Sought...Book 3 in the Brides of the Kindred series (51 page)

What do you give?
Deep asked after a
moment when the voice appeared to have finished speaking.
Do you
mean you’ll allow me to switch places with Kat? Please, Goddess,
please, let it be so.

Remember my words,
the
voice whispered, not answering his question.
Listen
carefully that you may hide them deep in your heart. A war is
coming—a conflict that will make the battles you have had with your
enemy thus far seem like the battling of children at play with
their toys.

Am I to play a part in it?
Deep’s
heart sank.
Does that mean you won’t allow me to die in Kat’s
place?

Many will have a part to play.
Not least of all this one.
The image of Kat melted away to be
replaced by one of Xairn.

Him?
Deep couldn’t help feeling
doubtful.
But he’s one of them—a Scourge.

Has he not conducted himself
as a true Kindred would?
the Goddess demanded.
I
tell you, Deep, this male is close to my heart. Much grief and pain
has he bourn, yet he remains bowed but not broken.

He did seem to revere Lauren as a proper
male should his female,
Deep admitted grudgingly.
Still, I
don’t see—

His heart is in conflict,
the Goddess continued.
Though I have planted light
within him, there are seeds of darkness as well. The outcome of the
conflict I spoke of will hang upon his will.
Her voice grew
stern again.
I charge you, Warrior, that you give him
aid if he asks it of you. That you help him in any way you can. And
that you not speak of this until the time is right. Do you
understand?

I understand.
Deep wanted to ask how
he would know when the time was right but he had a feeling the
question was unnecessary. The Goddess would let him know when it
was time to reveal what she had showed him. Until then, for however
long he had, he would keep the secret in his heart.

A long, lonesome time,
he thought,
feeling an ache when he thought of Kat.
An eternity without my
Kat. Unless I am given the opportunity to speak at once and then I
die in her place.
Anything was possible, he supposed. He only
hoped he wouldn’t have to live without the woman he loved and the
brother that was still so dear to him—even if the emotional bonds
between the three of them were cut.

It is time for you to
return,
the voice murmured in his ear.
Remember
all that I have told you. Remember that I give to you what few
others receive.

But what…What

“Is it?” he finished aloud.

“Wh-what’s what?” Kat was sobbing
uncontrollably and Lock was holding her in his arms with a look of
pure misery on his face.

“Forgive me, my lady,” he murmured. “But I
said nothing.”

“Yes you did.” She looked up at him,
sniffing. “You…you said ‘what is it?”

Deep cleared his throat. “Actually, I said
that.”

The expressions on their faces when they
looked at him made Deep wish he had a recording device. Shock and
dismay were followed by fear, disbelief, and finally, burgeoning
hope.

“D-deep?” Kat whispered, her voice scratchy
from crying. “Deep, is that you?”

“It certainly looks like it.” Glancing down
at himself, Deep saw that he was still nude, though he and Lock
were no longer fused or joined to Kat.

“Are you all right, Brother?” Lock’s voice
sounded strained and hoarse. He put out a hand as though he could
scarcely believe it. “Are you…really all right?”

Deep seized his hand and squeezed it
tightly. “I feel fine, Brother. Never better.”

“Yes…” Lock looked at him in wonder. “You
do
feel fine. I feel it in my bones—your wellbeing. Your
happiness to see us again.”

“What are you talking about?” Kat asked
uncertainly.

“The bond. The emotional bond between us,”
Deep said slowly. “I don’t know how it’s possible but it’s back.
It’s been restored.”

“I…I think I can feel him too,” Kat said
hesitantly. “Only I can hardly tell if it’s just me or both of you.
I feel…I’m so filled with joy. And gratitude. Oh, Deep!” She threw
herself into his arms and he caught her and held her tight. “You’re
back. You’re really back and all right!” Her voice trembled with
emotion.

“Yes, I am.” Deep stroked her shining hair
gently, so filled with joy he could barely speak. But then he had a
new thought. If he was back in his physical form with not a cut or
a scratch on him, did it mean that the Goddess had decided
not
to let him trade places with Kat?

