Dacron. “She is alive, not dead by Dracula’s hand?”
“Alive as far as we know.”
“But the mark is black.” Dominick’s voice was low, tinged with anger.
“I am aware of that.”
“The bond mark, the impossible bond mark, is black.”
“I believe you mentioned that already. I agreed. The bond mark, the mark our people haven’t seen in far longer than I care to remember, is black.” Dacron’s face was bland and his voice controlled as he answered Dominick.
Sinith broke in at that moment. “Someone want to tell me what this mark is and what it being black is suppose to mean?”
Dacron started to explain but before he could Dominick’s eyes began to glow and his fangs extended. “Here, on this planet? Do you mean to tell me the Calians are here?”
Dacron glared at him before shifting his attention back to Sinith. “The story goes back several millenia to the time before the Coalition’s Great War.”
As Dacron explained to Sinith what he had explained to Dracula and the others Dominick turned his glare toward Dracula. “You have some explaining to do.” He whispered to his brother.
“Just wait. He hasn’t gotten to the best part yet.” Dracula whispered back.
The telling took less time since Dacron had gone over what he would say but it was still half an hour before he was done telling Sinith about the Calians and the damage they had done to the race, to multiple races.
When he was finished he leaned back in his chair and waited. It didn’t take long.
“Do you mean to tell me that thrice damned race is here?”
“No. I mean to ask you another question but before you answer you need to understand something. Or remember something from our history. When the heart bond calls, what choice do you have?”
“Look, we can talk about the mark on Dracula’s back later. Right now I want to know if the Calians are on this planet?”
“Another question then. If you chanced upon someone and the heart bond flared to life, what would you give to make that bond happen?”
“Dammit, Dacron, drop it. I told you I don’t care, at this moment, about the bond evidence on my brother’s back. I want to know. Are. The. Calians. On. This. Planet?”
Instead of answering Dacron stood up and removed his shirt. Turning he showed his back to the room.
For a long moment silence hung heavy in the room. Dominick was the first to break it.
“What have you done?”
“I believe I asked you a question first. What would you do?” Dacron asked as he pulled his shirt on again and turned to face the others.
Dominick looked at the floor before looking up at Dacron. His stare was one of a man haunted by memories. That the memories weren’t all his didn’t matter. “Anything.” He finally answered. “I would do anything to wear such a bond upon my body.”
“And what would you do if it was someone others wanted dead?”
Dominick swallowed hard before looking around the room. Sinith was the only one of the three who came with him without a look of utter shock on his face. “A Calian? You could forgive what they took from you?”
Dacron gave a small shake of his head. “She didn’t take anything from me.”
“You want to die?” Grenton asked?
“No. I want to live. But I can’t unless you, all of you, can help me.”
“You can’t go home again. Not if, you can’t stay bonded to her.” Genton told him.
“I know. Yet she is the air I breath. Her breath is a caress.”
“So the stories are true. No, I guess that was a stupid question. I see the black line, she isn’t your first. You have felt the heart bond before. What happened?”
Dominick snorted. “A twice be damned Calian, both times. Seriously Dacron, you couldn’t find one of ours?”
“My heart never called to one of ours. I don’t even know if this means others hearts will start to call.”
“Better tell us what happened so we can decide what to do.” Dominick’s voice sounded weary as he pushed himself back in the chair and rubbed his face.
By the time Dacron was finished Dominick was swearing again, this time the others joined him.
“A fucking princess? You couldn’t bond to a commoner this time either? What is it with you and the royal family?” He drew a deep breath. “So you want me, us,” He gestured to the others, “You want us to help you hide your mate and destroy her race from the inside?”
Dacron tilted his head, “Sort of. I know