Between Darkness and Light (29 page)

“Not exactly,” he said as she let him go. “We worked together.”

She grunted. “Modest. I like that in a male. I came here to meet you all and find out why my granddaughter preferred a Sholan over one of her own kind.”

“And did you find out why?” he asked, raising an eye ridge.

Tallinu!
sent Carrie, fighting to hide her smile.

“I hear you've just become a father for the second time in three months,” she said abruptly. “Must be catching. Something in the air on this estate, or the food, no doubt, since my granddaughter was similarly affected.”

“Cubs increase our Clan, Syppesh,” he replied, joining Carrie on the sofa. “They're a blessing to everyone. I cherish all my children. You've met my son, Dzaka, I believe.”

Syppesh turned briefly to look at Dzaka.

“I've assured Syppesh that accidents like the one that resulted in Giyesh's pregnancy are rare,” said Rhyasha smoothly. “Very few females have the strength of ability to help a female from another species, even one as closely related as ours, become pregnant the way Zashou helped Giyesh.”

“Absolutely,” Carrie agreed. “Zashou was only able to do it because she'd been affected by the la'quo on Jalna.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” said Syppesh, looking over at Giyesh as she sat beside Jeran cuddling her tiny cub. “But I still have the matter of her future to decide. My daughter is naturally most concerned. She, of course, wants Giyesh and her child to return with me.”

Damn! I'd hoped this would have been resolved by now,
Carrie sent to Kaid.

Hush, cub,
interrupted Rhyasha.
It will be. Syppesh has agreed to spend tonight with me because of the weather. More snow storms are forecast. It isn't safe for her to travel.

Sensing that Giyesh was about to object, Carrie put her hand warningly on the other's arm. “Giyesh lives here, Syppesh,” she said. “She's bonded to Jeran and has become a member of our Clan.”

“I understand she's chosen him as her first mate, but . . .”

“Not first,” interrupted Carrie. “They life-bonded, and a marriage under Sholan law is legally binding throughout the Alliance worlds.”

Syppesh narrowed her eyes as she looked at Carrie. “She's a member of your Family?”

“Not just her, but their child,” said Carrie. “We don't accept people into our Clans lightly, Syppesh. When we do, it's forever.”

“As I told you myself, Syppesh,” said Rhyasha gently. “Are you satisfied?”

Syppesh stood up suddenly, surprising them all. “I'm satisfied. My business here is done. Your husband and you will be welcome any time you wish to visit your birth Family, Giyesh. I'll tell your mother that you will not be returning because you are well settled with your new one. See that you repay their commitment with the duty that you were so reluctant to give us. I'd not thought to find such strong Family loyalty to one of our people from two other species.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” stammered Giyesh, obviously taken aback by the Matriarch's sudden decision.

I told you all would be well,
sent Rhyasha, her mental tone full of gentle humor.
We spoke before Giyesh and Jeran arrived. All she wanted was to be sure her granddaughter was happy and that our Clan system was as close as their Families are. You didn't disappoint me, Carrie.

“Jeran, you can embrace me,” ordered the doughty female.

Ears back and tail tip flicking nervously, Jeran got up and approached the Matriarch. Happily for him, it was she who took him by the shoulders and held him close to her ample bosom before releasing him as Rhyasha rose to her feet.

“You take care of that great granddaughter of mine, Jeran Khesrey,” she said sternly. “And make sure I get regular updates on her. Giyesh is not the most communicative of my grandchildren.”

“Yes, absolutely, your—Liege,” he stammered, as taken aback as his mate.

“Shall we go, Rhyasha? I have to admit to being worn out by the journey here from your capital.”

“Certainly, Syppesh,” Rhyasha said. “I'll take you in my aircar. Your pilot can follow us in yours. Good night, children,” she said, escorting Syppesh to the door. “My congratulations to you and T'Chebbi, Kaid. What are you calling your daughter, and is T'Chebbi well? The birth was very quick.”

“Rishu,” said Kaid, getting up. “T'Chebbi's fine, but exhausted, obviously. Vanna said she'd been in labor since this morning but hadn't realized it because she'd thought it was just her back paining her.”

“That's not uncommon among our females,” nodded Syppesh as Rhyasha opened the lounge door.

Giyesh's cub began to whimper gently. “We better leave too,” she said, getting up as the door closed behind Rhyasha and her grandmother. “Shayal's hungry. Thank you for speaking up for us, Carrie.”

“I did nothing much,” said Carrie as she and Kaid walked them to the door. “Rhyasha and your grandmother had worked it out before you arrived.”

“You still spoke up for us,” said Jeran. “And it was you and Kaid who suggested a way for us to join Rhyasha's Clan.” His eye ridges creased in a frown. “Will it matter that you told her we were members of your Clan when we're actually members of the Aldatan Clan?”

“We're part of the Aldatan Clan, too,” Carrie reassured them as they went out into the hallway and waited for Nyan to bring them their coats.

When they'd left, Carrie leaned tiredly against Kaid. “I suppose we'd better head for the kitchen and Zsurtul now,” she sighed. “I wonder what brought him here. He wouldn't tell me, said he needed to speak to me in person.”

“From the way today's gone so far, it won't be something minor, we can bet on that,” said Kaid, wrapping an arm round her shoulders.

 

“They want me to go home now that the twenty M'zullians have left,” said Zsurtul when they were settled once more in the lounge. “I don't want to go home, Carrie. I can't stay at the Warrior Clan estate, and if I go to the Embassy, they'll send me home.”

“Why don't you want to go home?” Kaid asked, studying the worried young Prime carefully.

