Lawked Flame (34 page)

It stung his pride to be laid low by such a simple
plan to be rid of him. In the back of his mind, he recognized it
was a good one, considering they could not kill him outright.

“
Yes. They used a high concentration of
Frejyn.”

That startled him. Frejyn was a staple for his
people, he drank a tea or tonic made from the leaves every day.
“What? You are sure?”

Aspen nodded. “Very sure. They used the leaves and
root of the plant from Lawkmeria. It is more toxic than what we
grow here. We had forgotten that the Fre root is a base element to
aid in resting and a host of other things. The formula they used
was quite simple. They converted it to a mist that they blasted at
you. The highly concentrated dosage would have put a hundred
Lawkmerians to sleep. That is the reason you slept so deeply and
for so long.”

Khayden nodded. He had been helpless like a babe
until he woke hours later. Even then, he was slightly disoriented,
but otherwise felt fine. “I wonder if we can use a modified version
of the formula to assist in restraining recalcitrant Lawkes. I
would prefer they fall asleep so that I can talk with them later,
rather than destroy them on the spot. What do you think?”

Aspen smiled. “I think it is an excellent idea. I
will begin work on developing various ratios of the root and other
elements. I assume you want this in mist form?”

Khayden shrugged. “It worked on me.”

Aspen blinked and then smiled at his lame joke. “You
are right. Is there anything else?”

“
You have secured their notes on mirroring and
masking?” He wanted to assure the Good Mother they had secured the
information to protect against further impersonations.

The other man frowned, which made Khayden lean
forward. They could not have any failings in this area. That
information could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

“
I have secured the notes and the computerized
research. Some was encoded, and I have someone working on that
information. But if my initial readings are correct, there may be
more individuals out in the human population who were recruited and
released before the Mistress destroyed their stronghold the other
day.”

Inwardly, Khayden winced at his reference to Alayna.
Everyone recognized her acts of bravery and admired her for them,
except her. He pushed the thought aside, knowing he would have to
deal with it sooner rather than later.

“
You believe there are more Geleets?” The name
left a bitter taste on his tongue. His hatred of them flowed bright
and deep.

“
I believe there is a remnant with a special
mission. As soon as we recover the data, we will have more answers.
We were fortunate they did not have time to destroy anything. The
Mistress’s fast thinking preserved critical information and gave us
unlimited access to their databases on Lawkmeria.”

Khayden nodded, pleased with the report. “Good. As
soon as you have more information, let me know.” He paused. “You
are aware we will be reclaiming Lawkmeria, soon. Are you prepared?”
Aspen’s hesitancy surprised him. He thought all Lawkmerians were
anxious to return home.

“
I am aware of the upcoming battle. But my
feelings of returning home are mixed. After two centuries on Earth,
Lawkmeria seems like a distant alien dream. I am sure once I
return, the home bond will strengthen and things will right
themselves again.”

The words made one claim, but the look on his face
and the sadness in his eyes made another. Khayden paused at the
idea that some Lawkmerians might not wish to return home. He would
need to think of the ramifications of that attitude.

Aspen stood. “I will send the information as soon as
I receive it.” He bowed and disappeared.

Khayden thought over all Aspen had said. Things were
changing fast. Soon he would be home on Lawkmeria. He wanted to see
Alayna’s face when she saw the pink moon, and when she walked into
the Master’s palace for the first time.

Sighing, he frowned. There were so many things that
needed to be worked out first that he had not discussed his leaving
for war yet,. Primarily, because she seemed so distant, he had not
wished to add more to her sadness. But he needed to talk to her
about it, soon.

Royce and Benicke arrived and waited in the foyer
for permission to enter. After allowing them entry, he smiled at
the one-sided bickering as they walked forward. Royce was trying to
goad Benicke into one of their famous hot discussions. But Benicke
was too mellow to care. A curl of jealousy flickered through
Khayden at the happiness of the unlocked male. Benicke’s face
clearly said he was a satisfied Lawke, and his Kee was totally
responsible.

