Warrior Prince

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “No one. I applied for a job through your ad in the newspaper. I need to earn money over the summer.”

  “Did you know those men who assaulted our station?”

  “Not initially.” Nira kept her face blank.

  “You had no prior contact with the Drift Lords?”

  “Never heard of them before yesterday.” A spike of worry nailed her. Was Zohar safe? Had he found the jamming device?

  Algie studied her as she would an amoeba under a microscope. “We thought at first you must have polarized yourself against us. That’s how the Drift Lords shield themselves against our spell.”

  “Polaroids? What do you mean?”

  “Pol-ar-ize,” Algie enunciated as though Nira were daft. “We don’t know how they do it, but we do know it’s painful and leaves an unpleasant result.” She snickered. “They’re not able to please a woman immediately afterward.”

  “And you learned this how?” Nira visualized that morning when Zohar had been issuing orders to his team. He hadn’t performed any painful ritual, or she would have known about it. Did that mean he’d left himself vulnerable to attack?

  Algie’s gaze grew distant, her lips parted upon a pleasant remembrance. “We captured a Drift Lord once, many moons ago. Through our persuasive methods, he told us how they defend against our touch, but not how it is done. You could find that out for us.”

  “Is this why you want to test my blood? Because if I’m not using a similar means to offset your spell, it may be something innate in my breeding?”

  “Exactly. You’re the first human we’ve encountered who possesses a natural defense. Further experimentation is necessary.”

  “Why did your people assault me at home? To capture me or to kill me?”

  “Our squadron leader had orders not to leave you in the hands of the Drift Lords. He was to take you unharmed, but we had a misunderstanding.” Algie’s nostrils flared. “I was most displeased when I heard about the lava bomb.”

  “How did you know I’d bring the Drift Lords home with me?”

  “We have our ways.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you still harboring them? Have you fallen for their lies about us?”

  What, that you’re hostile invaders who mean to enslave humanity while causing a catastrophic dimensional rift?

  Nira didn’t think it wise to tell the Trollek female how much she knew.

  “I’m not sure what to believe,” she hedged. “Tell me more about the Drift Lords.”

  “Zohar Thorald is their leader. He has his own issues to confront. We were hoping to divert his attention, but the man is dedicated. Stronger means have become necessary to distract him. You would be wise to join us.”

  “I’ll consider it if you tell me what happened to my landlady. Is Grace still alive?”

  “Allow us to use the lythix serum. After you’ve recovered, I’ll tell you where we’re holding the old woman.”

  “No.” Nira shoved her chair back and stood. Cool air from an overhead vent drifted her way. She rubbed her aching temples, wishing her head would clear.

  Algie sidled closer, waves of golden hair cascading to her shoulders. Her soft voice held an undercurrent of menace when she spoke again. “I’ve researched your connections, Nira. I know there are others who mean a lot to you.”

  Nira’s heart skipped a beat. Not her sisters!

  She edged toward the door. “I’d hoped we could be civilized, but this is getting me nowhere.”

  “Algie, lemme speak to you.” The big Trollek drew the blonde aside in such a way as to block Nira’s exit. “You should consult the Elders,” he said in a low tone that she strained to overhear. “Otherwise, you’ll lose this chance to plant a spy among the warriors. Maybe we should offer a better incentive.”

  “I don’t trust her, Gort. Likely she’s working for them.”

  “So? You can play on her sappy human emotions if that’s what it takes. With the Coming nearly upon us, we should keep our options open, in case events don’t turn out as planned.”

  “You fool. Be careful what you say. Anyway, I have things covered. Nothing will stop us.” Algie’s voice rose in pitch. Clearly she didn’t care to be challenged.

  “Zohar’s men have defeated us in the past.” The Trollek scowled. “Do not underestimate them again. If you don’t notify the Council, I will.”

  “All right. Keep her here while I send a message. I cannot imagine General Morar would be happy if we circumvent protocol.”

