Page 34 of DaR (Darverius, House of DaR #1)

Chapter Thirty

KIRA

I wake up with tears in my eyes and warm arms wrapped around me.

As tears flow down my cheeks, the dream I just had flickers through my mind.

I saw Rick again and actually got to touch his face for just a moment, before he handed me off to DaR , for in his words, safekeeping.

Then I watched helplessly as his spirit flew away on the wings of a dragonfly.

The heartache seems different now than it did in the beginning.

I miss him terribly, but I can’t live in the past anymore.

I must move forward, and I believe he was trying to show me that it’s ok.

I feel warm and safe since DaR’s arms are wrapped around me like a comforting blanket.

It takes me a moment to realize that we’re in his bed.

Then I feel them, DaR’s Symbots dancing all over my skin, comforting me.

This is what I’ve been feeling all along.

His Symbots have somehow been soothing me when I get upset and even healing me when I become injured. But is this weakening DaR ?

His arms tighten around me. “ I see you are finally awake.”

I look up at him, confused. “ Was I asleep long?”

“ Almost a whole rotation, do you not remember anything?”

“ My mind seems a little scattered. I remember I was worried about you and that no one could find you. Then I dreamed one night that you were hurt badly and I actually saw it happen, DaR . It was your leg; something shot out of the ground and practically tore half your leg off. I knew I was seeing it through your eyes. I could feel the blood running down your leg like it was my own! What’s going on? ”

“ I am so sorry, Kira . I had no idea we could be linked like this. It is times like these that I miss my father. I have no one to ask about this without compromising my position. I think the Symbots have mind linked us and if one of us is in trouble, it somehow relays it to the other one. And if this is true, I am unsure how to protect you from the dangers of my job, especially if I must go into battle again.”

I jerk up out of his arms and look around. “ DaR , they were here , the blue monsters, they were here for me!” I feel myself panicking as my eyes search for them.

DaR pulls me back down into his arms, holding me against his chest. “ They were here, my Kira , but that will never happen again. Without going into all the gory details, let me just say a few dedicated animals and RaZ made sure you were never in any real danger. Ickis was quite the protector, too. He is a vicious little thing if provoked.”

I see Ickis turn his head and look down at us when he hears his name. He is perched on the headboard, facing the door like he’s guarding us as we sleep.

I pull away from him and scoot down the bed.

I rub my hand over DaR’s leg, the wound still red and swollen.

“ Damnit DaR , you were supposed to be safe, invincible to injury, and death. You would be someone easy to love because nothing could take you from me. I would die before you and even though I know that would bother you, but in another hundred years I’d become just a fond memory.

I know I’m being selfish, but I don’t want to go through that pain again.

I just can’t, DaR . I’ll break on the inside if I lose you too. ”

DaR sits up. “ I thought you said you could never love anyone the way you did your husband again?”

“ I won’t and don’t! I don’t love you like I did him. I love you like you, dammit; the love is different, not less.”

DaR

“ I never dreamed in all my years, Kira , that you would come to care for me.” And , just as I start to talk to her about our future together, RaZ is at the door. I hear his footsteps just seconds before the door slides open.

“ I thought I heard voices. It is nice of you two to return to the world of the living.” RaZ stands on my side of the bed looking down at us.

His red eyes glow in the dimness of the room, his large wings flapping unconsciously behind him.

Kira screams at his sudden appearance and jumps into my arms.

“ Easy little female, I mean you no harm. Tell her, father. Tell her I am a good male.”

If Kira was not so upset, the look on RaZ’s face would have been priceless. He is used to women falling at his feet, not the other way around. He does not know how to handle one that is terrified of him.

I pull her long hair over her shoulder and draw her closer. “ Kira , let me introduce RaZ , my second oldest.”

“ Holy hell DaR , you never said he was a vampire! Me and you really need to have a more in-depth conversation about the differences in each of your boys.”

“ What is this name you are calling him? You have said it twice in my presence now. What makes him this to you?”

“ You mean a vampire? Well , just look at him. He’s beautiful, he has wings, his eyes are red, but the real reason is his fangs! Those bad boys right there will suck you dry. ”

RaZ looks at me in horror. No one knows he must obtain blood to survive but me. “ How could you, a person from another planet, know these things about me?”

“ I honestly don’t know anything about you.

I mean, vampire legends have been part of Earth’s folklore as long as there has been history.

You know the story: vampires stalk through the night, draining any poor soul who is unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Well , that’s the horror stories anyway.

Now , the romance stories cast them in an entirely different light.

The vampire finds his mate, then he changes her with his blood, and they live for eternity together, feeding only from each other, totally dedicated to one another.

I have personally read hundreds of vampire romances.

There aren’t any better written love stories because they never lose their fated love.

They also have the coolest names like Vlad , Marcus , Seth , Radul , Cassius , wait there’s another one also.

He’s supposed to be the oldest one too, now what’s his name again?

Ohhh , dangit I hate it when I go blank like that.

Tyberius ... that’s his name! Doesn’t that sound like a total vampire name? ”

DaR jerks behind me, “ No , in fact, that sounds like my father’s name. A name I have not said often in years. How would you know the names of the six that left this planet, never to return? ”

I slide off his lap and stand next to the bed, my eyes searching his tortured face. I see him look away from me and over to RaZ , who looks just as troubled.

