CHAPTER 10
Lena held tight to Gauge’s hand as her body slowly melted away.
She might not have felt any pain, but Gauge knew the experience had been terribly disconcerting for her.
When she stumbled after her body reformed on the ship, he slipped his arm around her back, holding her close against his side.
He knew this out-of-character action did not get past his tracker’s attention.
Gauge would do what he could to lessen the pain involved with transport, but he’d never cared if the traveler became disoriented upon arrival at their destination.
Gauge turned to Aaliyah. “I have quarters arranged for you and Rafa. Would you like me to take you there or would you rather wait at the hangar for Rafa’s fighter to arrive?”
“I’ll wait in the hangar, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. Jax will take you there.” He lifted his chin toward the other Hunter.
Frankly, Gauge was worried about Jax. He didn’t know all the details about what had happened to the Hunter, but with a Djinn involved, it wouldn’t be good.
For the first time in his very long career, Gauge questioned the council’s judgement in sending a potentially compromised Hunter on this mission.
But perhaps Falkner knew something he didn’t.
“Would you like me to take Lena to her quarters?” Teo asked.
“No, I’ll take her,” Gauge replied. “You can go with Jax and Aaliyah to meet Rafa and make sure everyone is set up in their quarters. I want Kiernan and his guards under full surveillance for the duration of this trip. Kiernan is not allowed to go anywhere near Lena unless Jax, you, or me are present.”
“What about the two serpents and Commander Rafa and his mate?”
“Except for engineering and the bridge, they are free to roam the ship. Make sure everyone knows to strap in when we first fold space.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Teo replied.
Gauge led Lena out of the transporter room. “No harm will come to you here,” he said, sensing her nervousness.
“I know,” she replied softly. She glanced up at him, the bright lights of the ship glinting off the faint yellow scales covering her body. “It just brings back bad memories of when Ngozi took me to his ship. I had never been away from my clan before.”
“Lena—” Gauge started, but she stopped him.
“No, it’s okay, Gauge. What happened with Ngozi was not your fault. I need to learn how to get over it.” She took a deep breath, releasing his hand. “This ship is much bigger than Rafa’s.”
“Commander Rafa was flying a fighter. Raiden fighters aren’t built to fly on lengthy journeys through space.
This one is quite a bit smaller than a Raiden spaceship, but the technology here is more advanced.
Oberon has a crew of two hundred and fifty.
This ship is one of our newest and is capable of folding space.
We can also transport from here to another one of our ships, though not while traveling through folded space. ”
“How does one ‘fold space,’ Gauge?”
“It is a simple term for a complicated process. If it makes it easier to understand, it works similar to creating, or going into, a wormhole, only it is much safer. Instead of traveling through a hole that may or may not lose integrity, we open two points, the entrance and exit. Time stops while we are between these two points. Instead of taking weeks or months, a journey can be brought down to minutes or days.”
“What does it feel like? Can you still move around on the ship?”
“The initial thrust when you enter, and the exit, can be rough, but while you are inside folded space, there is little to feel or see.”
“How long will it take us to reach Sam and Aaliyah’s planet?”
“Less than two days.”
“How do you plan to find a female for Kiernan to claim?”
“I have worked with humans for thousands of years, young one. There are several I know who might accept Kiernan’s claim. We will approach them first.”
“Has your kind ever tried to claim a human female?”
He struggled not to stiffen, not wishing Lena to see his people in a negative light, but neither did he want to lie to her.
“Full humans can’t be converted. They become vampire, but they can’t control their bloodlust. These unfortunate people will attack anything and anyone, even children or infants.
It is a Hunter’s job, my job, to make sure they are euthanized as quickly and painlessly as possible. ”
“So you have to kill those who are converted against their will,” she said, her tone thoughtful.
“Yes, because they become a danger to other humans.”
“How do you recognize a true mate?” Lena asked softly. “Have you ever met yours?”
“My eillelé died long, long ago. We were both lucky and unlucky in that we met before we were old enough to consummate the union. Most Laizahlian must wait hundreds, if not thousands, of years to meet their eillelé, and some never do find them. It is these unfortunates who tend to turn rogue and corrupt human females.”
“If you were too young to consummate the union, how do you know she was your true mate?”
