“It is time to go,” Idan said. “We don’t have much time.”
“Time… What have you done?” Frost asked as his older brother started to turn away. “Idan, what have you done?”
Fear twisted his stomach at the look on his oldest brother’s face. The distant look of regret, but determination. The look of…
“Lacey,” Frost muttered as he put a name to the look. “NO!”
Coal fired into Frost as he surged forward. He dropped the pistol and caught Frost around the waist as he collapsed. Bending, he slung his friend’s body over his shoulder with regret. Frost may hate them now, but it was better than taking a chance of Frost making an even bigger mistake.
“Lock him up,” Idan instructed. “I’ll fly the other transport and you take this one since you are familiar with it.”
“What did you do to the female, Idan?” Coal asked as he stepped into the narrow passageway.
“What had to be done to prevent Frost from coming back,” Idan stated in a voice devoid of emotion.
Coal’s mouth tightened, but he refrained from saying anything else. Instead, he took Frost back to the containment unit. Laying his friend’s body on the bed, he pressed the button and watched as the bed slid into the wall. A mixture of gases filled the unit once it was in the tube.
Coal watched as the computer measured Frost’s life support. Once it registered that he was in a complete medical stasis, he glanced over his shoulder at Idan. His face reflected his disapproval.
“You know he is going to hate you,” Coal remarked grimly.
“At least he’ll be alive to do so,” Idan replied. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 24
Lacey rolled and coughed. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did, the acidic smoke in the air stung, making her close them again. She pulled the covers up over her nose and mouth and forced her eyes open again. Fear poured through her when she saw the flames licking at the ceiling. She rolled toward the other side of the bed, her hand frantically seeking Frost.
“Frost!” Lacey cried, crawling up onto her knees and across the bed. “Frost!”
The sound of frantic barking echoed through the smoke. Lacey fell to the floor disoriented. Waves of heat made the room look like it was moving. She knew she should use her magic to put the fire out, but there was something else in the smoke. Something that was making her sleepy.
“Frost!” Lacey called out again, covering her mouth and nose with another layer of the sheet.
A soft whine came from in front of her. Little Bit was crawling across the floor on her belly. Her back legs pushing her across as she stayed low to the floor. Lacey reached for the pup and curled her fingers into the fur near her neck.
“Little Bit,” Lacey whispered hoarsely. “Where’s Frost?”
Little Bit sneezed as the smoke burned her sensitive nose. Lacey felt more than saw the pup growing. Another sneeze mixed with the crackling of the fire. Little Bit grew larger with each sneeze until she was as big as the bed. The puppy opened her mouth and wrapped her tongue around Lacey and pulled her into her mouth. Turning on her belly, Little Bit rose and shot out through the doorway just as the ceiling in the bedroom collapsed.
“Lacey!” A soft feminine voice cried out.
“Mom?” Lacey choked. “Frost.”
“I’ll check,” her father said grimly as he raised his hands to the sky.
Rain began pouring over the burning house. Lacey vaguely saw her dad pull a hooded cape over his head as he ran up the steps. She felt so weak.
“Set her down, Little Bit,” Evanna ordered gently. “Joanna, Sam, see to the burns on Little Bit.”
Evanna tenderly swept her hands over Lacey. With each pass, Lacey began to feel more alert. She gripped the tattered remains of the dirty sheet around her as several more men came to help her father search for Frost.
She struggled to sit up and held out her hands as Simon, Joseph and Jonah’s father, came down the steps holding Alfred’s soot-covered fish bowl. She pulled it to her as she waited for her father to come back out.
She began to shake the longer it took. Her face crumpled when she saw him step out of the smoldering house empty-handed. Silent tears ran down her face, creating dirty tracks as they clung to her chin before falling into Alfred’s bowl.
“Nothing,” Brice said as he came to stand near her. “He wasn’t there.”
