Chapter 19
19
P ari stared at the food on the low table.
“Sit,” Halden urged. “Eat.” He sat crossed legged on a huge blue cushion, grabbed an empty plate and started taking grapes, cheese and sliced meats from different platters.
Raina did the same thing, and she could tell they were both hungry. She was too, for that matter, and began grabbing food.
She was about to stuff some grapes into her mouth when an incredibly tall man entered the large room from the big wooden door. He was dressed in yellow and purple flowing robes, and his skin was so black it was almost blue. He grinned as he strode regally to the table, a pitcher of something in his hands, and bowed low. “I bring refreshment,” he boomed, making her jump. He filled Pari’s goblet, then bowed to Raina and Halden.
She watched him in fascination as he poured some kind of juice into their goblets as well.
Raina smiled at him. “Thank you.” She peered into her goblet, then looked at the tall man. He winked.
Pari watched Raina drink it then dab at her mouth with a napkin.
Halden took a drink of his too, then got back to the business of eating.
The tall man smiled at her as his face softened, then looked at Bondrah on the bed. “He will wake soon.” He gave Halden a serious look, turned on his heel and swept out of the room.
“Who was that?” Pari asked.
“A servant,” Halden blurted.
Raina snorted then reached for some cheese.
Pari stuffed grapes into her mouth and devoured everything else on her plate, she washed it down with the juice, which was delicious, then slowed enough to think. “What happened to you two?”
Halden sighed and looked at Raina. “We were abducted.”
Pari’s eyes widened. “Y-you were?”
“Yes, but not by the same people that abducted you.”
Pari gasped. “How did you even know about that?”
“I was part of the team that rescued you,” he said.
Her heart skipped, and without thinking, she launched herself at Halden and hugged him. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you!” She let go, scooted back to her cushion and put a hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. When she lowered her hand, she sucked in a breath. “It was terrible…”
Raina pulled her into her arms. “It’s all right, you’re safe now.”
Pari clung to her and let the tears come. “I thought you left f-f-for Germany. I-I thought you went home.”
“Never,” Halden said. “Not without saying goodbye. In fact, we were on our way to say goodbye when we discovered…” his eyes flicked to Raina. “You were missing.”
Pari pulled away from Raina and blinked back tears. “You were?” She heard the pleased tone in her voice and hoped she didn’t sound pathetic. Pari wiped away her tears with one of the napkins on the table. “I’m sorry I’m making such a fuss. I thought you left and… oh, never mind. You’re here now.” Pari sniffed back more tears and looked around the large room. “Where are we?”
Raina took a deep breath. “Pari, you’re… that is we, all of us, are no longer in New York. We’re far from it, in fact.”
Pari went stock still. “What?”
Halden gave her a sympathetic look. “There’s so much to explain, we don’t know where to begin. And now that I think of it, perhaps you should get some more rest before we try.”
Pari blinked a few times. She was a little dizzy. Maybe she should rest. But… She eyed them. “Who is that man?” Pari looked at Bondrah, still out cold on the bed.
“Melvale is his name,” Halden said.
“Mel-vale.” She said it slowly, trying it out. “Not Bondrah Miah?”
Raina and Halden exchanged the same look of curiosity. “Must be a Muiraran term,” Raina said.
“Must,” Halden agreed. He grabbed a few more slices of meat. “We should finish eating and drinking, then all get some rest. The last few days have been hard for all of us.”
Pari opened her eyes. Sheesh, when had she closed them? She must be more tired than she thought. “I guess… you’re right.” Her eyelids were getting heavy, and she heard herself say, “I’m… wiped.”
“Me too,” Halden said as he stretched and yawned.
Pari swayed to her right.
“Whoa there.” Halden gently pushed her upright. “Why don’t you lie down again?”
Pair slowly looked at him. “Next to Bondrah Miah?”
“What does that mean?” Raina asked. “Where did you hear it?”
Pari tried to turn to look at the so-called bed but lurched the other way instead. Raina caught her. “Halden, some help.”
Pari blinked, heard her breathing pick up, then stared at Raina. “I’m…I’m… no…”
She felt a cushion beneath her face, heard Raina say something to Halden, then had a sense of being carried before she drifted off into a deep slumber.
“Kwaku!” Halden said from the table. “What did you do that for?”
Kwaku gently laid Pari on the bed next to Melvale. He lifted her enough to get Melvale’s arm positioned as a pillow, then laid her back, wrapping Melvale’s arm around her.
“Kwaku?” Halden prompted in his best captain’s voice. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but poor Pari had been through enough, they all had.
Kwaku stood, a satisfied look on his face, and turned to them. “She has had some time to study him widout interruption. Melvale must be given the same chance. When he wakes, let us hope he looks upon her wid his eyes, and not de eyes of de Alpha.”
“Are they really that different?” Raina asked.
“No, not so different,” Kwaku said. “De Alpha has always been inside Melvale. But unlike his Beta, de Alpha does not rise until he is ready for his mate.” He looked at Melvale and Pari. “De Alpha side of him will never harm his mate, any more dan Melvale would. When dey merge, Melvale will finally be whole.”
“We don’t know Melvale well,” Halden said. “What is he like?”
“You saw enough.” Kwaku smiled. “Melvale is… Melvale.”
“He did cry when you proposed,” Raina told Halden.
He laughed. “That he did. And he was in pain. Sick. Fighting for his life as far as we were told.” He looked at Kwaku and got to his feet. “Why is it Raina and I are still conscious?”
Kwaku grinned. “Two different compartments in de pitcher dat I used.”
“You sly dog.” Halden smiled and shook his head. “How long will she sleep?”
