Star Rider and Bonds of Love: A Sci-Fi Space Opera with a Touch of Fantasy Heidi Skarie (fox in socks read aloud .TXT) 📖

“No problem.”

“How many men do you have incamp?” Michio asked.

“Twenty-two soldiers. Try toget some sleep. We leave in a few hours.”

“A few hours?” Toemekagroaned.

Erling headed for one of thetents while Michio took a tent off the frame of his backpack. Hepulled a cord and it popped open. Toemeka untied their sleeping bagsand foam pads from the frames, shoved them into the tent, thencrawled in after them. She hung the flashlight from the ceiling andremoved her robe, leaving her in the ceremonial gown. In a fewmoments, she had the sleeping bags spread out on foam pads and was inone of them. Her feet ached and her whole body throbbed with fatigue.Letme sleep,she thought as Michio crawled in after her. She heard him rustlingaround, then he turned off the flashlight.

“I’m frightened,” Toemekawhispered. “I can feel Cadmus reaching out with his mind, searchingfor me.”

Michio put his arm around her.“Put up an inner shield to block him.”

“I’ll try. I miss Baymond. Iwonder if he misses me. He’s so little and this is the second timeI’ve been gone. Maybe he doesn’t know me yet.”

“He knows you.. Don’t worryabout him; he’s at the palace and Koriann’s taking good care ofhim. I’m sure he isn’t lacking attention.”

“But Koriann has duties asQueen. She doesn’t have much time for a baby.”

“He has a nursemaid, too. He’llprobably be quite spoiled by the time we get home. Though we shouldbe the ones taking care of him. He’s our responsibility.”

Hurt by his remark, she said, “Itake that responsibility seriously.”

“Is leaving him, when you knowyou may never return, fulfilling your duty? And how do you think Ifelt when I discovered you were gone?”

“I know exactly how it felt.You left me to go to Devil’s Eye.”

“That was different.” Michioremoved his arm from around her.

“How?”

“I left to protect you; myconcern was for your welfare. I’m your husband and it’s my dutyto see that you’re safe from harm.”

She tried to stay calm, buttension was spreading through her body. “You left for a dangeroussituation without telling me. You would’ve been killed if I hadn’tstopped you.”

“I did what I felt I had todo.”

“Just like I always do.”

“I thought, after seeing theMaster, we agreed to discuss things — to be more open with oneanother,” Michio said with an edge to his voice.

“I wanted to discuss it withyou, but I knew you’d object to me going on the mission,”

“I would’ve. But despite mymisgivings, I would’ve joined you in the mission or come instead ofyou.”

“You don’t even know Erling’sfamily,” she said. “How could I ask you to come, knowing the riskinvolved?”

“You and Erling are importantpeople in my life.”

“Why is it better for you tocome than me?” she asked.

“I’m trained to fight blackmagic. You’re not.”

“Samrat Condor has a price onyour head. It was too dangerous for you to come.”

“Commander Rochambeau isobsessed with you and Samrat Condor wants to sacrifice you. You’rein more danger than I am.” She heard the frustration in his voice.

“It’s dangerous for both ofus.”

“Go to sleep, Toemeka. Don’tkeep arguing every point I make. I’m tired and need to sleep.”

She felt him inwardly pullingaway from her and felt alone, even though he was physically near. Shelay awake a long time before finally falling asleep.

18

Wilderness

Toemeka awoke when Jake zippedopen the tent and stuck his head in. “We have to leave. Raptorsoldiers are just a few miles away.”

The world spun when Toemeka satup and she felt groggy with fatigue.

“How did you sleep?” Michioasked, already rolling up his sleeping bag.

“Not enough.” She shivered,cold in the early morning air, and pulled the robe over her thinceremonial gown. She glanced at her watch. “We got less than fourhours sleep.”

“At least we caught up with thegroup. There’s safety in numbers.”

Toemeka shook off her fatigue andquickly got her gear assembled before following Michio out of thetent. Almost all of the tents in camp were down and most of theResistance had disappeared into the woods. Nearby Onolyn and Zac weretaking down their small tent and Toemeka wondered if they were morethan tent mates.

Once they had their gear packedand backpacks on, Michio said, “Let’s go.”

“Aren’t we going to eatsomething first?”

Jake was within earshot andturned toward her. “You’re getting soft, Tiger. Move out. We’lleat when we’ve put some distance between us and Rochambeau’smen.”

“Cadmus is out there?”Toemeka exclaimed. The seriousness of their situation finallypenetrated her fatigue.

“And bearing down fast. I wantyou and Michio to catch up to the Fenian family. They’re in themiddle of the group, where my men can provide better protection.”

Toemeka and Michio headed intothe forest and Onolyn drew alongside them. “Thank God you’resafe, Toemeka. Here’s an energy bar. It’ll keep you going untilwe stop to eat.”

“Hurry, Onolyn,” Zac said.“We need to guard Prince Erling.”

“We’ll talk later,” Onolynsaid and ran after Zac.

Toemeka and Michio hiked at abrisk pace through the tall deciduous trees. The thick canopy allowedfor little undergrowth, making walking easier, but it also madeToemeka feel vulnerable. Perhaps even at this moment Cadmus’ scoutswere watching them. She and Michio passed some Resistance members asthey hurried to catch up with the Fenians.

Once they reached them, Michiosaid, “Stay with Erling’s family, Toemeka. I’m going to talk toJake and find out where we’re going.” He headed back the waythey’d come.

Breezy paused to let Toemekacatch up to her. The rest of the family was a short distance ahead.“That must be your husband. Good-looking man,” Breezy said. “Jakesaid the two of you arrived late last night. He let you sleep alittle longer than the rest of us. I don’t think Jake slept atall.” They began walking side by side.

“Probably not. He waited for uslast night and carried my backpack the last mile or so.”

“He was worried about you. Weall were. How did you escape?”

Toemeka told her briefly whathappened, then said, “How is Sharma doing? I heard her fiancéConnor was killed in the war.”

“She’s having a rough time ofit, but then, who isn’t with Alandra taken over and our familyscheduled for execution?”

“It’s hard to lose someoneyou love,” Toemeka said, stepping over a fallen branch.

“Sharma will be better when shegets to Planet Borko and can start