To David’s amazement, the awkward lumbering rhosynhorns kept abreast of the graceful goldenhorns. He shouted in glee and looked over at Troy, whose face twisted in fear and pain. Twitter’s fingers gripped the front of his tunic and his scraping nail caused David to look down at the child’s wild grin. Kyla clung to her saddle, laughing, her eyes clamped tight.
Late in the afternoon, they galloped up to the entrance of the crystal castle where grooms waited to take charge of their mounts. All six entered the grand foyer at a run. David stared around at the opulence as a court attendant led them through a labyrinth of intersecting halls. When they reached two adjoining, carved brass doors, Cymry and Eiddyl stopped to smooth their hair and tunics. David felt the Elfin’s uneasiness and saw Troy and Kyla reflect his worry. A low, troubled twitter came from his shoulder.
David licked his dry lips and swallowed. His heart pounded as he and his shipmates followed their royal friends, hailed by trumpets. The throne room was even more massive than the council hall. About fifty noblemen stood and watched, with narrowed eyes, as they entered.
The royals along with their visitors approached the king and stopped to bow. The king held up his hands to prevent anyone from speaking. David noticed the man was simply an older and more massive version of Cymry, comfortable in his seat of power. He could sense no animosity emanating from the older man.
The king motioned David and Troy forward, maintaining a serious and stern expression, even as he glanced at the little Taryn perched on David’s shoulder. “Men of the stars, we Elfin, Taryn, and Lako owe you much for your help in the fires and it will be acknowledged in formal ceremony.”
He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, his blue eyes glittering. “I owe you most particularly for bringing my son out through the fire; however, I need to speak of a grave problem we have with your king. We have been besieged by your people for days.”
The king spoke too rapidly for them to follow, but the power of his thoughts rang through David’s mind. “We have managed to hold them back, but our defenses are growing weak. What do you propose we do? Are you such important people that an army of air machines attempt to break through our shields? What say you?”
David glanced at Troy and cleared his throat. With a slight bow, he said, “Sir, I for one want to stay here.” Twitter almost fell from his shoulder.
Troy turned to David, his black eyes wide and his jaw dropped. “David, that’s impossible. The Union of Evolved Planets will never allow us to stay; you know the captain will break through the Argelian barriers, sooner or later.”
David looked at the king’s wise and patient face. “Sire, I think it would be better for you to drop your shield than have it battered down. We need only a few minutes to get a message through to our ship. You can then close your shield and briefly reopen it for a reply, only if necessary.”
He stared at David, his face twisted with lines of disbelief. “You can contact people so far in the sky that we cannot see them?”
“On the small sky chariot is a bit of machinery that makes it possible. We have tried to use it, but couldn’t get through your shield.”
The king looked around at his counselors. “I think while there’s a lull in the battering from the sky people, we need to have any who wish to stay be mind and body monitored. Take the two young men to the priests.”
Troy yelped, “I’m not staying.”
The king smiled at him, but his voice was stern. “You must humor me.”
“Test the woman, also,” demanded Cymry, which caused a stir and murmur throughout the room.
David wondered about Kyla’s reaction and glanced at her. Her eyes were aglow and a tentative smile curved the corners of her mouth.
“Son, be wary.” The king looked at his son with a stern expression. “Of course, it won’t hurt to have it done.” He waved them away.
Outside the throne room, the friends looked at one another, confused, not knowing what to do. Troy said, “I do not want anyone messing around with my mind or my body. I will not contribute to Argel through procreation anyway.”
Kyla laughed. “I know one Lako female who might hope you would.”
“Damn it all, Kyla, that is not funny. This is an incredibly serious situation.”
Eiddyl shook his head. “I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice about being monitored. The process is not painful. It may be a little disconcerting, but I’m sure you’re all willing to experience that to get on your way.”
Awel took charge as her brothers left to check on the goldenhorns. Troy followed her up narrow winding stairs of translucent stone that seemed to go up forever. At last, they stepped into a large circular room, dominated by a towering, glittering stone placed in the center. As Awel conferred with three of the crystal workers, Troy gawked at the place. Heavy fabric protected the stone, but it gleamed through the covering and its power jangled his nerve endings. He glanced at David and Kyla and their expressions told him the place affected them the same way. The room opened to the elements by floor-to-ceiling windows, draped in shear, white curtains swaying in the breeze.
Troy shivered. “That crystal must be a larger version of the one used in the fire fight. It gave me the creeps, too.”
“Have you noticed there’s no source of long distance communication here, except those things? I’m dying to know how they work,” David said.
“Don’t make the mistake of touching one.” Troy held up his hands in mock fear.
“Why? Have you?”
“Yes, one of the small ones the healers used, and it knocked me flat—hurt like hell. They hold an electric charge.” He grimaced.
“Look!” Kyla pointed outside to a large dragon swooping around the tower on shimmering wings, its aqua-blue scales glowing in the sunlight.
“Yeah, I forget to tell you how the dragons were used in the fire,” David said. “I have never seen anything so impressive. If I lived here, I’d give an arm or leg to own one.”
Before he could explain further, Awel approached them with two white-gowned priests and a similarly clothed priestess. She introduced each visitor to a priest-monitor, and took Twitter from David’s arms. With a minimum of fuss, the monitors guided them to individual alcoves.
