All For One [Nuworld 3] (10 page)

would remain out cold for a while.

Minutes seemed like hours before she decided to make her escape. Ana crouched

low as she ran across the drive to the large garage where all the guard’s gliders were

parked. She jumped onto Mirak’s and flew off into the darkness. Mirak’s comm lay on

the dash and she watched it with horror waiting for it to beep. No one called wondering

what she was doing.

* * * * *

Ana landed alongside the large rocks where she’d met Roth. No sign of a camp

existed, or for that matter that anyone had been there. But she hadn’t expected to see

him. This was where he would come to meet her later today and this was where she’d

leave a message for him.

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She pulled out a folded piece of paper and sat down on the ground. She hadn’t

dared to write the message while at her house. If anyone discovered whom she’d talked

to she might very well put Roth in danger. And he wasn’t dangerous…he couldn’t be.

Passionate green eyes stared at her mind’s eye as she carefully explained she couldn’t

meet him later that day. She wrote that she wanted to see him again. Then, after

hesitating, she finally asked if they could meet somewhere closer to her house.

It crossed her mind that Tree People might use another alphabet. The Neurians did.

Would he understand her message? She looked around for something that would

indicate the message was from her just in case he couldn’t read it. But she’d traded

clothes with Mirak. Everything on her belonged to him. The glider was Mirak’s too. She

looked back at the piece of paper and finally took her pen and drew the symbol for the

Blood Circle Clan—a blood drop surrounded by a circle.

She placed the piece of paper on a large rock and then found a smaller rock on the

ground to keep it there. Standing back, she smiled. Roth would find it. She turned back

to go to the glider.

“Ana, what are you doing here?”

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Chapter Six

The owner of the green eyes that had consumed her thoughts now stood directly in

front of her. Roth looked at her, and his hands went to his hips. When he smiled, her

insides flipped.

“I…I left you a message.”

“You left a message for me?” His smile grew, and he looked up toward the rock

where she pointed.

“I got, well, I wasn’t supposed to be out here. I kind of got caught.”

“You got in trouble for coming here?”

His expression showed concern as he focused on her eyes. She immediately felt him

pulling her from the inside but she wouldn’t look away.

“Gothman beat their children?” His eyebrow went up in astonishment.

She still didn’t look away. “A good soldier follows orders and doesn’t go where

they have specific instructions not to go.”

“True.”

He stood just a foot or so from her and focused on her intently. His smile returned

when she finally looked down, not knowing what else to say. She jumped when she felt

his hand go to the side of her head and remove Mirak’s hat.

“I’ve never seen such beautiful hair.” The tone of his voice changed and she looked

up curiously. “I was looking forward to seeing you today.”

“You were?”

“Yes. Tell me where we can meet where you won’t get in trouble. I don’t think I like

the idea of someone hitting you.”

He stroked several long strands of hair away from the side of her face. His touch

sent chills through her, and she stifled a gasp. He seemed to take her reaction as

encouragement and ran one finger down the side of her cheek.

“Do you have to leave now?”

She nodded.

“How can I enter Gothman to see you?”

She looked up into his emerald green eyes again, felt warmth from his gaze, and

smiled shyly.

“Would you do that? It could be dangerous.”

“To see you again?” His hand moved down toward her neck and he lowered his

head, kissing her gently on the lips.

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Ana had dreamed about this. She had created this scene in her mind several times

since she’d first seen Roth from her glider. She’d imagined how he’d wrap her in his

arms and lean her over to kiss her passionately. Or, maybe he’d ask permission first like

some of the Runners did. She’d wondered if he’d be aggressive or gentle. She wasn’t

sure which way she’d prefer.

But Roth lowered his mouth to cover hers and brushed their lips together, gently

taking her lower lip between his. The roughness of his beard tickled her chin. She felt a

tremor race down to her legs. He must have felt it too because he released her from his

magic and backed away inches so he could once again hypnotize her with his beautiful

eyes.

“I’ll risk your military.” His finger brushed her cheek again. “But certainly you can

help me. There have to be places that aren’t guarded as much as others.”

