Khyron's Claim Read online

  ***

  Khyron

  “Garyck, you can park in front of that large building over there.” Burke had gotten up and now stood behind the pilot seat. “Right next to the transport I believe we were following.”

  It was late in the evening, but the storm had passed and the glow from the nearest of our two moons lit the sky. Time passed too slowly between finding Laria’s transport and arriving at the settlement. Because of the growing darkness and the limited light provided by the guiding beam at the front of the solarveyor, we had to stop several times to confirm we were still following the other vehicle’s tracks.

  The anxiety strumming through my body refused to give in to my exhaustion. What little sleep I obtained during the drive did not last long and was interrupted each time we stopped.

  Hearing we had finally reached our destination relieved some of my tension. Hopefully, the remainder of my stress would disappear once I saw Celeste and confirmed she was safe. Though I much preferred holding her in my arms, I was certain, after her parting words to Vurell, it was not something I could expect to happen anytime soon.

  The minute I exited the transport, Laria appeared by my side and placed her hand on my arm. “Khyron, maybe you should let Sloane and me go in first.”

  I restrained my impatience. “I already gave you my word I would not hurt Celeste.”

  “It’s not Celeste I’m worried about.”

  “I do not understand,” Jardun said. “Do you really think she would try to harm him?” It was obvious by his concern that Celeste had earned my friend’s respect. Yet the vryndarr, the role of protector, was present in the way he straightened his shoulders.

  “Let’s just say I’m not sure how she’ll react and would prefer not to risk it,” Laria said.

  The Celeste I remembered had a temper, but I did not believe she would ever purposely hurt me. “I appreciate your concern, but I value Celeste’s welfare over mine.” I deserved her wrath and much more, but refused to share my opinion openly. I stepped up onto the platform surrounding the building and headed for the entrance before anyone else tried to stop me.

  I did not think Zaedon cutting me off to reach the door ahead of me had anything to do with protecting me. Not when he rushed inside, then stopped once his gaze landed on the female with short curly hair sitting at the end of a long table and drinking what appeared to be an ale. “Cara.” His usually friendly tone was curt and made me wonder what the female had done to annoy him.

  “Zaedon.” Her reply was just as curt, their gazes locked in a challenging stare until she noticed Laria and Sloane enter the room. She looked away from him with a smile. “Hey guys, I didn’t expect you for another week or so.” She set her drink on the table and pushed out of her chair.

  “Told you it wasn’t their blood.” Sloane smiled at me with smug satisfaction, then crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Cara’s neck.

  I remembered when Celeste had introduced me to the human tradition of hugging. She would greet me with them a lot and I enjoyed letting her. They always led to holding her in my arms and kissing. If I continued to think about sampling her soft lips, my shaft would grow uncomfortably hard, undoubtedly noticeable. I immediately returned my attention to the conversation going on around me.

  “Where’s Celeste?” Laria asked before I had the chance. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine. Said she was tired and headed back to your place to get some sleep.” Cara returned to her seat.

  I was relieved that she was all right, yet frustrated that our meeting would be postponed again. As much as I longed to be near her, I would not enter her sleeping chamber without an invitation. I also considered her blade-wielding abilities and decided startling her would be unwise and possibly fatal.

  One of the two human males sitting not far from Cara asked, “Damn, Burke, you look like hell. What happened?”

  “My reunion with Doyle didn’t go as well as I’d expected,” Burke grumbled and took a seat in a chair near the wall.

  “Might explain why we have two of his men in holding cells out back,” the same male said.

  “Before we start discussing private information, care to introduce your traveling companions?” The other male had been scrutinizing my friends and me since we’d entered the building.

  “Everyone, this is Vince and Logan, my second-in-command.” Burke tipped his head at the males in our group. “You already know Zaedon and Garyck.”

  The four males exchanged acknowledging nods, reminding me that they must have met when Jardun sent Zaedon and Garyck to ask for Burke’s help in rescuing Vurell.

  Burke shifted sideways and swept his hand through the air. “This is Jardun, Thrayn, and Vurell, the drezdarr’s physician. And in case you hadn’t guessed, this is the drezdarr.” He pointed in my direction.

  “Khyron.” I corrected, hating the formalities that came with the title. If my plans for the future collaboration were successful, I preferred to earn their respect via my leadership capabilities.

  “It’s an honor to meet you.” Vince continued to clutch his drink as he got to his feet. “I met your father shortly after our ship crashed. He was a great man. I mean male. I was sorry to hear about his death.”

  “Thank you.” I forced an appreciative smile and pushed away the resurfacing memories of that horrible time. A time I associated with pain and loss. A time that changed my life forever.

  “Burke, you never said anything about bringing the drezdarr back with you before you left.” Suspicion laced Logan’s voice.

  His reaction was not unexpected, nor the first time I had experienced similar disdain. After the war, some humans resented all ketaurrans for what had happened. I understood and did not blame them for their mistrust, but it was something I hoped to change in the future.

