Part 6 (1/2)

Chapter Seven

Sevan stared up at the electromagnetically charged village fencing system. ”With the amount of panic that wells up at the very mention of this Stegian's name and from the sight of what lengths they go to in order to keep him out, I'm beginning to think he's fifty feet tall.”

”At least,” Jordan said, arching a brow as he tossed a rock towards the fence. It bounced back hard and fast, nearly taking Jordan's head with it as it went. Nina appeared behind him and caught it with one had so effortlessly that both Sevan and Jordan's jaws dropped.

She smiled. ”Careful, boys, it would be most unpleasant to find you decapitated by your own hands.”

”See,” Jordan adjusted his navy blue, off-duty, s.h.i.+rt collar, ”told you she cared.”

Nina laughed. ”If caring means I will have to spend my evening gathering outsiders' heads off the ground before a child can wake to find them, then yes, I do care.”

Unable to hold his laughter in, Sevan let it loose as he watched his brother do his best to play off the obvious blow to his ego. Nina walked up to them slowly, eyeing Sevan in a way that left him unsure if she was about to turn on him as well.

”You never made it to the quarters that were arranged for you, Captain.”

”Uh,” he murmured, drawing a blank instead of an explanation. Somehow, he didn't think she'd want to hear that he'd spent the night bunked with Lorelei, holding her in his arms and making love to her again and again as he had in his dreams.

”Want to tell us about this Stegian guy?”

”Not particularly.” Her lack of emotion took him by surprise.

Sevan s.h.i.+fted awkwardly at first before deciding he had a right to know. ”Excuse me but after the report I received about someone sabotaging repair efforts on my s.h.i.+p and the encounter with the were creature yesterday, I think circ.u.mstances warrant us being informed about the situation, in full.”

Nina drew in her lower lip, an action he'd seen Lorelei do in many dreams. ”I see. So, I take it that you believe it was one of our people that tampered with your vessel?”

”I can a.s.sure you that it wasn't one of my own.” As Sevan said it, he wasn't sure he believed it. If what they had told him was correct and Stegian really did have the power to control men's minds then it could very well have been one of his own. The thought left him slightly chilled.

Nina merely smiled, not appearing offended in any way by his comment. ”Captain, how well do you know your people's history?”

Jordan snickered and Sevan shot him a nasty look. He shut-up. ”Well enough. Why?”

”Do you know of Project Exorcism?” she asked, arching a dark brow as she ran her fingers over a set of blue markings on her forearm. For a split second, Sevan was positive that they began to glow. It was gone so fast that he wasn't positive it was his mind playing tricks on him or not.

Jordan cleared his throat. ”What does Earth's removal of supernatural beings have to do with Stegian? Of all the vessels sent out containing paranormal payloads, only one survived.”

A horrible thought occurred to Sevan. He gasped, not wanting to believe it to be true. ”No, brother. Only one made it to the predetermined destination. The rest were presumed lost-destroyed by the meteoroid shower.”

Nina nodded. ”I see that you're a fast thinker, Captain.”

”Are you telling us that Stegian escaped from one of the vessels before it was torn apart?” Jordan asked, stealing the question from Sevan's lips.

”No,” she let out a soft laugh, ”no escape pods were necessary. The vessel made an unauthorized, emergency landing just outside of our village almost a hundred and fifty years ago.”

”Nina.”

Sevan looked behind him to find Christian standing there, his blond hair tied back at the base of his neck and wearing only a pair of dark brown pants. He locked gazes with Nina and the look he gave her was anything but friendly. ”The man you a.s.signed to do morning systems checks has not completed them or reported in. I sent Pheebes to look into the matter.”

”Hey, Chieftain,” Sevan said, not caring how sarcastic he came across. ”How's your day so far? Anything evil take your mind over and try to make you hurt my wife?”

Nina and Christian both stared at him with wide eyes. It was Nina who finally spoke. ”Your wife?”

Jordan tipped his head, looking past Nina and smiled as he locked eyes with Sevan. ”Smooth way to let them know.”

”Let us know what?” Christian asked, his already deep voice suddenly sounding even lower.

”Jacquelyn!”

Sevan glanced around and did his best to figure out what was going on. They'd all mentioned Jacquelyn several times since he'd arrived but he had yet to meet her. In an instant, a young girl, no more than twelve appeared before him. She was so close that part of her should have brushed up against him or even pushed him back. It didn't. No.

The girl before him, with a head of long black hair and bright blue eyes, seemed to go through him. ”What the...?”

She giggled. ”It's nice to finally meet you, Brother-in-law.”

”Brother-in-law?” Christian asked. ”So, it is true?”

The young girl nodded. ”Yes. The ritual was completed yesterday. The prophecy is coming true, Christian.”

”Umm, anyone want to tell me why my hand is going through her?”

”Her name is Jacquelyn.” Nina took a small step forward. ”She is the youngest of the Janelles.”

”She's your sister?” Jordan asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Nina snorted. ”While sharing your mother's womb did you allow the Captain to soak up all of the fluids necessary for natural thought?”

”No. Why?”

Sevan couldn't help but laugh. ”Jordan, I think she was making a joke.”

”Oh, I knew that.”

Jacquelyn giggled again, this time disappearing quickly. Sevan felt around the spot she'd been in, finding nothing to prove anyone at all had been there.

”The place is haunted,” Jordan said, softly.

”No, not haunted. Come quickly I'll show you to Jacquelyn,” Nina said, appearing less than pleased with the entire arrangement. She quickened her pace and they were forced into a slight jog to keep up with her.

They followed, but didn't say a word. Long, gray corridors began to run into one another, leaving Sevan unsure where one stopped and another began. For a brief moment he was positive that they'd walked in circles but when Nina stopped outside of a large red door, she looked back at him nervously. ”This, gentlemen is my sister, Jacquelyn.”

Nina put her hand on the door panel. It slid open quickly. Sevan stopped and grabbed hold of the wall for support when he saw the ma.s.s of tubes, and medical equipment hooked into the tiny frame on the bed. It was barely recognizable as human. Had he not seen the tiny girl standing before him only moments earlier he would not have a.s.sociated such a beautiful, radiant young child with what lay before him.

”What ... what happened to her?” Sevan asked, moving forward slowly and reaching out to touch the white sheet that covered her tiny body. The compulsion to prove that it wasn't the young girl was great. The need to know that Lorelei hadn't suffered a blow as big as what lay in the bed was greater. It was her baby sister there. The thought of that ripped at Sevan's gut.

Nina touched his hand and shook her head. ”She says that it hurts when people touch her.”

Puzzled, he shook his head. ”How did she project her image outside?” Nina glanced around at the machines that filled the room. ”Christian built this all after we found her ... umm ...