as possible. It might be easier to show you who I really am.” Kira stood and walked a good distance from the table.
“You’re a shape-shifter?” Daren asked.
“Sort of.” Kira raised her arms and blinked several times. A graceful firebird materialized where Kira had been standing. Most of her feathers were red and gold, but there were deep purple feathers intertwined throughout. She spread her wide wingspan.
“If she wanted to she could send fire out from the end of her feathers,” Averil explained.
“I can’t believe it.” Elle walked closer to Kira. “You are the first queen to be born in our new land.” She curtsied, showing her respect.
Gradually, Kira’s feathers grew dimmer, and she shape-shifted back to her human persona. “Thank you, but I don’t know what you mean.”
“In all our scrolls from long ago there has been only two times when a mythical bird was mentioned. Our people called it Flaming Beauty. According to the old scrolls, such a bird is born very rarely. It was thought we would never see her again after we left our home planet. None of the families were aware of anyone carrying the gene.”
“Come back to the table so we can discuss this sudden revelation.” Mitch waited until they sat and then asked, “Does anyone else besides your parents know who you are?”
“No. I have a secluded cabin in Northern California. I only shape-shifted there.”
“Wow. You are beautiful in both shapes but astonishing in your bird form.” Daren turned to Elle. “What does all this mean?”
Elle looked down the table to Kira. “May I tell them, Your Majesty?”
“Please call me Kira, and tell me, too. I’ve never understood why I was born this way. I hid my real self for safety.”
“I’d be pleased to explain, and you can come to my home later and read the scrolls.”
“I’ll like to do that.”
Elle stood to better see all of them at the table. “In our homeland, the king and queen are identified by their birth. Few families carried the gene, and our ancestors did not think they had any family related to royalty with them when they left home. But before they left, there were rumors of a young princess falling in love with a member of the Cabinet. They had an affair, and a child was secretly born.
“Another family agreed to take the child and said they’d adopted her from a mother who died.” Elle looked directly at Kira. “They wanted to keep the birth secret. The princess had been promised to the king. Her family had to keep the affair and birth secret so the wedding would go on. Only a son born of the king and a bride from another royal family would be accepted as the next ruler. Kira, your mother has to be a carrier of the gene from the adopted baby.”
“Then I am not truly royalty, thank goodness. Please, no more curtsies.”
“You would not be recognized on our home planet, but you are the highest ranking of our people here on earth.”
“That’s too much for me to deal with right now. I’m Averil’s sister, and I can help in this crisis. Please leave it at that.”
“For now, but you can’t run away any longer from your destiny,” Elle warned.
“I suppose that explains why you’d be the better donor for Harry,” Jack said. “I think we’d better end this meeting and get started. Harry’s on borrowed time.” Jack stood. “Will you and Averil come with me to see Ellen? She and her staff will do the blood work.”
“Fine, and later, Elle, I’ll come by to see those scrolls.”
“Pruet, my husband, and I would be honored.” Elle gave her directions as Jack hurried Kira and Averil out the door.
* * * *
Elle returned to the meeting room and sat back down. Mitch took a deep breath and looked around. Everyone looked stunned.
“Lann and Garth, have either of you ever heard of such a shape-shifter?” Mitch asked.
“We’ve read the scrolls that we had and it was mentioned, vaguely, once. Since we’d never seen such a person we doubted one existed.” Garth leaned forward. “But there was a colored drawing of our queen in her bird form. She looked just like Kira. I imagine Elle hasn’t had a chance to go through all the scrolls we gave her. I’ll show her which one has the drawing.”
“If she is as Elle said, then she should be the leader of all three tribes. How do you two feel about that?” Lann asked Mitch and Daren.
“It’d be fine with me. We’d still lead our men on missions, but without the other duties there’d be more time for our family.” Daren grinned. “I don’t mind that, and I don’t think Mitch does.”
“I agree with Daren. She would bring all three tribes truly together. We’d all have to step down one level though.”
“No problem with me. I’m all for it,” Garth agreed.
“Well, this seems like a good time to tell you all my plans.” They turned toward Lann. “Garth, you’ve known for some time about my friends in Texas. I’ve been considering stepping down once the ranch was built and our people were settled here. I’d thought of suggesting Caedmon take my place, but he’d hate it. This solves my problem. As soon as this emergency is over, I, along with a few of the men who want to go with me, will move to Texas.
“I’ve bought a large spread in the middle of nowhere. The closest ranches are owned by my two friends. I like the area, and I need a change.”
“Damn, I’m calling this meeting to an end. There’s been enough surprises. We can think about all of this and meet another day.” Mitch started out of the room.
“Are you upset with my plans, Mitch?”
“No. In fact, I’m happy for you. But I don’t handle change easily, especially not so much at once. I just need time to let it filter through my brain. See you.” He strode out as the rest followed at a slower pace.
