Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  “Ice cream.” Olivia took another bite as well. “This one is called ‘Chunky Monkey.’”

  Nadiah stopped with the spoon halfway to her mouth. “But isn’t a monkey a small chattering Earth creature that lives in trees?” she asked faintly. “Are…are you telling me I’m eating chunks of its flesh?”

  “Ugh.” Sophia shivered. “What a thought! The poor monkeys!”

  Nadiah felt ill. “Is that why this stuff is called ‘I scream?’ Because the animal screams when they make it into dessert?”

  “No, no, no.” Olivia put a hand on her arm. “It’s called ice cream—you know, cream that’s been chilled until it’s icy? And there are no actual monkey chunks in it, I promise. It’s just called that because it’s banana flavored and monkeys love bananas and…” She shook her head. “Oh, never mind. Just eat it.”

  The twins’ best friend Kat, snickered. “Good thing we didn’t get any ‘Chubby Hubby.’”

  “You!” Olivia reached across the couch they were all sitting on to slap at Kat playfully.

  Nadia frowned. “Chubby Hubby? You have ice cream that tastes like a plump male life-mate?”

  Kat laughed until she almost choked and Sophie shook her head. “Kat’s just teasing you, Nadiah. And anyway, whatever you think of it, you have to admit this stuff is better than that fleeta pudding you guys eat on Tranq Prime.”

  “I’d have to agree with you there.” Nadiah nodded. “I mean, I know it’s our planet’s national dish and everything but I’ve always hated it.”

  “Imagine that,” Kat said dryly. “Not wanting to eat pudding made of bug guts.”

  “Kat, please!” Olivia, who had been queasier than ever lately, put a hand over her mouth. “Oh God…just the idea! I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Sorry!” Kat jumped up and ran around the couch to her friend. “Come on, let’s go in the kitchen and I’ll get you something fizzy to drink. How about some nice ginger ale?”

  “Maybe,” Olivia said faintly. She allowed her friend to help her up and they both went into the large food prep area, leaving Sophia and Nadiah to finish the ice cream.

  Nadiah reached for another bite…and then put down her spoon with a sigh.

  “Nadiah, are you all right?” Sophia put down her spoon as well and scooted closer.

  “Of course I am.” Nadiah tried to smile. “I feel fine—why wouldn’t I?”

  “Well, it’s just that you seem kind of down since the wedding—I mean the joining ceremony, you know.” Sophia put a hand on her arm. “I know how excited you were to do the luck kiss with a real Kindred warrior. I’m really sorry things got so screwed up.”

  Remembering the luck kiss she’d preformed with the human detective made Nadiah’s cheeks get hot. “That’s all right,” she murmured, looking down at her hands. “It wasn’t so bad.”

  “Maybe it wouldn’t have been if he hadn’t been such a jerk, afterwards.” Sophia sighed. “I don’t know what his problem was.”

  Nadiah shrugged. “He didn’t approve of my gift. Grandmamam told me there would be people like him when I came into my power. People hate and fear what they don’t understand.”

  “Well, he’s not your type, anyway.” Sophia grinned. “But I know plenty of guys who are and a bunch of them are on board. What you need to do is go out to some of the on-board clubs the Blood Kindred hang out in. Sylvan and I can take you to one—that way he can make sure you get a good one.”

  Nadiah rolled her eyes. “You mean a male he approves of.”

  “Well, you are his baby cousin,” Sophia said. “Which means he feels the need to look out for you. That’s how Kindred are, you know—extremely protective of the ones they love. You’ll have to get used to that if you end up mated to one.” She grabbed Nadiah’s hand and squeezed it. “So what do you say? Want to go out tonight and paint the Mother ship red?”

  Nadiah wasn’t sure what changing the color of the ship they were on had to do with having a good time, but regardless, she just didn’t feel like it. “I’m sorry, Sophie.” She shook her head regretfully. “But I don’t want to go out. I think I’d rather stay in my room if you don’t mind.”

  A frown creased Sophia’s forehead. “Yes, I do mind! I don’t like the idea of you sitting alone in your room by yourself doing nothing. What’s wrong with you, Nadiah?” Her voice dropped a little and worry filled her clear green eyes. “You’ve changed since the last time I saw you. Back on Tranq Prime you were so bubbly and carefree. And now, well…you’re so quiet and reserved. You seem like…I don’t know, like you have a weight pressing down on you or something.”

  “It’s the Sight.” Nadiah sighed. “It’s been weighing on me ever since I came aboard the Mother ship.”

  “Do you mean the…the vision you had after the wedding?” Sophia asked hesitantly.

  “The al’lei, yes.” Nadiah nodded. “That’s part of it. But I’ve been having dreams too and they don’t feel like normal dreams.”

  Sophia’s eyes widened. “You mean like more waking dreams? More visions?”

  Nadiah shook her head. “No, these come after I go to sleep. And they don’t feel like visions of things that are happening right when I dream them. It’s more like they’re warnings…portents of things to come.”

  “So…the dreams are showing you the future?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” Nadiah sighed. “But I don’t know what they’re trying to tell me.”

  “Are they about Lauren again?” Kat asked, coming back. “Sorry,” she added, as she and Olivia settled back down on the couch. “We couldn’t help overhearing. So are you dreaming about Lauren?”

  “I don’t know if it’s her or not,” Nadiah admitted, frowning. “It certainly looks like her. I keep seeing a girl with light brown skin and black hair but I can’t see her face. All I know is that I get the feeling she’s in terrible danger…and then she’s gone.”

  Kat frowned. “Well, I have to tell you, I think Lauren is all right. Deep and Lock and I kind of, uh, checked up on her the other night. From what we could tell, she had been in danger but was safe—at least she was when we checked.”

  Olivia let out a long, low whistle. “You guys were able to see all the way out to where Lauren is? I thought you told me that the further the distance, the harder it was to find the person you were looking for?”

  Kat’s cheeks grew red. “We, uh, found a way. And anyway, she seemed just fine.” She looked at Nadiah. “Could your dreams be wrong?”

  “It’s not usual for the Sight to be incorrect.” Nadiah frowned. “Although I wouldn’t be surprised if I was misinterpreting it. Maybe I’m just anxious for her because of the al’lei I experienced. But the dream is so strange.”

  “What’s strange besides there being a girl who looks like Lauren who might be in trouble?” Sophia wanted to know.

  “It’s the location.” Nadiah looked down at her hands. “She’s standing beside a couple of…of giants. They’re so big she doesn’t even come up to their knees and they’re kissing each other. Not moving at all—just standing there frozen in a kiss that goes on and on and on. I know that sounds bizarre…”

  “Um, it really does, hon.” Olivia reached out to pat her arm kindly. “Maybe it was just a bad dream after all and nothing to do with your gift.”

  “Maybe.” Nadiah sighed unhappily. “But I think I won’t be free of this burden until your kin is safely home on Earth again.”

  “Let’s hope that’s soon,” Kat said seriously. “Lauren made a big impression on me in the short time I knew her. I hope Xairn brings her home safely.”

  “I do too.” Sophia sighed. “I really want to meet her.”

  “Me too!” Olivia put in. “To think that for so long after Mom and Dad died we thought we didn’t have any other family! I can’t wait to have a reunion as soon as she comes back.”

  “If we don’t hear from her soon I’ll get the guys to do another recon mission with me,” Kat promised. “We can keep checking on her until