Harry's Sacrifice (11 page)

Percival chuckled. “Hara is a warrior. Finest in any land. Undefeated in single combat and generous to a fault.”

“I thought he was an explorer,” Harry thought aloud.

“He is,” Percival agreed. “Explorer, adventurer, warrior and knight. His quest was his people’s salvation. Finding a place for Alvians to go after Alvia Prime’s sun went supernova was his life’s work. That purpose kept him sane when most of his peers would have gone mad without their mate.”

“If he never found his mate, how did Harry come to be?” Roshin asked in her logical way.

Percival laughed outright. “I never said he was celibate. He enjoyed women and they enjoyed him. Alvians are very fertile with humans and vice versa.” Percival paused to throw Harry an exaggerated wink. “But he never did find that one special woman. He never found his Resonance Mate.” Percival’s tone turned solemn. “His purpose—his quest—kept him sane. His work is his life. And he will have much work to do when he wakes if we are to save both humans and Alvians alike.”

Harry looked at his companions and only Cormac seemed nonplussed by the idea. Roshin’s pretty face didn’t betray any of her thoughts on the subject, which made him think she’d heard such words before. But where? Whatever was going on, there was definitely more to this girl than met the eye.

Movement behind the translucent panel caught Harry’s attention.

“Ah, the sleeper awakes.” Percival sounded both chipper and nervous as he continued to monitor Hara’s progress.

“Get this blasted thing off me!” An imperious voice sounded from behind the panel. The voice was deep, raspy and weak, but it still held the undeniable sound of authority. Annoyed authority, at the moment.

“Yes, my liege,” Percival commented as he pressed more buttons on the console.

The panel slid down and there he was. Harry held his breath until the big man’s face was revealed.

The family resemblance was undeniable. Hara looked like an amalgamation of his father, his uncles and Harry. Or rather, they looked like him.

“Wow,” Harry breathed. Percival’s choked laughter helped him snap out of his amazement. “I mean, welcome back.” Harry spoke directly to his long-lost ancestor and received a pained smile in return.

“Thanks for that, Harry. It’s good to finally see you in the flesh.”

“You mean you have also been mentally awake during your stasis?” Cormac wanted to know. “I thought that was something peculiar to psychically gifted Breeds.”

“Anyone with psychic abilities would be affected the same way,” Hara snapped, though he was obviously still coming out of hibernation. His movements were slow. His voice weaker than it should be.

“You’re a telepath?”
Harry sent the message directly to the big man’s mind.

Hara’s blue gaze pierced Harry like a laser.
“I have some telepathic ability, but my real talent is foresight.”

“That explains a lot.”
Harry was amazed at the idea.

Not only did Hara have feelings, but his abilities seemed to indicate that at one time Alvians might have had psychic talents even without the addition of human DNA. Just like there had sometimes been humans without Alvian DNA who had psychic abilities. Alone, each race had a few gifted people, but together all the hybrid offspring were talented.

“Now.” Hara’s voice took on that commanding tone again as he spoke to the assembled group. “As you can see, it’s going to take some time before Percy and I are back on our feet. You three will stay here with us as our guests while we recover. We have been able to monitor world events while in stasis, but I need to hear your firsthand experiences. You also probably need time to learn about us. And there is the matter of the
Zxerah
.” Hara’s gaze shifted to Roshin.

Harry knew the legends of his mother’s people. He’d heard about the secret society of warriors and assassins. They featured prominently in stories told to youngsters, but Hara seemed to think they were real.

“The
Zxerah
are a fable,” Cormac said in his dispassionate way. “And while staying here might suit Hara…” Cormac stumbled, probably unsure what to call him now that the real Hara was up and around, “…Hara 2 and Roshin 72, since she was sent here to observe, I have a mission to complete and reports to make. I must be released from these chambers. I insist.”

“And I insist that you stay. Am I not Hara Prime?” A quirk of one eyebrow dared Cormac to contradict him.

“Based on current evidence, I believe that you are Hara Prime,” Cormac concurred.

“Then I outrank you. And probably damned near every other Alvian on this planet. You will obey my commands.”

