Return Of The Fontalo
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 18
Cheska had hundreds of pictures on her storage device already. Bergen was every bit as fascinating as they had anticipated. Cabinet members were frequently with them at meal time. They were equally fascinated with the stories about Oriel.
Kenyon, Celyn, Quade, Akira and Neirin left after the captives were sent home. The weather got worse, with heavy snow and dropping temperatures. The lobby was empty and chilly. When Donte was with Cheska and Gaige, he was often withdrawn. Something was troubling him. Obviously, the situation with the Fontalo ship and the missing troops would be on his mind, but Cheska had the feeling it was more than that. He seemed restless. Maybe it was the waiting. She had reached the point that she told Gaige she thought they should go back to the ship when something unexpected happened.
Cheska was filming the snow falling when Gaige called her attention to two figures skating on the pond. Cheska began filming them. She was certain one was Donte. The other was a woman in a long dress. They circled each other, gracefully completing leaps and twirls. Gradually they worked closer to each other until they were skating side by side. Their feet made quick movements that were revealed only in the tossing of the snow that had collected on the ice. Finally, they faced each other, dipping and twirling, the snow flying from the surface of the pond with each lift of their feet. They moved together as one. The scene was surreal as the snow fell around them. Cheska had never seen anything like it.
“Are you getting this?” Gaige asked in an anxious tone.
“I’ve been recording all of it.”
The two danced across the ice, completely choreographed, as if listening to music. Their performance was flawless – magnificent. Even so, the most sensational part of all came as the performance ended. The two came together and Donte pulled the woman into his arms. They embraced and kissed for a long time.
Cheska stopped filming and looked at Gaige. He lifted his brows. “I wonder who she is.”
Cheska was certain she knew. This was why Donte had indicated no interest in any of the women up to this point. Donte had a mate. But why would he keep that a secret when Quade and Kenyon were so open about theirs?
Cheska sighed. “Just when I think I have seen everything and it’s time to return to the ship.”
The two figures removed their skates and began walking toward the Groot Thuis. Cheska looked at Gaige. “I have a feeling they would be disappointed at finding us here.”
He chuckled. “Let’s go into the kitchen.”
They were in the kitchen when Donte and the woman came into the lobby. Donte’s deep voice was unmistakable. Hers was soft as they spoke in their language. They passed the kitchen without looking inside and paused at the lift. As they stepped inside, Donte took her into his arms again. The doors closed and they were gone.
Cheska stared at her camera, wondering if she had captured something that would be met with disapproval by Donte. Of course, there was nothing inappropriate about what she had filmed. She lifted her gaze to Gaige, who was watching her with a surprised expression.
“Wow,” he said. “I never would have guessed. Donte has a mistress.”
Cheska shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Why would you assume that when it could just as easily be his mate?”
He shrugged. “They don’t live together. Why would he hide his mate when everyone else is proudly displaying theirs? He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s having an affair.”
Cheska groaned. “Obviously, just like he and Beier were obviously homosexuals.”
“I never said that. I said maybe they were – as in, it was a possibility.”
She sighed. “Maybe he’ll bring her down for the evening meal.”
Gaige laughed. “I doubt it.”
Gaige was right. Donte didn’t bring the woman down for the evening meal. When members of the council arrived for the meal, they didn’t ask where Donte was. Apparently, they knew, so it wasn’t as much a secret as she had first thought. Hopefully Donte would introduce her in the morning.
***
Donte lay awake beside Rianne. It was comforting to have her by his side again, but he wished she had not left the complex. His objection wasn’t so much that she had left the complex as it was that he didn’t know how he was going to get her back there without leaving a trail anyone could follow. There were still some Fontalo troops out there somewhere. Rianne wanted to stay with him and he wanted her to stay, but what about the children? One of them should be with the children and it couldn’t be him.
Rianne was convinced that it was safe for all of them to return. She might be right, but he didn’t think so. He was certain that it wasn’t over yet. The captain was waiting on something – probably a Fontalo spaceship or fleet of spaceships. The Oriel spaceship would be no help. Gaige and Cheska might be on their side, but there was little they could do to defend them.