“
Lawkes!” Khayden called out, his tone held a
small rebuke for wasting his time. Both men snapped straight before
bowing, and remained in that position until he waved them to seats
in front of him. “Sit. Tell me of the search for the Geleet nests,”
he barked, looking at Royce.

“
We have uncovered a large nest near the
hospital. All Geleet and Gigi were destroyed. All notes and
technology have been turned over to the Murlin. The nest was
decontaminated, and filled with rocks and soil.”

“
Have you searched for any others? The Murlin
feels the Gigi will have a much deeper nest to secure natural
resources.”

Royce glanced at him in surprise before wiping all
emotion from his face. “No. I was not made aware of the possibility
of another nest. I will begin searching for it immediately.”

“
No, you will not. You will continue to
prepare your team for the fight on Lawkmeria.” He watched their
faces change into large smiles that lit their eyes. That was the
response he wanted to see. “We are going home to rid it of green
vermin.”

“
Yes!” Benicke shouted, his face bright red.
“This has been a long time coming.”

Khayden looked at his old friend and laughed. “I see
Lorenzo has straightened out your speech. Tell him I said, well
done.” He grinned at the sheepish expression that crossed Benicke’s
face. “Have there been any sightings of Minthians or Geleet?”

Benicke shook his head. “None. The word has gone out
for an alert to be sent should any are seen. But no one has.”

Khayden looked at each man before dropping his eyes
to a paper on his desk. “Do you think there are more Geleet? Or
Minthians?” He waited to hear their response. He was not entirely
sure who had been slipping information to their enemy, so he was
taking no chances with his Kee or son.

“
I believe there are a few more of the slimy
creatures. They are hiding somewhere, licking their wounds after
the Mistress pounded them for attacking you and her father. They
are most likely wondering what to do, and how they will reach home.
We will track them and rid the Earth of them before we return home
to Lawkmeria,” Royce said.

“
I agree. I think there may be more on other
continents.” Benicke sounded distracted and Khayden wondered why.
He would speak to the man privately after they finished this
discussion.

Khayden waved his arm. The room dimmed and a clear
image flickered on and remained.

“
Oh me goodness! Tis me home. Tis Lawkmeria!”
Benicke shouted, jumping up and pointing like a kid handed a treat.
His long red ponytail slapped him in the back, his eyes wide and
happy.

Khayden smothered his laugh and turned to the
picture. Unlocked, he could connect to his home planet and
communicate freely with anyone there. Instead of talking, they
watched excitedly as he panned over the planet, zeroing in on
specific landmarks, remarking on changes that had happened in their
absence. It was a special homecoming review.

Khayden pointed to a few places on the image and
spoke non-specifically of how they would stage the attack. He
refused to give them a specific date, only commanded them to
prepare their Lawkes to be ready at any given time.

As the men rose to leave, Khayden noticed Benicke
looking back at the image of Lawkmeria with a longing in his eye.
“Soon, my friend, soon,” he said.

Benicke stopped and walked back to his desk.

Khayden sealed the room, knowing anything the man
said would be personal.

“
It is just—” he sighed and ran his hand
through his hair, “—this world is not kind to my Kee. We need the
freedom of Lawkmeria to have our family and to grow. I have made a
lot of mistakes. He knew I was his Lawke for ten years and I had no
idea.”

Khayden’s brow rose. That answered a lot of
questions and, in all honesty, concerns he'd had about Lorenzo.
Knowing your Lawke or Kee without reciprocity rendered you
powerless to live a full life. No wonder the young man had begun
wasting away.

“
Now that I am unlocked, I want to give him
everything and more. He wants a family, and to be accepted. Those
things will never happen here.” He drew a deep breath. “I sense his
sadness and it is destroying me.”

“
I understand.” And he did, more than he would
admit. Alayna’s dark mood was excruciatingly painful. When she
pushed him away, it ripped a hole through him. The worst part was,
he had no idea how to fix things, to make it better for her, and
that bothered him most of all.

