Finite (2 page)

Time didn’t exist in this place. The light was always the same unless the weird beam was in action. She sat on the giant’s bier and played tick-tack-toe with herself and some pebbles she had found against one wall.

She was hungry, thirsty and still tired, but as long as she could keep herself entertained, she would be fine. She hoped.

The image of the giant was interesting. His face had been sculpted to appear as if a drape was over his head, leaving only his lips and jawline exposed. Those lips were very tempting.

She looked left and right, the smacked herself in the face. “What am I thinking?”

She had honestly been considering pressing her lips to that perfectly chiselled stone mouth.

The sting from her slap kept her concentrating on her game for a minute until her gaze strayed over to those lips once again.

There wasn’t anyone watching, so she crept over and stroked the lips with one finger.

Wake me with love.

“Whoa! Hold it. I didn’t wake anyone with love. Love was never mentioned. I am quite sure that love was not a factor.”

The silent laughter ran through the room once again.
Hold me close, and give me your heart.

“Wait, I know I didn’t do that. I mean, all I did was sleep on this…oh damn.”

A beam of light struck and swirled against the wall, opening a portal that showed her a figure rapidly approaching the sealed room.

Cera blushed as the features of Cethnu were quite clearly stamped on the features of the man approaching her. Silky burgundy hair swayed with every step, dark gold catlike eyes were under winged brows and the lips she had just touched were featured on his elegant face. High cheekbones and a strong jaw gave him an intense expression that kept her riveted.

He was dressed like the men outside, but his arms were covered with tattoos, and the man in front of her was taller by half a head at least.

She froze, straddling the giant on the bier. The newcomer stopped inches from her, and he casually lifted her from the bier before setting her on her feet.

“Thank you for waking me.”

Cera grimaced. “It wasn’t my choice. I was jammed in here and tricked into meeting the conditions.”

He smiled and stroked her cheek with the pads of his fingers. “All but one. You find this form pleasing?”

Cera fought the shiver that ran through her. “I do, but that is still cheating. You ran through my thoughts.”

“I needed a form you would accept. The criteria are used to determine your true desires.”

“The blood?”

“My body must not harm yours.”

Whoa
. “Why would my body be in danger?” She backed away from him. “And why was I hauled here?”

“The brotherhood needed me to wake, and so they had to bring me a mate. My time on this world is measured by your days.” He stepped forward.

“But
what
are you?”

“Pieces of stars, worlds, anything that passed and left a bit of themselves on Haloth. My true kind is lost to history, but I remain.”

“What is your name?”

“Renn. Lord of Haloth and master of the brotherhood.” He bowed low, and when he straightened, he took her hand. “Thank you for your presence, Cera Morrissy. Now, let’s go see what my priests need.”

They walked to the door, and it swung open suddenly, causing the priests kneeling outside to jerk in shock.

Cera had to admit that the image was satisfying, but she was too tired to really enjoy it. Renn’s hand was tight on hers. She wasn’t going anywhere.

Instead of the handful of priests, there were dozens kneeling on the ground outside the chamber. Cera touched her hair and then decided that if they wanted her to look neat and tidy, there would have been somewhere to fix her hair in that chamber.

The brotherhood bowed low and waited.

“I have woken, and I now walk among you. Cera is both the tool and the sole means to my awakening. Respect her and treat her as you would me.” Renn waited and then said, “You may rise.”

The brotherhood got to their feet, and the man who had spoken to her when they were holding her at blaster point came forward. “Lady. I apologize for the means with which you were brought here. The Yacaro artist was correct, this was your destiny.”

Cera noticed that every hooded face was aimed toward her. “I will reserve acceptance of the apology for when I am rested, fed and watered. A bath would be nice too, if it is not too much trouble.”

One of the brotherhood stepped forward. “I will take you to the rooms we have prepared while Lord Renn is briefed on the current situation.”

Cera was curious as to what was going on, but she was also exhausted. It took a little effort to get her hand out of Renn’s though. “Please excuse me, Lord Renn. I really need a bit of a break.”

