Hathor Legacy: Burn (25 page)

Terek looked up at him. "Who are you?"

"Elder Lange." He held out his palms. "Answer me."

Both men exchanged glances. "Elder. As it turns out, we are asking all Elders to return to their homes. Due to the recent accus
ations about the Guardians, Elder Dakar would like all of you to be placed under his protection."

"Protection? I don't need his protection." Lange balled his fists. "Leave now."

Stephen cleared his throat. "Elder, I assure you this is in your best interests. I doubt you want to fight both of us here in a public place."

"Try me."

Nadira felt Lange was preparing himself. His energy was roiling, and she could almost feel the heat of it. "I have authority here," she said.

"Excuse me Sentry Leader," Terek said. "You have authority with Novacorp. Not over Elder Dakar's orders. And neither does Elder Lange. Now, if both of you will come with us."

Lange stepped in front of her. "She's not going with you. Now stand back or we'll fight it out." He inclined his head to her. "Go over to the gate now. See if you can go through and wait by the shuttle."

"I'm not leaving you." Not that she wanted to fight other Guardians either. If this became a public fight, her seven-day dea
dline would be irrelevant. It wasn't likely the company would hesitate to take action if the Guardians were using their powers to attack each other.

"Go now." He ordered, not taking his attention away from the pair. "If they want you, they'll have to come through me."

Nadira clutched her bag to her and rushed across the waiting area. There was a set of glass doors next to the sign for shuttle boarding. She headed towards them and they swooshed open, giving her entry to the loading ramp. Looking behind her as she hurried, she caught sight of Lange's white hair just before the doors shut.

31
Free

Once she was on the shuttle, she was escorted to her private room. Practical and compact, it included a narrow bunk bed perched above a small sink and toilet area
.

Being one of five other execs on the shuttle, she was invited to the cockpit for the takeoff. Nothing like getting a taste of the sp
ecial treatment handed out to the company elite. Sitting in the cramped quarters behind the co-pilot, she strapped herself in as instructed, and waited for something to happen.

Through the instrument checks and the drone of the coun
tdown, her thoughts were still on Elder Lange. Knowing him, he'd probably gone quietly and not made a scene. Yes, he'd encouraged her to leave, but she felt guilty for not staying to help him.

With a jerk, the shuttle began to ease down the runway. They bounced along, as the vehicle positioned itself for takeoff. Digging her fingers into the webbing that held her in her seat, she started counting down with the control tower voice.

Cleared for takeoff, the craft picked up speed, then lifted off the ground, nose first. According to the captain, this new cruiser-class ship had less drag, so they'd hardly feel the acceleration.

This was it. No turning back.

Above them the two moons, Isis and Osiris, hanging in the bluish sky, beckoned. Moving faster and faster, the ship gained speed and altitude, positioning for the trajectory they'd need to break out into space. Then a final thrust and they were through. Instead of blue, she saw dark blue then black. Artificial gravity held her in place for a moment, and she felt like the bottom had dropped out of her stomach.

She was free from everything she'd ever known. Not just freed from the constraints of Hathor's gravity, but from her old life.

Emotions cascaded through her as she continued to fight back guilt for leaving, combined with fear that Jon might not want to see her again. No, she couldn't think that way. Not after what they'd been through together.

They had to be in open space before the captain could engage the hyperdrive. He counted it down. She was sure he was delibe
rately dragging it out for their entertainment. It wasn't like the deep space jumps, he warned. Not as exciting, but still something to see. He was right.

For a moment the stars were frozen before her, like everything around them was stopped in time. Then an explosion, of color and flashes like sparks off a drill.

Poised to take off into something she'd never experienced, she held her breath in her throat. This was it. Just as the ship was about to leap into another stage, so was she. And when she returned, she wouldn't be the same person. She was ready now to do whatever was necessary to go after what she wanted, and to overcome anyone and anything that dared to stop her.

She was flattened against her seat as the ship launched itself into hyperdrive, shortening a trip that would take a couple of months into a couple of days.

Chatter in the cabin started up again after they made the jump. Out here in the endless night, the expanse of it was frightening and overwhelming.

