Wyvern and Company (16 page)

That's when Mom moved on the bed and opened her eyes. "Honey?"
she spoke to me, first. "Have you and Mack had dinner?"

Mack relaxed visibly and laughed.

Chapter 9
 

Justin's Journal

Friday morning, things were almost back to normal. Or as
normal as they could be, under the circumstances. Pheligar appeared, though,
during breakfast, which was served by a smiling Antiani.

Dad herded Mom to the kitchen, and I guess that's what
Pheligar was waiting for. "I know you will not like this, but you must
stay on the grounds or ask someone else with sufficient power to be with you if
you leave," he said as Mom sat at the island with Dad's help. "This
child is draining you in some way, so it is advisable to stop using your power
immediately."

"I've already figured that out," Mom frowned at
Pheligar. She didn't want to be reminded, I think, of what she'd already
discovered for herself.

"I see that," Pheligar said softly. "I wish it
could be otherwise, but I cannot change this for you, as much as I'd prefer to
do so."

"This is so fucked up," Mom dropped her face in her
hands.

Dad rubbed her shoulders carefully while Antiani set plates of
food in front of them.

"Are you prepared for this night?" Pheligar turned
to Mack and me, then. Mack, who'd been busy shoving scrambled eggs in his
mouth, blinked at Pheligar.

"Yeah," I rolled my shoulders uncomfortably. We'd
had time, Mack and I, to repeatedly consider the events of Tuesday night and
what that had almost cost us, then the events of Thursday morning added to that
worry, when Mom had been hurt while fighting off two huge spawn and three
humans.

"What happened to the humans?" I thought to ask. I
figured the spawn were dead—nobody said they weren't.

"In jail," Dad growled. I went still. "Your
mother got injured attempting to save their lives," he added. I could tell
that angered him.

"One of them was Randall Pierce's dad, wasn't it?"
Mack asked after swallowing a mouthful of egg.

"You guessed correctly," Dad nodded, his eyes showing
a flash of red. I knew then that if Dad had been there, all three humans might
be dead for attacking Mom.

"Who else, then?" Mack dropped his eyes and picked
at a piece of bacon on his plate.

"Friends of Raymond Pierce," Mom said. "Older
bullies, just like him, who thought they'd have an easy time of it, getting
back at people who had nothing to do with his getting fired."

"It's a no-brainer to see where Randall's habits come
from," Mack muttered.

"They had no idea that the spawn intended to bite them after
they took me down," Mom explained. "When I fought back against the
spawn, they turned on those men, instead. It was all I could do to fend off the
humans and still fight the spawn, who wanted to attack all of us at that point."

"Lion and I got there as fast as we could," Dad
said. "Your mother was forced to use the last bit of strength she had to protect
Marlianna and keep us from killing the humans after the spawn dusted. The
dusting hit her—she couldn't shield herself and Marlianna, too."

"Pheligar sent Tiger to deal with the police," Mom
sighed. "She took care of all that while your father brought me home. It
was inconvenient for her, because she was on assignment."

"Wow," I shook my head. "Have you ever done
that?" I stared curiously at my parents.

"Kiarra, as First, is usually the one I rely on, if she
is available. Lion is also good at that sort of thing. Dragon generally
intimidates everyone, so I hesitate to send him into a situation such as that,"
Pheligar answered my question. "Your father has gone a few times," he
said, "Although his first instinct is to place compulsion to ensure
cooperation."

Mom snickered and rubbed Dad's back at Pheligar's admission.

"Kee?" Wolf walked into the kitchen, closely
followed by Daniel, who looked as if he wanted to warn every other male on the
planet away from Wolf. She hugged Mom while Daniel waited patiently.

"That jealousy will be terminated immediately, it has no
place here," Pheligar waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. Daniel stepped
back and blinked, confused for a moment.

Dad turned his head to hide a grin. I added another question
to the huge backlog accumulating in my head.

"You okay?" Wolf asked Mom as she pulled away,
ignoring completely whatever Pheligar had done and the effect it had on Daniel.

