Seeing with the Heart Read online

  He didn’t have any answers. He might as well ask himself why he’d insisted on carrying her across the road. It hadn’t really been all that busy and there was a clearly marked crosswalk and a lighted hand sign to tell when it was safe to cross. But he’d wanted the excuse to hold her close to his chest, to smell her sweet, fresh scent once more and feel her soft, curvy body pressed against his.

  You need to be careful, Braxx, he told himself. You’re becoming besotted with this Earth female and you know she isn’t for you. You think she’d have any interest at all if she could see your ugliness? The failure stamped right on your face? You think she’d want you if she knew what you’ve done?

  He was sure she wouldn’t—no female would want him, looking as he did.

  But she can’t see it, whispered a little voice in his head. So there’s no reason she should ever have to know.

  The thought was immensely appealing. The minute people saw him, they immediately made snap judgments, even if they tried not to. It couldn’t be helped—his scarred face spoke for him before he ever got a chance to speak for himself.

  But now, meeting someone who wouldn’t—who couldn’t—make those judgments, well… it was almost like having a fresh start on life. At least with that one person—with Molly. They could talk and get to know each other without pity or disgust or any preconceived notions blocking the way.

  Plus, she was fucking gorgeous…and sweet…and her scent…Gods, just being close enough to smell her made him hard.

  Braxx wasn’t willing to give that up yet. Who knew if he would ever find anyone like Molly again?

  But regardless of how I feel, I have to go with her, he told himself. Some of the Tal’ossi Deep Dwellers are very aggressive. She cannot go alone—I must protect her.

  Of course, the plan for her study was for Molly to stay on the surface of the planet with the Tal’ossi who called themselves the Top or Surface Dwellers. But what if she wished to travel to the subterranean depths as well? Someone had to be there with her, to defend her honor and keep her safe—that was all he wanted to do—just protect her.

  Braxx tried to believe that was all he wanted to do as the curve of the Earth’s moon grew in the viewscreen and the vast bulk of the Mothership came into view. He told himself he had offered to go with Molly purely out of concern for her safety.

  But he couldn’t quite make himself believe it.

  Chapter Four

  “Hi—you must be Doctor Reynaud. Welcome to the Mothership.” The light, feminine voice wasn’t exactly what Molly had expected when Braxx carefully lifted her down from the high door of the shuttle but she smiled readily all the same.

  “Hello,” she said, putting out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you…”

  “Oh, sorry! I’m Sophia, Commander Sylvan’s wife,” said the strange woman, taking her hand and shaking it. “He asked me to meet you because he’s running late. And this is my good friend, Kat.”

  “Hello,” said another voice which was slightly lower.

  Molly turned blindly towards it and held out her hand again. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

  “Oh—over here.” Kat had apparently moved to the left because her voice came from there now. She took Molly’s hand. “Are you seeing me okay? Did you forget your glasses or lose a contact lens or something?”

  “Doctor Reynaud is blind,” Braxx, who was standing behind her, growled. His voice had a low, menacing quality to it, as though he was daring either woman to make something of her disability.

  “Oh…” Sophia’s voice trailed off uncertainly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” Kat apologized as well.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Molly gave them a friendly smile. “Yes, I’m Dr. Reynaud, the Anthropologist and yes I’m blind. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

  Kat let out a surprised sounding laugh.

  “Of course it doesn’t! I like you, doll.” She sounded like she was smiling. “Why don’t you come with us to Sophie’s place?”

  “Sylvan will join us there,” Sophie said. “Here—will you take my arm?”

  “Mine too,” Kat said.

  Before she knew it, Molly was walking arm in arm between the two of them, chatting as if they’d all been friends forever. She had an open, frank, friendly personality herself and she recognized the same openness in the two Kindred wives. Braxx followed behind them silently—Molly thought she could feel him like a storm cloud at her back. For some reason he didn’t seem comfortable here on the Mothership—or maybe that was just her imagination.

  Sophia and Kat, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. They had apparently decided to give Molly a tour of the ship because they led her far from the echoing metal corridors and out into a much airier, open place which almost felt like it was outdoors.

  But that was impossible, wasn’t it? The Mothership was a space ship—albeit a huge one—so how could any part of it feel like the outdoors? Yet Molly could distinctly smell fresh scent in the air—what she thought of as a green, growing scent—like grass and flowers and trees and soil. Also, she was no longer standing on hard metal—the ground had a giving, springy feel beneath her feet. Did they have some kind of a garden in the middle of the Mothership?

  “So this is the common area right here,” Kat was saying. “It’s kind of a big park where families can come and picnic and play. Overhead is the green sun.”

  “The what?” Molly turned her face up towards the warmth she felt coming down from overhead.

  “It’s the Mothership’s power source—the way they can fold space to get from one part of the universe to another,” Sophia explained. “It’s really pretty amazing.”

  “It sounds amazing,” Molly admitted. She lifted her feet and set them down again carefully. “And the grass feels like it must be really soft.”

  “Actually, we’re right near the Sacred Grove where you’re supposed to remove your shoes,” Kat said. “Do you think we should take her in to meet one of the priestesses, Sophie?”

  “Oh yes—please do!” Molly exclaimed before the other girl could answer. “I’m sorry,” she added, slightly apologetic. “I just get really excited when it comes to learning about new cultures and their religions and I’ve always been curious about the Kindred.”

  “Well, you came to the right place, doll.” Kat sounded amused. “Come right over here—we can leave our shoes and go into the grove.”

  “All right—as long as you bring me back to my shoes again or I’ll never find them.” Molly slipped off her low heeled business shoes and held Sophia’s and Kat’s hands as they led her into a whispering corridor of leaves which brushed against her cheeks and tugged gently at her long hair as she passed.

  “This is the Sacred Grove.” Sophie’s voice was hushed and reverent. “It’s filled with green and purple trees and it’s where the Kindred priestesses commune with the Goddess.”

  “Do you believe in the Goddess?” Molly asked them frankly. “Did you two convert to your husbands’ religion after you were married?”

  “I believe in her because she’s real,” Sophie said firmly. “Not just because I ‘converted.’”

  “Sophie’s right—she’s a real person,” Kat assured Molly, squeezing her hand. “I know you’re probably trained as a scientist to be skeptical but believe me—she is.”

  Molly simply nodded politely, keeping her doubt to herself. She was trained to ask questions and observe, not to make judgments about another culture’s beliefs.

  “She does not believe.” A new voice—female and strong—suddenly rang out in front of them.

  Molly nearly tripped as Sophie and Kat came to an abrupt halt on either side of them.

  “It’s one of the priestesses,” Kat whispered in her ear. “Be respectful.”

  Molly wanted to ask for a verbal description of the priestess—she’d heard they had green hair and eyes which were also green, not just the irises but the whites of them as well. But there wasn’t time and besides, she didn’t want to a