Don't Call Me Kitten! (15 page)

Helena guessed
she shouldn’t be surprised that her condor-man wasn’t human. ‘If
you’re not human what are you?”

“I’m a
Malakim. A higher dimensional being than yourself. Some might call
us angels but I’d prefer if you didn’t think of me that way. I’m no
angel, I’m just Zex.”

Zex must be
his name then. “Aren’t you a rather long way from home Zex.
Slumming it a bit in the lower worlds?”

“Not by
choice. Well I suppose originally there was a choice to come with
Thex to try and broker a peace deal with the aliens that were bent
on invading your planet but that was a long time ago. I’m kind of
stuck here actually.”

Aliens had
tried to invade her planet and now he was stuck here? This could be
interesting. “Tell me more.”

So he did.

Helena’s mind
spun at the ramifications of what he told her. Hell, the mess on
the planet all made sense now. Even where the genetics came into
play. “So let me see if I’ve got this straight. The gnostics of old
had it mostly right with their wild tales that the world was being
controlled by evil beings who not only convinced humans to be their
slaves but also infected them with a virus that changed their DNA
structure just enough that they no longer perceived the truth of
their situation. They and a large percentage of life on the planet
became slaves to these Din who’ve gone on to build a global
economic empire. Only they’re not the fallen angels the gnostics
spoke of but lizard like demon spirits from the underworld. They’re
dinosaur souls that can’t rest but don’t want to face countless
lives working through their karma. Instead they take over weak
minded human’s auras and steer their victims to do their will. And
to cap it all, not only were you guys unable to stop them but you
effectively got your collective butts kicked and got yourselves
trapped on this plane in a substance so dense that you can’t
teleport yourself out of it to reascend to your normal form.”

“Yeah, that
pretty much sums it up.”

“Well I have
to say that all sounds a bit grim but it does explain a hell of a
lot. So this genetic cure I’ve been helping Jnarn and Kit with will
make a difference?”

“Oh it already
has. I might be stuck in my stone, apart from the obvious astral
travel as a condor bit, but I’m still in contact with Simon and the
others. Some are already free.”

“I keep
hearing about this Simon guy. Where does he fit in?”

“When
everything went askew the Malakim high council sent one of our most
evolved souls to become the guardian of your planet. The one the
planet had at the time, Geb I think his name was, was ready to move
on anyway. So Ma came with her son who at the time still went by
the name Shimon. His name means ‘the one who hears’. He’s sort of
like our prophet. He even told me all of this was going to happen
before it did.”

“Hang on one
minute. Are you saying that Shimon is Simon. How old is this
guy?”

“Oh, about
100,000 years or so, as am I. I’m not too sure as time has passed
differently for me in the stone. It wasn’t exactly the kind of
existence I wanted to be aware of all the time.”

“Far out, a
100,000 years? No I guess you wouldn’t want to be conscious all
that time.”

“Not until
recently, the last few thousand years or so I’ve been working on
this astral projection. I became well acquainted with the land and
people around where I’m trapped but I started getting curious about
the rest of the world. That’s when I found you.”

“My own
private stalker.”

Zex looked
aghast. “Hell, I never meant it to be that way. I was just drawn to
you. Can you forgive me?”

Helena’s heart
softened. He might be a bloke but he truly hadn’t meant any harm.
“Actually it’s been quite nice. I’ve never felt truly alone since I
first saw you. I started keeping an eye out for you and was
disappointed when you weren’t around.”

Zex visibly
relaxed and cracked a relieved smile. “I think you had the same
affect on me. The not feeling alone bit I mean. Simon would come
occasionally to visit me but I would never let him create the same
mating bond I know he made with the commander and his second in
command. We just didn’t feel about each other that way and we both
knew I was saving myself for someone. Anyway, forming the bond
didn’t free Thex or Arion as he’d hoped. I guess he’d known it
wouldn’t but given our situation he was open to trying just about
anything.”

