“Italics”
– Symbiote – Host or Telepathic communication
Coeurawyn
– My heart– term of endearment
Igisadonis animawyn – Beloved of my soul – a term of endearment and the formal
declaration of the Soulmate.
Aima coeurawyn – Blood of my heart – term of endearment and
formal declaration of the Soulmate.
Chapter 22
Answers to a Puzzle
The room that Daniel Jackson left
behind was silent. Merdwin passed around
the port and mead, and he noticed that Jacob Carter ended up with a glass of
each. Selmak had made his own preference
known. Thinking back to the old days
when they had known each other, Merdwin remembered that the symbiote almost
always preferred the mead. It was odd,
he thought, that both the
Jacob stood and began to pace the close
confines of the room. “I don’t suppose
that anyone here has any suggestions as to how to approach this interview with
Lantash and Martouf?” He asked.
“Lord Merdwin has had much diplomatic
experience, perhaps he would be the best one to advise you on this,” Teal’c
responded, with his opinion.
“That’d be my take on it too,
Jacob. Mer,”
Jack grinned at his friend, “has a silver tongue with almost everyone, although
I have to admit it seems to work the best on the ladies.” It was well know around the base that Janet
was envied by most of the female staff.
General opinion among the nursing staff was that it was a shame he was
never in need of medical assistance, and Jack was as aware of this as anyone
else on base.
Merdwin sent a mocking bow towards him
and then turned to Jacob Carter. “I
would suggest a straight forward approach.
Give him the facts; all of them, leaving no room for guess work for
him. He must be brought to realize the
situation he is in is causing harm to not only himself, but several
others.”
Pausing as he looked for words to
explain his thoughts, he continued hesitantly.
“I am of the opinion that the small piece of Dominic’s soul may be
partly responsible for some, or perhaps all, of Lantash’s hesitation. There is no doubt that Dominic loved Kataya
to the point of obsession. It was well
known that he would have done almost anything for her. If his soul is working on Lantash’s subconscious
mind, then the situation has just become even more complicated. I believe that if Lantash can be brought to
understand this, he may be able to overcome it.”
“Are you saying that Dominic’s soul is
a separate entity that can influence Lantash?” Suddenly, Selmak was in the forefront. This was a serious thing if true. They could not have a separate entity
influencing Lantash. It would be a
breach of security and perhaps a danger to Lantash and other’s safety.
Merdwin shook his head. “No, I do not believe so. Not in the way that you mean. Let us face the facts; although Kataya said
very little, the information Daniel added is very telling. We can be fairly certain that Dominic’s life
force was almost extinct. The only
threads left alive were the ones that contained the will to survive for love of
Lantash, and the passionate, overwhelming love he carried for Kataya. That is what she saved. The Soul Spinners at Avilion would have taken
those threads and the threads of Lantash’s soul and spun them into a whole.”
“Jacob, Selmak,” he said, in a very
intense voice, “I believe that this information tells us a great deal about why
Lantash is refusing to go through the rite.
We are asking his soul, the soul that now contains the overwhelming love
of Dominic for Kataya, to give up the woman he loved so deeply. It will be making it harder for him, but not
impossible.”
Merdwin stopped, obviously deep in
thought. Speaking slowly at first, he
added, “Although, it would not affect Lantash, it is possible that Kataya may
have given some of her own life force to infuse into him. I find it hard to believe that the priests
and priestesses, or the Soul Spinners, would have agreed, since Kataya was too
weak already, but it is possible. She
can be very persuasive, and it would be another clue as to why they feared for
her survival on so many levels. I am
sure you recall what a terrible time it was, Selmak.” Merdwin looked moodily into his port as he
finished speaking.
“Yes, I remember quite clearly what it
was like. I also remember the many
kindnesses shown to the Tok’Ra during our stay at Avilion, and the trouble that
was taken to be sure we were found a new place of safety to go to that was
suitable in every way. I hope the
Furling know how much everything you did was appreciated.”
