all!"
He gave her a horrified look. "Her uncle!" he said, a pained tone in his voice. "Only her uncle!"
The cub clutched at his arms, sniffing curiously.
"I'll take her back now," Carrie said.
As she settled Kashini against her other breast, Carrie was aware of Kaid watching her. You males are all the same, she sent. Fascinated by newborns!
Not newborns, by their mothers feeding them, he responded, ears dipping in embarrassment. You do realize I've been waiting nearly fifty years to see Kashini born, don't you? And I was right. She is very special.
He reached toward Carrie, gently running the sensitive tips of his fingers across the curve of her breast, then lower, till he touched the cub's cheek.
I have to confess I'm no different from Kusac. His hand moved again, his fingers first touching hers then twining round them where they supported the child.
"How so? Surely you've seen other females feeding their cubs?"
"Never. Only the closest of male clan members are allowed to be present."
"For such a liberated species, you have some strange customs," she murmured, feeling a warm lassitude begin to creep over her. "Don't make me feel tired, Kaid. When I've finished feeding her, I want to go downstairs and join you."
"You should rest. You've got the Validation ceremony the day after tomorrow."
"I've rested enough for now. I've seen too much of the nursery and my bedroom."
Kaid laughed and leaned forward across Kashini to nuzzle Carrie's cheek.
The gesture was slightly clumsy and reminded her how unused he was to moments of affection. Turning her face to his, she brushed his lips with hers. She found the kiss returned with an urgency she hadn't expected, then, just as suddenly, he pulled back from her, ears slightly laid back.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that while you're nursing. Tell me, are you really unharmed by the birth? You were in so much pain, and I could do nothing to help you. I should have studied birthing when I knew we were going to the Margins while you were still pregnant."
She tightened her hand around his, mentally sending reassurances to him. "How could you, Tallinu? You were barely able to move when we brought you out of Stronghold. You were the one who had to study the Margin rituals at the shrine with Ghyan, you had to lead us back into the past. That was far more important than learning about birthing when we thought I still had another eight or more weeks left. Yes, I really am fine! Noni herself could have done no more for me than you and Kusac did."
"What about Kashini?"
"She's fine, too. She is too mentally aware for her age. She may even have been born with her Talent fully awake instead of growing into it as is normal. It may be due to me having to control the vortex, but we don't know. Whatever it was, although it's inconvenient for us, it hasn't seemed to bother her yet."
"Being your and Kusac's child, I'd be surprised if she wasn't unusual from the first," he said with a grin, easing his hand away from her and beginning to get up. "I must go now. We've still a lot to discuss with Lijou. I"ll see you when you come downstairs."
* * *
That night, the first of the winter storms came, and with it, the nightmares. Though the environmental screens cut out most of the noises, Kaid could still hear the wind howling round the villa. No house was silent, especially not one as newly constructed as this. He tossed and turned, listening to the creakings and soft rattlings, trying to identify their source until at last he fell into an exhausted sleep.
Even then, for him the sounds didn't stop. They grew louder, deeper in pitch till he was trapped within a roaring sea of noise. Heat enveloped him; burning particles ripped their way through his pelt, searing the flesh below. As terror gripped his throat in its jaws, he realized he was caught within the vortex of the gateway to the past.
If only he could make a sound— cry out, anything— he knew he could end it! He
He gave her a horrified look. "Her uncle!" he said, a pained tone in his voice. "Only her uncle!"
The cub clutched at his arms, sniffing curiously.
"I'll take her back now," Carrie said.
As she settled Kashini against her other breast, Carrie was aware of Kaid watching her. You males are all the same, she sent. Fascinated by newborns!
Not newborns, by their mothers feeding them, he responded, ears dipping in embarrassment. You do realize I've been waiting nearly fifty years to see Kashini born, don't you? And I was right. She is very special.
He reached toward Carrie, gently running the sensitive tips of his fingers across the curve of her breast, then lower, till he touched the cub's cheek.
I have to confess I'm no different from Kusac. His hand moved again, his fingers first touching hers then twining round them where they supported the child.
"How so? Surely you've seen other females feeding their cubs?"
"Never. Only the closest of male clan members are allowed to be present."
"For such a liberated species, you have some strange customs," she murmured, feeling a warm lassitude begin to creep over her. "Don't make me feel tired, Kaid. When I've finished feeding her, I want to go downstairs and join you."
"You should rest. You've got the Validation ceremony the day after tomorrow."
"I've rested enough for now. I've seen too much of the nursery and my bedroom."
Kaid laughed and leaned forward across Kashini to nuzzle Carrie's cheek.
The gesture was slightly clumsy and reminded her how unused he was to moments of affection. Turning her face to his, she brushed his lips with hers. She found the kiss returned with an urgency she hadn't expected, then, just as suddenly, he pulled back from her, ears slightly laid back.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that while you're nursing. Tell me, are you really unharmed by the birth? You were in so much pain, and I could do nothing to help you. I should have studied birthing when I knew we were going to the Margins while you were still pregnant."
She tightened her hand around his, mentally sending reassurances to him. "How could you, Tallinu? You were barely able to move when we brought you out of Stronghold. You were the one who had to study the Margin rituals at the shrine with Ghyan, you had to lead us back into the past. That was far more important than learning about birthing when we thought I still had another eight or more weeks left. Yes, I really am fine! Noni herself could have done no more for me than you and Kusac did."
"What about Kashini?"
"She's fine, too. She is too mentally aware for her age. She may even have been born with her Talent fully awake instead of growing into it as is normal. It may be due to me having to control the vortex, but we don't know. Whatever it was, although it's inconvenient for us, it hasn't seemed to bother her yet."
"Being your and Kusac's child, I'd be surprised if she wasn't unusual from the first," he said with a grin, easing his hand away from her and beginning to get up. "I must go now. We've still a lot to discuss with Lijou. I"ll see you when you come downstairs."
* * *
That night, the first of the winter storms came, and with it, the nightmares. Though the environmental screens cut out most of the noises, Kaid could still hear the wind howling round the villa. No house was silent, especially not one as newly constructed as this. He tossed and turned, listening to the creakings and soft rattlings, trying to identify their source until at last he fell into an exhausted sleep.
Even then, for him the sounds didn't stop. They grew louder, deeper in pitch till he was trapped within a roaring sea of noise. Heat enveloped him; burning particles ripped their way through his pelt, searing the flesh below. As terror gripped his throat in its jaws, he realized he was caught within the vortex of the gateway to the past.
If only he could make a sound— cry out, anything— he knew he could end it! He
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