Surely she wouldn’t be that cruel,
he
thought, carefully shielding his thoughts.
To bring me back and
let me hold the woman I love and then take her away again. Oh,
please Goddess…

Kat, who had had her face buried in his
chest, pulled back to look up at him. “You’re upset now. What’s
wrong?”

“Yes, what is troubling you, Brother?” Lock
leaned forward, frowning.

“This.” Lifting Kat’s chin, Deep brushed his
fingers over her right cheek…and then realized that it was smooth
and unmarked. Had he mistaken which cheek had been wounded with the
kusax?
Quickly, he turned her chin to look at the other
cheek—nothing. So the Goddess
had
honored his request.
Knowing what he would see, Deep turned to look at the viewer which
was still humming beside the bed. He examined the angular planes of
his own cheeks and found…nothing.

So he wasn’t to trade places with Kat after
all. Instead, they were both to live. The soul poisoning was gone.
Healed. And the Goddess had restored their bonds.
Oh thank you,
Mother of All Life. Thank you so much!

Lock, who had been watching him and Kat in
the viewer, seemed to realize what was going on at the same time.
“My lady…” His voice trembled with joy and disbelief. “Kat, your
cheek.”

“What?” She put a hand to her right cheek,
frowning. “Has it spread some more?”

“No,” Deep brushed her hand aside and
pointed at her reflection in the viewer. “It’s gone, little Kat.
It’s completely gone.”

“Oh my God. What does that mean?” She
examined her unblemished cheek in the mirror. “Has it moved
somewhere else?” She looked down at the rest of her body and then
examined herself in the viewer, looking for the green spiral of the
soul poison.

Deep already knew she wouldn’t find a thing.
A puff of air so soft that no one but him could hear it blew gently
against his ear.
I give to you what few others
receive, Deep,
it whispered.
A second chance. Use
it wisely and well. Love your lady and your brother and treat them
with respect and kindness as a true Kindred should. And do not
forget your promise.

I won’t,
Deep sent, his heart filled
to overflowing with gratitude.
Thank you so very much, Goddess.
I won’t forget.

“You won’t forget what?” Lock was frowning
at him and Kat was still searching her body uncertainly.

“Stop.” Deep, lifted her chin and kissed her
gently on the forehead. “Stop looking, little Kat. You’re not going
to find anything—you’re cured.”

“Cured? Are you sure?” The light of hope
shone in her eyes. “But how? By who?”

“By the same one who sent me back to both of
you.” Deep hugged her tightly and then beckoned with his free arm
to Lock. “Come here, Brother.”

Lock joined their embrace with tears in his
eyes and they held Kat tightly between them in the way of the Twin
Kindred when they find their true bride.

You’re ours now, little Kat,
Deep
sent her through the new and very permanent bond that had been
formed in their joining.
Mine and Lock’s forever.

You mean…we’re bonded? Completely bonded
this time?
She looked up at him, uncertainty filling her lovely
blue eyes.

I hope you don’t mind, my lady,
Lock
sent anxiously.
But it’s true—feel the depth of the bond between
us. This connection is to the soul bond we shared previously as a
rope is to a thread. It binds us tightly and permanently
together.

Lock’s right,
Deep told her.
I’m
afraid there’s no going back.

No going back? You idiots!
Kat was
laughing and crying at the same time as she pulled them both close
again.
I don’t
want
to go back! I just
want to spend the rest of my life with the two most wonderful guys
in this or any other galaxy.

Oh?
Deep raised an eyebrow at her.
And who are they? Have we met them?

You…
Kat shook her head, still
laughing through her tears.
I swear one of these days I’m going
to kill you, Deep.

I’ve already died.
He made his mental
voice serious as he looked into her eyes.
But I came back for
you, little Kat. You and Lock. And to keep a promise.

“A promise?” Lock said aloud, frowning. “A
promise to who?”

“Never mind.” Deep shook his head. “I’ll
tell you when the time is right. And it isn’t yet.”

“
I
know what the time is right for.”
Kat’s eyes were suddenly half-lidded with desire as she smiled up
at him and Lock. “It’s time for another session of bonding sex
between the three of us. I want to feel both of you in me
again.”

Deep smiled. “You want to ‘renew our vows’
as they say on Earth, already?”

