Immortal Becoming (29 page)

He obviously didn’t realize what living around Aymee and Eric had taught her. Sex meant nothing, unless it did. Sighing, she teased him further. “Can’t say I blame you. If I’d met Greyton before you, I doubt you would’ve had to deal with my pesky virginity.” Shane visibly relaxed.

“Indeed?” A quirked grin touched his lips. “You think we need our sex life livened up, Beauty?” A sexy warning growl rumbled from his throat.

She pretended to consider the question before letting him off the hook. “Naw. Just keep reminding yourself not to piss me off.” She’d just baited his possessive instincts. Shane was a perfect lover, but she still wanted him on his toes.

Shane barked out a laugh. “You know they can hear you, right?”

Jess sobered instantly. “No way, they’re clear over there.” She looked over to where Greycia and Greyton were sitting at the table. The sexual intensity was back in Greyton’s eyes. Greycia gave her a finger wiggle wave in acknowledgment.

“Oh God, please make the ground swallow me up,” Jess mumbled

A passing Tellus female stopped in front of her. “You want it to?” she asked Jess. Trying to be helpful, the female started to raise her arms. Jess could only stare stupidly at the Tellus. The humor in Shane’s voice pissed her off as he answered the Tellus, “Sorry, no. She was using it as a figure of speech.” The Tellus walked away with a confused look on her face.

Jess snapped at Shane, “I am in way over my head here.” He had sure turned the jest on her.

Shane laughed hard again. “You are all the livening up I could ever want.” Jess slapped his chest. He could be such an ass sometimes, though it was kind of funny. She crossed her arms, refusing to give him the satisfaction of giggling with him.

****

Gil’s soothing voice boomed, and the entire room descended into silence. “We have identified four target nest locations, two in Austraartica on the Australian inland continent: Mount Eccles in Victorria and Mount Gambier in South Australia, the third in Africa at Mount Kenya, and the final one in Eurasia, in China near Lake Jingbo.” He pointed to different circled points on a World Map. “In addition we’ve located the suspected leader, Fualth’s, private quarters in the US … Maine.” Gone was the devil-may-care, silly, sarcastic Gil, along with the funny accent. In his place stood Gilgamesh, the Commander of Warriors.

Napoleon continued, “The locations are strategic. They all have natural barriers to energy infiltration. The nests are all built next to volcanic crater lakes that will hinder the abilities of both the Tellus and the Aquaties. Neither will be able to use their full range of sonar or ultrasonic waves for fear of causing a natural disaster.” Napoleon’s fingers were touching his chin. Although he didn’t tap tap tap, the pose was obviously shared by both father and daughter. He also held command of the room’s interest. “Fualth has taken these positions, located in regions dominated by the Aquaties and Tellus, knowing they would be handicapped by the geographic attributes of the area.” He took a moment for the Aquaties and the Tellus to react to the disrespectful affront Fualth had displayed putting these nests in their pockets. The grumbling only lasted a few minutes before Napoleon could continue. “The buildings housing our objectives are also lined with lead and platinum, handicapping Volaticus as well.”

“If we could all take our seats,” a Tellus female said, speaking like a politician, “we can begin working out the logistics of making this operation a successful reality.” She headed toward the elevated seating placed behind the table-level seating. Climbing the few stairs, she sat in an orange chair located at the Africa continent placement on the table. It was clear this seating set-up was based on some form of hierarchy.

A Tellus female with dark brown, nearly black skin, close in height to Jess, leaned toward Shane and Jess. “Are we supposed to be here?” she whispered in a voice that was deep, rich, and feminine. Sultry. Appreciating the simple beauty of the female, Jess shrugged.

“I believe so, Mattie. I am just not sure where we are to go,” Shane answered for both of them.

Sargon walked up to those remaining, including Jess, Shane, and the Tellus female. Too graceful for a man half his size, his deep, booming voice was commanding like Gil’s without the soothing effects. His smile softened the way he spoke. “Follow me.” He motioned to Jess, Shane, and the others.

Jess felt an energy ripple and heard Shane say “Miguel” a moment before a male stood directly in front of them.

