Tempting Flame (The Jendari Book 1) Read online

  Tallis nodded, determined to keep his focus on the cubs. "I'll do my best."

  He'd done what research he could. He didn't ask Jaz for the medical history of any of the children, but he'd trawled the internet for information on sick and dying kids. The results had shocked him and broken his heart wide open. So much pain and so much lost potential, but—surprisingly—there was also a lot of joy.

  The elevator pinged and before he was ready, they were walking down a spotless corridor into a large sun-drenched room full of potted plants and comfortable furniture. Tallis scanned the room and when he caught sight of the occupants his forward momentum stopped and his boots locked to the floor. The previously low buzz of conversation ceased as several pairs of pain-filled, valiant eyes turned in his direction. The atmosphere was charged, as though the air itself forgot to breathe.

  In that expectant moment, Tallis was beset by insecurity. Perhaps he should have worn regular clothes, maybe it was a mistake to leave his hair out, and his knives … by the Goddess he'd brought weapons into this room. What was he thinking?

  Then Jaz's bright, happy voice cracked the silence. "Hi everyone."

  There was a smattering of replies, but the words didn't register above the roaring in his head.

  Jasmine grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the room. "This is my friend Tallis, and he's a Jendari. A real, honest to goodness alien." She waved her free hand in his direction. "And he's gone to all the trouble of dressing in his native costume for us."

  That comment pulled his head out of his ass. Native costume? These were his fucking battle leathers.

  Jaz's tiny hand gave him a squeeze. "Speak."

  Badria save him, his head was a mess. "Hi everyone. I'm happy to be here." And now he'd just lied to a roomful of sick cubs.

  There was a stunned silence and everyone, including the medical staff, just stared at him. He looked to Jaz for help.

  "Let's get you a chair." A high stool appeared from somewhere and Jaz positioned it right out in the open. With absolutely no cover. "There you go."

  Okay. He'd taken on killers, thieves and invaders—surely he could find his way in a room full of children. Tallis parked his ass on the tall seat and prayed for inspiration. "Jaz tells me some of you were interested in meeting a Jendari. Is that true?" A few nods, but still too many startled eyes. "Ah, is there anything you want to ask me?"

  Silence fell, but Jaz didn't let it linger for too long. "Why don't you tell us why you left your world to come here."

  He shook his head. "I'm not sure that's a good idea." It wasn't a happy story and these kids looked like they'd had enough trauma in their short lives.

  Then a tiny voice piped up. "Is it a secret?"

  Tallis looked over at the speaker. A little girl of about seven was curled up in a chair, clinging to a soft toy that had seen better days. She leaned forward and looked him right in the eyes. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

  The smile appeared on his lips before he could stop it. "Are you?"

  "Yes."

  He pretended to give her a thorough look over. "Mmmm. You seem pretty trustworthy." She smiled at him and his battered heart gave an unsteady thump. "Okay. I'll give you the short version." While doing his best to omit any classified information.

  "My world, Jendar, was a beautiful planet covered in forests and lakes. It was similar to Earth in a lot of ways, but we didn't have desserts or cities."

  "Why didn't you have cities?" This from a boy who was attached to a vast array of machines.

  "My people are the custodians of the land. We nurture and protect our world and all the creatures who live in it. When you build great cities, you dominate the landscape and push nature to the fringe of where you live. I'm not saying that's bad or wrong, it's simply not our way."

  "If you loved it so much, why did you leave?" A new voice, this time an older girl. The question was innocent and logical, but it stirred the grief that always lived inside him.

  "Some bad people came to my world and tried to take it for themselves. We did everything in our power to fight them off, but we were overrun. Our ruling council decided to save as many of us as they could, so they loaded up some starships and sent us out into space."

  He skipped over the chaos and the terror of the last-minute scramble. He didn't tell them about the tears and heartache of leaving home and abandoning friends and family. Or the fear every Jendari felt as the ships streaked away, not knowing if their plan would succeed. Uncertain if their race would even survive.

