I Dated a Secret Weapon, page 7
Riithan frowned. “Your blood takes action?”
“Yes. I am not sure how it works, but I imagine it like a rat. A rat on your torso is uncomfortable and distracting; a rat inside your torso is devastating. Like an acid injection.” She saw his eyes flare with understanding.
“I see. Well, my parents would like your siblings and their children and partners registered with the stronghold.”
Kyda felt the relief of pressure. “That’s up to them. I know that Ados already put me on your books.”
“We will want you to remain here.”
“No.” She looked at him calmly. “I am going back to Nandy’s house.”
“Well, I am sorry to do this.”
She saw the black strike and felt the puncture in her arm. Riithan stood and looked at her blood gleaming on the stinger, and then his tail disappeared.
“Laksi, can you split my dress up the back.” She held back and heard the rip of fabric a moment before she was wearing Riithan’s tail and looking out through his eyes.
Ylara was next to Riithan, and she exhaled slowly. “He’s just shocky, and his ass is better than I thought it would be without the tail.”
Angry eyes opened. “Really, Ylara?”
“What? It does most of the heavy lifting for your backside. She just told you she was the blood witch. Why would you stab her?”
He sat up, and she supported him. “Instinct.”
Ylara muttered, “Is your butt cold?”
He grunted. “Shut up.”
She laughed. “You are going to be yourself again as soon as Kyda figures it out.”
Kyda looked up at the gleaming blue stinger that was swaying over her. “So, not permanent?”
Kyda’s toddler niece walked up to her. “Think of what your butt used to look like and how the cut on your arm is healed.”
Kyda focused on those two images, and her spine felt lighter, and then there was a draft. She opened her eyes, and Riithan was back to normal. “Oh, there you go.”
She grabbed her dress in the back, and her manufacturing talent began to fix the rip. The dress was fixed in two minutes.
Riithan cleared his throat. “I apologize for that. It was very disconcerting.”
She looked at him and dropped the hem of her dress. “I am sure that you were a little messed up. I had five feet of tail sprouting out of my spine. And the spike felt really stabby.”
The little girl held her hand. “You will get the hang of it, Auntie Kyda. You just have to get your blood on their skin, and you can use their activation.”
Kyda smiled, turned to walk away from Riithan, and was face to collarbone with Ados. He looked at the fading mark on her arm and at Riithan. Thunderclouds and lighting took the place of his body. He lunged, and the two alphas disappeared.
Kyda exhaled. “Oh, boy.”
Chapter Seven
Aluhara’s daughters had scattered, and Syrn had agreed to leave Laksiana in place. Kyda was in high-security custody in the depths of the stronghold. Laksiana was sitting outside her door.
“So, Kyda, this is unexpected.”
Kyda sighed and pressed her hands to her forehead. “Yeah, but now that we are all here, it’s nice that my head isn’t splitting. So, that’s nice.”
“So, why did they put you down here?”
Kyda chuckled. “Two things. One was the assault on Riithan after he stabbed my shoulder and I took his pointy away, and the second was that I am technically engaged to Ados, so his attack on the royal family was my attack on the royal family. So, down here I went.”
“Well, I am here in solidarity, so you aren’t alone, little sis.”
“So, what happened to you?”
“Ah. Well, my sister and I were the primary guardians of Prothuda. We fought side by side for years, and then the government decided that we needed matches, so they brought out the guys that were candidates for the positions, and Korrel latched onto one of my guys. The one that I had chosen just based on looks, in fact. We were called out on a mission, and he was there. He held me while she put an incendiary device under my skin. Under my ribs actually. She laughed and said farewell, then my ex-chosen mate and she blasted away at high speed.”
“What did you do?”
“What would you do?”
“Rip a hole in my skin and pull the device out.”
“Right. It went off in my hand.” Laksi chuckled. “We were close to the Sarathoan border, and Syrn was the one who found me. He stabilized me and got me to Aksalla. No one back home knew that I survived. I hear there is even a memorial to me. I am sure it is very touching.”
Kyda smiled. “Do you think you will visit?”
“Oh, yeah. I am going to head there and pull her spine out back to front. I have to get the power back though. I am still too feeble.” She grumped. “I have a way to go. A few more months.”
“Can’t healers help?”
“Oh, no. It bounces right off. My sister was the only one who could get through my skin, and we had to do a lot of gene therapy for that.” She snorted.
“Why?”
“So she could phase through me if absolutely necessary. That was the original explanation. I am pretty sure that it was a stopgap measure in case my power drove me insane. Turns out, I wasn’t the craziest sister.”
Kyda chuckled. “I am pretty sure that, in this group, you are neck and neck.”
Laksi laughed. “I know. I feel so comfortable here. So, do you think that the stronghold is going to try and get a lock on our other sisters?”
“Oh, yeah. We all have power, a lot of power. They want to keep it in the mix.”
“It doesn’t hurt that we are all in the omega category.”
Kyda paused. “We are?”
“Yeah. You haven’t ever had a heat?”
“No. I worked around coffee, and there was a lot of hissing and steam. No one commented, and I didn’t really pay attention to it.”
