Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Nate and Lan’ara were kneeling in the Sacred Grove—a place in the middle of the Mother Ship that looked like an enchanted forest out of a Disney Movie—at least to Nate’s eyes. There was lush green and purple grass underfoot and all the trees had green and purple leaves.
After landing in the Docking Bay of the huge ship, Nate had scarcely had time to greet his old friends, Oliver and Simon, before Lan’ara had taken him to the Sacred Grove.
“I can’t bear to put this off any longer,” she’d said and Nate had thought she looked like she might cry. “We must go and get our Bond severed.”
Nate had wanted to ask her why and beg her not to, but he understood where she was coming from. He was a danger to her—both emotionally and physically. So though they were incredibly attracted to each other, he would have to give her up. Though God knew he didn’t want to.
But now the Kindred priest, who was the only male Kindred Nate had seen on the whole huge ship so far, was saying that wasn’t true. He was saying…what was he saying?
“Wait a minute!” Nate exclaimed. “Are you saying we should stay together?”
“Do you want to stay together?” The priest cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Hell yes, I want to stay together with Lan’ara—I’m fucking in love with her!”
The minute the words left his lips, Nate knew they were true. He’d started falling for Lan’ara from that first moment he’d opened his eyes and found himself floating in the milky blue waters of the Outermost Lake with her lovely face looking down into his. And his feelings had grown exponentially in the days to follow. But still, he was wary of being with her.
“I hurt her though,” he admitted, looking at Lan’ara, whose eyes were also filled with hope. “I mean, not just with my emotions—though those are hard for her to stand too. But also, I, uh, blacked out several times and choked her!”
It was hard to admit and he saw the grave look on the priest’s face when he finally got it out.
“He didn’t mean to do it, though!” Lan’ara said quickly. “He was triggered by different noises or situations and it drew him back to his violent past. He thought I was the enemy—the Scourge!”
“I will look into you again—more deeply this time,” the priest said to Nate. “Brace yourself.”
It was good advice and Nate clenched his jaw as he felt the Kindred priest place a hand on his head…and then enter his mind for the second time since they’d knelt before him. The feeling was like having someone wander through your mind like it was a library and they were looking for just the right book to check out. He felt the priest pulling out various volumes, searching for the truth.
And then the wandering fingers found an especially sensitive area.
“Hmm,” came a voice in his brain. “I believe I see the problem—there is a wound here which is almost but not quite fully healed.”
“What…what can you do about it?” Nate asked through gritted teeth. Having the Kindred priest in his mind wasn’t nearly as bad as having the AllFather there, back when he’d been captured, but it was still damned uncomfortable! It made him feel incredibly vulnerable and exposed.
“Yes, the AllFather—he is the source of the wound. Without his interference you would not have experienced the breaks in your consciousness,” the priest informed him. “Your experiences with him have given you what the humans call PTSD—Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But what is broken, may be healed with the help of the Goddess,” he added.
Nate realized that the last words had been spoken aloud and that he no longer felt an alien presence in his head. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the priest who towered above them both, since he and Lan’ara were still kneeling in the grass.
“I saw the break in his mind and I also noted that you made a good start in healing him,” the priest said, speaking to Lan’ara.
“I gave him my Healing Nectar,” she admitted in a low voice. “But though it helped some, I am still drained by Nate’s negative emotions.”
“That is because his healing is incomplete,” the priest told her. “But if the two of you wish it, you can complete the healing—at a cost.”
“Of course we wish it!” Lan’ara said quickly.
“But what’s the cost?” Nate demanded. “I don’t want Lan’ara to have to make the nectar for me again—giving it to me last time damn near killed her!”
“No more Healing Nectar is required,” the priest assured him. “The two of you must simply go on with your Claiming period—but you must move slowly. The more good feelings you generate through physical intimacy, the more Lan’ara will be able to build a barrier that can protect her from your negative emotions.” He looked at Lan’ara. “I saw the beginning of such a barrier when I looked into your minds—can you not feel it?”