The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (7 page)

It was almost a mirror image, except for clothing and the blue tattoos that covered Starlythe’s arms, shoulders, and neck. She also had a tattoo of four keys over her right eyebrow.

Their faces were almost identical, their bodies and skin tone were exact. It was startling to see the resemblance.

“I see we are cut from the same cloth.” Starlythe arched a brow, and slowly swiveled her head to view her warriors as they stretched out in a line facing the Keepers. “We are most assuredly related.” She turned to face Tara, cocked her head to the side, and studied the familiar features. Her regal posture and noble mannerism exuded strength and confidence.

They continued to gaze at each other until Tara broke the moment with a smile and moved forward to wrap Starlythe in an embrace.

“Welcome daughter,” she breathed.

One of the tall warriors smiled at Kate and she grinned awkwardly back at him, unable to speak their language.

Mel and Donnie stood in front of the small perky warrior. Mel threw her head back and laughed and then they reached out and touched one another’s bellies.

Staid approached Corey. “You are the leader here?”

“This is my home, my land.” Corey threw his arms up to encompass all he could see. “We are a team of warriors too, but our Captain is Dirk.” Corey waved Dirk forward and the two large men grasped forearms.

“You are the king and he is your champion?”

Corey shifted and rubbed his palm against the back of his head. “Um, well it’s different here, but something like that.”

Staid cocked his head in confusion.

“We are all free and do not serve any king.”

Staid sent Starlythe a wary glance.

“Dirk doesn’t know your language, but I would be happy to translate for you,” Corey offered.

As they studied each other, Corey glanced around again. The man in blue who had stayed back from the fighting had his arm around the small perky blonde and they were deep in animated conversation with Donnie and Mel.

Two of the other warriors approached Trip, and Eunavae moved toward them to translate. It was such a strange moment. The descendants of the Chartreuse team, here, in Heartwork Village.

Corey was torn. He wanted to call up the team and get them over here to meet their descendants, but he needed to get Kate to safety as soon as possible.
When we finished our business with Tom—

TOM!

Tom was on his way and Corey had two dead dragons and eight exotic warriors standing around. How was he going to explain all of this?

“Dirk, we’ve gotta do something about those dragons. My lawyer will be here any minute!”

Staid watched the conversation with a frown. Corey explained the predicament.

“Burn them,” he offered.

“Yes. Dirk go.” Corey stopped talking in Ampelese and switched back to English. “Dirk, get the gasoline! We need to burn those bodies ASAP!”

Dirk nodded and ran toward the shed.

“Please, friends. Come into my home for refreshment.” Corey held out his arm toward the cabin, then dragged Kate along in his wake.

He leaned to her and whispered in her ear. “Tom will be here any minute. I’ve got to think of something to do with them or come up with an explanation.”

Dirk ran past with the gas can and a lighter.

They reached the porch and Tara said. “Let’s offer them food out on the patio. You and Kate can take your business into the office and keep the blinds closed.”

“Thanks, Tara.”

Tara had just taken out the last of the cold drinks and chips, and Kate had drawn the drapes along the back windows, when Tom knocked on the door.

Corey answered with a big smile. “Tom! It’s been a long time.” He shook his hand and waved at Kim Stevens who hopped out of the golf cart and headed over to talk to Dirk.

“Corey, what is burning? It smells horrible.” Tom smoothed his tie and leaned over the porch rail to see the enormous fire mounds. His heavy white brows knit together over pale slate eyes.

“Come on in here. Dirk is burning some things that…uh…fell around the property.” Corey pulled him in through the screen door and shut the main door behind him.

Kate stood in the living room with a pretty smile on her face. Tom was immediately drawn to her.

“Tom, I want you to meet my Kate.”

“Such a pleasure to meet you, Kate.” He shook her hand. “I suppose you have something to do with the reason I am here?”

“Nice to meet you, Tom. Yes, I believe Corey wants to get some things settled before we continue our journeys here.” She was so charming that Corey fell in love with her all over again. He found himself staring at her, grinning.

Tom looked at Corey, then Kate. “Well?”

“Come into my office, Tom.”

“Would you like some iced tea or lemonade?” Kate asked.

“Lemonade sounds lovely,” Tom called through the door.

Corey motioned for him to sit at the round mahogany table. Tom pulled out a large file and set it in front of him.

“Corey, what is your relationship to Kate? She is beautiful, simply beautiful.”

“She is my wife, Tom.”

He did a double take and let a whistle through his teeth. “So how did you manage that? Did her parents give you permission?”

“No. They don’t know.”

“Corey, minors can’t just get married. There has to be parental consent. Or in your case, guardian.”

“Yes, I understand. Our marriage was part of a religious ritual here at the village.” Corey told him of the Scriptorium, leaving out specific details that he didn’t think Tom was ready to handle.

After Corey finished, Tom scratched his chin and sat for a moment, deep in thought. Finally he said, “I don’t think there is any way around it for Kate. She is going to have to get parental consent. “

“What about emancipation?” Corey asked.

