Return of the Ascendant (The Ascendant Series)

  Sem’s comment about the number of Shelvaks that could possibly travel on one ship had been running through his mind, as well. His cousin had a point…one that troubled him. Because the only logical answer was that the Shelvaks had more than one ship.

  There were more questions than answers. All he could do now was figure out how to get them all safely transitioned and hope they didn’t encounter any further trouble.

  Almost an hour after leaving the warehouse, they pulled up to a modest home in a quiet residential area. The porch light was on, as was a light inside the house.

  “Is there someone inside the dwelling?” he asked.

  “No,” Kyr said. “The family room light is on a timer.”

  “All right. Stay in the car with Sem. I will ensure the home is clear before we enter.”

  Not waiting for a response, he opened the door and got out. He heard the vehicle’s doors lock and knew Sem had secured it. Walking along the exterior of the house, he drew on all of his senses to try and detect any danger. He looked in windows, explored every shadow, breathed in deeply to ensure the night air carried no malice. By the time he circled back to the car, he was convinced there were no enemies waiting for them.

  Giving Sem a nod, he waited until his cousin told Kyr they could exit the car. When they did, Sem started to pull Kyr to him to lift her up, but she gave him a snippy response and walked on her own. The stress was clearly getting to her.

  “Do you have a key?” he asked her when she joined him on the front porch.

  “Oh, sure,” she said. “I keep it stuffed in my underwear.”

  His gaze lowered along her body as though he could figure out where the key was.

  “She’s being sarcastic, dumbass,” Sem said. “She doesn’t have a key.”

  Ty glanced sharply at him.

  “Sorry,” Sem grumbled. “Dem-Shyr.”

  He made the title sound like a curse word. Ty would deal with the insolence another time. They had to get inside the house and find the second locator.

  “The lock on the dining room window is broken,” Kyr said, keeping her voice down. “It’s also on the side of the house, so we’re less likely to be seen. Most people are in bed right now, but our neighbors aren’t known for minding their own business.”

  Ty had seen the room in question during his surveillance and started around the house with Kyr and Sem in tow. Reaching the window, he placed his palms against the glass and pushed up. It took a few wiggles to break the seal, but eventually the pane lifted.

  He climbed in first, helping Kyr in after him. Sem came in last and closed the window behind him. Flipping the light switch and looking around, Ty tried to identify any logical hiding places. His gaze passed over a wall containing pictures of Kyr at different stages of her life. All of the earlier ones had been manufactured to maintain the training scenario. There were some that had definitely been taken in the last two years, however. She looked genuinely happy in all of them.

  Pushing aside his feelings about that, he pulled a device out of his pocket and looked at her. “I have a portable scanner that will help us find the locator, but it can only process small areas at one time and it must be close to the locator to sense it. We should start with the most likely places first. The locator would be hidden somewhere safe. Do you have any idea where your Kyndred might have stored it?”

  “I’m guessing their room. It’s this way.”

  “No,” he said when she tried to move past him. “I always lead the way.”

  She sighed. “Fine. Into the hallway and to the right. Second door on the left.”

  Nodding, he stepped carefully into the hall. He verified it was clear before moving on to the room in question, turning on lights as he went. The doors along the hallway were open, so he spotted a bedroom that probably belonged to Kyr on his left before he reached the bedroom shared by her Kyndred. He knew her favorite color was purple, and that bedroom had been decorated in several different shades of the color.

  Her Kyndreds’ bedroom, however, was more sedate. Warm neutral tones accented with touches of earthy reds and oranges made the rich wood of the furniture stand out. He gave the room a thorough security check before returning to the task at hand.

  “Do they have a safe?” Sem asked Kyr.

  “Yes, a small one. In the closet.”

  Sem moved in the direction she pointed. Ty started to do the same, but Kyr grabbed his arm. He paused and looked down at her.

  She cleared her throat and avoided his gaze. “I have to use the bathroom.”

