"You too." Kor grinned and finally dropped his hand. "I've heard so much about you-it's good to finally meet you in the flesh."

"I guess so." Donald looked at him awkwardly. "I heard about you as well."

"Yes, well...sorry about that." Kor shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling. "I know you probably feel like I stole Maggie away from you but I just couldn't resist her. I mean, how could I help falling in love with the most beautiful female in the galaxy?"

"Kor!" Maggie didn't know whether to laugh or scold. Kor really didn't need to lay it on so thick-poor Donald was obviously befuddled enough as it was.

"Well..." Donald tucked his crutches back into place under his arms. "I hate to leave so soon but I'm wanted in therapy. Now that I see you're well I should be going."

"All right." Maggie smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling better. And good luck on your research."

"Thank you," Donald said stiffly. "I will be going on a shuttle to do some actual field work on unexplored worlds. Just as you did." He frowned. "Or were supposed to do, anyway."

"Before she got sidetracked with me, right?" Kor laughed. "Don't worry-Maggie's still going to Gaia. I'm going with her as her personal bodyguard and a.s.sistant."

"Oh, well then..." Donald cleared his throat.

"Have fun when you go," Kor told him. "You never can tell what you might find out there on some distant planet. Could be the love of your life or something new and mysterious-like a fruit that wants to eat your head and tastes like a creamy crisp nut-do."

"That's Krispy Kreme donut." This time Maggie did laugh. "And I'd think you could get it right by now. After all, you've inhaled several dozen since we got back to the Mother Ship."

"Only because you sent me to fetch them and they smelled so good I couldn't help myself," Kor protested, going back to stand by her bed.

"That's an understatement. You liked them so much, the first few times you came back with one of those huge dozen donut boxes with only one left for me," she complained.

"You're right-I should be careful I don't get fat." Kor patted his muscular abs where there wasn't a spare ounce of flesh. "You might not love me anymore."

"That's not going to happen." Maggie reached up for his shirt. "Come here, you."

This time it was her turn to pull Kor into a kiss but when they finally broke contact, she remembered that she was supposed to be saying goodbye to Donald. Looking at the doorway to her room, she saw that it was empty.

"Oh dear-he must have slipped away." Maggie put a hand to her face. "Probably he thought we were showing off to make him feel bad."

Kor frowned. "Weren't we?"

"You-" Maggie pretended to hit him and he dodged away, laughing.

"Just kidding, sweetheart. I forgot he was there too. Certainly is a tiny little fellow, isn't he? About the size of that slave that belonged to Lady Pope'nose-you know, the one you said couldn't carry you because of all the cuplakes you ate?"

"Cupcakes," Maggie corrected him. "You eat those by the dozen too-Lauren says she can't keep the chocolate coconut cream ones in stock because of you."

"They're really good," Kor admitted. "But what was the name of that slave? I should remember-he was always the one she brought with her when she wanted to gloat over me."

"I think it was Jonas. But Kor..." Maggie bit her lip and took his large hand in both of hers. "Listen, there's something that's been bothering me-something I want to ask you."

"What? Ask me anything," he murmured.

"It's just..." Maggie took a deep breath. "You never exactly told me what you did to Lady Pope'nose. You just said she got what she deserved. I mean, she was a horrible person but I just...I need to know...did you..."

"Did I kill her?" Kor asked directly.

"Exactly." Maggie nodded earnestly. "I mean, I would understand if you did. But I just want to know."

Kor shook his head. "No, I didn't kill her. I took her with me when I went to the Flesh Bazaar to find you."

"You did?" Maggie looked at him, surprised. "But...I never saw her anywhere."

"You were too busy coming all over my fingers, to think about anything else, as I recall." Kor's deep voice came out in a l.u.s.tful growl.

"Kor..." Maggie's cheeks got hot. "Stop trying to distract me and tell me what you did to her."

He shrugged. "All right, I don't mind telling...I sold her."

"You what?" Maggie looked at him wide-eyed. "Seriously?"

He nodded gravely. "Seriously. I'm afraid she didn't fetch a very big price-not even a fourth as much as I paid for you. Actually, it's a wonder I found anyone to buy her at all."