“You are allies of ours, Selmak, it was
the least we could do. Our species have
mated with one another for a very long time.
And, you and the Tau’ri are part of the prophecy.”
Returning to the subject at hand, he said,
“I believe you will have to be as candid and truthful as possible with Lantash
and Martouf. Hiding anything at this
time will only make things worse. I
think you will need to tell him what we have deduced, and I hope you can manage
to keep him from blaming Kataya.”
Their eyes flared brightly as Selmak
replied, “I will see to it that he accepts that it was not in any way Kataya’s
fault. She did everything she could, and
I will make sure that Lantash understands that.”
He sighed and Jacob assumed
control. “Would anyone like to say
anything about the fact I’ve just been informed my daughter is, or is about to
become, a- a- well, I’m not sure what?”
General Hammond spoke up, “Jake, I
think we’ve all been given a great deal of information to process. As for Major Carter, perhaps it would be best
to let Kataya talk to and explain it to her before we start to speculate on
what she is or isn’t.” Sending a look to
Merdwin, he continued, “I have a feeling that Sam will be told even more than
we have been, and once she understands it, I feel sure she will want to tell
you herself.”
“As usual, you are correct in your
assumption, George. Kataya and Samantha
must come to terms with one another on every level. On the other hand, Jacob, Kataya was correct
in her position that Samantha is your daughter, flesh of your flesh. She is also a part of your soul, for the Soul
Spinners would have taken threads from you and your wife and added them to her
soul before she was reborn, even though you were not aware of it
happening. Please do not start wondering
if she is a changeling; she is not.”
Jacob looked thoughtful and then
nodded, before heaving a sigh, and saying, “I don’t know how any of you are
feeling, but I’m in information overload.
Selmak and I have a lot to discuss, and we need to decide on how to
approach Lantash and Martouf. I think
we’ll call it a night, unless you’re not yet ready to leave, George?”
“I don’t think there is much more we
can do tonight, and I agree that you have a lot to think about and plan. I’m ready anytime you are,” General Hammond
reassured him.
A knock on the door announced the
arrival of Janet. As she came into the
room, the men were all getting ready to leave.
“I don’t mean to run you all off. If you haven’t finished, I can come back
later,” She offered, with an inquiring look and a smile.
“Nope, not a problem, Doc. We’re finished as far as I can tell. I don’t think we’ll solve anymore of the
universes problems tonight,” Jack spoke up.
Merdwin stepped to her and placed his
arm around her shoulders. Her physical
daintiness always amazed and enticed him, as much as her strong personality
called to him. He admired her almost as
much as he loved her. He was looking
forward to spending an evening lost in her.
As the last of the men said their
good-byes and left, Janet took his arm and going up on tiptoes, she whispered
in his ear. He smiled at her and turned
out the lights. It seemed Cassie was
staying with a friend tonight. Perhaps
they would start something here and now that could be finished later. Or even repeated. Thoughts were immediately put into
action.
His hands reached around her back
searching for the clasp of her bra. He
felt nothing. Reaching under her blouse,
he found that it was not there. She
murmured something else in his ear, and his hand went to her skirt hem and up
her thigh. The only thing there was an
odd little lacy belt of some type and some stockings.
Merdwin groaned. Perhaps they were wrong, and he really could
grow old and die. She was doing her best
to kill him.
As Janet straddled his leg, and pushed
suggestively against him, his lips met hers in kiss that should have melted
them both. She laughed softly in her throat
as she pulled away and headed for the door.
Smiling over her shoulder at him, she winked, and said, “Now you’ll have
something interesting to think about on the drive home.”
With that, she was out the door and her
sweet laughter was wafting back to him.
Merdwin smiled and followed. She
was in the driver’s seat for now, but he was not called the greatest Enchanter
of the All for nothing. He might be the
one aching now. She would soon join
him. He smiled and laughed softly
too. He was looking forward to
this. Very much indeed.
Daniel was surprised when he opened the
door to see Kataya sitting in a circle of candles, her circlet glowing with
amethyst light. She opened her eyes as
he entered the room. “I told you it was
not necessary that you follow me, Daniel.