"I'm okay, thanks to Pheligar and Karzac," she
sighed. "The baby, too. I just can't use any power from here on out. It's
too dangerous."

"It is," Dragon appeared and nodded to Daniel and
Wolf. "How is my little one?" he patted Mom's stomach.

"Your little one is fine," Mom said. "I intend
to keep it that way."

"I worry that you'll not keep that promise, if things go
awry," Pheligar said.

"What?" Mom and Dad said in unison.

"Kiarra, I am asking your permission to suppress your
power, so you will not be tempted," Pheligar said. "I will leave your
shields intact, but everything else I can suppress until the baby is born."

"But that will mean," she said, slipping off her
barstool and blinking at Pheligar.

"It means that you will have to rely on others for the
next six months, just as it would normally be," he said. "The only
difference is that you can't be tempted to use what you do not possess at the
moment."

"You're really worried about this, aren't you?"

"Yes." Pheligar's eyes were half closed as he
offered a small nod. "I fear that too many things might go wrong. You were
targeted yesterday. I do not wish to see a repeat of that. You cannot go
anywhere alone from now on, and you must depend on others to fight the battle.
You will still provide input, as you usually do, but the war will be waged by
those around you."

"I feel bad enough that we're shoving Justin and Mack
into this mess, along with Mack's dad and his sister's fiancé," she
complained while Dad helped her onto the barstool again.

"Mom, stop worrying," I said. "We'll find a
way."

"Then fine," Mom flopped a hand in the air. "Suppress
my power or whatever it is you have to do."

"Kiarra, I know this troubles you," Pheligar rose
and placed his hands on her shoulders. "This is to prevent worse things, I
assure you."

"I know."

Mack and I watched, openmouthed, as light formed about Mom.
When it was gone, Pheligar sighed. "It is suppressed," he said.

"Boys, it's almost time for school," Mom reminded
us. Mack and I left the kitchen to brush our teeth.

* * *

Larentii Archives

"You know what I think of this," Nefrigar placed an
extinct grouse from Serendaan in stasis, so it could be examined by future
Larentii students.

"I know." Pheligar watched his brother work while
attempting to hide his discomfort.

"If you had made your feelings known long ago instead of
muting them, you would not be faced with this dilemma now and she would be
welcome on the Larentii homeworld."

"As it is, I cannot interfere in an attack upon her,
because she is not my mate," Pheligar muttered.

"Yes, many things should be different," Nefrigar
nodded, turning the grouse this way and that to search for its most pleasing
angle in the display. "I understand you suppressed her power so the child
would live, in order to preserve the Second's emotional balance."

"He has served past the required term—it is my fear he
would retire and ask me to separate his particles, as is his right, should the
child perish."

"Too many things weigh in the balance," Nefrigar
agreed. "He is needed. She is needed and crippled at the moment. She is
also in danger, due to her position and condition. Her oldest child's life is
in danger. Her unborn child's life is in danger. If one or more of those things
is destroyed, the race could die and the Ra'Ak may reign."

"Many times I wish it were within our power to approach
the High Demons and remind them of their duties," Pheligar complained. "Yet
there is nothing we can do and they remain on their world unless it pleases
them to skip away for entertainment on other planets. They have become too full
of themselves and too sure of their supremacy. Someday, that could prove false
and create their downfall."

"The Wise Ones concur," Nefrigar agreed. "They
also believe that this will be tied to the God Wars but I, as do they, hope
those will be long in coming."

"There is no evidence as yet that any of the Three have
appeared."

"That may be by design," Nefrigar pointed out. "There.
Would you study this grouse if it were presented thus?" He stepped back
from the display, which included plants and soil from its natural habitat.

"I would rather study the passenger pigeon from Earth,"
Pheligar sighed. "Extinct because it was tasty and easy to hunt," he
shook his head. "But the grouse is quite fine, brother. Had I not known of
the passenger pigeon, I would certainly study this one."

"Do you believe that humans may become the passenger
pigeons to the Ra'Ak if the Saa Thalarr fall?" Nefrigar asked, turning his
attention to his younger brother.

"I am afraid it would be so," Pheligar conceded.

