Falling for Kindred Claus Read online

  They were safe—but for how long?

  Thirty-Nine

  The Room of Shields appeared to be the remains of an old armory. At any rate, there were still weapons displayed on the walls, as well as a number of brightly colored decorative shields, which may have given the room its name.

  Asher looked carefully but the door they had come in by appeared to be the only entrance or exit. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no way to lock or bar the door. He had to content himself with standing guard by it with a drawn blaster in one hand while the two Potentates and Lisa settled themselves shakily on a rich leather couch in the center of the rom.

  Lisa was as white as a sheet, he noted to himself and felt a stab of guilt. She was only here because he had brought her—because of him she had almost been killed.

  I’m no good for her, he thought grimly. This life I live is too dangerous—too hazardous for one as innocent as her.

  Lisa drew a shaky breath and looked up.

  “That was…was awful,” she whispered at last, shaking her head.

  “It was most dreadful,” the New Potentate agreed in a voice that trembled slightly.

  But the Old Potentate seemed much more sanguine about the situation.

  “It was merely an assassination attempt,” she said, patting the New Potentate’s hand. “I am afraid you will have to get used to them, my dear.”

  “But Grandmama, how can I possibly?” the New Potentate protested. “We both nearly died just now!” Her chewchie hopped down from her head to her lap and began screeching in agitation. “Where were our personal guards in all that chaos?” she demanded furiously. “Why was it left to a stranger and an off-worlder to protect us?”

  The Old Potentate’s wrinkled face was grim.

  “It may be that the Royal Guard has been compromised,” she said, frowning. “In which case, my dear, you must start from scratch. My advice to you is to choose a loyal man from among the ranks and raise him up—make him love you and he will protect you with his life. Just as this fine warrior here, protected his own lady love,” she added, nodding to Asher and Lisa, who was staring at her wide-eyed.

  “Your Grandmother is correct, your Majesty, if I may interject,” Asher said quietly. “Loyalty and love go hand in hand in the heart of a true warrior. Find one you can trust and make him the new Captain of your personal guard. In the meantime, I will stay and ensure your safety until you feel certain you are secure.”

  “That is most kind of you, young man,” the Old Potentate said gravely. “You’re one of the Kindred, are you not?”

  Asher nodded. “I am, your Majesty.”

  “As I thought,” she murmured and looked at her granddaughter. “The Kindred are a race of males who venerate females and serve a female Goddess. They are to be trusted in all things, which is one reason I allowed one to be invited to your Coronation.”

  “Which will have to be postponed now,” the New Potentate said with a sigh. “For we cannot be sure of the high priest either and who else is to perform it?”

  “I shall,” the Old Potentate said firmly. “In times of duress, we have no need of priests for the will of Thufar is always with us. Also,” she added, “I do not believe the high priest was in on the plot. He himself would have been killed if the attempt on our lives had been successful and though he strikes me as somewhat pompous and self-important, I do not believe he would willingly sacrifice his life to bring down our monarchy.”

  She lifted the golden crown from around her temples and nodded to her granddaughter.

  “Now bow your head a bit, my dear, so I can reach you.”

  “Oh no, Grandmama!” The New Potentate looked aghast. “I can’t possibly take over the throne now! Not in the midst of a crisis. You are much more knowledgeable than I—you must lead the nation until it is resolved.”

  “My dear,” the Old Potentate said kindly but firmly, “This conflict is the kind of crucible in which your rule shall be forged. Though I will, of course, advise you and help you through it,” she added.

  “Well…as long as you’ll advise me.” The New Potentate still seemed uncertain but she ducked her head and allowed her grandmother to place the golden crown around her temples.

  “With this symbol of leadership I pass my power on to you,” the Old Potentate said in her quiet, firm voice. “I charge you with the well-being of our nation and the health and happiness of our people. You must always put them first and yourself last. Remember that a Potentate’s place is to lead but also to serve.”

  “Yes, your Majesty,” the New Potentate whispered reverently. “I will…” She swallowed hard. “I will endeavor to lead with humility and wisdom until I turn the crown over to another who is worthy.”

  “I know you will, my dear.” The Old Potentate’s face broke into a smile and she patted her granddaughter’s cheek. “Now then, if you want my advice, the first thing you’ll do is to ask that nice young Kindred warrior if he will call for a squadron of his own kind to help you secure the palace.”

  “A squadron of outsiders?” The New Potentate looked at Asher doubtfully. “What will that look like to the people?”

  “The optics of the situation aren’t at issue right now,” her Grandmother said sternly. “You need people around you that you can trust and you may be certain that no Kindred will ever hurt a female. They are also intensely loyal and will protect you with their lives.” She looked at Asher. “Isn’t that right, young man?”

  Asher nodded without hesitation.

  “If you like, I can call and ask the Head of the Kindred High Council to dispatch a group of warriors here to act as your personal guard until you can find some of your own people you can trust.”

  The New Potentate looked at her grandmother, only to see that the Old Potentate was looking back at her.

  “Well, my dear?” she said quietly. “This decision is yours.”

  “All right.” The New Potentate nodded her head. “If you please, warrior, call your superior and ask him for the loan of some of his warriors.”

  “It shall be done at once.” Asher bowed, feeling a sense of relief. If he had been alone, he would have been perfectly happy to stay and help quell whatever insurrection had led to the assassination attempt in the first place. But he had Lisa with him and he needed to get her safely home—he had put her in enough danger as it was.

  Danger that could have been avoided if only he hadn’t decided he wanted to be near her—if only he hadn’t drawn her into the orbit of his hazardous life.

  I’m no good for her, he thought again. Even if I could bond her to me, which I’m sure I can’t, I wouldn’t do it. It isn’t right to ask her to be in danger just to be near me, just to have a relationship we can never really consummate, no matter how much we might want to. Better to break it off now, before we get even closer. Better to end it.

  The grim thought made him feel like he was tearing out a piece of his heart, but he knew it was nothing but the truth.

  I’m taking her back to the Mother Ship, he told himself grimly, as he watched her shivering on the couch. And then I’m never going to see her again.

  Forty

  “In honor of having saved the lives of both the Old and New Potentates—a debt which the Chorkay people can never fully repay—we bestow upon you this perfectly matched set of chewchie eggs,” the high priest intoned ceremoniously.

  They were standing in the landing area in front of Asher’s ship and Lisa was more than ready to leave. But apparently the ceremony of gratitude had to take place before they could go.

  A priestess dressed in a long robe of Sacred Blue came forward, holding a large blue velvet pillow in both hands. She bowed low to Lisa and Asher, who bowed back. Then she carefully handed the pillow with its burden of two large, speckled eggs, to Lisa.

  “Of course,” the high priest continued. “Because the two of you are older and already set in your ways, the chewchies may not fully bond with you. But it is our hope and our prayer to Thufar that because you