"But who...who did buy her? Oh my G.o.d, is she somewhere being someone's s.e.x slave?" Maggie didn't know whether to feel horrified or delighted at the thought of the tables being turned so neatly on the nasty Lady Pope'nose.

Kor snorted. "Hardly. In the end I had to sell her as a fresher maid because she was saying such awful things and causing such a scene n.o.body wanted her as anything else."

Maggie frowned. "A fresher maid? What's that?"

"You know-someone who cleans the fresher after others use it? What's your word for it-the bathroom?"

"Oh my G.o.d." Maggie put a hand to her mouth. "You sold her to someone who was going to make her scrub toilets?"

Kor nodded. "The merchant who bought her owns a large all you can eat restaurant which serves Dihoria food. Unfortunately, though the cuisine is delicious, it also gives most people, ah...how do I put this nicely?" He frowned. "Oh yes, intestinal difficulties. Meaning that almost as soon as they eat the food, they need to um, expel it."

Maggie shook her head. "You're kidding me-right? You have to be kidding."

"I'm afraid not." Kor grinned. "He told me that he has a fresher pot-or toilet, I guess you call it-for every seat in the restaurant. Just so none of his customers have to wait. With such a large amount of usage, his freshers get pretty messy and he's constantly looking for good slaves to clean them. I a.s.sured him that Lady Pope'nose would be the perfect fresher maid-with a few modifications, of course."

"Oh, Kor-no! You didn't tell him to give her another breast or cat whiskers or something. did you?" Maggie protested.

"Of course not. I just recommended a mute collar-so he wouldn't have to hear her complain." Kor raised an eyebrow. "So you see, I really did give her what she deserved. Don't you think?"

Maggie thought about it as she played with his hand, lacing their fingers together. "I hate to say it but yes. Yes, I think you did."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to be upset about her fate. After all, if it wasn't for Lady Pope'nose, we never would have gotten together in the first place."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Maggie gave a secret little smile. "I think the G.o.ddess would have found another way to get us together. You know...oh, Kor!" she broke off.

"What? What is it?" He looked at her anxiously.

"Look-your hand." She indicated his right hand which she had been holding. "Look at it-the last black mark is gone!"

Kor held up his hand and turned it back and forth, examining it.

"You're right. I wonder what happened?"

"Who knows?" Maggie smiled. "Maybe it just finally rubbed off."

"Maybe..." Kor looked troubled for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, I'm glad it's gone. It's not a reminder I wanted to keep."

"I know a good reminder you can keep." Maggie pulled him down for another kiss.

"Mmm, excellent reminder, blondie." Kor ran his hand through her curls and cupped her cheek, kissing her back. "I love you, you know that?"

Maggie grinned and kissed him again. "I know."

The End

Epilogue.

The superheated surface of the Black Planet was filled with demons-spirits or pure evil which were the only creatures that could survive such extreme conditions. They writhed upon the surface, struggling for freedom, hungering for the life force of living creatures. Yet only a few of the strongest had managed to break free of the planet's surface and find other places to feed.

One of these was Ur, a demon of renown who had nurtured his own host and trained the body to his will over many patient years. Unfortunately, he had been cast out at the last moment, forced to return to the Black Planet and its writhing ma.s.s of dark souls, defeated.

Or maybe not...

"I tell you, my brothers," he hissed as they gathered round him in a swirling frenzy. "I have found the perfect hosts. Creatures strong enough to bear us for the entire natural lifespan of their bodies."

"Impossible," spat one of the other legion of spirits. "No host is that strong. None can withstand our presence more than a few days before they die. It is most vexing..."

"Not impossible at all, but we must be crafty. We must find a way to bring the fumes and corruption of our planet to them. Only then, after breathing our dust and taking the mark of the shadow stone,, may they be possessed."

"How is it to be done?" another demon demanded. "Most of us are trapped here without physical bodies. How can we get the corruption of our world to these new hosts?"

"Leave that to me. There is one I have Indwelled before, very briefly. I have a greater hold on him now-he will do my bidding. Soon my brothers...we shall be flesh. All of us flesh...forever!"

