Authors: Lisanne Norman
* * *
They'd talked about the sword-brother's oath the last time she'd seen Kaid, discussed what she should do if anything went wrong. Her mind, though, was blank: She could remember nothing. Then she felt Carrie touch her scruff.
Hurriedly she reached up, removing her hand, trapping it firmly within her own. "Not there, Carrie," she said gently.
"T'Chebbi— I can feel them touching me," she moaned. "As if I were there with them!"
What in the names of all the devils had he said? Then she remembered.
If a Link forms, and it shouldn't, bring her to us at the shrine of the Warriors' Tomb.
But neither of them had anticipated this.
She gathered Carrie closer, holding her like a child as the Human female tried to reach her face. "Hush. It's all right, Carrie. It'll pass. Try to relax, don't fight it." She began to stand up.
"I can't! Both of them inside my mind... It's too much, T'Chebbi!" Suddenly Carrie's body stiffened and with a cry of pain, she passed out.
Hastily T'Chebbi laid her down, checking her pulse. Out cold. Leaving the room at a run, she headed for the shrine. She stopped briefly at the door. When Carrie had passed out, her awareness of the two males had gone. Now she was unsure what she'd find, uncertain whether she should disturb them. Taking a breath, she activated the palm lock.
They lay unmoving, several feet apart, at the foot of the catafalque steps. She checked Kusac first, then Kaid. Same as Carrie, unconscious, both of them. Taking Kaid by the shoulders, she shook him. Nothing. Pulling her arm back, she slapped his face hard.
He stirred then, moaning as he put his hand to his cheek. She helped him sit up, noticing as she did that he flinched when her hand touched his uncovered pelt.
"Carrie joined the Link," she said. "Like you, she passed out."
He tried to stand and she moved back, offering him her arm to lean on. He accepted but once again let her go when he was upright.
"You all right?"
"I will be," he said, staggering over to Kusac. "Help me move him into the other room."
"What room?" She was puzzled. She'd never heard of a room within the shrine.
"Room for those who take their oath as lovers," he said, crouching down by Kusac's prone form. "He'll need her." He began to turn him over onto his back, straightening his limbs, wincing when his hands touched the other's pelt.
"What happened?"
He ignored her, carefully checking Kusac's eyes. "We've time. Help me lift him."
She reached out to touch his hand. He flinched away and glanced briefly up at her. "Sorry. I'm still tuned in to them." He was angry with himself. He should have realized this could happen. "I want to get them together before either of them comes around."
Between them, they got Kusac to his feet and across to the concealed door at the far end.
"Go and get Carrie," he said, activating the door. "I can manage the rest."
When she returned, Kusac was already lying on the bed. Kaid had stripped his robe from him and was putting it on the chair that stood against one wall.
"I'll take her," he said.
Silently T'Chebbi let him take the unconscious female from her arms, watching how the strain left his face as he did.
He placed her next to Kusac, turning her slightly till he was sure their bodies were touching. Pulling the cover over them, he turned away and began walking back toward her.
She watched him wince slightly as, from the corner of her eye, she saw Kusac's arm curl instinctively over Carrie. Was he
that
closely Linked to them?
As the door shut behind them, Kaid leaned against the wall for a moment, closing his eyes.
"Still Linked, aren't you?" she asked, taking hold of the covered part of his arm. "Come. We'll go to the room Carrie and I used."
He nodded and let himself be guided there.
The small dining room boasted a couple of settees and a drinks dispenser as well as a table and chairs. It was for the larger settee he headed. Sitting down, he leaned his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face.
"I should sleep," he mumbled. "It'll help isolate me from their Link."
T'Chebbi squatted in front of him, taking his hands away from his face. "Not their Link, Kaid. Belongs to all three of you. What happened?"
He pulled his hands free, leaning against the back of the settee. "I miscalculated," he said. "Their gestalt happened. I think Carrie triggered it with her fear." He glanced up at her, a puzzled look on his face. "It was the damnedest thing, T'Chebbi— a three-way Leska Link! Or what I'd imagine one would be," he amended. "When Carrie's mind joined us, she was our natural focus, we both turned to her. How did she react?" he asked cautiously, watching her through half-closed eyes.
"Said she felt you both touching her." A small silence, then, "She initiated love play with me. It distressed her."