He rolled on his side and gazed down at Rianne while she slept. He wanted to kiss her awake and love her again but his stomach was already complaining about a missed meal. He had neglected their guests last night. It wouldn’t be right to miss the morning meal with them as well. He wanted to introduce Rianne to them but he had no idea how he was going to explain her absence up to this point, or her sudden appearance. It would be obvious he had been hiding her. They would wonder why he hid his mate when Quade and Kenyon didn’t hide theirs. He didn’t want them to know about the children.
He rolled over and sat up, careful not to wake Rianne. He reached for his trousers and stopped when a hand gripped his arm. He looked down at Rianne.
She was smiling; a tantalizing twinkle in her eyes. He abandoned his clothes and turned back to her. He could see the others any time. This might be his last opportunity to be alone with Rianne.
Donte and Rianne arrived in the kitchen as everyone was leaving. Their morning meal was further delayed when everyone stopped to welcome Rianne. Donte wasn’t the only one who had missed her.
Cheska and Gaige sat back down at a table and waited. When the others left, they looked up at Donte expectantly.
Donte took Rianne’s hand and led her to them. “This is my mate, Rianne.” He looked at Rianne. “Rianne, this is Gaige and Cheska from Oriel.”
Rianne extended a hand in greeting, speaking in their language. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. I hope you’re enjoying your stay.”
Cheska accepted her hand eagerly. “Yes, we’re enjoying our visit. We’re delighted to meet you. We had no idea that Donte had a mate. What a surprise.”
Gaige shook Rianne’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Rianne looked at Donte, shifting back to the language of Bergen. “Go ahead and sit down. I’ll see if I can find something to tame that beast in your stomach.” Her eyes were twinkling with mischief.
Donte smiled and took a seat at the table. He had missed her in so many ways. It would be difficult to send her back, but it wasn’t safe for her to be there right now.
Rianne turned to approach the counter, but stopped when she saw Weja carrying two platters of food. She smiled. “Oh, thank you Weja. You must have heard Donte’s stomach calling.”
Weja placed one of the platters in front of Donte and winked at him. “Was that your stomach? I thought it was thunder.”
Donte laughed. When Gaige and Cheska looked confused, he spoke in their language. “They’re teasing me about my grumbling stomach.”
Weja went back to the kitchen and Donte began devouring his food. Rianne watched him for a moment and then shrugged.
“It’s a good thing I came back. You shouldn’t be skipping meals.”
Donte jerked his head up and looked at her. He hadn’t skipped any meals until she came back. She met his gaze, her expression sober, but her eyes revealing humor. She was daring him to dispute her claim.
He shook his head and chuckled. He wasn’t going to get into that.
Donte had almost finished his meal when he sensed someone entering the building. He focused on the person, feeling tense. It was Chait. Donte stood and faced the door, motioning the others to move out of the way. He sensed danger.
Chait slowly approached the door, pausing, as if uncertain where to go.
“In here, Chait,” Donte called. He reached in his pocket for his laser weapon. Chait wasn’t likely to do him any harm until he discovered where Donica was, but there was no point in taking chances – especially with the others in the room.
Chait suddenly stepped around the door. Without a word, he lifted a musket and fired at Donte.
Donte was completely taken by surprise. He didn’t get his weapon lifted enough to fire it before the ball exploded against his skull. The weapon slipped from his hand and his knees collapsed as he lost consciousness.
***
Cheska gasped as Donte dropped to the floor without a sound, the weapon clattering across the floor. Rianne cried out and ran to him, dropping to her knees on the floor beside him. She grabbed the weapon from the floor, but the man turned and ran from the room. They heard his steps across the hardwood floor and the sound of the door shutting. Rianne tucked the weapon into her pocket and turned to Donte.
Seconds later, some of the cabinet members raced into the room. Bastiaan and Cariel joined Rianne at Donte’s side and the rest looked on in shocked silence.
Weja came from the kitchen and stood over them, her hands clutched together at her chin. She asked Rianne something – probably if Donte was still alive.