I have had over a hundred years to learn to push the feelings aside.”
“Perhaps I needed to be with you,
Kataya. I do need you very much. Always.
Come to me, aima coeurawyn. I wish you to make love to me tonight and I
wish to make sweet love to you.”
She bent and put out all of the candles
except for two. Those she took over to
the dresser and set them in front of the mirror. He watched as she turned to him and slowly began
to remove the gown she had put on after returning from Merdwin’s quarters. It was a beautiful creation made of delicate
chiffon, satin, and lace, in every shade of violet and lavender you could
imagine. The long flowing sleeves ended
in a deep vee at the floor, and the squared neckline
showed the tops of her breasts. In the
light of the candles behind her, it shimmered and became breathtakingly
diaphanous.
Occasionally, the stones of her circlet
glowed softly. She stood in the light
cast by those candles and slipped first one shoulder off and down, and then the
other. As it fell to her waist, leaving
her naked from the waist up, she reached for the fastening that would allow her
to disrobe completely, only to be stopped by Daniel’s hands on her naked
waist.
Pulling her toward him, he ran his
hands from her waist around her back and then he slowly began to caress
her. She stood wordlessly in front of
him. He wanted her. That was enough for now. She absorbed the love she could feel coming to
her through his hands.
Her world narrowed and became focused
on him, and his hands, until he leaned down and took the nipple of one of her
bared breasts into his mouth. The shock
of desire that shot through her surprised her, but she welcomed it and urged
him to take more of her. This was what
she desired, what she needed. Throwing
her head back, she silently invited him to ravish her neck. He didn’t need a second invitation. Soon, they were both breathing hard. She wanted him and she needed him and his
love for her, now.
She pulled from his arms and stepped to
the chair sitting close by. She did not
want to walk even as far as the bed. Her
need to feel him, to know he still wanted her as desperately as she wanted him,
was overwhelming. As she reached for him
to push him into the chair, he grabbed her and turned her back to him. He found the fastening of her gown and let it
fall to the floor. He released his shaft
and let it nestle against the soft warmth of her buttocks.
His lips ravished her neck and
shoulders as one hand found her breasts and the other the nub between her
legs. With his knee, he indicated he
wanted her to spread her legs to give him better access to her. She moaned his name as she complied. With her back to him, she was caught in a
limbo of need and desire. She could not
return the caresses as she wished; all she could do was accept them.
He realized he had been thinking of
this since last night, when she had sat with her back to him with him pressed
against her so sweetly. Now, he would
take her this way, be able to feel the lushness of her, and have access to her
in many ways. He turned her slightly so
that they could be seen in the mirror.
It was an extremely erotic sight.
She naked and captive of his kisses and caresses and him clothed, yet
obviously full of desire.
She whimpered her desire for him, and
he brought her to the edge and back again and again, all the while keeping up a
rhythm of his own against her buttocks.
When the urge for release became too much for him, he hooked the chair,
bringing it to them so that the mirror was still reflecting them, he leaned her
over the back of it and took her swiftly.
Their mating was short, fast, and intense.
Watching the wanton look on her face
threw him over the edge much to fast, but he couldn’t control the climax that
came so quickly. It did not matter; she
was already there and met him stroke for stroke. When it was over and he finally stood and
eased her up, he turned her in his arms and kissed her as if he would never
stop. “I love you, aima coeurawyn. I hope I
didn’t hurt you.”
She laughed softly and shook her
head. “No, you did not hurt me. As always, you were quite wonderful. I love you, igisadonis animawyn. My
Beloved, Daniel.”
He rested his forehead against hers and
tried to calm his breathing. He had
wanted tonight to be different. Softer,
sweeter, more loving and less desperate.
He picked her up, carried her to the
bed, and set her down beside it. When
she reached for him to undress him, he shook his head. “I’ll do it, coeurawyn, you climb into bed.”
