All For One [Nuworld 3] (40 page)

“Is there somewhere specific that you’re sending us?” he asked Syra.

She watched Torgo talk to the guards, and turned to look at Roth. “None of this was

my idea. Obviously, Lord Darius has taken over. He usually manages to control

everything.”

“You don’t like him much do you?” Roth asked, and Syra appeared to hesitate

before answering.

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“Why don’t you like him?” Beel looked up wanting to know as much as he could

about the man who was his papa.

“Let’s just say we’ve locked horns a time or two.” She waved a hand, dismissing the

topic.

They watched as the two Gothman left on one of the gliders. Torgo knelt before the

remaining glider and Beel watched what he was doing as well as studied the man.

“What are you doing?” Syra asked.

“Dismantling the bomb that’s programmed to go off when this thing goes airborne,

I am,” Torgo said, without looking up.

“He was going to kill us?” Roth couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Welcome to Gothman,” Syra muttered under her breath.

“Yes, he was going to kill you.” Torgo said matter-of-factly.

“I don’t understand. I showed my loyalty when I talked to my brother.” Roth was

completely at a loss.

“You’re still a threat, you are.” Torgo released several wires then pulled a small box

from the side of the bike. He handed it to Syra then reattached the wires.

“But, you’re going against your brother’s wishes,” Roth said, once Torgo stood up.

“And do you agree with every decision that your brother makes?”

“You have seen that I don’t.”

Torgo smiled. “You and I are not so different, I’m thinking, my friend.” He stuck

out his hand and after a moment Roth accepted it and shook hands with the Gothman.

“I ask that you learn as much as you can about Gothman ways and teach them to Beel.

He’ll serve you best if he is a fully trained Gothman warrior, he will.”

Roth nodded.

“Oh.” Torgo pulled a small bag out of his inner pocket. “This should be enough

money to make living easy. If you need more, contact me and I’ll see that you get it,

yes.”

Roth accepted the bag and stared at it for a moment. “Torgo, why are you doing

this?”

“Why don’t you just pull my thoughts?” Torgo asked, somewhat sardonically.

“It’s not that easy.” Roth shrugged. “I don’t have any control over what thoughts

come to me. And, in the dark, I can’t see you that well anyway.”

Torgo laughed and ran his hand up Syra’s back to her neck. “I tell you, my friend,

that is exactly why I prevented your death, because I don’t see you as a threat. My

brother is a dangerous man, he is. If someone is in his way, or he thinks they are, he

eliminates them. He’s always been that way, he has. Let’s just say, for the time being,

you’ve been given a second chance. Be careful, though. Head south and you’ll run into

Taratown. There is a boardinghouse where you can stay with little questions asked. Just

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let the lady know I sent you. I suggest finding some rural property and the lady can

help you find a tutor for Beel, she can.”

“Very good.” Roth walked over to the glider and Beel hurried to climb on behind

him.

Beel smiled at Syra. She had always helped him with the Tree People as well.

“Good luck to the two of you.” He watched Roth and Torgo shake hands.

Torgo looked at Beel and extended his hand. “I’ve enjoyed meeting you, Beel. You

weren’t what I expected, no.”

“Could I ask a question?” Beel tried to sound as confident as the men around him.

“Of course.” Torgo frowned. “But you must remember what you’ve learned here.”

Beel looked hesitantly at Roth. “Yes, I’ll remember. But, why did you tell Andru

you were my papa?”

“You don’t think I could be your papa?”

“No. I heard you and Lord Darius talking before you left to get Ma— Um, Roth.”

Torgo seemed to search his memory and then sighed heavily.

“Torgo, who was my mama?”

“She was a Runner, she was. She’s dead.”

“Lady Tara killed her, right?”

Torgo didn’t answer him, but instead looked directly into Roth’s eyes. Beel looked

from one man to the other. Torgo was offering Roth thoughts that he didn’t want Beel

to know. Someday he would learn the truth.

“No, she didn’t. But it was a long time ago, it was. As you know, you’ve been with

the Tree People since you were an infant. I don’t remember all the details, no.”

“But Lord Darius denied being my papa.”

