The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga (13 page)

“The Brethren are Narrasti,” Val said. 

“They are part human and part Narrasti,” Lariah argued.  “You cannot call them Narrasti
just because somewhere in their ancestry there was a Narrasti  any more than you can
call a
berezi
Clan Jasani.”

“True,” Garen conceded.  “But it cannot be argued that the Brethren are in league
with the Narrasti.  It was the Narrasti that rescued them from Earth.”

“And how did they do that?” Lariah asked.  “I seem to recall being told that it was
a Xanti ship in Earth space at the time of the rescue.”

“Proving that they are all in league with the Xanti,” Val said.

“Proving that some are in league with the Xanti,” Lariah corrected.

“Again, true,” Garen said.  “But what difference does any of this make?  There can
be no argument that the Narrasti were behind the attack on you, Lariah, and that alone
makes them our enemies.”

“Garen, my love, Stephan Loggia was behind my abduction and torture on Earth,” Lariah
said gently.  “Does that mean that you consider all humans, or even just all of those
who live on Earth, your enemies as well?”

Garen sighed.  He did not want to admit it, but she did have a point.  “Do you believe
that we should make peace with the Narrasti?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” Lariah replied.  “As you’ve pointed out, I have reasons to despise
both the Narrasti and the Brethren.  But Aisling’s request reminded me that, according
to the prophecy, and The Nine, I have a responsibility to consider these things carefully
for the good of all Clan Jasani.  I only wanted to do as Aisling requested, and discuss
the matter with you.  The problem is that the more we talk, the more I wonder if sending
a task force to Onddo for the single purpose of destroying them is the right thing
to do.”

“You’ve made some good points, little love,” Trey said.  “I cannot argue with that. 
But if we leave them be and focus on the Xanti, we leave an enemy at our backs.  Knowing
that, I cannot see a reason
not
to destroy them.”

Day Three

When Honey opened the door the next morning in answer to the ringing of the doorbell,
she was expecting to see the man who had driven Michael to the garrison the morning
before.  Instead, Vikter, Lance, and Hunt Vulpiran stood on the doorstep. 

“Good morning, Dr. Davis,” Vikter said as they all bowed briefly. 

“Good morning, Consul Vulpiran,” she replied, not knowing if she should address each
of them individually, or if that was sufficient.  Vikter Vulpiran smiled.  “We would
be pleased if you would call us by our given names,” he said.  “It would, perhaps,
save us all a bit of confusion.”

“I will, if you will call me Honey,” she said, standing back and gesturing for them
to enter. 

“We did not intend to interrupt your breakfast,” Vikter said as they stepped into
the large, circular entryway.  “We meant only to leave you the ignition card for the
ground-car we’ve brought for you, and to pick up Michael.”

“Thank you,” Honey said, accepting the card.  “Come on in and sit down,” she invited
them.  “Michael is running a little late this morning.  Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Vikter said, following her across the entryway into the dining room
where they took seats at the big round table.  “Is Michael recovered?”

Honey went into the kitchen and returned with three more coffee cups.  “I think so,”
she said as she filled the cups from the pot on the table and passed them around. 
“He woke up around eleven last night and ate a huge dinner.  Then slept a bit later
than usual this morning.  He seems fine though.”

“Should we take him back to see Doc?” Lance asked.  “We would not want him to suffer
any ill effects from what he did yesterday.”

“We appreciate that,” she said.  “I think he’s all right, but if you think Doc should
see him again, then maybe he should.”

“We’ll keep an eye on him today,” Vikter said.  “If we see anything that seems abnormal,
we’ll take him to see Doc at once, and we’ll vox you as well.”

As he said that, Vikter pulled a vox from his pocket and held it out toward her. 
“This is for you, Honey,” he said.  “We’ve another one for Michael, and we’ve already
entered your codes for each other, as well as our own, the Falcorans, Arima House,
the Bearens, the Research Center, the infirmary, and several other places on the ranch
that we thought you might need.”

