Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130947 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 436(@300wpm)
But when they reached the vast docking bay where she’d first realized what had happened, Baird gave her a long, tight hug and then stepped back. “Good bye, Lilenta.”
“No!” She clutched at his arm. “You have to come with me—you can’t stay here.”
“One of us has to.” He cupped her cheek gently. “Even if it was possible to get away with half the Scourge forces on our tail, a warrior honors his commitments. I swore to abide by the rules of krik-ka`re.”
“You shouldn’t have come.” Liv could feel the tears welling in her eyes though she tried to blink them back. “You shouldn’t have traded yourself for me. Not after what I did.”
“You didn’t know that using the Think-me would break our contract. And even if you did, I still would have come.”
“But why?”
“Because I love you, Lilenta. There is no life for me without you.” He leaned down to kiss her one more time and Liv felt the familiar flare of heat at the brush of his mouth against hers. “Don’t forget me.”
“Never.” She spoke the promise through numb lips and then Sylvan was there at her elbow, leading her away to a waiting shuttle.
“Take care of her, Brother. I charge you with her well being. See her safely back to Earth.” Baird gave his brother a significant look.
“I’ll see to Olivia—you take care of yourself. I’ll be back for you in three days. Just three days,” Sylvan told him. “Stay strong, Brother.”
Baird lifted his chin defiantly. “I will.”
“This is all very touching but the magnetic field has been disabled already for your female’s departure. It will not remain inactive forever.” Xairn nodded at the shuttle.
Baird nodded briefly. “I’m ready. Do your worst.”
“Baird, no!” Liv felt like someone was ripping her heart out of her chest. She tried to run back to him but Sylvan’s grip on her arm was unbreakable.
“Come, Olivia,” he murmured, tugging her toward the shuttle. “We have very little time. Don’t let Baird’s sacrifice be in vain.”
“But…but I don’t want him to sacrifice himself for me.” She was beginning to cry now, unable to help herself. “Please, I don’t want this.”
“But he wants it,” Sylvan said gently. “He needs it. Needs to assure himself of your safety. You must be brave for him—stay strong as he is doing for you.”
Olivia looked over her shoulder at Baird again as Sylvan folded her gently into shuttle’s the cockpit. He was standing straight and tall, his shoulders thrown back, his eyes blazing. There was no reluctance or fear in his posture, no regret in his stance. Only strength and determination. And love. He’s doing this because he loves me. Even though I resisted him. Even though I never… “Oh God, I never told him I loved him! Sylvan, please—please, I have to go back.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late.” Sylvan nodded at the guards who were leading Baird away. “We need to get out of here, Olivia. The Scourge have a twisted kind of honor but I wouldn’t want to trust it too far. If I fail to get you safely back to Earth, Baird’s sacrifice will have been for nothing.”
“Fine.” Liv blotted her eyes on the sleeve of Baird’s shirt, inhaling his warm, spicy scent and trying not to cry again. “But I’m not going back to Earth.”
Sylvan raised his eyebrows. “Oh? And where do you think you’re going?”
“Back with you—to the ship.”
“But you can’t—”
“I can and I will.” Baird was gone now, his broad back and shoulders disappearing into the gloom of the Scourge ship. Liv tore her eyes from where he had been and looked back at Sylvan. “I heard what they said—this krick-krack thing—”
“Krik-ka`re.”
“Right, whatever. Anyway, it only lasts three days and afterwards Baird is coming home. I want to be there to meet him when he does.”
“Olivia…” Sylvan’s tone was quiet and gentle. “What comes back to us will look like Baird but it won’t really be him. It will be a shell—empty…broken.”
“If he’s broken then I’ll fix him.” Liv crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
“You can’t.” Sylvan’s normally impassive blue eyes were sad as he piloted the ship up and out to the air lock. “No one can.”
“Well I’ve got to try, at least!” Liv burst out. “Look, Sylvan—I’ve been a complete idiot up until now and it took having that…that thing rifling through my head to make me see clearly. I used my family and my career as an excuse—as a shield—because I was afraid.” She looked down at her hands—only her fingertips were visible past the long sleeves of the crimson uniform shirt. “I…I love Baird and I think I have for a long time. I just wouldn’t let myself see it until…” She shook her head, unable to say what they were both doubtless thinking. Until it was too late.