Divided Read online

  “I do not understand.”

  No, and I can’t make you understand. Not without sounding crazy! Becca thought of the strange vision she’d had of Mother Superior, of the promise she had made and the threat that had been given if she didn’t keep that promise. How else could she save her men than by distancing herself from them? What else could she do but break the bond?

  “This is hard enough without you making it any harder,” she told the priestess. “Now are you going to help me or do I have to call Nadiah myself? Isn’t she like your Mother Superior or boss or something?”

  The priestess drew herself up to a regal height—not difficult since all Kindred women were extremely tall.

  “She is my superior and the head of our order but each priestess is charged with hearing the Goddess with her own heart. I will not agree to break this bond for you until I have looked into you.”

  “What does that even mean?” Becca demanded but the priestess was already taking her face in two large, cold hands and staring into her eyes.

  Suddenly there was a sensation of someone prying through her memories, looking through her thoughts as though they were thumbing casually through a file folder.

  “Hey!” Becca protested—or tried to, anyway. But she seemed frozen to the spot—unable to speak or move until the priestess finished.

  “Hmmm.” The priestess sounded concerned. “I see much…but much is also hidden.” She released Becca’s face and frowned at her. “How are you concealing yourself from me?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Becca said. “I’m not doing anything on purpose.”

  Now that the priestess was out of her head all she could think about was how violated she felt. Having a strange Kindred woman page though her memories was almost worse than having the Mother Superior watch her have sex with Truth and Far. Almost.

  “I saw the events that drew the three of you together,” the priestess said. “Most notably I saw that you were able to rescue both of your males from the demons which have invaded our ship.”

  “Yes…” Becca nodded.

  “Even then the beginning of your bond was strong. You were meant to serve as a bridge between these two—to bring together and heal that which was sundered by their separation at birth.”

  “And I did that,” Becca said. “Their Twin bond is strong and complete now because of me. I did as the Goddess asked.”

  “Not quite.” The priestess frowned. “The demonic threat from the Black Planet still hangs over this ship—it has not yet been resolved.”

  “But it will be soon! Right now Truth is bringing the truthonium amulet to Sylvan and the Council. They’ll be able to get rid of the demon parasites and restore the unmated males to their true selves almost immediately.”

  “Nonetheless, until everything has been settled I will not break the bond.” The priestess frowned at her. “You will thank me for this later. It is only the partial bond that you share with your males that is keeping one of them from death and the other from ruination.”

  “Are you talking about the demon who said he would wait and get Truth later? Shouldn’t he have gone into the Unmated Males area by now? Look, never mind,” Becca went on before the priestess could answer. “If you won’t help me, fine—I’ll get someone who will.”

  “No one aboard this ship will, I can assure you of that.” The priestess glared at her. “And you may call on our High Priestess if you wish but a bond can only be broken in person and Nadiah is bound to First World.”

  Becca felt frustrated enough to shout but somehow she kept her voice under control.

  “All right,” she said tightly. “Thank you for your time.”

  She turned on her heel and left the Sacred Grove, stopping just long enough to grab her shoes. Even if she couldn’t get the bond broken, she could still keep her promise.

  She had to leave the Mother Ship—to get away from here and go back to Earth right now.

  Chapter Forty-two

  “Hello, Commander Sylvan. Come in.” Truth stepped aside, ushering the other male into the suite he now shared with Far.

  “Hello, Truth. How is your twin?” Sylvan asked, stepping into the living area.

  Truth looked away. “The same. Maybe a little worse.”

  “I see. I’m very sorry.” Sylvan sighed.

  Truth noticed he was holding a familiar looking metal box in his hands.

  “Why have you brought the Orthanxian amulet? You didn’t touch it, did you?”

  “Only once, by accident.” Sylvan shivered. “It was…not a pleasant experience. Direct contact with it seems to invoke some rather strange hallucinations. I actually thought I saw my father and he has been dead for years now.”

  “I saw some very odd things as well when I held it in my hand.” Truth frowned. “So, have you made the antidote as Vashtar instructed?”

  “We have…” Sylvan cleared his throat.

  “And?” Truth asked.

  “And it didn’t work.” Sylvan shrugged. “We’ve tried everything it seems—dipping the amulet in water for longer or shorter times, using other mediums to convey its power such as oil or various chemicals…” He shook his head. “Nothing works.”

  “You tried it on the unmated males?” Truth asked.

  Sylvan nodded. “We did. Since they are all sedated, we risked taking down the shield barrier for a moment to bring a possessed male out. We did everything you said—we had the chunk of shadow stone waiting to receive the hostile spirit and we doused the male liberally with the amulet water.”

  “And?” Truth asked again.

  “He woke up and grabbed a hostage—a nurse who happened to be near in the med center, where we were attempting the experiment.”

  “Seven Hells,” Truth muttered.

  “Exactly.” Sylvan looked grim. “Luckily, Xairn, the Scourge warrior who lives among us, happened to be there because his mate Lauren had just given birth in the next room. He stepped up behind the unmated male and got him by the neck in a choke hold before the demon within could do any mischief to the nurse.”

  “Was he forced to kill the male?” Truth asked.

  Sylvan shook his head. “No. He merely cut off the air supply until the host body went limp. We re-sedated him and put him back in the Unmated Males area.”

  “I do not know what to tell you,” Truth said. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “This is most unexpected. I thought when Rebecca left so unexpectedly that at least we had done something right—that we had found the cure our brethren so desperately need.” He bowed his head. “Apologies, Commander. It seems I have failed you.”

  “Not just you, Brother.” Far suddenly appeared in the doorway which led to the sleeping area. The light twin looked indescribably weary—he couldn’t even stand upright, Truth noted—he was leaning against the doorframe for support.

  “Far! You shouldn’t be out of bed!” Truth rushed to him and put an arm around his shoulder, supporting his twin.

  “Sorry but I heard what you and Commander Sylvan were saying.” Far nodded tiredly at Sylvan. “Hello, Commander.”

  “Hello, Far.” Sylvan gave them an appraising look. “I must say I’m surprised to see the two of you so…close. When you left for Orthanx, it seemed you had no wish for any kind of fraternal relationship.”

  “Becca changed us—she helped the Twin bond grow,” Far said.

  “And then she left.” Truth scowled. “Without even bidding us farewell.”

  “She saw you die, Brother—or thought she did,” Far said. “And she saw me on the brink of death as well. You know her history—it must have been too much for her to bear.”

  “She could have at least let us know where she was going and why. We only know she left the Mother Ship because I asked the Transport Commander and he verified that she’d taken a shuttle back to Earth.”

  “Still…” Far sighed and a look of pain crossed his features. Truth felt it through their bond as well—a dull ache that centered