Her cabin didn't have a window, and she didn't feel like being holed up in there alone. It surprised her that she wanted to stay here. Normally, she'd be happy to return to solitude away from picking up the energy of the people around her. But all she wanted to do now was sit here and look out at the stars.

*****

Unfortunately the rest of the trip wasn't as exciting as the tak
eoff. Not used to sitting around, she spent a lot of time in the lounge to escape the confines of her small room. The menu, like her accommodations, was pretty basic. Making a choice between food packs and replicated synthetics wasn't much of a choice. Both alternatives tasted like cardboard. No, cardboard would've been better.

Before they landed on Astarte, she stuck her grey suit into the recycler. Instead of getting more corporate grey clothing to wear, she'd bought dark blue pants and matching tops. When left to her own choices, she still picked the ones that blended in.

As she walked out of the terminal in the Port City on Astarte, Nadira was struck by how many miners she saw filling the concourse. It wasn't as shiny and bright as the terminal back on Hathor. The worn flooring and layers of handprints on the walls made it obvious that this was a well-used transportation hub, smelling of freshly-oiled machinery and mine dust.

Outside, she climbed into a waiting transport and gave instru
ctions to the autodriver. Jonathan's apartment was only minutes away from the terminal in a much quieter part of the city. The transport pulled over in front of a stone building that had separate entrances.

She could barely wait for the door to slide open so that she could jump out. When she got to his door, she touched the finge
rpad, and nervously waited for a response. A few moments went by, and then a woman's face was displayed on the glass pane next to the door.

"Good afternoon. What is your business?" The computerized attendant asked, her emerald green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"I'm here to see Jonathan Keel," she said.

"I am sorry. Mr. Keel is not available. Perhaps you'd like to leave a message for him?"

"When will he return?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have that information. But if you would like to leave a message for him--"

"Is he at his club?"

"Mr. Keel is not available."

This was frustrating. Where could he be? She went back to the transport and climbed in.

Of course. He would probably be staying with his parents. "Take me to Brandon Keel's home." She instructed the autodriver.

There was a pause before the automated voice responded. "CEO Keel's residence is outside the designated autodrive area."

She hadn't expected that. Where did he live, anyway? Obv
iously it was far enough outside the city that the traffic lanes didn't go out that far.

"Where can I get a driver?" she asked.

"Please inquire at the shuttle terminal for alternative transportation arrangements."

Damn. She should've called them first, instead of being in such a hurry. No matter. At least the terminal wasn't that far away. She'd go back there, get a driver then go to the Keel family home.

*****

The ride out of the city was uneventful, and she fell asleep through most of it. There was something about the motion of the transport that put her at her ease, allowing her to have the first real sleep since she'd left Hathor.

She woke up with a start when she heard the screech of metal scraping against metal as the transport door opened. It took a moment for her to register that her driver was now standing on the other side of the open door.

Behind the woman, Nadira could make out a large home that looked like someone had stacked four rectangular boxes, but not one directly on top of the other. Clear walls allowed her to see some of the furniture inside each level. A stone path led to the front door, and big pots of flowers and trees sat on either side.

Nadira climbed out of the vehicle, shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine. Inside the transport had seemed like a cocoon, with the tinted windows and cooler air. But out here in the heat, she felt sweat breaking out on her arms. Oppressive and sweltering, the climate amazed her, especially that anyone could be out in it for more than a few moments.

"Can you wait a moment? I want to make sure someone is home."

"Of course," the driver said, as she handed Nadira her travel bag.

"Thank you." Nadira looked up at the house. So this was where Jonathan lived as a child. It was a large house, obviously fitting for a high-level company executive, but yet it wasn't overly ornate.

At the door, she touched the fingerpad and waited. She didn't have a long wait. On the other side stood a woman about Jonathan's height, with the same grey eyes. Her dark brown hair was pulled back behind her ears. She wore a simple white v-neck shirt, and dark pants, certainly much simpler than any of her executive level counterparts on Hathor would be wearing.

