Must Remember: Dead or alive, they want her back. (Solum Series Book 1)

by Colleen S. Myers

  “Level two is where we are now. There is only one entrance to the valley, and that is by us.” He pointed back the way we’d entered.

  “The Tern clan also gathers here, but most of this level is taken up by my clan. The lower valley is riddled with the other five clans, who surround the four small lakes below. Most of the farmland is down there, though there are some gardens here, as you can see.” He swept his hand to include the tiered ledges I’d glimpsed on my way in.

  We were walking the same path I’d walked with Marin the day before. Finn polished off his fruit, core and all. He frowned when he saw I hadn’t finished mine. He grabbed it and scarfed down the rest, then took my hand and brought it to his mouth. His tongue stroked along my palm as he sucked the fruit juice off my fingers, one at a time. I wiped my hand down my leather, disconcerted. I saw the woods up ahead to the right. I’d missed them the day before.

  He pointed to a path that led off into the trees. “There, that is the main path to level one. There are several small paths through the forest, but it can be dense. It is better to use this main road to travel. Do you want to see?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He laced his sticky fingers with mine, and we resumed walking. The woods were dark, a bit eerie. No one appeared to be out and about. The suns were coming up and spreading their gauzy light through the branches, bathing the ground in a soft glow. I heard some rustling among the trees, but for the most part, the forest remained silent.

  Finn snuck peeks at me while we strolled. We didn’t talk. The silence fit the atmosphere. Yanking me to a stop, he grabbed my other hand and spun me to face him, reeling me in. I glanced at the guards, who looked away.

  “Hail, Finn,” a voice called out and Finn stiffened. He turned with a smile for the woman heading down the path toward us.

  Smooth gait, upright posture. She moved like a martial artist. She had chin-length choppy brown hair with red at the tips and chocolate brown eyes. Her face was quite appealing, with high cheekbones, thin jaw, and a big smile just for Finn. I hated her on sight. When she saw how close Finn and I stood, her steps faltered. Finn yanked his hand out of mine and approached her.

  “Hana.” He kissed her cheek, lingering close. He whispered something into her ear that made her blush. His body brushed hers, and I felt a sharp spike of jealousy.

  Huh, I’d no reason to be jealous. I’d no claim on him. I studied the ground as they whispered to each other. I looked back at the guards; the cowboy stared at Hana.

  Finn and Hana exchanged a look; she headed my way.

  She approached me with small steps and smiled. “Hello. Finn has been telling me about you. Welcome. He tells me you will be going on a tour, but I hope to spend some time with you later.”

  Hana appeared sincere. And wasn’t that just annoying.

  I smiled and nodded. “Thank you. That sounds nice,” I replied, my voice stilted.

  Finn meandered back behind her. She beamed at us both and traveled down the way we’d come. Finn moved to take my hand again. I laced my fingers in front of me and stepped forward.

  We reached the top of the path, and I got my first glimpse of Mirror Lake. It made Finn’s look like a puddle. Tall majestic trees lined most of its banks. There were fish in the water; I saw their shadows darting into the depths. They were long, like eels, from what I glimpsed. Huge bird-like creatures with bony wings congregated on the shore nearby; a lone bird flew across the surface, dipping its head at the last minute to spear some food. The rest warbled to each other, in harmony with nature. The sunshine bathed the area in a shimmering glow. Everything was washed out and golden. Ethereal. Beautiful.

  “Careful,” he said as I stepped toward the shore. He pulled me back into him and nuzzled my neck. “They bite.”

  He leaned closer and nipped my ear.

  I jumped and twirled around. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought that was obvious.” He cocked his head, brows drawn.

  Why did I kiss him earlier? What a mistake. I raised my eyebrow. “Stop.”

  He lifted his hands, confused, and turned back to the path.

  I followed him, not paying attention to where I was going. I shouldn’t be this upset, but I was. Things were so messed up. I didn’t know how I got here. I didn’t know these people or their customs. I was a fish out of water, and Finn made me feel safe, his fierceness at first terrifying, but now reassuring. I was giving him mixed signals, and I knew it.

