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“There isn’t going to be a next time,” Kat reminded him, frowning.

  “Oh?” Deliberately he raised his fingers to his mouth and, keeping his eyes fixed on hers, sucked her juices off with apparent relish. “We’ll see what Mother L’rin has to say about that.”

  Kat wanted to answer but a sudden weariness took her and she could only shake her head. Later, when I get more energy I’m really going to let him have it.

  I look forward to it, little Kat. Deep grinned at her mockingly. You have no idea how much.

  Chapter Seven

  “Kat’s all right—for now at least.” Baird was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his massive chest and a serious look on his face.

  “Oh, thank God!” Olivia turned from her husband to her sister. “Sophie, she’s all right.”

  “I heard. I’m right here, you know.” Half laughing, half crying, Sophie hugged her sister tightly.

  “Deep and Lock got her to Twin Moons just in time,” Baird continued. “Their healer…” He snapped his fingers. “What was her name?”

  “Mother L’rin,” Liv supplied for him.

  “Right. She did some kind of healing ceremony and now Kat’s resting. Lock called and told me a minute ago.”

  “I’m so glad.” Sophie felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She’d been feeling horribly guilty ever since they’d allowed Deep and Lock to take Kat away to Twin Moons with them. But she and Liv had both trusted Sylvan’s decision that it was the only way to save their friend. Kat still wasn’t going to be happy to wake up on a strange planet with her two least favorite people in the universe, but at least now they knew she was going to live.

  “When can we talk to her?” Olivia asked eagerly.

  Baird frowned. “Not for a couple of days according to Lock. She needs to rest. But that isn’t the only thing I came to tell you.” He cleared his throat. “Do you remember telling me about the sister of your mother, Lilenta? The one who died in childbirth?”

  “Yes, of course. Aunt Abby.” Liv frowned. “What about her?”

  “Well, I just came from the viewroom and you have a call—you and Sophia both, actually. It’s a woman claiming to be her—your kin. Do you want to speak to her?”

  “What?” Olivia demanded.

  “But that’s impossible,” Sophie protested.

  Baird shrugged. “Could be a hoax, I guess. But I don’t know why someone would want to pretend such a thing. And…” He hesitated. “Well, she looks an awful lot like you two in the face. Looks like blood kin to me.”

  To me too, Sylvan suddenly murmured inside Sophie’s head. His mental voice was serious. I’m in the viewroom now talking to her, Talana, he continued, using his pet name for Sophie. I think you and your sister should come see her.

  On our way, Sophie sent back. “Come on,” she said, hopping up and pulling Liv to her feet. “Let’s see what she has to say.”

  “All right.” Olivia still looked shocked but she followed Sophie out of the suite to the viewing room which was used mainly for long distance conversations. Hesitantly, they looked around the corner at the huge viewscreen mounted on the wall.

  Oh my God, Sylan was right! Sophie was shocked. The woman had black hair and light brown eyes but the face on the viewscreen could have been a slightly older version of hers and Liv’s. Or their mother’s.

  Olivia was obviously thinking along the same lines. “She looks just like Mom. Oh, Sophie.” She nearly crushed Sophie’s fingers with her grip.

  Sylvan, who had been standing in front of the viewscreen talking, motioned for them to come all the way into the room. “It’s all right, Talana, I believe she is who she says she is. Sophia, Olivia, meet your Aunt Abigail.”

  “Aunt Abby?” Sophie could hardly believe her eyes.

  “Yes, that’s me.” The woman nodded and for the first time, Sophie noticed that her lovely eyes, which were a brown so light they were almost amber, looked red from crying. “You must be Sophia and Olivia. I…I’m sorry we had to meet for the first time under these circumstances,” the woman continued.

  “What circumstances?” Olivia put a hand protectively over her belly. She was still in her first quadmester and wasn’t showing yet, but her mothering instincts were already in high gear.

  “Your husband didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell us what?” Liv frowned. “First tell us why you aren’t dead. No offense, but that’s what our mom told us before…before she passed away.”

  Aunt Abby closed her eyes for a moment as though holding back tears. “Yes, I heard about that. I can’t believe I never got to say goodbye to her. I always thought there would be time but I was afraid, so afraid she wouldn’t want me back in her life. And now it’s too late. She’s gone and Lauren is gone…I’ve lost everything. Everyone.”

  “What do you mean ‘she’s gone’ and ‘Lauren’s gone’? Lauren was our mom’s name,” Sophie protested.

  “And it was the name of my daughter too. The one who disappeared. Look.” She pressed a button and suddenly her face was replaced with the image of a lovely girl with creamy mocha skin and eyes the same amber color as Aunt Abby’s. The girl was laughing, her long silky black hair being whipped in the wind and the sun shining through palm trees behind her. She was wearing a pink striped bikini top and shading her eyes with one hand. There was something about the picture that bothered Sophie but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  “She’s beautiful,” Liv said when their aunt reappeared again. “She has your eyes.”

  “And her father’s skin,” Aunt Abby said grimly. “Which is why your grandparents decided to kick me out when they found out I was pregnant. I didn’t know they’d told your mom I was dead, though.”

  “They said you died having her—having Lauren.” Sophie spoke through numb lips. “Mom never liked to talk about it much. It made her too sad.”

  Aunt Abby shook her head. “Your grandfather paid me a great deal of money to sever all ties with my family. I took it and did well with it—I’m a wealthy woman now, for all the good it does me. I was carrying twins, you know, when I first got pregnant with her. And then I lost Lauren’s sister when I gave birth. But I told myself as long as I had Lauren…” Tears began to leak down her cheeks. “And I don’t even have her now. I don’t know where she is or even if she’s alive.”

  “Oh, Aunt Abby, I’m so sorry!” Sophie wished she could give the woman a hug. “What happened? Is there anything we can do to help?”

  “I hope so.” Their aunt wiped her eyes with a tissue. “I only tracked the two of you down a month or so ago. I was going to contact you first and see if you were interested in having some kind of relationship before I told Lauren. She always wanted to have more family.” She sniffed. “But I’m contacting you now for a different reason. I was hoping that since you’re both with the Kindred, maybe you might be able to help locate her in some way.”

  Sylvan and Baird had been standing quietly in the background but now Sylvan stepped forward. “Tell us about the circumstances of her disappearance and we’ll see what we can do.”

  “All right.” Aunt Abby sniffed again. “She disappeared from her shop almost a week ago. It’s the strangest thing—the police can’t find any blood or hair or fibers that might lead to the…to the attacker at all.” She cleared her throat, obviously forcing herself to continue. “In fact, there was nothing but a pile of clothes in the bathroom. But the way they were layered on top of each other, the clothes on the shoes… It wasn’t like she’d taken them off—more like she’d just…disappeared right out of them.”

  Sophie felt her breath catch in her throat and she saw Sylvan’s face tighten. The molecular transport beam. Could it be? “Aunt Abby,” she said. “Could…could you show us that picture of Lauren again?”

  “Of course.” Their aunt’s image disappeared to be replaced with the laughing picture of Lauren in the pink striped bikini top.

  “There,” Olivia said, striding up to the viewscreen and p