  Burke straightened his shoulders. It was clear he did not like having his decisions questioned. I was afraid the discussion would quickly turn into an argument and interceded. “He was not made aware of the request until this morning, but has offered to provide me with a tour of the settlement.” Now was not the time to discuss either my desire to see Celeste or my proposition, not until Logan was more comfortable with my presence.

  My explanation did not seem to ease the tension radiating through the room. The males in my group remained near the closed door and protectively by my side. Even Vurell had not made an effort to integrate with the human males.

  “Anyone thirsty? Nayea makes the best homemade ale in the area.”

  In the short time I had been around Laria, I had grown to appreciate her intuitiveness, even more so as I watched her open a cabinet and retrieve several empty glasses, then place them on the table.

  “Feel free to help yourselves.” She poured a glass and brought it to me. She leaned close and whispered, “Why don’t you sit down before you fall down?”

  I had done my best to keep the poor condition of my scales covered, but keeping my exhausted, still-recovering state from appearing on my face was difficult. “Thank you.” After accepting the drink, I took the closest chair, which happened to be next to Burke.

  Laria took Jardun’s hand and pulled him toward the table. Within minutes, everyone had poured themselves a drink from one of two large containers sitting in the middle of the table, then found a place to get comfortable either in a chair or leaning against a wall.

  Sloane waited until everyone was settled before plopping down in the chair next to Cara. “Sooo, what happened to Trixie? And don’t leave out any of the juicy details.”

  Chapter Six

  Celeste

  I woke early, not long after the first rays of sunlight filtered into my room. I’d been telling the truth when I told Cara I was exhausted, more from emotional stress than our encounter with Doyle’s men. I’d left Burke’s dwelling shortly after Cara and Logan returned from locking up Rick and Neil. The place I shared with Laria and Sloane seemed overly quiet and empty, and didn’t provide the comfort I’d been hoping for.

&
nbsp; I should have asked Cara to come along and stay with me, because getting any restful sleep was hard without my friends there. Even the blue-green light from the glowing zapharite stones I kept next to my bed to keep away the nightmares hadn’t helped as I’d expected. Instead of reliving memories of losing my parents and helplessly being forced to watch my sister die, my dreams were filled with images of Khyron painfully crying out from his bed and not being able to do anything to help him.

  The only pleasant memory I retained from my dream about Khyron was the possessive way he’d curled his tail around the back of my legs. It was something I’d enjoyed from our previous time together, that and the way being in his arms always made me feel safe.

  Not in the mood to be alone or deal with Logan and the possibility of more questions I didn’t want to answer, I decided to visit Harper. Harper’s fiancé had been killed during the first year of the war, and since then, she’d devoted herself to taking care of the homeless children. A motherly role for which she’d been truly suited.

  Her two-story dwelling was the settlement’s version of an orphanage or a children’s home. Everyone who lived in the community referred to it as Harper’s place. Things were hard enough for the children, so everyone refrained from calling it an orphanage so they wouldn’t be reminded that they’d lost their parents.

  The settlement wasn’t huge, but the community, which consisted of homes and a few businesses, was spread out. Not everyone was fortunate enough to own a transport, so most of the inhabitants traveled everywhere on foot.

  The handful of settlements, predominantly occupied by humans, was located on lush flatlands great for farming. Other than the rocky area filled with caverns in the distance, the area surrounding the community was covered with unusual plants and trees in brilliant shades of blue, yellow, and occasionally orange. The buildings in the ketaurran cities were constructed with a combination of stone and various versions of sand, a contrast to the settlements, which were mainly built from wood.

  Between the mission and my extended stay in Aztrashar, I’d been away longer than I’d expected and missed my daily visits with the children. After a quick shower and changing into clean clothes, I took a shortcut between buildings and arrived just after the children had finished breakfast.

  Melissa, a ten-year-old girl with two tawny braids on each side of her head, was a slow eater and still sitting at the table. She flashed a pair of chocolate-brown eyes in my direction. “Celeste, we missed you.” She grinned and patted the bench she was sitting on, then scooted over to make room for me at the long table.

  I tweaked one of her braids. “I missed you too.” I snagged the last pytienna, a flat pancake made from meat and plants, off one of the serving plates, then sat next to her.

  A few seconds later, Gabe and Ben, two of the boys I spent a lot of time teaching how to handle blades, entered the room with Harper following close behind them. Some of her curly auburn locks had escaped from the tie at her nape, and the flush on her face made her freckles more prominent.

  She had her arms wrapped around a squirming two-year-old and was unsuccessfully trying to remove her hair from his tiny fist. I knew other half-human, half-ketaurran children existed, but Draejill was the only one I’d ever seen. He was the cutest thing ever with his golden locks and pale tangerine skin and scales.

  I’d wondered more than once how different things would’ve been if Khyron hadn’t left. If we’d stayed together, would we have one or more little ones just like Draejill?

  Gabe saw me, and his eyes widened. “You’re back. Does this mean we get a lesson today?”

  A year separated the two dark-haired boys. Ben was twelve and the older of the two. They were the best of friends and always together, reminding me of the close relationship I had with Laria and Sloane.

