Hathor Legacy: Burn (21 page)

"Is something wrong?"

Nadira looked up to find Maji and Varyn staring at her. "No. I'm fine."

"Of course you're not," Maji said. "And there's nothing wrong with admitting it." She spun around and headed back outside.

"She comes and goes a lot, doesn't she?" Varyn turned her attention back to the window. "They're talking."

"Lange's still out there?" Nadira asked.

"Yes. Maji is talking and waving her arms a lot."

"What's he doing?"

"Nodding his head. He hasn't said anything at all," Varyn replied.

"He probably gave up trying to get a word in."

"She's coming back. He's leaving." Varyn faced front and stared up at the vid screen as though she'd been doing it all along.

The door opened and Maji swept in, her skirt rustling. "Nadira, I'm sorry about tonight. You shouldn't be in stressful environments and I wasn't helping."

"Is Azure leaving?" Nadira asked. It surprised her that the Elder hadn't left earlier. The conflict between them was still hanging in the air, and she didn't need her full powers to pick up on it.

"No. She decided to stay. But she wants her space, so I'm lea
ving her alone."

"Is she still angry?" Varyn asked.

Maji looked over at the vid screen, watching the movement of the waves. "She's frustrated because she knows I'm right. Something must be done now to remove Dakar as Elder."

*****

A little while later, Nadira went up to her bedroom to have some time to think. Varyn had come up with her to take a look at the decorative vases. As bored as Nadira was with sitting around, she felt better having company while she did it.

Varyn picked up one of the vases and held it up to the light. "It's pretty." Then made a sound like she was clearing her throat. "Oh…"

"What is it?" Nadira jumped up off the bed. "Is something wrong?"

"I feel…there's a memory here…at the beach." Varyn closed her eyes and cradled the vase in her hands. "It feels warm and I see them…they're together."

"Who do you see?"

"Maji and Elder Lange. They're…hmmm…"

"What are they doing?" Nadira asked.

Varyn opened her eyes and smiled. "What do you think?"

"Oh." Wait a minute. How was Varyn seeing this? "You can read a memory from that?" She pointed at the vase.

"That's one of my abilities. My strongest one. When people touch things, they leave impressions. But I think Maji left this memory here purposely. She wanted to store it."

Okay, now she was confused. Why store a memory in an object? And was that even possible? But it had to be. Unless Varyn was making it up. "But if she wanted to remember it, why not just remember?"

"I don't know. Maybe she was afraid she wouldn't be able to remember. I think she had this with her when she was at this place. She had a lot of emotions and, well, it's all here." Varyn set it back on the shelf. "I wonder what's in these other vases?"

Nadira felt like she was seeing Varyn for the first time. She'd had this ability and no one had bothered to take it or her seriously. Though she'd heard of Guardians who were sensitive to touching objects, she'd never seen it demonstrated before. Something about it was powerful and unnerving at the same time.

"How long have you been able to do this?" Nadira asked.

"Since I was about ten or eleven. But I didn't tell anyone, not even my parents. When I was seventeen they found out. That's when they told DM Lezcov I should be trained as a Guardian. They wanted me to get out of the Cold Towns."

"Is it so bad there?"

"It's not like Nova City. They wanted me to be more than a farmer." Varyn scratched her arm.

"But there's nothing wrong with being a farmer, is there?"

"Nadira, you have everything. Don't you see that? When I got here they called me a Deshtu. I don't even know what that is." She held out her left palm. "When  you asked me about this, I knew what you were saying. I pretended I didn't. That's what they looked for when the two Guardians got me from DM Lezcov's office. What does it look like?"

"This." Nadira held out her palm to show the half-moon line. "All Guardians have them once our abilities begin to develop."

When Varyn finished examining it, she looked at her own palm that was still partially covered with regen skin. "When the medics took me, they put something all over my skin. It took away the pain and put me to sleep. I don't remember what happened after that. When I woke up, you were at the medi-evac."

Even though she still wasn't fully restored, Nadira felt the young woman's emotions underneath her struggle to not show them.

"I have abilities and I don't have that line. Nadira, when they were talking at dinner, I realized none of that matters.  I don't care about the history. I want to know why this happened to me and the others."

"So do I. But we can't get information from Dakar to confirm who went to the Cold Towns. I may have to find out myself."

"How?" Varyn asked.

"By going there." It was up to her. Even if no one else was g
oing to do anything, she could. Her jacket was on the bed mixed up with the clothing she'd ordered before she'd gone out. Now at least she wouldn't have to stop back at her apartment. She could just leave from here.

Pulling on her jacket, she stepped into her shoes. She'd have to hire an aircar. Then she could find out exactly where the DM's office was. Or maybe that should come first. How long would it take to get up there?