“Again, thank you,” Honey said reaching for the vox.  “That was very thoughtful of
you.”

As she picked the vox up from the palm of Vikter’s hand, her fingertips brushed his
skin.  An electric thrill rushed through her body from her fingertips to her toes
and she gasped softly.  Her eyes flew up to Vikter’s, and she knew that he had felt
the same thing, and was just as surprised by it as she was.  And just as aroused. 
She shivered, her skin pebbling as though she was cold when she actually felt quite
warm all of a sudden.  She picked up the vox and jerked her hand back. 

Her face heated as she struggled for something ordinary to say.  Luckily, Nica chose
that moment to bounce into the room with a squeal of delight.

“Good morning Mr. Foxes,” she said happily.  “Are you eating breakfast with us today?”

Vikter was happy to have the distraction.  Otherwise, he feared he would do or say
something that would be completely dishonorable. 

“Good morning to you, Nica,” he said.  “I’m afraid we cannot stay for breakfast. 
We are here to pick up your father for work.”

“Oh,” Nica replied, her pixie face falling with disappointment.  But she was a happy
child, and there was little that could keep her down for long.  “
Dodi
is almost dressed.  He was putting on his shoes but he was being growly cause he
got a knot in his shoelace and couldn’t get it out so he changed to his loafers but
he wanted different socks and he couldn’t find them so now he’s trying to get the
knot out again and said I should go eat cause I was ’stracting him.”

Vikter, Lance and Hunt grinned at this little speech, though Honey blushed.  “All
right, little Miss Blabbermouth,” she said.  “Get up here and eat your breakfast.”

“Okay,” Nica said.  She climbed onto a chair and Honey put a bowl of hot cereal in
front of her.  “
Mana
,” Nica said as she picked up her spoon.  “Are we going to Auntie Berta’s today?”

“I don’t know yet, Sweetie,” Honey replied, pouring a glass of juice for Nica.  “Why
do you ask?”

“Cause Auntie Berta said she would take me to her friend whose name is Doc but is
still nice and doesn’t hurt little girls and that he could make my hair long again.”

Vikter saw the shadow cross Honey’s face, and wondered at it.  He looked back to Nica,
and saw the same shadow in her eyes.  His protective instincts rose up so quickly
they nearly took his breath away.  Whoever had put that shadow in their eyes was very
lucky to be absent from his immediate vicinity.

“Really?” Honey asked as she took a seat between Nica and Hunt. 

Nica nodded.  “She said he did it for her and it doesn’t hurt.  So can I?”

“Nica, what did you tell Aunt Berta?” Honey asked in a calm voice, though Vikter noticed
that her hands were shaking as she wrapped them around her coffee cup.  He felt her
worry, and her fear, which increased his protective instincts and made him even more
tense.  He glanced at Hunt and Lance and saw that they were struggling as he was,
though he didn’t think anyone else would notice it.

“I told her that Genny Davis chopped it off ‘cause she got mad at me for lying, even
though I didn’t lie,” Nica said in a small voice.  “Was that bad of me,
Mana
?”

“No, baby, that wasn’t bad of you,” Honey said, releasing her coffee cup with one
hand to gently stroke Nica’s short, dark hair. 

Vikter had his teeth clenched so tightly he feared his teeth would crack, but it was
no good.  He had to ask.  “I apologize for listening to a private conversation.  Did
she say someone cut her hair as a punishment?”

Honey sensed the tension from all three of the Vulpirans, and knew it was because
of what Nica had said.  She had spent most of her life hiding her talents, and the
past few years struggling to hide Nica’s, but for some reason she found that she wanted
to tell them the truth about this. 

“Yes,” she said before she could talk herself out of it.  Michael had decided to trust
these men, so she would, too.  “Michael’s mother doesn’t care for me, or Nica.  She
knows we both have psychic talents, which she finds extremely offensive.  About six
months ago, Nica told her that we were going to move to Earth, before we knew anything
about it.  So Genny picked up a pair of scissors and cut off Nica’s braid.  I had
gone into the other room for just a moment, but it was more than enough time.”

