Revealed Read online

  Lauren looked pale. “Don’t say that, Kat. I was cloned you know. It wasn’t much fun.”

  “Sorry, hon.” Kat patted her knee. “I forgot all about that. But didn’t you say they were all—what did you call them—seed clones? Temporary?”

  “All but one.” Lauren shivered. “One of them was exactly like me. She even had my memories.” She shook her head. “I have nightmares about that sometimes—wondering what became of her. I just can’t imagine what it must have been like, being left behind in that awful place but feeling like she belonged back here. She must hate me just for being me.”

  “That’s so creepy.” Sophie made a face. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “Like what?” Liv asked. “You’ve already told us every single detail of Nadiah’s adventure on First World.” She sighed. “It’s so sad she can’t ever leave again.”

  “No, it’s Rast who can never leave,” Sophie corrected. “Not unless he wants to lose his wings.”

  “I know something you didn’t tell us,” Kat said. “What ever happened to Y’dex?”

  “She told us that,” Liv said. “He fell off the ledge when Rast jumped after Nadiah, right? So he must have gone kersplat all over the ground.” She put a hand to her mouth. “Oh God, how disgusting. I think just made myself sick.”

  “Actually, he didn’t splatter all over the ground,” Sophie said. “We never saw him hit bottom. Of course, everybody was watching Rast and Nadiah instead and it was awhile before we thought to look.”

  “So what happened to him?” Lauren asked. “Did you ever find the body?”

  Sophie shook her head. “Huh-uh. But Sylvan saw one of those huge black hunting birds they have on First World flying away with something in its beak. So it’s possible…”

  “That Y’dex ended up as bird chow,” Olivia said. “Yuck, now I really am going to be sick.”

  “Serves him right,” Kat said, frowning. “Going all the way to First World to try and break Rast and Nadiah up after he lost the challenge fair and square. How did he even get there?”

  “We don’t know,” Sophie admitted. “He said something about the Kindred not being the only ones who had interstellar travel abilities or something like that.” She frowned. “But according to Sylvan, it takes enormous amounts of power and really complicated technology to fold space—I don’t see how he could have done it and followed Nadiah from Tranq Prime all the way to First World in one of those little ships.”

  “He could have used wormholes,” Lauren pointed out. “Xairn did when he took me to get our DNA altered.”

  “Maybe so,” Sophie said thoughtfully. “I guess that would make sense. But then why would he brag about his ‘interstellar abilities?’”

  Kat snorted. “Honey, why does any man brag? He was probably trying to impress Nadiah. Not that she’d ever go back to him—the slime.”

  “Well, however he did it, I guess his secret died with him,” Lauren said.

  Sophie nodded. “I guess so. There’s no way anyone could have survived that fall.” She looked at Liv. “And now you have to fill me in on what’s been going on in the Mother Ship. All I’ve heard about so far are you and Lauren’s weird pregnancy cravings. There must be something else going on.”

  “There is,” Liv said, trying to sit up. Her belly was getting bigger by the day. “Ugh, in another two months I won’t be able to move, I swear,” she panted.

  “What’s the news, oh rotund one?” Kat asked, giving her a hand.

  “You’re going to pay for that remark once you finally do get preggers with twins,” Liv snapped. “But anyway, Elise Darden is awake and she and Merrick are really hitting it off.”

  “Oooh.” Sophie smiled. “That’s wonderful! But I thought he wasn’t supposed to be able to form bonds because he’s a hybrid?”

  “I thought so too,” Olivia said. “But something is definitely going on between them. He’ll hardly leave her side for a second—he even watches her while she sleeps. And it’s not a one way street, either—the minute she wakes up, she looks for him. If he’s not there—which is rare—she gets really upset. And here’s the thing—he knows she’s upset, even if he’s halfway across the ship. He can feel it and he comes running.”

  Kat frowned. “But that’s not possible without some kind of a bond. Are you sure they’re haven’t done the bonding sex hanky-panky in her hospital bed when you weren’t looking?”

  “Positive,” Liv said, frowning. “You know all the med station rooms are monitored. The point is—this type of connection between them shouldn’t be possible.”

  “What does Sylvan say about it?” Sophie asked.

  Liv shook her head. “Well I just told him last night when you guys came in. He seemed concerned but he said he’d have to do more research before he could address it.”

  “So that’s why he was reading that huge long medical paper about the ‘extended effects of stasis sickness’ into the wee hours last night,” Sophie exclaimed. “I could hardly get him to come to bed. I tell you, if we hadn’t had so much fun on the trip home, I would have been really upset.” She pointed a finger at Olivia. “Luckily for you, womb mate, I was too tired to care.”

  Liv held up her hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “Hey, just doing my job.” She frowned. “I’m just worried about Elise. Merrick can take care of himself but she’s been through so much.”

  “We all know how she feels,” Lauren said quietly. “You tell her if she needs someone to talk to about what she went through, we’re here for her.”

  “That’s sweet, cuz.” Liv smiled and reached across Kat to pat Lauren’s hand. “I’ll let her know. But to be honest, I think she just wants to forget.” She shivered. “Can’t say that I blame her.”

  Lauren nodded. “Well, if she wants to talk, my door’s open.”

  “I’ll let her know before she goes back down to Earth,” Olivia promised. “She’s healing remarkable quickly. I don’t know if it has to do with Merrick or not but she’s really bouncing back from her ordeal very well.”

  “Maybe she just has a good nurse.” Sophie leaned forward and gave her twin a quick hug. “The best.”

  “Aww…” Liv hugged her back. “You really mean that, womb-mate?”

  “Of course I do.” Sophie smiled.

  “Then…do you think you could make me a sandwich? Pretty please?” Liv begged. “The pickled seaweed is in the fridge and the ketchup’s on the counter.”

  “And on that note, I’m leaving,” Lauren said.

  “Why?” Kat grinned at her. “You need to get home and whip something up for dinner?”

  Instead of blushing and laughing, Lauren looked troubled. “Very funny, Kat. But you can stop teasing—there’s no whipping or spanking or handcuffing going on at my place at the moment.”

  “Oh no—that’s bad,” Liv exclaimed. “Is everything all right, Lauren?”

  Lauren sighed. “Well yes, and no. I’m super excited and happy to be pregnant but Xairn seems…conflicted. And ever since we got the pink flower, he won’t touch me. I think he’s afraid he’ll hurt the baby.”

  “What?” Kat shook her head. “Did you tell him she’s probably only the size of a lima bean right now?”

  “Yeah, send him over to Sylvan if you want,” Sophie said. “I’m sure he can explain.”

  “It’s not just that. It’s…” Lauren shook her head. “I’m not sure what it is. But I’m hoping it will all work itself out pretty soon.”

  “Well, you know you can talk to us anytime, right cuz?” Liv asked. “In fact…come here.” She reached across Kat to give her cousin a hug.

  “Help!” Kat exclaimed. “I’m being squished! Attack of the pregnant ladies.”

  “The very hormonal pregnant ladies,” Lauren said, sitting back and sniffing. “Why does being pregnant make you so emotional? I haven’t cried so much since I was a teenager.”

  “Hormones—they make you do crazy things.” Liv swiped at her eyes. “Like right now, I’m