Brianna (35 page)

“What!”

Behind Brianna, Rodane began to laugh.

Denieen grinned even wider. “It was well done, Alalakan dem al’ Brianna. You are now bloodsister to our tribe. Be grateful you used your right hand. If you’d used the left, you’d have another husband instead of a brother.”

Brianna gasped and then swallowed as she glanced behind her. Though Wendjas and Rodane were relaxed and grinning, Ban was still angry.

Char was fuming.

Thinking quickly she said, “Marljas is my brother now?”

Marljas himself nodded affirmatively.

Brianna began to smile widely. “What kind of dragon should an Alalakan Gattan wear, Rodane?”

Everyone looked at Brianna in amazement. “Well, if he’s my brother, that makes him an Alalakan, too.”

Locking her eyes with those of an astonished Marljas she finished, “And you will wear a dragon, Brother. After that, you can settle whatever argument you have with Bandalardrac.”

Brianna spared a quick glance for her husband. Though he was obviously angry, there was now a very thoughtful look on his face.

“Ban,” she declared quickly before Char met her glance with one of his own, “how in the world did you manage to offend a Gattan?”

“It’s a long story,” Ban snapped.

“I expect to hear every bit of it.” Glancing back to Marljas, she said just as sharply. “I expect to hear your side of the story too. Then that will be an end to it.”

Much of the tension had dissipated, and Wendjas slapped Char on the back. “Very much like my Denieen, a wife to make other men envious.”

Both Denieen and Brianna raised delicate red eyebrows.

Char was still furious. The dark stain where her blood dripped to the ground underscored just how important she had become to him.
She could have been killed!

The belated appearance of Wendjas and Denieen’s sons effectively eliminated any thought of an immediate challenge from Ban or Char. The fact that children were with them proclaimed very strongly how much trust they placed in the Alalakan clan.

Acting more like monkeys than the cats they resembled, both five-year-old boys scrambled into adult arms after their pell-mell sprint across the shuttle pad, one to Wendjas and one to Marljas.

“Our children,” Denieen said proudly, “Hendjas climbs upon his uncle and Charjas upon his father.”

Brianna smiled at the children’s antics. Hoping she wasn’t being too familiar, she locked her arm through Denieen’s and said, “You must tell me, Sister, how one of your sons came to be named for my husband.”

Denieen smiled and nodded. Sending a dismissive glance towards her husband, she commanded, “Bring our sons with you, Wendjas. My new sister and I have much to discuss.”

Matching her stride to Brianna’s much slower one, Denieen turned her back on her menfolk and headed for the nearest vehicle.

Char stepped after them. “Brianna,” he snarled in a low voice.

“Later, Char,” she answered with a wave of her wounded hand.

When I get my hands on her…
He was still furious with Brianna for putting herself into such a dangerous position.
I
could have lost her. How would I live without her?

For once, thoughts of Bakom never entered his mind.

Rodane stared after the women. Denieen had been the one issuing commands. Why?

Unaffected by the dampened currents of tension that rolled around them, Wendjas’ sons locked glances, nodded once to each other, and launched themselves at the big men who wore dragons on their shoulders. Rodane wasn’t caught totally unawares and was able to brace himself as Hendjas landed on his shoulders. Ban, however, was not expecting an attack from his blind side. He found himself flat on his back staring into merry green eyes.

“Can your dragon really fly?” Charjas asked breathlessly.

Ban was a man who loved children too much to do anything other than grin. “Only in my own ship, fearless one. Perhaps one day I will show you.”

“Ha!” Charjas exclaimed as he leaped from Ban’s chest and scooted towards Rodane and his brother. “My dragon man says I am fearless.”

Hendjas looked expectantly at Rodane who stared back, obviously at a loss for words. Giving Rodane one last disgruntled look, Hendjas swung his head towards Char, a calculating look in his eye. Char had no doubts as to what his intentions were.

Before Hendjas could leap from Rodane’s arms, Char had grabbed him about the waist and tossed him to Marljas. “That is how to fly like a dragon,” he said somewhat gruffly.

