Brides Of The Kindred: Targeted Part 41

His reflexes were incredibly quick, honed by years of practice but try as he might, Tragar couldn't get inside the Vash`aran's defenses. If he'd had his blaster, he could have burned a hole straight through the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's striped abdomen and killed him but all he had was the ancient spiked sword and there was no time to get anything else. Not if Emily was going to live and every second that looked less and less likely.

Tier Shan was pulling her closer and closer to his gaping mandibles. Their serrated edges gleamed jaggedly in the sunlight and Tragar saw that in another moment it would be too late.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the two new Kindred males who had come looking for Emily raise their weapons-everything had happened so quickly they were just now reacting. He wished he could wait for them but he couldn't.

There was only one way-he had to stop trying to deflect the stinger. He needed his sword for stabbing and if he kept using it to deflect the deadly barb, he'd never get an opening.

Taking a deep breath, he rushed forward, straight at the venom-tipped stinger. He felt it pierce his side just as his sword bit into the bloated, swollen abdomen. Ignoring the burning pain as the venom pumped into his body, Tragar gripped the hilt harder and ripped downward, unzipping the Vash`aran's guts in a long, ragged line. Acidic venom gushed out at his feet, hissing like a nest of angry snakes and eating a crater in the gra.s.sy ground.

Tier Shan gave a shrill, bellowing shriek and staggered back, his four arms dropping to his sides. Emily fell from his grip, tumbling through the air to land in Tragar's outstretched arms.

He left the sword where it was, buried in Tier Shan's gaping abdomen, and caught her more by instinct and luck than any kind of skill. He staggered under the impact, though he managed to keep her from hitting the ground, and then set her gently on her feet.

So weak, he thought dizzily. Should be able to catch her with no problem. What's wrong with me?

What was wrong was the deadly Vash`aran venom coursing through his blood stream. Even now he could feel his hands and feet going numb and knew it was only a matter of time before paralysis spread to his entire body. Still, he somehow managed to keep on his feet and pull Emily away from Tier Shan's thras.h.i.+ng body.

The huge Vash`aran had fallen on his side and was convulsing wildly, his compound eyes bright purple with agony. Clearly he was in bad shape, his venom leaking out upon the ground. Tragar knew that the bright green liquid was also his blood-if he lost enough of it, he would never recover. And from the looks of the browned and withering gra.s.s, he was nearly bled dry. This entire arena would be too polluted to use for cycles to come-Tier Shan was no longer a threat.

"No! It cannot be! Click-click," Tragar heard him hissing to himself. "I cannot die like this...I have never mated! I have never pa.s.sed on my seed. I cannot-"

But the last word ended in a long hissing gurgle. With a final click-click of his mandibles, the enormous Vash`aran lay still.

Relieved, Tragar tried to lead Emily further from the ma.s.sive, insectile corpse just in case there were any last death-shocks. But to his dismay, he didn't even take a single step before he stumbled and fell to his knees. His feet were so numb he couldn't feel them anymore.

"Tragar?" Emily looked at him anxiously. "Tragar, what happened? What's wrong?"

"Couldn't help it...only way," he heard himself say. The dull, burning ache in his side throbbed painfully. He reached for the wound and his hand came away red and b.l.o.o.d.y.

Emily's gaze strayed down to his blood smeared palm and her eyes, now permanently gold, went wide.

"Tragar! Oh my G.o.d-I didn't know it got you! Help!" She looked around wildly. "Help-we need a doctor!"

Tragar was dimly aware of Daro running forward and helping hands lowering him to the ground so he could be examined. Through it all, Emily gripped his hand in hers and refused to let go.

"Tragar," she whispered in a choked voice. "Please be all right! Please don't leave me-I need you. I love you!"

"Love you...too, Emily." He nearly choked, trying to get the words out. The numbness was creeping up his arms and legs now, trying to take over his body. He squeezed Emily's hand as well as he could, though he could barely feel her small fingers entwined with his own. "Served you well, my Khalla," he whispered, looking up at her. "I fought...for you."

And then the numbness climbed higher and darkness ate his sight.

"Oh my G.o.d-Tragar! Tragar!" Emily squeezed his hand and patted his cheek but it did no good. He lay limp on the gra.s.s, just a few feet from the ma.s.sive wasp-thing that had tried to kill her.

She could feel the other trying to come forward, wanting to see but she pushed her back impatiently. Not now!

"Then when?" the other demanded. "I love him too! And it is my time-I must come forward for good."

No! Emily told her firmly. She could feel the other getting stronger, growing inside her until she felt like a pot of water coming to a boil. But Emily held her back with grim determination. If she let the other take over for good, she would never know what happened to Tragar! She had to know-had to be certain he was all right!

