Pursued(28)
“So you’ll dissolve the bond and go on with your life,” Olivia said reasonably.
“Whoa—wait a minute. Dissolve the bond?” Kat raised her eyebrows. “I thought that was impossible.”
“It is with most bonds, but ours is fake—artificially created.” The words seemed to stick in Elise’s throat but she forced them out anyway. “Doctor Sylvan—”
“That’s my hubby,” Sophie put in.
“Oh, well, he’s very nice.” Elise smiled at her.
“That reminds me,” Olivia interrupted. “Sophie, could you tell Sylvan to let Merrick know that Elise is with us?”
“Sure.” Sophie got a look of concentration on her face and then nodded at Elise. “Done. Go on, what did Sylvan say?”
“He said there’s a plant that grows on a place called Rageron—”
She was stopped by a gasp from the assembled group. “Really? Rageron?” Kat asked. “I mean, I know it’s one of the Kindred home worlds, but…”
“But what?” Elise demanded. “Please tell me—I need to know what to expect.”
“It’s just supposed to be kind of wild,” Lauren said delicately. “It’s a jungle world, from what I understand.”
“Wild and dangerous.” Kat frowned. “Are you sure you have to go there?”
“I don’t think we have any choice.” Elise shrugged. “I mean, we have to get the plant and that’s the only place it grows.”
"Why couldn't Baird go get it for you?" Olivia asked. "That's my husband—he's from Rageron originally so he should know his way around. I bet he could just nip down and get the plant and be back here in no time."
Elise shook her head. "It's nice of you to offer but Dr. Sylvan said it has to be plucked from the vine by the hand of the person who needs it. So Merrick and I are the only ones who can get it."
“Then we’ll have to get you an injection of translation bacteria,” Olivia said practically. “To help you understand what the natives are saying. And don’t be scared, Elise. According to Baird, Rageron is beautiful.”
“And I’m sure it can’t be any worse than Tranq Prime which is where Sylvan is from,” Sophie put in. “It’s a subzero tundra and the people have to live in underground caves called grottos.”
“Uh-huh.” Kat snorted. “And the only thing colder than the surface of the planet are the hearts of its inhabitants—right, Sophie?”
“They are pretty cold,” Sophie admitted. “When Nadiah told us all about what had happened to her there, I wasn’t surprised a bit.”
“Nadiah?” Elise frowned. “Who’s that?”
“Another friend,” Olivia said, smiling. “We were hoping she would wind up here on the Mother Ship with all of us but she’s stuck on First World instead—the original Kindred home planet.”
Sophie sighed. “I wonder how she’s doing? Last time I talked to her she and Rast were still angelically happy—no pun intended. But I certainly do miss her.”
“I miss her too,” Kat said smiling. “Freaky visions and all.”
“It’s true things weren’t dull with her around,” Lauren said. “Hey, Elise, would you like another cupcake?”
“Another?” Looking down at her empty cupcake wrapper, Elise realized she’d finished the enormous chocolate cupcake almost without noticing. “Oh my! I didn’t mean to eat the whole thing.”
Olivia laughed. “The famous last words around here! Only in my case, it’s ‘I didn’t mean to finish the whole plate.’” She helped herself to another cupcake, still laughing.
“Chocolate is therapeutic,” Kat lectured, taking a second cupcake herself. “So if you think of it that way—”
“Mistress Kat?” a new, masculine voice interrupted her.
“What?” Kat looked around, startled. “Where did that come from?”
“I think you have a call,” Lauren said.
“Oh, all right.” Kat got up and pressed a button on a black cube-like device. A blue holographic image of a Kindred warrior’s head suddenly expanded, hovering over the cube.
“I am communications officer Jarule. Pardon me for interrupting your female bonding,” the head said. “But I was told by Commander Sylvan this was where I might find the Earth female, Elise Darden.”
“Yes, I’m here.” Elise felt suddenly uneasy. “What can I do for you?”
“You have a call in the viewing room. An Earth male who is most distraught,” the warrior told her. “He says he is your fiancé and that you were kidnapped and taken aboard the Mother Ship. He demands to know what has become of you. Will you speak with him?”