Ha'ven's Song (24 page)

Bahadur grimaced as he finished his drink
and set the glass down on the table with a small thud. “Remind me
to never piss you off,” he grumbled under his breath.

Ha’ven leaned back in his chair and glared
back at his brother. “Why don’t I just use this energy to bring her
to me?” He demanded. “Shouldn’t I just be able to transport her off
of
the
warship and into my arms if I have
this unlimited power?”

“I don’t know how it works,” Arrow grumbled.
“Hell, until you did this
,
I had forgotten
about the legend. I would need to read back over the damn thing to
figure out how it worked and that is only if they wrote down the
damn directions! Gods and Goddesses don’t always give specific
operating directions, you know. Besides, where were you during
Salvin’s lessons?”

Adalard and Bahadur grinned. “Chasing the
girls with us.”

Ha’ven couldn’t keep the grin off his face.
“It was a hell of a lot more fun than what Salvin was teaching,” he
admitted before he sobered. “Bahadur, what information do you
have?”

Bahadur touched the vidcom and changed it to
a cross-section of Razzine. “Razzine is made from an old Antrox
mining base. The Spaceport was built around it. Kejon has a hidden
base located on the other side. In sight of everyone who arrives on
Razzine but out of sight as it was located on the unused side of
the Spaceport. This is what made it so damn hard to find. No one
questioned the ships coming and going,” he pointed out. “The Antrox
dug tunnels on top of tunnels. I had to dig deep into their
database to find the schematics for this one. Luckily, they are
organized bastards. I’ve spent the last three days following one of
Kejon’s known associates. I would have lost him if not for this
map.”

Ha’ven leaned forward staring at where
Bahadur had tapped. The enlarged diagram showed the maze of
tunnels. Bahadur highlighted the ones that lead into and out of a
lower section. His eyes followed it to the remains of an old
control room.

“We need to get in there before Kejon
arrives,” Adalard commented. “I don’t think he is just going to
leave it unprotected for us.”

“I’ll take care of his security system,”
Arrow said. “I can get through any lock or security. That is one of
the gifts the Goddess gave me.”

“What are some of the others besides being a
pain in the ass and a know-it-all?” Adalard asked with a wicked
grin.

“I’m a better lover than you,” Arrow said
standing up.

“In your dreams,” Adalard retorted back with
a laugh.

“Not according to Niria, Traya, and Doray,”
Arrow said as he walked out of the conference room.

“What the…” Adalard staring at his
brother.

“Aren’t those your current lovers?” Bahadur
asked. “Too bad, old man. Looks like Arrow sampled them recently,”
he added as he walked by, slapping Adalard on the shoulder in
sympathy.

“Come on,” Ha’ven said. “Just remember you
can’t kill him. Mother wouldn’t like it.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t say anything about me
not beating the shit out of him,” Adalard grumbled under his
breath.

Emma looked around her in wonder. Her eyes
moved to the ceiling, only the ceiling was a brilliant view of the
universe. Nebulas in all their magnificent colors lay before her.
She thought she had never seen so many stars when she was on the
moon but what she was seeing now stole her breath.

“It is beautiful,” a warm, husky voice said
from behind her.

Emma turned, startled. “Yes,” she stuttered.
“Yes, it is.”

Emma studied the beautiful creature as it
approached her. The figure shimmered, as if made up of gold and
diamond dust. A figure became more defined until Emma was able to
make out the shape of a tall, elegant woman. Her flowing gold hair
matched the shimmering gown she wore. Emma tilted her head and
looked up at the woman when she came to a stop in front of her.

“Where am I?” Emma asked softly. “Who are
you? Am I dead?”

*.*.*

Aikaterina studied the tiny female standing
in front of her. Strength, compassion and a gentleness radiated
from her. A satisfied smile curved her lips. She had chosen well.
This species continued to amaze her with their hidden attributes.
She may have to revisit their world.

She had sent the touch of her own blood that
would give life to the girl’s planet long ago. It had taken
billions of years but time was of no consequence to her kind.