  I nearly ran him over when he stopped.

  He poked my forehead. “You need to stop thinking and look at this.”

  I smacked his hand away as I took in the view. We’d skirted around the edge of the lake. The path opened up into a meadow before a large building. Life pulsed around us. More birds flew among the blossoms and the forest. A flock of frothy birds congregated on a flower bush along the banks. The dark blue lake glistened; a boat bobbed in the waves.

  I’d lamented the lack of colors and diversity in flora back in Finn’s camp, but there was no shortage of color here. It was everywhere. There were flowers of every shape and size, in all the shades of the rainbow, flourishing around me. Some were tamed into sculpted rows, while others grew unchecked along the path. The two-story house stood out majestically at the end of the glorious, riotous path of beauty that led up to it from the water. The house had a wide, covered front porch set with chairs. Lanterns glimmered along the rail. Again, I was reminded of home; the house looked less like a log cabin and more processed, more like something I’d see on Earth.

  “Who lives here?”

  “Marin,” he snapped, just as Marin stepped onto the porch. A zing raced up my spine and goose bumps ran down my skin. My hand drifted to cover my tummy. I’d tried not to think about the clan chief and his offer of protection. My gaze drifted over him. Good Lord, my hormones were in overdrive.

  Finn nudged me, narrowing his eyes.

  Marin didn’t seem to notice us at first and held the railing, bent over. He gazed upon the lake, his mouth drawn and shoulders tight. A guard came out, and they talked for a minute before the guard headed in our direction. The guard’s step faltered when he saw us. Marin noted his hesitation and swung our way. I waved. I couldn’t help it. Marin waved back and motioned us up to the porch.

  Finn smacked me on the ass. “Why did you do that? Now we have to go talk to him.”

  I shoved him with my shoulder as I passed. “You’re a good talker.”

  “He is a talker. I am a doer.” He winked and stepped in front of me. I trailed behind him and up onto the porch, my hand on the rail.

  Marin dipped his head. There were shadows in his eyes I hadn’t seen the day before. “How long have you been there?”

  “We just walked over. Why?” Finn replied.

  “Anyone see you?” Marin pressed.

  “Hana saw us on the path just a few minute ago. We have not been here long. But again, I ask you why.”

  “There was a murder.”

  My gut clenched. Immediately, I flashed to right after I woke up. The cold, the laughter, running. It might not be related to that, but I had a bad feeling. Maybe it hadn’t been my imagination.

  “What?” I echoed.

  “Who?” Finn asked at the same time.

  “Gia, Torrin’s daughter, Ute’s niece. There are whispers; they talk of Elizabeth, of the Imani.” Marin pointed his chin in my direction.

  “When did it happen?” Finn persisted.

  “Just recently, half an hour ago, maybe less.”

  “It could not have been Beta. I have been with her all morning, for the past hour or two. You can also check with her guards.” Finn beckoned them up to the porch as we talked. “That is one reason why we placed guards.”

  “Good. No question of her being the murderer. But still they talk of the Imani, and some associate her with them.”

  They exchanged looks, and silent communication passed between them. “You should get her back. People will be going to work soon, now that it is
light. We need to keep her safe.”

  I went to speak, but when I opened my mouth, a gorgeous dark-haired woman sauntered out of the house behind Marin, pulling her shirt closed. She simpered at the men, ignored me completely, and strolled on by. A random streak of jealousy darted through me.

  I bit my lip. “Busy, were you?”

  “Busy?”

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “Ah, not me. Zanth, and from the noise, I would say they were.” Marin grinned at me as he said this last with a slight leer.

  When I blushed, Finn frowned.

  Marin stepped toward me and ran his hand down my cheek. Sparks spread in the wake, and my skin tightened. Marin’s eyes were grave. “You need to head back. It will be safe at Ute’s. I will take care of this.”

  I nodded, caught by his eyes.

  Finn grabbed my hand and tugged me away. We returned the way we’d come. So much for exploration.

  “What was that?” he muttered.

