Switched: Brides of the Kindred 17 (40 page)

“
All right, Kerov.” Kerov’s mother put a hand on his father’s
arm. “I’m certain it couldn’t be helped.” She turned to Frankie.
“At any rate, I am glad that Jorn helped to cover for you and save
the situation.”

“
Well, I wouldn’t call it
saved
exactly,” Frankie admitted reluctantly as Kerov tossed the
ball back. “I think it’s clear that the Brigadier has it out for
Kerov. He said a lot of really nasty things and said he had been
planning to try and catch Kerov Switching for a long
time.”

Kerov groaned. “Of all times for him to actually be right
about me! I’ve been accused of being a Jumper before but the
one
time when it really matters the
accusations are actually
true.”

“
I’m really sorry,” Frankie said unhappily. “I didn’t mean to
screw up, honestly I didn’t, Kerov. I wanted to do things right for
you—I really did.”

He sighed. “That’s
all right. It’s only my career that you ruined. I haven’t done much
better for you—I’m afraid your entire family thinks you are
mentally ill now.”

“
What?” Frankie exclaimed. They were tossing the ball of light
back and forth so naturally now she didn’t even have to think about
it. “What are you talking about? What did you do?”

“
I
did the best I could at pretending to be you at your family
gathering,” Kerov growled. “But your ex-mate, Carlos, came after me
and insisted on trying to kiss and molest me. I couldn’t get
away—your body is not strong enough. So I kneed him in the
testicles.”

“
Good for you!” Frankie said and she could feel his
surprise.

“
You’re not angry at me?”

“
Not for that. But what happened afterwards that made my
family think I’m crazy?”

“
Well…” He coughed. “Carlos screamed and they all came running
out. Your mother berated me for kicking him in his ‘babymakers’ and
demanded to know how she would ever get young from you if you
insisted on kicking your mate in the groin. She and your
grandmother had been after me all evening about how they expect you
to go back to Carlos and have his young and I got…”

“
Yes?” Frankie prodded gently.

“
I
got really angry,” he admitted. “I was already full of your
grandmother’s excellent meat—”

“
My
abuela’s
what
now?” Frankie
asked.

“
You know—her roast pork and old clothes,” Kerov said. “I
didn’t realize that your body couldn’t handle such food. It made me
ill and feeling sick and the way Carlos had attacked me made me
angry. So I shouted to your family that Carlos was no fit mate for
you and that you were never going back to him. Then I threw up all
over your clothing and Lacy took me home.”

“
Dios—
what a
mess.” Frankie sighed and shook her head and then looked at his
parents. “You see what we’re going through? At least when you guys
Switched you were from the same planet—you knew what was expected
of you. Kerov and I are from two different
worlds
—being in each other’s bodies is screwing everything
up for both of us. So please, can you tell us how to Switch
back?”

Kerov’s father
frowned. “Unfortunately, we cannot, Frankie.”

“
The only way we know of to end an incomplete Switch and have
control over the whole Switching process is for the two of you to
bond permanently. But apparently this is not what you wish.”
Kerov’s mother looked sad.

Frankie felt
terrible.

“
Look, it’s not that I don’t like Kerov,” she said quickly. “I
mean, I do—I really
do.
He’s
handsome and brave and kind and good with animals and he’s been a
real sport through this whole thing, trying to do everything he
could to keep my world on track. It’s just, well, I want my body
back. I want my
life
back,”
she emphasized, leaning forward.

“
I
want my life back too,” Kerov added as she passed him the ball. “If
there is any life to get back to,” he added darkly, clearly
thinking of his ruined military career.

“
Then you will have to consult the Goddess—or one of her
priestesses,” Kerov’s father said with finality. “It was the
Goddess who put you together—it is my guess that only she can take
you apart.”

“
But there are no priestesses on Tarsia. All outer practice of
religion has been outlawed by The State,” Kerov
protested.

“
Which is why you must travel to another place entirely—one
that is more free than this world we have chosen to settle on,”
Kerov’s mother said quietly. She looked up at his father. “Do you
still have contact with anyone on the Mother Ship?”

He nodded. “I do—my
old friend Terex had risen very high in the ranks there. I believe
he was even the head of the Council for a time.”

“
Get in touch with him,” Kerov’s mother said. “Tell him that
your only son needs transport to the Mother Ship. No place else can
this matter be resolved.”

“
I
will do as you say, Melisand.” Kerov’s father leaned forward,
looking at them earnestly. “But even though the two of you want to
Switch out of each other’s bodies permanently, there is something
you must know—while the two of you are Switched, please,
be careful.”

“
Careful of what?” Frankie asked, feeling a knot of
apprehension form in her gut.

“
A
Switched soul is a fragile thing,” Kerov’s mother said. “While the
two of you are in each other’s bodies you are
vulnerable.”

“
Vulnerable how?” Kerov demanded. “To disease? Illness?
What?”

“
To death,” Kerov’s father said grimly. “Remember, if you
should die while in the body of your host, you will not return to
your own form—you will die with the body you are in.”

“
Oh,” Frankie whispered, putting a hand to her mouth. Such a
thing had never occurred to her but now she found the very idea
made her feel sick to her stomach.

“
Not that we think either one of you will be in mortal peril
just from Switching with each other,” Kerov’s mother hastened to
reassure her. “It’s just something you need to know. When you’re in
your host’s body, you are responsible for it. Take care of it
because it is the vessel that carries your life force—your soul.
And if it dies, you die with it.”

“
I
promise I’ll take very good care of your son’s body,” Frankie
vowed, hoping to keep her from worrying. “Honestly—I’ve been trying
all along. The only danger I got into was when I had to ride his
grizzly bear thing, Ursa—but she’s actually pretty tame. Oh, and
when I ate the slug ice cream but that was by accident.”