Relief mixed with grief. Where could he be? What if her father missed him and Frost had been in the bedroom when the ceiling collapsed? She wished Alfred could talk so he could tell her if he had seen Frost.
She set Alfred’s bowl on the ground and struggled to rise. She fell back when the fish bowl exploded. The water soaked the thin sheet covering her. The sounds of cursing filled the air. At first, Lacey thought it was from her father. It took a moment for her to realize that it was coming from where the fish bowl had been. From where Alfred had been.
Lacey blinked several times before she realized that a very odd and strangely dressed little man sat on the remains of what had been Alfred’s home. The man had a long nose, thick, full lips and dark green eyes. His hair was matted and solid white. He was wearing a bright blue jacket with red stripes on it and matching dark blue velvet pants that ended just below his knees. White, knee-high stockings and black buckle shoes finished off the outfit.
“Alfred?” Lacey murmured.
“Of course, its Alfred,” the short man snapped, jumping to his feet. “Alfred van Der Merr, the third, my lady.”
Lacey pushed her hair back from her face as she stared at the bowing white head. Confusion darkened her eyes and she glanced up at her father for help. He looked just as puzzled as she was and was looking at her mother.
“Evanna?” Brice asked. “He came from your side of the family.”
“I… he was handed down,” Evanna replied.
“Of course I was handed down,” Alfred snapped. “I couldn’t very well take care of myself otherwise.”
“Alfred,” Lacey said, reaching for his hand. “Did you see Frost? Do you know where he is?”
“He said he was going to his ship and he would return shortly, my lady,” Alfred said, tilting his head to the side so water could drain. “He said to inform you that he would return shortly.”
“Aunt Lacey,” Jonah yelled, running. “Aunt Lacey, they took him.”
“Who… Jonah,” Lacey said, scrambling to her feet. “Who took him? Frost?”
“Yeah,” Jonah said breathlessly. “Joseph and I was bringin’ Little Bit home and we saw Frost running from the house. Joseph told me to go ahead and bring Little Bit the rest of the way while he followed him. I... I wanted to see the spaceship, though, so I told Little Bit to go home and I followed Joseph and Frost.”
“Where is your brother, Jonah?” Simon asked in a gravelly voice.
Jonah looked at everyone before his eyes finally moved back to his father. His lower lip trembled as he drew in a deep breath. He stared up at his dad with a pleading look.
“He’s on the spaceship,” Jonah whispered. “We saw one of the men shoot Frost. I ran back to the hatch and climbed out. I thought Joseph was behind me, but he must have followed the men. I saw them lift off. I was coming to tell you when I saw the smoke.”
“Daddy!” Lacey cried out, swaying.
Chapter 25
Frost woke in small increments. He was familiar with the effects of a medical stasis. He had watched enough prisoners wake from it after their capture to know what to expect. He blinked as pure oxygen was pumped into the cylinder imprisoning him.
Over the next three hours, he slowly worked each muscle in his body. At first, he concentrated on being able to move his fingers, then his wrists, and finally his arms. He did the same with his feet and legs.
By the time Coal opened the cylinder, he was ready. He grabbed Coal’s thick forearms and rolled with a force that took the large man down to the floor with him. He struck out over and ove
r, striking Coal in the chin as hatred poured through his mind.
Frost twisted as he flew through the air when Coal got a lucky break and was able to get his feet into his stomach. He crouched, breathing heavy as he fought the effects of the gases still in his system.
“I’m going to kill you,” Frost growled. “Then I am going to kill Idan.”
“I didn’t know he was going to kill the female,” Coal snarled back. “He was supposed to wipe her memory.”
Frost roared in rage and pain. He struck out at the other man. They were evenly matched in size, strength, and skill. The only advantage Coal had was the weakness Frost was still fighting from the containment unit. Frost made up for that weakness by focusing on the burning hatred washing through him in torrential waves.
He struck a blow to Coal’s jaw that knocked the other man off his feet so that he fell back against the bed still sticking out of the wall. Frost didn’t give the man a chance to get up. He let the ice flow through his veins and extended it outward into a three foot sword.
