Forsaken (24 page)

If each of the plant trays was actually four, she needed to rethink her inventory. She tried three more levers before she found another tray that was willing to expand, but then she found six more that were still functional. If she could eventually open all the trays, she had just quadrupled the capacity of the jungle.

She made some notes on her datapad then sat in her office and poured over the documentation. There was no mention of the multilevel plant trays. Was the practice so common it wasn’t worth noting or did the documentation predate a multi-level modification?

Scrolling through article after article, she found numerous references to “the reservoirs in the grotto”. The entire room was sort of cavernous, but she had yet to find reservoirs large enough to service the entire operation. Which led her to believe she had yet to find the grotto.

Well, she had time to kill and not much to do until her supplies arrived, and they had yet to be ordered, or scavenged, or stolen. She wasn’t sure how the rebels would deliver the goods without setting off alarms, but Kotto assured her that she would have everything she needed. So she started at the front door and worked her way around to the right, opening every door and examining every room that was adjacent to the jungle.

It took the better part of four hours, but her tenacity finally paid off. She opened an unmarked door in the back of one of the storerooms and found a staircase that led to the lower level. She spent the next two hours exploring the new territory, but she’d forgotten to grab her datapad before she started her search, so she returned to the upper level to retrieve it.

She was headed back downstairs when the main door to the jungle opened and Kotto ushered two strangers inside. Using Kotto’s descriptions as reference, she concluded that the man on his right was a harbinger. Was this Chandar’s brother? It made sense that Danvier would come running, but how had he gotten here so quickly. Harbingers couldn’t teleport, could they?

After wiping her hands on her jeans, she reworked her ponytail and prayed she didn’t smell too much like sweat. Perspiration was basically unavoidable in this warm, humid environment.

“This is Danvier Evon, my nephew.” Kotto confirmed her supposition.

With his long silver hair pulled back into a thick braid and sculpted features, Danvier looked like a resident of Rivendell or one of the other elven cities in Middle Earth. All he lacked was pointed ears. He was tall and lean, not nearly as muscular as the battle born soldiers. Danvier looked at her for the first time and she felt deeply uncomfortable. He hadn’t done or said anything threatening. It was just the intensity of his penetrating stare. His eyes were sky blue and the rings glistened like polished silver. Without speaking or acknowledging her in any way, he simply walked off down one of the aisles. How rude.

“He’s not much of a conversationalist on a good day and this day is far from good.”

The comment drew Raina’s gaze toward the other guest. She felt her eyes round, but managed to keep her jaw from dropping.
Holy Mother Mary. Who is this?

“‘This’ is Zilor Nox. Bandar’s younger brother.” Kotto’s gruff tone warned that he’d heard her mental outburst.

And she’d thought Bandar was handsome. Zilor was half a head taller than the other men and she’d never seen shoulders that broad. She swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat and gave herself a firm mental shake. She would not make a fool of herself just because Zilor Nox was easily the best-looking male she’d ever seen in her life.

Zilor stepped forward and shook her hand.

Much to her mortification she blushed to the roots of her hair. “Raina Solano.” Her voice sounded mousy. She was all but soul bonded to Kotto. What was wrong with her?

“It’s nice to meet you.” Zilor bowed as he let go of her hand and hurried after Danvier.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” Kotto reached down and pinched her ass. “Zilor has that effect on everyone. And he’s right. Danvier’s not himself right now. We’re all worried about Chandar, but he’s torturing himself with guilt.”

“None of this is his fault.”

“I know, and so does he, but knowing and accepting are two different things.”

Zilor and Danvier meandered around for a few minutes then made their way toward the door. “We’re going to head back. Danvier needs to meditate.”

Kotto nodded. “If you need anything, com.”

“All I need is for Akim to activate that frequency.” Danvier took off without making eye contact with anyone.

“Nice to meet you,” Zilor said then hurried after the harbinger.

A millisecond after the door closed, Kotto pressed in close behind her and lightly cupped her breasts. “I’ve come to ravish you.” He spoke the words against the side of her neck as his warm breath caressed her skin.

“And if I’m not in the mood to be ravished?” She arched her neck, offering him more skin to nibble.

“Then I’m not doing it right.”

“Good answer.” She turned to face him then looped her arms around his neck. “Can I show you something first or are you desperate for me?”

“I’m always desperate for you.” He demonstrated his desperation with a lingering kiss. She started to melt into his embrace then he nipped her lower lip. “You better show me now. Once I get you naked, I intend to keep you that way until tomorrow morning.”

“But we haven’t even had dinner yet.”

“We can eat naked.” He flashed a wolfish grin.

She brushed off her knees and tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. No doubt she was a mess, but he didn’t seem to care. He insisted that physical appearance wasn’t important to him, and she was starting to believe him. She had no doubt that he found her attractive. And he was the only one that mattered.

“The documents kept referring to the ‘reservoirs in the grotto’. According to the original plans, that’s the best place to alter pH levels or adjust various nutrients to produce the desired result. The problem was no one I talked to knew anything about holding tanks or where I could find the grotto. So this afternoon, while everyone was gone, I opened every door and entered every room that branches off from this one.”

“And you found the grotto?”

She grinned and pushed her excitement across their link. She needed him to understand how important this was to her. “I found the grotto.” She took his hand and led him into the dingy store room. All of the shelves were empty and it looked as if one of the workers had started scrubbing decades’ worth of grime off one set of shelves then either ran out of time or gave up.

