All For One [Nuworld 3] (9 page)

Cali smiled. “Don’t all children?”

“She only has sixteen winters.” Tara didn’t see the humor and Cali’s smile

disappeared. “I want you to keep an eye on her. I know this will infringe upon your

personal life for a while, but I’m worried she will get into trouble in her attempt to

show her papa and me that she can handle herself.”

Cali clasped her hands behind her back and stood quietly. Tara could tell the young

woman could think of many things she’d rather do with her free time than track a

teenage girl. She wouldn’t question Tara’s instruction, though. Tara was sure of that.

“She’s in her room right now. Don’t be obvious but I want to know if you lose track

of her for two minutes. Understand?”

Cali nodded.

“Oh, and Cali, don’t discuss this conversation with Lord Darius.”

Again Cali nodded. It was no secret that Tara and Darius didn’t always see eye to

eye on things. No one questioned an order from one that contradicted an order from the

other. Every soldier, advisor and even servant learned simply to do whatever they’d

been told to do last. Tara and Darius led their nations with a passion. Both would lead,

neither would follow.

Cali hurried toward the house but Tara moved over to where she and Darius had

parked their gliders. She stopped in her tracks when she came around the side of the

shed and almost ran into Darius’ broad chest.

“You would keep secrets from me, my lady?”

Tara saw immediately that he still harbored the anger from his confrontation with

Ana.

“I do believe Gothman view raising children as women’s work,” she said, without

looking at him, and instead walking around him. “We need to discuss the Tree People.”

He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “And we shall, but first you

shall tell me why you’ve put Cali to work spying on our daughter.”

She tried to yank her arm free but Darius held a tight grip. He pulled her closer and

breathed into her face as he talked. “Where did she go today?”

“I don’t know.” Tara dared to meet his glare.

“If you lie to me again I’ll give you the beating I didn’t give Ana.”

“You do and you’ll regret it.” She didn’t pull away anymore but instead pushed

herself into him as she spit the words. “Now take your hands off me. We have work to

do.”

“Where did she go today?” he repeated through his teeth.

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All For One

Tara didn’t respond but simply looked at him. His gray eyes burned with fire. The

adrenaline he’d caged from his daughter he would unleash on her. It wouldn’t be the

first time either. She’d worn more than one bruise from the violent Gothman temper of

her claim. But she’d knocked him to the ground more than once in their battles and

never backed down from him. The only thing the servants prayed for when the two of

them locked horns was that they were outside at the time. Cleaning up a room after the

leaders of two nations engaged in combat wasn’t a pleasurable chore.

Darius grabbed her other arm and suddenly lifted her in the air and pinned her

against the side of the shed. She tried to raise her legs to push him back but he moved

his body too quickly against hers.

“Let me rephrase the question,” he said quietly. “You know where Ana went today,

you do. Will you tell me?”

“Darius,” she whispered, with incredible control. “You don’t raise female warriors

any different from male warriors. If you beat her every time she crosses you she will

grow up resenting you instead of respecting you. Her battles need to be recreational

right now, not learning self-defense against her papa’s wrath.”

“So you won’t tell me what you know for fear of your daughter being beaten?” His

eyes softened and dark gray flecks tempted to manipulate her. “Are you afraid for your

daughter?” His words mocked her, attempting to raise her temper and force her slip.

“The only thing I fear is that she will surpass my warrior skills before she has

twenty winters.” Tara relaxed under his grip and even managed a small smirk.

It was just the distraction she’d hoped for. Darius’ muscles relaxed as well and his

gaze lowered to her lips. “That would make her one hell of a warrior, my lady,” he

whispered then kissed her gently, suggesting entirely different emotions had emerged.

She shrugged herself away from him and almost leaped over his long legs to

freedom. Quickly, she turned toward the house.

“Come on, we’ll talk about this later.” She turned and extended her hand. “Right

now, we must meet with our advisors and discuss our meeting today.”

He ignored her hand and instead placed his grip on the back of her neck as he

began walking with her.

“Yes, my lady, we’ll discuss this later, we will.”

* * * * *

Ana rolled over in her bed and groaned from the soreness in her shoulder blades. A

half moon provided enough light for her to see around her dark bedroom. She lay

listening to the silence of the house. She’d fallen asleep to the sounds of her parents

arguing at the other end of the house. Ana knew she was the topic of their debate and

that her father believed her mama knew something she wasn’t sharing. Could her

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Lorie O’Clare

Mama know where she’d gone that day? Crator wouldn’t have told her, would he? She

couldn’t believe she was doing something so terrible that Crator would interfere.

