Page 2 of Rescued

“Oh? What do you mean?” Sylvan asked.

“I’ve been watching her—I finally found her yesterday on the PORTAL,” Davrik explained. “But I saw her being sold—the Scourge have decimated the Earth in that universe and killed and enslaved many of the humans. They have no use for the women, since most of their warriors are sexless monstrosities grown in the Flesh Vats. So they sell the human females to slavers—I saw Sonya being sold and sent away on a Saurian slaver ship.” He gripped his fists so tight the knuckles turned white. “Commander, I have to get to her!”

“I can understand how upsetting seeing that must be,” Sylvan said gravely. “And I think I know a little about the universe you’re speaking of. If I’m correct, it’s the same universe that Commander Nox, the Dark Kindred, visited not long ago when he and the human female who is now his mate went to retrieve the second half of the Far Box.”

“You know about it? What do you know?” Davrik asked eagerly. “Any information I can find on it would be helpful!”

“Well, to start with, it is the only universe where the Kindred didn’t come in time to save the Earth from the Scourge, when they first came to threaten it,” Commander Sylvan said. “But Commander Nox called for the Kindred Mother Ship—which does exist in that universe as well—and from what I understand, they were going to wage war on the Scourge to free the Earth from their grip. Whether they have succeeded or not yet, I do not know.”

“It didn’t look like it from what I saw,’ Davrik said, frowning. “Why else would the Scourge still be able to sell off the human females to Saurian slavers?”

Sylvan shook his head.

“I don’t know. If the Scourge already have a significant foothold on the Earth, evicting them could be difficult—even for the Kindred of that universe. And speaking of them…”

He paused for a long moment until Davrik made an impatient gesture.

“Go on—please! What about the Kindred there? Are they dark and heartless like the Cru’ell Ones were?”

The Cru’ell Kindred lived in a universe where the Kindred race had been created by a dark, vengeful God instead of a benevolent Goddess. Before they had come into contact with the Kindred of Davrik and Sylvan’s universe, they had been cruel to the females they took instead of cherishing them as the Goddess intended.

But Commander Sylvan shook his head.

“No—they are not heartless or cruel. In the universe you propose to travel to, the Kindred are almost all female.”

“What?” Davrik stared at him blankly. “I don’t understand.”

Sylvan ran a hand through his spiky blond hair.

“Instead of being ninety-five percent male, the Kindred there are ninety-five percent female. Indeed, Commander Nox informed me that he met my own counterpart there—a female warrior by the name of ‘Sylvania.’” He shook his head, looking bemused. “I have to confess, I can’t imagine myself as a female, but apparently my counterpart there was most helpful to Commander Nox. Maybe she would be helpful to you as well.”

Davrik jumped up from his seat so suddenly it fell over with a clatter.

“Does that mean you’ll lend me the Far Box and let me search for my Sonya?”

“Yes.” Sylvan nodded. “I will. There must be something special about this universe—something that makes it unique from all the other universes in the Multiverse.”

Davrik knew what made it unique—his beloved Sonya was there, alive and well. Or she had been when he saw her being forced aboard the Saurian Slave Ship that morning. He had to get to her and save her before it was too late!

“Thank you, Commander Sylvan,” he said hoarsely, fighting the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. His eyes stung and he blinked back tears. The thought of seeing his beloved again after five long years of agony and separation was overwhelming.

“Meet me at the Docking Bay,” Sylvan said, nodding gravely. “I’ll go get the Far Box out of the secured storage and bring it to you there. I know you’re eager to get started.”

Davrik thanked him again—in fact, he already had his ship packed and loaded with everything he might need. He was grateful that his Commanding Officer understood how vital time was in this case.

Sylvan rose and held out his arm for a warrior’s clasp. Davrik took it and squeezed hard in appreciation.

“Thank you,” he said once more.

“I pray that the Goddess will grant you success,” Sylvan told him. “Now go—I’ll meet you in the Bay.”

Davrik nodded and hurried out of his CO’s office. As he made his way down the long metal corridors of the Kindred Mother Ship, his mind was a whirl.

Of course, he knew the human female he was going to find in the other universe wasn’t his Sonya. She didn’t have the same life experiences which had shaped his mate—in fact, her life had been considerably worse since the Kindred hadn’t been there to save her from being enslaved by the Scourge. She probably wouldn’t trust Davrik and she certainly wouldn’t know him. Even after he found her, it would take time to establish trust and build a relationship.

Davrik knew all that…and he didn’t care. He just wanted to see his baby girl and hold her in his arms again…and this time he vowed he would never let her go.

TWO

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