Salene's Secrets (8 page)

Salene frowned, but she did as her mother asked.  After a few moments her eyes widened.  “Do you mean that we’re made to be compatible sexually?”

“Yes, of course,” Lariah said, smiling gently.  “Clan Jasani live very long lives.  It wouldn’t work out too well for any of us if we weren’t compatible in
every
way.”

“There are times when mistakes are made, though,” Salene pointed out.  “Times when either a male-set or their
berezi
choose not to remain together at all.”

“That’s true,” Lariah admitted.  “Sad, but true.”

“If a mistake that big can be made, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to think that a mistake in sexual compatibility could be made.”

“I suppose not,” Lariah said.  “But if you’ve never discussed it with them, how do you know whether you’re compatible or not?”

“I don’t know, I just never felt like they’d be…that way.”

“Are you ashamed of your submissive feelings?”

Salene thought about that.  “Not ashamed, but afraid.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“If I told them, and they didn’t like it,
then
I would feel ashamed.” 

Lariah nodded.  “I can certainly understand that.”

“You can?”

“Of course,” Lariah replied.  “Not long after I met your fathers there was a misunderstanding between us.  I was left thinking that my sexual responses to them were wrong, and that they were avoiding me because of them.  It was a painful and difficult time for me, and for them as well.  After a few days we talked about it.  It turned out that we were all hiding our true desires for various reasons.  Once we cleared all that up, everything else fell into place.

“I don’t want to give you the impression that it was easy for me to be that honest because it wasn’t.  Not at all.  So I truly do understand why you haven’t spoken with your men about it.  But unless you want to spend your life hiding your true self and pretending to be other than you are, you’re going to have to do it, Salene.  Otherwise you’re not going to be as happy as you deserve to be, and neither are they.”

“And if they don’t like it, what then?” Salene asked, curious even though she already knew it was a moot point.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that,” Lariah said.  “What I do know is that sex is an important matter in any relationship.  If you aren’t sexually compatible, wouldn’t you rather know the truth so you can deal with it head on?”

“You’re right, Mom,” Salene said, fighting tears.  “I should have told them a long time ago.”  What she wanted to do more than anything else at the moment was to tell her mother the truth.  All of it.  If there was one person in the Thousand Worlds who could help her get through her current troubles, it was Lariah Dracon.  But, if her mother learned that the Gryphons had broken faith with her she’d probably get up, shift into her dracon, fly to Berria, and burn them to crisps. 
Then
she’d tell her fathers about it.  Lariah was petite, gentle, and sweet until someone threatened those she loved.  Then she became as fiercely protective as her dracon alter form.

“I’ll think about what you’ve said, Mom,” she said.  And it was true.  She doubted she’d be able to keep herself from thinking about it.  Or regretting that she hadn’t been more forthcoming with her men when she’d had the chance.  She doubted things would have turned out differently, but it might have hurt less three years ago than it did now.

They both heard the sounds of large flapping wings and Salene took that as her cue to go to bed.  “Thank you Mom,” she said, standing up, then bending down to kiss her goodnight.  “I appreciate your help.”

“Any time, Sweetie,” Lariah said.  She watched Salene enter the house, cross the living room and start up the stairs before rising to meet her men.

“Is that the problem between her and the Gryphons?” Garen asked without preamble.

“You were listening,” Lariah accused.

“Of course we were,” Garen said.  “We’re as worried about her as you are,
Sharali
.”

“I know,” Lariah said, reaching up to caress his jaw as Val and Trey pressed in close behind her. 

“So, is it?” Garen asked again.

“Since she hasn’t discussed it with them, no, I don’t think that it is,” Lariah said.  “Do you think they’d have a problem with it if they knew?”

“No, I don’t,” Garen said.  He looked at Trey who chuckled, earning himself an arched feminine brow.

“I’m sorry, little love, but no, Talus, Jon and Kar would not
have a problem
with it.  I’m surprised it’s an issue at all.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that there is no question whatsoever in my mind that they have dominant natures.”

“I agree,” Val and Garen both said at the same time.

“Then why haven’t they let Salene know that?” Lariah wondered.

“Probably for the same reasons she’s keeping her nature secret from them,” Garen said.  “My guess is that they fear her reaction as much as she fears theirs.”

“What a mess,” Lariah said sadly.

“Yes, but it is their mess to solve,
Sharali
,” Garen said.  “And if it’s not the reason for the rift between them, then it’s not even the biggest or most important mess they have to deal with.”

Chapter
6

One week after beginning her training with Aisling, which was also the second evening after her parents’ departure to
Ufulu
, and the thirteenth day after her discussion with Wolef, Salene sat on the floor of her bedroom with a glass of wine beside her and the three cartons from the
Ugaztun
in front of her.  She removed the lid on the nearest one, reached inside, and pulled out a red wool scarf.  Winter clothing.  Tilting the carton toward her, she dug through the sweaters, vests, gloves, hats, scarves and other cold weather gear necessary for the brutally cold winters on EDU-12, but she didn’t take anything else out of it.  Dracon Ranch could be cold, and it usually snowed a few times during the winter, but she had enough winter wear in her closet.  She put the scarf back into the carton, then reached for the lid, wondering why she hadn’t donated the stuff instead of dragging it back home. 

