Wray instantly
wanted to pull back his words. He hadn’t meant to remind her of
what had happened to her with the telling of his story, but he saw
that he had.
“Yeah, I discovered that.” Kim hugged her
knees to her chest and resting her chin on them tried to block out
the pain the Ganglians had caused.
“I am sorry , Kim, I
never meant….”
“Finish it.” She demanded hoarsely, closing
her eyes.
Wray closed the distance between them, but
stopped just short of touching her. He hated that his careless
words had caused her pain. All of this was common knowledge for a
Tornian, but he had forgotten that it wasn’t for her. “A Kaliszian
discovered what was happening, but instead of stopping it, he used
that knowledge to work out a new trade treaty with the Emperor,
trading their excess food supplies for his silence. That is why
nearly every food bearing plant in their Universe has become
extinct. They must now rely on the Tornian Empire to feed their
people.”
“Why do you help them? Why don’t you treat
them as you do the Ganglians?” Kim whispered.
Wray strained to hear her words and found he
was ashamed of the reason. “Because we need their energy crystals
and the jewels our females demand for Joining.”
Opening her eyes, Kim found Wray had slid
across the blanket to her side, his eyes full of concern and
regret. She could feel how much he hurt for her and somehow it
helped drive back the worst of the pain. Turning her head to the
side, she tried to understand everything he had told her.
Centuries ago, a man had raped his daughters.
He had been punished and died for his crimes, but the repercussions
were still being felt by his people and by her, because he was the reason she had been raped. She wanted to be strong about
this, wanted to rise above what had happened to her, but she just
couldn’t and her tears started to flow. It was too much, too soon,
t o o fresh... maybe it always would be.
Wray watched helplessly as the tears Kim had
so bravely fought to hold back, overflowed her beautiful green eyes
and he could feel her pain as if it were his own. “Kim…” was all he
said and opened his arms.
Kim found herself diving into the comfort and
safety Wray offered. She felt like she was breaking into a million
pieces and she didn’t know how to stop it. Didn’t know how to put
herself back together. “I’m sorry.” She whispered against his
chest.
“You have nothing to be sorry for Kim. You
have every right to cry.” He encouraged not knowing where his words
were coming from. When Adana had become upset, he had been grateful
she secluded herself in her rooms. But not with Kim, with Kim he
wanted to be there for her, wanted to comfort her, hold her and
make everything right. “I am here , Kim,
you cry all you want. I have you and you are safe.” He promised as
he gently rocked her.
Wray didn’t know how long he sat there
rocking her, absorbing her pain as her tears ran down his chest.
All he knew was it seemed like a lifetime before her sobs lessened
and the tears ceased. When he felt her go lax in his arms, he
looked down and found she’d fallen into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter Five
Kim just shook her head as her parents
waltzed around the kitchen to their favorite Neil Diamond song.
This always happened, no matter where they were, no matter what
they were doing, when they heard this song, they danced. Her
parents were such goofs.
"What are you smirking at over
there , Kimmy?" her father asked as he
dipped her mother.
"You two.” She said, sitting on a stool by
the island. “How many years have you been doing this?"
"Close to thirty years," he replied,
" I t was the first song your mom and I ever
danced to."
"At the fall dance our freshman year." Her
mother said, smiling up her father. "You cut in on Jerry
Thomas."
"Damn straight, that guy had two left feet. I
had to save your pretty toes."
"My hero." she gushed as he twirled her.
“Always , babe.”
The image merged into
wanted to pull back his words. He hadn’t meant to remind her of
what had happened to her with the telling of his story, but he saw
that he had.
“Yeah, I discovered that.” Kim hugged her
knees to her chest and resting her chin on them tried to block out
the pain the Ganglians had caused.
“I am sorry , Kim, I
never meant….”
“Finish it.” She demanded hoarsely, closing
her eyes.
Wray closed the distance between them, but
stopped just short of touching her. He hated that his careless
words had caused her pain. All of this was common knowledge for a
Tornian, but he had forgotten that it wasn’t for her. “A Kaliszian
discovered what was happening, but instead of stopping it, he used
that knowledge to work out a new trade treaty with the Emperor,
trading their excess food supplies for his silence. That is why
nearly every food bearing plant in their Universe has become
extinct. They must now rely on the Tornian Empire to feed their
people.”
“Why do you help them? Why don’t you treat
them as you do the Ganglians?” Kim whispered.
Wray strained to hear her words and found he
was ashamed of the reason. “Because we need their energy crystals
and the jewels our females demand for Joining.”
Opening her eyes, Kim found Wray had slid
across the blanket to her side, his eyes full of concern and
regret. She could feel how much he hurt for her and somehow it
helped drive back the worst of the pain. Turning her head to the
side, she tried to understand everything he had told her.
Centuries ago, a man had raped his daughters.
He had been punished and died for his crimes, but the repercussions
were still being felt by his people and by her, because he was the reason she had been raped. She wanted to be strong about
this, wanted to rise above what had happened to her, but she just
couldn’t and her tears started to flow. It was too much, too soon,
t o o fresh... maybe it always would be.
Wray watched helplessly as the tears Kim had
so bravely fought to hold back, overflowed her beautiful green eyes
and he could feel her pain as if it were his own. “Kim…” was all he
said and opened his arms.
Kim found herself diving into the comfort and
safety Wray offered. She felt like she was breaking into a million
pieces and she didn’t know how to stop it. Didn’t know how to put
herself back together. “I’m sorry.” She whispered against his
chest.
“You have nothing to be sorry for Kim. You
have every right to cry.” He encouraged not knowing where his words
were coming from. When Adana had become upset, he had been grateful
she secluded herself in her rooms. But not with Kim, with Kim he
wanted to be there for her, wanted to comfort her, hold her and
make everything right. “I am here , Kim,
you cry all you want. I have you and you are safe.” He promised as
he gently rocked her.
Wray didn’t know how long he sat there
rocking her, absorbing her pain as her tears ran down his chest.
All he knew was it seemed like a lifetime before her sobs lessened
and the tears ceased. When he felt her go lax in his arms, he
looked down and found she’d fallen into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter Five
Kim just shook her head as her parents
waltzed around the kitchen to their favorite Neil Diamond song.
This always happened, no matter where they were, no matter what
they were doing, when they heard this song, they danced. Her
parents were such goofs.
"What are you smirking at over
there , Kimmy?" her father asked as he
dipped her mother.
"You two.” She said, sitting on a stool by
the island. “How many years have you been doing this?"
"Close to thirty years," he replied,
" I t was the first song your mom and I ever
danced to."
"At the fall dance our freshman year." Her
mother said, smiling up her father. "You cut in on Jerry
Thomas."
"Damn straight, that guy had two left feet. I
had to save your pretty toes."
"My hero." she gushed as he twirled her.
“Always , babe.”
The image merged into
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