Helena hoped
what he was saying meant he wasn’t gay. That would have been a
damned shame. Not that she was attracted to him, of course not. Yet
her subconscious called her liar. Hadn’t the fairies called him her
mate. Not that she could ever see herself forming that close a
friendship with a man. Her Krav Maga instructor was the closest
male friend she’d ever had and they’d managed to keep things pretty
lukewarm between themselves. Yet...”This is just a dream isn’t it
Zex?”

He looked
perplexed again. “Yes you’re dreaming. Why its a dream and not a
death vision I don’t know. That snake really did inject a deadly
amount of poison into you. Is there something about you I don’t
know. Are you special in some way? You’re special to me but perhaps
there is something more.”

“Well I see
fairies but I don’t see how that is going to save me. I’ve had a
friendship with them for years but as far as I know they only gave
me the ability to see them. That and they’ve taught me to relax and
stay at peace with myself in the world I’ve had to live in.”

“That explains
why I’ve seen you occasionally talking to beings I couldn’t see. I
thought you were talking to the trees, you know like some hippy.
I’d like to know more of what they’ve taught you one day but for
now I have a compulsion to make the most of our dream together. I
so want to do this.” He knelt down before her and leaned forward to
taste her lips. “What do you say to enjoying the moment Helena,
whatever the future brings?”

Considering
one of the things the future might bring was death enjoying the
moment sounded bloody good. “I’d say bring it on.” She rolled over
until she straddled him, trapping him beneath her. Then slowly,
watching voraciously as she did, she slowly unbuttoned her shirt
before flinging it aside. She casually traced her finger down the
delicate curly black hairs of his chest and took command. “Don’t
move! I want to taste you first.”

It more than
pleased her when he willingly obeyed, stilling to watch as she
stood to shimmy out of the rest of her clothes. He didn’t have to
speak, his look told her everything she needed to hear. He was
hers, at least for this moment.

Kneeling
between his legs she caught his gaze again with her own then looked
away to part his legs more. She settled herself down to torment him
with a nice long languorous suck.

“There she
is.” Anya paused in wonder when she spied a shimmering image of a
great bird guarding the unnervingly still form of sister. For one
moment her gut clenched, worrying that it was some predator come to
peck out the eyes of her sister’s corpse. Then she realised her
sister was breathing and the bird was only a kind of mirage. “Oh
my, can you see that Melissa?”

“Yeah, I’d say
your sister has a guardian. I know you can’t see the fairy that’s
with me but Eadaoin says that’s your sister’s mate. He won’t harm
her.”

“Her mate?
What the fuck?” Anya shook her head. She looked to Doc for a bit
more logic. “Can you save her Doc?”

I-Wayan had
inspected the wound and was just checking Helena’s vitals. He
pulled the plugs of the stethoscope from his ears. “She’s holding
her own. I don’t know how or why but she isn’t dying.”

Anya wobbled
on her feet. “Well, hey good. Let’s get her back to town.”

Doc shook his
head. “I don’t think that’s advisable. She’s in some deep state of
consciousness, a trance of some kind perhaps. It may be the very
thing that is keeping her alive.”

“But
hypothermia, shouldn’t we get her out of the water.”

“Again, no. I
think the cold is slowing the poison’s circulation through her
system. Her body’s coping at the moment. If we warm her up the
poison will circulate faster and overwhelm her organs.”

Anya swore and
sat down on a rock on the bank, staying out of the Doc’s way,
looking worriedly at her sister and glaring at the avian mirage
that guarded her. “Shit, we’ll just have to wait it out.”

Sally and Kit
appeared at that moment. Sally unhesitatingly entered the water,
kneeling in the stream to place her hands on Helena. Her eyes
glazed as she turned within, seeking the visualisation of health
that she willed for Helena.

Kit came to
stand beside Melissa and Anya. “She’s not dying you know.”

“Yes that’s
what Doc said.”

“No I think
you misunderstand my meaning. She’s not dying because she’s not
able to die. She’s simply out for the count while her body get’s
rid of the poison.”

“But she’s not
immortal Kit. She’d only just arrived. I haven’t had time to take
her to Jnarn yet.”

“You don’t
have to.”

Kit had
everyone’s attention now. Even the condor was looking at her
intently. “Why is that Kit?” Anya asked suspiciously.

