Dark Nadir

by Lisanne Norman

  “You can’t have,” said Mrowbay, hitting the final keys before looking up at him. “I know you’re concerned for her, but no one can be aware of anything in cryo. It’s impossible.”

  “Not for her. She’s done it before. Tell me what happened.”

  “Nothing. Just some minor fluctuations in the levels of . . .”

  “Wake her,” interrupted Kaid. “She’s aware, that’s why your levels are out. She’ll be terrified. Wake her.”

  “I can’t. I’ve just increased the depth of her sleep,” objected Mrowbay. “If I tried, she’d die, Kaid. The shock to her system would be too great.”

  Already he could feel his pendant cooling, the nebulous almost-contact with her fading. The medic was right. To wake her now without the proper medical care would kill her. “She’s aware, Mrowbay,” he said more calmly. “If we can’t wake her, then put her deeper so we know she’s really sleeping.”

  “What you claim is impossible, Kaid,” said the U’Churian, taking Kaid by the arm in an effort to urge him away from the unit. “I know my equipment, and I’ve had a Human female in cryo before. Kate said nothing about dreams when she came out.”

  Kaid clenched his feet, claws gripping the floor covering as he refused to be moved. “And I know Carrie. Her memories are mine, Mrowbay. She was aware in cryo. Put her deeper. If we can’t wake her long enough to calm her fears, then put her deeper.”

  “Do as he asks,” said a voice from the doorway. “If he says he senses her mind, then he’s right. Do it on our responsibility,” said Rezac. “We know the workings of our Leskas’ minds as well as you know your equipment.”

  Kaid glanced over at him from beneath lowered brows, unsure whether to be glad of the intrusion.

  “Very well,” sighed the beleaguered medic, turning back to the unit. “But on your heads be it.”

  Rezac remained where he was till Mrowbay had finished and returned to his office. Then he joined Kaid by Carrie’s unit.

  “Tell me about the Triads,” he said. “How close does the link to your third grow?”

  “I’m not the one to ask,” said Kaid, moving away from him. “In a few days we’ll be on the M’Zekko. There’ll be a mentor there who can tell you what you need to know.”

  “I don’t want theory. You’re a member of the first Triad. You’ve got the personal experience,” said Rezac, grasping him by the arm.

  Kaid could sense Rezac’s concern, the need the younger male had had to help him, and his confusion as to why it should be so important to him to do it. He was trying to conceal it beneath the request for information on the Triads, but he could feel the truth of it. As difficult as his position was, Rezac’s was worse. While he, as the son, could try to ignore their biological relationship, Rezac, as his father, obviously could not. On some strange, subconscious level, he was aware of the relationship.

  It surged through him then, a feeling from Rezac akin to what he felt when he touched his own son, Dzaka. With his free hand, he carefully disengaged himself from Rezac’s grasp.

  “Thank you for your support. I can tell you very little about the En’Shalla Triads. There are too few of us and our relationships are too new for any of us to know what is normal.”

  “You must be able to tell me something! Is it like a Leska Link? Are there Link days?” He spread his hands in a plea for help. “I still sense nothing from Zashou, and as for Jo . . .” He stopped in mid-sentence, ears dipping in the Sholan equivalent of a shrug. “What do I do, Kaid? She’s my soul’s mate, yet I still love Zashou. She was my first love, my own kind, the one I wanted above all others, even if she hates me except during our Link time.”

  Kaid’s mouth widened slightly in a sardonic Human smile. He understood only too well, except Carrie, Kusac, and T’Chebbi were tied in his impossible dreams.

  “You love them each as well as you can,” he said, reaching out to touch the other’s shoulder comfortingly. “Love them for their own worth, don’t compare them or how you feel about each of them. And thank the Gods for Their double gift!”

  “But what of Link days?”

  Kaid lifted his shoulders in the Human shrug. “It depends on how closely you’re Linked to Jo.”

  “She’s always there. I haven’t been able to sense Zashou since she lost our cub. It’s as if Jo’s replaced her.” He was unable to stop his ears from lying flat in distress.

