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  “I know what you’re saying,” Baird interrupted him. He leaned in, taking a closer look at his brother. “Look, I hate to say this but you don’t look so good. Are things still crazy at the med station?”

  “No, that’s cleared up since we routed the Scourge and sent them back to their ships.” Sylvan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. “I just…haven’t been sleeping well.”

  “Bad dreams?” Baird asked sympathetically. He’d had a few himself after his second escape from the Scourge. Luckily Olivia was always there to soothe him and remind him they were safe in each other’s arms. He felt sorry for his half-brother, with no bride to warm his bed. If only Sylvan would retract that damn vow he’d made but Tranq Kindred took such things very seriously. It would have to be a matter of life and death before Sylvan would break his word, especially since he’d made the vow not just to himself but to the Mother of All Life.

  But Sylvan was shaking his head. “Not bad dreams, no. They’re just…strange. I don’t know what to think of them.”

  “Maybe you should go to the temple and ask a priestess to interpret them.” Baird took a sip of his drink.

  Sylvan’s normally pale cheeks went red. “No, I…I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’ll be fine anyway. They’re just dreams.” He shook himself and motioned for another drink. “So speaking of your bonding ceremony, where will it be held? Here or on Earth?”

  Baird frowned. “Olivia had her heart set on being married—uh, bonded—at the same religious landmark her parents used. But after the way her shuttle was taken by the Scourge the last time she tried to go to Earth, she’s agreed to have it here.”

  “You think she’s still in danger from the Scourge? But they let her go—it sounded to me like whoever they were looking for, Olivia wasn’t it.”

  “It sounded like that, sure. But I don’t know. They were looking for something—someone with some kind of a mark, from what Olivia told me. To fulfill that damn prophesy of theirs, whatever the hell it is. And you know the Scourge—they won’t stop looking until they find whatever or whoever it is they want.”

  “Either that or decimate the entire planet,” Sylvan said grimly.

  “Yeah.” Baird ran a hand through his wild black hair. “By the way, there is one way human custom mirrors our own. Their ceremony calls for someone to stand up with both the bride and her mate when they say their vows—just like ours does. Sophia is going to stand by Olivia’s side and I was hoping I could count on you to stand with me?”

  “Of course. You don’t even have to ask.” Sylvan nodded. “I’ll be honored to stand with you. But…” He frowned uneasily. “Will you… do you think you’ll be including the Luck Kiss in the ceremony?”

  Baird shook his head. “Don’t think so—that’s more of a Twin Moons thing, don’t you think? But why do you ask—would it bother you to have to kiss Sophia?”

  “Of course not,” Sylvan said a little too quickly. He looked down at his drink. “Sophia is a very…complicated female. But I’m sure we can bury our differences now that you and Olivia are so happy together.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’m sure I am. So tell me, is the entire ceremony going to be Earth-centric or will there be some Kindred customs as well?”

  “Olivia’s all for incorporating as much of both cultures as she can.” Baird sighed. “By the time she and Sophia are done we’ll be lucky if it doesn’t take all damn day just to make our heart-promises to each other.”

  “Both cultures, hmm? That ought to be interesting.”

  “Uh-huh. She wants to serve fresh live Grieza worms at the after-party. Gonna cost me a fortune.”

  “Grieza worms? I never would have thought Olivia would be interested in those.”

  “Apparently they taste like some kind of Earth delicacy that the females there crave. Some kind of brown gooey sweet stuff that melts in your mouth.”

  Sylvan frowned again. “Uh, forgive me but that doesn’t sound very good.”

  Baird shrugged. “Yeah, but you never can tell. Have you tried cheese yet? It comes from the most disgusting source but it tastes fuckin’ amazing.”

  “I’ll put it on my list of things to try then,” Sylvan said dryly. “And I’ll be sure not to ask where it comes from when I do.”

  “Yeah, and—” Baird broke off, grinning as he felt a little mental nudge at the back of his mind. “Hey, I think my bride wants me to come home. She and Sophia must be done picking out the flowering plant life for the ceremony.”

  Sylvan raised an eyebrow. “Plant life? You’re going to have plants in your bonding ceremony?”

  Baird nodded. “Plants are important and so is the cake—a huge sweet confection that we’re supposed to cut together. Then we feed each other pieces to symbolize…oh, hell, I don’t know what it’s supposed to symbolize. At this point it’s just whatever she wants. I really don’t care as long as she’s happy.”

  “Well, suit yourself.” Sylvan motioned at him. “You’d better not keep her waiting.”

  “I won’t.” Baird grinned and finished his drink. “See you later, Brother. Oh, and the ceremony is in one Earth month so be sure you get your formal uniform cleaned.”

  “So soon?” Sylvan seemed surprised.

  “Why wait? She’s already mine by our standards but Olivia wants to make it official by Earth traditions too. Who am I to deny her anything she wants?” Especially since what she wanted right now was for him to take her in the bathing pool. He could hear her thoughts humming just under the surface of his mind, making him eager to get back to her.

  “I’ll be there.” Sylvan smiled but Baird couldn’t help noticing the dark circles under his half brother’s ice blue eyes. He thought of asking about the strange dreams that were interrupting Sylvan’s sleep again and then thought better of it. His brother’s guarded Tranq nature wouldn’t let him reveal much and as a medic he could certainly treat himself. He’ll be all right, Baird told himself a touch uneasily. He just needs…But he wasn’t sure what Sylvan needed. Just then he heard Olivia’s mental voice in his brain again.

  “Hurry up, lover—what’s taking you so long?”

  “On my way, Lilenta.” With a final grin at Sylvan he strode from the bar and back toward the suite he now shared permanently with his bride. It was hard to believe that it had only been a little more than one standard Earth month since he’d first come to claim her. Back then he hadn’t been certain he would ever win her over. And now she was his—his forever and Baird never intended to let her go.

  Epilogue

  “I don’t understand why you let her go.” Xairn blinked his red on black eyes as he stared up at the AllFather who also happened to be his true father although the fact garnered him no special privileges or attention.

  “I know you do not understand which is why you will be an inferior ruler sssome day if you do not learn to pay attention.” The AllFather sighed and tapped his skeletal fingertips against the arm of his throne.

  Xairn frowned. “You said her memories might yield useful information.”

  “And so they did.” There was a hint of a smile on the skull-like face. “Did you really think I would let her go without ssscanning her most thoroughly?”

  “And what did you find?” Xairn crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You remember the prophesy of course?”

  Xairn repressed a sigh. His father often answered a question with a question but he tolerated no signs of impatience. “One of two, alike and yet different—the double fruit of a single womb from the third planet of a yellow sun. She shall be marked with a white star between her breasts,” he quoted. The words had been spoken by Mee’ah—the last living female of the Scourge race.

  “Exactly—the double fruit of a sssingle womb.” The AllFather rose from his throne and began to pace, his smoky robes leaving wisps of darkness in the air as he moved. “And what do you sssuppose I sssaw when I looked into her mind? Her twin livesss.