Rianne looked at Weja, her voice calm as she spoke. Weja raced from the room while Rianne continued to examine Donte. Rianne looked at Cheska and Gaige. “Could you get me some clean napkins?”
They ran to the kitchen and found the clean napkins. Returning, they gave them to Rianne.
There was a gash on the side of Donte’s forehead, above his temple, and blood on the floor. Rianne folded the napkin and placed it over the wound, pressing on it. Obviously, Donte was still alive. That could probably be attributed to the fact that the man had been too hasty and not taken proper aim. Why would the man want to kill Donte? There was only one-man Cheska could think of who would want Donte dead, and that was the captain. But Donte seemed to know the man and apparently didn’t trust him. Obvious to Cheska was the fact that Donte didn’t think the man was going to kill him – not immediately, anyway. He didn’t have his weapon out and ready.
Rianne unhooked Donte’s medallion from his jacket and clipped it to her dress. She tapped it and asked for Adriaan. When Adriaan answered, she spoke to him in the language of Bergen. Her voice was calm and her manner confident.
Bastiaan watched her while she talked. When she finished, he gave her an encouraging smile. Whatever she said, he liked it – or maybe he merely appreciated the way she was handling things. For a woman who obviously adored Donte, she was remarkably composed.
Weja returned with a man who was carrying a case – a doctor, no doubt. He knelt beside Donte and examined him for a few minutes. He looked up at the others and asked for something. Two of the onlookers left to get whatever it was he wanted. He turned back to Donte and lifted one of his eyelids and then the other. It was difficult to determine if he saw something good or bad. He was as composed as Rianne.
Rianne took Donte’s hand in hers and gazed down at his face. She gently pushed the hair back from his forehead and stroked his hair.
The two men returned with a stretcher. Suddenly everyone was there to help. Cheska and Gaige stepped back to get out of the way.
The group carefully braced Donte’s neck and rolled him on his side. Two men tucked the stretcher under him and the rest of them rolled Donte on his back, gently placing him on the stretcher. They lifted him from the floor while two others shoved two tables together, making an examination table. Donte was gently placed on the table where the doctor proceeded to dress his wound.
Cheska squatted and used one of the napkins to clean Donte’s blood from the floor. She glanced around to make sure no one was looking but Gaige and removed a vial from her pocket, scooping some of Donte’s blood into it as she cleaned the mess. She pushed the cap on the vial and dropped it into her pocket. She would put it with the vials of samples she had taken from the pond and other places. She finished cleaning the floor and stood as Beier entered the room.
Beier’s expression was clearly distressed. His gaze briefly fell on Cheska before concentrating on the group around Donte. He looked at the doctor and asked him something. He looked at Rianne and said something about Adriaan. She nodded. He watched Donte for a few more minutes before turning to Cheska and Gaige.
“The doctor thinks he will regain consciousness in a while.” He shook his head. “I got a call from Adriaan telling me what had happened. I got here as fast as I could.” He grimaced. “Adriaan was furious. He asked where the security was. Apparently, they recognized Chait and let him in, gun and all.” He shook his head again. “For what it’s worth, we caught Chait.”
“Who is Chait?” Cheska asked. “Why would he want to kill Donte?”
Beier’s expression became wary. “He used to be the President of Lochfowk, but he was removed from office. I think he holds Donte responsible.”
Cheska had a feeling there was a lot that Beier was leaving out. Akira had said her sister used to be the President of Lochfowk. Was there a connection?
Donte lifted a knee and groaned. All eyes riveted on him. He blinked his eyes a few times before focusing on the faces around him. He tried to sit up, but the doctor held him down, speaking to him gently.
***
Donte woke to find people gathered around him. It took a moment, but he eventually remembered what happened. His first thought was the safety of Rianne, but she was standing beside him. The next thing he thought of was Cheska and Gaige. He didn’t see them. He tried to sit up.
“Easy now,” the doctor said. “You’re going to have a monster of a headache.”
Donte looked at Rianne. “Are Cheska and Gaige all right?”