“What a disgusting thing to do to anyone, let alone a child,” Hunt growled.  

“Yes, I thought so too,” Honey said.  “Michael was furious with his mother when he
found out about it.  He hasn’t seen or spoken to her since.”

“You feel badly about that,” Lance observed.

“Yes, I do,” she admitted.  “She’s the only family he has, aside from us.  It bothers
me that there’s such a rift between them because of me and Nica.”

“The rift is not because of you and Nica,” Michael said, entering the kitchen.  “It’s
because of
her
.  Besides, if she knew about my psychic talent, she’d likely never want to speak
to me again anyway.”  He leaned down to kiss the top of Nica’s head.  “Why are we
discussing her anyway?” he asked with a smile.  “It’s a beautiful day out and should
not be spoiled by unfortunate memories.”

“Aunt Berta told Nica that Doc can make her hair long again,” Honey explained, watching
Michael take the chair on the other side of Nica and pour himself some coffee.  She
got up and retrieved his plate from the food warmer and set it before him, then offered
more coffee to the Vulpirans while she spoke.  “Nica wanted to know if she could do
it.”

“Do you know anything about the process?” he asked. 

“No, I don’t,” Honey replied.  “I’ll find out, and if it’s safe, then of course we’ll
do it if that’s what Nica wants.”

“It is what I want,
Mana
,” Nica said between bites of cereal.  “Is it okay with you,
Dodi
?” she asked.

“As long as Honey says it’s safe, I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Michael replied.

Vikter noticed that when Michael spoke of Honey to Nica, he referred to her as
Honey
rather than
Mommy
or
Mother
, which seemed strange.  “May I ask, what do the words
Mana
and
Dodi
mean?” he asked.

Michael, Honey and Nica all froze for a single heartbeat, their eyes flying to Vikter,
then shifting away just as quickly before they resumed eating.

“They’re just the names that Nica calls us,” Honey said without looking up from her
coffee cup.  “Michael, the Vulpirans were kind enough to bring a ground-car for us
to use, and a vox for each of us,” she said, changing the subject. 

“That was very thoughtful of you,” Michael said, looking relieved, though nervous. 
“I think I’m finished now,” he said as he pushed his plate back and stood up.  “I
ate so much last night that I’ve no appetite this morning.”

Vikter, Lance and Hunt all rose to their feet as well, all of them aware that the
Davis family was hiding something.  While Vikter might have pressed the matter with
Michael and Honey, he would not do so in front of Nica, who was now studying her empty
cereal bowl with far more interest than it deserved.

“Thank you for the coffee, Honey,” he said, bowing briefly.  “And thank you for the
conversation, Nica.”

The little girl looked up in surprise, then smiled widely, revealing a single missing
tooth.  “Bye, Mr. Foxes,” she said.

“Nica, their names are
Vulpiran
, not
Foxes
,” Honey corrected her gently.

“That’s all right, Honey,” Vikter said.  “We’ve got an understanding between us, don’t
we Nica?”

Nica nodded quickly, her grin growing wider.  Michael bent down to kiss Nica once
more, then smiled at Honey.  “You two have a good day today,” he said.

Suddenly, the Vulpirans stiffened for a long moment, then turned and ran out of the
house.  Honey frowned, wondering what was wrong as she rose from her chair and exchanged
looks with Michael.  Then she heard a chorus of long, low howls that sent chills down
her spine.  Before the sound faded she was running after the Vulpirans, Michael right
behind her.  She ran through the front doorway and stopped beside the Vulpirans, who
were standing with their heads back, faces pointed skyward.  Honey looked up but saw
nothing.  She heard another chorus of howls, but before she could ask the Vulpirans
what was going on, Jackson and Clark Bearen appeared in front of them out of thin
air.