“Absolutely.” She smiled. “And do you think
this time we could manage to do it without anybody being dead for a
couple of minutes and giving the rest of us heart attacks?”

“I think that can be arranged, my lady.”
Lock smiled and stroked a strand of silky red hair out of her eyes.
“And this time I want to be in front.”

“You can both take turns being in front and
back all night long.” Kat smiled and gave them each a long, slow
kiss. “I drank a whole glassful of that bonding juice, remember? I
don’t think the effects will be wearing off any time soon.”

“I hope not, little Kat,” Deep murmured as
he and his brother lowered their bride gently to the bed and
prepared to bond her to them all over again. “I certainly hope
not.”

“So Sylvan gave you and Deep both a clean
bill of health?” Olivia chose a homemade soft pretzel from the tray
and added a tiny dollop of horseradish mustard before taking a big
bite.

“Yup. We’re good to go—not a trace of soul
poisoning anywhere.” Kat smiled happily.

“But how?” Sophie asked. “What healed
you?”

“Mother L’rin told Deep that if the three of
us had a bond we could dilute the poison. We didn’t think a bond
was possible when we,
ahem
, had bonding sex, but apparently
we formed one anyway. So that’s the official theory. But Deep seems
to think there’s more to it.”

Like what?” Liv asked

“I don’t know and he’s not telling. I guess
the important thing is that we’re all healthy and together.” Kat
sighed happily. “I’m just so glad everything’s okay. And I can even
act as their focus as often as I want—now that we’re bonded it’s
safe. So it looks like I have a whole new career in front of
me.”

“I thought you wanted to go to law school,”
Sophie said.

“Nope. Having hot three-way sex in order to
find missing persons is way more fun than torts and tax law.” Kat
grinned.

“My, my. You’re grandmother will be
so
proud,” Liv said dryly, adding more mustard, a splash of
soy sauce, and some creamy peanut butter to her next bite of
pretzel.

“She’s just happy I’m not going to die,” Kat
said seriously. “I don’t think she cares what I do for a living as
long as I
live.”
She made a face as Liv added even more
condiments to her pretzel. “Uh, don’t take this the wrong way, hon,
but that looks disgusting.”

“It may look awful but it tastes like
heaven.”
Liv smiled.

“She’s been craving salty instead of sweet
lately,” Sophie explained taking a dainty bite of her own soft
pretzel. “I swear I’m going to become a master baker just trying to
keep up with her pregnant whims.”

“You’re the best sister ever.” Olivia smiled
at her gratefully. “And
you’re
the best friend,” she told
Kat. “Although you
should
have told us the minute you knew
you weren’t going to die instead of spending the rest of the night
having wild three-way sex with your men.” Her gray eyes filled with
tears. “Sophie and I sat up all night talking about how much we
were going to miss you. And…and…” She sniffed. “Sorry. Hormones
again.”

“Aw, Liv, I’m so sorry. Really I am!” Kat
leaned over and hugged her. “I know it wasn’t very nice of me but I
was so happy that Deep was back from the dead and I wasn’t going to
die. Plus, I drank like a whole glass full of horny juice—you know,
from the bonding fruit? And it kind of…clouded my judgment.”

Sophie shook her head. “You and that bonding
fruit. I honestly think you’re addicted, Kat.”

“Better addicted to bonding fruit than
pretzels with horseradish, soy sauce, and peanut butter,” Kat
pointed out, laughing.

“I guess so.” Liv stopped eating and stared
at her pretzel thoughtfully. “You know what this needs? Some hot
sauce. Do you have any?”

“I don’t think so.” Sophie got up to look.
“Tranq Prime food is pretty bland…except when it’s completely
disgusting, which is most of the time. Sylvan doesn’t care much for
condiments.”

“I can run get some from our suite if you
want. I think I have a tiny little bottle of Tabasco somewhere,”
Kat offered.

“No!” Sophie yelled at the same time Liv
said, “Not on your life.”

Kat looked at them in surprise. “What? You
changed your mind?”

Sophie came back to the couch looking
sheepish. “No, it’s just that Liv and I made a pact not to let you
out of our site for a little while. Since every time you leave you
wind up doing crazy things like getting soul bonded or
poisoned.”