His bed. This was something he
needed. Memories of this woman in his
arms, in his bed.
After stripping himself, he joined her
in the bed; he reached out and placed the pillows against the headboard. Leaning back, he pulled her into his arms and
placed a soft sweet kiss on her temple as he breathed in her scent. He loved the feel of her, her scent, and her
voice, everything about her. As they
became calm and quiet, he thought of the question he had wanted to ask her
earlier before he was distracted.
“Kataya?”
“Yes, Daniel? What is it, Beloved?”
“Can I ask you something about your
retrieval of Lantash?”
“You may ask me anything you wish, coeurawyn, and I will do my best to
answer.”
“Did you give Lantash part of your soul
at that time?”
“No, but I gave him as much of my life
force as I could before we went through the Chaappa’ai. He was so near death, Daniel. I was afraid that he would not survive in his
condition. One of the Katteri with us
contacted Avilion that we were on our way.
The priests and priestesses were waiting when we emerged. I was extremely weak, but I would not release
my link to him. I was afraid if I did,
he would die, and I could not let that happen.
The Soul Spinners spun the portion of Dominic that I was sustaining,
Lantash’s soul, and some new threads that belonged to no one yet, into a new
soul, well, a mended and darned soul and the priestesses infused it with my
life force.”
“It was then that I do not remember
much of what happened. I know there were
several times they thought his life force would not be strong enough to
survive, and by then, they were worried about me. It might have been better had they let me go,
but they did not give up on either of us.
There was someone with us constantly.”
“Artereos had left and was trying to
track Bastet down, but she had hidden herself well. Merdwin was with him. By the time they returned to Cadwaellon and
came to Avilion, I was beginning to get better.
I was lucid for longer periods, and those caring for me could leave for
short periods, without fearing they would lose me if they did not stay in
contact with my life force and soul at all times as they had before. Lantash also was gaining in strength, at
least compared to what he had been. Once
Merdwin and my father returned, I was reminded that I had a purpose, which I
had to fulfill.”
“It took several months before Lantash
was well enough to blend with Justin. As
you know, Justin was the Wiccadian that went into the stronghold with us. I was very fond of Justin, Daniel, but he was
not Dominic, and though I came to love him in a way, it was never as much as I
loved Dom.”
She paused thoughtfully, “I am not sure
that Justin ever made love to me; it was always Lantash. How strange that I only now realized that,
and how selfless of Justin, for I know he loved me. He shared Lantash’s emotions.” Her voice hardened, “Just one more mark
against Bastet. She took his chance of
finding his own mate during that lifetime away.
I will dispose of Bastet, Daniel.
Make no mistake of that. She is a
scourge on the universe, as well as being my own personal crusade of
vengeance.”
Reverting to the original subject
Daniel asked, “So using your life force wouldn’t make it harder for Lantash go
through the Sevesh lok Twin?”
“No, not that I know of, but I have
been thinking about it. I wonder if the
part of Dominic’s soul that was woven into Lantash’s is causing the
problem. I suppose it is possible.”
Kissing her lightly again on the temple
he said, “I hope my questions haven’t upset you any more than you already
were. I think we should both stop
worrying about it for now. I shouldn’t
have brought it up; it’s just that I wondered if it could be having an affect
on him.”
“I do not believe so, Daniel, as they
used only my energy life force not my spirit life force.”
Suddenly, Daniel sat up straight and
asked her, “What happens to the spirit life force when you kill as Katteri-enti?”
“It goes wherever their soul should go,
Daniel. I am not walking around with all
the souls of those I have killed inside me if that is what you are asking. We take the energy life force. Their soul is free to go wherever it needs to
go.”
He relaxed back against the
pillows. “Good. The other thought was rather bizarre.”
As they lay quietly, they both became
aware of the tension that was building again between them. Daniel ran his hand up her arm and cradled
the back of her head as his lips descended to take hers. Soon she was moaning as his lips began to
find the sensitive spots on her neck and shoulders. As he teased and tantalized, she began her
own exploration of his body and before long their moans and sighs blended in a
song as old as man.