"Varyn, in the Cold Towns are they divided into provinces? Where is DM Lezcov located?'

"You're going there now?"

"Yes, and I need information from you before I go--"

"Go where?"

She knew who it was before she turned around. Maji was standing in the doorway, taking her usual position with hands perched on her slim hips.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"She's going to the Cold Towns," Varyn volunteered.

Nadira wished for once she wasn't so helpful. Every time she prepared to do something, here was someone else standing in her way.

"No, she's not. She's going to rest because her energy is restoring itself and stress will slow down the process. Right?" Maji glared at her. "We talked to Brant while you were out. He's following up with security. You don't have to do everything yourself!"

"Don't I? While all of you are fighting, nothing is getting done. Do you know that Varyn has strong abilities? She read one of those vases." Nadira pointed at the shelf. "She's not weak and she's not even a Deshtu. Is anyone trying to help her?"

Maji's attention went to the young woman across the room. "Is this true? What did you see?"

"You and Lange at the seashore." She folded her arms. "I picked it up to look at the design."

"Come with me." Maji held out her hand. "We'll let Nadira get her rest."

Feeling completely helpless and dismissed yet again, Nadira watched Varyn walk past her and join Maji at the door. Why did she suddenly feel like she was on the outside, looking in? "Where are you taking her?"

"We're having a talk about her abilities. I know you've protected her. But if she can stand on her own, she won't need anyone else to fight for her." Flicking back her hair, she put an arm around Varyn and led her away.

Nadira sat on the bed, listening to their voices. Their convers
ation grew fainter as she heard footsteps on the stairs, then she didn't hear them at all. She should've been pleased that things could be sorted out for Varyn. But sitting there on the patchwork quilt in her standard corporate suit, she suddenly felt out of place and unnecessary.

Not only that, but if she was honest with herself, she had to admit how exhausted she was. Had she really expected to have the energy to rush out of here and head up to the Cold Towns? As much as she hated to agree with Maji, she did need her rest. There was nothing more she could do right now, but wait.

*****

Hours later the bedroom was lit only by the light of the moons, Isis and Osiris. A frosty, white glow settled over everything, crea
ting shadows that changed the appearance of the room. Covers pulled up over her, Nadira drifted between sleeping and waking. Not sure she wanted to completely come back into awareness. But she wasn't alone in the room. Someone was at the doorway, looking at her. A man. He was tall, with squared shoulders--a dark form that she couldn't completely see.

Not wanting to move, she squinted as the form moved and the silhouette of the man was washed in moonlight. His body moving with ease and grace. She saw the definition of a muscular arm, then the sinews of a long, toned leg. He walked around the other side of the bed, disappearing into the shadows. Then she felt, rather than heard, covers being pulled back and movement next to her.

A spicy, warm, woody scent filled her nose as the man wrapped his arms around her and spooned himself against her back. Rubbing his stubbled chin against her bare shoulder he hugged her to him, sighing as if he had taken a long journey and just wanted to rest.

He ran his land down her thigh and caressed her. Easing it back up again, he found her breast and squeezed it, using his thumb to tease her nipple into hardness through her nightgown. She gripped his hand, and interlaced her fingers with his as a soft moan escaped her lips.

"Ashira," he whispered. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

"Jonathan," she said, pressing herself against him. How had he gotten here? She knew it was him and at the same time she knew it couldn't be. No, it couldn't be, could it? "Are you all right?"

"I am now."

Her body shook with joy, with frustration, with fear that he'd go away and she'd never feel him next to her again. "I hate them for what they did to you."

"Shhhh…" His lips brushed against her shoulder.

"How did you get here? What is this?" It was either the most vivid dream she'd ever had, or she'd completely lost her mind. And at this point, she didn't care which one it was.

"I'm with you, Ashira. Sleep now."

Yes, she could sleep now. She could relax and know she was safe in his arms.

27
Truth

Distant thunder woke her up. Not used to the sound, she was sta
rtled for a moment. Obviously, the Hathor climate control had scheduled an early morning rain shower.  The thunder was an extra bonus. She'd been out of her regular routine for so long, she didn't know what was going on anymore. It must be the same disorientation that tourists felt when they came and were unaware of how the systems worked. That's how she felt now. Like a stranger in her own life.

She was alone in the bed, just as she'd expected. It had felt so real, all of it. As the warmth faded, an icy awareness shot through her. Depending on how things played out, she might never see Jon again. Burrowing deeper under the covers, she clutched the bla
nkets to her. In spite of the heavy fabric, she couldn't get warm.

What time was it now? Maji didn't seem to keep clocks an
ywhere. Maybe she'd go downstairs and get a drink of water. Or maybe hot tea. That would warm her up.