Or at least she hadn’t done anything terrible so far.

Mirak had guard duty tonight. She’d overheard Geeves telling Papa the duty roster

for the evening while enduring the solitude of her bedroom. Mirak was Ana’s age and

they’d attended school together. He’d teased her repeatedly for being a girl trying to act

like a boy. And he was not much bigger than she was. She’d made up her mind. Her

plan would work. And she owed Mirak for winters of merciless teasing. Tonight Mirak

would be her escape route out of her yard.

She had two hours before sunrise. That would have to be enough time. Cali had

come to her after her brother left her room last night. Apparently, her papa decided her

punishment could include visitors. She’d complained of pain from her beating and

consented to pain medication so she could sleep. She didn’t take the capsule Cali gave

her, but dropped it down the sink when Cali wasn’t looking.

Her plan worked. Cali assumed Ana would sleep like a baby and didn’t bother to

stay in her room that night. She bet Cali feared for her job after Ana’s successful

disappearance and would be determined to keep an eye on her. So, all Ana could do

was to leave while everyone slept and return before they woke up.

And that’s where Mirak came into the picture. He was on guard duty in the

backyard, and he was alone. Gilroy often guarded the backyard but they’d recently

done a rotation of the guards and now her brother’s friend patrolled the side yard. It

was a pity, Mirak wasn’t half the man to look at that Gilroy was.

She slipped out her bedroom window, conveniently left open earlier that evening.

There was no question that the guards knew she’d disappeared earlier and she guessed

they’d pay a little more attention to her this evening. But everyone had been asleep for

hours. Certainly, the guards would be more relaxed by now.

She could see Mirak standing over by the shed, his back to her. There were no other

guards in sight but she knew there was one in either side yard. And with Gilroy being

one of the guards, she wouldn’t stand a chance if her movement alerted him. Sparring

with Andru’s friend might be fun, but not under these circumstances. She would be

humiliated if her brother’s friend caught her. She’d have to be quick. And, she’d have to

be quiet.

The boy turned as she came up behind him.

“Ana.” His eyebrows rose in surprise.

Without hesitation, she brought both her hands up and slammed them down on the

side of Mirak’s neck.

“Sorry, Mirak,” she whispered as she dragged the unconscious soldier around the

side of the shed. Pulling him inside the shed proved to be a trick. She could only open

the door so far before it would squeak. This was something she and Andru discovered

several winters ago. She had to pull Mirak by his hands through the small opening into

a dark shed where the gliders were kept.

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In all honesty, Ana had never seen a naked man before, unless she counted her

brother. Mirak wasn’t exactly a man but it was hard to keep her eyes from roaming as

she slowly pulled his clothes off then slipped out of hers and put his on. They were

definitely too big but she managed to secure the pants with a rope belt she’d been

wearing.

“I promise I’ll try to get back before anyone discovers you’re here,” Ana whispered

to the naked, unconscious Gothman on the shed floor. “But, maybe next time you won’t

tease me for being a girl.”

“Mirak, where are you?” She jumped at the low growl of the Gothman soldier.

She crept outside quietly. As long as the large brute of a Gothman didn’t get too

close to her she stood a small chance in hell of getting through this night without

getting hurt again. Certainly Papa’s personal guards wouldn’t hurt her. What

instructions had her father left with the guards? Had he even mentioned her as a

possible risk? Or, worse yet, would her mama have left instructions?

She shoved those thoughts out of her head.

“Right here.” She mumbled and stepped a foot or so away from the shed.

Her hair was stuffed up under Mirak’s hat and she held his laser in her hand. She

looked at the large man from under the rim of the hat, not daring to raise her head too

high. The Gothman soldier seemed to stare at her for an eternal amount of time. She

didn’t realize she was holding her breath until he spoke.

“It’s time to rotate. Why are you just standing there?” The harsh whisper insulted

her and her heart pounded when she realized the large soldier was Gilroy.

She didn’t answer but turned and walked with long strides across the yard to the

side of the house. She wouldn’t look back to see if Gilroy watched her. Her heart

pounded so loudly she was sure others could hear it. Her legs wobbled as she stood

alongside the house where Mirak would stand. And she hoped and prayed the big kid