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smelled the seared flesh, heard the moans of pain, and noted the abject terror in the eyes of the captured prisoners. But above all, the reeking odor of fish assaulted his senses. At the crematorium, the sight of the mangled bodies sickened him as he tore through the bloody pile. She hadn t been there. The knowledge had done little to ease his mind. Even if she had survived their attack, she couldn t have survived the storm. Jaret had found him there, his clothing stained with the blood of those lives they had stolen, hatred firmly implanted in his heart. They were fishermen! Nothing but fishermen. We were following orders. We killed a child, Jaret. A girl! Krys, if we d disobeyed, our bodies would be on that pile. That would be better than killing a child. Krys jerked awake, forcing his eyes open, mentally pushing the disturbing images from his guilt-ridden mind. He stood and started pacing in the cabin. He shook off the guilt, as he d learned to do. Yet, he knew, that feeling of shame was why he was still alive. It was all that he had left. These past years, he d clung to it, his mind haunted by the need for exoneration. That was the only reason he d put up with running guns for the Tahn Rorians. Krys knew it was the same for Jaret. Every time they helped a group of rebels fight, they were making amends. file:///D|/Pub%20Folders/NCP%20Publishing/Text%20an%20HTML%20bks/AnnaleeBlysse%20StarlitDestiny%20NCP.htm[2/5/2009 4:21:20 PM] Starlit Destiny I m sorry, Dena said, her voice barely audible. I didn t mean to upset you. He snapped around, staring at her. You didn t. I did. She bit her lower lip, avoided looking him in the eye. And I am sorry. Krys was concerned at the sadness she felt. It would turn to anger if she knew the truth. No, Dena, you didn t... Oh, but I did. She stared at him for a long time. I sense images and feelings, and though I hear words ... it s not the same as reading minds. Sometimes I pass what I m feeling to others. But I didn t mean to make you dream about that night. He stared at Dena: her starlit hair, her sapphire-kissed eyes rimmed by long dark lashes, the delicately molded features of her siren s face, her shapely petite form. How could she have known of that night? What do you mean, that night ? Her shoulders were shaking. The night my father died. The night of the first invasion. I saw it. Krys closed his eyes, refocused all his will on the simple act of continuing to breathe. What do you mean, you saw it? That s impossible. I was there. How could you have been? The whole fleet-- he paused, holding back. She was being honest with him, sharing information she was probably bound not to share. But he couldn t bring himself to reciprocate. Like you said, the whole fleet was destroyed. You don t have to believe me. I m only sharing this with you because I ve upset you. Please don t talk of it. Not to anyone. I won t, he said. Believe me, I won t. Yet a seed of doubt began to germinate, a vine of hope winding its way through his heart. If you were there, you would have been killed. You couldn t have survived. It was the first vision I d had. It was very strong. I was there, but you re right, I wasn t there, she said, looking into his eyes in concern. And neither were you, so you should not feel guilty over something you had no control over. It wasn t your fault. Of course it was his fault. But nonetheless, Krys latched onto her heartfelt words, and let her chip away some of the hatred he had relied on for so many years. She wouldn t be saying that it wasn t his fault, not if she knew his true involvement. But for now, those words were enough. Out of the corner of his eye Krys noticed shining green and blue swirls of colored light. The rays fanned out from behind an uprising off to the left. The strange light reminded him of another one of his recurring dreams, a much more pleasant dream, of the mermaid sea goddess on Old Earth, Jurate. The eerie glow grew brighter on the horizon, calling him. Orange and red swirling patterns, increasing their tempo, reached out and enveloped the Jurate. Tremors of energy flowed through him, reaching into his very core. The light over there. We need to head in that direction. What light? Where? she asked. Don t tell me you don t see it? This is your planet. Dena looked disturbed by his statement, but said nothing. Move over, Krys said, rather abruptly. Then he added, Please. file:///D|/Pub%20Folders/NCP%20Publishing/Text%20an%20HTML%20bks/AnnaleeBlysse%20StarlitDestiny%20NCP.htm[2/5/2009 4:21:20 PM] Starlit Destiny She quickly exchanged seats. He engaged the throttle and instantaneously covered the distance. When they rounded an upwelling on the ocean floor Dena gasped. Alyk aa! The strange line of coincidence hit him like a supernova. There before him, lying in a long since submerged valley was the amber castle he had seen in his dreams. The time-worn building looked like it should be sitting on a moor in Old Earth s ancient England. Instead, it sat in the center of a small city made of stone buildings, most of which were rubble. There were a few differences from his dreams. Most of the palace was constructed of huge gems in a variety of colors that looked as if someone had polished them yesterday. Multi-colored light filtered through the walls. It wasn t just [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |