Dream Called Time by S. L. Viehl Page B

touching,” I said, feeling glum.
    “One might claim to be weary and in need of rest after so long a journey,” Xonea suggested.
    “I didn’t go anywhere.” I gave him a suspicious look. “Why are you being so helpful? You always liked parties. You certainly dragged me to enough of them.”
    “I have not felt in the celebratory mood for some time,” was all he would say.
    Something had changed about Xonea, although I couldn’t quite decide what it was. He’d been all sunshine and happiness around me, but even that was different than it had been. Before I’d gotten booted out of my own body, Xonea had been like a brother to me. Now he was acting more like my parent: seeing to my rooms, holding my arm, ushering me around as if I couldn’t be trusted alone.
    “Did Jarn do something to upset or offend you?” I asked him. He didn’t reply, so I stopped. “You might as well tell me.”
    “She did nothing to me.”
    “ Nothing being like trying to take your command away from you?” I offered him a guileless look. “Oops. Someone must have let that slip.”
    “Indeed.” He glowered down at me. “Now is not the time to discuss my interactions with the Akkabarran.”
    It was interesting, how he avoided using her name. “You didn’t like her? I’m shocked. Everyone else did.”
    “If I could have declared her my ClanKill without harming your form,” he assured me through his lovely, clenched white teeth, “she would never have stepped foot on my ship.”
    Whoa, that wasn’t dislike; that was pure hatred. Another reason to love my adopted sibling. I slipped my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. “You’re right, we’ll talk about it later. Your pardon, Captain.”
    He laced his fingers through mine. “No pardon is required, Lady.”
    As we walked toward the building, I saw a small, ivory-skinned figure rush out toward us. She was blond and smiling and so grown-up I forgot to breathe.
    “Jesus.” I dragged in some air and clutched Xonea’s hand so tight his knuckles popped. “Is that little girl my baby?”
    He smiled. “That is our Marel.”
    My daughter avoided the two Jorenians trotting after her and ran all the way to us, flinging herself into my arms. “Mama. You came back.”
    I picked her up and held her tight, burying my face in her golden curls. “Sweetheart.” She still smelled the same. “God, you’re so big. Did you miss me?”
    My daughter lifted her face and looked into my eyes, her little face scrunching into a frown. “Mama? Did Daddy teach you to speak our kind of Terran while you were gone?”
    “No, but I remembered it,” I said carefully. “I remembered everything I forgot, baby. Including who I was.”
    She squirmed until I put her down on her feet, and looked at Xonea. Her face was so solemn, I felt tears sting my eyes. “Did it hurt her?” Marel asked Xonea.
    The captain knelt before her. “Your ClanMother is not injured, Marel.”
    “No, I mean my other mama. My mama Jarn.” She made a little choking sound. “Did it hurt her when she embraced the stars?”
    Xonea exchanged a look with me before he said, “No, little one. She went with joy.”
    Marel swallowed and knuckled her eyes before she looked at me again, this time not so happy. “You are my birth mama. ClanMother Cherijo.”
    “Yes, I am.” I wasn’t going to lie to her, although if Jarn had been there, I would have gutted her with my bare hands. “Do you remember me?”
    “A little.” Marel sounded uncertain. “Will my real mama be coming back?”
    I’m your real mother, I wanted to shriek, but I knew that wouldn’t do anything but hurt my daughter. “Jarn didn’t want to leave you, baby, but she had to go. She left so that you and I could be together again, the way we were before she came.”
    “I don’t know you,” Marel said slowly. “You look like my mama, but you don’t feel like her. You sound different. You sound sad.”
    “If you were gone for a long time, and everyone forgot