  “No lessons until you finish cleaning up and doing the dishes.” Harper ignored their groans as they halfheartedly picked up dirty plates, then shuffled from the room. She walked to my end of the table, leaning forward to give me a hug. She glanced at the half-eaten pytienna in my hand, then asked, “Can I fix you something else to eat?”

  “Thanks, but I’m good.” I set down the cake and held out my arms.

  “Go, Ceeste,” Draejill said with a giggle, then launched himself from Harper to me.

  I’d barely gotten him settled in my lap when I heard a whiny growl and glanced at the four-legged creature standing near my feet. He was the size of a small dog and had white tufts of fur sticking out between his violet scales. He dropped his rear on the floor and pawed my leg.

  “Fuzzball, no begging,” Harper scolded.

  The cute little creature had been living in the house as the resident pet since Melissa found him over a year ago near the clearing where I practiced with the boys. We were pretty sure he’d been abandoned since we couldn’t find his mother or any signs of other similar creatures. I’d made the mistake of calling him a fuzzball the first time I saw him, and somehow, the name stuck.

  I shook my head when he ignored Harper and continued to whine. “Sorry, you heard her. No more food.” I was as bad as the children when it came to the lovable little guy and would’ve shared my food with him if Harper hadn’t been around.

  Fuzzball groaned, then dropped down on his belly.

  “If you won’t let me make you any breakfast, at least let me get you a cup of freegea.” Harper didn’t give me a chance to answer before turning and heading for the kitchen.

  Freegea was derived from an orange plant with brown stripes, whose name I could never remember. Since all the packaged coffee that survived the crash had been consumed long ago, it was the closest substitute we could find for the drink many of us had enjoyed back on Earth. Though it had a decent flavor, it lacked any natural stimulants, was a light brown color, and was the equivalent of drinking an herbal tea.

  “Guess you’ll be staying for a while.” Melissa happily wiggled in her seat, then took a bite from her pytienna.

  Everyone who’d met Harper knew it was pointless to argue with her. I untangled the end of my braid from Draejill’s grasp, then grinned at Melissa. “I guess so.”

  ***

  Khyron

  I had learned long ago that resting deeply could cost me my life and had trained myself to be a light sleeper, but that night, I was overruled by my exhausted body. I did not wake until long after the sun had warmed my room, and felt slightly better than I had the day before.

  While I prepared for the day, I contemplated everything I had discovered since leaving for the settlement and Cara’s explanation about the attack on Laria’s transport. I had a hard time reconciling the Celeste she described with the female I once knew, the female who had stolen my heart.

  During the previous evening’s conversation, I had learned that Burke’s dwelling was not only his home but also housed some of the males who worked for him. He had additional sleeping quarters in the upper level and provided the members of my group with their own rooms. By the time discussions had ended, it was late. Laria and Sloane did not want to disturb Celeste, so they had decided to spend the night here.

  Sitting on the end of the bed, I had one boot on and was reaching for the other when I heard a loud rap. The door opened, and Vurell walked inside before I had a chance to say anything. “You look exhausted, and the color of your scales has not returned to the extent I would like.”

  The male had never been good at greetings or respecting my boundaries. “Please, come in.” I ignored his frown and finished tugging on my other boot, then got up to grab my belt and sword from the chair near the door. When Vurell crossed his arms and refused to move from the entryway so I could pass, I returned an equally menacing glare. “Stop hovering. I am fine.”

  “You are not fine.”

  If we were discussing anything but my health, I would agree. Emotionally, I was not fine and would not be until I saw Celeste.

  Vurell held up his hand. “I know you wish to find the female, but it will do no good if you collapse a
t her feet.”

  “I do not care if I collapse at her feet as long as I can see for myself that she is unharmed.” I wrapped the belt around my waist and secured the clasp, then adjusted the sword so it pressed against my right hip.

  “She is that important to you?” The tightness in his jaw slackened, and he lowered his arms. “I did not realize she was your…”

  So far, Jardun was the only one who knew the whole truth, and I planned to keep it that way. I shook my head to silence him. “A fact I would urge you to keep to yourself.” The war had intervened all those years ago, and I never got the chance to tell Celeste she was my ketiorra.

  Vurell nodded, then stepped out of my way.

  Before I reached the outer hallway, Vurell said, “At least take Thrayn with you. He can drag your body back when the female finishes with you.”

  Annoyed, I scowled at him over my shoulder. “Your attempt at humor is not appreciated.” As I headed for the gathering room, the sound of Vurell’s laughter echoed behind me.

  The aroma of cooked meat filled the air and reminded me I had not eaten much the previous day. I followed the scent to the cooking area, a room the humans referred to as a kitchen. Zaedon, Garyck, and Sloane were seated at a smaller version of the table in the main room. Their plates contained food from the platters scattered across the wooden surface. Laria and Jardun had yet to rise. I did not expect to see Cara. She had her own place and had left shortly before everyone retired.

  Burke stood next to a counter pouring hot liquid into a large mug. “Morning.” He glanced in my direction. “We have some freshly brewed freegea. Want a cup?”

  “Yes, thank you.” I took a seat next to Zaedon and across from Sloane and Garyck.

  “I assume you slept well. Your scales actually have some color today,” Zaedon said.