Cormac seemed to ponder that for a moment. “I suppose you are correct.” Cormac’s head bowed slightly in acknowledgment. “Is there some way I can communicate with my subordinates in the camp above so they will know what has transpired?”

“There is a way, but I forbid it for the time being. My awakening will lose all element of surprise should word get out too soon. I will let you contact your command when it is time. For now, you may talk to your second in command through the portal. It is not ideal, but it will do. You are not to mention me by name. You may tell your team that you are conducting important research and are searching for a way to lower the barrier from inside. They are to continue digging in order to free the rest of the ship. That ought to keep them busy for a while.”

The lower part of the suit Hara wore began to pulse in a now-familiar rhythm. It was the signal that meant their initial meeting with Hara was coming to an end. Harry stepped back to allow Percival to maneuver in the hover chair.

“I will watch over the next phase of my lord’s awakening. I suggest you three get some rest. We have slept far too long. We will want to meet with you as soon as he is fully out of the machine. Is that not so, my liege?” Percival looked to Hara for confirmation.

“True enough, Percy. There is a sleeping chamber just beyond the galley,” Hara said to them even as the machinery around his lower body began to hum. “You’ll have to share. We weren’t expecting more than Harry and this is only a pod.” The sly wink that went with his statement was lost on the two modern Alvians.

Chapter Six

There were two sleeping chambers. One had two separate bunks and one had a large bed. It was probably Hara’s, but it was the only one that would fit all three of them.

“We should use this room,” Harry stated as they all looked in the doorway.

“All of us?” Ro piped up. Cormac shot him a sharp look as well but didn’t speak.

“Look.” Harry faced his two companions. “I won’t let you out of my sight, Ro. And I’m pretty sure Cormac will say the same.”

“You are correct. I have a duty to protect her. You have already proven yourself unpredictable and I will not see her come to any harm.” Cormac almost sounded possessive, but that wasn’t possible. Was it?

“Agreed. Then the only logical solution is for us to stick together.” Harry could see Cormac thinking over his words. It was Ro who objected.

“But this is clearly Hara’s room. We should not intrude.”

“It’s the only way all three of us can be comfortable, and the big guy won’t be using it for the next few hours.”

“It is the logical solution.” Cormac sounded almost surprised that Harry would be logical at all. It was mildly insulting but neither of the Alvians would understand, so Harry let it go as he had so many other slights in the past.

Growing up among Alvians hadn’t been easy. The only real understanding he had was from his human family—the O’Haras and their big brood of kids. Mama Jane, his stepmother and his father, Justin, and uncles, Caleb and Mick. They understood him and never held his Alvian half against him. They accepted him as he was and loved him unconditionally. It was good to be loved. Harry felt lonely without them.

Even with his long telepathic reach, he couldn’t quite touch Uncle Mick’s powerful mind. He was cut off from his family for the first time in a long, long time and it made him feel a tiny bit vulnerable.

“Hey, kid, we’re here for you.”
The unexpected telepathic touch was from Percival.

“Damn. I’d forgotten what it was like to be around an empath. Sorry. I’ll try to keep a lid on it.”

“No need. It’s good to feel something besides boredom and impatience. Hara’s not as even tempered as you are. Now get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us once you three have caught up on your beauty sleep.”

“Will do.”

“Oh, and the big guy says it’s okay for you three to use his bed. In fact, he wishes you luck.”
There was a distinctly lascivious tone to that last comment that Harry chose to ignore.

He wanted Ro. He desired her more than any other woman he’d ever known. He wanted desperately to have her. There was no doubt about that. She was gorgeous and her fragility appealed to him. But not with Cormac around and not if she couldn’t feel the same. He wanted a human woman for his mate. Someone who could love him and be loved in return. Someone who understood his feelings. Ro was pretty enough, but she was Alvian. Emotionally crippled and unlikely to ever recover from it.

“Tell him thanks, but I want a human gal.”

Percival sighed in his mind.
“It will be your sacrifice then, but one you will find worthwhile in the end.”

That last bit had the sound of prophecy.
“What have you seen?”