Nadira pulled back the covers and walked out onto the landing. There was a narrow, rectangular window on the other side of the stairs. Instead of heading down right away, she went over to take a look out. The early morning sky was rimmed with pinkish red, and the streets were slick from the rain.

Wait a minute. Someone was standing at the corner. For a moment she wondered if maybe Sgt. Tragg had returned, but it wasn't him either. It was a man wearing a corporate suit, not a uniform. A brown suit that appeared, even from up here, to be trimmed in gold around the collar and cuffs.

As soon as she realized who it was, she jumped away from the window and rushed back to the bedroom. Even in the twilight, and without seeing his features, she knew who it was.

He made no effort to hide. Mikal wanted her to know that he was out there watching and waiting, and there was nothing she could do about it.

*****

A couple of hours later, unable to go back to sleep, Nadira headed downstairs. Coffee would give her the jolt she wanted. Normally, she'd have tea to start the day. She liked to ease into it. Not today, though.

When she got to the living area, she looked outside again. M
ikal was gone. She'd been tempted to go confront him. But it was possible that's what he'd wanted.

Leaving her shoes upstairs, she'd come down in her sleeping gown. At least the wooden floors weren't cold like the stone floors were in her apartment.

Maji was sitting at the dining table, a cup and an empty plate in front of her. "There's coffee left," she said. "If you want to skip the tea this morning."

"How did you know?"

Instead of answering, she smiled and nodded towards the kitchen. "There's some bread left too, unless you prefer that terrible oatmeal Azure likes."

Nadira got her coffee, took the last two slices of bread and r
eturned to the table. Settling herself in an adjacent chair, she gulped down her beverage. It was black, with a slightly toasted flavor. Not that she didn't enjoy it, but the smell of coffee was always better than the taste.

"Mikal was outside earlier. I saw him standing across the street." Nadira set her cup down. "He must've followed Azure and Lange back here."

"Or Dakar ordered it. I don't think Mikal is doing this by himself."

"Mikal's not harmless," Nadira said.

"I know that. He's a predator who uses a person's vulnerability against them." She held up her cup and looked into it. "I just don't feel he'd do anything that Dakar didn't condone."

"Then why is everyone going along with it?"

"You were kept separate from the others, which is why you question everything. They were conditioned to defer to Joachim and now to Dakar. That's why there's nothing in place to deal with an Elder who is out of control. Even the company is unsure right now. They were promised the Guardians would be compliant allies. Everything on Hathor is built on that belief." Maji pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"Then we can't do anything about him. He's changed ever
ything so that the different groups only report in to him. Brant told me it's been going on for months."

"His father did the same thing. He wanted to ensure that no o
pposition could form without his knowledge." Maji picked up her fork and pushed around the crumbs on her plate. "It's the same thing all over again and they refuse to see it."

"What happened between you and Elder Lange?" Yes, it was rude to ask such a direct question. But the time for decorum was over.

Maji continued to play with her fork. "Dakar told Lange that he had a duty and an obligation to partner with Jen Montaigne's daughter. I guess Dakar believed that their child would inherit Lange's strong abilities."

"Did they have a psychic connection?" Nadira asked.

"No, their relationship wasn't like that. And their son never developed any abilities." She dropped her fork in the middle of the plate. "He's a shuttle pilot. After he was born, she and Lange ended it and they went their separate ways. They both knew what they had done, and it had nothing to do with love."

Duty and obligation. It didn't make her feel any better to know she hadn't been the only one manipulated by the Elder. "We're people, not subjects in a lab experiment."

"Lange has had other partners, so have I. But…he made his choice when he let Dakar guilt him into being a breeder."

"He can make a new choice now and so can you. Why not?" Nadira asked. "It's not too late."

Maji sighed and covered her face with her hands. She took a deep breath, and ran her fingers through her hair. "You have to get Jonathan. Don't let Dakar win. Do it today…right now."

"I--I can't. Not with everything going on here. How can I leave Hathor?"

"You go to the shuttle terminal and get on a flight." Maji rested her arms on the table. "Connecting your consciousness to another person is serious, Nadira. It is a bond that will connect you in ways an average person can't imagine. It's not to be done lightly. Do you think he can just go through the trauma of being tortured, and sent away with no consequences? If you weren't prepared to manage your connection, why did you do it?"

She hadn't been expecting to be hit with Maji's emotions like this. Maybe she shouldn't have opened up this topic. "I did it to shield him. When I was investigating the mine robbery, Zina was looking for him and I didn't trust her."

"It's her fault that these things weren't included in your training. It's not enough to be powerful, you must know how to use your power without hurting yourself and others."

"I had a dream that Jon was here. He was lying next to me. I even thought I saw him," Nadira said. "That's never happened to me before."

Maji smiled. "He's not moyen, is he? Either he has abilities or he's related to someone who does. Has he told you about his family?"

