Freedom (Delroi Prophecy) (13 page)

He was surprised her seer hadn’t told her already. He didn’t respond to her right away. He didn’t need to. His mother read him too well.

“Yes,” he said reluctantly. He had a pretty good idea how her thoughts had turned. “I don’t know if Delroi is ready for your prophecy to be fulfilled, Mother. Be careful what you put in motion.”

“
The attack couldn’t have been anticipated. You don’t have the authority to interfere with the goddess cult and you couldn’t have changed a thing, sweetheart. And you’re wrong. Delroi needs the prophecy now more than ever.”

He heaved a sigh. There was no way he’d change her mind or steer her to another course.
“Let her settle in at least before you try to recruit her to restart an old religion.”

“
We’ll see. How did you find her by the way?”

“
It’s a long story. If you promise to be nice, I’ll let her tell it.”

She gave him an arch look and squeezed his arm.
“Like you could stop me, sweetie.”

Well, he couldn’t argue that could he? His mother was a force of nature. He changed the subject.

“How is your priestess?”

“
Novice, actually. And she is doing fine.”

“
Where’s Kayna?”

She rolled her eyes.
“Working on that antique you had sent from Earth.”

He grinned. He’d known his sister would find the old automobile fascinating.

“I want to meet your woman, Roarr.”

“
You’ll want to meet all three of them. They’re under our protection.”

“
Not the Saber Clan’s?”

He shook his head. He could have left the other two women with Barak, but not only would Kareena have protested so would his brother. Jarek hadn’t said anything about his intentions however, and Roarr wasn’t saying anything on his brother’s behalf to his mother.

“Kareena wouldn’t be separated from her friends, so all three are my responsibility.”

“
I see,” she said almost expectantly, but damned if Roarr could figure out what she was waiting to hear. He led her to the three women for introductions.

“
Ladies, this is my mother the Lady Rona Idis, high priestess of the Keep.”

“
Mother, this is Zola Gray, Parker Reed, and,” he paused just a second, hoping he could conceal his emotions from his mother when he spoke the last. “Kareena Smith.”

He failed miserably. His mother was excellent at shielding her emotions and since he felt them, he knew she hadn’t bothered. So he felt her curiosity and a bit of irritation. She didn’t like her son being rejected.

“Okay, what’s going on here?”
Kareena asked him.

“
My mother is wondering why you’re rejecting me. You should make up better excuses. I think you call it the third degree on your world.”

She gave him an incredulous look and spoke aloud.
“You have got to be kidding me.”

She was off balance. Flushed. Beautiful. Maybe throwing her to the wolves, or the best local equivalent, his mother, wasn’t such a bad idea. He shrugged.

“You could at least apologize for putting me in this position,” she hissed.

“
I could. But I wouldn’t mean it and we both know it.”

“
Roarr,” his mother interrupted. “Your lieutenants are waiting for you. I’ll show the ladies their rooms and give them the tour.”

He nodded.
“Put them in the guest wing of the family quarters,” he said softly as he kissed her cheek.

“
You’re sure?”

“
Unless she chooses my suite, yes.”

He gave Kareena one last look. It didn’t matter what rooms she was in. He’d vowed to give her space, but he knew he’d be breaking his promise before nightfall. She didn’t need to know that yet though. To use her vernacular, he felt wimpy enough as it was.

“I don’t think I’m up for a tour,” Zola said stepping forward. She was even more secretive than Kareena and Parker, but it was obvious she’d been treated much worse for several months longer. Both women stepped up to shield her and Roarr couldn’t help but approve that. He saw his mother nod, silently agreeing.

“
Mother,” Jarek said, finally stepping forward to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll take Zola and Parker to their rooms. Why don’t you show Kareena around?”

If Roarr didn’t know better he’d think that had been prearranged.

“It’s fine,”
Kareena said mentally, but he still heard it said through gritted teeth.
“I can handle your mother.”

He almost laughed out loud.
“Only if you accept me unconditionally, baby.”

She turned to glare at him.
“You are
not
helping.”

The others had moved out of earshot and he stepped closer, pretending his mother wasn’t there drinking in every word.
“Helping? No,
der’lan
. I won’t help you run away and hide.”

She turned to him, real fury lighting her eyes as she poked a finger in his chest.
“I don’t run and I don’t hide. But I do have a sense of self preservation even if you don’t. I’m not saying no, never.” She stopped and took a deep breath, pressing one hand hard over her chest. “I should be, but I’m not.”

“
Do you really believe the sacrifice is worth it? The kind of bond you’re talking about? You really believe you’d never want to walk away?”

“
It doesn’t work that way here, baby,” he said, taking both her hands and kissing her palms before releasing her. He glanced at his mother, took a deep breath, and turned back to Kareena. “I told you if you wanted your freedom to stay away from me. I will make sure you are protected and provided for. But I don’t want that and I don’t think you do either. Not really. Let my mother show around. She can explain things much better than I can. You can stay in the guest wing with your friends or my suite.”

He took a deep breath then. That was a hell of a risk. Those rooms belonged to the woman who would be his
der’lan
. He was chief of the only clan on the planet that would not force that bond. She had to accept him. Or she would never be his.

“
If you aren’t making the choice to be mine,” he warned. “Don’t pick my suite.”

