The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

A Helping Hand

"Dr. Jeriko helped my mind reconnect with my body so I could return to the fight. And now she is here to help the liliths we rescued from the slavers to avoid another accident like what transpired between Mistress Sakura and myself. So let us help her as much as we can and save these queens of our people. As you were, Qos Viran!"

As the vampires began moving around with purpose once more, Jeriko watched one of the vampires turn and approach her, a beautiful woman with flashing blue eyes and a ready smile.

"Doctor Jeriko, I am Captain Naryan Kingsguard, the Lord Commander's Second," she said, extending her hand. Taking it vampire-style, Jeriko gave Naryan's forearm a firm squeeze before letting it go.

"A pleasure, Captain," she said, returning the smile. "And please, call me Jeriko. 'Doctor' makes me look over my shoulder for my boss!"

Naryan chuckled.

"I completely understand," she said. "And call me Narya. I just wanted to thank you personally for helping Lash. He's a lunkhead getting himself into so much trouble. But he's our lunkhead and we'd be lost without him." She then turned and made an after you gesture with her hand.

"Now, if you could come this way, I can show you the first of our stricken liliths!"

Lash watched Naryan interact with the Storm Wolf with no little satisfaction. It was a relationship that needed to work to enable this interaction with the psionics to be successful instead of ending in bloodshed. And he had every confidence that his childhood friend could pull it off.

Even as he thought about her, Naryan looked over at him. Seeing his eyes already on her, she smiled and winked before turning back to Jeriko, the Storm Wolf beginning her examination of one of the liliths.

"A neuro-somatic specialist," Dru said musingly, the Nosferatu lilith still standing close enough to the big vampire that her hip rested against his leg.

"I've never heard of that."

Lash frowned thoughtfully.

"Neither had I, to be truthful," he admitted before looking at Fiadh, who returned his look with a bright one of her own. "Thankfully Fiadh had, and contacted Doctor Jeriko in the hopes she could help. And, well, she helped indeed. Now, I can only hope she can do the same for your lost sisters!"

Then he turned as Sakura hesitantly said his name. She smiled uncertainly when he looked at her.

"My apologies but I was hoping to have a word with you alone," the Japanese lilith said. A quick look at Fiadh, Dru, and Meredith, who all nodded, then he was returning her look with a smile.

"Of course, mistress. There is a lab right there. We can step inside, if that is to your liking."

"It is," she said.

After Lash closed the door behind him, Sakura turned towards him.

"Can we have some privacy?" she asked in a small voice. Lash nodded.

"Hunter, privacy mode." And they watched as the walls frosted into translucency.

"I'm sorry," she said without moving. "I just have had eyes on me ever since my mind cleared from the seasonal overload to find you senseless."

"Mistress, I ..."

"No," she held up her hand. "Please, Lash, let me finish. I know you've publicly stated that you consider it an accident and have forgiven me. And I am immensely grateful for that. An unbearable weight was lifted off my shoulders when you said that."