Chapter Seven

Sevan stared up at the electromagnetically charged village fencing system. "With the amount of panic that wells up at the very mention of this Stegian's name and from the sight of what lengths they go to in order to keep him out, I'm beginning to think he's fifty feet tall."

"At least," Jordan said, arching a brow as he tossed a rock towards the fence. It bounced back hard and fast, nearly taking Jordan's head with it as it went. Nina appeared behind him and caught it with one had so effortlessly that both Sevan and Jordan's jaws dropped.

She smiled. "Careful, boys, it would be most unpleasant to find you decapitated by your own hands."

"See," Jordan adjusted his navy blue, off-duty, s.h.i.+rt collar, "told you she cared."

Nina laughed. "If caring means I will have to spend my evening gathering outsiders' heads off the ground before a child can wake to find them, then yes, I do care."

Unable to hold his laughter in, Sevan let it loose as he watched his brother do his best to play off the obvious blow to his ego. Nina walked up to them slowly, eyeing Sevan in a way that left him unsure if she was about to turn on him as well.

"You never made it to the quarters that were arranged for you, Captain."

"Uh," he murmured, drawing a blank instead of an explanation. Somehow, he didn't think she'd want to hear that he'd spent the night bunked with Lorelei, holding her in his arms and making love to her again and again as he had in his dreams.

"Want to tell us about this Stegian guy?"

"Not particularly." Her lack of emotion took him by surprise.

Sevan s.h.i.+fted awkwardly at first before deciding he had a right to know. "Excuse me but after the report I received about someone sabotaging repair efforts on my s.h.i.+p and the encounter with the were creature yesterday, I think circ.u.mstances warrant us being informed about the situation, in full."

Nina drew in her lower lip, an action he'd seen Lorelei do in many dreams. "I see. So, I take it that you believe it was one of our people that tampered with your vessel?"

"I can a.s.sure you that it wasn't one of my own." As Sevan said it, he wasn't sure he believed it. If what they had told him was correct and Stegian really did have the power to control men's minds then it could very well have been one of his own. The thought left him slightly chilled.

Nina merely smiled, not appearing offended in any way by his comment. "Captain, how well do you know your people's history?"

Jordan snickered and Sevan shot him a nasty look. He shut-up. "Well enough. Why?"

"Do you know of Project Exorcism?" she asked, arching a dark brow as she ran her fingers over a set of blue markings on her forearm. For a split second, Sevan was positive that they began to glow. It was gone so fast that he wasn't positive it was his mind playing tricks on him or not.

Jordan cleared his throat. "What does Earth's removal of supernatural beings have to do with Stegian? Of all the vessels sent out containing paranormal payloads, only one survived."

A horrible thought occurred to Sevan. He gasped, not wanting to believe it to be true. "No, brother. Only one made it to the predetermined destination. The rest were presumed lost-destroyed by the meteoroid shower."

Nina nodded. "I see that you're a fast thinker, Captain."

"Are you telling us that Stegian escaped from one of the vessels before it was torn apart?" Jordan asked, stealing the question from Sevan's lips.

"No," she let out a soft laugh, "no escape pods were necessary. The vessel made an unauthorized, emergency landing just outside of our village almost a hundred and fifty years ago."

"Nina."

Sevan looked behind him to find Christian standing there, his blond hair tied back at the base of his neck and wearing only a pair of dark brown pants. He locked gazes with Nina and the look he gave her was anything but friendly. "The man you a.s.signed to do morning systems checks has not completed them or reported in. I sent Pheebes to look into the matter."

"Hey, Chieftain," Sevan said, not caring how sarcastic he came across. "How's your day so far? Anything evil take your mind over and try to make you hurt my wife?"

Nina and Christian both stared at him with wide eyes. It was Nina who finally spoke. "Your wife?"

Jordan tipped his head, looking past Nina and smiled as he locked eyes with Sevan. "Smooth way to let them know."

"Let us know what?" Christian asked, his already deep voice suddenly sounding even lower.

"Jacquelyn!"

Sevan glanced around and did his best to figure out what was going on. They'd all mentioned Jacquelyn several times since he'd arrived but he had yet to meet her. In an instant, a young girl, no more than twelve appeared before him. She was so close that part of her should have brushed up against him or even pushed him back. It didn't. No.

The girl before him, with a head of long black hair and bright blue eyes, seemed to go through him. "What the...?"