He surged forward and leveled the sharp point against Coal’s throat. A thin stream of blood began to seep from Coal’s neck where the blade pinned the other Star Ranger against the bed. His body shook with rage as grief poured through him.
“I didn’t know,” Coal grunted. “Passion ordered me to back you up.”
“And Idan? Where does he fit in? He’s been out of the force for almost ten years,” Frost demanded. “Where does he fall into this?”
“He…” Coal choked as Frost pushed the point a little deeper.
“I know what a Learian can do. I knew Taar’s reputation. He had already killed six Rangers,” his brother’s voice replied quietly behind him. “You are family. I couldn’t leave you.”
Frost laughed bitterly. “Family! “You killed her. You killed my woman,” he said hoarsely.
“She was a primitive,” Idan started to say.
Frost turned violently on his brother, driving him backwards into the wall near the door. He held him by the throat. He let his older brother see the pain ravaging him. He let his brother feel his grief.
“She… was… mine,” Frost repeated harshly. “I saw the patterns on her skin. They danced for me. She… she made me feel whole.”
Idan paled at his brother’s declaration. It was almost impossible for a warrior to find such a mate. Many had given up on the belief that it was even true. Hell, he had dismissed the tales passed down from father to son as just being a legend.
“I’m sorry,” Idan whispered. “I… didn’t know.”
“Do you think telling me you are sorry will save either one of you?” Frost snarled.
“It is a death penalty to take a primitive from their world,” Idan reminded Frost. “What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t let you bring her back and I couldn’t leave you there. Either option would result in you being labeled an outlaw. You would have been hunted down and destroyed and anyone you associated with would have had their memories erased or been eliminated.”
“You could have erased her memories,” Frost said. “Why? Why did you have to kill her?”
Idan’s eyes softened as he looked into his younger brother’s tortured eyes. He hated that he had resorted to such drastic measures. He knew, though, that there had been no other choice when he saw them together through the window.
“Because if I hadn’t killed her, you would have tried to return to her,” Idan said.
Frost roared out in rage. He drew back his fist and let the long blades of ice reform. He didn’t care that he was about to kill his brother. Nothing mattered, but the fact that Idan was responsible for Lacey’s death.
“Frost,” a small, tearful voice whispered. “I want to go home.”
Frost staggered backwards, his fist still raised as he stared in disbelief at Joseph’s thin face. The boy stood shivering in the colder air of the spaceship. He looked thinner, more fragile and definitely younger.
“Joseph?” Frost whispered, dropping his fist as he continued to stare at the boy. “Joseph, what are you doing here?”
“What the… Who is this?” Idan demanded looking at Coal. “Where did he come from?”
“I don’t know,” Coal growled back, staring at the frightened boy. “I didn’t see anyone else on board during the voyage.”
Frost stepped closer to Joseph and knelt down in front of the thin body. His fingers trembled as he touched the tuft of white, coarse hair on the top of Joseph’s head. He wondered vaguely where his black top hat was. He had never seen the boy without it, or Larry.
“Where’s Jonah? Is he with you?” Frost asked hoarsely.
“No,” Joseph said, looking at Coal and Idan before he turned back to Frost. “We saw you running. We was bringing Little Bit home. She missed Lacey. When we saw you running we thought you might need some help after everything that happened. Jonah was supposed to go take Little Bit back to Lacey’s house, but he followed me instead. We… we saw that man shoot you.” Joseph nodded at Coal. “I wanted to see what he did with you. Jonah went to get help. The other man closed the hatch before I could get out.” This time his eyes went to Idan. “If he is really your brother, why’d he hurt Lacey? Don’t he know how much you love her?”
Frost’s throat worked up and down as he tried to talk over the lump in his throat. Idan called Lacey’s planet primitive, but here stood a small boy willing to risk his life for him. He finally nodded.