His lips tightened and his neck corded with tension, but he nodded. “Of course. I will see you shortly.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss to her skin before he let her go.

Cera didn’t rub her hand until the priest with her had led her into a hall and out of view. Her skin was tingling and that warmth was moving up her arm.

“What is going on, can you tell me?” She said it quietly in case others were listening. The building they were in consisted of a large inner courtyard surrounded by long halls that had doors along the outer wall. It was a combination coliseum and dormitory from what she gathered.

“You are the catalyst to waking the Lord of Haloth. It is all you need to know.”

She made a face at the back of his hooded head and stomped along behind him as they walked to the upper levels. She was dizzy, tired and having trouble focussing. “How long was I in there?”

“Six days, it was far longer than most. We were expecting the chamber to reject you.”

He paused next to a pair of double doors and waved her in. “We have prepared everything you will need for your first days out of the chamber. Do not go exploring without Lord Renn. We are in an unsafe situation.”

She put her hands on the handles, and the doors swung open. The room was at least a suite. She turned to thank the priest, but he was already heading back to the rest of his brotherhood.

Cera shoved the doors shut and made a beeline for the water and fruit that was on a sideboard, waiting for her. She wrinkled her nose at the grime on her skin. Six days. She should have been dead.

Maybe she was still in that chamber and slowly going insane. Shrugging, she had to admit that it was a very genteel insanity. She placed a few small pieces of fruit on the plate, grabbed a goblet of water and went in search of a bathtub.

Four spouts filled the swimming-sized tub in under two minutes. Cera stripped off her work suit, set the fruit and water on the edge of the tub and eased in.

She paddled over to the shelf with a series of very attractive bottles and sniffed and experimented her way to a shampoo and liquid soap. Once she was squeaky clean, she sat back and just soaked, occasionally lifting food or water to her mouth.

A low rumbling told her that her stomach had woken from whatever freaky stupor it had been in, and it was time to finish her breakfast.

As she wrapped herself in a towel, she wondered what her Guardians were up to. Ice, Pathway and Bloom were good friends, but their job was to protect Weshkinin. With the imperial writ that transferred her custody and living space to Haloth, there was nothing they could do.

* * * *

Lord Renn looked at the three warriors confronting him. Their auras were wavering with concern and flares of confusion and hostility. “What can I do for you, Guardians?”

“Return Cera Morrissy to us.” The tall male was radiating cold, but his lips were tight with concern.

Renn looked to Orvi, his high priest. “Where did you get her?”

Orvi bowed, “The Guardian base on Weshkinin. We had the imperial writ as per protocol and left it behind so they would know what became of their dispatcher.”

“She is not suited for life as a sex companion.” The small woman covered with flowers had her arms crossed.

The idea set off a set of images in the thousand minds that combined to make Renn. “Fascinating, but that is not her purpose.”

The woman put her hands on her hips and literally stamped her foot. “Why do you want her then?”

Renn grinned, “She is needed to make the infinite, finite. My priests have been seeking a suitable partner for decades and have only just confirmed that Cera was suitable. After having met her, they chose well.”

The cold man cocked his head. “Where is she?”

Renn smiled, “She is resting after the ordeal of providing me with a corporeal form. No harm has come to her aside from a minor cut to one of her fingers.”

The commander of the Guardian pack was not moving, so Renn looked to the small female. “One of my priests will take you to her. You can see for yourself that she is alive, well and unharmed. Will that suffice?”

The woman tilted her head. “If you are here, you don’t need her anymore.”

Renn smiled softly. “It does not work that way. I am an extension of her. Physically and psychically. She keeps me focussed into a sentient form. If she leaves, I will break down into energy once again until another focus can be found, and if you were paying attention when you arrived, you can see that it would be a very bad thing for Haloth.”

The female smiled. “You look familiar.”