  Left alone with Gort and the play-acting doctor, Nira considered her options. She didn’t want to hang around, in case Algie’s consult went against her.

  “So tell me, Gort.” She waved a hand in the air. “Who staffs this place? A mixture of spellbound humans and your people?”

  “That is correct.” Thrusting his chin forward, he folded his brawny arms across his chest.

  Nira wondered if she should make a grab for one of those syringes and stab him. But before she could act, a red light flashed on the wall.

  “All units report to duty stations,” announced a loudspeaker voice. “Unauthorized personnel have entered the grounds.”

  “I have to go.” Gort’s ugly face puckered like he’d swallowed a pit. “Dr. Sawyer, do not allow this woman to leave until Algie gives clearance.”

  “As you command.” The lab-coated man moved forward to intercept Nira as Gort swung out through the front door.

  Nira surveyed the doctor, wondering how she could gain his support. Although slim-shouldered, likely he’d fight her if she tried to leave.

  She pressed a hand to her forehead. If only that incessant buzzing would stop, she might think of a way out of this fix without having to summon help. Maybe if she used the technique she’d learned for headaches?

  Closing her eyes, she imagined an open door behind which resided a hive of angry bees. She pictured the door shutting against their swirling mass. The bees, alerted to her effort, became angry and increased their pressure. She pushed harder, squeezing the door shut inch-by-inch until the noise stopped.

  Her eyes flew open. Had she truly gotten rid of that sound?

  The man in front of her tottered and blinked. What was wrong with him?

  “Why don’t you let me go?” She gave him a conspiratorial grin. “I’ll slip outside, and you can say that I tricked you.”

  “As you command.” He cleared her path.

  Impossible, unless…she’d freed him from Trollek mind control. Another theory arose to choke her.

  Could she possess the same ability as her hosts?

  “Open the door,” she commanded to test the notion. “Tell me how to escape the park undetected.”

  He flung the door wide. “Head toward the food court in the rear. Look for an exit marked Staff Only.”

  Afraid to ruminate on her newfound power, she wiped sweaty palms on her pants. Maybe she could gain some information from this guy.

  “Tell me, where do the Trolleks go after the park closes?”

  Silence.

  She rephrased her question into an order. “Talk to me about where your employers go after hours.”

  “They retreat to the village.”

  “What village? I mean, describe this place. Tell me where it’s located.” She had assumed the beasts spatial shifted back to their dimension.

  “I am not privy to that information.”

  “Then describe your living quarters.”

  “I go home at night.”

  “All right, listen up.” She clasped her hands for emphasis. “The Trollek spell will no longer work on you, even if you are touched again. You will be immune. You’re in the Drift World theme park. Go home and don’t ever come back.”

  His eyes popped, and he turned to dash outside.

  Nira hastened in his wake. She nearly collided with Dal and Kaj coming around the corner. Uniformed staff members bustled about but they blended in thanks to their stolen khaki uniforms and hats.

  “Where’s Zohar?” She craned her neck to look beyon
d them but didn’t see their leader’s imposing figure anywhere.

  “We have not seen him nor Lord Magnor.” Kaj jerked a thumb toward the main entrance. “We are to rendezvous at the van, but the exit is blocked by a cadre of Trolleks.”

  “I know another way out. Follow me.”

  They scurried in the shadows from building to building until reaching the rear wall. Unfortunately, a couple of employees stood guard in front of the staff door.

  Noting her companions tense for a fight, Nira held up a hand. “Wait, let me try something first.”

  As soon as she’d stepped outdoors, the buzzing in her mind had resumed. Now she imagined the mental door again and pushed against it. More effort was required this time, and her body trembled as she fought the pressure.

  “Listen up, you guys,” she called to the confounded humans. “You will let us pass and then you’ll forget you saw us. Open the gate and stand aside.”

  To her new friends’ astonishment, the two men did exactly as ordered. She and her pals strode forward, finding themselves in an employee parking lot.

  “How did you do that?” Kaj gaped at her.

