26. Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-six

J enna took several deep breaths as she turned inwards, looking for the gems that would help her save her mate's life. She was panicky, and her hands were sweating and shaking.

Calm down Jenna, she told herself as she searched for the fire in her soul. "You can do this." It sounded like her mother's voice, but she would take it.

Her fire revealed itself, blazing. Around it were different colored crystals, all basking in the flame.

"I have no idea what I'm doing or how I'm changing, but I love that male and we are going to save his life." She opened her eyes that she hadn't realized she had closed. Kneeling beside SaKura, she went to his side, allowing her fingertips to hover over the claw marks. Rakha had cleaned them so she could see where the blood was seeping out.

White fire came from her hands. Healing fire. She would have laughed hysterically at everything that was happening if she wasn't so scared. The fire moved through her fingertips and cauterized the wounds on his side.

"Doesn't he need to heal from the inside out?" Shit! Had she caused him more damage?

"Yes," Rakha's voice rocked her world. "That's done. The anti-venom contains a separate healing measure that increases his healing exponentially. What it can't do is heal where the claws of the Tan-ge or several other aliens strike. Their claws are venomous, but we've yet to find an anti-venom that works on them. Fire is the only recourse we have."

It didn't matter how advanced they were, they still had first-world problems. Jenna watched as the fire cleaned his wounds and sealed the skin. She turned him over with Rakha's help and did his other side. Now there was the knife wound to heal.

"I'll pull the knife and you heal the wound."

Jenna blew out a shaky breath before she nodded at Rakha to pull the knife. When Rakha pulled the knife from SaKura's thigh, a gush of blood occurred. Jenna needed to get a hold of herself. The amount of blood was making her nauseous, and she was sure her mate couldn't afford the blood loss. The gems that split her fingers when she killed Jeffrey split her fingers again. This time, the fire was white. It seemed to dig deep into his wound, chasing out any of the black gems. Then it went over the gems, heating them until they were almost boiling, causing them to return to their normal color. The gems were storing the poison. When they cooled and sank back into SaKura. She went over the knife site, letting her fire heal the leg until Rakha was sure there weren't any underlying issues with the muscle. Only then was she able to close the wound and cauterize it. When it was done, she fell to the floor from exhaustion.

"It's done." Rakha picked her up and laid her on top of SaKura.

Rosetta cruised the city until SaKura and Jenna woke.

"I had a nightmare," Jenna said, waking up to find she was on SaKura. "What Happened?"

"A nightmare," Rakha said.

"Oh, my God. It happened, it's all true." Jenna's hands were all over SaKura, looking for any cuts or bruises.

SaKura caught one hand and brought it up for a kiss. "You did it, my frya. You saved my life."

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" She was beating on his chest and crying.

"Never again." He sat up and took her into his arms, giving her kisses and sweet words until she calmed down sniffling in his arms.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to live because of you." She stared at him, making him sigh.

"I'm a little tired, but it's not something I can't handle." She nodded, sitting there in peace, giving thanks that her mate was alive and breathing.

"If the two of you are better, my mate is missing me," Rakha said.

"You ready?" she asked SaKura.

"I am."

"Good, I have so many questions to ask." Jenna took a seat next to SaKura with Rakha sitting across from his brother. Rosetta put the cot away. The drawer with the anti-venom was already gone.

"If Kala was there, why didn't he kill Jeffrey or stop that mysterious man from taking me in the first place?"

"He knew not to interfere with your budding," SaKura said.

"What the heck? Do I look like a flower or a tree to you?" She frowned at him.

"Yes, you're a beautiful laith flower growing wild and free." She knew that word. It was a flower that grew on his planet. It was beautiful and dangerous.

"Forget the flower comment and explain the budding." She gave Rosetta a mental command to take her to Bella's domicile.

"The first time you access your fire, there must be a reason. On Diza, fryas are put through a test that stresses them enough that they need their fire. There is no test like that on Earth. The gods, in their wisdom, gave you a life-or-death test. You, with your willingness to listen and learn, passed the test. If Kala interfered, you would not have matured into the frya you are and will one day be."

"You almost died." She was having a hard time getting over that fact. The sympathy she felt for the Tan-ge females died when Marilyn attacked SaKura. They could all burn as far as she was concerned.

"I didn't because you were there. My frya mate."

"I used to think being a human was bad with all the things we go through. I feel sorry for the Diza women."

"What you're saying is you feel bad for yourself and Bella." She gave him a squinted-eye look until she realized Rakha was right.

"When are women going to be going to Diza, and how are you picking them?" It was part of the agreement, but there hadn't been news coverage or women in the street crying foul. That meant it hadn't happened yet.

SaKura gave her a devious smile. "We're not picking them; you and Bella are."

"SaKura, say what?" She hadn't realized he wasn't all there when she mated with him. Did this change things?

"I'd like them to be willing, and I believe seeing you and Bella has changed some minds of the females on your planet. Women are volunteering. You and Bella will have a better idea of who would thrive being mated to a Diza than Rakha or me. We knew who our mates were but were loath to pick for our people. The females who go should have a fair chance of not only surviving in our world but mating with a Diza male. Jenna, you know the planet. You've been there multiple times over the last four months."

She gave a slow nod of her head as she thought about what he said. He was right, and she knew the voices in her head and the visions would help. There were also the instincts that she'd developed over the last few months. This was a project she could get excited about. Many women were looking for a new start. Why shouldn't it be on Diza?