“
That would be wonderful,” Saylan exclaimed.
Raya returned with a tray of beverages and snacks for the couple to enjoy. She left them alone again, for she felt that Xarrid was the key to getting Saylan back to her normal self.
When dusk began to fall, Xarrid decided he didn’t want to wear out his welcome. “I think I need to be heading home now. I don’t want to over stay and you still need your rest.”
“
When will I see you again?” she asked.
“
Whenever you want.”
“
Tomorrow?”
“
Tomorrow.” He took her hand and kissed her palm and then the back of her hand. Then he went to move her off his lap, but she grabbed him and hugged him to her.
“
We were going to be united weren’t we?”
“
We still are Saylan. Whenever you’re ready, you name the day and time and I’ll be there waiting for you.”
She looked at him and nodded, gave him a quick kiss and smiled before she moved off of his lap.
“
I promise not to take too long Xarrid.”
“
We have our whole lives sweetheart. And Saylan?”
“
Yes?”
“
I love you. Good night.” He moved so swiftly he was gone before she could respond.
Xarrid
Joy...despair...joy...despair. Emotional upheaval. Jurek keeps telling me everything is moving in the right direction. I left her house and was so torn.
On the one hand, I was ecstatic that she wanted to see me and was open to a relationship. On the other hand, she still had no memory of us together. Bloody hell, she had no memory at all.
Jurek kept chiding me for my pessimism. He was right. I had gone from not seeing her to kissing and holding her in my arms. I should be doing flips over all of this. Why do I have to look at the dark side of things?
I guess it’s because I am so eager for her get her memory back so we can resume our lives together. I want it to happen immediately, as I was never a very patient man.
I feel like she is a fragile piece of precious porcelain, and I must handle her with care.
What I really need to do is to go and kick some Xanthian ass...find those bastards that did this to her and take every one of them out. They don’t deserve to live and this whole nanochip thing needs to stop. What they are doing to people is disgusting. Experimenting like that.
********
“
The Guardians are going back down to Earth,” Jurek informed me.
“
Huh?” I spun around and looked at him. My chin nearly hit the floor.
“
You heard me. Rayn decided it was in their best interests to send a team back down. Sharra and Maddie are going as part of it.”
“
You’ve got to be joking!”
I was flabbergasted. After all this time and carnage, I couldn’t imagine what spurred him on to this decision.
“
Your sister had something to do with it perhaps, along with your activities with me. Only my assumptions and you know what they say about assuming.”
“
Yeah, but I’m still surprised. No, shocked as hell is more like it.”
My mind instantly filled with things I needed to do. I rubbed my palms together in anticipation.
Jurek shook his head saying, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“
I’m going with them!”
“
No you’re not.”
“
Excuse me?”
“
You heard me. You’re role is to keep diverting the supplies to the humans. What you’ve been doing has now become more important than ever. The Guardians are going to assist the humans in rebelling. They won’t succeed without those supplies.”
I thought about what he said and he was dead right, of course. However, that removed my opportunity to kick...no change that to kill some Xanthian ass. My goal was to find the sadistic bastards that were implanting those chips and then I had some special plans of my own for them.
“
You really think you can do that on your own?” Jurek asked me.
“
No, but I was going to ask you for your help.”
“
Of course I’ll help you, but right now we need to stay on track with what we’re doing. I have a team trying to locate what you’re looking for.”
I itched to get my hands on some Xanthians and rip them to shreds...absolute bloody shreds. I wanted revenge and I wouldn’t rest until I had it.
“
You’re so wrong my friend. It won’t heal your wounds. It will only put on a temporary bandage and then you’ll have to live with your sins. The only thing that will heal your wounds is being close to Saylan and watching her mind return to normal.”
Deep down I knew he was right, but I had this single minded devotion of hatred for the Xanthians for killing my brother and hurting Saylan that I couldn’t relinquish.
“
Do what you think you must Xarrid but if you go down to Earth, that removes you from Saylan and she needs you now.”
That statement ran through my gut like a hot knife through butter. He knew damn well I couldn’t or wouldn’t leave her.
“
When you put it like that, I have no options. I must continue on with you then. I won’t leave her now...or ever. Flying these small missions even is difficult. Who am I kidding thinking I can traipse off and leave her for months at a time? You know something?”
“
What?”
“
If she ever regains her memory, I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable being away from her again. I get itchy thinking about it.”
********
I walked into the family residence of the Palace to find Rayn and Maddie seated on the sofa.
“
Am I interrupting anything?”
I could tell I was, but I needed to speak with Rayn. Maddie got up to leave but stopped on her way out the door and told me how happy she was that Saylan had asked for me. I thanked her and told her to go and visit her friend.
Then I headed toward Rayn. “I wanted you to know how pleased I am by your decision regarding Earth.”
“
I knew you would be but I’m not in the mood to discuss it.”
I looked at him and for the first time saw the dark circles beneath his eyes, the creases between them and the darkness within their depths. Even though we’d had our disagreements over the past few months, Rayn was my brother and I would do anything for him.
“
What is it? Talk to me.”
“
Maddie has decided to join one of the teams along with Sharra. I’m not pleased with her decision. The danger down there is at an unprecedented level and I can’t for the life of me talk her out of this mad scheme of hers.”
“
Bloody hell Rayn. I’m sorry.”
I knew how he felt and I also knew why Maddie would volunteer for something like this. Now was not the time to reason with him though.