“No. There would have to be abuse, neglect, or permission to marry. It puts us right back in the same place. Kate is going to have to get her parent’s permission.”

Corey huffed, and sent a plea with his eyes.

“Legally, Corey, she can’t make the decision to marry you until she is 18.”

“We are already married, Tom.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Well, at least make her my heir. You can do that much, can’t you?”

“Because you have no other relatives, I can. If there was anyone else to consider, that would be a problem.”

Kate entered with a tray of lemonade and muffins and set them on the table. She sat in the chair next to Corey, and he took her hand.

“I will draw up the necessary papers and have you sign them.”

“I may not be available for a while, Tom. Is there something I can sign now?”

“I brought a copy of your old will and testament. We can make temporary changes to it with your signature, but you will have to sign the new document to make it iron clad.”

He pulled out the forms and made a few changes. Corey initialed where he indicated and signed and dated the bottom. Tom watched Kate intently throughout the procedure.

“You really don’t care about any of this do you?” he asked her.

“Of course I care,” Kate disagreed. “I care about anything that is important to Corey.”

“You do realize that he has just signed over to you a 12 billion dollar inheritance?”

Kate choked on her lemonade. “What?” She whipped her head to Corey. The shocked expression on her face gave way to trepidation.

“Corey, I can’t stand the thought—please don’t. I couldn’t go through it again—” She snapped her eyes to Tom then back to Corey. She put her head on his shoulder. “Please don’t die. Promise me. I swear if you die, I will just give all of your money away to charity. I don’t want any part of it without you.”

Corey laughed, took her face in his hands, and kissed her perfect lips. “I promise,” he chuckled.

Tom set back in his chair. The anxiety lessened a bit, and he shrugged. “Corey, it seems you have chosen well. She is beautiful, charming, and apparently in love with you, son.”

Corey beamed at Kate’s red cheeks, then turned to Tom. “Tom, there is one more thing I need from you. I want you to write up legal documents indicating that we are choosing each other in a formal marriage arrangement.”

He began to object.

“I know, I know. It won’t be completely legal without Kate’s dad’s signature, but I want a record that we are attempting to do this right.”

Tom searched Corey’s face, then relented. “May I?” He pointed to the computer.

“Sure.”

Tom stepped behind the desk and activated the holo keypad. Corey turned to Kate. “Kate, will you marry me again?” he asked jokingly, but the joke died on his lips as she answered with sincerity and passion.

“I will marry you as many times as it takes for as long as you will have me, Corey.” Her voice was a mere whisper, and fire burned from her eyes as she simmered for him. The air thickened and Corey swallowed the lump that had taken over his speech.

“I have loved you for a thousand years, my Kate.”

“I will love you thousands more, my Corey.”

He kissed her like there was no one else in the room. There wasn’t as far as he was concerned. She responded with a catch of breath and melted into the kiss with her whole being.

Tom cleared his throat. “Ahem.”

Corey could hear the printer spitting out pages, but didn’t care. He was locked in a world where only Kate existed.

The next thing he knew, Tom slid papers in front of them with a chortle. “Okay you two, do you want to sign these marriage papers or not?”

“I do,” Kate broke away and said, and then grinned.

“I do,” Corey agreed. They signed the papers happily and it felt official. It felt like something important had happened between them. They couldn’t stop smiling.

Tom chuckled again, scooped up the papers, and filed them into his brief case. “I will contact Chaplain Wright when everything is in order so he can get word to you.”

Corey shook his hand and escorted him back through the cabin, out the front door, and to the cart.

Kim ran over. “All done?” she asked.

“Yes. Thanks, Kim.”

“Dirk said he didn’t know how long you would have…um…visitors.” She tilted her head to the back of the house where the descendants of the two century jumpers were gathered. “I thought about bringing the Chartreuse cabin by to see them.”

“Yeah, that would be great, but we will be leaving very soon. I don’t know if you will even have time to get them rounded up.” Corey wanted his Jewel City family to meet the product of their settlement, but couldn’t wait around indefinitely.

“I’ll at least give it a try.” She climbed into the driver’s seat next to Tom and his briefcase.

“Thanks again, Kim, for everything.”

She and Tom waved as she whipped the golf cart around and sped up the driveway.

Corey rejoined Kate on the porch. “Now, we have to figure out how to return eight Cheleuthi warriors to their home and find a safe place for you.”

“First let’s go get to know your descendants.” Kate grinned and pulled him into the cabin.

“Kate, they aren’t my descendants. I was missing my other half on that jump, remember?”

Kate stopped and slowly turned into his arms. She searched his eyes, running her hands through his hair. “I don’t know if I’ve ever fully comprehended your loneliness on that jump until now.”

“Ah Kate, it is a distant memory. We are together now, for always. That’s all that matters.” He kissed her, then picked her up and whirled her in a circle. “Let’s go take care of our guests.”