Lord Magnor materialized alongside them, fortunately after a tourist tram rattled past and rounded a corner. Zohar’s mouth curved as he regarded Nira. She stared at his shuttle with a wide-eyed look of wonder.
He dropped her hand and activated his comm unit to signal Paz. Time to regroup with his team to discuss their next move. They still hadn’t located the jamming device, although an idea had come to mind that excited him.
“Sire, are you all right?” Paz answered on his first chime.
“I am here with Nira and Lord Magnor.”
“Magnor? I thought he’d been—”
“Wounded in the fight. He used some kind of personal cloaking device to make himself invisible while he healed. What’s the status with the others?”
Paz sighed. “Dal isn’t responding to treatment. It’s baffling the doctors. Yaron continues to guard him and he, too, doesn’t understand why Dal continues to resist the appropriate therapy.”
Zohar compressed his lips. He hated to do what came next, but he needed whichever members of his team he could salvage.
“Tell Yaron to set up a defensive perimeter in Dal’s room. He can tell the nursing staff it is some religious ritual. Then have Yaron meet us on the ship along with Borius. Any word on Kaj?”
“No, sir.” Paz sounded discouraged.
“That leaves you, me, Borius, and Yaron. Four of us, when there should have been seven.”
“Don’t forget me.” Lord Magnor jerked a thumb at his chest.
“Oh, right. That makes five.” When would Dal return to his senses? The prophecy said six sons of Thor were needed. Or maybe Kaj would show up soon. Worry for his engineer’s safety gnawed at him, making his stomach churn.
“You have some messages.” Paz’s voice lowered. “One of them is marked urgent from Primer Pedar. He requests an immediate response.”
Zohar gritted his teeth. “It will have to wait. I have enough on my mind.”
After signing off, he keyed in the entry code for his shuttle. The hatch swung open.
“I’m not going.” Nira stood her ground.
He spun. “What?” He didn’t have time for women’s tantrums.
“My place is here.” Her fiery gaze bored into his. “Your men are your responsibility. Grace is mine. You may not think she’s important, but I do. I won’t give up my search for her.”
“She is one cog in a wheel. Your world will be destroyed if we fail in our mission.”
“Family matters more to me.” Her eyes hardened into two brown stones. “Remember the prophecy? I have to find my five sisters if we are to prevent the coming disaster.”
“We can prevent that disaster if we locate the Trollek jamming device, deactivate it, and locate their portals.”
“And then what?”
“Then we seal the rifts.”
“It may not be as easy as you think.”
“Is that a prediction or a warning?”
Distrust seeped into his mind, along with a sense of betrayal. How dare she think of leaving him at a time like this? Obviously, she didn’t care about his goals. She’d just said her earthly concerns mattered more to her. Fool, you should have known better than to rely on her. That’s what you get for opening your heart.
“I’m just repeating what Askr and Edith told me.” Her clipped tone matched the frost on her face. “It’ll take more than you warriors to save the world this time around.”
“Believe what you want. Every minute we waste arguing, the dimensional drift widens, and the buildup of cors particles approaches the point of no return.”
Especially when he had an idea of where the jamming device might be hidden, Zohar didn’t have time to spare. His duty precluded him from following forecasts by mystical oracles or from rescuing missing persons. That included Kaj, and while it grieved him to delay a thorough search, Kaj would understand their original directive came first.
From the corner of his eye, Zohar saw Magnor climbing the boarding ramp into the shuttle.
“Guess I’ll be seeing you.” Nira jutted her chin. “Good luck.” She handed him the sack with his belongings.
“You, too.” His chest hurt as though an arrow had pierced him. “You still have the ring I gave you, and that pendant may offer some protection,” he said in a stiff tone. “Just be aware we will be busy fighting our own battles. If you need assistance, no one may be able to respond.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
As she turned away, Nira heard the hiss of the hatch door shutting from behind. She should have known Zohar would abandon her. His parting words had cut deeply, as though she mattered to him as little as an ant.
She kicked at one crawling on the ground, her vision blurring with tears. Leaves scattered and wind smacked her in the face as the shuttle cloaked and took off. Zohar might as well have struck her himself. Pain bit into her at his desertion. She understood his devotion to his mission, so why didn’t he realize her vow to rescue Grace was just as important?
Nira fingered the pendant he’d given her, considering how the Trolleks had been mysteriously quiet regarding her movements. Algie couldn’t have finished with her so quickly. What of the blood sample taken from her in the lab? Had Paz learned anything through his analysis?
If he did, likely Zohar wouldn’t share the news with her. Too single-minded to care about her problems, he’d left her in the lurch. Hadn’t she anticipated this from the very start?
Dodging parents pushing strollers and gangs of teens as she maneuvered toward the theme park exit, she felt a deep sense of loss. How could the man make love to her, soar with her to that wondrous spiritual plane, and not think there was more to their relationship than sex?
Captain Thorald, my ass. He’s more like Captain Kirk.
Bypassing a little girl wearing a pink princess dress and a rhinestone tiara, she paused to get her bearings. The boom of explosions from a nearby stunt show shook the air.