“A couple of hours, long enough for Melvale to take her in. Den we will have to be careful. We do not know how long it will take de two parts of Melvale to begin to become one. He knows us and will be more cautious with himself. But de oder side of him, does not care who you are. Dreaten his mate, and he will eliminate you.”
Raina looked at the slumbering couple. “Kwaku, she called him Bondrah Miah .” She got to her feet. “Pari thought that was his name.”
Kwaku’s stared at them as a smile slowly curved his lips. He started to laugh, low in his throat. Before long, it turned into a deep belly laugh as Kwaku headed for the door. He reached it and turned. “Come, let us leave dem.” He opened the door and motioned to someone outside. Two Muiraran women hurried in and began to clear away the leftover food and plates.
“Inform Shaveer dat once Melvale wakens, someone will come to de kitchen for more food.”
One of the women bowed to him then hurried from the room.
“I don’t believe it,” came a woman’s voice from outside the door.
Halden recognized it, went to Raina, and put an arm around her.
Kwaku’s eyes narrowed. “Timmohn. You should not be here.”
Melvale’s great aunt slipped into the large room and headed straight for Melvale and Pari, her eyes riveted on the latter. “This is the girl?”
Kwaku was in front of Timmohn before Halden could so much as blink. “You should leave.”
Timmohn ignored him, her eyes still glued to Pari. “What’s the matter with her hair? Is it a defect?”
Kwaku growled low in his throat.
Timmohn gave him a dismissive wave. “Be gone, Time Master. I can observe her if I want.” She tried to slip around him, but he was too quick.
A yellow light began to encompass him. “Dis is your final warning…”
She glared at him. “You had better mind yourself, Time Master Kwaku. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her then broke into a belly laugh.
Halden took Raina by the hand and began to slowly inch toward the door.
Raina didn’t argue. “This isn’t going to end well.”
“Perhaps not,” he said in a low voice. “Either way, I don’t think we should be here.” They reached the door and stopped.
Timmohn and Kwaku were facing off and neither one was backing down.
Halden sensed someone at the door and stepped out of the way. King Jaireth entered the room. “Kwaku, report.” He saw Timmohn and frowned. “Leave.”
She stiffened. “Are you commanding me?”
“I most certainly am.”
She spun to him. “That is my great nephew!”
“Who is in the delicate process of merging,” Jaireth hissed. He looked at the sleeping couple and sighed in relief. “She has seen him?”
Kwaku smiled. “And knows him as Bondrah Miah.”
Jaireth’s jaw dropped. “Bondrah Miah! He is a true Alpha then.”
Halden didn’t think it possible, but Timmon’s jaw dropped. Her mouth now lay open in utter shock. If he was still sitting at the table, he might be tempted to toss a grape into it.
“Bondrah Miah?!” she croaked. She looked at Pari. “That… that little pink-haired thing… calls him Bondrah?”
Kwaku’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, and dat little pink-haired ting as you call her is his heart, and he, her master.” He smiled at the couple asleep on the bed. “He already teaches her who he is, for he knows dat it is she who controls him in battle. Dey must become one. Dey must balance.”
Timmohn gaped at Pari like she’d just swallowed glass.
“I don’t understand,” Raina whispered next to Halden as they watched.
“Neither do I, dove.” He took her other hand in his and faced her. “But we’ll help Pari through this, right?”
She nodded. “Yes. She’d do the same for us.”
He smiled, kissed her, then smiled at her some more.
“Oh, please,” Timmohn said in disgust when she saw them.
“Are you still here?” Jaireth snapped.
Timmohn glared at him, then took one last look at Pari. “I suppose she will suffice. I will be here when he wakes.”
Jaireth’s eyes bore into her. If looks could kill, she’d have died instantly. “You will do no such thing. You will not interrupt the process any more than you already have.” He took a threatening step toward her. “I can smell the foulness growing in your heart, Timmohn.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You know not of what you speak, king!” She leaned toward him. “That is my great nephew,” she said pointing to Melvale. “I have as much right to be here and oversee the merging as you!”
Jaireth seethed. “Guards!”
Two huge Muiraran guards entered the room. “Your Majesty?” one said.
“Remove the Alpha’s relative. She is to be denied entrance.”
Timmohn gasped. “How dare you!”
Halden watched with immense satisfaction as each guard took one of Timmohn’s arms and escorted her from the room.
Halden gave her a tiny wave as they dragged her past, before he turned to Jaireth.
The Muiraran ruler was glaring at him.
“We were just leaving.” He began to pull Raina through the door.
“Captain…”
He stopped, let go of Raina’s hand, and re-entered the room. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
Jaireth sighed. “Thank you. I know you and your mate have been through your own ordeal.” He walked toward him. “Thank you for being here for Kahtala ulnah .”
Halden cocked his head and smiled. “Let me guess. Kahtala ulnah means his heart?”
Jaireth smiled. “You are very astute. But then, you are part Muiraran.”
“Perhaps a third,” Halden said with pride.
Jaireth smiled again. “Rest now. We will call you and your mate when you are needed. The next part of this is up to Melvale.”
“What do you mean?” Halden asked, halfway out the door.
Jaireth sighed. “He will be elated to see his mate. But when he realizes how different this will be, I fear Melvale will panic.”
Halden laughed. “Melvale? He seems the romantic type to me.”
“He is also a perfectionist and will want everything perfect for her as he…” Jaireth sighed. “Woos her.”
Halden blew out a breath. “Then this will be interesting.”
“Indeed, Captain. Indeed.”
“Let us leave dem,” Kwaku said and headed for the door.
Halden retook Raina’s hand and led her from the room. He hoped when Pari woke up again, she had a clearer head and was able to take in the fact she was no longer in Brooklyn of the 21 st century.