Laura Jo Phillips (38 page)

“If you do not do this, those babies are going to die,” Grace said in a hard voice.  That did it.  Hope’s hand came down and with one quick gesture, the most difficult part was done.

“Grace, I need something to wrap these babies in,” Hope said as she reached for the first infant.  Grace jumped to her feet and ran away as Hope laid the tiny baby on his mother’s chest, then reached for the next one.  By the time Grace returned all three babies were safely out of their mother’s womb.  But there was still a lot of work to be done.  Hope ignored the tears pouring down her cheeks, and focused on the work before her.

Jackson had so many emotions roiling through him he could barely think.  Heartache that they had lost Ellicia.  Joy that they had found their Arima.  Shock that, somehow, Ellicia’s babies were members of the Lost Clan of the Owlfen.  Horror at the thought of doing what Ellicia had asked of him, and pride that Hope, their Arima, had stepped in to do what had to be done.  Relief that, finally, he had a good reason to transform into his bearenca and release some of his raging emotional highs and lows.

Jackson’s bearenca head was too large to fit through the window of the ground-car, but he was able to get his nose far enough in to sniff the body of the male in the front seat.  His nose burned slightly at the scent. 

Narrasti
, he thought.  Not full Narrasti, or even half, but some.  He used Air magic to break the rear window and sniffed the male in the back seat.  His scent was much like the first one.  A little Narrasti, a lot human. 

There was also a third scent, one that was much more Narrasti than the other two, but there was no body to go with it.  He paced slowly around the wreck in one direction while Rob and Clark circled the other way, amazed that anyone had lived through the collision, let alone was well enough to climb out of that vehicle.

A moment later he found the remains of their own pilot.  He’d been a nice young man, and an excellent pilot, and Jackson regretted his death.  But it had all happened so quickly that there hadn’t been time to do more than try to get out of the way.  One moment he was walking away from the VTOL with Ellicia, the next a ground-car was flying toward them at full speed with a large expanse of cloth plastered against the windshield.  He had gotten himself and Ellicia out of the way only because he had drawn on his bearenca’s super speed and Air magic. 

But it hadn’t been enough.  Something, some piece of metal from either the VTOL or the ground-car, it didn’t matter which, had hit Ellicia with the force of a bullet.  It had gone through her back and out her chest, leaving massive damage in its wake.  Jackson had known with one look that there was nothing they could do to save her life.  Even if there had been a Healer present, it would not have mattered. 

Jackson transformed back to his human form and gently extricated the pilot’s remains from the wreckage.  He retrieved the young man’s jacket from behind his seat, and draped it over his face just as Rob and Clark joined him.  They transformed into their human forms and knelt down beside the young pilot with Jackson, their fists raised to their shoulders as they granted him the honor of a warrior killed in battle. 

A few moments later they all rose to their feet. 

“The one that lived took off running east,” Rob said.  “It won’t take much effort to catch him.”

“I’ve called the base,” Clark said.  “Another VTOL has been dispatched and will be here in a few minutes, but they only have the one available.  The others are on maneuvers in the mountains.”

“Contact Phoenix II,” Jackson said.  “Apprise them of the situation.  It shouldn’t take them long to get a couple of VTOLs out here.  This ground-car is equipped with Blind-Sight.  We can’t leave it here unattended.”

In the distance a baby cried. 

Jackson’s head came up.  He had promised Ellicia that they would act as fathers to her children, and right now, those babies needed them.  Yet here they were with this poor, deceased pilot instead.   

None of the emotions they were feeling, as complicated and conflicted as they were, mattered as much as those children.  He, Clark and Rob needed to be fathers to those boys, and they needed to start right now.

Jackson turned and hurried back to where Ellicia lay, Rob and Clark beside him, but this time they avoided looking at Ellicia and focused on the babies.  Jackson slid to his knees in the sand beside Hope just as she finished wrapping a baby in what looked like a sheet.  He held his arms out and Hope gave him the boy without hesitation.  He glanced at her as he took the precious bundle and saw that she was beautiful, even with the dust and tears staining her face.

