Page 10 of Badari Medic

Stepping into the grassy enclosure she was overwhelmed by a feeling of peace and she walked to the center where there was a boulder shaped like a bench where she sat. Although she’d never been to the goddess’s grove at the original lab where Aydarr and the others had been created, she was sure this place was meant to be a miniature version. Fancifully she imagined the Wanderer bringing seeds from that grove to start his trees here. Aydarr and his men had built a stone circle deep in the forest of Sanctuary Valley to serve as an approximation of the grove, which was in enemy territory. She’d been to the stone circle for various ceremonies and found it awe inspiring but this soul deep ease she’d been gifted with tonight was special. Different. For her alone.

Raeblin closed her eyes and prayed again to the Great Mother to allow Brent to live. Then she rose and took a few steps toward the dwelling, intent on checking on him.

“It’s been a long time since I was called to this place,” said a voice behind her, light and musical.

Pivoting with a gasp, Raeblin saw a woman seated on the stone bench where she’d just been. The new arrival was dressed in filmy white draperies shot through with gold and silver threads which glinted in the cold moonlight. Her hair was long and flowing and her face was in shadow, although the gleam of her eyes stood out.

Raeblin fell to her knees. “Thank you for directing me to this sanctuary. I wouldn’t have found it without your intervention to show me the trail sign.”

“The Wanderer, as you know him would have been happy to provide this shelter for you and your wounded companion.” The goddess fell silent for a moment. “The only thing he ever wanted, ever asked me for, was freedom for his brothers. Of course he didn’t know he had sisters as well.” Her laugh was delightful to Raeblin’s ears.

“Please, will you allow the transfusion to take hold, to give Brent his life?” Raeblin had no idea how long the goddess would remain and rushed her words.

“Do you know why I’m so strict about this commandment of mine?” The Great Mother raised one hand to prevent Raeblin from venturing a guess. “Because if it was known how magical Badari blood is, what miracles it can produce, there are those who would hunt down every single member of the packs, to use them for their own purposes. The Khagrish are evil and depraved, yes, but they aren’t the only such species in the galaxy.”

“Secrets can only be kept for so long,” Raeblin said. “Someone will guess, someone will talk, but it won’t be Brent. He has too much honor.”

“Indeed secrets do have a way of revealing themselves eventually but not now. The Badari are in a precarious position and will be even if the packs ultimately prevail over the Khagrish. Aydarr needs more time—a great deal more time—to solidify his gains here and to be able to protect his people. The secret must remain within the packs.” She raised one finger now, to forestall whatever protest Raeblin was going to make. “As to Brent, I agree he’s an honorable human.”

With a flicker of hope in her heart, Raeblin said, “I love him—he’s my mate, whether he ever agrees or not. I’ll take any punishment for my transgression if he’s allowed to live.”

“What if I offered his life in exchange for yours then?” The goddess leaned forward and Raeblin gasped as her face became more visible. To see the Great Mother’s face clearly was to be close to death.

Straightening her spine, Raeblin said, “If my life is the price, I’ll pay it gladly.” Swallowing hard, she added, “He wouldn’t even be on this mission except for me. It’s my fault he’s lying in there in pain and close to death.”

Sitting back, face again in the shadows, the goddess shook her head. “He’s a soldier, girl. It’s what they do and he knew the risks. He accepts the risks every time he goes out, not merely because you were his to guard this time. Beware of taking on too much unwarranted guilt.” There was silence and Raeblin waited with her heart pounding. She was afraid to ask again. The Great Mother sighed. “He is your fated mate but whether he’ll accept the bond isn’t up to me or you. It’s up to him. But he is worthy of your love and of claiming you and a place in the packs or I wouldn’t have made your paths cross. I’m not acrueldeity. Such is never my intent—I present possibilities and then it’s up to the Badari to make choices. The future shifts in accordance, you know.”

“I—I want him in my future, if possible.”

Raeblin felt as if she was being hugged, a warm, happy sensation of closeness and caring. The goddess had disappeared but her voice lingered.

“I grant your wish. The man will live and the Alphas will know you have my permission, nay, you didn’t wait for that, did you? You have my forgiveness, which none may question.”

A wind shivered through the trees, which moved and rubbed against each other with an eerie creaking sound. Raeblin gotto her feet and ran inside the shelter, rushing to the bedside. She’d barely wrapped her fingers around Brent’s before his eyes flickered open. He stared at the ceiling and then turned his head with an effort to see her.

“Sweetheart?” His voice was weak but tears came to her eyes.

Blinking them away, she asked, “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been stunned, knifed, crash landed and got too close to an explosion, all in one damn day.” His grin was an echo of its usual cocky self. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, now you’re awake.”

“I’d ask where the seven hells we are but as long as it’s not a Khagrish lab, I’m too fucking tired to care.” He squeezed her fingers and closed his eyes again.

“We’re safe for now,” she said, hoping he could hear her. There was another faint squeezing of her hand and then his fingers relaxed. She didn’t panic, able to hear his steady breathing and the strong beat of his heart with her Badari ears, now her hearing had returned after the earlier blast.

Hardly daring to breathe she lifted the diagnosis sensor and ran it over Brent’s body, relaxing a little with every beep and each result which showed closer to normal. His body was healing itself all right, not as rapidly as a Badari might have but better than a human’s could have done. She whispered a prayer of thanks to the goddess and then fetched the blanket from her pack, laying it over him gently. He needed sleep to support the healing process. A Badari hurt this badly would have been in a comalike state for a few hours so she was grateful he’d been able to speak to her.

Her stomach rumbled and she squared her shoulders. Brent was going to need food too and not dry survival rations, if indeed there were any in the Wanderer’s stasis keepers. He needed hot soup or broth, protein, fluids…she’d have to go and hunt. Raeblin hated the idea of leaving their safe place andleaving him alone, even if he was recovering, but food was a priority now. Delaying the decision to leave, she walked to the few bins where the green tabs glowed and searched through them. The Wanderer had done his pilfering well for she found ready to heat meals which satisfied her requirements for Brent, not to mention herself. She wolfed down two packets of a meat with sauce and pasta, barely waiting for them to cool down after the rapid cooking process. There were various nutrition drinks in the functioning bins as well and she drank one, chasing it with stream water.

Then she finally tended to herself, taking a bath as best she could in the small stream and rinsing her hair, to get the twigs, dirt and leaves out after all the adventures she’d gone through the preceding day. One of the active stasis keepers had contained clothing so she dressed in utility pants, rolling up the cuffs and a black tee shirt, relishing the small luxury of clean fabric against her skin. Tomorrow she’d help Brent bathe and change clothes, or give him space if he was up to doing it himself.

Raeblin tried not to get her hopes up too much about how fast or how completely he’d heal. A Badari would be at full strength by dawn but Brent had been close to death and it had taken her blood time to affect the mechanisms of his body and start reversing the damage. Exhaustion swept over her, now she had a full stomach and she went to the bed, eyeing it. The Wanderer had obviously been a full grown Badari male because the bed was easily big enough to hold her and Brent so she climbed in, working hard not to jostle or wake him. Taking a corner of the blanket for herself, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep with ease, praying she wouldn’t have nightmares about anything she’d been through since the mission went bad back at the lab.

She wokeas daylight filtered into the room from the glade outside, to find her head pillowed on Brent’s shoulder and his arm around her. He was smiling at her and his heartbeat under her ear was normal. Strong, reassuring. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“Like I was twenty,” he replied, turning so he could face her. He touched her face with his knuckles, stroking her cheek softly. “I’m guessing I owe you a lot and I have two questions but there’s something I want to do first.”

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