  "We traveled for a long time before we found our way here." A period of his life so difficult and draining he tried not to think on it too often. "We stayed in long-range orbit for a while, watching your world, learning what we could."

  "Like spying?" the stuffed-toy girl asked. "My mommy says it's bad to spy on other people."

  "Your mother is right." What else could he say? "But we needed to learn your languages so when we met for the first time, we could explain that we wanted to be friends."

  He hoped the kids would let him gloss over that meeting, too. Their first encounter with humans had been incredibly risky. Small contingents of Jendari had simultaneously transported into the highest office of all the major powers on Earth. Across the world from the Kremlin to the White House, the refugees made their pitch.

  "Our leaders came to an agreement. The humans would allow us to make our home here in exchange for some advanced knowledge we have."

  The tech for clean energy was freely available but the switch from traditional methods was slow. So much of the world's economy relied on fossil fuels, the humans had to be careful how it was phased out. Tallis's people had also promised advanced medicines, but human physiology was proving problematic. The Jendari healers were working on cures and medical improvements, but the going was slow. No Earth leaders would sanction human trials, and no decent research could be done without them.

  That was a particularly hard failure to acknowledge now he was face to face with the human cubs. Tallis didn't know if his people had the skills to cure these children, but he wished they had the opportunity to find out.

  His anger and frustration swirled inside him and he eased to his feet, using the movement of his body to settle his emotions. Walking over to Jaz he gathered his satchel and lifted the strap over his shoulder.

  "I've brought some things to show you," he said, turning to face the children. "I have photos of Jendar as it used to be." He pulled out a handful and turned to one of the nurses. "May I?"

  "Of course."

  He walked around the room, handing out images that looked enough like human photos for the kids to take them at face value. They started asking questions and when the images proved a hit he dragged out his samples of native Jendari flora. The children and staff were fascinated with his offerings and they all asked questions.

  When the kids began touching him and tentatively holding his hand he fell a little bit in love with them. The Jendari were family oriented and clan ties were as binding as blood ties. Every child in a village belonged to every adult, and as the rhe'hashan belonged to all the clans every child came under their protection. It seemed the soft spot Tallis had for children didn't differentiate between species.

  Every time he looked up at Jaz and saw her approval his chest swelled with something that felt a lot like pride. One hour stretched to two, and the only reason he called a halt to the visit was because some of the cubs were showing fatigue.

  With a promise to return, he packed up his gear and said goodbye to the children. As he waited by the elevator with Jaz, she called hospital security so the secure lift could be sent up.

  "That went really well," Tallis said, gratified by how much he'd enjoyed the encounter. Jaz stood next to him, close enough that her scent invaded him with every breath. His cat arched and scratched, pushing at Tallis to phase. Unwilling to risk ignoring his other half any longer, he reached for Jaz's hand. Linking their fingers together he savored the feel of her silken flesh under
his fingers. As the heat of her palm warmed him, the tigaren began to subside. "Thank you for asking me to come," he said, actually meaning it.

  She laughed and the sound washed over him like sunshine. "Are you kidding? You just turned me into a superstar. I delivered a real-life alien, now these kids will think I can do anything."

  The doors opened and they stepped into the lift, but Tallis didn't release her hand. He listened to her talk about her "kids" and felt his attraction to her intensify with every word. She was bright and beautiful, but it was her big, joyful heart that sang to him. And it was getting harder by the minute to keep his distance. He wanted to bask in her. He wanted to spend time with her. And he really, really wanted to rub up against her stark naked and sweaty.

  Which was why he released her hand and stepped away. He was already in deeper than he could handle, and being around Jaz was bad for his convictions. Humans and Jendari had barely worked out how to do business with each other, personal liaisons of any kind were a long, long, long way down the track. And even if they were permitted, he'd vowed not to give himself to anything or anyone outside his service as rhe'hashan.