“I selected my form from a compilation of images and preferences in Cera’s mind. She has very specific tastes in a mate.” He gestured, and one of the priests stepped forward. “Loes, take Bloom to Lady Cera.”

The frosty commander paused, “You know who we are?”

“Your names come to me in the aura of Haloth. It takes time, but names are rather simple.” He nodded and got to his feet. “Now, if you will excuse me. I have an invasion to repel.”

Chapter Three

Cera was still eating when the knock at the door announced her visitor. She checked her towel for coverage and nodded silently. “Come in.”

The familiar flame-red hair of her friend made her smile. “Bloom!”

The Guardian rushed in and hugged her. “Cera. We were so worried.”

“Worried? You guys defy death every day. I was merely legally hijacked by your government.” She smiled and enjoyed the scent of wildflowers that Bloom always carried with her.

“It was so sudden, and there were no departure records. If Charm hadn’t called and filled us in, we would have had no idea why you disappeared.”

Cera poured another cup of water and headed to the conversation area with her friend. “How did you get leave?”

“Ice called the central organization on Nyal and reamed them out for allowing an integral member of our team to be abducted in our absence. They told us where you were and a spot team is taking over for our little visit.” Bloom held her hand and gave her a penetrating look.

“What happened, Cera?”

Cera knew that Bloom wasn’t talking about the actual removal from the base. “They brought me here, put me in a room filled with statues and weird spots of light. I was in there until a few hours ago when Renn appeared.”

“Did you have food, water, rest?”

“No. I should be dead by my species standards for starvation and dehydration, but time seemed to move strangely in there.”

Bloom paused and said, “It isn’t safe for you here. There is a mining consortium in orbit, and they are preparing for mass invasion. That is why the brotherhood had to find someone to bring their lord into the physical—Haloth is in danger.”

Cera sat up straight. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Cera got up and walked around, opening and closing drawers until she found a stack of tablets and a stylus. She quickly made a list. “I need these things, and this file from my personal work station. Tell, Ambassador Cannaught to contact me as soon as he can, and I will explain all this to Renn. If we only have days, we have to make them count.”

Bloom laughed and hugged her again. “That is the Cera I was afraid we had lost. I will tell Ice, and we will be on our way. Is it okay if Pathway stays?”

“Fine with me but ask Renn. He owns this world.”

Bloom grinned. “Glad to see you are back in action.”

Cera yawned. “Now that I have set things in motion, I am heading for a nap. I can’t push a world around if I don’t have my sleep.”

“I will let myself out and get this list to Cannaught. I love it when you have a plan. It always means that things will turn out all right.”

Cera kept her expression perky until the doors were closed and she could let her uncertainty show. She stripped off the towel and crawled into the bed, pulling the sheets over her head and trying to plan a way to save a world she hadn’t even seen from miners who had profits on their minds.

* * * *

Renn scowled at the list that Bloom showed him. “She wants all of this?”

Bloom grinned. “She does. She has a plan, and her plans never fail.”

“She is not trying to leave?” He scowled, his insecurity at his summoner’s true motivation coming through.

Bloom shook her head. “Cera doesn’t think like that. She commits one hundred percent to the situation she is in. She is here now and this planet will come out unscathed if she has anything to do with it.”

Renn smiled, relief filling the minds that he channelled. “Good. Orvi, whatever our lady wants, arrange it. She knows the current workings of the imperium far better than I do. We will follow if she is willing to lead.”

Ice smiled. “She will lead, nag and push you along the correct course. Our base has never run as smoothly as it is right now. She was the best dispatcher we have ever had.”

Pathway smiled slowly, “Cera has an instinct for trouble.”

“Thank you for coming to check on her. The brotherhood will see you home.” Renn reached out to touch the sleeping mind of his summoner, and he was eager to join her on the psychic plain.

Ice paused. “But we came by shuttle. It took us days to get here.”

“The brotherhood will have you back on Weshkinin in a matter of moments, with your shuttle. If you wish to check on Cera again, please call, and she will send members of the brotherhood to bring you here.”