  “All right.”

  He tossed the scanner to Sem and started walking back out to the hallway.

  “The master bath is right—” she began.

  “That room has a window, making it insecure. You will use the other bathroom we passed.”

  She heaved another sigh, but made no further comment. When they reached the bathroom, he searched the small space and then waved her inside.

  “I don’t suppose I could take a quick shower?” she asked.

  She sounded weary and forlorn. Although he wished he could respond otherwise, he said, “There isn’t time right now.”

  Nodding, she closed the door, leaving it unlocked when he instructed her to. She was holding up well, he thought, under the circumstances. The fact that she was filthy and tired would have made the Kyr of years past pitch a fit. Now, she just seemed resigned.

  After a moment, he heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink start running. She took an exceedingly long time to wash her hands. Just when he was about to open the door to check on her, she stepped out. He noticed that her face, throat, and arms were now free of the Shelvak dust and realized that she had done at least a little cleaning.

  Not commenting on the extra time she had taken, he took her arm and guided her back to the bedroom. Sem had moved on from the closet to the drawers. Catching Ty’s eye, he shook his head. Nothing so far.

  They used the scanner to systematically search the house, coming up empty.

  “Is there another place it could be hidden?” Ty asked.

  Kyr rubbed her eyes as though trying to ease her exhaustion. “I don’t know. They both worked from home, so there isn’t an office building anywhere. Maybe they have a safety deposit box at the bank, but I wouldn’t begin to know how to find it or access it. I’m sorry.”

  Looking at Sem, he thought, Any ideas?

  None.

  “Very well,” Ty said. “It appears we have no choice. We must travel to the safe haven established for these types of emergencies. Kyr, you may change into clothing that I scan for any possible trackers. Sem, wash up as best as you can. We’ll be seen by the public, so we should attempt to blend in.”

  His cousin nodded and walked into the kitchen to use the sink and soap there. Ty led Kyr to her bedroom. He had been correct that the purple one was hers.

  “The room is clear,” he said after searching it. “Choose your outfit and allow me to scan it.”

  She walked over to her dresser. “How long will we be gone?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Shouldn’t I bring more than one outfit with me?”

  “No. We need to conserve the scanner’s power because we have no way to recharge it. The Shelvaks found you somehow. I won’t risk the possibility that they have tagged your clothing without your knowledge.”

  He saw her shiver and knew the idea disturbed her. Good. At least she was using sense rather than emotion or sentimentality.

  “Shouldn’t you scan yourself and Sam, too?”

  “Sem and I have already scanned ourselves,” he said, emphasizing his cousin’s name.

  “Oh.” She frowned, tossing a couple of items of clothing on the bed. “I don’t keep much here. Most of my stuff is packed up for the move. Will it be warm wherever we’re going?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  She carried a few more things over to the bed, including a pair of sneakers. He spotted jeans and a short-sleev
ed T-shirt. It was light purple with a feminine black floral pattern on it. Raising an eyebrow, he lifted a lacy white bra by one of its straps.

  Her face flooded with color. “This is awkward enough as it is, don’t you think? The bra I’m wearing was sliced and diced, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  Properly chagrined, he just scanned the bra and set it aside, not even batting an eye over the matching lace panties. The scan of the rest of the clothing items resulted in no hits, so he was satisfied that they were tracker-free.

  “You may get changed,” he said at last.

  She gave him a pointed look. “Do I get some privacy?”

  “Not with that window in the room.”

  Tossing her hands in the air, she huffed, “Fine. At least make yourself useful and unzip me.”

  She turned and presented him with her back. He reached for the dress’s zipper, his gaze brushing over the long scar across her shoulders. Was he imagining things? It seemed to have faded over the past ninety minutes.

  He decided that was wishful thinking. Shelvak poison left permanent scarring if the Alametrian survived.