  Not to mention the fact that the Jendari had many secrets, and trusting the wrong human could endanger every member of the clans.

  The lift doors opened and Tallis stepped out first to make sure the area was clear. He lifted his head to scent the air, but the smell of fumes was so dense his nose was useless. Relying on his eyes he walked forward.

  He'd only taken two steps when the shots rang out.

  Chapter Six

  Tallis's warrior instincts kicked in a split second before the gun was fired. Flinging himself in front of Jaz he took her to ground, rolling with her to keep them moving. Dragging her behind the nearest car he pulled her into a crouch and then sandwiched her between himself and the vehicle. The left side of his neck was on fire and when he pressed his hand to the wound it came away slick with blood. Compartmentalizing the pain, he switched all of his attention to his immediate surroundings.

  At the sound of screeching tires Tallis eased his head over the hood of the car, just in time to see a vehicle race out of the car park at a suicidal speed. He prayed it was their would-be assassin making a getaway, because he didn't have the weapons to mount an effective defense.

  Jaz wriggled out from behind him, breathless and no doubt very scared. "I'll call security." As she reached for her purse, she noticed the muddy-green substance on her hands.

  "What's that?"

  "My blood." Tallis's voice was tight with pain.

  "Oh, my god, you were hit?" She leaned over him, hands hovering. "We have to get you back upstairs—"

  "No." Keeping one hand tight on his neck, he used the other to grip her wrist. The human hospital wasn't equipped to help him. And, because his mission wasn't officially sanctioned, he couldn't afford to call on his own people. Pushing hard against the throbbing wound, he tried unsuccessfully to stem the blood loss. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he leaned against the car that had provided cover. Realizing he was on borrowed time, Tallis tried to come up with a plan while he was still lucid. "Are you injured, Jasmine?"

  "Not really. Some cuts on my hands and knees, a few bumps. I'm okay"

  "Good." That made things a little easier for him. "I'm losing a lot of blood so I don't have much time. I need you to do exactly as I say, no arguing." Pushing himself from the vehicle he lurched almost upright. "I'll explain everything later, but for now we need to go."

  "Go where?"

  There was only one answer to that question, and it put them both at risk. "My place. You know how to drive?"

  "Yes."

  Tallis turned and started shuffling forward. "My car's over here."

  Jaz hurried up beside him, squeezing herself under his arm on his uninjured side. "But shouldn't we—"

  "No." Slinging his arm over her shoulder he tried not to lean too much of his weight on her, but his legs were dragging and the pain was making him sweat. The only thing that could help him now was to find somewhere safe and quiet so he could phase into his tigaren form. "Just get me in the car."

  It took him three tries to open the door because his blood-smeared hands were confusing the bioscan. Finally he fell into the back seat, gasping and light headed. Fumbling one-handed, he reached into one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out a small rectangular-shaped bottle. He shoved it into her hand, lacking the motor skills for gentle handling. "Tip some of that onto your hand, enough so it covers your palm, then press it onto my wound."

  Her breathing was way too fast and her eyes were wild and uncertain, but she did as he asked. Carefully she poured out the white powder. "Ready?" she asked.

  "Almost." He braced himself. The challys powder was only ever used as a last resort, and only for the most severe wounds. Tallis could feel the bullet had exited his body, but it had done some major damage on the way. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a position to call for help so it was up to him, Jasmine, and the cure-from-hell powder.

  By now his breath was sawing in and out of his body in choppy gasps. He looked up at Jaz, his words running together as he gave her last minute instructions. "Don't be frightened if I cry out, and don't panic if I pass out for a while." Which was more likely than not. "Just get me to my place. My address is in the navigation system."

  "Jesus, Tallis. I'm not sure if I can—"

  "You must." His vision was blurry and the burning pain had spread through his entire body. Blinking the sweat from his eyes, he struggled to focus on her. "Do it now. And for the love of the Goddess, don't lose that bottle."