  “I’ll tell you about it later. Let’s find your van and see if Zohar made it out okay.” She didn’t understand why his safety mattered so much, but it did.

  “When the alarm sounded, I thought we had tripped an alert, but it must have been the captain.” Dal, wearing his perpetual scowl, led them across an embankment toward the guest parking lots.

  Nira hurried to match his pace. The ground was soft, still moist from a recent rain. “Can you call him?”

  “Negative. He ordered radio silence.” Kaj, striding beside her, peeled off his khaki shirt but didn’t discard it. He wore his own clothing beneath.

  “Then where is he?”

  They reached the van, but neither Zohar nor Lord Magnor were anywhere in sight.

  ****

  Zohar and Lord Magnor crept along a utility tunnel located beneath the theme park. An entire underground maze consisted of corridors where staff members prepped for the day, received training, and dispersed provisions. Also located here were supply depots. Pipes stretched overhead, competing with wiring, while valves hissed at various intervals. Generators hummed in the background, while the scent of cleaning fluid pervaded the air. Florescent lighting provided harsh illumination.

  Wary of security cameras, they proceeded cautiously. It had been Zohar’s plan to access the employee areas while Nira scouted the tourist sites, and the pass she had given him made it easy. After accosting a second guard, he and Lord Magnor had donned a couple of staff uniforms before slipping through a door marked Private.

  They’d barely explored two of the tunnels before an alarm sounded. Weaving their way to the surface, they ended up in a shop. Zohar glanced outside at the people streaming past, the food vendors selling treats, and the theater players handing out tickets. Water danced at a plaza fountain, spraying passersby.

  Which way to the entrance?

  Hoping his sense of direction would hold, he signaled for Lord Magnor to follow. They strode through the open doorway into the street.

  “You there!” A staff member gestured to him. “Identify yourself.”

  When Zohar hesitated, the man muttered into a wireless device hooked to his ear. Everyone stopped, humans and Trolleks alike. As one unit, they wheeled in his direction. The confounded individuals had hostile expressions.

  Zohar’s muscles tensed. He’d prefer not to hurt spellbound victims who lacked control over their actions.

  “I can hold them off.” Lord Magnor drew his sword. His strange attire had attracted merely curious glances. Other guests must have believed him garbed for his fantasy role.

  “I do not run from battle.” Zohar reached for the dagger in his boot. He’d left his phase weapons behind.

  “My job is to protect you. Remember whom you serve.”

  “I serve—”

  “This way!” A man wearing a white coat waved at them.

  Without a backward glance, Zohar raced after the man. Magnor followed on his heels. The fellow led them through a twisting series of alleys between buildings, up a flight of stairs, and onto a flat rooftop.

  “Here’s a low area where we can jump over the outer wall.” The man paused, bending forward to catch his breath. “They don’t electrify it until after hours.”

  Zohar scrutinized him. He appeared to be in his right mind. “Why are you helping us?”

  His face reddened. “My name is James Reefer. I don’t remember much except some flame-haired lady telling me I was free. This place is cursed. I’m never coming back.”

  “Tell me about this woman,” Zohar demanded, his pulse speeding. “Where did you see her?”

  “In the clinic. She told me to get out. I don’t know if she escaped.”

  Zohar dropped over the wall. His legs folded as he broke the fall. He rolled to his feet, the uniform collar rubbing against his neck.

  “Thanks for your help,” he told the fellow before parting ways. He and Lord Magnor headed for their rendezvous.

  All he could see in his mind’s eye were Nira’s soft brown eyes, her impertinent nose, and her tantalizing smile.

  Zohar shook his head—since when had her well-being become so important?

  Chapter Seven

  “You are a brave woman, Nira Larsen. I would have chosen another path than putting you at risk, but you played your part well.” Zohar flashed Nira a smile from the passenger seat of her car.

  She beamed with pride, her eyes on the road. “Thanks. I’m just glad we made it out okay.”

