Warrior (23 page)

I eyed the two of them, because being in the same room as protectors, even though they were polite, made my skin crawl. Still, I would be civil. “It’s a skill needed on the station, a valuable one.”

The door opened, and a woman in a red dress, with the longest locks of brown hair crossed the room. She looked just like the lead actress from the musical movie I’d watched on Earth one night. Yeah, the one about an American high school.

Silas whispered in my ear, “This is Belle, our empath.”

She popped a hand over her mouth with a soft exhalation. “Oh, you must be Hope. Silvie just warned me you’d be here. You look just like Faith.”

“So I’ve heard.” There were four protectors in this room, counting Silas. I’d never been around so many. Not good.

Silas smoothed a hand around my waist as I inched closer to him. “
Relax. No one here will harm you.
”

Gripping his hand, I held on tight. “
You’re outnumbered if they decide to attack. It’s not hard to miss that.
” To the depths of my heart, I didn’t doubt his protection stood strong, regardless of who we were around.

Belle’s lips lifted. “I sense your connection with Silas is strong. That’s good, but I also feel your concern radiating through. There’s no need. No one here would hurt Silas’s mate.”

Empaths were tricky to be around. They identified emotions with precision and were a pain in the butt. “You shouldn’t pry.”

“I wasn’t prying.” She advanced, and I held up my hands.

“No, you don’t. You stay there.” Empaths had a terrible habit of being overly friendly.

She engulfed me in a hug, the sweet scent of roses coming with her. Shoot, and this one was no different. “I can tell you have a big heart simply because you care for Silas, and there is honor and pride emitting strongly from you.”

“I’m sure there is,” I muttered, trying to push her away. Damn it. Why wouldn’t she move? “Silas, a little help here.”

He snickered, and then coughed. “Sorry. Belle, do you mind?”

A sigh came from her. “No one cares about the empath. We have feelings too, you know.” Still, she retreated a few steps. Thank heavens. “You radiate the same emotional responses as Faith did after I first met her.”

“I do?” I slanted my head. “How can you tell that in so short a time?”

“It’s the strongest part of my skill.”

“Here we go, everyone.” Silvie breezed into the room carrying a large crockery pot with steam escaping from the sides of its glass lid. A long ladle balanced on top, and I rushed to help her, took the serving spoon and cleared a spot in the center of the table.

“Oooh, that smells delicious.” I peered in.

“It’s the starter. Spiced pumpkin soup. Great to see you.” She gave me a hug.

Silas pulled out a chair. “Come sit here, Hope, at the quiet end of the table.”

“There’s a quiet end?” I was all for that, and scurried to him.

Everyone sat and Silvie passed a basket of crusty herbed bread to me. “Did you have a good day?”

“I did.” Not that I’d talk about it in front of Zac, Viv or Belle. Dinner was one thing, but getting chummy another.

Silas squeezed my leg under the table. “You’re here. That’s all that matters.”

I gave him a small smile as Silvie plated the soup and set a bowl before me. “Thank you. This looks amazing.” I sipped a mouthful from my spoon. Oh, de-li-cious. She was good, and the herbed bread was melt-in-the-mouth divine.

“
Hope. I hate to interrupt.
”

I froze at Dad’s voice in my head, an undeniable urgency in his tone. “
Yes.
”

“
Your sister’s coming. She heard Silvie had cooked and the last meal Silvie prepared for her didn’t end well. She wants to make it up to her.
”

“
How long?
”

“
Five seconds, but I’ve seen it’s time for you to meet her.
”

I dropped my spoon and stared at the door. A tingly numbness pervaded my limbs. “
Now?
”

“
Yes. Four seconds.
”

“
I’m not ready.
” My heart thumped and Silas gripped my hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“
Three.
”

“Faith comes. It’s time for me to meet her.”

His chair scraped as he pushed it back.

“
Two.
”

“
Dad, I’m not sure I can do this.
”

“
One.
”

“
Flip, stop counting down, Dad. I’m not a two-year-old.
”

The door flew open and a young woman dashed in. “Silvie, I would have been here already if Davio had told me sooner you’d cooked.”

My gaze got stuck on her face as she spoke. She had pink cheeks from running and sparkling violet eyes. Her blond hair swept down her back. This was my sister. My twin. The one person I should never have been separated from in life.

Loveria panted as he hurried into the room. “You are too crafty for your own good, Faith. I said I had other plans for us.”

I soaked in every detail of her, from her casual Earth clothing, a short white skirt with a ruffled candy-pink blouse, to the three silver hoops on one wrist and the small digital watch on the other. I couldn’t wait another moment to meet her.

“Faith.” I gripped the table with both hands as I said her name.

She swiveled around, her gaze boggling wide. “What?” She blinked rapidly and squinted. “Um...” She flicked her fingers in front of her face. “Guys, I’m having a little problem with my eyesight.” She glanced around the room, looking from one to the other until she returned to me.

“No, you’re not.” Silvie grasped Faith’s shoulder. “You have a twin. This is Hope.”

Faith’s legs wobbled and her eyes rolled until the whites showed. Loveria caught her as she fell.

Okay, not the best first meeting.

* * * *

Slowly Faith came to. Loveria fanned her face, holding her upright. “You fainted,” he murmured in her ear.