Seeing her face-to-face, Nadira thought she looked even younger than she'd expected. But Estrella had barely been eighteen when she'd had Jonathan.

"Hello?" she asked, her expression unsure.

"Hello, Estrella. I'm Nadira."

Estrella's eyes narrowed, as though she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. "Nadira. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She looked out at the transport  driver. "Is she security?"

"No, just my driver. Is Jonathan here?"

She stepped back. "Yes. Come in."

Nadira turned and waved at the driver to let her know she could go, and then walked into the house.

Estrella had led her back to a sunny and comfortable living area at the rear of the house. There was a large chair by the window, and several other couches placed around the room. She could see a glimpse of the sea out the window, and a white sand beach below.

"This is a lovely room," Nadira said.

"Why didn't you tell us you were on your way here?"

She hadn't been expecting such a direct question. Back on Hathor she'd never have started out a conversation with a Guardian this way. Nadira had to remind herself that Estrella had never been trained as a Guardian. She had no idea how they communicated.

"I only have a couple of days and I have to get back."

"The Guardians let you come?"

"I'm the Sentry Leader. They couldn't stop me," Nadira replied. "Where is Jonathan?"

"Jon's resting right now. He just got to sleep." Blotches of red spotted Estrella's cheeks. "You formed a connection with him. He doesn't know how to manage that. It's irresponsible for someone who calls herself a Guardian--a Sentry, no less--to be so careless."

Taken aback, Nadira fumbled for a moment, unsure how to respond. This was Jon's mother and she didn't want to react and insult her.

Estrella's expression softened. "I'm sorry. It's just been difficult not being able to help him. He told me why he was sent away."

What could she reply to that? Jon was deported because of his relationship with her. "Can I see him?"

"My son has to learn to manage his connection to you. And you have to do the same. If you don't, end it now and release him. Is that what you want?"

"I just want to see him," Nadira repeated.

"Do you want him to go back to Hathor with you?"

"Yes, if he wants to go." If he didn't want come back, she couldn't force him. That had to be his decision.

"Come with me." Apparently satisfied, she led Nadira to the back of the house.

*****

Jonathan was lying down facing the glass wall on the other side of his bed. Down below, the waves were crashing onto the shore with much more force than he'd ever seen. But even with the vi
olence of the water hitting the rocks that bordered both ends of the small beach, the sound relaxed him.

He'd rarely slept here after moving into his apartment in the city. Occasionally, he'd stay out here to spend time with his family. When he did though, it had never felt as comfortable to be home as it felt now.

What was that? Footsteps in the corridor. Probably his mother again. She'd checked on him every hour on the hour. Usually, she didn't fuss so much. But since he'd been here, she'd been agitated. That's what he got for telling her what happened to him back on Hathor. He should've kept the details to himself.

Someone was outside the door. No, he heard two different voices. Maybe this time his sisters were checking on him. Between them and his mother, he wasn't getting much rest.

Rolling over on his back, he squinted to see who was going to walk in. If they thought he was asleep, maybe they'd leave him alone for a while.

The door opened. "He's in here. Go ahead," Estrella said.

Did she call the medics? He's asked her not to. It wasn't that big a deal. All he needed was rest. The headaches would go away soon.

"Jonathan?"

His eyes snapped open. "Nadira?" Was she really here? "Nadira!" He bolted up in bed and groaned as a wave of dizziness turned the room upside down.

"Jon!" She rushed over and put her arms around him. "Are you all right?"

He relaxed into her embrace, taking in her warmth and her delicious, sweet smell. "Is that soap?" he asked. "Or perfume?"

Disengaging herself, she stepped back. "It's soap. I bought it as the terminal."

"How did you get here? They let you go?" Jonathan asked. "What happened when I left? You took the Sentry Leader job?" He swung his legs off the bed and sat on the edge, reaching up to pull her close to him.

"I'll fill you in. I want to know what happened to you, too." Propping her hands on his shoulders, she leaned down and met his lips.

The Guardians had tried to drive him away and it hadn't worked. Whatever happened from here on, he knew they'd never be separated again.