Hendjas whooped with joy as he flew through the air into his uncle’s arms.

Charjas quickly changed direction and headed for his uncle also.

Wendjas’ loud yell stopped the antics of both boys. “Enough.

Is this how a Gattan behaves at the home of a friend? What would your mother say?”

Both boys mumbled apologies, but Charjas had the audacity to look up at his father and say, “But Mother isn’t here.”

Even Char had to smile.

Walking over to Ban, Marljas offered his hand. After staring at it a moment, Ban clasped it and Marljas pulled him to his feet.

“For the sake of my new sister, I offer truce.”

Ban stared at him for a few moments. “For the sake of my cousin, I accept.”

“Good,” Wendjas said, a hand on each son’s shoulder. “You will take Charjas and Hendjas with you. Chardadon, Rodane, and I will take the other vehicle.”

“Perhaps we will be able to keep them from killing each other,” commented Wendjas after they left. “My sons will have them fully occupied.”

Since Char was staring after Brianna and Denieen, Rodane asked, “How much housing will you require for your crew?”

“There are no other Gattan with us. Marljas piloted the ship.”

Char’s mind was pulled from its bloody fantasies. For Wendjas to come alone with his family bespoke trust no other Gattan had ever demonstrated. “I will send people for your things.”

“Marljas must accompany them. The ship is set on a defense mode.”

An affirmative grunt was Char’s answer.

Rodane asked. “Why are you here, Wendjas?”

“After much thought and reflection, my mother and father decided that trade would be better than war. It’s a much more subtle but equally satisfying way to defeat one’s adversaries.”

“Except for Brianna. She can start a war all by herself,” Char snarled mostly to himself.

Rodane laughed at the questioning expression on Wendjas’

face. “Don’t take what Char says to heart. In his mind, he still sees Brianna lying in a pool of her own blood. My brother just realized just how important his wife is to him.”

Damn Rodane. Why doesn’t he keep his mouth shut?

“Marljas would not have knowingly blooded a pregnant woman!”

Char’s tone was caustic. “Perhaps not purposely, but I don’t remember you being very levelheaded either.”

Rodane’s eyebrows lifted, but Wendjas was in an affable mood. “Six years ago, Chardadon tried to lure Denieen from Gattan.”

To say Rodane was shocked was an understatement. “You courted a Gattan!”

Char shrugged. “She’s quite beautiful.”

“What happened?”

Wendjas continued Char’s story when he wouldn’t. “Denieen pretended interest since I was proving too slow to declare my love. She thought a handsome dragon man would spur me on.

She was right.”

“So that’s how you got the Gattan scar on your chest,”

Rodane mused. “I always thought you took part in some sort of ceremony to bind our families in trade.”

Char snorted. “If you call an angry Gattan trying to claw my heart out a ceremony.”

“Denieen didn’t think I’d carry things so far. I’m normally a very even-tempered man.”

Char snorted again.

“Denieen stopped the fight?”

Wendjas shook his head. “Once a fight begins, it becomes a matter of honor. Your brother fought well.”

“You mean Char could have been killed?”

“Yes.”

Rodane rounded angrily on his brother. “And you’re angry with Brianna? Do you realize what would have happened if you had died six years ago?”

Char shifted uncomfortably.

Wendjas continued his story. “Mine and Denieen’s mothers were furious. She’d falsely goaded me into a blood feud.

Retribution was necessary.”

Rodane contemplated Wendjas.
Their mothers were furious,
not their fathers?
“So that’s how you got all those red diamonds.”

“And the trade treaty,” Wendjas added.

“A treaty that has benefited your family as much as it has mine,” Char interjected.

“What caused the dissension between Bandalardrac and Marljas?” Rodane asked.

Char shrugged again. “I have no idea.”

Wendjas said, “Last year Bandalardrac appeared on Gattan as a courier for the Hardan royal family. Marljas found the girl he was courting in Bandalardrac’s arms, but the Medirian ambassador and the girl’s family smoothed things over. She was quite headstrong and not in the least interested in my brother’s suit.”