Kit shrugged.
“She drank my blood last night.”

“Kit, not that
I’m cut up about it because, well hell, my sister’s not dying so I
should be grateful but please tell me you didn’t mate my
sister?”

Kit glared at
Anya. “I don’t do women but if I did I would be honoured to have
your sister as my mate. As it is she is now my sister in blood. We
performed a rite of friendship.”

“But you only
just met her.”

Kit shrugged
her shoulders, it was obvious wasn’t it? “Some things you just
know. That was the case when I met Helena and Sathi yesterday. The
resonance was there. We are kindred souls.”

“And did you
happen to explain to Helena you were making her immortal?”

Kit pursed her
bottom lip. “Sort of. I said the ritual would make us friends,
eternally.”

“And she had
my approval.” Meta stepped from the trees, morphing from cat to
man. “Although I have to say your wording was a little ambiguous
Kit.” He glared. It was his job to enforce the Malakim rule on
respecting the free will of other beings.

Kit shrugged,
glaring back at Meta. “Eternal, immortal. Same diff. She would have
had Jnarn’s retrovirus soon enough anyway.”

Meta sighed.
“Given the circumstances and the fact that English is your second
language, even if you're a master of it, I’ll let you off this
time. Be more specific if you ever do anything like this again. I
expect Sathi here within the month so we can explain to her, more
precisely” he emphasised, “what you’ve done.”

Kit nodded,
reprimand understood. She’d scraped that one in. Meta had only just
forgiven Kiana’s transgression, possessing Michael’s body without
his knowledge so she could offer comfort and companionship to her
new best friend Sarah. Kiana had been without a body of her own at
the time but that hadn’t excused her for hijacking Michael. She
knew Meta was wise to the fact she hadn’t wanted to scare off the
two women from what she had wanted to do last night. She’d never
had any sisters, none that had survived the slaughter of her family
four hundred years ago. Meta seemed to have sensed her need but she
knew without a doubt that he’d be keeping score. Any similar
infraction in the future and the consequences would be severe. She
hoped Helena and Sathi understood and forgave her as easily.

They settled
down to wait it out while Helena fought off the poison. With
Sally’s help to speed the healing Doc finally gave the nod for them
to move her.

There he was.
The house had been deserted all morning but it appeared that at
least one of its other residents was back. George slumped into his
favorite chair in Simon’s kitchen, glaring at its owner’s back. He
knew better than to try and interrogate his friend and boss on what
he’d been up. He’d have his whinge moan instead. “You knew didn’t
you?”

Simon, having
finally managed to extract himself and his mates from the plane of
limitless love they’d ended up in last night, kept stirring the
sauce he was working on. He didn’t look up.“Yes but would my
telling you have stopped you longing for her? Would you have
believed me or would you have seen me as interfering where I wasn’t
wanted?”

George
grumbled. “Free will and all that?”

“Yes
that...and a friend knowing when not to interfere. Things needed to
take their course.”

“Bloody Hell
Simon. You could have stopped me making a fool of myself.”

Simon turned
the stove off, the sauce would keep, his friend was suffering. He
wandered over and took the chair beside George. “George, I have
visions that show me the probable future but I am never quite sure
of the all the details. People make their own choices. Some say
there’s a parallel universe for every conceivable scenario. How was
I to know that this wasn’t the universe where you and Ally became
more than friends, even though in every other universe it is
different?”

“It’s because
I’m black isn’t it?”

Simon groaned.
“George, not everything that happens to you in this world is
because of your skin color. I think Ally would be shocked you’d
even consider her racist for a moment. She has the highest regard
for you.”

“Yeah, for my
mind.” His tone implied he had much more to offer.

“And for your
friendship. I would have thought you’d lost enough family and
friends back in the Sudan that you wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss
what you have with her. You’re putting out that much vibe of
rejection today the whole town’s picking up on it. Ally
particularly is guilt ridden over it. Then there’s Upal and Mendal
who’ve just discovered Ally’s interest in them but they’re scared
of losing your friendship too. You hold a lot of power in your
hands at the moment George. To scar those who call you friend or
let them know they still have a place in your heart.”