Laksi laughed. “Coffee? Yeah, that would do it. Since your activation has kept you in kind of a static situation, it is likely that it hasn’t ever kicked in because you couldn’t act on it.”
“How old are you, Laksi?”
“Twenty-five. My guess is that I was the last embryo sent off before you were started.”
“Embryo?”
“Yeah, the Uraddans exposed each one of the eggs to a different represented city. Ones with strong active traits.”
“We were already Sethir...”
“So, they started us from all around the world, and yet, we all still are obviously Aluhara’s children.” Laksi grinned. “How was it growing up with a brother?”
“He’s great. Helpful, attentive, and always willing to break some heads.” She chuckled. “He was also willing to let me try to keep a life of my own.”
“How long do you think the Sethir will keep you down here?”
“I think Ados might have to grovel for kidnapping the crown prince. Or until their scientists take me apart.”
Laksi chuckled. “That isn’t going to happen. Don’t worry about it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Laksi laughed. “I am a cocky bugger. So, when can we start swapping wardrobes? I have some stuff in mine that would look adorable on you.”
Kyda laughed. “I didn’t notice it at first, but you are a good five inches taller than I am.”
“So? I saw you using a manufacturing skill. Taking things in is no problem.”
“I thought you had been in a tank?”
“Yeah, well, I can still shop.” Laksi laughed.
Kyda smiled. “You are fun.”
“I have dealt with a lot of stuff since I gained my activity. People all need the chance to rise or fall under their own control that we can give them.”
She laughed softly and heard footfalls in the hall.
She couldn’t see through the grating in the door, but Laksi said, “Hello, Riithan. Is that a black eye you are sporting?”
Prince Riithan growled. “You are chipper for someone so helpless.”
“I am feeble, not helpless. I can fix the first with time.” Laksi chuckled.
The door to the cell opened, and Riithan stood in the doorway. “Miss Kyda, please, come with me. Ados has apologized to my family.”
“Hoo-fucking-ray.” Kyda sat on the bench and glared at him.
“I am sorry you were locked up, but they were worried.”
“Congratulations on having guys twice my size and weight afraid of little ol’ me.” Kyda swung her feet.
He sighed. “It was to keep you here in case your companions decided to liberate you.”
“Well, yay for them.” She waited.
“I am here to ask you to join us for dinner and your remaining sibling as well.”
Kyda looked at him. “That’s nice.”
His tail waved. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Come on.”
“Well, you didn’t ask.”
Laksi snorted a laugh. “Kyda, come on out.”
Kyda got up and walked toward Riithan. He stepped back, and Laksi muttered, “Watch where you are pointing that thing.”
He sighed and eased back before Kyda left the cell. “This is quite the shit show of the day.”
“You are telling me. We were having such a nice time until you stabbed me.”
He sighed. “I am sorry about that.”
Kyda reached back and took Laksi’s hand. They walked back up to the throne room, and Ados was standing there while Aluhara and Hedoreth were next to him.
Riithan went to Ylara’s side, and Kyda walked up to Ados and just put her head against his chest. His arms came around her, and she sighed. “You just had to punch him and teleport.”
He stroked her back. “Sorry. The guards were getting ready to snag you because you took his power. I distracted them.”
“I didn’t take it; he gave it to me.” She chuckled. “This dress is going to be trashed.”
“I want to keep it,” he rumbled in her ear.
“That’s a little odd.”
“Oh, I am very odd.” His hand rubbed her spine.
“You seemed so normal as a patron.”
“I was on my best behaviour.” He stroked her back again. “You were so sweet; I didn’t want to scare you.”
She looked up at him. “Food was mentioned?”
He grinned. “It was. It is a way of declaring peace between all parties. We sit, we eat, we talk. You meet my parents, and my parents and yours discuss formalizing the engagement.”
“I thought it was ratified and stuff without me being there.”
He kept an arm around her waist as they filed along with Laksiana, Riithan, and Ylara.
The room had low tables with cushions, and each table sat eight. Laksi was a few steps ahead when she shrieked, “Teddie!”
A woman in a bodysuit and swirling cloak turned toward her. “Laksi, I thought I was going nuts when you appeared again.”
The woman walked toward Laksi, but Kyda’s sister bolted toward her and hugged her. They were there for a moment, and then Laksi drew back in shock. “Holy shit.”
Laksi’s gaze went down to her friend’s midriff. Teddie snorted. “It was an error in judgment, and he is long gone.”
“Did you kill him?”
Teddie laughed. “No. He finished a project and left.”
“Looks like he finished two. Oh, come meet one of my sisters.”
Teddie grinned. “Sister?”
“Yeah, I have five sisters and one brother. Want to meet my youngest sister?”
“Of course.”
Kyda grinned at the woman who walked up. She was very tall for a female, nearly six feet tall, and her abdomen wasn’t visible under the folds of the cloak.
Kyda grinned. “Any friend of my sister’s is a friend in my book. I am a barista by trade myself.” She shook Teddie’s hand, and then they looked around. “Aw shit. They came back.”
Ados murmured, “They didn’t go far. They followed the royal family and yelled at them until I brought Riithan back. Then, they yelled to get you released from the holding cell while Laksi kept you company. Surprisingly, they didn’t hurt anyone.”