  “What was what?”

  Finn glared at me.

  The atmosphere was tense. Guards streamed around us, weapons out. Several rushed toward Marin’s house. Others rushed the opposite way. More joined us on the walk back, questions on their faces. I just got here, but I was going under house arrest.

  At Ute’s place, Finn stopped to talk to my guards. I went inside. My hands shook. Tears threatened but at the same time, my teeth were on edge, muscles tense. Anger and fear glided through me in a sick wave.

  Finn came in and strode over to me. He yanked me into a hug.

  I breathed out, feeling shaky, and hugged him. It felt way too good.

  “Everything will be fine,” he said as I leaned into him a second longer than I should, then stood tall. I grabbed a book.

  Knowledge was power.

  The tome contained a history of the war with the Imani. I knew some of the information from Ute, but it wouldn’t hurt to read.

  Finn copped a squat next to me.

  “You would rather be out there, wouldn’t you?” I sat down and turned the page, not seeing much of it.

  “Yes and no. I do not want to leave you unprotected, but I cannot help thinking this is about you. The timing is too perfect.” He faltered. “I have known little Gia since she was born. She is Ute’s niece and the only child to one of my friends. This will devastate him.”

  “I’m sorry.” I reached out my hand and covered his. Finn squeezed my fingers. “When I was out there…”

  He turned and peered at me. “What?”

  “When I woke up out there, I wondered if something was following me. I heard a crash behind me and ran. Later, I found you,” I said in a rush, head down.

  “I thought you said you did not see anything.” His jaw clenched. His hand tightened on mine.

  “I didn’t. I just thought I heard something and ran like hell. This whole place, this whole thing, scares me.” I hung my head.

  He jaw unclenched. “The noise was nothing, probably an animal. The Imani are not incompetent. If they were after you, they would have had you.”

  That made sense. I breathed out, raising my head. If it had been the Imani, I would never have gotten away, not in my condition. If it wasn’t the Imani, then who killed the little girl and why?

  “Security in town, what is it like?”

  “In town there is little security. We have some crime, but it is petty. We have not had a murder in a long time, an occasional rape. Most everything that happens is stealing, vandalism, up past dark, in places they should not be. The entrance to the valley is always guarded. It keeps most of the animals out. Geography does the rest.”

  That explained the lack of wildlife.

  “Right outside town there are mines.” He paused. “That is where you were found.”

  Right outside. It felt much farther away than that.

  “I will have to leave at Midday. I will get more details then.”

  Silence fell between us.

  Chapter Twelve

  The morning passed quickly. I dozed and read. Finn paced a little, and then paced some more. I was neck deep in the history of the Imani when I heard a knock on the door. The guard, the big one, Giggy, opened the door and stepped inside with a tray. Looked like oatmeal, tasted like mud. My tummy rumbled anyway.

  Finn talked to the guard a moment then left without a word. Ute wandered inside. His eyes were swollen and red. “Did you hear?”

  “Yes. I was with Finn. It wasn’t me.”

  He nodded, the motion jerky. “I know. Marin called an emergency meeting. He said he checked, and your alibi is rock solid. Finn and Hana, as well as your guards, stand as witnesses. We know it was not you. But people are still upset. You should stay inside.”

  More warnings. I pulled Ute into a hug. There was another knock at the door. Hana and a girl I didn’t recognize walked inside. Petite and sensual, she gave definition to the term hourglass shape. I’d seen her someplace before. Wait. Zanth’s girl. She had a sharp face, creamy skin, and melting brown eyes. Her hair was long and raven black with dark blue highlights. It fell in a wave down her back to her bottom. The tips were streaked the colors of the rainbow. Her leather was supple and dark green, her movements graceful. In comparison, I felt like a cow. She smiled, and it took me a second to realize she was holding clothing out for me. While she’d looked relaxed and well satisfied earlier, now I saw lines of strain on her face.

  I took the clothing from her.