Beyond the last set of shelves, in the back corner of the room, was a nondescript door. It wasn’t labeled, but a security scanner activated as soon as she stood directly in front of the barrier. A beam swept her face and then the door clicked as the locking mechanism disengaged. She opened the door and motioned him inside.

He stepped through the threshold and onto a small metal landing. They seemed suspended in midair. A closer look revealed a nesting staircase directly below them that led from the landing to the floor. It was cooler here, but equally humid. He grasped the railing and started down. She quietly followed. The stairs turned back on themselves three times before they reached the bottom.

Raina was close behind, a smile still curving her lips. She took his hand again and led him around a corner on their right and into the “grotto”. Long narrow pools stretched out before them like ribbons of light. The liquid shone with greenish-gold luminescence, but there was no detectable light source.

“Where is the light coming from?” He bent and turned his head, peering down into the liquid.

“I haven’t figured it out yet and I’m not sure if it has a purpose other than keeping people like me from ending up in the reservoirs.”

Shadows and shimmers reflected all around them, dancing on the rough-hewn walls and ceiling. “It’s beautiful,” he whispered.

“And this isn’t even the best part.” She motioned him onward as she led him to the far side of the room. They walked along one of the long narrow tanks, the walkway forcing them to continue single file.

“These pools contain the liquid used to fertilize and sustain the plants in the room above?” Perishable food of any kind was impractical on a spaceship. Replicated meals were palatable and nutritious, but they would never replace the real thing.

She nodded. “I’ve never worked with this solution before, but if the documents are accurate, it’s much more efficient than anything we have on Earth.”

“In what way?”

“I wasn’t sure how hydroponics would work in an environment with limited water, but apparently this solution has a ninety-three percent recycle rate.” His confusion must have shown because she smiled then elaborated, “This liquid provides the plants with the nutrients they need to thrive while very little of the actual liquid is absorbed by the plants. Anything the plants don’t use drips back into the reservoir and is recycled over and over. All we’ll need to do is add highly concentrated nutrients from time to time and keep an eye on the pH levels.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying the project. I was hoping you’d find it interesting.”

She glanced back at him, her expression suddenly cautious. “There are many regions on Earth that would benefit greatly from this technology. People are literally starving because they can’t grow their own food. Will I ever be able to share this with my people?”

They’d reached the end of the pool and he moved up beside her again. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. “We have to take this one step at a time. There’s much we can offer humans if they’re willing to cooperate with us, but trust must be established before my superiors are going to share any of our secrets.”

“The Rodyte government hasn’t done right by the battle born. I understand why you’re hesitant.”

“But.” It was obvious she had more to say.

“But it’s not government officials who are starving.”

He curled his fingers around her neck and tilted her face up with his thumb. “I’ll do everything in my power to influence the negotiations but there is only so much I can control.”

“I know. And I know you’ll do your best. I just hate to see these things left in the hands of bureaucrats. Earth’s governments haven’t done much better than the crown stirate and his council. Politicians all claim to protect the common man, but their actions seldom support that assertion. Anyway.” She motioned to the alcove on his right. “This is why I brought you down here.”

The area was dimly lit compared to the outer chamber or the sun-simulating lights in the jungle. It was also larger than she’d first thought. Stepping into the area made her feel as if she were passing into another dimension. Thick grass cushioned their feet and verdant greenery surrounded them. Leafy trees and flowering bushes were intermixed with fanlike ferns and ambitious vines. The air seemed fresher and the light fragrance of flowers and water, floated on the breeze.

A rhythmic burble drew them deeper into the surreal cavern until they stood at the edge of a pool. Water, or some sort of clear liquid, ran down the back wall in a continual stream. The pool wasn’t large, but it was so clear they could see the rocky bottom.

“How?” His expression reflected the same wonder and awe she’d felt when she first discovered the cavern.

“Good question.” She smiled at him. “Any chance your people have been messing around with terraforming? This is more like a biosphere, but there’s no way this cave is natural.”

He just shook his head, clearly at a loss for explanations. “Is this really water?”

She nodded. “I tested it myself. It would have to be boiled before anyone could drink it, but it’s definitely water. The only thing I can figure is that it’s being fed by condensation. But that’s not generally sustainable, so why is it still here after forty years?”

He turned in a slow circle, taking in the lush beauty of their surroundings. “I can’t begin to explain this. To my knowledge, no one in my star system can accomplish anything like this. Some Bilarrians can command the elements, but they are harnessing energy that already exists. This… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Willing to let the mystery rest, for now, she moved to his side and he draped his arm around her shoulders. “So were you able to send the message to Akim?”

“It was more complicated than we first thought, but the message was sent about half an hour ago. Now it’s the waiting game. If Akim doesn’t respond, we’ll know he spotted the trap. If he responds too quickly, he has likely set a trap for us.”

Stepping in front of him, she slid her hands up his chest. Their gazes locked and the warmth and affection so clear in his expression tightened her chest. So why was he still shielding his thoughts?

“I know you’ve kept yourself busy since the vision, but are you all right? You saw the same thing Ashley saw and you know Chandar a whole lot better.”

His shields weakened just enough to let her feel his calm. “I’m not hiding from you, love. I was just trying to stay focused. That’s all. Rodytes are used to mind-to-mind communication. I was able to shield myself in a way Ashley couldn’t. I’m more determined than ever to rescue Chandar, but I was insulated from her pain.”

“I’m glad.” She rolled onto her toes and brushed her lips against his. He started to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back. “One more thing before I forget.”