Jagati ran a hand down the silky material of the robes Bas'awn had handed her before leaving the room. Everything had been a blur after they'd complete the final tier of their joining. Before she'd known it, Bas'awn had untangled himself from her body and released her from the ties. Soothing her tangled hair off her face, he'd smiled before kissing her forehead. Then he'd left saying nothing to any of them. Kurlack and Sarina were still gazing at each other and Jagati was left fuming. Without a word of where he was going or when he was coming back!
"Calm down, Jagati. He'll explain when he returns." Sarina laid a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"I don't have much patience left, Mother. I've been whisked away to heaven knows where, seen Bas die, only to have him come back to me in another body and insist on making love to me in front of my parents. Pardon me if what little patience I had left is totally gone."
"I know, baby. I can answer some of your questions."
"Would you, Mother? Please!" Hope shined in her eyes.
"Of course." Brushing a piece of her hair back from her face, Sarina smiled at her daughter.
"First of all -- where are we?"
Sarina sat down next to her daughter and proceeded to tell her daughter of her own tale of adventure. Fleeing from a world where her mother and sister were so wrapped up in their own carnal pleasures, they cared nothing of the welfare of their people. She despaired of ever finding any solution.
"After awhile, I just wanted to flee. Then Bas'awn's master came to me and told me of a prophesy. One where I would go to a new world and guide his student to his soul mate."
"Me?"
"Yes, you baby. That wily old man never once told me, I was going to give birth to Bas'awn's mate. He gave me this pendant to return to Starklin once Bas'awn and you finished the second tier. See, you could complete the first two tiers of your joining while Bas'awn was residing in the cybertrontic body. Unfortunately the final tier could only be achieved once he'd returned to his natural state and that was within his own body on Starklin."
"Is that why Bas's body began to fall apart?"
"Not really. For some unknown reason, nothing mechanical can survive traveling through the portal. So when he crossed in his mechanical form, he was pushed out of that body and returned to his former body."
"Sarina, Jagati, Bas'awn has requested your presence in the main hall." Kurlack stood in the doorway. "I will escort you both."
"Let's go, shall we?" Kurlack offered Sarina one arm and Jagati the other.
* * * *
When Jagati entered the main hall, she wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it wasn't what she saw. Golden draperies covered the windows, and around the hall were many stuffed chairs where people lounged. It looked more like a modernistic resort's reception room than it did anything else and at the center of it stood Bas'awn. Before him stood Josja restrained by stasis handcuffs and next to him stood a young man.
"Aleja." The names seemed to be ripped out Kurlack against his will.
