Divided Read online

  “I didn’t notice you complaining when we were all in bed together,” Far growled back. “It didn’t seem so wrong to you then to have her between us.”

  “That was in a dream state only. In reality I will not share her with anyone—least of all you.” Truth’s pale gray eyes flashed fire at his estranged brother.

  Far’s black eyes flashed back, filled with a mixture of hurt and hate. “Then good luck forming a complete bond with her, Brother. Everyone knows a Twin Kindred can’t manage that on his own, without his twin.”

  “Not true,” Truth said shortly. “My father managed it and so will I.”

  Kat frowned. “Don’t you mean fathers? If you’re Twin Kindred, how did you have only one father, Truth?”

  “It’s a long story.” The dark twin turned away. “And it is not what we are here to talk about, anyway.”

  “Yes. If we could please get back to the subject at hand,” Sylvan said dryly. “You say you saw everyone in the Unmated Males section turning into some kind of…”

  “Demons. They looked like some kind of demons.” Becca shivered and crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

  “All right. And what makes you think this vision was completely and utterly true this time, Far?” Sylvan asked, turning to the light twin. “I know you sometimes have doubts…”

  “It was true,” Truth said, unexpectedly backing his brother up. “I felt it as I always do. This vision will become reality.” He glared at Far as though it was his fault.

  “Don’t look at me like that.” Far glared back. “I don’t cause the visions to happen—I only see what the Goddess sends to me.”

  “Well, did she send you how this is supposed to happen or when?” Sylvan sounded exasperated. “Because I can’t lock down the Unmated Males section indefinitely—there would be a riot. I have warriors going about their business, doing their jobs, calling Earth females as mates. I can’t just ask them to quit everything and stay quietly in their rooms for the foreseeable future.”

  “Of course you can’t,” Becca said. “But Commander Sylvan, if you had seen what we saw…”

  “The Goddess…” Sophia came out of the bedroom where she had been tending to her twins. “Did I hear you say your visions come from the Goddess, Far?”

  The light twin nodded, his longish, blond hair brushing his broad shoulders. “I do believe she is the source, yes.”

  “Well then…” Sophia looked up at her husband. “Sylvan, who else do we know who has visions from the Goddess?”

  “Of course.” Sylvan snapped his fingers. “Nadiah.”

  Becca frowned. “Who?”

  “She’s Sylvan’s younger cousin,” Kat explained.

  “And she has the gift of the Sight,” Sophia said excitedly. “She has visions like Far. Maybe she could help us.”

  Sylvan sighed. “Maybe so. I’m not exactly sure of the time on First World right now but perhaps we should give her a call.”

  “Good idea, I haven’t talked to her in ages.” Sophia looked excited. “I’m so glad we have a viewscreen in our suite now—it makes things so much easier.”

  “Indeed,” Sylvan muttered. He walked over to the far wall of his suite, opposite the fireplace and began punching a call sequence into the keyboard below the large viewscreen mounted there.

  “I don’t understand,” Truth objected as they waited for a pick-up on the other end. “Why are we calling some relative of Commander Sylvan’s about the vision Far subjected us to?”

  “Oh, so now I subjected you to it?” Far glared at his brother.

  “Hush you two,” Kat said, frowning. “We’re calling because Nadiah is gifted with the same kind of visions Far has—maybe she can verify what you’re saying.”

  “She’s also the mouthpiece of the Goddess on First World,” Sylvan said sternly. “So you would do well to listen to what she has to say. Both of you.” He glared meaningfully at both Truth and Far who shifted uncomfortably and had the grace to look ashamed of themselves.

  Finally, just as Becca was sure that the call wasn’t going to be picked up, the viewscreen flickered and a sleepy looking girl with blue-green eyes and a halo of blonde hair appeared.

  “H’lo?” she murmured, pulling a white robe around her shoulders. “Sylvan, is that you? What do you want—it’s the middle of the night.”

  “Forgive me for waking you, Nadiah.” Sylvan gave her a formal little bow. “But we have a disturbing situation here on the Mother Ship I was hoping to consult with you on.”

  “All right.” Nadiah yawned and ran a hand through her wild blonde hair. “But just keep it down—Rast is still sleeping in the next room.”

  “We’ll be brief and quiet,” Sylvan promised. Quickly, he explained the situation—the vision Becca and Truth and Far had all experienced together and the predicament it put him in.

  Nadiah frowned. “So you want to know if what they saw is true and if so, what you can do about it?”

  “Essentially.” Sylvan nodded. “Do you have any thoughts on this?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. Let the ones who had the vision step forward.”

  “He’s the one.” Truth planted a hand between his brother’s shoulder blades and pushed him forward, none too gently.

  Nadiah frowned and for a moment, Becca thought her blue-green eyes got a whole lot greener.

  “Even if this male is the one with the Sight, he is not the only one who received the vision.”

  “Fine.” Truth stepped up beside his brother. “Apologies—I too witnessed it.”

  Nadiah raised an eyebrow. “And…”

  Becca swallowed hard and stepped up, making sure to keep plenty of distance between herself and the two huge warriors.

  “And me,” she said quietly. “I saw it too.”

  “All right.” Finally Nadiah seemed satisfied. “Now, I can sense the tension between you. Are you mated, the three of you?”

  “No!” Truth’s eyes blazed.

  “No,” Far echoed and Becca thought she heard bitterness in his voice.

  “We’re just…we just happened to be touching each other when the, uh, vision came upon us. Or, I guess it came to Far here,” Becca nodded at the light twin. “And we happened to share it.”

  Nadiah frowned at Truth and Far. “But the two of you are twins, right? Twin Kindred?”

  “We are but we were separated at birth. We grew up…alone.” Far’s voice was soft…almost longing but Truth appeared not to notice.

  “Not that we need each other. We are both only staying aboard the Mother Ship until my lady Becca here picks one of us.”

  “Picks one of you?” Nadiah’s face was grave. “Truly, warrior, do you intend to try and take a mate without your brother? To desert the bond the Goddess has given you and disregard her will?”

  “There is no bond,” Truth said shortly. “Nor do I wish one, Lady.”

  “And you…” Nadiah turned to Far. “Do you feel the same?”

  Far looked away. “I do not wish to be bonded to someone who has no wish to be bonded to me.”

  “I see.” Nadiah nodded and looked down. She was quiet for a long moment—so long Becca was almost tempted to wonder if she had gone back to sleep. Then, suddenly she looked up and her eyes were a deep, burning green. “I see much, warriors,” she said and her voice had an authoritative ring that had been lacking when she had first answered the viewscreen, her eyes heavy with sleep and her hair rumpled and sticking up. “I see a rift between you that must be healed—a bond that must be formed—a wound that must be sealed.”

  “What? But I don’t want a bond with Far,” Truth growled. “Him or any other male.”

  “Be silent!” Nadiah’s voice cracked like a whip. “I am speaking what the Goddess has shown me. You and your twin must form a bond if this situation is to be resolved. The fate of the Mother Ship and all those aboard rests upon it.”

  “Truly?” Far looked at her uncertainly. “But…how could the fates of all aboard be tied to me a