She nodded and motioned to someone. Cheska and Gaige appeared beside him, both obviously pleased about something. It didn’t matter. They hadn’t been harmed. Chait had completely taken him by surprise when he lifted the musket and fired without saying anything. Chait wasn’t searching for Donica and Tavin. He was there to kill, not get answers. Why?
Beier leaned over him. “We got Chait. I’m sorry about all this. The guard recognized Chait and let him come into the building.”
Donte frowned. “Did he say why he did it?”
Beier shook his head. “He hasn’t said anything yet as far as I know.”
Donte squeezed Rianne’s hand. “Something is wrong. I don’t feel…” He didn’t get the entire sentence out before the muscles tightened all over his body. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t. His jaws were clamped tight and his tongue wouldn’t move. Rianne looked horrified. He couldn’t breathe and his eyes wouldn’t move. The room faded away.
Donte gasped a lung full of air and looked at Rianne. She still held his hand, but her face was pale. She was looking at the doctor. He was saying something about a seizure. Donte felt confused and thoroughly exhausted. He clung to Rianne’s hand as fear clutched his heart. It took several attempts before he could speak.
“What’s happening to me?”
She squeezed his hand and forced a smile. “You had a seizure. We’re going to take you to the Oriel ship. They have a machine there that will scan your brain to make sure there isn’t any bleeding inside your head. Adriaan has sent a shuttle. It should be here soon.”
“Where’s Beier?”
“I’m right here,” Beier said, leaning over Donte again. “I’ll look after things while you’re gone. You’ll be fine.”
Donte looked back at Rianne. “Are you coming with me?”
He was willing to face almost anything alone, but this was the scariest thing he had ever experienced. He had no control over his mind or body. He felt weak and confused. Part of him didn’t want Rianne to see him this way, but the idea of having her there beside him was comforting.
She gave his hand another squeeze. “I’ll be right beside you all the time.”
“Rianne,” he gasped as another seizure gripped him.
Donte woke on the shuttle with no idea how he got there. He was strapped into a seat that was leaned back. Rianne was in the seat beside him, holding his hand.
He looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Rianne.”
She looked surprised. “For what?”
He frowned. He couldn’t remember what he was going to tell her. “I don’t know.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I’m afraid,” he blurted. It wasn’t what he intended to say, but it was true.
She smiled. “So am I, but we’ll get through this – together.”
“If I don’t make it…” He wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do if he didn’t make it, but he wanted her to be safe.
She stroked his hair. “You’ll make it. I can’t think of it any other way.”
Maybe he would, but hopefully he wouldn’t become a burden to her.
He didn’t have another seizure until they boarded the Centaurus. By that time, he was so exhausted that the only thing he cared about was sleep. Thankfully, he lost consciousness again.
When he woke again, Rianne was sleeping in a chair beside him. He lay still, wondering what they had found. He felt better and his mind felt clear again. He wanted to get up, but his hand was attached to some kind of machine with tubes coming out of it. Another hose was shooting air up his nose. If this was the way he had to live for the rest of his life, he’d rather die.
As he became aware of his surroundings, he spotted his clothing on a chair. He lifted the sheet and studied the situation. A tube emerged from under the gown and hung off the bed. Once again, he was confined to a hospital bed and connected to tubes after someone tried to kill him. Hopefully this time his recovery would be faster.
Rianne woke and looked at him. She smiled. “Finally, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
He exhaled in an audible sigh. “I wish people would stop trying to kill me.”
She nodded. “That would be a pleasant change.
He actually meant that he wished people would work out their problems instead of trying to eliminate them by terminating him. Surely by now they realized that killing him wouldn’t resolve the issue.
He looked at Rianne. “What did the tests reveal?”
“You had some swelling in your brain. They gave you some medicine for that.” She nodded at the machine attached to his hand. “You should be able to go home tomorrow.”
“How long have I been here?”
“About twelve hours.”
He gasped. “I’ve been asleep that long?”
She took his hand in hers. “The doctor said that was normal after all the seizures. She said you’d probably be sore, too.”
