Being back on the Vandar vessel with its dark, cavernous core and web of crossing walkways and bridges soaring above us brought it all back. Suddenly, a lifetime of memories slammed into me, from battle training to missions to being taken captive while on Lexxona. Not only did I remember everything that had vanished from my brain, I knew who I was.
Not in the sense of being told my name and my position, which Skye had kindly done. I knew in my heart who I was and what Ibelieved, thought, and knew. Above all, I knew what it was to be Vandar and what it meant to be home.
“Is any of this familiar?” she asked in a voice that wasn’t much more than a whisper.
I moved my head up and down woodenly. “All of it. I remember all of it.”
“You do?”
I pulled my gaze from the warbird and met her eyes. “I do. Seeing this has brought it all back.”
Her eyes were glassy as she smiled at me. “I’m so happy for you, Kolt. I knew you’d remember, eventually.”
I wanted to tell her that my remembering didn’t change anything, but that felt like a lie. Already, I felt different. But through all of it, I did not feel differently about her. Even though that suddenly felt like a strange thing for me. I shook off that confusing thought. I could think about all that later.
My throat tightened as I stood, eager to set my foot down on Vandar steel. I slid a quick look at Skye, fighting not to race off the enemy vessel. “Vaes.”
It was less of an order and more of a plea.
Her smile hadn’t dimmed, but she waved a hand at me to go ahead.
Then I was moving from the cockpit and waiting impatiently for the ramp to lower. When Skye joined me, I did smile at her. “They found us. Our transmission worked.”
“You were right,” she said, but her voice was quiet, almost timid, which was not like her.
But there was no time to question it. The ramp hit the hangar bay floor with a clatter, and I strode briskly off the enemy vessel to where the Raas waited with Venik to one side and the human we’d taken from Lexxona as Wrexxon’s war bride on the other.
I clicked my heels together the moment I stepped off the ramp. “Raas Wrexxon.”
The Vandar’s usually stern expression melted away, and he yanked me into a firm embrace, pounding me on the back. “It is good to see you, my Vandar brother.”
This show of regard startled me, but I clasped my arms around him in return. “You as well, Qeth’rex.”
Wrexxon released me with a gruff laugh. “You have much to tell us, and we have much to discuss.”
Before I could turn to check on Skye, the female beside Wrexxon let out a deafening shriek and raced up the ramp to throw her arms around Skye.
“My mate has been worried about her friend,” the Raas said, eyeing the humans with amusement.
Along with my memories of my life and my past, I’d also remembered that one of my core beliefs was that humans could not be trusted. I’d been wary of the war bride plan, and I’d been disdainful of the Raas taking a human as a bride. I’d always thought that the famous Raas brothers who’d taken human females as Raisas had been mad, and the idea of finding a human woman anything more than barely tolerable would have been unthinkable.
I almost groaned out loud as I thought about Skye working with me to escape, tending to my wound, and risking herself tosave me. Then I thought of her beneath me, her breathy moans, her intoxicating tightness, her sweet taste.
“Battle chief?”
I swung my head to Venik. “Yes?”
“Were you injured?” the majak asked, cocking his head to one side.
I glanced at my leg and the bandage that was revealed by my kilt. “I was, but the human tended to me.”
Venik’s dark brows lifted in undisguised surprise. “She did?”
I wrenched my gaze from the two women hugging on the ramp. “She is quite capable.”
Wrexxon grunted. “That may be so, but we should have the healer look at you before you return to duty.”
I flinched at this. “There is no time. I need to tell you what we learned about the Zagrath and their plan.” I stepped closer and glanced around, as if spies might lurk behind the metal drums of fuel. “Raas, the Zagrath placed a tracker on one of the rebels we rescued. They wish to lure you into a trap. We need to remove the rebel and take evasive action.”
