asked as he smiled, feeling the happiness coming through their bond as Gwarnon nodded.
“I believe so, but it was very confusing. She was in a room surrounded with a clutter of strange furnishings and objects.”
“Like a warehouse? Perhaps she is a merchant,” Chel said as a bit of excitement fizzled through him.
“I wish I could say for sure. It would make our search easier if we knew where to focus our efforts. So far, during my travels, I have felt no sign of her. Only in my dreams.”
“She is real. Our dreams are true,” Chel said as he gave his blood brother a tight squeeze. “Do not give up hope. We will find her, and when we do, we will make her the happiest Matriarch that Kadothia has ever seen.”
Gwarnon let out a soft, tortured sound. “I want to believe. I do believe, but—”
Knowing Gwarnon’s demons, Chel placed his hand over his mate’s soft lips. “Hush. These are all things we can worry about tomorrow. Now, we need to get our sleep while we can. Nosa and Cormac will no doubt sleep very little. They’ll be awake and demanding our help all too soon.”
“Do you think I did the right thing by telling them?” Gwarnon asked softly. “I fear that I have endangered their future on Kadothia by taking them to the Baladium with us.”
“Lord Rell approved it,” Chel reminded him. “And he had good reasoning. Both Nosa and Cormac can feel their bride. They can help guide us to her if all else fails.”
“This is true.” Gwarnon went silent, his long fingers stroking through Chel’s deep brown hair, soothing him. “Sleep, my brother. Nothing will harm you while I am near.”
Chel’s eyes closed as he placed a kiss on Gwarnon’s barrel chest. He prayed hard as he waited for sleep to claim him that somehow their actions would bring them one step closer to finding their own bride.
The next day, Chel held out a box for Gwarnon, aware of an agitated Nosa and Cormac standing nearby, but ignored them for now. “Here are the implants. I did the best I could, but they should work. Female human minds are resistant to our technology until they have been changed by a Kadothian male. Once they have transitioned, it is much easier for them to use the implants, but many still request alternative forms of learning. If too much data is forced at once, it can burn out portions of their brains.”
“Are you sure these are safe?” Cormac gestured to the box in Gwarnon’s hands.
Offense prickled at his spine, his already high anxiety making his pride easily tweaked. “I worked extensively with my Matriarch, Lady Casey Westfall, on improving the crystals ability to function with the human mind. I can assure you, Lady Westfall would never endanger her sister’s life by sending an implant she was unsure about. Lord Lorn and Lord Nast oversaw my work as well. I have done my utmost to make the process as painless as possible.”
Chel’s temper eased somewhat as Nosa gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you.”
Turning his attention back to Gwarnon, Chel held back a chuckle. His blood brother was dressed as his Smuggler Prince persona, a flamboyant style that his normally subdued and minimalist mate abhorred. Chel had to admit, Gwarnon didn’t look like himself. Dressed in a pair of skintight lizard leather red pants, a billowing white shimmer silk shirt that was opened at the throat, and a garishly loud red cape that matched his pants, he was so bright he made Chel’s eyes hurt. Gwarnon had also dyed his black hair white and used a few subtle facial prosthetics to change it just enough to fool, without looking fake. A few rings of untold worth glittered on his fingers, and he’d applied the black eyeliner that was currently in fashion in the region he was pretending to be from.
Leaning forward, he touched his forehead to Gwarnon’s and whispered, “Lord of Life be with you.”
After Gwarnon left to meet with the Earth women, Chel, Nosa, and Cormac all sat around the strategy table, each anxious and staring at one another.
Deciding to break the tension, he smiled and said, “My name is Chel. I’m in service to Lady Casey Westfall. My Lady wished me to ‘give you both a hug for her,’ but I shall refrain and pass on her well wishes instead. She is quite irritated, because she is being forced to stay on Kadothia while we rescue her sister. By irritated,