He frowned. “What doctor?”
Rianne smiled again. “They have a doctor here on the Centaurus. Dr. Oriana. She’s a good one, too.”
Donte looked at the door, sensing someone nearing it. “When did Dad get here?”
Rianne was silent and when he looked at her, she was frowning. “I don’t think he is here. Why do you think that?”
A knock on the door prompted Rianne to respond. "Come in."
Quade stepped into the room and smiled at Donte. “Oh, so you’re awake.” He walked over and stood beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”
Donte reached out a hand to him. “I’m ready to go home.”
Quade gripped his forearm and squeezed it. “Let’s try elevating your head a little and see how that goes.” He released Donte’s arm and reached behind the bed, elevating it. “If that goes well, we’ll lift it some more. Then we’ll try letting you stand.”
Donte was ready to stand, but he didn’t want to argue. He’d given them enough trouble already. Instead, he changed the subject.
“Did Chait ever say why he attacked me?”
Quade looked uneasy and glanced at Rianne. When she shrugged, his attention came back to Donte.
“He said they offered him a deal. If he killed you, they would spare Donica and Tavin.”
Donte frowned. “They? Who is they?”
“Apparently, some more men the captain left behind. They keep popping up, don’t they?”
Donte looked at Rianne. “I hope the captain is aware that I’m not dead. He’s likely to try something with me out of the way.”
Rianne smiled. “I reminded him that he wasn’t to move his ship and any shuttles sent our way would be eliminated.”
Donte had to smile at the mental picture of Rianne talking to the captain. It might be more pleasant talking to her, but she could be tougher. His gaze settled on the medallion pinned to her dress.
She followed his gaze. “I hope you don’t mind, but I am your second.” She reached to unclip it from her dress.
“Leave it there,” Donte said. “You are my second. I knew you would be a good one. What did the captain say?”
She shrugged. “Nothing, but he is complying.”
Quade sighed and sat in a chair on the opposite side of Donte’s bed from Rianne. “The Prophesy says that the colonists will turn on the Mascots, not other Mascots.”
“And Celyn had a vision that she would exchange vows with me,” Donte said. “If we accept only what we have heard of The Prophesy and reject anything else that comes up, hasn’t it become a self-fulfilling Prophesy?” He sighed. “In any case, the Lochfowk colonists have turned on Chait. They removed him from office and replaced him with a colonist. Their all-Mascot council must be quivering in their boots about now.”
Quade studied Donte’s face. “And the colonists of Bergen have remained loyal to you.”
Donte nodded. “So far they have. Maybe they haven’t been approached with the right motivation. I can’t blame Chait for trying to kill me, given the circumstances. He already had reason to hate me.”
Rianne squeezed Donte’s hand. “He had no reason to blame you for all his problems.”
“That’s true, but he did, all the same.”
Quade cocked his head to the side and looked at Donte. “How are you feeling?”
Donte smiled. “Like I’m ready to go home.”
Quade chuckled as he stood and reached behind the bed, bringing it more upright. “Let’s go at this slowly. We don’t want you to have a relapse.”
Donte lifted his hand. “When do I get this off?”
Quade shrugged. “You’ll have to ask the doctor that put it in. I don’t know how long you’ll need to take the medicine.”
Someone knocked on the open door and they all looked at the woman in the doorway. She smiled at Donte. “You look much better now. How do you feel?”
Donte glanced at Quade. “I’ve been telling Dad that I feel well enough to go home.”
Quade stepped around to the other side of the bed and the woman moved to Donte’s side. “I’m Dr. Oriana. Let’s see how you’re doing.” She pulled a small light from her pocket and flashed it in each of his eyes. Taking his chin in her hand, she turned his head to the side so she could lift the bandage and look at the wound on his head. She sat beside him on the bed and looked at his face. “Do you heal quickly?”
Donte shrugged and looked at Quade. The process of healing always seemed slow, but he couldn’t say if he healed any faster than anyone else.
Quade nodded. “Quicker than most.”