Emily still wasn't sure how he had gotten hurt-she'd been high up in the air, looking down the insect thing's gullet, certain she was going to die. All she knew was that Tragar had caught her and somehow killed his awful wasp-boss before suddenly collapsing. But at least Daro was examining him. He had peeled back the black leather vest to get a better look at the wound in the big Kindred's side. The expression on his face was deadly serious.

"What is it? Is he all right? Tell me he'll be okay," Emily pleaded with him.

He looked up and sighed.

"Khalla-to-be, forgive me but this is a grave wound indeed. I fear that the enemy he fought stabbed him with its barb and injected poison."

"Oh my G.o.d...oh no!" Emily ran her free hand through her hair, her eyes burning. "I was hoping it just, I don't know, grazed him or something."

"You were not in a position to see what happened," Daro said. "But it is more than a graze. Tragar fell upon the barb of your would-be a.s.sa.s.sin in order to stab it and save you. He sacrificed himself for you, my Khalla."

"He...he did?" Emily felt tears gather behind her burning eyes but somehow held them back. "Oh, Tragar..." She sniffed and tried to get hold of herself. "All right, so what can we do? Is there some kind of antivenom? Or do you have an EpiPen?"

Daro frowned. "Pardon me? A what, my Khalla?"

"You know-a shot of adrenaline for allergic reactions." Emily knew all about them-one of the kids in her cla.s.sroom the year before had been severely allergic to several things including bee stings. Emily had taken that d.a.m.n pen with her every time the cla.s.s even went outdoors to visit the bathrooms. She wished fervently that she had it now.

But Daro was shaking his head.

"This is no allergic reaction, my Khalla. See-he isn't swollen or broken out in a rash and his breathing is not labored...yet."

"Well, then what is it?" Emily demanded. "Tell me what it is and how we can fix it!"

"I don't know that we can." He shook his head. "It saddens me to say for he was an honorable male and he spared my life-I would gladly save his if I could. But it appears the venom was some kind of neurotoxin. Look-see how his arms and legs are paralyzed?" He lifted one of Tragar's arms and let it fall. "No reflexes."

"A neurotoxin? What does that mean?" Emily asked. Her heart felt like someone was squeezing it in a cruel fist.

Daro sighed. "It means that the venom is slowly paralyzing his entire body. It starts with the extremities and works inwards. When it reaches his heart and lungs...well..."

He didn't finish the sentence but he didn't have to.

"No! No, I don't accept this-there must be something we can do!" Emily's eyes were on fire now-in fact, her entire body felt hot. It was the other again, trying to come forward. Grimly, she pushed the other girl back. I said not now!

"I am afraid not." Daro shook his head. "There is nothing anyone can do now but commend him to the G.o.ddess, my Khalla."

"Wait!" Emily had a sudden thought. "A Khalla-that's right-I'm a Khalla! And Lit'aal told me that a Khalla's touch was healing. That her nectar could even bring people back from death's door!"

Daro frowned. "That is forbidden."

"I don't care if it's forbidden-just tell me how to do it!" Emily demanded.

"I don't know if you can," he said giving her an appraising look. "Possibly if you were truly a Khalla and not just a Khalla-to-be you might accomplish it. But though you appear to have reached the fourth and final stage of your Tenrah, I do not believe your Kit'tara has come completely forward yet. Until you cross fully over that threshold, you will not come into your powers."

Emily had a brief and bitter internal struggle. If she gave in and let the other come completely forward and take over her body forever, she would be giving up her last chance to see Tragar alive. He might live or die and she would never know. She would be wiped out of existence, as though she'd never been born.

On the other hand, she might have a chance to save him if she gave up and let the other take over. And if there was even a slim chance...

Promise me, she though hard at the other girl who was sharing her head. Promise you'll do everything in your power to save him.

"I will," she heard the other say. "I love him too, Emily! I swear I will save him...or die trying."

Emily took a deep breath. It was hard...so hard to give in to her own oblivion. She didn't want to wink out of existence. She wanted to live and love Tragar and have his babies! She wanted to grown old with the big Kindred and never be parted from him again.

But that was not to be.

Closing her eyes, she dropped the last mental barrier she'd been fighting so long to defend. All right, she sent, knowing the other could hear her. Go ahead-take over.

Chapter Thirty.

Go ahead, Emily thought at the other again. Take over-I won't try to stop you.

There was a feeling of intense grat.i.tude from the girl who had been sharing her head for so long.

"Thank you!"

Immediately her entire body was flooded with a wave of heat as the other surged forward.

Emily waited to be obliterated...and waited...and waited. But somehow it didn't happen. Instead, she was filled with other sensations almost too numerous to count.

