Healing the Broken: A Kindred Christmas Tale Read online

  The thought made her sorrow turn to anger. Poor little Tsandor! She’d wanted so badly to be there for him, even if Commander Sazar wasn’t. She’d promised herself he wouldn’t spend Christmas alone and now he would do exactly that, because Sarah was going to be leaving the Mother Ship—sent back down to Earth with no way to contact the lonely, love-starved little boy.

  Sarah brooded about that and wiped at her eyes with the long sleeves of the red sweater she’d pulled on after taking off the Alquon breeding outfit. It wasn’t fair—wasn’t right. Not just to her but to Tsandor too.

  As her anger built, Sazar placed a terse call to the Mother Ship to fold space for them. Before Sarah knew it, they were entering the fold in space—which looked like a bloody red gash in the endless blackness. When they came out on the other end, an incoming call from Commander Sylvan came up on the viewscreen.

  “Commander Sazar,” the blond Kindred said, looking slightly perturbed. “You are back more quickly than we anticipated. May I ask how your mission to Alquon Ultrea went?”

  “Regrettably not well,” Sazar said, scowling. “I did not see anything that would help us in our war against the Hive. And The Lord Magnate, ruler of the Alquons, has elected not to make a trade with us on the basis that we Kindred mate for life and object to trading partners and living a polyamorous lifestyle.”

  “Ah, I see.” Sylvan’s pale blue eyes were sharp. “I perceive that there is more to this than you are telling me now, but you can unburden yourself further during your debriefing, Commander Sazar.”

  “Thank you.” Sazar stared to cut the communication but Sarah spoke up.

  “Commander Sylvan, I have a favor to ask.”

  “Yes?” Sylvan raised an eyebrow at her. “Sarah, isn’t it? My wife Sophia and her sister Olivia and their friend Kat will be glad to see you again. Would you like me to have them come meet you at the docking bay?”

  “No thank you,” Sarah said, although her throat got tight at the idea of leaving yet more friends behind, never to be seen again. “What I’d like to ask is that someone take me back to Earth as soon as possible.”

  “What?” Sylvan looked genuinely surprised. “Did you leave something there that you need to bring back to the Mother Ship?”

  “No.” Sarah looked straight ahead at the viewscreen although she could feel Sazar’s eyes on her. “I just need to go home. I won’t…” Her voice almost broke and she had to swallow hard before she could continue. “I won’t be working for Commander Sazar anymore.”

  “And may I ask why not?” Sylvan asked, raising one pale blonde eyebrow.

  Sazar started to speak but Sarah beat him to it.

  “Just like the Alquon mission,” she said, shrugging stonily. “It didn’t work out.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” Commander Sylvan said gravely. “More sorry than I can say. But I know Sophia and the rest will at least want to come and say goodbye to you.”

  “Please don’t let them.” Sarah was losing it now, the tears filling her eyes. She blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. “Please, I…I can’t take any more goodbyes right now.”

  “All right.” Sylvan sighed. “But know that you’re welcome back aboard the Mother Ship at any time.”

  “Thank you.” Sarah lifted her chin. “I appreciate that, Commander Sylvan. And please thank Sophie and Liv and Kat for all their kindness to me.”

  “I will certainly pass on the message,” Sylvan said gravely.

  “And please tell…” Sarah took another deep breath. “Please ask Sophie to give Tsandor a hug for me.”

  “Tsandor? You mean…” Sylvan’s eyes cut towards Sazar whose face was like stone.

  “Commander, I must cut the com-link now,” he said, his deep voice absolutely inflectionless. “We will see you in the docking bay.”

  Without waiting for an answer, he cut off the communication so that the viewscreen showed the huge white side of the Mother Ship instead of Sylvan’s face. He turned to Sarah who mentally braced herself.

  “Why did you ask someone else to convey affection to my child?” he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

  “Maybe because you never convey it to him yourself,” Sarah flared. She knew she was feeling angry and hurt and this wasn’t the right time to discuss Tsandor but then, when was the right time?

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Sazar spoke in a low growl as he began the landing procedure.

  “It means I have something to say to you before I go, Sazar. And you’re going to listen.” Sarah stabbed a finger at him. “And no, it’s not about what happened between us on Alquon Ultrea, which you seem to want to forget and sweep under the rug as fast as you can. It’s about your son.”

  “What about my son?” His eyes flashed from pale to red, a sure sign he was upset but Sarah refused to back down.

  “You need to go see him. You need to be a dad,” she said, voicing her true feelings on the subject at last. “He’s a sweet little boy and he’s starving for love—the love of his father.” She glared at him. “I had hoped while I was working for you that I could go and see him often and try to fill that gap. But since my employment is apparently terminated, I’m telling you that you need to fill it yourself.”

  “You are speaking of things you do not understand.” His voice was low and dangerous but Sarah was too upset to worry about his feelings.

  “Oh yes I do understand,” she flared. “About a year after my parents joined The Brotherhood of Peace and dragged me along with them, my dad decided he’d had enough. I begged to go with him—even then I knew it wasn’t right, what we were being subjected to. So what did he do?” She clenched her fists in frustration. “He left, Sazar. Left in the middle of the night and never looked back. He abandoned me the same way you’re abandoning Tsandor by never going to see him, by not giving him the love that he needs.”

  “That…is…enough.” Sazar’s voice was a low roar and the ship set down in the docking bay with a harsh metallic clank, as though to emphasize his words. “You will not speak to me so about my son. He is my blood—not yours. You know nothing of him.”

  “I know he loves you,” Sarah said quietly. “But he won’t forever. Kids grow up fast, Sazar. Spend time with him while you have a chance.”

  Then she unbuckled the flight restraint straps and grabbed her pink carry-all cube.

  “Sarah,” he began but she ignored him and climbed out of the ship. She was damned if she’d listen to one more word from the big Kindred bastard.

  Sarah had had her say and she was leaving—for good.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  “I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t appear things went well for you,” Commander Sylvan said neutrally as they watched Sarah climb stiffly into a ship piloted by a Beast Kindred who had orders to take her back down to Earth.

  “No,” Sazar growled. “It’ didn’t.”

  “What happened?” Sylvan raised one blond eyebrow at him. “If I may ask.”

  “As my commanding officer, of course you can ask—though I wish I didn’t have to tell it.” Sazar sighed deeply. “We were put into a…sexual situation there was no getting out of. The Alquons demanded we attend and participate in their ‘Breeding Ball’.”

  “They demanded it?” Sylvan frowned.

  “On pain of being fed to a very large carnivorous fish,” Sazar said dryly. “I…” He cleared his throat, wishing he didn’t have to say this but knowing he needed to. “I took her virginity,” he said to Sylvan in a low voice. As a fellow Blood Kindred, the other male would understand the gravity of the situation and the great evil Sazar had done.

  Sylvan raised both eyebrows in surprise.

  “So…you bonded her to you?”

  Sazar shook his head. “No, thank the Goddess I at least managed not to do that. I knew she would hate me after what I did—I didn’t want to tie her to me for life on top of it.”

  “I see…” Sylvan nodded, his blue eyes thoughtful. “And are you quite certain she hates you now?”