“South of our house.” Ana lit up with excitement. “In the hills down there. We fly

through them all the time.”

“I’m not familiar with your country. How do I get there?”

“Well, if you’d be willing to fly me back home I could leave this glider with you.

Then you’d know where the hills are and you’d know how to get to them.” Ana devised

the plan as she spoke. Her insides shivered with excitement at the thought of having a

secret rendezvous.

“That’s an excellent idea.”

For a minute, she thought he’d pull her into his arms and kiss her again. Oh, she

wanted him to and her eyes must have been an open book because he almost laughed.

“I better take you home then. We don’t want you in trouble again.”

“Oh shit, you’re right.” She looked around quickly and realized the sun was rising.

“Come on, I’ll show you how to ride the glider and then you can drive for practice.”

Roth had no problem lifting them into the air and heading south along the

mountain range until they were parallel to her house. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen

the sunrise make the rolling ground look more magnificent. There wasn’t any real need

to wrap her arms around Roth but when she’d climbed on behind him he’d taken her

hand and placed it on his stomach. She’d automatically put her other hand there too.

He’d held both of her hands in one of his all the way to the forested hills that spread

south of her backyard.

“Put me down anywhere and I’ll sneak back up to my house.” Ana instinctively

searched the ground below to see if anyone was down there.

“Can you sneak back in without getting in trouble?”

“I’m sure I can.” She wasn’t sure at all. “I borrowed one of the Gothman soldier’s

clothing. No one should recognize me.”

He landed the glider with her house visible in the distance. She watched him study

it for a minute and then he turned to look at her.

“Those are clothes from one of your soldiers? How did you get them?”

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“Well, he didn’t give them willingly. I knocked him out first.”

“You undressed a man and took his clothes?”

“Uh-huh.”

He looked upset by this for a moment and she felt his eyes pull at her again. Was he

the jealous type? Or did he just think it was too dangerous for a girl to undertake?

His face softened. “That will be one embarrassed man when he wakes up.”

“I kind of hoped I’d get back before he woke up.”

“And then what? You plan on dressing him? I say leave well enough alone. Get

back to your room and change into your clothes there. You may want these clothes

again.”

He grabbed her by both arms and lifted her toward him. His mouth covered hers

more than it had the first time. She groaned when his tongue tickled her through his

beard stubble. She opened her mouth willingly and then collapsed into him as he

controlled her senses with his kiss. She couldn’t form a thought, couldn’t control her

actions, her body and mind were his with that one kiss.

He literally stood her on her feet after he’d thoroughly kissed her and the pulling of

his eyes seemed to help her get her bearings.

“Has anyone ever kissed you like that before?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Good. Go on home now. The sun is almost up. When will you come to me?”

Ana’s mind raced. When was the household the quietest? What would she be

expected to do today? Of course, there were her lessons. And certainly, Mama would

expect her to spend time repenting at the Crator temple. If only she had some clue

about her parents’ schedules for the day. Their activities had never much concerned her

before and she really had no idea if they had a routine or not. She’d always come and

gone as she pleased, at least after lessons with Andru and Cali.

“I’m not sure. I’ll try to come this afternoon after we eat. If I can’t make it then, I’ll

try this evening.” She looked up sorrowfully but his smile reassured her. “Will you be

missed by your people?”

“My servants don’t question my actions and my brother hopes for another audience

with Lord Darius and Lady Tara. I won’t be missed.”

She wasn’t sure if her feet touched the ground as she ran across the rocks toward

her house. Her hair flew loose around her, and she had to stop near the last group of

trees before she reached her backyard, to run her fingers through it then twist it up into

a knot on the back of her head—just like a Gothman housewife.

Daylight had arrived and she had no idea how she would get back into the house

without being seen. She got as far as the shed when she realized there was no guard in

the backyard. By the time she’d moved around the small building to see the yard better,

she could see why. Or better yet, hear why.

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Mirak had either come to or been found. Either way, he was getting quite a tongue-