She followed the path as it curved past a small lake and an old-time diner, one of her favorite restaurants in the park. Her mouth watered for their meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. People gave her strange looks, doubtless wondering why she lugged around a stuffed pillowcase.
Turning right at the next intersection, she pushed against the stream of traffic, aiming for the lockers near the exit. Best to leave her sack here with her pitiful stash of clothes. Was this what her life had come down to: one bag of goods?
She still had her makeup kit in the car, but the cops would be on top of that by now. She couldn’t go near her vehicle without being nailed.
After obtaining a locker, she stashed her sack inside and locked the door. Unable to part with her handbag, she slung the strap over her shoulder.
A vendor stand outside sold candy, drinks, and souvenirs. Nira walked over and perused the wares, considering that Grace might be weak and dehydrated. The older woman would need sustenance for their escape.
So will I. Her stomach rumbled. Grace wasn’t the only one who might need refueling.
Backtracking to a fast food place, Nira ordered a burger and fries while wishing her life could be as carefree as the happy, cheerful park guests. Contrast this place to Drift World, the Trollek theme park. She shuddered, envisioning the zombie-like mien of those visitors.
Worry about it later. Her first task was to find Grace, then she’d think about how to join Zohar in his battle against the nasty beasts. She had to find the other five women in the prophecy first.
She swallowed her last gulp of cola, discarded her trash, and visited the restroom before finishing her preparations.
At a gift shop on the main street, she bought a windbreaker and backpack. She tied the jacket around her waist and stuffed her Coach bag into the backpack for security. A couple of granola bars and water bottles completed her supplies.
Outdoors in the hot afternoon sunlight, she watched the crowd while an attack of nerves paralyzed her. Was she doing the right thing by plopping herself smack inside the enemy camp?
Sh
e’d soon find out.
Music blared from an elevated stage at the far end of the street, where costumed dancers gyrated to moves from a popular teen musical. Bystanders, enthralled by the performance, gathered along the street, waiting for the daily parade. People jostled by in their rush to gain a spot.
Now would be the perfect time for her to vanish, when everyone’s attention was distracted.
Taking a deep breath to fortify herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and ordered the shoes to take her to Grace.
Her head swirled, and she felt her feet lift as though she were flying. When the disorienting sensation subsided, she opened her eyes.
She stood on solid ground before a quaint village with stone buildings. Her heart thundered in her chest. It looked as though she’d dropped into a scene from merry old England.
Peat smoke rose from blackened chimneys, its pungent aroma mingled with the scent of freshly plowed earth. A church stood on a promontory, its stone façade weathered from the erosion of time. The hilly terrain whistled with a chill wind that slashed into her bones.
Twilight approached, the horizon hazy. She shook her head. That infernal buzzing afflicted her ears again. Was it the result of her spatial shift, or were Trolleks nearby?
A shout sounded, followed by a sharp crack. The cry of distress came from her left, where a field stretched toward an edge of woods. People dug in the dirt; human slaves from the looks of the Trolleks prodding them with shock sticks. Was that where she’d find Grace, or would her landlady be in the village?
She didn’t think an old woman would be sent to do physical labor, so she turned toward the town. A shiver racked her. She pulled on her windbreaker just as an elongated shriek raised the hairs on her arms. Good God, what was that?
It came from the innocuous looking village.
Adjusting her backpack, she neared a stone bridge spanning a stream. Voices sounded ahead. She ducked out of sight and flattened herself against a retaining wall.
“There goes another one squealing like a pig,” a male said with a chortle of laughter.
“These puny humans don’t last long. What do you really think goes on in Tent Ten, Nim? I’ve heard rumors.”
Tent Ten? Nira’s blood curdled. Wasn’t that the hut in the Trollek village by Turkey Lake Park where she’d seen the woman strapped to a table?
“I dunno, but why else would Lege Morbus be here?” Nim replied. “Our Kaptein should be the one questioning prisoners, not a scientist from home.”
“I’d like to work inside there. Ain’t much else to do for fun in this maug place.”
“You should join us in the tavern for a game of Kash, Toros.”
“Maybe later. I pulled sentry duty at the dig.”
“Waste of time, in my opinion. Whaddar those old tablets gonna tell us?” Nim said.
“Lege Morbus says they’re important.”
“He’s just taking orders from someone else.”
“I hear Algie is running the show. Only a clan chieftain’s daughter would have the gall to lead an operation this big.”
Their footsteps moved away, while Nira quaked beside the bridge. Algie was in charge of the horrific experiments being conducted on humans? Her feet remained glued to the pavement while uncertainty beset her. How would she find Grace, let alone the answers to all her questions?
If anyone spied her, she risked detection. Was that such a bad thing, though? She’d demand to speak to Algie, offering harmless information on the Drift Lords as bait. She still had her magic shoes for a trump card should she need to escape.
She wondered if Zohar was having any success but told herself that wasn’t her problem anymore. He’d gone his separate way, so why should she care? Nonetheless, she hoped he could rally his team and accomplish his objective. As for the prophecy, she’d worry about it later.