“
Kerov—can you say you have been taking care with Frankie’s
body as well?” his father asked, giving them a stern
look.

“
Well…yes,” Kerov said a bit too slowly, Frankie
thought.

“
What?”
she
asked him mentally.
“What did you do that wasn’t safe? Come on—I can tell
something happened.”

“
Aside from kicking your ex-mate in his balls? Nothing but
drive your vehicle to the yoga studio.”

“
What?” Frankie exclaimed aloud. “You drove my
car?
In Tampa traffic? Without knowing any
of the driving rules or street signs or anything? You could have
gotten me killed!”

“
That was what Lacy said,” Kerov muttered, sounding resentful.
“It was actually her car that I drove.”

“
It doesn’t matter whose car it was—that was a crazy thing to
do! I didn’t try to drive
your
vehicle,” Frankie said.

“
It was…a momentary lapse in judgment. I was trying so hard to
keep up the pretense that I was you and when she asked me to drive,
well…I did.”

“
That was very foolish, son,” Kerov’s father said, frowning.
“You’re lucky you survived.”

“
I
am aware of that,” Kerov growled. “And I vow never to do anything
dangerous or life threatening while in another’s body again. Now
can we
please
call
the Mother Ship and get this problem
fixed?”

“
I’ll get the coordinates,” his father said, getting up. “I
just hope that my old friend Terex is in a position to help us.” He
sighed. “Goddess knows if you’re not welcomed aboard the Mother
Ship, I don’t know what you’ll do.”

Chapter Eighteen

“
So you haven’t had any more dreams lately?” Liv asked, eyeing
Kate curiously. She and Sophie and Kat—who had become Kate’s
touchstone because she had also survived the birth of Kindred
triplets—were sitting in Sophie’s living area having girl talk and
snacking on some of the delicious cupcakes from their cousin
Lauren’s shop.

“
I
did have one but it was very brief,” Kate admitted, reaching for
another Deep Dark Devil’s Food cupcake. “Um, you’re sure I can have
this without blowing up like a balloon?”

“
Relax, doll.” Kat smiled at her. “You’re eating for four
now—remember?”

“
And carrying a Kindred baby burns so many calories you pretty
much need to eat as much as you can,” Sophie lectured. “Especially
if you’re carrying multiples.”

“
They’re right—you’re okay to have another,” Liv promised,
smiling. “And I’m a nurse so I ought to know. But go on and tell us
about your dream.”

“
Well, it wasn’t exactly a
Knowing
dream…” Kate was still a little hesitant to talk about her
sixth sense but her new friends seemed to accept her ability
without question which gave her confidence. “I saw a glimpse—just a
flash really of a man—a Kindred. He had dark blond hair and pale
gray eyes. But he was there and gone so fast I barely saw him. Then
I heard a woman’s voice saying, ‘The one who Jumps True approaches.
Be ready to receive him.”

“
A
woman’s voice, huh?” Liv frowned. “Did it sound really deep and
rich and
more
than
human somehow?”

Kate nodded. “Yes,
it did—how did you know?”

“
It might have been the Goddess,” Sophie said quietly. “She
comes to people sometimes in different ways.”

“
But how can I watch out for this person? And what does it
mean, someone who Jumps True?” Kate protested.

“
A
good question and one we have been considering ever since your mate
told us of your first
Knowing
dream
and the prophesy it contained,” a deep, male voice said.

Sylvan came into the
room and leaned down to kiss Sophie affectionately. He still wore a
large white bandage on his thumb where the bite he’d received from
the strange guinea pig type creature had refused to heal. Kate knew
that her mate, Rone, had offered to donate blood so that the
healing factor of his Wulven Kindred DNA might be infused into
Sylvan’s own genetic material. Personally, she thought Sylvan ought
to take Rone up on the offer but he hadn’t yet.

“
The twins are down for their nap,
talana,”
Sylvan told Sophie.
“
I should go back to the Command Sector.”

Sophie sighed. “I’m
glad you were able to make time to see them today. Being head of
the Council is taking more and more of your time.”

“
I
know and I’m truly sorry.” Sylvan frowned. “It’s a heavy burden
which I am trying to balance with our family life.”

“
Well I don’t know many CEOs back on Earth who leave in the
middle of the day to rock their babies to sleep,” Liv told him,
smiling. “I think you’re doing okay, Sylvan.”

“
I
am trying,” he said gravely. “But sometimes I wish this burden had
not come to me. If only Terex had not been incapacitated during the
battle with the demons from the Black Planet…he was a good and fit
leader. And he had no mate or children to worry about so he had an
easier time performing the duties of leadership.”

“
He
was
a good leader when it
was
him
in his skin and not that
awful demon, Ur.” Kat shivered. “I can’t even imagine being invaded
that way! What is he doing now, Sylvan?”

“
I
have made certain he has a seat on the Council but he hardly ever
speaks up,” Sylvan said soberly. “I fear that his possession by the
demon shamed and scarred him.” He sighed. “I wish there was some
way to make him feel himself again.”

“
Well, you can’t make everybody happy, honey.” Sophie squeezed
her husband’s arm comfortingly. “I know you’re doing your best.
Maybe what he needs is time.”

“
No, what he really needs is some nookie,” Kat said frankly.
“I’ve seen him—he’s a good looking guy. He needs to find a girl and
get busy.”

“
You know that isn’t how it works, Kat,” Sylvan said quietly.
“Terex’s first mate died and like as not, his desire died with her.
Kindred often don’t survive the loss of their mates and rarely take
another mate afterwards.” He shook his head. “My own father was a
rare exception but most males refuse another mate if the one they
first bond with dies.”

“
I
just don’t see—” Kate began but just then there was a knocking at
the front door of Sophie and Sylvan’s suite.