She giggled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Brother-in-law."

"Brother-in-law?" Christian asked. "So, it is true?"

The young girl nodded. "Yes. The ritual was completed yesterday. The prophecy is coming true, Christian."

"Umm, anyone want to tell me why my hand is going through her?"

"Her name is Jacquelyn." Nina took a small step forward. "She is the youngest of the Janelles."

"She's your sister?" Jordan asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Nina snorted. "While sharing your mother's womb did you allow the Captain to soak up all of the fluids necessary for natural thought?"

"No. Why?"

Sevan couldn't help but laugh. "Jordan, I think she was making a joke."

"Oh, I knew that."

Jacquelyn giggled again, this time disappearing quickly. Sevan felt around the spot she'd been in, finding nothing to prove anyone at all had been there.

"The place is haunted," Jordan said, softly.

"No, not haunted. Come quickly I'll show you to Jacquelyn," Nina said, appearing less than pleased with the entire arrangement. She quickened her pace and they were forced into a slight jog to keep up with her.

They followed, but didn't say a word. Long, gray corridors began to run into one another, leaving Sevan unsure where one stopped and another began. For a brief moment he was positive that they'd walked in circles but when Nina stopped outside of a large red door, she looked back at him nervously. "This, gentlemen is my sister, Jacquelyn."

Nina put her hand on the door panel. It slid open quickly. Sevan stopped and grabbed hold of the wall for support when he saw the ma.s.s of tubes, and medical equipment hooked into the tiny frame on the bed. It was barely recognizable as human. Had he not seen the tiny girl standing before him only moments earlier he would not have a.s.sociated such a beautiful, radiant young child with what lay before him.

"What ... what happened to her?" Sevan asked, moving forward slowly and reaching out to touch the white sheet that covered her tiny body. The compulsion to prove that it wasn't the young girl was great. The need to know that Lorelei hadn't suffered a blow as big as what lay in the bed was greater. It was her baby sister there. The thought of that ripped at Sevan's gut.

Nina touched his hand and shook her head. "She says that it hurts when people touch her."

Puzzled, he shook his head. "How did she project her image outside?" Nina glanced around at the machines that filled the room. "Christian built this all after we found her ... umm ...

after the incident. Jacquelyn came to him first, in a vision. He is our healer, our Chieftain. With that position comes the power of the shamans and the strength of our greatest warriors. He was able to sense her near him. He knew what must be done. Her body may be useless and comatose, but her mind is very active, Captain. Of this, I am sure."

Sevan had a hard time believing that the large man who Nina had accused of attacking Lorelei could build such a thing, but it was clear by the way Christian stared at the child in the bed that his love for her was great. Had Sevan misjudged him? Had he let petty jealousy blind him to who Christian truly was?

Not wanting to think too hard about the answers, Sevan focused on the situation. Panel upon panel of computers lined the walls, each one seeming to be activated. A few screens were littered about, almost appearing random in the room but as he watched the code moved over them, he knew they were there for a reason.

He heard a giggle and turned to look at the door. Jacquelyn's apparition stood there grinning at him. Christian walked over to her and put out his arms. She ran into them and for a moment, Sevan could have sworn that she was real.

"How?"

"Christian loves me and he made it so I can still run around and play, when I want to, and...."

"Get into mischief," Christian said, pulling her head against his chest.

"I wish things could have been different, Christian. I saw Samson again today. He is well ... or as well as he can be now."

Christian stiffened at this statement, but forced a smile to his face. "Any news of pending attacks?"

"Yes, I overheard some of the others, ones that wandered near the outer edges of our village." Jacquelyn glanced at Sevan. "They spoke of the prophecy and the warriors from the sky that would come to aid in the fight against evil.

Stegian tells them that the prophecy is a lie but they aren't so sure."

Christian exhaled loudly as he set Jacquelyn down to stand on her own. "I see. What else did they say?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

Nina ran a hand over the markings on her left forearm again. "Jacquelyn."

Jacquelyn's face scrunched up and it was easy to see the resemblance to her sisters. "I hate that you can sense a lie, Nina."

"Yes, I know. Now, what else did they say?"

The young girl glanced nervously towards Christian. "They said that they know of Lorelei's mate coming from the vessel and that Stegian tried to control his mind fully but failed." She pointed at Jordan. "They know of you as well and believe you to be a great threat. Their instructions had been to kill you on sight and capture Sevan if at all possible. Stegian no longer wishes Lorelei dead either."