After a sip of her wine she shoved the carton of clothing aside and opened the next one.  This carton held the missing weapons she’d been looking for.  She pulled the knives out and examined them, then checked the
sai
, sighing when she saw that they were all in need of cleaning and sharpening.  Most of her sheathes were made of a fiber mesh that was very strong and lightweight, but she had several leather sheathes and belts that were in dire need of attention.  She set the weapons, belts, and sheathes aside and broke the carton down into a flat sheet of cardboard that she leaned against the wall for removal to the shed first thing in the morning. 

Staring at the final carton without curiosity, she debated whether or not to open it.  She’d already found what she was looking for and couldn’t think of anything else that she missed.  After a few moments of silent debate, she decided to get the task over with.  She reached for the carton, pulled it toward her, then took the lid off and looked inside.  She was startled to find her favorite make-up case, another case that she knew was filled with hair accessories such as barrettes, combs, clips, headbands and elastics, a jewelry box, and assorted toiletries. 

The toiletries were everyday things like shampoo, hand cream, and toothpaste, all of which she had duplicates of in her bathroom.  But the make-up case and hair accessories…it was so odd that she hadn’t even thought about those things since her return. 
No
, she corrected herself.  She hadn’t thought about them since she’d been kidnapped.  Everything in the carton had been in her stateroom aboard the
Ugaztun
, so someone, probably her mother, had packed them after she left the ship.

It made sense that she hadn’t missed her make up case when she was recovering from her burns on the
Armadura
, or even after that, when she was so worried about the Gryphons.  But she’d been home for over a week now.  In that time she hadn’t once thought about putting on a pair of earrings, a touch of lip gloss, or one of the many hair barrettes or combs she’d always enjoyed wearing in her hair.  No wonder her parents had been so worried about leaving her alone even though she thought she’d been doing really well. 

Rising to her feet, she picked the carton up and carried it into her bathroom.  After emptying the carton she tossed it back into the bedroom and out of the way.  Then she opened the makeup case and went through the contents, tossing a lipstick and a cracked eyeshadow before closing it again.  With a silent promise to herself to begin using it again beginning tomorrow morning, she put it at the end of counter where she’d always kept it.  The toiletries went in the cabinet under the sink, and the hair box in its place in the bottom drawer.  That left the jewelry box. 

It was a medium sized wooden box that the Gryphons had given her a few months earlier on her birthday.  It was hard to believe that so little time had passed since then.  So much had changed in such a short time.  She ran her fingers over the carved vines and flowers on the lid, trying to remember the last time she’d even looked inside of it.  It had to have been Tani’s wedding day, she realized.

Releasing the tiny brass catch on the front, she lifted the lid.  Two tiers of felt lined compartments rose on brass hinges, then locked into place once the lid was fully open.  She looked over the familiar assortment of earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets, some of it nice, but most of it the sort of inexpensive, fashionable jewelry young women liked to wear.  Valuable pieces that she’d inherited, or that had been given to her as gifts over the years, always stayed at home, safe in the antique jewelry box on her dressing table.

The front portion of the bottom, which wasn’t compartmentalized, appeared empty.  No doubt because the box had been tilted, causing everything to slide to the back.  She slipped her fingers beneath the lowest tier, and pulled out a wide cuff bracelet.  Reaching in again, she came up with a chunky beaded necklace that was definitely no longer in fashion.  The third time her fingers touched something soft, but when she tried to grasp it, it slid away.  She bent down and tilted the box so she could see beneath the tier, catching a glimpse of something black.  She lifted the back end of the box, causing everything to slide forward, and was rewarded when a small black velvet box slid into view.

She frowned at it, certain that she’d never seen it before.  If she’d never seen it, what was it doing in her jewelry box?  She picked it up and tried to open it, but the lid didn’t budge.  Looking more closely, she saw that it was taped shut.  How odd.  She turned it over and saw a small scrap of paper taped to the bottom with neat, square handwriting that she had no trouble identifying as Jon’s.  Black spots suddenly filled her vision.  She slid slowly to the floor with the velvet box in her hand, then lowered her head and breathed deeply until the spots faded and her vision cleared.  When her heart rate and breathing had returned to normal, she turned the box over so that she could read the brief note.

Our love forever, Talus, Jon, and Kar.

After staring at the note for a long time, she turned the box over again and peeled the tape off.  Her heart remained steady, if a little fast, and her hands barely shook at all when she grasped the lid and opened the box.

Inside she found a ring with a round, perfectly flawless golden diamond the size of her thumbnail that exactly matched the color of her eyes.  She lifted it out for a better look.  The diamond was tension set in a white gold band that was simple, yet elegant.  But it was the Gryphons’ initials engraved around the inside of the band and separated by tiny hearts that caused her eyes to sting.

“What is that?”

Salene’s head rose with a surprised jerk to find Wolef floating a couple of feet in front of her. 
“I apologize,”
he said. 
“It was not my intention to startle you.”