Benicke smiled and turned to leave.

“
When you fight the enemy, remember what is at
stake,” Khayden said to his back, unsurprised at the feral look on
his friend’s face when he turned and nodded.

Two hours later, Khayden finished his paperwork and
fine-tuned the upcoming battle strategy. Alayna’s success with a
small group was the boilerplate for reclaiming Lawkmeria. Three
small teams would arrive at critical landmarks on the planet at
various times. Each would set things in motion for the other. Since
the portal was now calibrated to his energy alone, his group would
be the last to arrive on Lawkmeria and wrap up the battle. His goal
was to keep the real estate destruction to a minimum. There needed
to be adequate supplies for them to live off when they
returned.

Shutting down his office, his mind once again went
to Alayna. Truthfully, she had never been far from the forefront.
Through their bond, he felt the heaviness of her grief and it
weighed him down. Returning to his chair, he sat with his head
thrown back against the headrest. He doubted he would ever be
strong enough to handle her in constant pain or discomfort.

Eyes closed, he was so deep into his reflections he
missed her walking into the room.

“
Khayden?”

The softness of her voice sent tendrils of pleasure
through him. He prepared to see the object of both his fantasy and
frustration. She stood just inside the door. The shadows in the
room hid one side of her face and flowed over the rest of her curvy
frame.

“
Yes?” He wondered if she had come to torture
him further with her presence. Unable to resist, he inhaled her
scent. Once again, it had changed. Now their combined fragrances
produced a unique flavor that perfumed the air. His body tightened
with need and recognition.

Her hand flew to her chest as she looked at him. “My
heart…no, it’s your heart.” She shook her head as she walked
closer. “I mean, I feel you. You’re in a lot of pain. What’s going
on?” She looked around the room as though his enemies could be
lurking in the shaded spaces. Through their bond, although she may
not know exactly what was going on with him, she would always be
able to gauge his moods. Closing his eyes he tried to think of a
way to explain.

She touched his arm, setting off a firestorm inside
his chest. “Baby, what is it? Are you concerned about returning
home? Is that it?”

Clearing his throat, he looked down where she
stooped beside his chair. The light hit her eyes at an odd angle,
making them appear translucent. A black band held her mass of curly
hair from her face, which was wreathed in concern as she returned
his stare. He cupped her cheeks between his palms and bent
forward.

His lids dropped as he saturated his lungs with her
scent. Gently, he took her lips and placed a kiss on them. “I ache
wanting you. My heart is heavy because you hurt and I do not know
how to fix things.” The longing in his voice stripped him bare. No
one had ever reduced him to such a level. She held his future in
her hands and it scared him to be so exposed.

She shivered. “I…I did this to you?” Her eyes
searched his.

Dropping his shields, he allowed her to see
everything that he was. They needed complete honesty between them
to strengthen their bond.

Her chest heaved. Then she shuddered before closing
her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and then chuckled dryly.
“That’s all I’ve been saying the past few days.” She sighed loudly.
“Tell me what I have to do to fix this.”

His thumb rubbed her cheek. “Fix what? You have done
nothing wrong other than shut me out and that is because you are
grieving.”

Her brows formed a deep V. “Grieving? What are you
talking about?” She leaned back and his hands fell from her face.
“When did I shut you out?”

Her question surprised him. Was it possible she had
not shunned him? “You refused to allow me to touch you earlier, and
not just this morning, either. Other than to give me a brief
outline of what happened at the hospital, you have not discussed
anything with me. It feels as though you shut me out.”

He watched as she stood and moved to the chair in
front of his desk. Sealing the room, he rose from his seat behind
the desk and sat in the chair next to her. They were equals, Master
and Mistress.

She took his hand and squeezed. “I love you,
Khayden. The day at the hospital, it scared me when I realized how
much I truly loved you. I discovered something about me that I am
having a difficult time coming to grips with.”