How had she turned the tables on their conversation? Lying wasn't an option with someone who could easily see through it. "His mother was born on Hathor. She left before she could be forced to become a Guardian."

"How did she leave without authorization?" Maji tapped her fingers on the table. "No, don't tell me. She's still in hiding, isn't she? Yet another remnant of Joachim's so-called leadership. He created those rules to keep people here so the company would always have a supply of Guardians."

"No one else knows, Maji. If they found out, anyone who helped his mother to escape would be picked up and taken to d
etention."

"Nadira, you wouldn't have told me if you didn't trust me. His mother did the right thing, and so did yours. Now you have to choose your own happiness and go to Astarte."

"If there's another fire, the company might send in troops. I want to talk to Brant and find out what's going on. Besides, one of us has to go talk to DM Lezcov. She's the key to this. I know it."

"Your connection has to be the priority, Nadira. This can't be put off," Maji insisted. "It's your life, not theirs."

"She's right, Nadira. It's your life."

Azure approached the dining table. Wearing her long, mult
icolored vest and corporate brown suit, she seemed out of place, like she'd wandered in from a company board meeting. She pulled out the chair and sat down at the opposite end of the table from Maji. "It's been difficult to accept, but I failed you and your mother. Minona trusted me, and I turned away."

"What do you mean?" Nadira sat up straight in her chair.

"I knew what she was planning. Dakar couldn't force her to partner with the person he selected for her. But after she partnered with Stefan and had you, and you started to show abilities, Dakar had me go with a couple of the others to get a sense of your powers. We could tell even then that you would be strong. The Elder was looking for someone who had abilities that were even stronger than his father's, and he felt you had them."

"Joachim was a Sentry?" Maji asked.

"No. Actually, Joachim came up with that designation to describe someone who had the potential to be a conduit for all of the Guardians. He was powerful, but not able to connect everyone. After Joachim died, Dakar began searching for someone who would have that power. Once he knew you would, he had to stop your mother from taking you away."

"Why didn't my mother leave Hathor?" All she wanted to know was why her mother hadn't escaped like Jon's mother. "Was it b
ecause she didn't know she could?"

"No, Nadira. Minona didn't leave the planet because she was betrayed," Azure said. "By me."

*****

By the time the shuttle docked on Astarte, Jonathan felt like he'd been on it for months, and not just three days. In a hurry to hustle him off the planet, they'd taken him to a security cruiser and handed over to the ship's captain. He'd been ordered to make Jon comfortable during the trip and to deliver him safely to the Astarte shuttle terminal, like he was dropping off a shipment of supplies.

They'd given him clothing--company issued coveralls--and even tried to contact his father on Demeter, but the communications grid was offline due to solar storms and the connection wasn't reliable.

Now here he was in the middle of the terminal, finally allowed to go about his business without a security escort. They'd kicked him off Hathor. What he did from here wasn't their concern. At least they'd given him a duffle to throw his regular clothing in. It was like a parting gift to add to the headache he hadn't been able to get rid of.

Sunshine poured through the clear glass ceiling of the terminal, lifting his spirits higher than they'd been in days. But that dream about Nadira had certainly helped. Trying hard to relax, he'd been balancing himself on a narrow bunk. He'd turned and expected to roll off, but instead he'd felt Nadira's body pressed against his. She'd kissed and held him, and for a little while, he'd felt hopeful again.

Miners wearing dark blue coveralls milled about, looking up at the holographic directories listing shuttles to Demeter and other mining installations in the system. There weren't as many tourists here as on Hathor, but they came through regularly enough.

Hopefully, they'd continued to visit his club, "The Answer." Located in a renovated warehouse about a kilometer from the terminal, it'd been popular from the first night it had opened. His assistant was running it now. As much as he wanted to stop by, he was too tired and drained.

At the main entrance, a line of transports sat at the curb. Jon
athan walked over to one of them and waited as the heavy metal door slid back with a loud, grinding sound. These vehicles weren't like the sleek, well-maintained transports that travelled along Nova City's traffic lanes. But the Port City had been founded by miners long before Hathor's main city had become the center of the system.

Jon climbed into the transport and placed his hand on the ID plate. "Take me to number 334 on the West Boulevard." Just in case the system picked his club's address, he wanted to be sure it took him to his apartment.

"Affirmative, Mr. Keel," the autodriver replied.

After four months away from his apartment, he was anxious to see it again, and maybe pick up a couple of things. Then he'd get a driver to take him outside the city to his parents' house. An aircar would be quicker though. Being off the autodriven transport grid had its advantages, but not when you needed to get to a place in a hurry. And after what had happened to him over the past few days, he wanted nothing more than to be in familiar and comfortable surroundings.