Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  “You tell me.” Rast walked up to the base the statue was standing on and patted the female giant’s shoe. “You’re the one that saw the abduction, right?”

  “I did see it,” Nadiah acknowledged. “But only briefly in my vision.” She turned to face him. “So now that I’ve confirmed it, what do you want from me? Why bring me all the way down here to Earth?”

  Rast ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. “Because…damn it. I hate doing this, but…can you get readings on people from touching things that belonged to them?”

  “I don’t know,” Nadiah said honestly. “I haven’t had the Sight for very long. I guess I could try.”

  “Okay, wait here.” Rast walked back to the car and she could hear him muttering to himself, “Can’t believe I’m doing this. So stupid…”

  When he came back he was holding a clear bag filled with fabric in one hand. “Here.” He thrust the bag at Nadiah. “See what you can get from those.”

  “Is this her tharp…er, her clothes?” Nadiah took the bag gingerly.

  Rast nodded. “The ones she was wearing when she disappeared.”

  “But what do you expect me to learn from these?” Nadiah asked. “I already told you where she was and who has her.”

  Rast frowned. “Just get what you can, all right?”

  Nadiah narrowed her eyes at him. “If this is some kind of test I don’t see how I can possibly pass it. Why are you asking me to use a power you don’t believe in?”

  “Because I’m desperate, all right?” Rast shot back. “The first twenty-four hours are critical. Tabitha was standing right here, by this statue when she disappeared. Her friends said she was there one minute and gone the next. We have the clothes she was wearing and nothing else.”

  Nadiah shrugged. “I’ll try. But I won’t promise anything.”

  “I’m not asking for a promise. Just do your best.”

  “All right. But I’m doing this for Tabitha—not for you.” Opening the clear bag, Nadiah put her hand in and felt the strange material Earth people wore to cover themselves. It was soft but dead, not living like her own tharp. She couldn’t imagine wearing such stuff close to her skin for any length of time.

  “Well?” Rast looked at her sharply. “Anything?”

  “Sorry.” Nadiah shook her head. “I don’t see anyth—” Suddenly the bright, sunny Sarasota day disappeared from her view and a cloud of blackness replaced it. Nadiah drew in a breath at what she saw.

  The girl who looked vaguely like Lauren was lying face up on a bare metal floor. She was naked and stiff, her sightless eyes staring at the metal ceiling above. It was clear from the look on her face that she had died in agony. Her fingers were curled into fists and her lips were frozen in a snarl of pain.

  But it’s over now. All over now for her. Oh Tabitha, you poor thing…

  “Hey.” Rast’s voice, surprisingly soft, cut through the horrifying vision.

  “What?” Nadiah blinked and the dead girl was gone, replaced by the bright Florida sunshine.

  “You’re crying again.” Rast cupped her cheek gently and swiped a thumb under one eye. “What did you see? Is she okay?”

  “She’s beyond our help.” Sniffing, Nadiah handed him back the bag of clothing. “She’s dead.”

  “What?” Rast looked startled. “How can you be sure?”

  “Because I saw her, lying naked and dead on the floor.” Nadiah pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, wishing she could push the vision away. “I saw her and now I can’t unsee her. Goddess, I wish I could.”

  “Well at least you’re not offering any false hope,” Rast muttered. “Most of you people just keep stringing them along—”

  “You people?” Nadiah took her hands away from her eyes and glared at him. “Just what do you mean by that, Detective?”

  He shrugged uncomfortably. “You know—psychics. Mediums. Anybody who deals with that spirit world mumbo-jumbo.”

  Nadiah put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare label me like that! I am a full blooded daughter of Tranq Prime with the Sight and I assure you, you have never met anyone like me before.”

  “You got that right, sweetheart.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “But that’s not necessarily a good thing.”

  Nadia poked a finger at him. “I am here at your request. I came down to a strange planet and subjected myself to horrible visions all to gratify your curiosity. And this is how you treat me?” Her hand itched to slap him but she curled it into a fist at her side instead.

  Rast must have seen the instinctive gesture because a mocking smile curved one side of his mouth. “You want to slap me, is that it? Go ahead, sweetheart—take your best shot.”

  Nadiah’s hand shot out before she could stop herself and she did just that. The flat smack of her palm against his cheek seemed inordinately loud.

  Rast put a hand to his face where a red mark was already growing, his truegreen eyes filled with surprise. “Ow, that’s quite a punch you’re packing. Didn’t really think you’d do it.”

  “Think again before you offer me another free shot, Detective. I won’t hesitate to take it.” Nadiah was breathing hard, still tense with emotion. Her hand stung from slapping him and there was a dull ache around her heart. She blew out a breath, trying to get hold of herself. “Take me back to the HKR building. I’ve had enough of you and your attitude to last me a lifetime.”

  He seemed about to say something else but then he simply nodded. “Fine, let’s go.”

  Nadiah didn’t speak a word to him on the way back. She kept her eyes closed and let the warm breeze blow through her hair. She tried not to think of the vision she’d had but it was no use. Over and over she saw the wide, sightless eyes, the clenched fists, the agonized expression.

  And in the background she seemed to hear low, hissing laughter.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Lauren lay in the darkness and tried not to cry. Her whole body felt like it was bunched into a knot but she was afraid to move. Afraid to let herself go the way she wanted to. Beside her Xairn shifted and she held her breath, waiting. Then he turned on his side and his breathing became soft and even again.

  Lauren let out a stifled breath of relief. She loved Xairn as much as ever—more if that was possible. But it had been almost a week now and having him here on Earth with her just wasn’t working out the way she’d hoped.

  To start with, she shouldn’t have invited her mom to go on their shopping trip. Her mother was a wonderful, caring women but she had very definite ideas on fashion. Whereas Lauren would have taken her new man to Wal Mart or Target to get some sensible clothes, her mother had insisted on taking Xairn on a tour of all the most expensive boutiques and department stores in Sarasota.

  That was how Lauren learned that Xairn, while alien in many respects, did share one almost universal characteristic with human males. In other words, he hated to shop. Not that he said as much to her mother, but Lauren could tell by the impatient look in his eyes and the clipped tone of his voice as they went from store to store to store trying on more and more clothes.

  He also didn’t like the fact that Abby was footing the bill for his expensive new wardrobe. Lauren had been forced to take him aside and beg him to let her mom pay. She was, after all, only showing her gratitude to him for saving Lauren’s life the only way she could. Xairn had grudgingly agreed but he hadn’t been happy about it.

  Lauren had to admit that her mom had good taste—Xairn did look fabulous in his new GQ wardrobe. Fabulous but very unhappy. He asked her several times why they couldn’t simply find a few functional pieces and leave it at that. “I have never owned this much clothing in my life,” he protested near the end of the day when Abby tried to get him to try on just one more Armani suit. “Where will I wear all of it?”

  “Mom, he has a point,” Lauren had said wearily. “He’ll probably just be helping me in my shop. That fancy suit won’t look too good once it’s coated in cake flour.”

  “Oh