  “It’ll take some time for Zashou to recover,” Kaid said awkwardly, remembering how Carrie had been after she’d lost her first child. He didn’t want to talk about himself and Carrie, and especially not to this brash young male. Then he forced himself to remember that this time, Rezac was not being brash, was not pushing himself forward, but was instead asking for help.

  “We don’t have Link days,” he continued slowly. “We’re gradually drawn to each other—we know when it’s our time. A Triad is more than that. It’s a legal marriage between the three of us. The cubs Carrie has belong to us all.”

  “And now? With them both in cryo? How do you cope?”

  Kaid stiffened, closing down the light rapport he’d permitted between himself and—his father. “I wait,” he said shortly, and began to move out into the corridor. “I’ve told you all I know. At Valsgarth, our Clan estate, you’ll learn the rest.”

  * * *

  “We’ve found nothing,” said Raiban in disgust. “My people can’t even tell me if Kezule’s still in the Taykui Forest or not!”

  “Then you’ll have to spread the search wider still,” said Rhyaz calmly, regarding the General of Military Intelligence on his comm screen. She looked tired and harassed, as well she might under the circumstances. “He’s not likely to want to remain hidden in the forest. He’ll have some destination in mind by now.”

  “Obviously,” she snapped. “It’s where he’s likely to head for that’s got me worried.”

  Rhyaz raised an eye ridge. “Where’s that?”

  “Lhygo Spaceport, of course! He’ll want to get off-world, find out where the others of his kind are.”

  “I think not, General. If I read him right, he’ll not do that.”

  “Oh, and where d’you think he’ll go? Back to Chezy and the ancient Valtegan hatching ground?”

  “Perhaps. It’s more likely than the spaceport.”

  “You’re not exactly being helpful Rhyaz.”

  “May I remind you, General, that after your people let Kezule escape, you personally refused us entry to the facility at Shanagi? If I remember rightly, you said. . . .”

  “I know what I said, dammit! That was in the heat of the moment,” she said tartly. “If I’m going to spread our net wider, we’ll need the Brotherhood’s help. I’m not prepared to advise we lessen our defense commitment to track down one Valtegan when we face a larger threat from them in space.”

  Rhyaz inclined his head. “The Brotherhood is more than willing to help you, General. What about Keeza Lassah?”

  Raiban gestured briefly. “They found her shredded clothing, covered in her blood, and traces of his. She’s dead, Rhyaz.”

  “You found her body?”

  “Don’t need to. If he didn’t eat her, then one of the feral cats did. And by the way, it was General Naika’s staff who were on duty when Kezule escaped.”

  “Ah, then we’re no longer being held responsible? That’s good to know. Thank you for telling me, General.” He held his peace on the issue of Keeza. Brotherhood personnel were already looking for her; he wanted her alive and that meant kept out of Raiban’s claws. As far as he was concerned, she wasn’t dead until he saw her corpse.

  Raiban growled gently. “I want your people guarding the spaceport, Master Rhyaz,” she said. “Every passenger has to be checked, every piece of luggage and cargo large enough for Kezule to conceal himself in, and every vehicle not only guarded from the moment it lands, but searched immediately prior to takeoff.”

  “You’re going to need an explanation for the newsvids, General. This is going to cause long delays and
be very unpopular with everyone. And as I said, I think he’s very unlikely to head for there. My bet is he’ll make for the Valsgarth estate.”

  “Revenge? It might be the Brotherhood’s way, but that male is a professional soldier, Rhyaz, a general! His priority will be to return to the nearest unit of his people.”

  He could hear the amusement in Raiban’s voice and decided to ignore the insult. “Not revenge, a desire to return to his own time and reverse what has happened to his species’ future on Shola. Security on the Aldatan and Valsgarth estates needs to be increased, General.”

  “There’s enough people there already. In fact, I’m tempted to pull some out to help us catch Kezule. There hasn’t been any threat to the mixed Leskas for a long time. If you want more soldiers, you’ll have to use your own people, Rhyaz, if you’ve any left after deploying them at the spaceport. I expect them to be in position first thing tomorrow morning. Send me a list of the names and numbers you’re sending and I’ll have them added to the Forces payroll. Good day, Rhyaz.”