“Not me. Your ancestor. He sees all kinds of things and we discuss them. What else have we had to do all these centuries while we waited for you to find us? As your people would say, don’t sweat it. We’ll discuss this in detail soon. For now, get some sleep. You’re just about out on your feet.”

A soft hand steadied Harry as he swayed.

“Are you all right?” Ro’s gentle voice came to him. They were still standing in the hall and the two Alvians were looking at him strangely.

“Sorry. Just talking with Percival. He says Hara knows we’re using his room and is okay with it.”

“Percival is telepathic?” Cormac asked, one eyebrow going up in question.

“He is like me. Half Alvian and half human. He has strong telepathy and empathy, I believe. Other than that, I do not know.” Harry saw no reason to lie. It wasn’t like Cormac would ever be able to use psychic abilities.

Cormac was fully Alvian, and like all of the other Alvians who had invaded this planet, they had no psychic skills at all. He wouldn’t mention Hara’s gifts. Not until Hara himself was ready to disclose them. The very idea that some ancient Alvians had psychic abilities long before they mixed with humans was startling even to Harry. Better to let the ancient ones themselves disclose the how and why of it.

Harry swayed again and Ro’s hand tightened on his sleeve. “You are tired. Let’s get some rest so we can approach this problem with fresh minds and bodies. There is nothing better to do at the moment.”

“Good idea.” Harry let her lead him into the room and over to the big bed.

She even helped him sit on one side and take off his parka. It was nice and warm inside the ship now that the systems were coming back on line. It was also nice letting her baby him a bit. Nobody had helped him out of his jacket since Mama Jane had when he was a toddler.

Cormac said nothing, merely turning his back on them as he took off his own jacket on the other side of the large bed. When Cormac sat, Harry used the motion of the mattress to dip forward, catching Ro off-guard as he tugged her downward for a quick kiss on the cheek. He’d been wanting to get closer to her—even in this small, almost innocent way—for days. Ever since they’d run into each other in the hallway and her papers had gone flying every which way. He’d wanted to wrap her in his arms then but hadn’t dared.

Ro pulled away on a gasp, unused to simple contact with others, as were most Alvians. He could see she wasn’t unaffected. Harry’s lips were tingling where they’d touched her skin and her pale face was flushed with a becoming blush. Harry smiled. She didn’t say anything, her gaze flying from Harry to Cormac’s back. Clearly, she didn’t want to call attention to herself—or to Harry’s actions. Good. It would be their little secret.

Harry shucked his boots after hearing Cormac’s hit the floor behind him. The loud thunks seemed to spur Ro into motion again. She dealt with her own footwear and then stood, eyeing the bed. She looked confused and it only endeared her more to Harry. She was so transparent to him at times. It was almost like being able to read her mind, though no psychic abilities were involved.

“You’re in the middle, Ro.” Harry took pity on her confusion. “That way we can both keep an eye on you.”

Harry looked to Cormac for agreement. The other man nodded and lay down on his side of the large bed, leaving space for Roshin in the middle. Harry did the same and eventually she climbed into her spot from the foot of the bed.

The last thing Harry remembered was going to sleep with a smile on his face.

The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him by the shoulder. Harry came awake, realizing a few things at once. First, Ro’s soft body was spooned against his in the most delightful way. She fit his arms so well. Second, Percival was behind him in that hoverchair of his with a silly grin on his face. Third, Cormac was glaring at him from the other side of the bed. And to cap it all off, Ro came awake in his arms, a lovely look of confusion and warmth on her sleepy face. She really was gorgeous.

“Is it time to get up already?” Harry asked no one in particular.

“More than time. Hara and I have been hatching plans while you three snuggled. It’s time to get to work.” Percival maneuvered his chair back toward the door. “There are sanitary facilities through that hatch. Make use of them and meet us in the galley. We’ll have breakfast waiting by the time you’re done.”

Cormac rolled off his side of the bed with a grunt and simply raised one eyebrow at Harry. “I’ll go first, since you two are…entangled.”

Ro struggled a bit to get free, but Harry wasn’t letting her go that easily. Cormac stomped to the bathroom while Percival glided out of the room.