* * *

Justin's Journal

"I have to work tonight; you have to work tomorrow,"
I said, holding Gina's hand as I walked her toward Dad's SUV. He was taking her
and Sarah home, but Lynx had brought them in earlier. I think Sarah had a crush
on Lynx already, because she'd stared at him after he dropped them off.

"We can go out after the party on Sunday, though," I
pointed out before swooping in for a quick peck.

"That sounds great," Gina brightened. "How
about a movie?"

"That's good," I said. "Anything you want."

"There's a comedy I want to see," she said, her
voice turning shy.

"I like comedies," I shrugged. If it got me alone
with her in a dark place, then I'd settle for watching anything.

"Good. Call me tomorrow before six," she said and
waved before climbing into Dad's truck.

"Will do," I said and waved back.

"Get a snack and take a nap," Joey's hand dropped on
my shoulder as Mack and I watched the truck pull out of the garage. "You
have Florida to look forward to, tonight."

"I've never been to Florida," Mack said as we walked
inside the house.

"Neither have I," I said.

"It's usually humid," Joey said. "And where you're
going, it's filled with mosquitos. Not that they'll bother either of you,"
he held up a hand. "We repel them naturally."

"We're headed for the everglades and swampy area," I
said. "Those FBI guys gonna be there waiting for us?"

"Your dad heard from them this afternoon. They want you
to meet them at an office in Miami, then go on from there."

"Is that safe?" Mack asked.

"Yeah. Already checked out," Joey grinned. "Come
on, snack time then nap time."

* * *

Adam's Journal

Pheligar was correct—something about this pregnancy was
sapping my wife's strength. That shouldn't be. She was as feisty as ever during
her pregnancy with Justin.

Karzac already informed me that every pregnancy could be different,
but I still didn't understand this much difference. Martin had been a godsend,
taking over the business for me so I could handle this. I still felt guilty
about not driving her to the grocery store.

She wouldn't go alone next time, that's for sure.

"Adam, what are you fretting about?" she called from
the bathroom. She'd gone to brush her hair after taking an afternoon nap.

"Not much," I said. "Want a snack?"

"I probably should so I won't get sick," she walked
out, showing me that she'd braided her hair. "How many shields are around
the strawberry farm?" she asked.

We'd started referring to our new home as the strawberry farm,
and the name looked as if it would stick. "Mine," I said. "Dragon's,
Lion's and Pheligar's. Is that enough?" I pulled her into my arms and held
her tightly.

"It'll have to be," she nodded against my chest.
That's when I knew how frightened she really was after the attack in a grocery
store parking lot. She was terrified to leave home, now that she was
effectively helpless.

I didn't tell her what I'd noticed on the way home. Four
blocks from our house, on a street lined on both sides with tall oleanders, a
car was parked on the side of the road. Randall Pierce and three of his friends
sat inside it.

Waiting.

Raymond Pierce had bonded out of jail; I'd learned that the
evening before. He and the others had assault charges filed, but as he hadn't
committed murder and had bail money, there was no choice except to let him go
until the case came to court.

I'd considered a protective order, but those were less
effective than what I could level at the bastard if he didn't step back. It
concerned me, too, that he could go looking for more friends of the scaled
variety, or that they might go looking for him, for the same reasons.

He had no idea that when they got what they wanted from the
transaction, he'd be on the menu, the same as any other human.

His son appeared to be following in his father's footprints,
and watching whenever we came or went. That meant Justin and Gina would have to
be shadowed on their date Sunday evening, but that could be accomplished easily
and he'd never realize someone was there.

Joey and Bearcat would be ideal candidates—they could defend
themselves easily and help Justin do the same if it proved necessary. Joey
still held compulsion as a weapon, and I'd make sure he used it if required.

The Pierce family had become a nuisance to us, and I didn't
want that to continue.

* * *

Justin's Journal

Joey got us up at seven, in time for dinner. Mom, Marlianna
and Wolf cooked, with help from Lion and Bearcat. Steaks were on the menu, and
that's what Lion and Bearcat were tending when we walked to the deck outside.