  As soon as the screen blanked, Rhyaz turned to his aide, L’Seuli. “She’s right, we won’t have the personnel on Shola to spare. Once you’ve drawn up Raiban’s list and issued orders for those concerned, check the active roster and see who we can recall without arousing suspicion.”

  “Are you sure he’ll head for there, Master Rhyaz?”

  “No, but it’s more likely than the spaceport.”

  “What about Chezy? Kezule took Fyak back to his time from there. He might be able to use the same method to take himself back.”

  “I’ve already got a small unit there, just in case.”

  * * *

  As Brynne approached Stronghold, the winds caught the small aircar, buffeting it from side to side as he attempted to descend toward the outer walls.

  “Control to approaching ’car. Ident codes required for permission to land.” The voice filled the tiny vehicle, its highland burr obvious even to him.

  “I don’t have any,” said Brynne. Until this moment, he’d had no doubts about making this journey. “Do I need one? I’m from Valsgarth estate. Do I really need one?” He was having his work cut out to control the vehicle in the strong crosswinds.

  “Name?” The voice, relaxed before, was suddenly crisp.

  “Brynne Stevens.”

  “We have no notification from Valsgarth that you’re expected.”

  “I’m not,” he said, hauling on the semicircular control bar as the craft suddenly began to drop toward the walls at an alarming rate. “Look, I’ve never been here before, and I’m having a devil of a job flying this ’car right now. . . .”

  A second voice cut him short. “Concentrate on your flying, Mr. Stevens. We’re having the central courtyard cleared for you. Land as soon as you can. Remain in your vehicle, you’ll be met.”

  He sounded angry, Brynne thought as he glanced briefly out of the side window. Damn. That’s all he needed, to start off on the wrong foot. Below, figures were running out of the gatehouse toward the groups of students in the courtyard.

  Embarrassment flooded through him and he was glad the aircar didn’t have a vid unit. Maybe arriving unannounced like this was the worst thing he could do, but at least they hadn’t refused him permission to land.

  * * *

  He was met by one of the black-robed Brothers, who, with punctilious formality, escorted him to Father Lijou’s office. This was the first time he’d had any real dealings with the Head Priest and, as the older Sholan rose to his feet and came out from behind his desk to greet him, he was subjected to the priest’s piercing gaze.

  “Mister Stevens,” Lijou said, extending his hand toward him, palm uppermost. “An unexpected pleasure, indeed. This is your first visit to Stronghold, I believe.”

  Brynne touched fingertips in the brief, formal telepath’s greeting. “Yes, my first.” He should have asked Garras to make an appointment, he just knew he should have. As he followed Father Lijou over to the less formal seats, he prayed that he wouldn’t be sent back to the estate because he’d ignored protocol.

  “Then we must let you see round Stronghold,” said Lijou. “But tell me, what brings you here? And so unexpectedly.” The last was said with an under-purr of amusement. “Landing here is a specialized skill. Your arrival caused quite a stir.”

  Brynne noticed irrelevancies, like the broad gray streaks that framed the Father’s dark-pelted face. When Lijou’s mouth opened in a slight smile, he looked down at his hands. “I didn’t mean to put the wind under everyone’s tails,” he muttered, part defensively, part embarrassed.

  “An interesting way to put it,” said Lijou. “It looked rather more like the wind was under your tail. Now, what brings you to our hallowed halls?”

  “I don’t know.” Brynne looked up at him. “I hoped you’d be able to tell me. The need to come here has been growing for weeks now.”

  “Our Gods indeed have long arms, Brynne Stevens. You’re the first of the Humans to be called by Them, but doubtless not the last. As a member of the En’Shalla Clan, you’re automatically a member of the Brotherhood. However, I think it’s time you swore to our Creed and became a properly initiated member. You need to start your training with us.” The Head Priest got to his feet. “I advise you to tell your Leska that you’ll be based here for the foreseeable future, Brother Brynne.”

  * * *

  “He’s been sworn in?” asked Master Rhyaz.

  “I did it immediately. I have twinned him with Jurrel. They’re collecting his basic kit from housekeeping at present. And, yes, first thing tomorrow, he’ll be taught how to handle that aircar of his properly,” Lijou smiled.