Donte looked into her eyes, seeking her reason for asking. It occurred to him that her question had nothing to do with his present condition; that she was interested in how Mascots healed in comparison to colonists. Was he a person to her, or merely an abnormality?
“What did you discover with the tests?” He asked.
She met his gaze. “You had some swelling in your brain. It looks like the medicine is taking care of that. I’ll take you off the IV and send you home with some pills.”
Donte’s throat constricted. “Fontalo dispensed some medicine once, and started a plague.”
She nodded. “I heard about that, but I hope you realize that we’re not like Fontalo. We are motivated by compassion, not wealth.” She smiled. “But I understand your concern. I’ll send some pills with you. If you start having seizures again, take one every four hours. Otherwise, rest. Don’t bounce around or do anything strenuous for a week.”
She removed a bottle from her pocket and put some clear gel on her hands, rubbing it in before she started working on his hand. She carefully removed the tape and pulled something from his vein. For a moment she held a ball of cotton tight against it.
Donte looked at her. “Did you take a sample of blood from me?”
She avoided his gaze, chewing on her lower lip as she examined his hand. She was silent long enough that he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Finally, she lifted her gaze to his. “Yes.”
They continued to look into each other’s eyes. “Why,” he asked in a quiet voice.
She looked down, placing a tape over the cotton ball. “We know so little about you.”
He leaned back and kept his voice calm in spite of the turmoil he felt inside. “I’m not a lab animal.”
Every eye in the room was on her, waiting to see how she would respond.
Her gaze lifted to his, as if seeking forgiveness. She sighed. “When we came here, we expected to find beasts of some sort – mostly animal and part human. Our orders were to warn you about Fontalo, but we were concerned about the colonists. We thought you were ruling them against their will.” Her gaze drifted over Donte’s face. “Instead, we found warm and gentle people in positions of leadership at the will of the colonists. You have been victimized repeatedly by Fontalo – first in the tampering of genetics and then betrayed with a serum. You were abandoned and now they want to treat you as if you were their property. I don’t know how we can help you.” Her gaze lifted sympathetically to include the others. “I don’t know if I can help any of you, but I’d like to try.”
It was difficult to remain upset with her. She wasn’t acting out of curiosity. She had been motivated by compassion. He put a hand over hers. “The sample will tell you about me, but don’t judge all Mascots by my blood. I’m a mixture.”
She nodded. “I know.” She stood and removed the hose from his face. “There you go. Now I’ll remove the catheter and you can get dressed. Do you need help getting dressed?”
Donte’s neck felt warm. She wasn’t being forward. She simply wanted to make sure he didn’t fall. He looked at Rianne. “If I do, Rianne can help me.”
The doctor nodded. “Good.” Her gaze went to Rianne. “If he’s like most men, you’ll probably have to tie him to the bed to keep him from doing anything, but encourage him to rest as much as possible.”
Rianne nodded, her gaze seeking Donte’s. She wanted to tease him about something, but she was holding back. The humor was there in her eyes, but she refused to let it escape to her lips.
Everyone left the room except Rianne and the doctor. Donte examined the ceiling while the doctor removed the catheter. She completed the task without comment and left the room.
Rianne watched him dress, her eyes still expressing humor. As he tucked his shirt into his trousers, she finally could contain it no longer.
“Your face turned red when she asked you if you needed help getting dressed.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Rather silly, wasn’t it? Who undressed me?”
Rianne laughed. “Who knows? Maybe someone is watching you now.”
Donte instinctively looked around the room. He didn’t actually expect anyone to be watching, but it crossed his mind that if they would take blood samples that weren’t required, they would probably take the opportunity to examine him in other ways. He shook his head. “They’d be disappointed. I don’t have a tail. I look like any human.”
Rianne lifted her brows. “Oh, I doubt they’d be disappointed. They might be surprised, but not disappointed…assuming they were women.”
“You’re not making me feel any better. I already feel a little violated.”
She instantly sobered. “I was only joking, Donte.”
“I know.” He buttoned his trousers. Grabbing his uniform jacket, he shrugged into it and headed for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Soft Science Fiction
