Barnes drew back, his meaty face suddenly pale. “Wow, Rast she’s spooky! How does she do that?”
“I have no idea and no interest in finding out.” Rast frowned. How the hell had the girl known so much about Barnes and his family? Could it be just a lucky guess? He looked at Nadiah. “Let’s go.”
“Where are you taking me?” She stood her ground, arms crossed over her breasts. “I’m not going until I know.”
“To see some giants,” Rast growled, grabbing her hand. “Come on.”
* * * * *
The ride through downtown Sarasota was charmingly foreign. It was also a little frightening. Nadiah had lived in grottos and enclosed spaces her entire life. Being outside, on the surface of a planet, with such a high, open sky above her in all directions made her feel rather like a tiny bug crawling under a blue bowl. Detective Rast’s vehicle was what he called a “convertible” and the warm wind blew through her hair as they drove through the city.
It was hot and humid—almost oppressively so, especially compared with the frigid climate of Tranq Prime. But Nadiah felt it was worth it to be someplace so completely different and new—someplace so wonderfully foreign. She was glad, however, that she was visiting during the “cool” part of the year—at least according to Sophia. She couldn’t imagine what the temperature might be like during the hot season.
Regardless of the temperature, downtown Sarasota was exciting. There were tall buildings everywhere and the road they were traveling on was lined with a type of vegetation called palm trees. The people all wore light, casual clothes and pants which stopped above the knee. Many of the women had footwear on which exposed their feet—shocking to someone who had grown up on Tranq Prime, but obviously no big deal here on Earth. Clearly the natives were used to the heat and dressed accordingly. Nadiah wished they could stop the car so she could get out and explore—there was so much to see!
“You keeping looking around like that, your eyes are going to pop out of your head and roll down the street.” Rast gave her a sidelong glance as he steered the vehicle.
“Excuse me for being excited,” Nadiah said icily. “This is the first foreign planet I’ve been on. It’s exhilarating to see someplace so completely different from my home world.”
“Too bad you’re not here for a better reason.” He sighed moodily and looked back at the road.
“Yes, I guess you’re right.” Nadiah felt suddenly guilty. What right had she to enjoy the sights and sounds of the foreign city when the whole reason she was here was to find evidence about a missing girl? A girl who was probably still being held and tortured by the AllFather that very minute. Just thinking about it brought a lump to her throat and tears to her eyes.
“Hey.” Rast threw her another glance and then looked at her more fully. “Hey, don’t cry.” He sounded almost panicked. “Look, I’m sorry. I know I’m a bastard sometimes. I just get so wrapped up in the case and I don’t think before I talk.”
“I’m not crying because of you,” Nadiah said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I’m thinking of Tabitha. Of what I saw in my dream last night.”
Rast frowned. “Back to that again, are we?”
“And you’re back to denigrating my gift.” Nadiah was suddenly furious. “I warn you, Detective Rast, I won’t put up with it. Either treat me with respect or turn this vehicle around right now and take me back to the HKR building.”
“Okay, sorry.” He gave her a look of grudging respect. “You sure know how to stand up for yourself.”
“I’ve had to,” Nadiah said grimly. “If I didn’t know how to stand up for myself I’d be back home right now mated to Yo-dah and having ugly babies just like my parents want me to.”
He frowned. “Is that some kind of an arranged marriage thing? They still do that where you’re from?”
“It’s more than that—stronger than that. A blood bond.” Nadiah sighed. “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Maybe not completely,” he said, steering the car around a bend. “But I do understand being told to do something by someone in authority that I knew in my gut was wrong.”
“What did you do?” Nadiah asked, interested despite herself.
“I left,” he said shortly. “Struck out on my own.” He gave her a glance. “I’m guessing you did to.”
“I did.” She nodded. “But I’ll have to go back eventually. My problem isn’t one I can run away from completely. Soon I’ll have to face it.”
“Face what, exactly?” He sounded genuinely curious.