  Rhyaz nodded. “I thought we’d lose him the way the winds caught that ’car of his. It’s most unsuitable, merely a runabout for the cities. He should be allocated something more robust in future.”

  “Doubtless that will be one of the first things Garras does when he next returns to the estate,” said Lijou. “I’m dividing Brynne’s training between ourselves and Dhaika at the Retreat. We have plans for this Human.”

  “Oh?” Rhyaz’ tone was one of polite curiosity.

  Lijou shook his head. “Religious matters, Rhyaz, nothing that you need concern yourself with as yet.”

  The other flicked an ear in compliance. “What of Vartra?” he asked cautiously. “Have your meditations and prayers elicited anything more about His warning?”

  “I’d have told you immediately,” Lijou replied, a pained expression crossing his face. “I understand the significance of being handed the Guild coin, Rhyaz. Whatever the nature of this task He has for us is, so far, He’s keeping it to Himself. What did you do with the coin He gave me?”

  “Put it back in the vault where it belongs. I’ve also done as He said and put all our people in the field on alert. They’re to report any dreams or visions of the God immediately, either to yourself or to me. I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t all connected to Kezule’s escape.”

  “Who knows but the God?” sighed Lijou. His thoughts turned toward the three people still missing. “What of Kezule, Keeza Lassah, and the Human, Derwent? Have the searchers found anything at all yet?”

  “Nothing but the bloodstained remains of her clothing,” said Rhyaz. “Raiban thinks it likely Kezule killed her and something—or someone—carried her body off and ate her.”

  “Then she’s dead,” sighed Lijou, getting up from the chair.

  “I’d prefer a body before pronouncing her dead,” temporized Rhyaz. “The Taykui Forest is vast, we’ve only covered a fraction of it. Kezule could still be out there, dug in deep in some cave, doing his hibernation trick till he thinks our guard is down. Our telepaths can’t sense a trace of any of them. I have a feeling we’re not going to find them, they’re going to find us when they’re good and ready. The same applies to Derwent.”

  “What about calling in the Sumaan? They have ways of tracking their own people that might work well with a species as similar as the Valt
egans.”

  “And admit we’ve secretly been holding a Valtegan? I think not, Lijou.”

  “Just a suggestion,” said Lijou, making for the door. He stopped, hand on the lever. “Rhyaz, if we have to recall all the Brothers because of this warning from Vartra, and contact the Instructors, how many people do we actually have?”

  “Enough,” said the warrior leader grimly. “Let’s just pray it doesn’t come to that. Part of our strength is that our numbers and resources are unknown.”

  Chapter 3

  NONI was not happy. As she pottered about her kitchen making the batter for her pan-fried cakes for first meal, she muttered and cursed under her breath. There was a light rap at the door, and Teusi entered.

  “Good morning, Noni. May the sun shine on you.”

  She grunted as she began to pour the mixture into the hot pan. “Some chance of that. I need you to set up the back room again, lad. We got company coming.”

  “Oh? When? And who?” he asked, taking his coat off and hanging it on the wall hook near the door.

  “How the devil should I know? I’m nobody, after all. Just an old female here to do the Gods’ bidding! You’d think I was running an Accommodation Guildhouse the way They send me lodgers!”

  The batter hissed and spat for a moment or two as she tilted the pan, coating its base with the golden liquid.

  Teusi took the kettle from the hob to the faucet to fill it. “A vision, is it, Noni?” he asked quietly as he turned on the tap.

  “Of course a vision! What d’you think—I got one of them comm units plugged directly into Their realms?” She snorted her disgust. “As to who and when, you think They’re going to be so obliging as to tell me that? You wait till your time comes, youngling! I’m lucky to get any kind of warning at all!”

  “I’ll start now,” he said, returning to the stove with the filled kettle.

  “After first meal’s soon enough,” said Noni gruffly, regretting taking her temper out on him. Teusi was a good lad, a fine apprentice. No substitute for Tallinu, but then she’d known from the day the Brothers had brought him back from Ranz that he’d not succeed her. His path was one she’d not have willingly trod at any stage in her life.