“This is Harlan,” she said, her voice breaking on the name.  Jackson nodded as he pulled the tiny infant closer to his chest.  Hope turned back to her tasks and Jackson studied the boy’s little face.  He was so small, red, and funny looking that Jackson couldn’t help but smile at him.  The baby’s eyes were closed against the bright sunlight so he turned slightly so that his body shaded little Harlan’s face.  Harlan opened bright amber eyes and stared up at Jackson with a frown.

Jackson felt his heart swell and knew that this was why he and his brothers had been sent to Earth.  He looked up in time to see Hope hand a tiny bundle to Clark.

“This is Mattlan,” she said. 

Clark pulled the infant close to his chest in a protective gesture that nearly brought tears to Jackson’s eyes.  A few moments later she handed the third baby to Rob.

“This is Weldan,” she said.  Rob gazed down at the tiny baby, the expression on his face a mix of grief, wonder, and love.  The same emotions Jackson felt himself.

“Clark, what was it that Saige said again?” he asked.

Clark looked up.  “Yes, you’re right,” he said.  “She said
the bearer of hope will bestow upon them, and only them, a gift beyond price for the Jasani people.”

“So Ellicia was the bearer of hope,” he said as he gazed back down into Harlan’s eyes.  “And these babies are a gift beyond price for the Jasani people.  That is certainly true.”

Hope watched the three men with the three babies, knowing that she was looking at what should have been her future.  She had gone all the way to Jasan to find these three men, and had found them here on Earth instead.  Too late.  She felt their sorrow for Ellicia, and knew that it was as deep and strong as the sorrow she felt for Harlan.  She also felt their love for her.

Well, fate certainly seemed to have a sense of humor, she thought as she shook her head and stood up, turning to go back to her small camp to check on Karma.  She thought she might use some of her remaining water to rinse the blood off of her hands as well since they didn’t need to conserve it any more. 

“Where are you going?” Jackson asked before she had gone three steps. 

“There is still an injured woman over there,” Hope replied.  “I need to check on her.”

“I’ll come with you,” Jackson said, leaping to his feet while taking care not to jostle the baby in his arms. 

“Fine, but would you mind telling me your name first?” Hope asked, forcing herself to speak calmly, though the flood of emotions she was feeling from all three men had her feeling anything but calm. 

“I apologize,” Jackson said with a careful bow, mindful of keeping Harlan’s face shaded.  “I am Jackson Bearen.  These are my brothers, Clarkson, and Robson.”

Clark and Rob rose to their feet and nodded as Jackson said their names.

“Nice to meet you,” Hope said, not altogether sure that was true.  But manners didn’t always make allowances for truth.  “My name is Hope Strigida.” 

“We are pleased to meet you as well, Hope,” Jackson said.  Hope nodded politely, then turned and walked away.

“Clark, do we have an ETA on that VTOL?” Jackson asked.

“Three minutes,” Clark replied.

“Let them know we have an injured woman here as well,” Jackson said over his shoulder as hurried to catch up with Hope. 

Hope led the way over to what had been their small camp on the far side of a long mound of rocks, and knelt down beside Karma. 

“Damn, that came close, didn’t it?” Jackson said.

Hope looked up to see what he was talking about, following his gaze to the slanting wall of the incline just above her head.  There, sticking out of the sand and gravel, was a short piece of metal.  Hope frowned at it, wondering where it had come from.  Then she remembered the strange whistling noise, and the spill of sand and gravel. 

She stood up and reached out to touch the piece of metal, then grabbed hold of it and pulled.  It was stuck fast and deep just at the height of her chest.  If she hadn’t stayed inside the enclosure with Karma, it very well could have gone right through her.

“Thanks, Karma,” she said.

“For what?” Karma asked weakly.