  She drove to the new hotel where Borius had secured rooms. After collecting their keys, they wolfed down a meal in the resort restaurant and exchanged news.

  “I got you a room suited for a king,” Borius told them after the debriefing. He sat across the table while chewing on a chunk of bread. The youngest team member, he had a voracious appetite, ordering two appetizers before his main meal.

  “What does that mean?” Nira asked innocently, wondering why the men wore broad grins.

  It meant their suite this time had a king sized bed. Unfazed since Zohar would claim the sofa, Nira didn’t protest. She was just grateful they wouldn’t have to stay in the same place where Rayne had died.

  Once in the privacy of their suite, she left Zohar to set up their safety perimeter and headed into the bathroom. Questions hovered on her tongue, but right after she emerged, Zohar dashed inside. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was avoiding being alone with her.

  Her immediate intentions disintegrated when he strolled out twenty minutes later wrapped in a towel with moisture glistening on his skin. She stood by the dresser, brushing her hair. As he sauntered over, she put down the brush, examining his broad shoulders and muscular chest in the mirror. Talk about eye candy. Oh, man.

  He cleared his throat. “I realize you would prefer to have your own space. Once Borius finds us a house to rent, you will have your own quarters. I regret that our actions have forced you into our protective custody.”

  She whipped around, ignoring her rapid pulse in his presence. “It’s not your fault. The Trolleks grabbed me in the employment office. If not for you, I’d still be their prisoner.”

  His scent drifted her way, clean soap mixed with a hint of spice. She breathed it in, aware of his gaze traveling her length. Suddenly conscious of her bare legs under her nightshirt, she felt her cheeks heat under his scrutiny.

  Backed against the dresser, she posed the first question in her mind to distract herself from his overwhelming masculinity.

  “Tell me, how does this defensive perimeter work? It keeps the Trolleks from jumping into range via their spatial shifts?”

  He nodded, his eyes glittering. “We can block their shifts, but we have been unable to determine the technology they use to create them.”

  She pointed to the poles he’d placed in the four corners to prevent the Trolleks from vectoring in. “Is tha
t how you protect yourself against confounding? By creating a personal shield?”

  His brows folded. “Where did you hear this?”

  “Algie said you guys polarize yourselves, whatever that means, and she’d like to know how it works. She also said the method is painful and leaves an unpleasant side effect.”

  The corners of his mouth turned down. “We must subject ourselves to an electric current. The change in polarity renders us temporarily unable to perform certain manly functions, but it protects our skin from absorbing the substance secreted by Trolleks.”

  “You forgot to do it this morning, didn’t you?”

  His lips compressed, his eyes guarded. “I was distracted.”

  She knew what he meant. Risking a glance south, she noted the blatant tent in his towel. Oh, my. Why did he sound so displeased?

  “Is being near me such a bad thing?” she asked in a small voice.

  Like it or not, Zohar served as her anchor in this crazy universe. As though he were made of iron, she felt drawn to him like a magnet. She took a tiny step forward, wanting to stroke his face and ease his concerns.

  His gaze dropped to her parted lips. “Quite the opposite. I want nothing more than to sweep you into my arms and steal a kiss. Duty insists that we perform an experiment.”

  “What?”

  She’d heard nothing except how he wanted her. A compulsion to plow her fingers through his slicked-back hair assailed her. She wanted to mess up his hair, mess him up. He took things too seriously. The Drift Lord captain needed to relax, and she had just the prescription.

  Her breasts tingled, her nipples peaking in anticipation. Having sex wouldn’t compromise their working relationship. If anything, getting over that hurdle would ease things between them. She craved comfort between the sheets, if only for one night, and his towel-clad body only fueled her desire.

  “I kissed you last night.” His voice gruff, he peered down at her. His gaze fixated on her taut bustline.

  “I remember.” She lifted her chin, feeling the fabric against her skin like sandpaper. Resisting the urge to tear off her nightshirt, she waited to see what else he would say.