“The blood bond. It’s…never mind.” Nadiah shook her head. “It’s complicated.”
“Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. I get it.” He shrugged. “But did you actually say that the guy you were supposed marry is called Yoda?”
“Yo-dah,” Nadiah said, and frowned when he laughed. “What is it? Why does everyone find his name so funny? It’s a very old and well respected family name where I live.”
“Where you live,” he said dryly. “In a galaxy far, far away, right?”
“Well, yes.” Nadiah crossed her arms over her chest. “But so what?”
“Nothing.” But there was a small smile playing around the corner of his mouth. “It’s from a movie. Maybe if you’re here long enough I’ll show it to you.”
Nadiah raised an eyebrow at him. “Why Detective, are you asking me to a social event?’
“You mean like a date? I never said that.” He frowned again. “Forget I said anything. It was a stupid idea.”
“Not necessarily. And anyway I—oh! Oh!” Nadiah popped open the restraining harness that was holding her in place, stood up in the car and pointed. “Look! Look there they are!”
“Hey, stop that! Get back down here!” Rast tugged at her tharp which twitched slightly at the feeling of a strange hand on it. “That’s against the law,” he yelled. “Not to mention damn dangerous. Sit down!”
But Nadiah was far too excited to hear anything he said. “The giants!” she said, still pointing excitedly. “There they are! They’re just exactly like I saw them in my vision.”
Rast pulled the car into a parking space and stopped with a jolt. With a scream, Nadiah toppled over backwards and sideways. Her head hit the steering mechanism and she somehow landed in Rast’s lap.
“Ouch!” she gasped, looking up at the stern look of disapproval on his face. “Why did you do that?”
“To prove a point—you can’t stand up in a car while it’s driving.” He looked anxious. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, though. Is your head all right?”
“I think so.” Nadiah touched her forehead lightly with her fingertips. “Ow.”
Rast swore. “Damn it, you’re bleeding. What am I going to tell your cousin?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell him it was an accident.” Feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the intense way he was staring at her, Nadiah struggled to sit up and put some distance between them.
“Come back here.” Rast grabbed her by the arm. “You’re not getting out of the car until I do something about that.” He reached across her and fumbled around in a small compartment located right above where her knees had been. “Here, I always keep this handy.”
“What is it?” Nadiah asked as he opened a small white box with a red symbol on it.
“First aid kit. Hold still.” Working with surprising gentleness, Rast captured her chin in one hand and proceeded to dab some soothing ointment on the cut above her forehead. For some reason Nadiah’s heart started pounding faster and she found she couldn’t meet his eyes. Goddess, she wished he didn’t smell so good! Warm and spicy and somehow completely male.
“Don’t worry about Sylvan,” she said, looking down at her hands as Rast worked. “He’ll understand. I was always getting into trouble when I was younger. He always said watching me while my parents were away made him more nervous than fighting a hungry vrana. He—” Realizing she was babbling, she made herself stop. “Are…are you almost done?” she asked,
daring to look up at him briefly.
“Almost. Just need to put a band aid on it.” He fished a small flat, rectangular packet out of the little white box and opened it. “This is kind old fashioned,” he said, sounding apologetic as he applied the adhesive tab to Nadiah’s cut. “But I don’t have any wound-seal or flesh-glue in my kit. There.” He finished and sat back a little as though to examine his handiwork. “That’ll do for now but you’ll want to have a doctor look at it when you get back to the ship. Or maybe a plastic surgeon.”
Nadiah frowned. “You have a surgeon who deals with inanimate petroleum products? Why should I consult someone like that about my wound?”
His lips twitched and it looked like he was trying not to laugh. “A plastic surgeon is someone who deals with cosmetic damage. You should see one so you don’t get a scar. Wouldn’t want to ruin that gorgeous face of yours.”
Nadiah put a hand to her cheek. “You…you think I’m gorgeous?”