“For saving my life.”  Hope knelt down beside Karma again.  “If I hadn’t done as you asked, I think I’d be dead.  And I also think that if I’d lit that fire, the moment the wind blew in here it would have scattered all over both of us.”

“That’s what he said.” 

Karma’s eyes were bright with fever, but this time Hope didn’t put her words down as delusional ramblings. 

“Harlan told you, didn’t he?” she asked.

“Was that his name?  Can I have a little more water, please?”

“Sure,” Hope said, reaching for the bottle that had rolled out of Karma’s reach.  “You can have as much as you like.  There will be a VTOL here in just a minute or two to take us out of here.”

“What about Aisling and Berta?” Karma asked.

“We’ll get them too,” Hope promised.  “Don’t worry, we won’t forget them.”

“Who are Aisling and Berta?” Jackson asked as he watched Hope gently lift Karma’s head so she could drink, hardly able to take his eyes from her.  She was courageous and strong, but at the same time, tender and compassionate.  He found himself wanting her to look at him, just so that he could gaze into her stunning turquoise eyes. 

“There’s a compound out here where four of us were kidnapped and brought to,” Hope said.  She lowered Karma’s head and set the water bottle beside her.  “One of the other women, Aisling, remained behind with Berta, an older woman who has been a prisoner for many years.  We promised we would come back for them.”

“Your promise will be honored,” Jackson said. 

Hope glanced up at the formal note in Jackson’s voice. 

“
Efharisto
s,” she replied with a solemn nod.

Jackson cocked his head, an expression of such genuine curiosity on his face that Hope nearly smiled.  “That’s Greek for
thank you
,” she said. 

“You know Greek?” Bearen asked.

“Yes,” Hope replied, as she reached for another bottle, poured water over her hands and scrubbed them together.  Jackson made a mental note to ask her more about her knowledge of Greek at another time. 

“How far is the compound from here?” he asked.

“It’s difficult to say, but I think we made fifty miles.  Maybe more.  It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for a VTOL to get there.”

“Should we go back for the other women, and then head for the base, or should we take this woman, and the babies, directly to the base and send the VTOL back out for the women?”

Hope poured a little more water over her hands as she considered the question. 

“Get Aisling and Berta first,” Karma said.  “I can wait.”

Hope picked up the scrap of sheet she’d been using as a cloth, poured water on it and gently patted Karma’s face.  “That’s generous of you,” she said.  “But the babies are very tiny.  I would prefer to have them safely under a physician’s care as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” Jackson said as he gazed down at the infant in his arms.  The baby was not much bigger than his hand, and that was worrisome. 

Shortly after Princess Lariah had given birth to her daughters, the Bearens had been among a group of warriors granted the honor of seeing them.  Even though Lariah was smaller than her sister, her daughters had been larger than Ellicia’s sons by a good measure.

Jackson looked up at the sound of the incoming VTOL.  “Hope, if you will hold Harlan, I will go speak with the pilot.”

Hope nodded and stood up to take the baby from Jackson.  Harlan looked up at her and Hope was surprised to see that he had his father’s eyes exactly.  She was glad when Jackson turned and left as she did not want him to see the tears in her eyes. 

Not now,
she told herself firmly. 
There will be plenty of time for grieving later.

“Who had a baby?” Karma asked.

Hope knelt down near Karma and explained what had happened.  She was shocked to see tears in Karma’s eyes. 

“That’s why he was here,” Karma said.  “He was waiting.”

“Yes,” Hope replied.

“He saved your life, and mine,” Karma said.  “Who will raise the children?”

“Ellicia has asked that the Bearens and I accept that task,” Hope replied.

“I’d like to be a part of their lives, Hope.  Their Godmother, maybe.  Or, if not that, at least a good friend.”

“Why would you wish to do this?” Hope asked curiously.

“I want to help watch out for them,” Karma said.  “It’s the least I can do for Harlan, after what he did for us.”