“I don't like the Palace, or the City of Light. It's all protocol and I get no freedom. Let me stay here, please.”

“There's another reason. You aren't telling us everything,” said Carrie, sensing that this was not the whole truth.

The Prince gave a slight smile. “I should have known I couldn't hide it from you,” he said, looking down at his hands. “I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think you'd believe me.”

“You won't know till you try us,” said Carrie reasonably.

He regarded her, an earnest look on his face. “I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about going home,” he said simply. “I get them from time to time.”

“Nothing you can put your finger on,” murmured Carrie, almost to herself. She was well aware of that feeling, she'd had it too many times herself. “Well, you're staying here for tonight anyway, Zsurtul. We know what it's like to want to avoid duty, but we all have to face up to it at some point. We'll talk about it again tomorrow. It's been a long day.”

“Zhala told me,” he said. “T'Chebbi has a hatchling—I mean a cub—a daughter, with you, Kaid,” he said, looking up at the Sholan male. “I don't understand, though. I thought you and Carrie . . . and then there's you and Kusac . . .” Looking from Kaid to Carrie, he ground to a halt.

“We were all three mentally Linked, Zsurtul,” said Carrie tiredly. “Until the
Kz'adul
took us on board. We're a legal family unit.”

“Then T'Chebbi is your Mistress?” he asked Kaid.

“Not quite,” said Kaid, uncomfortably. “You could call her my Consortia, a position with legal status to allow us to share cubs because I'm life-bonded to Carrie. I have a legal responsibility to care for her and our daughter for at least the next three years.”

Carrie stood up. “I think it's time we went in for third meal,” she said. “Zhala's anxious about the food getting cold.”

 

By the time they'd eaten, it was late. Carrie showed the young Prime to his room before she headed for the nursery to join Kaid.

Kashini was fast asleep, but the nurse had just laid the twins in their cot for the night.

Kaid was leaning over the high side, gently stroking his daughter's face with one hand while Dhaykin clasped his tiny hand round the other. As she joined him, the cubs blinked up at her, purring sleepily.

“I never tire of looking at them,” he said, smiling at her.

“Kashini's anxious to meet her new sister, Liege,” said Yashui as she stacked damp night clothes into a basket for the laundry. “Is she like her mother or yourself, Master Kaid? And what have you called her?”

“Like her mother,” said Kaid, moving aside so Carrie could say her good nights. “Same long tabby-gray pelt. She's called Rishu.”

“She'll be a beauty then,” said Yashui with satisfaction. “When will Sister T'Chebbi be coming home?”

“Tomorrow,” said Kaid as Carrie turned to leave. “She'll be home for midwinter festival. Rishu will be in her room with her for the first two weeks then the cub will join her sisters and brother here. You'll have Rishu's nurse to help you, of course.”

Yashui flicked her ears in acknowledgment. “I'll need the help,” she said candidly.

“I thought you told me Kashini had calmed down since I brought the twins home.”

“She has, and she loves them dearly, but she's still a berran herself and needs more attention than I can give her right now.”

“I have her with me as much as possible,” murmured Carrie, feeling a pang of guilt that she had to leave her firstborn in the nursery when she attended to the estate business.

“No one's saying you don't, Clan Leader,” said Yashui hurriedly. “You spend more time with your cubs than many a mother on the estates I know of—Master Kaid, too. You have to look after us all, not just your berrans.”

“Carrie knows what you mean, Yashui,” said Kaid gently, taking Carrie by the elbow and steering her out of the nursery. “Good night.”

 

As he closed the door, Kaid turned to Carrie. “Will you join me in my room tonight?” he asked, touching her cheek gently with his fingertips.

She shook her head. “I'm going down to the Shrine to speak to Ghyan about Kusac's message.”

Kaid stiffened, letting his hand fall to her shoulder. “I've told you, you're clutching at straws.”

“You may be able to sit and wait for Kusac to contact us, but I can't,” she said quietly. “I need to find out why he left Shola, because I don't believe the reason we've been given.”

“It's been snowing for the past four hours,” said Kaid. “I don't suppose that's going to stop you, though.”

“A little snow never hurt anyone. You go to bed, Kaid,” she said gently. “I know how tired you are, but don't ask me to leave this. I can't.”

Unspoken words hung between them until Kaid turned aside. “You haven't called me Kaid since we became lovers,” he said quietly. “Good night, Carrie.”

She watched him walk off to his room, feeling the hurt she'd caused him, and well aware that he also knew how much his refusal to look at the message had hurt her. Her heart as heavy as his, she made her way downstairs.

“There's nothing obvious, Carrie,” said Ghyan after they'd watched the recording several times. “No hand signals, no phrases that stick out.” He rubbed his hands tiredly across his face. “You say that Father Lijou didn't bring the crystal when he brought the bracelets?”

“No. He said he'd kept it, hoping to spare me any more distress,” she said, reaching into her pocket for her lighter and tobacco tin, taking out a cigarette she'd rolled earlier. “You don't mind me smoking, do you?”

He shook his head, passing her the ashtray Brynne used when he visited.

“But I knew there was a message, I could feel it in the bracelets. Lijou admitted it and sent it over the next day with one of the Brothers from Stronghold.” She flicked the lighter lid open and lit her cigarette, inhaling deeply. The rush of nicotine made her briefly dizzy.

“Kusac is considered a criminal, you know. Raiban has a couple of warrants out for his arrest. Perhaps the delay was because they wanted to be sure there was no hidden message. If that's the case, then I think you can assume there isn't one.”

“Not one they could find,” said Carrie. “But something about it isn't quite right.”