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  A gasp from the doorway brought Tish’s attention around, “Mama?”

  The woman let out a low moan and ran forward to hug her daughter.

  Sinder got to her feet, walking back to Aliaha while dusting her hands on her skirt. “Okay, so you were going to introduce me to your family?”

  Aliaha smiled, “Proud to do so, and if you wish, I will create a plan to take you to the ten surviving mad women who are living in the same hell as Tish.”

  The Avatar smiled, “It isn’t hell. They are singing songs from Kema’s world. They took the music from her. It was all your bodies could copy.”

  “So, all these years they could have resumed their sanity by simply touching the stone again?”

  “No. It was a one-way trip. Once they were changed, they could not be saved until there was a place for the power of Kema to go. That is where I come in. I am the case for the power of Kema.”

  Aliaha had a dozen more questions, Sinder could see it in her eyes, but she held them while her family surrounded them. It was time for joy and discussions of power, and madness could wait for later. They had waited this long after all.

  Epilogue

  Two years later.

  “Wake up, Geor. It’s the first day of the Landing Festival.” Sinder struggled out of bed and groaned as she tried to look past her belly to her feet.

  Her mate gripped her hand and nipped the interior of her wrist.

  She dragged in a slow breath and sighed on the exhalation. “They don’t need me there, Geor. They need their Avatar or Crixox. Get out of bed and get into the shower while I try and find my shoes and my feet.”

  After a year and a half, Sinder had given Kema the all clear for reproduction. Within two weeks, there was a third person sharing her body.

  Geor was delighted, having a family was one of his deepest desires, and now that it was happening, his good humour was boundless.

  He rolled out in a surge of muscle and lithe grace that made her want to strangle him. Her grace was a thing of the past.

  “Come along, beauty. Let’s get you ready for your audience.” Geor smiled at her and helped her to her feet.

  Her pregnancy was thankfully a combination of Terran and High Nalu. She was going to suffer five more months of swollen belly and out of whack balance. It was just her luck that the High Nalu showed early.

  “This is going to be an only child. You know that, don’t you? I am not a big fan of being huge and sticking out in a crowd.”

  He helped her into the shower and started to scrub her back. “We will see. I will be there with you every step of the way.”

  She wanted to punch him, but he meant well.

  After the shower, he dressed her and slipped her shoes on, tying them securely in place.

  His formal clothing took minutes to get into, and when he was ready, he extended his hand to her, and they left their rooms, heading for the front of the temple.

  A crowd filled the courtyard in front of the temple.

  Geor pulled her next to him and stood with one arm loosely around her waist. Crixox took over and spoke the words of greeting that he had said every year on this day since he had first taken Geor as his Avatar.

  This year he added, “And so, Geor and Sinder have begun to expand our family. Kema and I are delighted beyond words, and when this child of two worlds and two planets is born, it will show a new age for our people and their future. Life has won over the fear and panic of the past, and as these two Avatars begin their steps into being a family, I ask that you offer them help, support and comfort when needed.”

  Sinder smiled and asked Kema, Did you know he was going to do this?

  Well, darling Sinder, you are acting a little hormonal lately, and I can’t tinker with it, because I have no idea what normal is for one of your kind. A request for understanding is definitely not a bad idea.

  This is embarrassing.

  No, when you grabbed the Nalu Ambassador and hung him upside down by his feet for daring to say that you looked lovely in your pregnancy, that was embarrassing. When you wanted to get to the head of the line in the teashop and you struck everyone with confusion, that was embarrassing.

  Fine. Valid point. How is baby doing today?

  Good, strong and developing ahead of High Nalu standards.

  Fabulous.

  She blinked as she came out of her mind and back into her body. She reached out and patted her belly lightly, and the small gesture caused a wave of applause and a few howls of approval from the crowd.

  Since she had arrived, the birthrate had doubled, and gender lines were evening out in the new generation. She suspected that it was Kema’s effect on Crixox, but no one was listening.

  When the ceremony was over, they joined the others for the festivities in the courtyard.

  Tish and the other survivors were singing and telling stories to the young children at one side of the open space. There were now no women on Crixox who suffered from Kema madness. The power of the stone had kept them young, and several of them were accepting suitors, but others, like Tish, were taking their regained minds and becoming teachers. They had seen another planet, and it was appropriate to share all knowledge that they could absorb.

  Whenever Sinder looked at them, a soft smile came over her face. Out of madness, came the first full-time librarians and teachers of the High Nalu.

  Geor kept hold of her hand as they wandered, tasted and laughed with the population. She may have an independent streak, but he was there to keep her balanced.

  All in all, perhaps crashing a wedding wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to her. It brought her a man, the mind of an alien being lodged in her own, a new group of friends, a new family and an occupation that she had never imagined. Avatar to an alien world was not something covered by her high school guidance counsellor.

  Perhaps she could get it added to the career options somehow.

  Author’s Note

  Baffle confused me. Every time I thought there was a steady plotline, yoink!

  Sinder refused to stay in one frame of mind. She hopped around everywhere, and it drove me bonkers. The epilogue was necessary because several folks have wanted to know if my characters have kids after the book was over. This one does, but I don’t know if it is a boy or girl.

  I didn’t want to pry. J

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  [email protected]

  http://www.violagrace.com

  http://www.extasybooks.com

  http://www.devinedestinies.com

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.