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  “I know that.” Baird gave a curt nod at Liv. “She’s worth it—to me anyway. To you she’s nothing but another energy cell, one you’ll use up and throw out in a matter of hours.”

  “He presents a compelling case.” The AllFather sounded thoughtful. “I do find myself most hungry after the unsatisfying taste of the female’s mind.”

  “But her memories,” Xairn objected. “You said they should be sifted in order to find the one we seek.”

  The AllFather made a dismissive gesture that left a cloud of dark smoke-like particles boiling in the air. “There are other ways of finding the one. I am inclined to let her go if the warrior agrees to abide by the laws of krik-ka`re.”

  “I agree,” Baird said at once. “Just let me see her to the shuttle where my brother waits and swear you’ll disable your magnetic field long enough for them to get away. Then you can do anything you want to me.”

  The AllFather nodded, its red eyes glowing. “It is ssso agreed. My ssson and his guard will accompany you to be certain you uphold your end of our bargain. At the end of three days time your brother may return for you…if there is anything left worth returning for.”

  Liv felt like hear heart was about to burst out of her chest. “Wait a minute—nobody asked me if it was okay for Baird to trade places with me!”

  “Nobody had to, Lilenta. This is my choice, not yours. Come on, Sylvan’s waiting.”

  He led her down the steep steps and Liv let him, moving in a fog of uncertainty. They walked back through the Scourge Fathership, Baird striding confidently along as though he knew the way by heart. Well, he was a prisoner here for months and months, Liv reminded herself. And he did escape so maybe he knows the layout. She kept telling herself that Baird had to have some other plan. Surely once they reached the shuttle he would shoot anyone in their way and they would make a getaway and live happily ever after. Despite the guards that now flanked them on all sides and the strange looking weapon the AllFather’s son had trained on them, he wouldn’t really just give himself up, would he?

  But when they reached the vast docking bay where she’d first realized what had happened, Baird gave her a long, tight hug and then stepped back. “Good bye, Lilenta.”

  “No!” She clutched at his arm. “You have to come with me—you can’t stay here.”

  “One of us has to.” He cupped her cheek gently. “Even if it was possible to get away with half the Scourge forces on our tail, a warrior honors his commitments. I swore to abide by the rules of krik-ka`re.”

  “You shouldn’t have come.” Liv could feel the tears welling in her eyes though she tried to blink them back. “You shouldn’t have traded yourself for me. Not after what I did.”

  “You didn’t know that using the Think-me would break our contract. And even if you did, I still would have come.”

  “But why?”

  “Because I love you, Lilenta. There is no life for me without you.” He leaned down to kiss her one more time and Liv felt the familiar flare of heat at the brush of his mouth against hers. “Don’t forget me.”

  “Never.” She spoke the promise through numb lips and then Sylvan was there at her elbow, leading her away to a waiting shuttle.

  “Take care of her, Brother. I charge you with her well being. See her safely back to Earth.” Baird gave his brother a significant look.

  “I’ll see to Olivia—you take care of yourself. I’ll be back for you in three days. Just three days,” Sylvan told him. “Stay strong, Brother.”

  Baird lifted his chin defiantly. “I will.”

  “This is all very touching but the magnetic field has been disabled already for your female’s departure. It will not remain inactive forever.” Xairn nodded at the shuttle.

  Baird nodded briefly. “I’m ready. Do your worst.”

  “Baird, no!” Liv felt like someone was ripping her heart out of her chest. She tried to run back to him but Sylvan’s grip on her arm was unbreakable.

  “Come, Olivia,” he murmured, tugging her toward the shuttle. “We have very little time. Don’t let Baird’s sacrifice be in vain.”

  “But…but I don’t want him to sacrifice himself for me.” She was beginning to cry now, unable to help herself. “Please, I don’t want this.”

  “But he wants it,” Sylvan said gently. “He needs it. Needs to assure himself of your safety. You must be brave for him—stay strong as he is doing for you.”

  Olivia looked over her shoulder at Baird again as Sylvan folded her gently into shuttle’s the cockpit. He was standing straight and tall, his shoulders thrown back, his eyes blazing. There was no reluctance or fear in his posture, no regret in his stance. Only strength and determination. And love. He’s doing this because he loves me. Even though I resisted him. Even though I never… “Oh God, I never told him I loved him! Sylvan, please—please, I have to go back.”

  “I’m afraid it’s too late.” Sylvan nodded at the guards who were leading Baird away. “We need to get out of here, Olivia. The Scourge have a twisted kind of honor but I wouldn’t want to trust it too far. If I fail to get you safely back to Earth, Baird’s sacrifice will have been for nothing.”

  “Fine.” Liv blotted her eyes on the sleeve of Baird’s shirt, inhaling his warm, spicy scent and trying not to cry again. “But I’m not going back to Earth.”

  Sylvan raised his eyebrows. “Oh? And where do you think you’re going?”

  “Back with you—to the ship.”

  “But you can’t—”

  “I can and I will.” Baird was gone now, his broad back and shoulders disappearing into the gloom of the Scourge ship. Liv tore her eyes from where he had been and looked back at Sylvan. “I heard what they said—this krick-krack thing—”

  “Krik-ka`re.”

  “Right, whatever. Anyway, it only lasts three days and afterwards Baird is coming home. I want to be there to meet him when he does.”

  “Olivia…” Sylvan’s tone was quiet and gentle. “What comes back to us will look like Baird but it won’t really be him. It will be a shell—empty…broken.”

  “If he’s broken then I’ll fix him.” Liv crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

  “You can’t.” Sylvan’s normally impassive blue eyes were sad as he piloted the ship up and out to the air lock. “No one can.”

  “Well I’ve got to try, at least!” Liv burst out. “Look, Sylvan—I’ve been a complete idiot up until now and it took having that…that thing rifling through my head to make me see clearly. I used my family and my career as an excuse—as a shield—because I was afraid.” She looked down at her hands—only her fingertips were visible past the long sleeves of the crimson uniform shirt. “I…I love Baird and I think I have for a long time. I just wouldn’t let myself see it until…” She shook her head, unable to say what they were both doubtless thinking. Until it was too late.

  But it can’t be too late. I won’t let it be, Liv told herself fiercely. She clenched her hands into fists. He held out for six months before. He can do three days with no problem. Except this time he would have no shields. Liv couldn’t imagine letting the monstrous AllFather into your brain with no resistance. Just the thought made her skin crawl. And he did that for me. He’s doing it right now because he loves me. Even though he has no idea I love him back.

  That made her want to cry again but she resisted the urge. She would stay as strong as Baird, would hold out and wait for him and in the end they would be together again. She believed that with all her heart.

  I have to believe it. If I don’t, I’ll go crazy. She stared into the bleak vastness of space as Sylvan engaged the drive that would take them back to the Kindred ship. Somehow she would get through these three days without Baird and when he came back she would glue the pieces back together. No matter what she had to do, she was going to fix him.

  “Ssso, your female is sssafely on her way.” The eyes of the AllFather glowed like coals, filled with an evil hunger that Baird had seen before.

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