“Yes, he is my brother,” he finally forced out. “He… he didn’t know she was my… was my…” He couldn’t go on.
Joseph’s eyes turned dark as he looked up at Idan with an accusing look. He took a step closer to Frost and a low growl escaped his thin chest as he bared his teeth at Idan. Frost heard Idan and Coal both curse under their breaths as Joseph’s face started to change and a thick coat of fur began to cover it.
“Brothers don’t hurt brothers,” Joseph growled menacingly. “Frost is my brother now since you hurt him. You stay away from him.”
“What is he?” Idan asked in a stunned voice, staring at the elongated nose, piercing black eyes, and sharp teeth Joseph was displaying.
Frost wrapped his arms around Joseph and lifted him in his arms. As much as he would love to still kill Idan and Coal, he couldn’t now. Joseph needed someone to be there for him. Frost wasn’t sure what would happen now. He had never encountered anything like this before in his career.
“He is a Werevamp,” Frost replied quietly. “He is Lacey’s cousin, but he calls her his Aunt because it is easier to say. He is a primitive little boy with more courage and honor than anyone I have ever met. He… he is my brother.”
Frost didn’t wait to see what Coal or his brother said. Instead, he focused on Joseph’s trembling frame. It was his responsibility now to care for the boy until he could be returned to his family. And he would be if it was the last thing in the universe that Frost ever did.
“Shit,” Coal’s voice echoed behind him. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” Idan replied, staring at his brother’s back as he walked away. “I don’t know.”
Chapter 26
“Lacey, sit down, sweetheart,” Evanna requested quietly. “Pacing is not going to help.”
Lacey stopped in front of the fireplace in her parent’s living room. She had spent the last two weeks living in her old bedroom while the Dwarves worked on her house. She could have just had one of her sisters snap their fingers and rebuild it, but Theo thought it best to just let the Dwarves take care of it as the community wanted to show their support.
Elder the Dwarf and his men had come by the following afternoon after the fire. She didn’t have the heart to tell him no when he mumbled that he and his men would be honored if she let them rebuild her home for her. Lacey had agreed, after all, everyone knew that the Dwarves were the best carpenters in the world. Whatever they built would last.
She was still feeling weak and disoriented. Her mom had b
een concerned when she was healing her as whoever started the fire had used a gas of some kind that should have knocked her out. She had not been amused when her mother said whoever wanted to kill obviously didn’t want her to suffer.
“I’ll show him what suffering is when I see him,” Lacey had declared in a hostile voice.
“I’m just glad you were smart enough to get down low and cover your mouth,” Evanna said. “All those fire drills proved a blessing.”
“How is Little Bit?” Lacey asked, changing the subject.
“Sam and Joanna were able to heal the burns. It will take a few months for all her hair to grow back. We’ve tasked Jonah with taking care of her,” Evanna replied with a sigh. “He doesn’t know what to do without his brother. They have never been apart before.”
“Can he… can he talk with him?” Lacey remembered asking, a slight hope blossoming inside her.
If there was a link, it was possible it could be followed… by the right person and with a little help. She had never tried it before because clairvoyance was not her talent, but she knew others could do it. The few times she had seen it done successfully, there had been a mental link that the person could follow, like the twins had.
“Lacey,” her mom called out to her quietly, pulling her out of her contemplation. “There might be a way to find him,” Evanna began before she stopped as her sister suddenly appeared.
“Of course, there is a way to find him,” Topper said. “We just need to find someone who can connect with him. Sean was able to do it the last time.”
“Topper,” Evanna said, stopping again as she looked critically at her slightly older sister. “What have you done to your hair?”
Topper’s hair was in a neat French twist and was a pale blond. Small pearl earrings adorned her ears and she was wearing a flapper dress with thousands of small beads around the hem. She was positively… normal for Topper.
“Oh,” Topper blushed and grinned. “Alfred and I have a date tonight. We’re going dancing afterwards.”