"Damn," he said, closing his eyes briefly. "I keep forgetting that because of their age and sheltered upbringing, they're not as sophisticated as the rest of us. Particularly Carrie. What did you do?"
"I tried to bring her to you, but she passed out. What she did was nothing, no problem for me. Been down that trail before, Kaid, but only when training at Consortia House. Is problem for Carrie, though. She's where I was till not so long ago."
He tilted his head questioningly at her, finding himself intrigued.
"Afraid of appropriateness of her pleasure in the touch of others. Noticed it when we showered first time. Have been working on it with her. Should be no guilt in enjoying closeness with friends, male or female."
He nodded. "Sensual means sexual to her. That would fit in with what I know of Human attitudes. They're so much more insular than us. However," he added with a wry smile, "being a telepath adds its own restrictions, I've discovered. I understand now why I've always kept people at a distance. It's worse now that my sense of touch is so much more heightened than it was before."
T'Chebbi stood up and began unbuckling her weapons belt. "Then since you allow me close, must be attracted to me," she purred, letting it drop to the ground with a thud. She began unfastening her robe.
Kaid frowned. "What're you doing?"
"Only on edges of your Link, but left me unsatisfied. Since they're together now, must be worse for you," she said, letting her robe fall. Leaning forward, she rested one knee on the settee, her hand going to his shoulder to steady herself. "Don't intend to stay like this. Do you?" Her mouth touched his before moving to his cheek where she fastened her teeth into him, giving him a sharp nip.
He hissed at the momentary pain even as he reached for her. "The door," he said a few minutes later as they lay entangled on his robe.
"Put privacy lock on when we came in," she said, hoping that whatever had awakened the wildness in him stayed.
"Were you really afraid of your sensuality? I thought that was part of your training."
"Was. Something precious, to be enjoyed," she murmured as he nibbled and licked at her ear. "Pack time destroyed that. You gave it back."
He could sense a terrible darkness hovering within her mind and immediately began to distract her. "Forget those times," he said. "You're here with me now, that's what counts."
"You use my words against me," she said, her voice trailing off.
* * *
Their lovemaking had been equally wild, but with its fulfillment came their mental release. Lying in Carrie's arms, Kusac began to talk.
"It wasn't Kaid's fault, Carrie. You mustn't blame him. He had no way of knowing what would happen. Even I couldn't have predicted it."
"I'm not blaming him," she said, laying her head against his shoulder. "It was just too much, Kusac! To have both of you wanting me like that... He must have guessed something like this might happen, though. Why else have T'Chebbi bring me here?"
"Thank the Gods he did!"
"But why? Why Link with you at all?"
"He only followed tradition, Carrie, except tradition doesn't take into account Triads where all three are grade one telepaths."
"But what I did to T'Chebbi! What will she think of me?"
He held her close. "What did you do? Nothing terrible, surely. Touch her, like a lover would? Kaid and I did the same. Did you feel any revulsion from her?"
"No, but..."
"There was no harm in it, Carrie. She'll not think anything of it, she knows why it happened. You've shared showers with her, she'll see it in the same light as that, honestly."
"What about Kaid? Will he see it the same way?"
He could laugh now, but it had bothered him, too. "Kaid isn't interested in me, it's you he's in love with. Neither of us could pair with someone we weren't attracted to."
"You shared a bed. You were worried about him."
"Only telepaths tend to sleep alone unless they have a lover or mate. Noni reminded me of that. As for being worried about what he'd ask of me in our oath, it's never easy to tell someone you care about that you don't find them sexually attractive. I was more concerned about the many mental games he's played on me lately. I haven't known what to make of him. To be honest, I'm glad he opened his mind to me. I understand him a lot better now."
"In that case, you can explain his behavior to me over the past weeks!"
"That's not for me to do, cub, and you know it. Before we leave, you need to speak to him, Carrie."
"No. He can come to me. He's taken great pains to avoid me since he left the villa."
"We'll go to him, then."
"No." She was adamant. "The first move is his. If it's too much effort to speak to me when we're in the same building, then we've really nothing to say to each other."
"There shouldn't be something like this between us, Carrie."
She stopped him by putting her hand over his mouth. "I didn't start it, Kusac. He did. He promised to speak to me and hasn't. If he has a problem with our Triad, then it's even more important he talks to one of us. The first move will be his, or not at all."
He had to accept what she was saying. There was no point in them falling out over it. He could always speak to Kaid later.