Where their love making before had been
almost desperate, this was a slow evocative tour of each other’s bodies. Each kiss, each nip, each butterfly light
touch of a tongue, brought a new sense of knowing and discovery. As each learned the other inch-by-inch, they
were both storing memories.
Both knew that the time with a Soulmate
could be short. After five hundred
years, it was hard to believe that they would only have these eight weeks, but
both knew that chances were very good that this time was all they would
have. Neither of them doubted that
Kataya and Sam would kill Bastet; what neither of them admitted, nor mentioned,
was that, although Bastet would be dead, there was the distinct possibility that
Kataya, Sam, or both would be, too.
Daniel’s hand stroked from her throat
down until he found her breasts. As he
stroked her, he leaned back and watched the emotions play across her face. As she opened her beautiful violet eyes with
their amethyst lights, he realized how beautiful she seemed to him.
Yet, he recognized that she was not a
beautiful woman, not in the way that Sam was beautiful, nor yet was she merely
pretty. She was attractive, sometimes
lovely, and there was something about her that drew the eye. Perhaps it was her gracefulness, the sensuous
way she moved. The unconscious allure of
a woman who was confident and comfortable with who and what she was.
Her body was slender and strong,
beautifully built and well proportioned.
Her breasts were neither large nor small, but were high and firm. He loved the golden tone of her skin, and the
softness of it. To him she was beautiful
and desirable, and he wanted nothing more right now than to lose himself in
her. He wanted to immerse himself in her
softness, in her scent, in her body. To
think was to do, and Daniel found himself lowering his lips to hers again and
again. Drinking of the sweetness there,
he finally forced himself to leave them to explore other areas of the golden
lushness. He breathed in her scent over
and over. Never again would he smell
roses, or musk, and not think of her.
His mouth found her breasts and loved
them until she was moaning for him to give her something more. He loved his way down her body and back
again, and when his hand found the soft warm center of her, he brought her to
the edge of release only to start over again.
As her frustration grew, so did her
aggression. Suddenly, she became the
hunter and he the prey. Catching him
off-guard, she rolled him onto his back and became the one who taunts rather
than the taunted. She loved him in every
way she had learned in her many livings.
She used the techniques she had learned that drove him to the edge over
their many lives together. As she teased
and taunted his shaft, it was soon his turn to be moaning her name and begging
for release. And, when finally he
convinced her to let him have his way with her, she opened gladly to him, and
he entered her and made her his softly and lovingly.
Kataya listened to Daniel as he spoke
of his love for her, his need, his desire; she realized that he was speaking
almost entirely in Furling. He probably
did not realize it himself, and she was too lost in a sensual haze to point it
out, but hearing his voice speak to her in that way, took her ever higher. As they lay tangled together in the aftermath
of their lovemaking, she realized again, how very much she needed and loved
him. For tonight, she would be just a
woman in love with a man. For tonight,
she would lose herself in her love of this gentle, scholarly man. For tonight, she would forget she was a
Dragon Slayer.
They fell asleep in each other’s arms
knowing that tomorrow would be a long and busy day.
Daniel didn’t know what woke him, all he
knew was that she was not beside him, and she had been gone for quite some
time. There was no warmth where her body
should have been.
Fumbling on the nightstand, he found
his glasses and saw that there was a crack of light coming from under the bathroom
door. He realized it was after two a.m.
Reassured, he lay back and dozed off, while waiting for her to come back to
bed.
It was at least a half an hour before
he awoke again. She was not there beside
him, and the light in the bathroom was out.
Worried now, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. She definitely wasn’t there. The sink had been cleaned out thoroughly
though, which was an odd thing for her to do at this time of night. Becoming more worried with each passing
moment, he turned to leave the room, and something on the floor caught his
attention. Bending down, he realized it
looked like a drop of blood.
Throwing on some BDU’s,
Daniel headed down the hall to Kataya’s quarters. They were empty. He went to her closet, but not being familiar
with all of her clothes, he couldn’t tell if anything was missing.