Aikaterina was considered a Goddess to those
who looked at her. She did not consider herself one based on their
beliefs. She simply was…

Her kind traveled through the different star
systems, looking for planets with the potential for life. If a
world was ready, she would leave a part of herself in the hopes it
would grow and nurture life.

She moved with the universes, as much as
part of them as the galaxies that made them up. At times, she was
moved by a species enough to stop and to interact with it. It is
what gave her the substance she needed to continue. The recent
birth of a Valdier child had pulled her back to this solar system.
But, it was the species that made up the worlds that kept her
here.

Aikaterina raised her hand and ran it over
the heavens. A ripple effect caused the Nebulae to change slightly
and additional stars to form. She paused her hand next to a small
dot and touched it. A close up image of
a
Spaceport built into an asteroid appeared.

“I have been called many things by many
species,” Aikaterina replied. “Here, I go by Aikaterina. I have
brought you to a place where you would feel safe.” She looked with
a mischievous smile at Emma. “And no, you are not dead. That would
be an incredible waste and very devastating to the one who has
joined with you.”

Emma looked from Aikaterina to the image of
the asteroid. She stepped closer frowning when she saw a warship
docked to one of the long arms extending from it. She reached up to
trace the unusual words on the side and gasped when she suddenly
found herself standing inside it.

Men worked at different stations. Some
called out to others while others focused on the instruments in
front of them. She turned her head when a door opened to one side.
Her eyes widened and she gasped as she recognized one of the men
coming out of the room.

“Ha’ven,” she breathed, stepping forward and
reaching out.

“He cannot see or hear you here,” Aikaterina
replied looking at the tall male as he talked quietly with
another.

“What is happening?” Emma demanded watching
as he walked past her.

“He and the others prepare to come for you,”
Aikaterina. “One of his kind has not made a good choice in his use
of the gift I have given him. It is up to your male to correct
that.”

Emma glanced at the shimmering figure. “Why
don’t you take care of Kejon? If you gave him the power couldn’t
you take it away from him?”

Aikaterina shook her head. “I do not
interfere in the course a species has chosen. Well, not often,” she
added so softly Emma almost missed it.

“What do you mean? Not often,” Emma
asked.

Aikaterina chuckled as she moved alongside
Emma. “I felt the shift in power and knew that another from the
line of the one I chose long ago carried the ability to harness the
powers I gave,” she explained. “I was feeling very generous at the
time, perhaps a little too generous. For each gift I gave, I
created a need within each species for balance. It was important
for the power to be shared by another who would be in harmony with
their chosen mate. You are the balance to yours. I was not
expecting so much power to come from such a young species.”

Emma sighed in frustration. “What power? I
don’t have any power.”

“But you do, little one,” Aikaterina said
touching Emma’s cheek. “Your warrior cried out for you and your
heart answered his cry. You are Ha’ven’s Song, the only one who can
calm the darkness in him. You do not fear that darkness but embrace
it. Only the one who can balance that darkness with light could do
that.”

Emma’s eyes glistened with tears. She
understood what Aikaterina was saying. When she was with Ha’ven she
could feel the music inside. He made her want to dance on the
clouds and sing to the heavens. He opened her heart and filled her
life with warmth and joy and in his arms she felt strong and
safe.

“Do you think he feels any less?” Aikaterina
asked tenderly. “He cannot do this alone. He needs you, little one.
He needs your love and your strength.”

“What should I do?” Emma asked suddenly
frightened of losing Ha’ven.

“Go back,” Aikaterina whispered as she and
the warship they were on started to fade. “Stand by him, hold him,
balance him… love him.”

Emma nodded silently. She looked one last
time at the strong determined face of the man she had come to love.
She was no longer afraid. She had not traveled this far, gone
through so much just to hide. She would not only stand at his
side
, s
he would fight beside him.

Emma closed her eyes. She concentrated on
the Marastin Dow warship and where she had left her body. She was
no longer afraid of the light.

*.*.*

“Praise the Goddess,” a female voice
whispered when she saw Emma’s eyes flutter open. “I thought you
were dead.”

Emma blinked at the bright light. The female
muttered to someone behind her and the lights dimmed. Emma gazed
around the room, puzzled before everything came flooding back to
her. She looked down and discovered she was covered by a thin
blanket.

