After the coroner arrived, they trudged back inside Grandfather's house. They needed to see to the living, mourn the dead, and find a way to celebrate the victory.
The leaders from the different groups gathered, ready to put a plan into action.
It was hard to concentrate on all there was to do when Kaya, her panther, kept screaming about their mate inside her head. She looked over shyly at Dakari. He was looking at her too. The look he was giving her made her insides turn to mush and her mouth go completely dry.
Grandfather came to them both, put his hands on their shoulders. The corners of his mouth turned up in a way that let you know he completely understood what they were feeling. “Why don't you two see to what needs doing, then take a few days off to get to know each other.” He actually winked at Katalea as he said it.
When Katalea started to object he simply said, “I think I can handle the Pride for a few days.” He chuckled as she blushed. Just wait till he told his wife. Maybe there would be great-grand babies in his lifetime.
Both nodded at his suggestion and Dakari reached for her hand. They stood together as one. Together they addressed those in attendance.
“Let's gather the seriously hurt here, decide what we can handle and send those who need more than we can handle over to the clinic. Speaking of which...has anyone seen Dalya?” Turning to look at she spoke Katalea realized she hadn’t seen her friend in a long while.
Befuddlement all around. “I need to go to her as soon as we are done here.” Katalea thought.
Turning back to the matters at hand, her face softened. “Put together a list of our fallen heroes, and let's put together a memorial fitting of their sacrifice. Let us make a monument with all their names so no one can forget those who gave their lives so we could live free.”
She looked around the room, made eye contact with everyone there. “Today is for mourning, for healing. Tomorrow is for celebrating. We have beaten the threat from the north. The prophecies have been fulfilled and now the ending can be written.”
Small smiles could be seen around the room. The magnitude of what they had accomplished was still so new. Most here had heard of the prophecies, but never actually seen them.
Dakari turned to address her and the room. “While I was in the dragon’s lair, I learned that there are more prophecies than we have here. From what I could understand, these ancient words affect us, and so many more. I could only catch glimpses, but I fear whatever is in them is what causes the weredragons to want to eradicate us.”
“Can we read these prophecies? Where are they?”asked Paulo.
“I don’t know, I need to ask more questions, do a little research.” He answered, “I’m thinking of going in search of them. If it could affect us, then we need to know.”
“There is one more matter to deal with,”. Dakari said, his voice turning very serious. “There are still slaves back at the lair. Lainey told stories of rooms of cots for the slaves, but she was never sure how many. She also told stories of rooms full of computers with…”
Katalea was pulled back into her dream, “My dream! Once Essam informed them that the attack was imminent, I forgot all about the other parts.” She turned to Dakari now, pulled her hair back stark against her face, and continued nervously.
“I saw the computers, and what was on their screens was horrible. I think they are using them to snatch random girls from all over the world. I think some become slaves, but somehow they are changing them. I think that is how they had so many. And the computers were manned by a robot, a very real looking robot.
Questions came from everywhere. “Changing them, how? Like a vampire bite?” Paulo asked.
“Why do you think it was a robot, and not a person just drugged?” Asked Dakari, “People tend to get a blank stare when the dragons have them under their spell.”
Katalea explained her dream in more detail. “There were about twenty of him, and yes I said him. It was the same face, the exact same face on every hacker.” Her eyes were giant saucers as she remembered the eerie silence in that place.
“Like a clone?”Paulo questioned further.
Katalea considered this. Up until now, she had thought it was a robot. If the dragons had the ability to clone it would explain so much more.
“I think it was, by the goddesses, I think they are cloning dragons!”
“We need to go back to the lair, before they can regroup. Those people need to be set free, returned to their homes. There are children there, barely older than Lainey.” Dakari was insistent. “If we can get them out, I can erase all the memories. Then we can bring in the local police.”
“Ok, Dakari, check with the warriors, see who is well enough to accompany you. Make sure you have a good pilot. We don’t need any more drama.”
“I would be able to pilot you Dakari,” Paulo offered. “I have been flying helicopters for a decade at least.”
Katalea smiled at Paulo. “Sir, I would be in your debt if you could bring him back safely to me.”
Everyone smiled at this, a new mate bond was intoxicating.