“Brother.” The male resembled Shane, standing the same six foot three inches. He was smaller in build with the same dark brown hair and highlights, worn longer. Smiling, Miguel clamped onto Shane’s shoulder. Shane mirrored the embrace before pulling the male into a hug.

“What are you doing here, Miguel?” Shane asked.

Shane had told her he had a brother with a gift for premonition. Miguel was the one brother to deviate from being a warrior. He had studied psychic learning and advancement till one of the Oracles had offered to mentor him. Their circles rarely ran into each other, and Shane had missed his brother.

Enlil stepped up to Jess’s side from somewhere, startling her. Chuckling, he placed an arm over her shoulders in paternal affection. “You know when Innanna shows up, your whole world is about to be turned upside down.” Whispering for only Jess to hear, Enlil indicated the most beautiful female Jess had ever seen. At four foot eight, she made Jess’s five foot two seem tall. She wore a white, shimmering halter and full-length skirt. Her violet eyes were too large for her angelic, porcelain face, and her platinum-blonde hair was pulled back into a single thick braid that reached to her knees. She looked about seventeen. She’d also been completely blocked from sight behind Shane’s brother.

“She would have to get in line, the way this week’s going for me,” Jess whispered back. Enlil busted out in a full belly laugh.

“That is a sound I love to hear. Share the joke so we can all laugh, Enlil.” Nin stepped to her brother’s side. “Innanna, what brings you?” Though calm, Nin seemed apprehensive.

The tiny female glanced toward the table, and an unoccupied chair floated over to her. Fluttering her wings, she lifted and then stood on the seat of the chair. Jess now knew where the fairy myth came from. Even standing on the chair, she was barely taller than Jess.

Smiling, the tiny woman sighed. “That’s better. Don’t worry, Ninlil, it is not my intent to recommend against the operation you are working toward.” She waved her hand in the general area of the table and all the faces staring back at her. “I’m here merely to help you obtain the greatest opportunity for success.” That had everyone sitting forward in their chairs.

Nin left out a relieved breath. “Thank you, Innanna. We would be happy to use any help the Oracles could give us.” The silent suspense that had permeated the room the moment Miguel and Innanna had shown up changed from dread to anticipation.

This tiny slip of a woman could have ended the rescue attempt with only a word, but she held out both of her hands, palms down, to Jess. “You are Jessica. Oh, forgive me. You prefer Jess now.” Smiling tentatively, Jess took the woman’s hands. Enlil yanked his arm from around her shoulder like it was on fire. “It is not time for your story yet, young man.” The firecracker glanced to Enlil then back at Jess. “Your arrival has been heralded, Jess. The bloodmating between you and Shanley is destined and the hope of our future.”

Innanna released one of Jess’s hands and reached out for Shane’s. Shane took the offered hand, and Innanna’s eyes glazed. She smiled. “Yes. This is a strong bloodmating.” Shane took Jess’s free hand in his, reassuring her.

Suddenly everyone in the room vanished. Miguel, his hand on Shane’s shoulder, remained, along with Innanna, Shane, and Jess, still linked by their hands. The entire tent was vacated. The chairs were empty. Enlil and Ninlil had vanished.

Jess looked around. “What just happened?”

Shane looked from his brother to Innanna. “I think we just jumped ahead in time. I’d heard that Innanna had that ability. I had no idea that she could jump more than her own mass.” There was awe in Shane’s voice.

“My own mass I can leap up to thirty minutes. The four of us, only five.” She shrugged. “We need some privacy. Open your minds to me that I may save us some time.”

Shane dropped his shielding, opening himself to be fully vulnerable to the Oracle, and Jess followed his lead. A series of images along with an accompanying story behind each flooded their minds. Most showed females in small living spaces, similar to cages, the bars made of lead and platinum covered with sheets of aluminum. Small dents showed where they had been stuck over and over, probably from both violence and frustration. The images showed males entering these rooms, and the females showed horror and terror. The word “ovulation” entered her mind. Other times the males, two or three at a time, were practically attacked by the females. The word “estrus” entered her mind.