Her eyes burned and her joints ached-even her hair felt like it was changing. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were suddenly achingly full and her nipples felt so sensitive even the soft gauzy white s.h.i.+ft she was wearing under the dark red robe felt harsh and abrasive. Between her legs her s.e.x was suddenly swollen and hot.

What's going on with me? What's happening? she thought wildly.

"We're merging," the other sent back. Only now, Emily knew her name wasn't just "the other." She had a true name-one Emily had never bothered to learn because she was trying so hard to hold her back.

"Emallia. I am Emallia," she said aloud, opening her eyes which had been tightly closed this entire time.

"What?" Daro looked up from examining Tragar and his eyes went wide. "Your hair-it is so much longer! And your eyes burn like suns! Khalla, no. You must not allow yourself to enter the breeding cycle if you can help it!"

"I had to do it." To Emily-now also Emallia-even her voice sounded different. It was stronger-more commanding. "I had to become a full Khalla and complete the s.h.i.+ft-it's the only way to save Tragar."

"But if you cannot save him then who will breed you?" Daro demanded. "You will die, my Khalla."

"That is a chance I'm willing to take," Emily declared. The inner strength of the other was bonded to her now-she felt ready to take on any challenge. "How much time do we have before it's too late to save him?" she demanded.

"Five...maybe ten solar minutes?" Daro shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"It is enough," Emily said in her new, strong voice. "Get some help and bring him to the breeding suite-hurry!"

"I think not." Mother Chundra was suddenly standing in front of her, glaring down with her green-on-green eyes. "I told you the breeding suite is forbidden to you!"

"But High Priestess, if the new Khalla is not allowed to enter the suite with her male, they both will surely die!" Daro protested, frowning. "We must act quickly to save them both."

Mother Chundra smiled cruelly.

"The Khalla-to-be should have considered more carefully before she defied me. Now she and her male will both pay the price."

Emily felt a surge of righteous fury sweep over her. She rose to her feet and saw to her surprise that she was now taller than the High Priestess. She looked down at the other woman, her eyes blazing.

"I am a Khalla-to-be no longer! This moment I am a full fledged Khalla and my name is Emallia. You will allow me and my chosen mate to pa.s.s into the breeding suite or face the wrath of the G.o.ddess!"

For a moment, Mother Chundra looked pale and uncertain. Then she lifted her chin and glared at Emily.

"No! I am the head of the Holy Council and my word is law. You shall never enter the breeding suite. Guards!"

"I don't think so," a new voice said. Solar and Rone were suddenly standing on either side of the High Priestess, pointing blasters at her. The Temple Guards, who had started to approach, halted in their steps.

"One more step and the High Priestess here gets it," Solar pushed his blaster into her back menacingly.

"You cannot mean that," one of the guards said in a choked voice. "It is blasphemy for any Kindred male to attack a female-especially a priestess!"

"Well, I'm not Kindred-I'm Havoc," he shot back. "And the priestess here won't get hurt as long as she doesn't try to stop Emily from doing what she needs to do."

"Thank you!" Emily looked at Solar and Rone gratefully. "What I need right now is for someone to help me get Tragar into the breeding suite before it's too late."

"I can't carry him that far alone," Daro added.

"I'll help," Rone told him. He nodded at Solar. "Just keep your blaster on the High Priestess there until this whole business is over-one way or another."

"With pleasure," Solar growled. "Come on, your holiness-I think it's time you and I took a little walk."

To Emily's surprise, Mother Chundra started laughing-a low evil cackle that sc.r.a.ped at her nerves.

"Fine," she said, still laughing. "Take the filthy, inferior male to the Temple. But you will never find the breeding suite! It is hidden from all but the eyes of a few. Only myself or a priestess who serves the Khalla-to-be directly can see it."

"Tell us where it is!" Solar dug the muzzle of his blaster into her back but she only cackled again.

"I'll never tell you! And neither will anyone else."

"I will." Lit'aal stepped forward. Her cheeks were still stained with tears but she looked determined.

"You..." Mother Chundra's face went dark as a thundercloud. "You wouldn't dare! I will have you excommunicated, you ungrateful little b.i.t.c.h!"

"I don't care," Lit'aal lifted her chin defiantly. "I was planning to leave the order anyway so that Daro and I can be together."

"A candidate must remain celibate the rest of his life if he is not chosen by a Khalla-to-be-you know that!" Mother Chundra declared. "I'll d.a.m.n you both in the eyes of the G.o.ddess if you dare to do such a thing!"

"We cannot argue with her now," Daro told Lit'aal who looked like she wanted to slap the High Priestess. "This whole exchange has cost too much precious time already-we have only minutes to save Tragar. Look-already his breathing is becoming labored!"