“But her family was interested,” Rodane guessed.

Wendjas nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. Marljas was too stubborn to listen to me. The girl had no interest in him, and Mother would never have approved the match. However, the day after Bandalardrac left Gattan, the girl disappeared. She hasn’t been seen since.”

Their mother wouldn’t approve?
Rodane struggled to keep his mind on the conversation rather than the puzzle turning over in his mind. “So everyone believes Ban spirited the girl away.”

“Yes.”

Rodane turned to his brother. “Char?”

Char shook his head negatively. “I can guarantee that in the last year, Ban never gave passage to any Gattan. Nor could he have been in the company of one for any more than a few hours if one happened to be in whichever space bar or dive he was frequenting at the time.”

“How can you be sure of this?”

“The ship Ban flies is Alalakan built. Its computer sends a steady stream of information back here to our master computer.

Ban is Alalakan. We couldn’t allow him to roam about unmonitored,” Char answered with a satisfied smile. “Whatever happened to that girl, he wasn’t involved.”

Wendjas looked thoughtful. “I must send this information back to Gattan. Everyone always assumed she left with Bandalardrac. If that isn’t the case, there are many new questions to be answered.”

They stopped before the house and ceased their conversation. Inside, the women were discussing where to house their unexpected guests.

“Goodness, Xdana. The solution is simple. Put Wendjas and Denieen in the guest quarters of my suite,” Jenneta said.

Denieen inclined her head. “I am honored, Matriarch, but do you realize how active my children are?”

Jenneta’s dark eyes sparkled. “I raised two boys of my own.

Even though yours are Gattan, I doubt there’s much I haven’t seen. Besides, having me about may dampen their exuberance.

If I’m correct, a head of gray hair has that effect on Gattan children. And please call me Jenneta.”

Denieen smiled. “Wisdom such as yours is invaluable, Jenneta. We’ll be honored to accept your hospitality.”

Xdana sighed with relief. “That means Marljas…”

“…will stay in the other bedroom of the heir’s guest suite,”

Brianna finished from where she sat on the couch.

Reactions were simultaneous.

“Cousin…” Ban began.

“New sister, I protest,” Marljas snarled.

“Brianna, I will not allow…” Char snapped.

“Silence!” Wendjas roared, more to his brother than anyone else. “How can you think to question a breeding woman?”

Caught in an obvious breach of Gattan etiquette, Marljas and Ban had the good graces to look embarrassed.

Char, on the other hand, was no so easily intimidated. “I am the Alalakan,” he snarled as he crossed his arms across his chest. “I will say and do what I damn well please.”

Jenneta rose to her feet. “Char…”

He spun around, his fury obvious. “No! Don’t say anything, Grandmother. Brianna could have been killed.”

With Jamiros’ aid, Brianna rose as gracefully as was possible and walked across the room to face her husband.

Looking up into Char’s angry eyes and holding out the hand which still showed angry red cuts, she said, “Though it was unintentional, Alalakan don al’ Chardadon, I was torn from my family on Earth and brought across the galaxy to an alien planet.

Here, instead of the fear and loneliness I could have encountered, I have found the love of not one, but two new families. Now a third opens its arms to me. But, most importantly, your child rests beneath my heart. With such a gift, how can I refuse others?”

Char looked into Brianna’s tear-filled eyes and felt his anger and resistance drain away. Taking her hand, he turned it over and brought her wounded palm to his lips. With a groan he swept her into his arms. Spinning about, he strode out of the room. “Sort things out for yourselves,” he called over his shoulder. “I don’t give a damn where any of you sleep.”

“A truly remarkable woman,” Wendjas said. “Brother, taking such a woman as a sister can bring nothing but honor to our family. Now,” he continued, “does anyone know if Brianna has any sisters? My brother needs a wife.”

Denieen chuckled and patted her husband’s arm.

The pieces of the puzzle in Rodane’s head fell together.

Shock filled his brain. “A matriarchy. Gattan’s a matriarchy. The men aren’t in charge. The women are.”