He didn’t trust himself to say anymore, so he turned around and strode off, despite the questions he felt in her mind.

She was going to kick his ass. He’d left her alone. He’d left her alone with his mother. And she, you know, might just want to kill Kareena. She faced the other woman reluctantly and her effort at honesty was a little too raw.

“
I don’t understand this place. I would go home except I’d be dead in a week.”

Her expression morphed from pissed to sympathetic, which made Kareena even more nervous. Rona was at least four inches taller than Kareena. She moved up to Kareena’s side, slipped her arm around her waist, and steered her onto one of the many paths.

“Our world is very different and Roarr said you have a story to tell. Perhaps we should start there.”

Kareena sighed and sensing a potential ally, starting talking.
“Did you hear how I came to be here?”

Rona shook her head.

“I’m a telepath,” she said, paying close attention for a negative reaction, which was common on Earth, and breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t sense one. “On my planet, anyone with psychic abilities must be registered with their government. Unfortunately, in my country there’s a group who abuses those powers. The Tel Group.”

“
You opposed these people?” Rona asked.

“
Yes. I was able to hide from them for most of my life and was leader of an underground to help others escape. I was captured six months ago and held prisoner. Roarr was part of the group that rescued us.”

“
Your companions?”

“
Parker and Zola. They were imprisoned too.” She didn’t say anything more about them. Their stories were their own to tell. She changed the subject. “Roarr said there’s a goddess cult here?”

While she tripped over the word cult, she was intrigued since she’d followed a goddess focused spiritual path most of her life. If it was similar, it might make the adjustment to Delroi easier. Rona’s smile was radiant. Pleased. It made Kareena nervous.

“This way,” she said and reversed directions. They retraced their steps and crossed the landing area, finally stopping at a steel door. Rona set her hand against an access plate and it slid up to reveal a tunnel. Kareena followed her inside. The door closed behind them and lights on the ceiling lit up.

“
The temple is outside the fortress,” Rona said. “This entrance is controlled, but the priestesses who live inside the Keep have access and as Roarr’s woman you will too.”

Kareena wasn’t touching that statement, but she was so distracted by Rona’s easy acceptance that she wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted her when they exited the tunnel into a narrow valley. The temple was huge, carved into the side of a cliff. Steps led up to the entrance. Massive columns spanned the front, and on each end were the tallest statues she’d ever seen. Both were women. One was obviously a warrior, she held a spear and bow. The other, Kareena judged to be a healer. She held what looked like a stethoscope.

“Wow,” she murmured. It was impossible not to be impressed. She didn’t even try to hide her awe. It was like standing at the foot of the pyramids back home. But grander. “How old is it?”

Rona stood next to her and stared up at the edifice.
“Ten thousand years.”

That number was hard to wrap her mind around.
“And the Keep? This city?”

“
Not nearly as old,” Rona said. “We’ve been plagued by wars just as you were on Earth. The Keep is about three thousand years old. It’s seen countless renovations, of course. Parts of the city are a bit older, most a bit younger.”

“
Amazing.” The sheer scope of the history of the place, the people. The culture. That was a hell of a lot of tradition to fight. “And this mating business?” she asked. “How long has that been going on?”

“
As long as this temple has been here, at least,” Rona said.

“
Well, hell.” How did she fight that? She decided to go back to ignoring it.

“
So what am I looking at?” she asked instead. “How does your goddess worship work?” She refused to call it a cult.

“
You know we have three castes?”

“
Yes.”

“
Good. Well, each caste worships a male god. The warrior, the artist, the healer. But centuries ago, the Delroi also worshipped a goddess. She was all three aspects of faith on our planet, and she was the province of women. Unfortunately, we abandoned her and many feel she abandoned us.”

“
Except for here.”

“
We were always the center of her worship and will never give it up.” She gave Kareena a sly smile. “And now that faith may grow and spread again.”

“
Why do you say that?” The other woman’s smile made her nervous. Suspicious.

“
Tell me, daughter, what did you do on Earth? What of your friends?”

Apprehension skittered up her spine. She sensed a trap but for the life of her couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I taught self defense. Parker was a counselor.” What to say about Zola? She gave part of the truth. “Zola was a poet.”

“
Warrior, healer, and artist,” Rona said softly, reverently. “We have a prophecy that three women will come from an alien world, representing the three castes and our faith will be reborn.”

Oh, no, she had no intention of being the face of a new religion.
“You already have that,” she pointed out. “Laney Bradford is a soldier, Britt Anderson is a painter, and Kendall Marks is a doctor.”

“
True,” Rona agree. “But they aren’t taking sanctuary in the clan of the Keep.”

She felt a trap closing around her and kept her mouth shut as Rona took her inside. The doors opened into a large space with more statues carved in the walls and candles lit all around. Two corridors opened from its back wall.

“That goes to the sleeping areas,” Rona said pointing to the right. “We want to go this way.”

They passed many ceremonial looking rooms, a Roman style bath, a dining area, and finally stepped into a room with no back wall that overlooked the sea. Kareena caught her breath as she looked around and took in the activity. It was a training center.

“Rumor persists that I train assassins here,” Rona said dryly, joking, but Kareena heard beneath it. Rumor was spot on. “Actually many of these young women will go on to become companions and unsuspected bodyguards in the clans that don’t object too strenuously to women warriors.”