The images blurred, then cleared again, this time showing the females pregnant, most stared blankly while others were crying, rocking, or performing some other repetitive action. Then the pictures changed, showing the females screaming and crying as their newborn infants were taken from them.

The image changed to follow the children, ranging in age from eighteen months to three years, standing in straight military lines at attention. The children grew up in rapid time lapse.

“We only have four minutes fifteen seconds left.” Innanna cut the images off. ”Jess, are you planning to accept Shanley’s blood?”

Looking at Shane, tears in her eyes from the images she’d just seen, Jess nodded. “I love him,” she whispered, her blossom of loving emotions toward Shane taking the sting out of the horror she’d just witnessed.

Shane pulled their linked hands to his lips. “Thank you, Beauty. I love …”

Innanna cut him off. “Shanley, I must interrupt. I am sorry. There really is little time.” Innanna spoke crisply. “The universe is a fluid entity. A well-timed sacrifice has power. That is what you have the opportunity to do.”

Innanna looked between them. What could they possibly sacrifice? “I am going to give you a choice, an important one. Jess will Become as soon as she takes your blood, Shane. She will also enter her first estrus. If she is coupled, the result will be a female child. The pain of Jess’s Becoming and estrus would be reduced as well because you would be able to share it with each other.”

She paused. “Or you can sacrifice the relief joining would give you for the benefit of the operation rather than the joy of each other. You are a siphon, Jess. That is a phenomenal asset to this mission. Your abilities will be magnified a thousand fold by the pain of Becoming and the hormones generated during estrus. It will become a force unto itself.”

That made sense. She’d always felt an inner power, the thing she now recognized as her gift, during times of strife. “What if I siphon the good guys?” Jess had to ask. She hadn’t forgotten the effect she’d had on Nin.

Innanna smiled sweetly. “With Enlil to direct it, you will be capable of drawing enough energy into yourself to slingshot the Heredity victims that will be found in this operation to a secure location, including your non-psychic aunt. Enlil can make sure the energy you siphon will come from Fualth’s soldiers, simultaneously helping cripple Fualth’s ability to retaliate.” Innanna looked from Shane to Jess. “I gave you images of what is happening in the target locations so that you would see, should you decide to make this sacrifice, those it would benefit in addition to Moira. Those images reflect what your aunt has fought against. It is also the real reason your mother died: to protect you from this fate, Jess.”

Jess had a million questions spinning through her mind. Instead of voicing them, she looked to Shane, who nodded back at her in both agreement and understanding of her confusion. She was about to agree to the sacrifice. They’d get Moira back, and then she could be with Shane.

That dream illusion shattered with Innanna’s next words. “Before you answer, you must also understand that the Becoming and subsequent estrus will last for two weeks, during which you will be able to retain the psychic energy of the rogue soldiers and keep them weakened. This is a once in a lifetime occurrence. Jess, you know how painful it is to be psychically overwhelmed?” Jess nodded, biting her bottom lip. “That will be multiplied by more than you have ever imagined. Add to it the physical pain of developing wings, dentes, and new cranial musculature for directional hearing. Then stir in an unquenchable yearning for sex. That is what you will be subjecting yourselves and each other to should you decide to agree. The pain will be tremendous. Bonded, you will both be forced to endure it without relieving each other in any way. You will not be able to connect during this time physically, sexually, emotionally, or psychically. The psychic overload from her talent in addition to the pain and pheromones is the dynamic that offers the greatest hope for these females.”

“What will happen to the operation if we decide not to offer our sacrifice?” Shane asked. Jess had the same question.

“This group will succeed with or without you. Your sacrifice would increase the level of success, enabling more people to be saved with less loss of life. Your siphoning and retention will also hold the enemies at bay for a few weeks. The rogues have taken blood from these females. Without the sacrifice, they could be driven insane by the bonds that have been forced on them. You would be giving the saved a better chance to disappear without being re-captured or further tormented. The females and women will need full blood transfusions, psychic healing, physical care, and life training. Your two weeks of suffering will give them the breathing room that could make the difference.”