“That’s all right, Wolef,” she said, relieved to find that she sounded much calmer than she actually felt.  “I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow.  Are you well?”

“I’m frustrated, but otherwise well.”

“Why are you frustrated?”

“I’ve completed my search for an alternate to form a power bond with, but my search for a buffer has not been successful,”
Wolef said, his eyes going back to the ring in her hand. 

“You found someone else?” she asked, surprised by the depth of her disappointment.

“I did, though I will admit that he’s a poor second to you.”

“Does that mean you still want me to power bond with you?”

“Definitely,”
Wolef replied.
  “And, if you’ve no objection, I believe that stone might be exactly what we need.  If you accept my offer of a power bond, of course.”

“I can’t tell you if I object without knowing what it is you’re talking about.”

“A buffer will be needed to protect you before we can power bond,”
Wolef explained. 
“I mentioned that, did I not?”

“Yes, I believe you did, but I didn’t know what you meant then, nor do I now.”

“You do not wield magic, and you’re not a shifter, so you cannot hold dragon power within your body for more than a few hours without it causing you irreparable harm.  Therefore, you need a place to put the power when you aren’t actively using it.  The buffer must be strong enough to hold my power, and small enough to bond with your skin without discomfort.”

“Bond with my skin?”

“It has to be connected to you so that the power I place within it can enter you when you wish, then retreat until you want it again,”
Wolef replied. 
“I’m afraid wearing it against your skin will not suffice.”

“I see,” Salene said, looking down at the ring.  It was an exquisite and unique diamond, and the setting suited her taste perfectly.  She would have worn it proudly all the days of her life if things had turned out differently.  But things
hadn’t
turned out differently.  It was time to accept that once and for all.

“All right, let’s use it,” she said, offering the ring to Wolef. 

“Does this mean you’ve made your decision?”

“I’ve spent a lot of time these past two weeks trying to decide what to do with my life.  To be perfectly honest with you, Wolef, it’s either this, or find a job that I won’t care about and probably won’t enjoy, or sit on this ranch doing nothing for the remainder of my life.”  She lifted her shoulder in what appeared to be a careless shrug.  “You’re offering me an opportunity to ensure that Rayne gets to live the life she wants, stop the Doftles, and at the same time try to do some good.  I’m taking it.” 

“I thank you, Princess Salene Dracon, for the honor of your acceptance
,” Wolef said, bowing his head. 

Salene returned the dragon’s bow from where she still sat on the floor.  “I thank you, Wolef, for trusting me with your power.  I promise that I will never abuse it in any way.”

Wolef smiled, a rather frightening expression on a dragon even if he was small enough to fit in her bathroom.  “
I feel quite relieved,”
he said as the ring rose into the air above her hand, then drifted toward him
.

“Just out of curiosity, who did you choose to power bond with if I’d said no?”

“I’m afraid I lied to you, Highness,”
Wolef said without the slightest trace of shame. 
“I didn’t find anyone else.”

“Then why did you say you had?” she asked, surprised.

“Because I wanted you to choose this for yourself, for your own reasons,”
Wolef replied. 
“Not
just
as a sacrifice to your sister.”

“Okay, I can understand that, I suppose.  But before we go any further I must ask for a promise from you.”

“If I can give it, I shall.”

“Please promise that you will not lie to me again.”

“This promise is freely given, Highness,”
Wolef said.
  “Now, where on your person would you like the stone to reside?”

Salene’s eyes went from the ring to the note lying on the floor in front of her. 
Our love forever
.  Not so long ago, she would have believed that.  Not so long ago she
had
believed that because they
had
loved her.  She knew that for a fact because she’d
felt
it.  Just like she’d felt the absence of love on the day they’d broken faith with her.  The problem between them had been lack of passion.  Not love.

She decided that she wanted the stone to remind her each and every single day that she’d once found love, and that she’d lost it, proving that
nothing
was forever.  She looked up at Wolef.  “In the center of my forehead.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes,” she replied, then frowned.  “How important is it that this remain a secret between us?”

“For myself, it is not necessary at all,”
Wolef said.  “
For you, it might be quite necessary.  It wouldn’t do for the Doftles to target you because you’re power bonded with a dragon.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” she agreed.  “Can you make it look as though it’s jewelry?  Attach a chain to it perhaps, so that it appears as though I’m wearing it?”

“Yes, that’s easily done, and camouflage is a good idea.”

“Thank you,” she said, relieved to have made the decision so quickly.  She watched in silence as the ring, now floating in midair right in front of the dragon, began to glow with a pulsing, golden light.  It grew brighter and brighter until she had to not only close her eyes, but put her hands over them as well.

“You may look, now,”
Wolef said a few minutes later.

Salene lowered her hands and raised her head to see the round diamond floating in front of her eyes.  But it was no longer golden.  Instead, it was the deep red of a blood ruby, surrounded by delicate white gold filigree in a shallow V-shape. 

“Why is it red?”

“Because it’s filled with power.  When you draw the power into yourself, it will return to its original color.  When you return the power to it, it will once again become red.”

“It’s beautiful, Wolef,” she said.  “I’m not questioning you, but the stone isn’t that big.  How much power did you put into it?”