Kyda smiled. “I could have broken out of the cell, but I am starting a relationship with my mother’s people and didn’t want to cause a fuss. I am guessing they felt the same. We don’t want to upset our parent on the first day of contact.”
Ados chuckled. “We are being requested to sit at the royal table with your parent and my parents.”
Kyda looked at the table that could accommodate twelve. “Can Laksi and her friend sit with us?”
Teddie grinned. “If there is food involved, I will go anywhere right now.”
Ados introduced himself, and she beamed, her skin glowing with health. He escorted them to the table, and once the royals settled, the rest of the table filled quickly. Staff came around, and hands were washed.
Kyda was sitting next to Laksi, and Teddie was on the other side of the sibling.
The royals were at the head of the table, and Riithan and Ylara were seated across from Ados and Kyda. The rest of the seats were parents.
Kyda had been trained to eat with her fingers, so when Ados served her, she chuckled. “I think your mom just inhaled her throat.”
He smiled. “She’s just surprised because I know I have a reputation for being a bit of a bastard with a temper.”
Kyda looked at him. “Really? You are only ever nice to me.”
“You relax me. Just being around you relaxes me. Now, eat.” He nudged her with his elbow.
She grinned, started taking bits of rice and roasted meat pinched in her fingers, and ate slowly. Laksi was trying, and Teddie was managing gracefully. She stopped one of the servers and spoke softly. The person grinned and produced a spork.
Teddie handed Laksi the spork, and the woman groaned, covered her eyes as the table laughed, and then Laksi shrugged and started eating while her friend kept her plate loaded.
Kyda leaned around and asked Teddie, “Practicing?”
Teddie snorted, and the Sethir all perked up.
“No, Laksiana is always hopeless at feeding herself. She drops half her food at the best of times. We used to have to get special ration packs for her so that everything was heavily wrapped or had a straw.”
Teddie continued to eat swiftly and gracefully.
Riithan finally asked, “So, where did you learn to eat in this way?”
Teddie paused, “Oh. My ex. We ate this way once a week. He did the cooking.”
“Is he the father?”
“He was the inseminator and was gone two days later without any word. So, not a father.”
The men around the table were shocked. Teddie laughed. “I don’t mind, but this is my baby. He can fuck himself up the ass with a frozen rope.”
The women smiled, and the guys looked concerned. Teddie raised her head. “I never said I was going to do it. That isn’t my activation.”
The ladies burst out laughing.
Ylara asked, “Did he break your heart?”
Teddie laughed. “Uh, no. My bed was in danger, but my heart was fine.”
The mated women laughed, leaving Kyda and Laksi just to blink. Kyda glanced at Ados and said, “Don’t even think about it. Nandy would beat your ass for having my bedroom drop through the floor.”
He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her cheek. “We’ll finish the guesthouse.”
She covered her face with one hand, gathered food with the other, and crammed her fingers against his lips. He opened and sucked on her fingers before she yanked them away.
She glared at him and wiped her fingers on her napkin.
He chuckled after he chewed and swallowed. “Interesting mix.”
Teddie was getting a lot of questions, but Kyda listened to the one she was most interested in.
“So, Teddie, do you know why he left?”
She finished her plate. “Yeah. His family had arranged an engagement for him. And, poof, he was gone.”
Riithan asked, “What nationality was he?”
She laughed. “I came here to see my buddy and do some shopping so that the little one could have something from his father’s homeland.”
Riithan froze, but Ylara grinned. “Told ya.”
Kyda sat there as Teddie was pelted with questions about her ex, and Teddie explained that she wouldn’t keep him if he was dipped in gold and carried her around on a cushion.
Riithan’s father turned to his aide and said, “Make a list of all operatives that were asked to return five to seven months ago. Someone in research and development.”
Kyda laughed when Teddie shouted, “That’s cheating. I don’t want him!”
Laksi was snorting and wheezing with laughter, spork in hand.
All in all, it was definitely a meal that calmed everyone down.
“So, what is Laksi’s activation? Do you know?” Ados softly asked when the music began and soft singing drifted through the room.
“Not a clue. I just know she’s pretty powerful when she’s whole.” She leaned against him like she used to at the picnics.
“Does Teddie know?”
“Without a doubt.” Kyda chuckled.
“Why don’t you ask her?”
“She’s busy with Laksi and the siblings.” She started to straighten, and he wrapped an arm around her.
“It can wait.”
Riithan was talking to Teddie, and she was scowling harder with every sentence. Her expression turned to one of fury. Her voice got louder. “No, I don’t want to see him. He raped me and left me to bleed to death! I am sorry I wasn’t more transparent, but we were having fucking dinner!”
The room went silent.
The teenager gasped, and the three-year-old started wailing and clung to her mother. The Sethir were horribly still.
Teddie looked around and massaged her forehead. “Right. Laksi, glad to see you are doing well. Great family. I am getting out of here. Call me if you need company out in the big world.”
She flicked her hand, and the window opened. Teddie took three steps, and her wings hummed to life. Dragonfly wings. She lifted off the floor and was out the window in a heartbeat.