Rast’s face went red and he frowned. “Forget it. Just see one, okay? And don’t try a stunt like that again. Standing up in a moving vehicle is really dangerous—you could have been killed.”
“I’m sorry if I upset you,” Nadiah said contritely. “But I just got so excited. This is exactly what I saw in my dream.” She gestured to the kissing giants. “But they’re not alive, are they? Is it some kind of art?”
“It’s a statue based on a famous picture. After World War II, one of our greatest global conflicts, was over, there was a lot of celebration. A sailor returning from the war grabbed a nurse and kissed her. Someone snapped a picture and a local artist decided to turn it into this.” Rast turned to look at the kissing figures as well. “The piece is called Unconditional Surrender.”
“I can see why,” Nadiah murmured. Hopping out of the convertible, she went to get a closer look at the huge figures.
The male giant was dressed in a blue uniform. He had an arm looped around the neck of the female and was bending her back, forcing her to rely on his strength to hold her up while he kissed her senseless. The female wasn’t fighting his fierce embrace. Rather she almost seemed to welcome it as she clung to him.
What a romantic depiction, Nadiah thought. He’s so focused on her, so fierce in his desire. For some reason her fingers crept to her own lips as she remembered the luck kiss at Sophia and Sylvan’s joining. Detective Rast had come up and was standing right beside her. Nadiah cast him a sidelong glance and saw that he was looking at her. Quickly she dropped her hand and looked away.
“Um, so is this where she—Tabitha—disappeared from?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“You tell me.” Rast walked up to the base the statue was standing on and patted the female giant’s shoe. “You’re the one that saw the abduction, right?”
“I did see it,” Nadiah acknowledged. “But only briefly in my vision.” She turned to face him. “So now that I’ve confirmed it, what do you want from me? Why bring me all the way down here to Earth?”
Rast ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. “Because…damn it. I hate doing this, but…can you get readings on people from touching things that belonged to them?”
“I don’t know,” Nadiah said honestly. “I haven’t had the Sight for very long. I guess I could try.”
“Okay, wait here.” Rast walked back to the car and she could hear him muttering to himself, “Can’t believe I’m doing this. So stupid…”
When he came back he was holding a clear bag filled with fabric in one hand. “Here.” He thrust the bag at Nadiah. “See what you can get from those.”
“Is this her tharp…er, her clothes?” Nadiah took the bag gingerly.
Rast nodded. “The ones she was wearing when she disappeared.”
“But what do you expect me to learn from these?” Nadiah asked. “I already told you where she was and who has her.”
Rast frowned. “Just get what you can, all right?”
Nadiah narrowed her eyes at him. “If this is some kind of test I don’t see how I can possibly pass it. Why are you asking me to use a power you don’t believe in?”
“Because I’m desperate, all right?” Rast shot back. “The first twenty-four hours are critical. Tabitha was standing right here, by this statue when she disappeared. Her friends said she was there one minute and gone the next. We have the clothes she was wearing and nothing else.”
Nadiah shrugged. “I’ll try. But I won’t promise anything.”
“I’m not asking for a promise. Just do your best.”
“All right. But I’m doing this for Tabitha—not for you.” Opening the clear bag, Nadiah put her hand in and felt the strange material Earth people wore to cover themselves. It was soft but dead, not living like her own tharp. She couldn’t imagine wearing such stuff close to her skin for any length of time.
“Well?” Rast looked at her sharply. “Anything?”
“Sorry.” Nadiah shook her head. “I don’t see anyth—” Suddenly the bright, sunny Sarasota day disappeared from her view and a cloud of blackness replaced it. Nadiah drew in a breath at what she saw.
The girl who looked vaguely like Lauren was lying face up on a bare metal floor. She was naked and stiff, her sightless eyes staring at the metal ceiling above. It was clear from the look on her face that she had died in agony. Her fingers were curled into fists and her lips were frozen in a snarl of pain.
