Cursed: Brides of the Kindred 13
expansively, the small injury apparently already forgotten. “Go for it. Just don’t get us shot at again.”
    “The Dark Kindred usually fly their formations at intervals,” Stavros explained as he worked to establish a connection. “We just need to find a time when they’re not in the immediate air space of the Mother Ship and make a swift, direct approach.”
    “Uh-huh, sounds good.” Her eyes were closing again—the medication she had taken was apparently still in effect. Stavros wondered uneasily what she would remember when it wore off and how she would feel about what had occurred between them? Well, he supposed he would find out later.
    As the viewscreen finally popped into life and its cool glow filled the shuttle’s cabin, he wondered again if he had injected her with his essence. And what was he going to do if he had?

Chapter Seven

    Charlie woke with the taste of blood in her mouth and the vague feeling that she’d been acting the fool, although how exactly her fuzzy brain refuse to explain. She groaned and blinked, trying to make the blurry room come into focus. Am I in some kind of hospital? Is this a hospital bed? Why am I wearing a gown instead of my clothes? How did I get here?
    “Oh look—she’s coming around,” an unfamiliar feminine voice said. Suddenly a redheaded girl was leaning over her. She was holding a baby with a shock of almost white hair in her arms. Though the baby appeared quite young, it gazed alertly at Charlie with odd, silvery-gray eyes. They reminded her of the color of mercury when you broke an old fashioned thermometer and the liquid metal came pouring out.
    “Um,” she said, struggling to sit up.
    “Just stay where you are—you’ve been through a lot.” Another anxious face peered at her—a girl with smooth, creamy brown skin and gorgeous green eyes. “Hi, I’m Becca.” She was holding a baby as well—this one had black hair and grayish-blue eyes.
    “And I’m Mei-Li,” a third girl said. She was petite and had long, silky black hair that hung in a curtain around her face. Her dark almond-shaped eyes were filled with concern and for some reason, Charlie thought she looked familiar. The baby she held had blond hair and green eyes.
    “What’s going on?” Charlie demanded, sitting up even though it made her head feel like it was going to split open. “Who are you people and why are you bringing me babies?”
    “Oh! Oh no, doll—you’ve got it all wrong!” The redhead began to laugh. “We just wanted to check on you because we heard you were hurt.”
    “And because we haven’t seen a new face around the Mother Ship for awhile,” the girl holding the black-haired baby said. “At least not since the stupid war started. I’m Becca, by the way.”
    “And I’m Kat,” the redhead said. “And that’s Mei-Li.” She indicated the girl with long black hair. “She’s our newest addition to the Mother Ship—or she was until you showed up.”
    “Okay…” Charlie looked at them warily. “That’s nice, I guess but it still doesn’t explain the babies.”
    “Oh these little guys? They’re all mine.” The redhead smiled proudly. “Their fathers are away for a little while so I pressed Becca and Mei-Li here into baby sitting duty. Having triplets isn’t easy—I’ve only got one set of arms.”
    “They’re adorable, aren’t they?” Becca cooed, tickling the black haired baby’s cheek until he gurgled. “Look, this one is Seeks War—because he’s always fighting with his brothers. Well, with that one, anyway.” She nodded at the baby with silver-white hair.
    “And this one is Makes Peace, because he somehow manages to get between them and stop the fighting.” Mei-Li indicated the blond haired baby she was holding.
    “Get it?” Kat asked grinning. “War and Peace. Cute, huh?”
    “Um, I guess so.” Charlie nodded at the baby with liquid silver eyes. “And who’s that?”
    “Oh that’s Shad. Short for Shadow.” Kat sighed and

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