“ Kira , how would you know their names?” DaR raises his voice and I back away from him. Inside myself, I can feel how intense his emotions are right now. Ickis jumps on my shoulder, rubbing his face against me affectionately.

“ I’m … sorry, it’s just names. I don’t really know anything else. They’re just old stories I always enjoyed. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I watch DaR take a deep breath and rub his hand down his face.

“ RaZ , comm your brother, this is the first real lead we have had in rotations. We need to find this Earth . There is no way Kira could have randomly come up with these names, especially all together. The records have been sealed, and she can’t read our language. ”

“ Do you think grandfather has been there all this time? There is no way he could have survived all these years without the Blood Beet unless; you have this on Earth !” He looks over at me hopefully.

“ I don’t know what this Blood Beet is. We have lots of fruits and vegetables, but that’s not what the legends say about vampires. It’s human blood that keeps them alive and they have to replenish it often. ”

RaZ seems to blur, then he’s standing in front of me with what looks like a red avocado. “ This is a Blood Beet .” He hands it to me.

“ How … did you … where did this … oh never mind! I’ve never seen one of these before. Why is it so hard? Do they have to ripen?”

“ No , they are always this hard.” I watch as DaR’s fangs elongate, and he bites into the fruit.

“ Our bodies have been genetically enhanced to be able to consume the substance inside of these. When our forefathers came to Darverius , these were one of the very few things they could consume, but as you can see, they are almost impossible to open. As years went by, our bodies have adapted to other substances, but some of the originals, like my father, had to have this fruit to survive. They only had a few rotations stocked on the shuttle they were on, since they were only supposed to be gone a short time.”

“ Do you have a picture of your father?”

“ SAGE , could you please see if you can locate any feed with my father in it?”

A viewing screen appears out of the ceiling immediately. Pictures flash across the screen. I watch DaR turn away, the pain of losing his father is still too powerful for him to watch, but RaZ is as glued to the images as I am.

All the images are the same, just from different angles. He is a tall, slender man with black hair, wearing what looks like ceremonial robes. I can’t really see his face in any of the images clearly.

“ SAGE , are there any of his face?”

It takes her a moment, but there he is, with the same beautiful features as DaR , but softer.

I’m shocked at the image in front of me. “ I have seen him. It’s the eyes … I felt the same way the first time I saw DaR . He looked so familiar to me. DaR , I’m so sorry… at no point in time when you mentioned your father did I ever think…”

DaR turns back toward me and grabs me by my arms. “ How long ago, Kira ? Where were you? Was he alright?”

I pull him toward me and hug him close. I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now.

“ I was in the Carolinas on vacation. Rick and I went to a botanical garden and somehow, we got separated in this maze. I had a habit of walking around in a daze when I went to these places. Everything looked so out of this world, the sculptures especially, but the design of the garden was unlike anything I’d ever seen.

I came around a corner about dusk, worried that I hadn’t found Rick yet, and ran right into the chest of this man. I remember thinking he was unnaturally beautiful, his bright golden eyes seemed to radiate from his face. He gently caught me before I fell to the ground.

I remember apologizing and then asking them if they’d seen Rick . The man was with probably the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life. I remember plainly that her hair was so black it looked blue in the moonlight.

They were super friendly, and they talked to me about the garden and the sculptures as we all hunted for Rick . They seemed to know exactly where he was … Looking back now, I should’ve thought that was strange.

DaR , the other day when you took me to see your dad’s garden, my first thought was how familiar it seemed. Now I know it’s because he made the exact same one on Earth . Maybe he hoped that one day it would lead you to him. Perhaps he was leaving clues.”

RaZ seems as upset as his father is. “ Father , we must find him! We have got to find this Earth ! Kira , do you know anything about your planet that may help us locate it?”

“ I’ve always been a stargazer, but I honestly don’t know anything else, such as coordinates or things like that. I’m so sorry … there’s nothing worse than getting your hopes up only to have them crushed.”

DaR is pacing around the room and I can tell he’s miles away. “ Tordan , I need an entire astrology crew on board as soon as possible. We have a planet to find!”

My belly growls and I start to walk toward the food replicator. DaR reaches out and grabs my wrist. “ Do you feel well now? I am sorry that I got so wrapped up in all this I completely forgot to ask you. ”

“ I’m fine DaR , a little shook up and to be honest I’m scared all over again, but this too shall pass.”

He turns away and I see him reach for the quilt I had worked on for days.

“ There are no words that will explain to you how much this means to me, Kira . The fact that you made it with your own hands … Please know I will cherish this always. We have much to discuss, but my mind is not in the right place now. I am being pulled in so many directions … You … Falcor … Darverius ... My boys … Now , father. I ask for your patience and forgiveness in advance.”

“ DaR , honey, it’s ok. I’ll be here when you need someone to lean on, as you’ve done for me since day one.”

He pulls me close, hugging me tightly, and then kisses me on top of the head. “ RaZ will continue to patrol from the sky until the wall is secured. I will keep guards posted from this point on, because sometimes technology is not enough! I must go now and I will return when I can.”