Katalea turned and surveyed the room. Her eyes fell to her cousin. Beautiful still, but her weariness was showing. She made a mental note to send her a restorative drink first chance she could.
“Jade, will you head up the memorial. Grab whoever is able to help you, I want to make that a priority.”
Jade nodded, grabbed Daniel’s hand, “I would be honored to.”
“Maggie, Penny, let’s gather the wounded here. Grandfather, will you and Grandmother help with the healing?”
Grandfather’s eyes were twinkling as he watched Katalea assume control. She wore her authority like a well loved pair of jeans, natural and easy.
“Your Grandmother is already triaging as many as she can. She has sent those beyond her healing ability over to the clinic.”
As everyone set about their tasks, Katalea started for Dalya’s room. Mid way up the staircase she heard a whooshing sound. A blast of cold air assaulted her cheeks, then a crashing sound followed by a keening moan. Katalea ran. She passed Dalya’s room, found it empty and warm. Moving quickly, she ran towards her own room.
The chaos was unimaginable. Her blankets and sheets were whipped into a corner, one edge of the sheet covering a broken lamp. “That must have been the crash I heard,” she thought.
The wind was howling in through the window that Grandfather had been pushed into, and papers were flying about the room like projectiles. In the middle of it all, sat Dalya, tears streaming down her face. Her hand was bloodied by the bits of wood that had broken off from the large piece of plywood sitting adjacent to her.
Katalea ran to her. Not knowing how to comfort her, she did what came naturally. She wrapped her arms around her and began to rock. “It’s ok, it’s ok. Whatever it is, we can fix it.”
Dalya stiffened at her words, then her face seemed to burst as if the flood-gates had been broken. Through her sobs she choked, “I couldn’t get to you, it is my job to protect you, and I failed.”
Understanding came to Katalea. Dalya had been raised as a warrior. Her sole purpose had been to protect. She had done a pretty lousy job of it back in school, but now, it was evident she took her job very seriously.
“Look, I’m ok.” She stretched out her arms, did a little jig. “No holes in this Princess.” She was referring to the name Dalya had often called her in disgust as children, but now Dalya seemed honor bound to curtsy.
“Your highness,” she said in all sincerity, “Please forgive me. I have failed my rank and am not worthy to be one of your warriors.” Her eyes pleaded with Katalea.
Katalea took a chance. “Look, I liked you better when you kicked my a$$ every day. I don’t know what to do with this emotional mess on my carpet.”
Dalya looked up hopeful, “you won’t send me away?”
A light went off in Katalea’s mind. “Of course, that is what she is worried about.” She thought.
“Dalya, not only will I not send you away, I am counting on you to heal up and start training me again.”
Dalya looked down at the plywood, “I was trying to board up the broken window. I was in here watching the battle, when your grandfather was blown into it. I had enough strength to hold him up, but I couldn’t protect the glass.” Dalya turned to Katalea, respect showing, “you were amazing out there, I didn’t know you could do all that.”
“To tell you the truth, neither did I.” They smiled at each other then. “I might have won a few of our squirmishes back in the day if I had.” She teased.
“You won enough.” Dalya admitted, a shy smile snuck out from the corners of her lips.
Katalea watched as the color drained from Dalya’s face. Her knees buckled and she fell into a heap on the floor. The cold air still blasted in from the broken window but it wasn’t loud enough to cover the moan of pain that came from Dalya.
Grandmother must have heard it too, for she came running into the room. Katalea had known her grandparents a long time, not once had she seen her grandmother anything but slow and calm. Quickly she pulled Dalya to her, hands roaming over her looking for the source of the pain. When she felt her abdomen, Dalya screamed out.
Grandmother didn’t waste time with niceties, she ripped the shirt off her and saw the swollen, puss-filled scars. “Why aren’t you at the clinic? These are infected!” She laid her hands on her, opened to the pain. The pain was so intense, Grandmother swallowed hard, sweat beading on her face, but she bore it. Dalya relaxed a little at the relief.
“Are those the scars from Hassan?” Katalea’s eyes were large in fear. How could anyone live through that?
“Those scars aren’t our biggest problem,” Grandmother said sadly. “I feel two heartbeats when I touch her.”
Katalea let the words register and the horror of the situation took her, “She’s pregnant?”