  He concentrated on the zipper rather than the evidence of the pain he’d inflicted on her. His fingers fumbled with the tiny clasp, making the simple task feel unachievable. He told himself his unsteady hands had nothing to do with the fact that he was helping Kyr undress.

  “Having issues?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

  He avoided her gaze. Thankfully, the zipper finally cooperated and slid down. Without a word, he locked the bedroom door and walked to the window, facing it to give her at least a little privacy.

  It only took him a moment to realize he hadn’t thought this through very well. He hadn’t realized how hearing her disrobe would influence his thoughts. Before long, his forearms started tingling. Swallowing hard, he stared at the curtains and tried counting to ten. When that didn’t work, he increased the number to twenty. The pain in his forearms intensified.

  Out of desperation, he parted the curtains to look outside, intending to distract himself by searching for possible threats. Only when he saw that the darkness beyond the window turned the glass into an effective mirror did he realize the extent of his mistake.

  His gaze remained frozen on Kyr. She had removed her previous garments and now wore only the white lace panties he had just scanned. Thankfully, she was mostly facing away from him as she reached for her bra. Still, the glimpse he got of her bare skin made him forget to breathe.

  It wasn’t only his forearms that pained him then. He was forced to adjust his stance to ease the pressure in his jeans. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to drop the curtain until she had donned the rest of her clothes. He supposed he was embracing the concept of self-torture.

  When she sat on the bed to put on her socks and shoes, he lowered the curtain and got himself under control. The pain in his forearms eased and he imagined he’d be able to walk without too much discomfort. Relieved, he waited for her to tell him it was okay to turn around and then he walked past her to unlock the door. He was careful to keep his expression contained.

  No one could know how he felt about Kyr. No one.

  Chapter 9

  Why was she so disappointed that Ty wasn’t attracted to her?

  Kyra didn’t know the answer, but there was no denying how deflated she felt as she watched him turn the lock on her door handle without giving her so much as a passing glance. After his reaction to seeing her bra on the bed, she’d expected…well, she didn’t know. Something other than the cool expression he wore now.

  Her gaze fell on his right forearm as he grabbed the door handle to open it. She gasped when she saw the series of thin white lines covering it. They were so faint that she hadn’t noticed them in the darkness. The symbols she saw were intricate and beautiful.

  “What are those?” she asked.

  A small furrow appeared between his eyes. She realized it might have been rude of her to ask. What if they were scars?

  “A constant reminder of my place,” he said at last.

  Before she could question him further, he opened the door and walked out. She followed him, not knowing what to say. Although she had no idea why, she felt responsible for the markings. For all she knew, maybe she was.

  He led her into the kitchen, where Sam—Sem, she reminded herself—stood eating a sandwich. Ty gave him a look. He shrugged.

  “What?” he asked around a mouthful of food. “I’m starving and you were taking forever.”

  Ty didn’t respond. He walked over to the kitchen sink and started running the water. Kyra opened the fridge and pulled out a can of Diet Coke. She figured she’d probably need the caffeine if the rest of the night was anything like the past few hours had been.

  “How far away is this place?” she asked.

  “A couple of hours,” Ty replied as he wet the same dishcloth Sem had used to wash himself.

  “By air,” Sem added.

  Kyra paused with the can halfway to her mouth. “I don’t have my driver’s license or any money. How are we going to fly anywhere? Is there a spaceship around I don’t know about?”

  “We will fly in an airplane, and you don’t have to worry about the details,” Ty said.

  She caught Sem’s glance as Ty washed his face and neck. “Is he always like this?”

  He swallowed a bite of sandwich and grinned. “If you think this is bad, just wait until we get to Alametria.”

  His smile was contagious. He had a dimple in one cheek that always made her think he was up to mischief. She found herself returning it, even though his reminder of where they were ultimately headed made her stomach lurch. He offered her a bite of his sandwich, but she shook her head. The Diet Coke was plenty, and it would be iffy as to whether she kept even that down thanks to her nerves.