“I never faint.” She frowned. “Unless I see someone just like me and my best friend tells me I have twin. Then I do.” She gripped his shoulders, her knuckles turning white as she turned my way. “Oh. You’re still real.”

“What Silvie said was true.” I shoved my shaky hands behind my back. “I know this is...unexpected.” Crazy was more like it. “But if you’ll allow me to explain, I will.”

She flattened her hand on her chest. “You won’t see me stopping you...whoever you are.”

“You and I are true sisters of the blood-bond, born eighteen years ago to the same mother.”

Her gaze narrowed with precision. “Are you sure? I believe my mother would have mentioned there being two of us.”

“Our mother isn’t aware I live. I was born with a heart blockage and after our birth, I died. Alexo took me home to Dralion. His intention was to bury me on home soil, although because of the teleportation jump, my heart restarted. It was unexpected.”

Her gaze now held more interest and less suspicion. “You’re saying you grew up in Dralion? Oh my.” Her breath caught and she fluttered her hands at her sides. “You’re that Hope. Alexo once mentioned he had a sister named Goldie who was currently off-world caring for another family member named Hope. Australia, I think he said. Why did he not tell me exactly who you were?”

Dad had hinted at my existence? My heart lightened. “He had his reasons.”

“Why didn’t Alexo return with you, since you lived?”

“You believe me?”

“It’s a little hard not to with you standing right before me. So, why didn’t he return with you?”

“Dad was worried about what another jump would do, so he called in the healers and Donaldo was informed. Dad’s actions at that point were impossible to reverse. Kate’s safety had to come first.”

“The mated bond thing. I have that maddening relationship with Davio. I can’t bring any harm to him, which right now, sucks.” She eyed him. “Why’d you attempt to prevent my return? You knew she was here, huh?” It was not a good sounding
huh
.

He took her hands in his, squeezing them. “Hope requested through Silas the two of you not yet meet. I withheld only for that reason.”

“What the heck does Silas have to do with this?” Her gaze swung to Silas’s, slitting with deadly intent. “What have you done?”

“Hope is my mate,” he stated and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve done nothing but accept the bond.”

Faith’s gaze pinged to his hand. “You’re mated...to my sister?” She took one-step forward, her hands twitching at her sides. “Get your hands off her. I don’t know her, but I already know I don’t like you touching her.”

“We are soul-bound. Touch is expected.”

“I don’t care. Hands. Off. Her. Now.”

“I only have the one hand on her, but if you’d prefer I can make it two.”

She took another step forward, a very menacing one. “I want to hurt you, Silas. You’ve now given me the best reason to.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Was he egging her on?

At an intense moment like this?

He tucked me in closer to his side and her face went bull-fighting red.

Oh, he was.

Silas had said they didn’t get along, and now I believed.

I cleared my throat. “Silas, you have to behave.”

“No, I don’t.”

My hair whooshed across my face as Faith rammed into him.

She pinned him to the floor, one knee pressed into his belly and her elbow against his windpipe. “She asked you not to touch her. I have the battle skills, don’t forget. I like to fight.”

“She said for me to behave.”

“Same thing.”

“Let me up.”

“You’ve been hiding her. My own sister. From me.”

“Wincrest requested it of her. She obliged him, and so did I.”

“Since when did you start doing something a Wincrest said to do?” Dropping her elbow deeper, she scowled. “Damn it, and what’s wrong with me? I feel incredibly connected to her.”

Loveria wandered across and sat on the padded seat under the window. “It’s the blood-bond. The ties between you and your sister will be as strong as those between us as mates, only I hold your soul.” He eased his legs out and idly crossed them at the ankles. “This is refreshing to see, Silas. I think this is called retribution.”

Silas gawked about the room. “Does no one want to help me out here?”

A chorus of nos came from Zac, Viv and Belle.

Teeth clenched, Faith snorted at him. “I want to kill you and that thought isn’t going anywhere. It doesn’t help she looks like me. It gave me the creepies when you touched her.”

Silvie huffed. “Faith, you’ve gotta let Silas go. He’ll behave. I’ll make sure he does.”

“I have a twin, Silvie.”

“It’s a shock. I know.” She tugged her up. “Everyone, to the table. This little display is over.”

“But a sister?” Faith’s gaze jumped between Silvie and me. “I’ve always wanted a sister. This is unreal.”

Silvie pulled out a chair and plunked her in it. “Now you have one. Ask her some questions. It’ll take your mind off wanting to hurt Silas, and me, since I withheld too.”

“You withheld?”

“Silas did first. He told me to.”

“Thanks, sis. Dump me in it a little further, why don’t you.” Silas smoothed out the collar of his shirt then tucked his loose tails in and guided me to my seat. “You still really want a sister? I forgot to mention, they’re a pain in the butt.”

“I do.” More than ever, now that I’d met her.

Faith wrinkled up the tablecloth as she leaned forward opposite me. “Goodness. It’s like I’m staring at my own reflection. Wow. Seeing you before me is a shock, but the greatest one I’ve had so far, and trust me, there’s been a ton in the past few weeks.”

I inched my feet out and touched my toes to hers. “I’ve only known of your existence for a short time.” I itched to get closer still, my blood-bond with her the strongest ever. It called me to her as Dad had said.