“
Listen, if this will help at all, I can get Jurek to assign a few of his men to her team...without her knowledge of course. Knowing Maddie, she’d flip out if she knew. Anyway, Jurek’s men could keep an eye on them in case things get too heated up down there.”
His features instantly relaxed at that suggestion. The creases between his eyes eased and the ticking in his jaw dissipated. “Could you do that? I realize it would be impossible for them to be there constantly, but it would ease my mind if I knew they were being looked after.”
“
There will be several of his teams there anyway to coordinate the dispersing of supplies so I doubt that will be much of a problem at all.”
“
Thanks Xarrid. And how’s Saylan?”
“
Better I think. Still no memories though.”
“
Keep hoping. Don’t give up on her.”
I smiled at him, thinking back to the way she crawled on my lap and held me. “I won’t. Ever.”
Zander shuffled his feet as he stood before the imposing structure of the Palace.
What the devil am I doing here? What was I thinking? I need to turn around and get out of here!
The huge door swung open then and a uniformed guard asked, “May I be of assistance?”
“
Er, yes. I am here for Sharra.”
He raised his brow and looked at Zander suspiciously. “And you are...?”
Bloody hell! I’m an idiot, that’s who I am!
“
Forgive me please. My name is Zander Thar and I am here to collect Sharra. We have an arranged appointment.”
“
Yes sir. Please enter.”
The guard moved aside and allowed Zander to enter the Palace.
“
Please follow me.”
Zander followed him up a flight of stairs and along a corridor. They entered a large living area that appeared to be a more informal area of the palace.
“
I will inform Ms. Yarrister that you are here. Please have a seat.”
Zander looked around the room and noticed all the lovely paintings on the wall. He’d been so nervous when he’d entered the Palace, he hadn’t even paid attention to the entryway. If he had, we would have been awed by its magnificence.
The interior was luxurious by any standards. Masterful oil paintings and hand woven tapestries graced the walls while the polished marble floors gleamed.
The palace consisted of five levels. The main level contained all the formal areas...the grand dining room, greeting rooms, music room, ballroom, and so forth.
The second floor was where the family resided for the most part. The informal living areas, kitchen, dining room, entertainment room, exercise area, and the like were all located here.
Zander was raised in a meager household. His father was an educator and his mother stayed at home to raise him. He wasn’t used to such luxury so he was not very comfortable in this environment.
He glanced down at what he had chosen to wear and suddenly he felt ashamed. He wished he had thought of all of this before he had asked her to dinner. Now he wasn’t even sure if he could swallow a bite of food, much less carry on a conversation.
Turning his attention from the painting over the fireplace, which he’d recognized as the Great Leader Rowan and his mate Annalise, his eye caught the view from the window. It was of the terrace and the mountains in the distance, and the sun was setting making the whole scene look like a painting. He stared at it briefly and it triggered something in his mind when he glanced at a painting on the wall. Then he figured it out. The painting was the same scene, but it was of Rayn, the first born son, with his mate Maddie, on the day of their Unification Ceremony.
Zander glanced between the scene below him and the painting several times and smiled, thinking how wonderful a day it must have been for the couple.
“
You must be thinking good thoughts because you certainly have a pleasant smile on your face.”
Her voice, like a song in the wind, startled him for a moment. But then he laughed. “I was. It must have been a wonderful day when your brother was married. That painting is lovely. And I was admiring the view as well.”
Sharra grinned. “Ah yes. It was a great day indeed. But getting there was certainly a test, I can tell you that! We were all glad when they were finally united,” she giggled.
“
I don’t understand.”
“
No, I don’t suppose you do. Perhaps I will share that with you some day. I’m sorry I kept you waiting. So, what do you have in mind for tonight? Would you like to go out? We can eat here if you’d like?”
He looked at her and stared. He was tongue tied. What he really wanted to do wasn’t allowed. Vesturions and their damn celibacy vows, he thought. He would stand by them even though he didn’t want to. He would never do anything to her she didn’t want either. But if he could, he would love to just stand and stare at her all night.
There was something he needed to get off of his mind though. Without any hesitancy he plunged right into the heart of it.
“
When I arrived here, I felt very intimidated. I grew up without much Sharra. I am not a male of means. If this is something that is important to you or your family, please tell me now and I will leave.”
Sharra let out a huge
harrumph
. “I thought we covered this earlier. I’m only interested in what’s in your heart and mind. Not your bank account. Okay?”
He took three giant steps toward her, wrapped his arms around her and touched his lips to hers. He’d intended to start and end with a light peck. What he hadn’t planned on was her response. She circled her arms around his back and hugged his body tightly to hers. Then she whispered against his mouth, “Don’t you even think about stopping with just that Zander Thar.”
Xarrid knocked on the door to Saylan’s house. Raya answered the door, laughing. And it wasn’t just a softhearted laugh. It was a down and out guffaw. Xarrid was puzzled. He hadn’t known Saylan’s parents very well before this and had never seen this side of her mother’s personality.
“
I’m sorry Xarrid. But you need to see this. Saylan is in the dining room and...well, just go inside and see for yourself.”
Xarrid walked through the house. It wasn’t a huge house, but it wasn’t small either. The entryway funneled into a hall in which one could access most of the living area of the house. Xarrid could hear Saylan’s laugher well before he reached the dining room. When we got to the room, he stood in the opening and just watched her for a few minutes.
She sat at the table, which was covered in all sorts of platters and dishes. When Xarrid looked closely, he saw that each dish held a different type of food. As he watched Saylan, he finally figured out what she was doing.