But it’s over now. All over now for her. Oh Tabitha, you poor thing…
“Hey.” Rast’s voice, surprisingly soft, cut through the horrifying vision.
“What?” Nadiah blinked and the dead girl was gone, replaced by the bright Florida sunshine.
“You’re crying again.” Rast cupped her cheek gently and swiped a thumb under one eye. “What did you see? Is she okay?”
“She’s beyond our help.” Sniffing, Nadiah handed him back the bag of clothing. “She’s dead.”
“What?” Rast looked startled. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I saw her, lying naked and dead on the floor.” Nadiah pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, wishing she could push the vision away. “I saw her and now I can’t unsee her. Goddess, I wish I could.”
“Well at least you’re not offering any false hope,” Rast muttered. “Most of you people just keep stringing them along—”
“You people?” Nadiah took her hands away from her eyes and glared at him. “Just what do you mean by that, Detective?”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “You know—psychics. Mediums. Anybody who deals with that spirit world mumbo-jumbo.”
Nadiah put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare label me like that! I am a full blooded daughter of Tranq Prime with the Sight and I assure you, you have never met anyone like me before.”
“You got that right, sweetheart.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “But that’s not necessarily a good thing.”
Nadia poked a finger at him. “I am here at your request. I came down to a strange planet and subjected myself to horrible visions all to gratify your curiosity. And this is how you treat me?” Her hand itched to slap him but she curled it into a fist at her side instead.
Rast must have seen the instinctive gesture because a mocking smile curved one side of his mouth. “You want to slap me, is that it? Go ahead, sweetheart—take your best shot.”
Nadiah’s hand shot out before she could stop herself and she did just that. The flat smack of her palm against his cheek seemed inordinately loud.
Rast put a hand to his face where a red mark was already growing, his truegreen eyes filled with surprise. “Ow, that’s quite a punch you’re packing. Didn’t really think you’d do it.”
“Think again before you offer me another free shot, Detective. I won’t hesitate to take it.” Nadiah was breathing hard, still tense with emotion. Her hand stung from slapping him and there was a dull ache around her heart. She blew out a breath, trying to get hold of herself. “Take me back to the HKR building. I’ve had enough of you and your attitude
to last me a lifetime.”
He seemed about to say something else but then he simply nodded. “Fine, let’s go.”
Nadiah didn’t speak a word to him on the way back. She kept her eyes closed and let the warm breeze blow through her hair. She tried not to think of the vision she’d had but it was no use. Over and over she saw the wide, sightless eyes, the clenched fists, the agonized expression.
And in the background she seemed to hear low, hissing laughter.
Chapter Twenty-three
Lauren lay in the darkness and tried not to cry. Her whole body felt like it was bunched into a knot but she was afraid to move. Afraid to let herself go the way she wanted to. Beside her Xairn shifted and she held her breath, waiting. Then he turned on his side and his breathing became soft and even again.
Lauren let out a stifled breath of relief. She loved Xairn as much as ever—more if that was possible. But it had been almost a week now and having him here on Earth with her just wasn’t working out the way she’d hoped.
To start with, she shouldn’t have invited her mom to go on their shopping trip. Her mother was a wonderful, caring women but she had very definite ideas on fashion. Whereas Lauren would have taken her new man to Wal Mart or Target to get some sensible clothes, her mother had insisted on taking Xairn on a tour of all the most expensive boutiques and department stores in Sarasota.
That was how Lauren learned that Xairn, while alien in many respects, did share one almost universal characteristic with human males. In other words, he hated to shop. Not that he said as much to her mother, but Lauren could tell by the impatient look in his eyes and the clipped tone of his voice as they went from store to store to store trying on more and more clothes.
He also didn’t like the fact that Abby was footing the bill for his expensive new wardrobe. Lauren had been forced to take him aside and beg him to let her mom pay. She was, after all, only showing her gratitude to him for saving Lauren’s life the only way she could. Xairn had grudgingly agreed but he hadn’t been happy about it.
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