  Her face was pale and her frightened gaze slid over him as he lay bleeding out on the back seat of the car. Tallis didn't have another verbal plea in him and he couldn't hold his head up any longer. Collapsing back onto the leather, it was all he could do to keep his hand on the bullet wound.

  There was a rustle of cloth and the press of Jaz's knee against his hip.

  "Okay, brace yourself." Her voice seemed to come from far away, but he wasn't so far gone that he didn't hear and understand. When she pushed his hand away from his neck he didn't resist, and he tried to prepare himself for the press of her palm. Her warm, firm touch would have been welcome on its own, but with a layer of challys powder coating her hand the contact was excruciating. The searing heat of the powder roared through his body, streaking out from his wound like bolts of malicious lightning. His vision turned white, then black, then white again. The pain was unbearable and he screamed in agony just heartbeats before he passed out.

  ****

  They were still driving when he regained consciousness, so he knew he hadn't been out for long. Tallis drifted for a while, conserving his strength so he could complete his next task. Jaz parked the car and he struggled to sit up, taking a few moments until his head stopped spinning. The trunk popped, and when Jaz came to open his door she had a fire blanket in her hands.

  She hovered at the opening. "I don't know whose car park I'm using. You might be towed and fined."

  "Don't care." He eased out of the car and allowed Jaz to drape the concealing blanket over his shoulders. "Can you bring my satchel for me?"

  "Of course."

  Pulling the leather bag from the car, Jaz eased the strap over her head. Tallis watched her, clutching his blanket and hitching it high enough to cover his head and face. With a nod to Jaz he aimed himself at the elevators and shuffled off.

  Once again Jaz was right with him, wrapping her arm around his waist and supporting him as best she could. She was a head shorter than him and her soft body was light on muscle, but she offered him everything she could spare. It was enough to keep him steady, and he was beyond grateful for that.

  When they reached the lift, she helped him lean against the concrete wall because he was incapable of standing unsupported. "There's a key card in my pants pocket." His voice was little more than a rasp. "Front right."

  Keeping his eyes closed so he could concentrate on staying upright, Ta
llis felt Jaz's small hands brush against his hip. It was a pity he wasn't in a position to enjoy her touch.

  "Got it." Jaz kept one hand on him until the doors opened and they staggered into the elevator together.

  Tallis cracked one eye open. "Fit the card into the slot at the bottom of the panel. Good. Push thirty-five."

  Thankfully, Jaz simply did as he instructed and they were quiet as the elevator took them express to the penthouse level. The doors pinged open and once again Tallis found himself being gathered up by the courageous human.

  They only had to walk a short distance down the hallway, but by the time they stopped at Tallis's door he was barely tracking. He heard several beeps from the electronic lock and some colorful profanities from Jaz.

  "The card's not working."

  Of course it wasn't. Tallis was so far gone he'd forgotten to sing. Placing his spare hand on the bioscan he sang his song. It came out scratchy and raw, but the Goddess's gifts always ran true. With a soft click the door popped open and they struggled inside.

  Tallis wasn't going to make it to his bedroom. Lurching into the lounge area he tumbled down onto a thick rug that would no doubt become his bed for the evening. With a loud groan he rolled onto his back and the room tilted and swayed with nauseating fluidity. The edges of his vision dimmed as he fought the urge to throw up.

  He felt terrible about what was going to come next, but he was out of choices. "Jasmine."

  She came hurrying over and knelt at his side. "What can I do?"

  "I'm so sorry. I need to phase." Reaching for her hand he laced his blood-slippery fingers with hers. "Whatever happens, don't panic. If you freak out I'll die as sure as if you shot me yourself." He couldn't open his eyes and his thoughts were fuzzy. He knew he wasn't explaining himself properly, but he couldn't get his brain or his tongue to work effectively. "Don't be frightened. Remember that even after I phase I'll still be me. I'll be able to see and hear you, but won't be able to talk back."

  "What?" He could hear the quiver of tears and panic in her voice. "I don't understand."