"You will not interfere," she said, removing her hand to kiss him.
This is between him and me. He has to learn to deal with relationships, learn that his actions can hurt and if they do, he must be the one to make amends. He's full of good advice for others, but until he realizes it applies to him, too, he'll have learned nothing.
Kusac decided the only sensible course was to keep his nose out of the matter. It was clearly fraught with chiddoe holes for the unwary.
* * *
T'Chebbi came for them, telling Kusac that Kaid would see him back at Stronghold, and she would give him a lift there. He glanced hopefully at Carrie, but she stared ahead in stony silence as they walked to the parking area where the aircar waited.
* * *
Kaid arrived at his room an hour or so after Kusac. When he came in, he was carrying a long package which he placed on his desk. "Well, you succeeded," he said. "Despite the worst I could throw at you, you proved yourself a capable warrior."
"I thought you were leaning heavily on me," said Kusac from his chair by the window.
"You didn't complain."
"Would it have mattered?" he asked, raising an eye ridge. "I know now why you were doing it."
Kaid grinned. "Not in the least."
"Tell me something, Kaid. I know the ritual involves a mental rapport, but why did you open your mind to me like that? Why did you give yourself in the oath?"
Kaid's grin faded. "It wasn't that that caused the problem," he began.
"I know," Kusac interrupted. "You did it right. It just wasn't meant to cope with telepaths. I only want to know why you opened your mind to me."
"Do you need to ask?"
"Yes, because I can't believe what I sensed unless you tell me." He was still stunned.
Kaid turned away and began to unwrap the parcel. "Come and see these," he said quietly.
Kusac got up from his chair and went over to join him. Kaid was stalling. Why? He decided to go along with it for now, but he was determined he'd have his answer.
"Swords!" he exclaimed, looking at the two identical blades each lying on their oil-soaked woolen wrapping. A third shape remained concealed within its cloth.
"It's customary for the senior of the sword-brothers to gift a sword once the oath is taken," said Kaid, lifting one of the blades by its wrapper. He held it out to Kusac. "This one is yours. The third is for Carrie. We'll need them on Jalna."
Kusac took it from him. It was plain, but its very lack of ornamentation was its beauty. Slightly curved, the actual blade was some thirty inches long. Quillons and pommel were made of undecorated bronze, the grip, a soft, crisscrossed leather binding in black. It was the blade, though, that held his eyes. As the light fell on it, it appeared to ripple and move in his hands.
"This is..."
"Made by Mijushu Rhayfso," he nodded. "The son of the Warrior Guild Master."
"But you can't just walk in and buy swords like this from him, Kaid! He only sells to those he chooses!" He couldn't believe what he was holding. "A warrior would almost die for the privilege of owning one of these! And they take years to make!"
"Not necessarily," said Kaid. "You like it?"
"Like it?" He threw the wrapping to the table and took the sword in both hands, swinging it experimentally to get the feel of it.
"They're individually balanced. Rhayfso had all the necessary details at the Guild."
"It's so light it seems to almost dance in my hands," he said, his tone one of awe as he stepped back and swung the blade through a couple of classic movements. "How did you manage to persuade him to make them?"
"I've made a few friends in my time, done a few favors. He said he was honored to be asked to make us blades. He had the steel already set aside for just such a special task."
Kusac brought the blade to rest and reverently replaced it in its wrapping.
"You asked why I gave you myself," Kaid said quietly. "Because we are three. Because we needed to be equals, and we weren't. I had no knowledge of my mental Talents, and you lacked the Brotherhood skills. You still have a lot to learn, Kusac, but you're no longer the novice you were. Neither am I. As for Carrie," he stopped. "Letting you have the same knowledge of me that she has was the only way to give you parity with her." He turned away and began wrapping up his own sword. "Besides, you already had the rest of me."
Kusac reached out and took hold of him by the shoulder, turning him round to face him. "Kaid."
"Enough. You earned my loyalty and my love long ago, both of you. Now go home to your wife and cub. Your time here is over for now. We leave in a month. I'll join you at the estate as soon as I can."
Kusac pulled him into an embrace. "You know how we feel about you," he said. "You know why I had to ask. I couldn't trust what I sensed, I had to hear you say it to believe it."
Kaid patted him affectionately before releasing him. "I know. This has been a strange time for all of us, but it's over now, thank Vartra. Now go home!"