Gauge stiffened, not sure he wanted to discuss this with Lena.
Obviously sensing his unease, Lena asked, “Can there never be another female for you, Gauge, a second mate? Our serpents mate for life too, but if one dies, they are not expected to live alone forever.”
“It is different for us. An eillelé carries half the soul of his or her mate. They only feel complete once they come together. If one dies before their union is consummated, the one left behind will never feel complete. If one dies after the union is consummated, both will die.”
“But what do you feel inside when you meet a true mate? What sets them apart from any other female?”
Gauge frowned, staring down into her beautiful golden eyes. “Why do you ask me this, Lena?”
“Because when I entered the Raiden palace, when I looked at you for the first time, I felt a spark inside me. I felt energized, powerful. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.” She reached up to run her fingertip along the faint abaci pattern on his neck. “Why did this happen?”
He frowned at the sudden change in topic. “I’m not sure. No one has ever tried to strip a Raiden male of a female’s abaci before. Perhaps this has something to do with it.”
“I’m the only one?”
“Yes.”
Lena studied Gauge’s reaction closely, wishing she could break through his strong mental shields.
She had felt a connection with Gauge ever since he stripped her of Ngozi’s essence, though it hadn’t come to the forefront until after the memory block failed.
It had been she who reached out for him then.
Gauge had sensed her panic and answered, calming her.
He’d been with her ever since, a warm, comforting presence in her mind.
“Did you feel anything special when you saw me at the palace?” she asked.
“No.”
She flinched, glancing away, sensing he wasn’t being completely honest with her.
Gauge stopped in front of a door. “Place your hand on the sensor,” he said, pointing to a small square pad to the right of the door. “You will be the only one capable of entering your quarters now. Even if he manages to find a way to avoid security, Kiernan will not be able to get to you.”
“I’m not worried about Kiernan,” she murmured. “I know you won’t let him touch me, not unless I agree to it.” Was that a growl? Lena looked up at Gauge, finding his expression almost hostile. “Gauge? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he snapped. “Place your palm back over the pad,” he said, his tone only slightly softer.
She did so, and the door slid open. Lena glanced inside, finding a rather large quarters for a ship, larger than what she’d had on Ngozi’s ship. There was a bed toward the back of the room, one large enough to fit two people, and a comfortable-looking chair set up in front of a desk.
“There is a private shower area with a relief receptacle to the left. To the right is a replicator, should you get hungry or thirsty before regular mealtimes. You are free to roam the ship, but I want you to contact me or Teo to arrange for a guard first. Kiernan will also be free. I don’t want to risk the two of you running into each other. ”
“Do you believe Kiernan will try to go against his word? He appeared intrigued by the thought of claiming a human like Aaliyah.”
“I don’t believe he will, but it’s best if we proceed with caution. His shaprata is causing him considerable pain.”
“Yes, his jaw is quite swollen.” Lena glanced at Gauge’s strong jaw, having noticed a slight swelling on the left side. She started to reach up, but he caught her hand. “Did you get hurt?” she asked.
“No.” Gauge motioned for her to walk forward into the room.
“I need to go supervise from the bridge as we prepare to fold space. Your chair will have straps to lock yourself down, or you can remain on the bed. It will take us several hours to reach the correct entry point. An announcement will be made throughout the ship to give you plenty of time to prepare.”
“Thank you,” she said, wishing he could stay with her. “Can I come with you to the bridge? I was never allowed to leave my quarters on Ngozi’s ship.” When he hesitated, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’ll be fine here.”
Gauge stared at her for several long seconds, then motioned for her to follow him out of the room. “I suppose there is no reason why you can’t be there. You’ll need to sit where I tell you and not interfere. If you have any questions, I’ll try to answer them later.”
“I can do that,” she replied, breathing a sigh of relief. Lena hadn’t really wanted to be left alone. She feared the memories that might surface, even if the room was much nicer than the one Ngozi had given her.
“If you prefer, I can take you to your uncle and Samantha.”
“No, I’ll go with you.” Lena really didn’t feel up to being questioned by her uncle. She knew he wouldn’t be happy that she’d agreed to mate Kiernan if he couldn’t find a suitable mate.