Once inside, Troy felt vulnerable and wanted to resist lying down. He stood a head higher than the priest who smiled up at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Troy, my name is Oth, I intend you no harm. In fact, if you relax, this process may be quite pleasant.”
Patient, Oth stood waiting for Troy to lie down. Troy felt no animosity coming from the priest, although he could feel himself compelled by the man’s mental powers to go to the couch. Finally, with a shrug, he folded his long limbs onto the platform and lay down.
Oth placed his hand over Troy’s chest. The state of mind you acquired when melding with the trees is required now. It’s all you need to do, unless closing your eyes will help your concentration.
After Troy forced himself to relax, the priest placed his hands over his head. All consciousness of his surroundings disappeared.
He entered a dream-like state and his life experiences rolled across his mind in brilliant dimensional scenes. For the first time since the age of three, he saw his mother and father, whom he had long forgotten. The pain in their faces frightened him when officials came for him. They pulled him away from his mother as tears streamed down his face. The small child’s pain overcame the adult he had become. It went on and on until he saw his life with Jason and understood the emotional tie to be a deep friendship. His companionship with the trees filled him with joy and pain. The experience with Kyla in the field of red flowers flooded his mind—the shock as he realized what he did. For a moment, emotions seared his body with awareness of the Lako woman. Longing overpowered him.
He awoke knowing, that while his mind filled with images and emotions, there had been a delicate tracing of his nervous system—the exploration of hi
s very essence. He felt reborn, filled with joy. Now aware of his uniqueness, he knew himself as a powerful, sexual male that desired women.
When he looked up at Oth, tears streamed down the priest’s face. Except with the oak, Troy could not recall ever shedding tears as an adult; but, when he touched his own face with trembling fingers, they came back wet. After he managed to get to his feet, Oth held him steady for a few minutes. Swaying a little, he looked at the priest in wonder. “Did you see and feel all that?”
Oth dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I feel a deep honor knowing you, star man. I felt your joy and it became mine.” He gave a feather touch to Troy’s cheek. “What occurred here will forever remain private between us, except for a report concerning your health and life force.
“Your tree-melding astonished me. I never knew trees felt such pain. A terrible but wonderful thing to experience. Do you realize the old oak increased your ability to experience emotions as never before? You are a better man for it. I expect, if you leave, the trees will call you back. That’s all for now.” He gave a slight bow and left the room.
Troy joined Kyla and David where they waited. He felt stunned, and his voice trembled when he spoke. “I’m staying if there’s any way I can get the captain’s approval.”
Awel came to escort them to sleeping chambers. Their rapt expressions kept her quiet in respect for their feelings. She went with Kyla, filled the bathing basin, and found fresh clothing, all without saying a word. When she handed Kyla towels, she found herself folded in the other woman’s arms. She could feel the powerful emotions coursing through Kyla’s body. Caressing the space woman’s cheek in understanding, she turned and silently left the room.
Awel slipped on comfortable house-slippers and left the suite. She entered her brother’s sitting area.
“For Alpha and Omega’s grace, Awel, I’m barely dressed.”
She nodded at Eiddyl and asked, “Where’s Cymry?”
When he nodded toward the bathing room, she went in without knocking. “One day you are going to be very embarrassed by coming in here unannounced, you flighty brained wench.” Cymry noticed her rapt expression. “What?”
“When you finish shaving, all three of us need to talk.” She walked back into the sitting area and dropped to a stool by the fireplace. When her brothers joined her, she announced, “I want David to stay here.”
Cymry gave her a sympathetic look. “I know you do, but what can we do about it?”
“He’ll need the support of the other two when they report to their ship and try to get permission to return. Eiddyl, you’re in close rapport with Troy, can’t you think of any way to encourage him to stay?”
“No. He is a grown man and what he does is his own business. Father will probably ask him to stay, and that should be all the encouragement he needs.”
Awel turned to Cymry. “I know you can influence Kyla. She’s already half in love with you.”
“I’d love to influence Kyla.” He grinned and gave his sister a wicked leer.
“Don’t get any ideas along that line, my dear brother. She was sexually inhibited early in life and is unable to play your favorite game.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. “If she were to stay, it’s possible the priestess healers can help her. Right now, she is physically immature and has never lain with a man.”
“My God! What did they do to her?”
“No one understands, since a case like it has never been seen. No matter what, if you find yourself alone with her, you mustn’t try to reach her physically—only emotionally.”
Eiddyl said, “I seriously doubt Cym can practice such restraint once Kyla is in his arms.”
“I’ll have you to know, I did exactly that at the fire camp.” Cymry glared at his brother. “This information does make me feel a little better. When she didn’t respond to me, I feared I’d lost my charm.” He shrugged. “Anyway, it’s immaterial since they’re leaving soon.”
Awel jumped up and put her hands on her hips. “What’s the point in having brothers, if they won’t help a sister out?”
Cymry slapped her across her backside with a towel. “Sorry, little sister, but for once in your life, you’re not going to get what you want.”
She flounced from their room speaking over her shoulder, “Neither will you, dear brother.”
Chapter Twelve
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