CAUTION: This is a completely unbelievable, profane, fantasy romp. All characters are unfortunately fictional, as are all the events. Hopefully this chapter will start to clear a few of the mysteries up, I know it's not making much sense right now, but I swear I have a plan! (a cunning plan!)
*Author's deep bow of appreciation: I would just like to say thank you for all the comments I've been getting, I find it spurs me on when my own attempts at self flagellation fail.
So as always, strap yourselves in, get ready for takeoff, and please enjoy!
1
Like much in my life, my new one that is, this was definitely a new experience. Actually everything about the day before was a new experience. I could confidently put my hand on my heart and swear that it was all brand, spanking, new. Not that I had liked any of it, except for the final part with Ray holding me, but hey, new was different so I wasn't about to knock it. Which was also new. I did not feel like complaining, I did not feel like bemoaning my fate, I did not feel like being miserable, despite how I had conked it the day before. In fact, I was feeling perfectly myself, which definitely if I was in any way bothered enough to think about it, did not compute. I wasn't even mildly rabid or angry or spewing emotions like fear and hate and bloodlust. Instead I just floated on my own private fluffy cloud. It was quite nice actually, but if I thought about it, when had I ever been this calm? No seriously. Did Ray dart me with a tranquiliser while I was sleeping? Now that would be like much in my life. I could totally cast me as the girl that has a huge gorgeous man more interested in stabbing her naked arse with a big needle, just to make sure she's asleep and stays that way, than in well, anything more interesting. In fact the picture sprang with a little too much ease to mind. It made a horrid kind of gelid sense with the image of myself as I had been before Ray had slung me over his shoulder and brought me right bang slap into his life. Though to give credit to the changing events, my new and improved current image said, no way, I was now Ray's mate and if Ray had stabbed me, well I could stab him right back. Maybe... Perhaps... Oh all right, I was too content and calm to stab him.
I sighed softly at my completely limp noodle approach to men. Well.. one man.. well.. one paladin. I murmured softly and snuggled a little bit more firmly into him, quite content with my noodleness. It was quite hard trying to get all the goo out of the way, but I finally did it and our bodies melded together blissfully. I started to drift off again, completely sidetracked, busy contemplating the perfection of my paladin's biceps and other parts when the murmuring started.
"How much longer Doctor? " the voice sounded impatient "The Matriarch has summoned them. They must attend her the soonest possible. I don't know if you've realised how critical this situation actually is! "
"Peace Little Lila, I can do nothing, the Introspek Med. Vortex allows the patients to recover according to the absolute pace that their metabolisms require. No faster and no slower. "
"You have to give me a time line! Something! " the voice had turned from snotty to desperate. "What am I going to tell her Holiness? How can you send me back to her to tell her that she has to wait on their pleasure? " her voice had turned young and very very pleading, a far cry from the snooty official tone she had first employed.
"Lila, I just don't know. " Janus sighed, "their mating is different, we've only seen telio-contiogen-interchange bonds a handful of times. All I know is that they are progressing through the exchange much faster than anyone ever has. They are swapping emotions, characteristics, tendencies and reactions so fast that they cannot process them properly. And while the phenomenon itself has proved beyond doubt that Alice is not human, I don't know what she is, and that leaves me as much in the dark as anyone else. Just be grateful that we have the I.M.V. to help smooth the transition. Before its invention chances of surviving the bonding were only 15%." Janus sighed again, worry penetrating his tone. I wondered idly how high the chances of survival were with the I.M.V.
"They'll be all right, won't they Janus? " Lila whispered, her voice sounding young and scared.
"Well, they're both strong, but I don't know if their spirits match. Ray is a black paladin, his strength exceeds that of most beings, if he outweighs her even slightly they'll both die. The partners have to be a perfect match in everything, even strength, or the bond destroys one; and if the other doesn't die from the shock they soon die from grief. "
Lila gasped. " I didn't know... " she choked out. "I thought they would just stay in I.M.V for a few hours and that would be it. What am I going to tell her Holiness? Oh, Janus, I can't believe that they might die! I just can't! "
"Lila, I know you've admired Ray for some time, but you have to be brave. " his voice turned husky with longing "Alice and Ray love each other greatly, I'm sure they'll be just fine... please, make sure that you are too. "
"I have to go back to her Holiness, " whispered Lila "and give her the news. I'm sure they'll both be fine, " her voice hitched as it raised in mock cheerfulness "after all, they have such a wonderful doctor! "
I could hear her hasty footsteps as she left and wondered at the little exchange. Her Holiness huh? And what was that between Janus and Lila? Well, the outside world would have to wait, I was still drifting on my cloud and I had absolutely no urge to get off of it any time soon. I wondered how long Ray was going to sleep and then smiled as I turned myself even more tightly into his body. I didn't mind how long he slept as long as I got to cuddle with him like this.
As the day wore on Ray lay still as a stone, but I drifted in and out, never really breaking the barrier into wakefulness, but sometimes aware of the outside world. We got a lot of visitors. It turned out that both Ray and I were popular. Everyone wished us well and they were all worried. I couldn't understand it really, I felt fine, so did Ray, but it warmed my heart to know that we had been accepted as a couple so completely. It made me feel all pink and fuzzy inside as I lay there listening and I hoped that in some way Ray could hear too. It would do my paladin good to know how much he was loved and respected by the people of Angel's Peak.
When next I rose out of deep oblivion I realised that Ray was finally awake. I smiled in pleasure as my heart thumped sluggishly, my low level of enthusiasm a bit weird, but I couldn't bring myself to mind.
"Hey you. " he whispered, his mouth nudging my ear, "I know you're awake little cat and I thoroughly intend to take advantage of it. "