Back at the Med Station on the Mother Ship, Donald Mahoney, PhD looked down at the strange black mole that seemed to have grown on the base of his right thumb overnight somehow. What was it? Should he have a doctor look at it? He had only noticed it a moment ago, after shaking hands with Maggie's muscular new paramour.

Donald shook his head. What she saw in the Neanderthal was beyond him. He probably had no interest in the sciences and his obvious predilection for public displays of affection was downright disgusting. The way the two of them had been s...o...b..ring all over each other was a germaphobe's worst nightmare. And Donald most certainly was a germaphobe. In fact, he was inclined to go wash his hands right now.

Which brought him back to the black mole again. What was it?

Later. Donald sighed and put away his crutches so he could go over some important research. There would be time to worry about mundane matters at another time. Right now he had to get ready for his research trip to a nearby solar system where a most interesting new planet had been found. It was made of pure t.i.tanium Dioxide and it was hotter than the surface of the sun.

Of course, as a microbiologist, Donald should have no interest in such a place. After all, no life-not even microscopic life-ought to be able to withstand such extreme temperatures. But he found himself drawn to the place anyway.

He opened his new laptop-not top of the line but perfectly serviceable-and stared at his research. Yes, he would visit the planet and see what, if any life, could be found there. Absently, he scratched the black mole which seemed to have grown ever so slightly.

It would be a most interesting trip...

Read on for the first two chapters of Brides of the Kindred 10, Divided, coming in 2014.

Chapter One.

"So Maggie is making a full recovery?" Kat ate another bite of donut. "Mmm, delicious."

"You say that about everything you eat," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Just feeding my boys." Kat winced and put a hand to her very round belly. "Settle down, you two! I'm eating as fast as I can." She looked at Liv and shrugged. "See? Can't help it-they want donuts. So-Maggie?"

"I've been keeping a good eye on her at the Med station and she's getting better every day. It's a miracle, really. There were some recording devices stationed in the town square and I saw what happened to her-she should have died of those injuries. All she had was some blood loss."

"According to her, she did die," Becca Malone said quietly. "She claims she was brought back for a purpose."

"I believe it," Kat said, looking uncharacteristically somber. "The G.o.ddess spared my life too, you know-she did it for Deep when he offered to switch places with me and die in my stead."

"That's exactly what Maggie said Kor told her he was thinking...or praying or whatever, when Lissa started channeling the G.o.ddess," Liv said.

"The G.o.ddess recognizes and rewards self sacrifice-especially when it's between a bonded pair," Kat remarked. She looked at Becca. "Hey, you were almost a nun-what do you think about all this?"

"I think Maggie is a lucky girl but she's brave too-she went out to face the demon knowing it could kill her," Becca said. She sighed. "I only wish I could be that brave. Sometimes I think my whole life has been about taking the safest paths and making the decisions I thought would ruffle the least feathers."

"Speaking of decisions..." Sophie sighed. "I'm afraid your own personal decision is headed our way, Becca. Sylvan just bespoke me and said that Truth and Far are both headed to our suite."

Kat groaned. "Not both at the same time? There's always so much tension around those too-it's like being caught in the middle of a lightning storm when you have to be in the same room with them."

"Do they still expect you to choose between them?" Liv asked.

Becca nodded. "Ever since I finally announced that I was giving up my calling to the Church, they won't leave me alone."

"Oh, so you definitely won't be a nun?" Sophia asked sympathetically. "That must be hard."

"Harder on my family than me." Becca sighed. "My mother cried for days and my father threatened to disown me. But I just..." She looked down at her hands, trying to think how to put it. "After what I experienced in the Sacred Grove that day with Truth and Far...it's like...like a part of me was woken up. A part I didn't know I had but now that it's awake I can't put it back to sleep again."

"That part wouldn't happen to be your s.e.x drive, would it?" Kat asked frankly.

"Maybe." Becca felt her cheeks getting hot. "I just can't take a vow of celibacy now that I know-at least in part-what I'd be missing. It wouldn't be honest to myself or to G.o.d. It wouldn't be right."

"You have to do what's right for you," Liv said. "Don't let your family or Truth or Far or anyone else dictate your life-you choose what you want and who you want to be with."