Focusing her attention, she surveyed the town. Many of the timbered buildings had upper levels leaning over the main street.
Careful to watch her footing over the cracked and uneven pavement, she sped past a tavern from which raucous laughter and the smell of ale emanated.
She dodged aside as a woman emerged from a doorway ahead. Her face expressionless, the slave walked with robotic precision, scraggly gray hair hanging in dirty clumps about her head. From the older women laboring in their villages, Nira wondered if Trollek females discouraged competition. Did they resent it when their mates took human women to bed? Then again, that could work in reverse. With their beauty, Trollek females easily ensnared men of her kind. How did their mates feel about this diversion?
She wished Zohar had told her more about their culture. The more she understood them, the better prepared she’d be for her next encounter. Algie may hold a high rank, for example, but was that common for members of her gender in Trollek society?
The weak sunlight barely penetrated into the gloomy interiors of the buildings. She crept along, peering into grimy windows, hoping to catch sight of Grace. At one residence, a slave served dinner to her kabak. The gaunt woman moved about with vacant eyes.
Her heart saddened, Nira peeked into the next few houses. This appeared to be a quiet hour, with Trolleks eating dinner, being groomed by servants, or engaging in dice games.
Berating herself for her ignorance of their customs, she didn’t pay attention when she rounded a corner. Something hard as a rock bumped into her.
Her glance rose to meet the furious glare of an armed Trollek guard.
****
“She still has her emergency ring,” Paz reassured Zohar as they stood on the bridge of the Protector.
“True, but will she use it? The Earthling can be damn stubborn. She does not comprehend how searching for her friend would distract us from our mission. I have wasted enough time already in pursuit of her goals rather than mine.”
And that troubled him. Had she caused delays on purpose? What had they actually accomplished, other than hearing repetitions of the same mystical prophecy? He dealt with facts, not magic. His job was to squash the Trollek invasion before their foothold grew stronger.
Uneasiness clawed at him, and he rubbed his neck. Had he made the right decision? He felt like a worm, leaving Nira to her own devices, but he’d had no choice.
“We can track her locator beacon.” Paz’s voice held a hopeful note. His stringy hair, stubbled jaw, and shadowed eyes reminded Zohar he’d been at his station for hours.
“Unless she goes out of range. Or unless someone deactivates it.” Was that what happened to Kaj? Zohar clenched his jaw. “What is the ETA for Borius and Yaron?”
“Ninety minutes.”
“Very well. I will take messages in my cabin while we wait for them. You should go rest. Lord Magnor is having something to eat. I can send him to the bridge.”
Paz gave a furtive glance toward the hatchway. “Is that wise?”
“I trust him as well as the rest of you.” Zohar’s lip curled in irony. At the moment, he trusted no one. That made the messages in his queue all the more imperative.
If only he could rely on Nira. Having someone to confide in would ease the burden of command, but he couldn’t be certain of her motives.
Nor did she understand his viewpoint. He’d gone along on her mythological quest, helped her find answers, but what had she done for him? Just when he needed her the most, she’d fled.
“Before you go, I’ve completed my data analysis. You’ll want to hear the results.” Paz strode to the science module and tapped in some commands.
Zohar compressed his mouth. Again thoughts of Nira flooded his mind and stole his reason. What was the matter with him? He should have inquired about the lab reports beforehand.
“Go ahead.” He braced himself for more bad news.
Paz gestured for him to take a look at the display. “I studied Nira’s file on the crystal you obtained from Drift World and cross-referenced it with my analysis of her hair sample. She shows traces of Trollek DNA.”
“What?” His gut clenched as thou
gh he’d been punched.
“It’s a specific strand, quite identifiable when you know what to look for.”
“Does that mean…?” Too choked to speak, Zohar clamped his lips.
“She is still human,” Paz said quickly, as though aware of his concern. “This could date back to her ancestry, a genetic marker passed down through the generations.”
“Perhaps.”
No wonder she resisted confounding. It appeared Nira knew nothing about this unique trait she possessed. She’d been just as puzzled as he by Algie’s interest in her.
Or had she been acting as their pawn all along?
Chariots of the gods, he had mated with her. He’d allowed himself to be seduced just like his father.
“What about the crystals from the Trollek village?” He barely got the words past the lump in his throat.
“I’m not finished looking at those yet.”
Zohar turned away, the urge to vomit overwhelming him. This proved his unfitness to rule and supported his decision to appoint Primer Pedar as regent in his stead.
After requesting Lord Magnor to take the helm, Zohar headed to his cabin. He listened to his messages before putting through an encoded call to the palace.
“What news do you have that is so urgent?” he asked Primer Pedar.
“You must return home, rageesh. The empire crumples in your absence.”
He sighed. “What has happened now?”
“We have captured a rebel leader. You need to hear what he has to say.”
“So put him on the comm. I do not have time for this.”
“You will make time.” Zohar had never heard the Primer sound so much like his father. “Your presence is desperately needed. What good will it do to defeat the Trolleks if you have no empire left? If civil war kills everyone while you are gone?”
“You told me the enforcers could handle things.”
Warrior Prince Page 26