  “My name is Lara. Marin sent me to make sure you were comfortable. He said we are about the same size. So I brought you some of my clothes. You are to have anything you want.” Her smile spread unpleasantly at that, such a pretty voice with such a vicious edge.

  “I don’t have any idea what I’d need.”

  Hana finished hugging Ute and waved her hand at me. “That is all right, we will improvise.”

  Hana sat down at the table, Lara next to her. Lara looked at Ute then jerked her head to the door. He jolted and headed out, looking lost. She hadn’t greeted him at all.

  “So let me look at you,” Lara said.

  I held my hands out to my sides. Okay.

  “Take off your clothes.”

  I’d missed something vitally important in this conversation.

  “I have to measure you for your own clothes. You can just take off the top if you want.” She rolled her eyes at my shyness.

  I reluctantly lifted the top up and off, and shucked my pants. My arms crossed, I shifted from one foot to the other in front of them. The room was quite drafty, and I stood naked in it, again.

  Hana was glancing through a book on the table with a slight smile, trying not to look.

  Lara gasped. “You are getting jatua! I have never seen the like.”

  I had forgotten about those. All three of us stared down at my breasts. Where before there had been smudges and shadows under my skin, now I could discern actual designs. On my right shoulder, leaves like those from Earth started at the top of my shoulder and wound down. The artwork was delicate in shades of dark green and brown. There were several branches shooting off, with small frilly red, orange, and yellow blooms that resembled lilies, but those flowers didn’t have teeth. The tattoos were faint, but there.

  Lara rubbed her hand along the marks, trailing her fingers down my arm. “You have a large family.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “The marks show me. Each branch represents family. You must have had a healthy home. There are many branches,” Lara said. I nodded. Three sisters and a brother was a large family, even for Earth. Not that I knew my brother and sisters. They were from my dad’s second marriage.

  On my opposite shoulder, waves of golden hair spiraled down to my elbow. A faint impression of a feather or another flower, maybe, peeked out among the strands.

  There were wide rings around both my wrists and ankles and a diamond shape formed around my belly button.

  Lara paced behind me. Hana joined her. I felt like a prize heifer at an agricultural f
air. Lara touched the base of my spine, and I jumped.

  Nice, I had a tramp stamp; I’d always wanted one of those. I craned to get a look. I had a real life tattoo on my hip. When I was sixteen, I conned my mom into it. Carpe Diem, seize the day. Not that I’d done much seizing in my life so far. It was one of my father’s favorite expressions. I got it the year he died. We never resolved our issues, but I wanted to do something to remind me of him. Stupid, I know.

  That was when I realized my real life tattoo was gone. Just like the scar on my cheek. Gone. Grief rocked me. I rubbed my hip and dragged in a deep breath.

  Control.

  Lara’s hand slowly trailed down to my ass then moved upwards. She lifted my hair off my neck.

  I heard another strangled gasp, and I gripped my neck. “What? What is it?”

  “Sorry. You are getting your personal jatua. Has anyone told you about them?” Hana asked with a frown as she looked at me.

  Lara kept running her hands up and down my back; I was getting decidedly homoerotic vibes from this. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but not my thing and these weren’t the cool kind. These set my teeth on edge, like chewing Reynolds Wrap. Lara’s nails scraped along my spine. Something about her irritated me; I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “No. Tell me, please.” My skin crawled. I moved forward, away from Lara’s questing hands.

  Hana touched my right shoulder. “Well, here, this is your family—mother, father, brothers, and sisters—the family you were born into. This does not change until you have siblings or children. As Lara said, we can see you have a large family. That is practically unheard of here.”

  Her lips turned down.

  “This”—Hana touched my left shoulder this time—“is who you choose as family, friends, and lovers; people who are or will be important to you. You have already become quite close to a few people, but I cannot distinguish their marks. This represents the bond you feel. Here,” her hand stroked the back of my neck, “here is your personal mark. It is always somewhere on your head or neck. Finn, as you saw, has his going up his neck onto his cheek. Marin’s is behind his ear. Mine is on my neck. Yours is on the back of your neck. I cannot quite make it out yet. Soon, I am sure.”