"What?" Christian asked, putting his hand on Jacquelyn's tiny shoulder.

"He wishes her brought to him alive so that he may have his hags drain the life force of the child she now carries.

Stegian refuses to acknowledge that the prophecy is true, yet he is going out of his way to a.s.sure that the child of light be brought to him immediately."

Christian stepped back quickly, clenched his fists and tipped his head back. "Lorelei is with child?"

Oh, s.h.i.+t. It's about to get ugly in here.

Sevan took a fighting stance, ready and willing to fight Christian if need be. Much to his surprise the attack didn't come from Christian. It came from Nina. She kicked out fast, catching him in the gut, sending him tumbling back into a wall of computers. He struck it hard and then hit the ground. He clutched his stomach and fought for breath.

Nina came at him fast, her eyes burning with a fury he'd never seen a woman hold before. "How dare you show up here out of nowhere and use my sister? You're nothing but an outsider, an offworlder who doesn't belong here and cannot wait to be rid of us."

Sevan refused to fight back. There was no way in h.e.l.l he was going to strike Lorelei's sister. She came at him again and Jordan stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Enough." A slow smile crept over her face as she swept her arm out. The next thing Sevan knew, Jordan was airborne. He hit the floor with a thud and moaned. Christian appeared and wrapped his arms around Nina. He lifted her off the ground as he rolled his eyes. "Nina, control yourself. Do you not see what has happened?"

She snarled. "All I see is a fast talker who couldn't even wait an entire day before sinking his c.o.c.k into my sister.

He used her, Christian, and now she will bear his child and spend her life protecting it from Stegian and his people while this ... this," she spat at him, "outsider goes back to his Commission life. It is my sister who will give her life for his need to sate his s.e.xual appet.i.te. You were to be her mate, Christian."

Christian shook his head. "No, Nina. I was not originally chosen. Samson was and I think we learned a hard lesson about pre-selecting mates from that, do you not agree?"

"Samson?" Jordan asked, rubbing his head.

Jacquelyn moved in close to him and touched his forehead lightly. A spark of light emanated from her hand and Jordan's eyes widened. "Thanks."

She smiled. "You're welcome. And to answer your question...."

Nina snarled again. "Tell them no more. They are leaving. I do not care if their s.h.i.+p is airworthy or not."

Jacquelyn giggled. "I never understood why Christian mumbles about the Janelle girls' tempers until now. He is right. You are the worst of the lot of us."

Jordan chuckled, earning a rather threatening look from Nina in the process. "I am not the worst of us all. Lorelei is."

Sevan got to his feet slowly, a bit achy and bruised. The woman packed a h.e.l.l of a kick, that much was for sure.

"Speaking of Lorelei, does she normally spend this long getting ready for her day?"

All eyes fell upon him. Nina's expression went from livid to concerned. "What do you mean?"

"She woke me and told me that she was going to get cleaned up and stop in to let Christian know that we were spending the day together. She mentioned wanting to show me the temples of Shamenia."

Christian ran quickly towards the panel at the far end of the room. He touched the pad and keyed in a set of numbers. "Attention, this is the Chieftain, all personnel report to your posts-the High Priestess is missing. I repeat.

The Devi is missing."

High Priestess?

Jacquelyn nodded. "Yes, brother-in-law, Lorelei is a high priestess, a Devi as the villagers call her. She is capable of great things. Yet, her abilities make her vulnerable to Stegian."

"You don't talk like a child," Jordan said, getting to his feet.

She smiled. "Because I am not really a child. My mind has been free to wander the computer systems since the day of my attack. Christian built the system to project the image of me as I was then. It has been many years since then. If I were still walking among you, I would be approaching my eighteenth birthday."

"Still, you sound even older than that at times but young at others." Jordan reached out and touched her tentatively.

She winked. "It's a programming flaw that Christian is trying to overcome. He is a genius so he'll have it figured out in no time. I think, one day, he'll be able to build me a new body, one that will let me run and be free to roam further than the outer limits of our village."

Christian moved past Jordan and headed straight for Sevan. "Lorelei never made it to meet me this morning. We need to split up into teams to search for her. I'm unable to get a lock on her location." He looked back at Jacquelyn.

"Run a scan of the village. She'll be easy to find if you search for new life forms. The child within her will trigger that."