The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga by Laura Jo Phillips

is,” Jackson replied.  Hope rolled her eyes. 
    “Do you think that every woman with a psychic power must be a berezi ?” she asked. 
    “Of course not,” Jackson replied.  “However, the reverse is true.  All berezi have psychic powers.”
    “ Berezi or not, I don’t care,” Hope said.  “Though I hope for her sake that she’s not, since
     she’s married.  What’s important to me is the fact that she’s an obstetrician with
     a psychic gift that is more wonderful than any I’ve ever heard of.  I think we should
     try to convince her to stay here, on Jasan.”
    Jackson studied Hope for a few moments.  She was putting a lot of faith in a woman
     she’d only just met, but that wasn’t what bothered him.  That she was being so adamant
     about it did bother him.  That wasn’t like Hope at all.
    “ Niha , there is something else bothering you,” he said.  “What is it?”
    Hope set her cup down on the small table next to her chair and sighed.  “Yes, there
     is something else,” she admitted.  “I meant to speak with you about it, but with everything
     that happened today I thought it might not be a good idea to bring it up.”
    “But it’s still bothering you,” Clark said.
    “Yes, it is,” Hope said.  “I just don’t want to upset the three of you.”
    “Knowing you are worried about something is upsetting for us,” Clark said.  “Please,
     share it.”
    “All right,” Hope agreed.  She absently traced the owl tattoos on one wrist with her
     finger while she told the Bearens about Aisling’s letter, and her conversation with
     Lariah.  When she was finished Jackson shook his head. 
    “ Niha , you cannot be saying that you believe we should allow the Narrasti to go unpunished
     for all they have done,” Jackson said.  “They killed your sister, and Grace.  They
     imprisoned Berta for her entire adult life.  The crimes and sins laid at their door
     are too numerous to count.”
    “It was the Brethren who did those things, not the Narrasti,” Hope said.  “That the
     Brethren are part Narrasti does not make the Narrasti responsible for their actions.”
    “It is difficult for me to separate the two, I admit,” Jackson said.  “But the Narrasti
     did rescue the Brethren from Earth, so they are obviously allies, at the least.”
    “I don’t like the Narrasti or the Brethren,” Hope said.  “But Jackson, I have suffered
     more personal loss at their hands than you.  So why is it that your anger with them
     is so much stronger than my own?”
    “The Jasani have always been at war with the Narrasti,” Jackson said.  “Maybe it’s
     something bred into our blood and bones.  We battled from the beginning, and we will
     battle until the end.  Our preference is that we win that battle, and only by wiping
     them out can we be certain of our victory.”
    “How do you know that you have always been at war with them?” Hope asked. 
    Jackson opened his mouth, then closed it. 
    “Everyone knows it,” Clark said.  “All of the stories say so.”
    “But how do you know it?” Hope insisted.  “Is there proof?  Writings? Paintings?”
    “Eldar Hamat has taught us the stories handed down for generation upon generation,”
     Jackson said.  “He is the only member of our race who lived before the Dark Time. 
     Are you saying that he has lied to us?”
    “Of course not,” Hope said.  “Eldar Hamat would never do such a thing.  I am sure
     he taught you the truth exactly as it was taught to him.  I’m only asking how true
     the stories are that he was taught.  That’s all.”
    “Our world was destroyed,” Jackson said.  “We have nothing that speaks of a history
     other than the one we know.  At some point we must choose to either believe what we
     are told, or not.  We believe it.”
     
    ***
     
    Michael awoke just as Honey was getting ready to climb into bed.
    “How are you feeling?” she asked, relieved to see that his color was back to