“Where…,” she licked her dry lips. “Where am
I?”

“In the medical bay,” the female replied. “I
am Medic Reddick. That Curizan… Kejon brought your body here almost
two hours ago. He stated you just collapsed. We thought he might
have…” her voice faded as she looked at the male behind her.

“We were concerned he had harmed you,”
Captain Tylis finished.

Emma shook her head. “I think he was going
to but I… left before he could do anything,” she answered,
struggling to sit up. “I have to get to the asteroid.”

Marus frowned. “How did you know that was
where we were going?”

Emma looked up in surprise. “Aikaterina told
me. My mate is there.”

The female drew in a startled gasp and
stared at Emma as if she had just grown another head. Marus gave
her a warning glance before he stared in disbelief at Emma.
Whatever she had said had shocked both of them from their
expressions.

“You… spoke to Aikaterina? You… saw her?”
Marus hesitantly asked.

“Yes to both questions,” Emma replied.

“Captain,” Reddick began, rising out of her
seat.

“Not a word, Medic,” Marus ordered sternly,
shooting her a warning. “What did she say to you?”

“She said I was his balance,” Emma said
looking up with a look of hope and excitement. “She said I was his
song.”

Marus wasn’t sure what that meant but he
knew one thing; he would protect the tiny female with his life. She
had been chosen by the Goddess herself. He had no doubt about it.
He needed to get her onto the Spaceport and away from Kejon.

“If Kejon asks about her tell him there has
been no change,” Marus ordered before reaching for Emma. “You will
do exactly what I say.”

Emma nodded. “What about you? Won’t he hurt
you for helping me?” She asked as he pulled her out of Medical.

“He can try,” Marus muttered before turning
and speaking quietly to several men standing outside the door. “How
far are we from Razzine?”

“We will be ready to dock within the hour,”
one of the men replied.

“Kejon will be coming for the female,” Marus
replied. “Stall him,” he ordered as he turned to another. “Get two
service suits out and readied. I want clearance from the Spaceport
for orbital repairs. Make sure a mobile service bike is readied as
well. Ensign Marks, have our friend on the Spaceport ready for my
arrival on Level 2.”

“Yes sir,” the young male said,
saluting.

“Let’s go,” Marus said grimly.

“Where are we going?” Emma asked as she
hurried after him.

“Have you ever space walked before?” He
asked her.

Emma stopped, her mouth hanging open at his
words. Marus took that to mean ‘no’. He grimly bit back the
colorful expletive he wanted to say and instead focused on what
needed to be done.

The last thing I need now
is
one very angry Curizan prince on my
ass,
Marus thought as he stepped into the lift and ordered it
to the service level.
I’ll be lucky to make it out of this
alive.

“Sir, we are receiving an incoming message,”
one of the Ensigns assigned to communications called out.

“Patch it through,” Ha’ven answered as he
checked the laser pistol in his hand.

“This is Captain Marus Tylis of the Marastin
Dow warship,
Traitor’s Run
,” a deep voice echoed
through.

Ha’ven paused and straightened. “This is
Ha’ven Ha’darra. You have my mate,” he growled out.

“Yes, I do,” the male responded with a heavy
sigh. “A fact that will probably get me killed – more than once if
that was possible,” he added gruffly.

“Where are you?” Ha’ven growled out.

“Ha’ven?” Emma’s soft voice suddenly echoed
through the room. “Oh Ha’ven, this is incredible! I never dreamed I
would get a chance to be an astronaut! This is unbelievable.”

“Where. Are. You?” Ha’ven asked again even
as his stomach sank.

“We’re riding around outside the
Spaceport
,
” Emma replied.

“Why do you have my mate outside the
protection of your warship or the Spaceport?” Ha’ven asked with
barely restrained rage.

“I’m trying to save her,” Marus retorted.
“We’re heading for Level Two Service Bay Four B. I would appreciate
it if you take your fight with that Curizan devil that has
commandeered my warship somewhere else. I have my own battles to
fight without getting between the two of you.”