Syra reached out to touch Beel’s arm. “Go live with Roth. Learn the Gothman way,

and…quit acting like a servant.” She shot Torgo a quick glance. “You’re related to the

leaders of two nations and you need to learn to act like it. Lord Darius is a difficult man

to please, but I think you’ll make him proud one day.”

Beel smiled and felt a purpose for the first time in his life. He nodded then wrapped

his arms around Roth.

Within minutes, the man and teenager were on their way.

Syra stood next to Torgo and watched the glider until it faded into the blackness of

the sky. Torgo slipped his arm around her waist and she moved with him when he

began walking. He led them to a dark spot of ground and picked up a bedroll that

obviously had been left by the guards.

“Why did you tell him he was related to two leaders?” Torgo asked as he carried

the bedroll to an area where several large rocks provided a small form of shelter.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the rebel in me.” She shrugged, growing distracted as she

realized what he was doing. “He seemed so hurt at being sent away.”

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“What a soft heart for such a tough warrior,” he muttered, and then pulled off her

headscarf.

“We have a long walk home,” she mumbled as he began kissing her neck.

Torgo wrapped one arm strongly around her waist, tossed his jacket on the ground,

and pulled her down on top of it.

“Are you in a hurry, my lady?”

“I’m not your lady.” His hands quickly found her bare skin and she arched into him

with a groan.

“As far as I’m concerned you are, yes.” He crushed his mouth on hers and their

tongues bonded in an unspoken bliss.

Their love had spawned as children and distance hadn’t quenched it. As they

explored each other’s bodies and reacquainted themselves with once familiar territory,

they realized to what extent that love had grown.

Slowly, Torgo removed one piece of her clothing after another until she lay naked

under him. He pulled back to get a better look at her under what little moonlight was

offered. She raised her hands above her head and taunted him with her nakedness.

Syra pulled his shirt over his head as he hovered over her. Her mouth fell open in

appreciation as his broad muscular chest appeared in front of her. He crushed himself

on top of her and then pulled her over so she lay on top of him. The coarse hair on his

chest tickled and her heightened senses shivered as a result. He tasted so good when

she traced lines on his skin with her tongue and he smelled like a mixture of leather and

soap.

She pushed herself off of him and gently pulled off his pants. Then, straddling him,

she rubbed herself against him, teasing him into madness. The remainder of the night

simply wasn’t enough time to show this man how much she needed him in her life.

When his large hands gripped her waist so tightly it hurt and she could see his blood

boiling in his eyes, she thrust herself down on him with such an impact that white

sparks danced in front of her vision with the depth he impaled her.

Torgo rolled her over and began slowly making love to her until she knew they

would explode into eternity together.

“I love you.” The two of them whispered the words at the same time.

He hovered over her, and continued to make them one, a unity that never should

have been divided. Neither one of them could view this as an illicit act.

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Chapter Twenty-Two

“Ana, may I come in?” Tara asked through her daughter’s bedroom door, and

listened as her daughter quickly stifled her tears. Almost a cycle had passed and still

her daughter cried from heartache.

“Of course, Mama.”

“I thought the first snowfall would brighten your spirits.” Tara walked over to

Ana’s window and opened the curtains so the brightness of the freshly fallen snow

flooded the room.

Ana sat on the side of her bed, fully clothed, and blinked at the window. “I guess I

hadn’t noticed.”

“You’ve got to pull yourself out of this. You’ve been moping around for weeks. It’s

not healthy.”

“He’s dead, isn’t he, Mama? I can’t come up with any other reason why he

wouldn’t try to contact me.”

Tara sighed. She’d thought Darius’ orders to kill both Roth and Beel a little harsh. It

was an incredible chance if the Tree People found out, but it wasn’t the first time the

two of them had taken such a chance. There was no reason to confirm her daughter’s

fears, though.

“Maybe he went back to his people. He’s not the only man out there, but I

remember how hard it was to get over my first love.”

Ana looked at her mama blankly. “I bet you were at least given the opportunity to

love him.”

“You can’t just stay in your room and mope about it. It isn’t healthy. You love the

snow, you should get out and enjoy it.”

“I don’t feel like it right now.”

“Well then, why don’t you come with me to the clan site? I was just getting ready to

leave.”

Ana attempted a weak smile. “Maybe I’ll come down later.”