  A couple of minutes later, Ty finished his clean-up. “Let’s go,” he said.

  The guy sure wasn’t one for tact or small talk, she thought. He gave orders and expected them to be followed. He was clearly used to having people obey him. Considering his size, demeanor, and the way he’d handled himself against the Shelvaks, she thought she understood why. She wasn’t entirely sure about the relationship between Sem and Ty, but she got the sense that her friend didn’t take kindly to being ordered around by his cousin. She sure empathized.

  Nevertheless, she followed Ty out the front door. As much as it chafed to be told what to do, getting killed would suck a whole lot more. She knew she was safest near Ty.

  They got into the sedan, this time with her in the front passenger seat. Sem grumbled about it, but Ty gave him one of his looks and Sem quieted down. Within a minute, they were loaded and ready to go.

  Another sense of finality struck Kyra as Ty put the car in reverse and backed them out of the driveway. She kept her eyes on the house she’d lived in with the only parents she knew until it disappeared from sight. Only when she turned to face forward did she realize that her vision was blurred with tears.

  Two fell. Then two more. She struggled to battle them back.

  Ty reached over, startling her. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out a couple of napkins that looked like they’d come from a fast food restaurant. She didn’t ask how they’d gotten there. She just accepted them with a quiet thank-you.

  He didn’t comment on her condition, for which she was grateful. They drove the forty-five minutes to the airport with only the sound of the local Top 40 station to fill the silence. She had a million questions, such as what was going to happen to her parents’ house and the apartment she had rented with Avana, but she knew Ty was intent on driving and making sure they were safe. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him and end up in a car wreck because the Shelvaks had found them.

  She spent the travel time reviewing what she’d learned so far. On her home planet, Alametria, she was called Ma’jah Kyr…the Ascendant. Although she didn’t know exactly what that meant, Sem had jokingly called her “the ruler of worlds.?
?? She was afraid to ask whether that was true. She hadn’t even wanted the responsibilities of dorm monitor, for crying out loud.

  Her birth parents—and just thinking that term tore at her heart—were two people that Ty had called the Guardians. Their titles made her think that they were acting in key leadership positions on Alametria. Her parents—her Kyndred, she reminded herself—had said something about living with her in a palace. Maybe her birth parents were like a king and queen and she was like a princess, she thought. That wouldn’t be so bad. If they were the leaders right now, she could learn more about what it meant to rule over…what, exactly? A kingdom? The entire planet? Galaxies?

  Her heart started having palpitations, so she dismissed the thought and moved on.

  The Shelvaks were enemies of Alametria. As such, they apparently sought to harm her since she carried a significant role among the Alametrians. Ty had been assigned as a sort of personal bodyguard to protect her. He was either highly perceptive or had the ability to read her mind, as several times he had answered questions or addressed thoughts that she hadn’t said out loud. She took that in stride. If it was true, it would hardly be the most incredible revelation she’d received that night.

  Ty had called himself her Mynder, and Avana had told her that Sem was also a Mynder. She assumed that was the Alametrian term for bodyguard. It sort of made sense, she reasoned. Humans sometimes said things like, “minding their children” as a form of taking care of them and protecting them. Maybe Alametrians used the term in a similar way. Which meant Sem and Ty were trained to protect.

  Avana, on the other hand, was a Divyner. Kyra should have known that the times her roommate spaced out weren’t a result of some illness. She’d never bothered to look up the condition that Avana handed to her because it felt like an invasion of privacy. Even if she had, she suspected she would have found that one of the side effects of the illness or the recommended medications was lightheadedness or something else she would have accepted as a reason for Avana’s space-outs. She’d had no reason not to.

  What had Avana foreseen back in Sem’s dorm room? Why hadn’t Ty or Sem asked her? If Ty was a mind reader, he clearly hadn’t read Avana’s vision, as he asked her a question about it later. So were the visions sacred or taboo or something?