When they got outside to their horses, Garth turned to Lann. “When in the hell were you going to tell me?”
“Let’s ride out to where our tribe’s main ranch house is being built. It’s very close to being completed. We’ll talk there and you can yell at me all you want.”
Garth sprang up on his horse. “I might want to punch you.”
“You can try.”
They rode in silence the whole way. The house was on a side street away from what would be the center of their ranch.
Garth tied his horse and strode into the empty building.
The front was to be offices for him and Lann and community areas similar to Mitch and Daren’s home. Lann followed him in.
“There’s no place to sit,” Garth growled.
“Keep your leopard under control. We can sit on the floor.”
“My leopard is upset because I am. We’ve been like brothers. You never mentioned any plans to leave.”
“I’ve tried to tell you several times but decided to wait. Then today after all the revelations about Kira, I felt I had to say something.”
“You’re just like Cad. You never really wanted the job of leader.”
“It was my duty. I did it.”
Garth flung him an angry look and shifted suddenly into his cat. The white leopard paced back and forth across the new wood floor. He growled loudly. Then he stalked close to Lann and growled in his face.
“You aren’t going to hurt me. Get over it.” Lann pushed him away.
He shifted back and flopped down beside Lann. “You know me too well. I haven’t gotten to scare anyone lately. I miss it.”
Lann laughed. “There’ll be missions coming up as soon as we completely eradicate this last enemy.”
“I know, but it’s taking too long. Tell me about Texas.”
“You’ll have to come visit us. The acreage is huge. There’s rolling hills, a stream and a lake, an old farmhouse, a barn, and a bunkhouse for the cowhands. I’m going to do some cleaning up and rebuilding. It’s an adventure.”
“I can’t remember ever seeing you this enthused about anything. I’m glad you’ve made the decision to change your life. I’ve suspected you haven’t been happy for a long time.”
“Content, my friend, but not happy.”
“Build an extra bedroom so Cad, Rae, and I can visit often. Have you told anyone else?”
“No. Let’s leave it that way for now. The others in the meeting will keep my secret. I’ll announce my departure when the time’s right.”
“All hell is going to break loose. People may find it difficult to have one leader for all three tribes.”
“You and I will reassure them. They’ll like Kira.”
They’d walked out to the horses. Garth kicked the toe of his boot in the sand. “I’m like Mitch. I hate change. I’m going for a ride. I’ll see you later.”
Garth felt Lann watching him as he rode out of sight. He wasn’t fit company for his family. He’d shift and run, and then he would find Rae. She soothed him and his leopard better than anyone.
* * * *
Kira watched as Ellen drew Averil’s blood and then put it in the centrifuge. They sat talking during the time it took to get the results. Kira still had difficulty believing the story the Priestess, Elle, had told her, that she might be a descendent of royalty from their planet. She’d read the scrolls. Elle would be right. Kira felt it inside her. But she hated to accept the truth. She liked being anonymous and didn’t want to be the leader of all these people.
Averil took hold of her hand. “You haven’t heard a word we’ve said. You’re worried.”
“A little. What happened in the meeting is a lot to take in all at once. I have to try and close that out of my mind if I hope to find this killer.”
Ellen got up and went to the centrifuge. She made samples on several slides and then put a slide under her microscope. No one talked until the last slide was read. Ellen straightened and turned to Averil and Kira.
“I can see the beginnings of antibodies. If Averil stays safe for two more weeks I believe she’ll have a natural resistance to this particular poison. But I don’t see how her blood will help Harry at this point.”
“It will. My system’s recovery is faster than Averil’s. Take a pint of my blood and inject it with some of the serum from Averil’s. This will be the best way to try it the first time. You can monitor the blood, and as soon as there are enough antibodies, you can transfuse a pint into Harry.”
“It’s dangerous. We’re going against protocol. The transfusion might kill Harry. Your blood might not be compatible for him.”
“Harry is going to die if we do nothing.” Kira frowned at her.
“I’ll discuss this with Jack and the Ethics Committee. If they and Harry’s wife agree, we’ll risk it.”
“Then I’ve done all I can. Come on, Averil. Let’s go visit the Priestess and find out more about our history.”
Ellen took hold of Kira’s arm. “Are you mad at me?”
“No, I know you’re right, but it’s frustrating when a life is in danger.”
“We can’t put him in more danger.”
“I respect and like you, Ellen. Do what you have to, and I’ll accept whatever is decided.”
* * * *
Gala watched Averil and Kira leave the ranch house. She was uneasy about the secret meeting held downstairs today. What did they know? They couldn’t know much of anything really. She’d left no traces but the resin. They’d never break that down.
“Want me to do some of those dishes, Gala? It’s time for you to go home.” Tessa came to her side.