He decided to check in some other
places before he let the panic building in him have its way. Rushing down the hall, he checked the
cafeteria, the control room, the gate room and although he couldn’t think of
any reason for her to go there, he checked the chapel. Nothing.
Taking a seat there, he attempted to link with her.
She wasn’t answering or he had suddenly
lost his ability to initiate a link, which wasn’t likely. After he had initiated one that very first
time when they were with the Heyerians, he’d had no
problem doing it. Now he was getting
nothing. As he stood up, it occurred to
him that perhaps she had left the base complex.
But, where would she have gone?
He had been in the control room and they hadn’t seen her, so she hadn’t
left by the gate.
Perhaps she had gone to see Teal’c for
some reason? Yeah, right, Daniel, in the
middle of the night she leaves blood on the bathroom floor, then just goes, and
visits Teal’c, at what, three a.m.?
He headed back to his room thinking he
should check one more time for her. She
wasn’t there. All right, it was time to
try the long shot and if she wasn’t there, then he would have to contact
Merdwin and hope he wasn’t disturbing everyone for nothing. As he turned and headed for the door, it
opened and Kataya quietly entered. She
looked surprised to see Daniel completely dressed and standing in the middle of
the room.
She realized at once that he must have
awoken and been coming to look for her.
“Daniel. You have been
worried. I am sorry, I never intended
that to happen. You were sleeping so
peacefully I did not want to awaken you.”
She walked to him and kissed him lightly. As she placed her hands on his shoulders, she
could feel the tension emanating from him.
Looking up into his face, she saw the strain around his eyes and
mouth. He was both angry and upset.
“What happened, Kataya? I found blood on the bathroom floor. I’ve looked everywhere for you. I was worried. I’m still worried. And please don’t try to make up some
story. It won’t help either of us.” Daniel spoke quietly, but firmly, his voice
controlled as if he was afraid to let his emotions take over.
“I will not make up a story,
Daniel. I went for a walk on the
surface. I needed to be closer to the
sources of my energy and I thought it would be best to go outside. It did not occur to me that you might awaken. I am sorry I frightened and worried you, my
beloved.”
Still looking him in the eyes, she
continued. “I will tell you what you
wish to know, but first I would like to get back into bed, if you do not mind?”
Daniel nodded as he turned and
proceeded to undress and get back into bed himself. Now that she was here and safe and so obviously
willing to tell him what was wrong, he felt his anger melting. She came out of the bathroom, walked to the
bed, lie down beside him and put her head on his chest. She stroked him slowly and calmly before
finally saying, “The bleeding is getting worse faster than I expected. If Lantash does not agree to the Sevesh lok Twin soon, Daniel, I will
have to go to Avilion or become progressively more weakened.”
“Is it serious now? I mean, do I need to take you to
Avilion? Please don’t wait until it is
too late to go, Kataya.”
“It is not yet serious. I will try to go before it becomes so, if we
cannot get Lantash to agree to the Sevesh
lok Twin.”
“How will I know if it is getting to
that point? What will happen?”
“You will know if it is serious. The most prominent sign will be that it will
begin to seep from my fingertips, and if I cry, it will be tears of blood. We can only hope that Lantash will be
reasonable before that happens.”
Putting her head back, she looked at
him in the dim light throw by the nightlight he had left burning. “I do not believe Lantash is really
responsible. I believe he may be as
confused as I am by his refusal. I
expected his original reluctance, but once he thought about our relationship,
his and Samantha’s, and what we all mean to each other, I truly expected him to
realize it must be done. I gave it a lot
of thought while I walked. She laid her
head back onto his shoulder before continuing, “I believe he is refusing
because of Dominic’s soul pieces. If
that is true, we should be able to overcome them.” Her voice was becoming softer and more
indistinct. Soon her breathing was slow
and even. Daniel kissed her softly and
she cuddled closer to him. Wrapped in
each other’s arms they slept.
TBC