Dani gasped. They had to be looking for Lateef. Her mind spun with half-a-dozen plans to keep him hidden.
“They haven’t talked to anyone who knows about your guest yet,” he said, “But you should let him know about his friends. And maybe think about coming to stay with us or the Saunders for a few days?”
“No thanks. Abby will tell me if anyone comes around.”
“That pretend dog of yours won’t stop anything.” He gave a derisive snort. “Probably try to herd them if there’s more than one, but she’s too cowardly to do much except beg for food. The dog runs from squirrels! You’d get more fight from those rose bushes out back.”
Dani reached down to pat the dog’s head. “She’s a lot braver than she looks. You picked her out for me, so she must have some redeeming qualities. I don’t expect her to do anything but sound a warning. The rest is up to me.”
“Danielle…”
“I will be fine.” She cut him off decisively. “I won’t be driven from my home by Ho… not by anyone. If they’re looking for Lateef, then that’s his problem.”
“And if this Lateef doesn’t want to be found?” The look he gave her made it clear he understood who she truly feared.
“Not my circus, not my monkeys. You and Anna finally taught me that. I’ll let Lateef know. He can decide what to do from there.”
She picked up the plate from the dark granite counter, handing the dish to him in a definite gesture of dismissal. “Tell Anna hello for me. And don’t send Bob out here to check on me, please. I have a lot of work to do.”
He sighed and accepted the cake. “I would like to meet this stranger sometime.” He paused on the front veranda. “He sounds like a good man.”
“He is,” she agreed. “And I’m sure one day you will meet him. He’s a lot like you.”
Charlie walked down the three stairs and across the sparse grass towards his patrol car. “You take care, okay?” He opened the door. “And give me a call if anything unusual happens.”
She gave him a wry look. “You’re on my speed dial.”
“You don’t have speed dial, girl. You don’t even have a cordless phone!”
Her smile widened, and she waved as he drove off. Her ambition seemed to go with him, so she sat in one of the wicker chairs on the front porch, staring into the distance long after the trail of dust raised by the car had fallen back to the ground.
The late afternoon sun gave the foliage an unearthly glow as it briefly emerged from behind a bank of dark rain clouds and the rumble of thunder sounded sporadically. The whole world was unsettled today. She sensed something waiting out there but wasn’t sure what it could be.
Her life had definitely taken a strange turn recently. Lateef had found a crack in the wall she had erected around her heart and was working hard to make the barrier crumble completely. She was afraid if he stayed around much longer the wall would crash and he would learn how evil she was. But she was more afraid of what would happen to her when he did leave. Apathy was so much easier than caring. And she cared about the stranger far more than she ever thought she could care about anyone.
Chapter Five
Lateef settled his back against a tree at the edge of an alpine meadow, shifting his hips to get comfortable. Hate when my legs are asleep after a deep trance, but this time I’ll stay under until I get someone’s attention. He no longer felt the drag of whatever drug had destroyed his talents, and it was long past time for him to return home, but he wanted to know what he was getting into. He didn’t want to be arrested and handed over to the Hatti if they had reported him. Not that he believed his family would let that happen.
He took a final look around, extending all his senses. All was still except the normal squirrels, crows and chipmunks. Leaves shivered in the wind and thunder boomed in the distance. He closed his eyes and grounded his energy, quickly dropping into a deep trance. He sent mental feelers out into space, searching for his normal contact on Beryl, but met only an empty void.
Swearing, he broke contact and roused from the trance. The serene mountain mocked him with its timeless peacefulness.
“I will reach someone.” He breathed deeply and relaxed into an even deeper trance than he used when healing, ignoring the potential danger of going too far without an anchor. He could sense Dani with the Sheriff. Concern glowed in the older man’s aura. Dani’s was a golden hue, marred by a shadow roiling the surface. Something about the feel tickled his memory, but he couldn’t place it. He hadn’t been on this planet long enough to learn what was normal. A thin thread of danger trailed out of the mountains, but he pushed the unease away to concentrate on his goal. There would be time later to find out what disturbed the woman he needed to protect. He owed her protection. It had nothing to do with the way she made him feel.
He took in a deep breath and exhaled, sending his mind further in search of his normal contact, but hit an adamantine barrier. His heart raced, and he breathed slowly, forcing the errant organ to obey his will. There were always other options. He had to find another path.
A bright, flashing light caught his attention and he reached for the glow, shocked when he recognized his sister.
‘Rissa.’
‘Lateef! We thought you were dead. Where are you? What happened?’
Lateef clung to the mental contact, fighting the surge of joy that threatened to tear him out of the trance. ‘I’m safe on Earth. I found…’ The connection wavered as he tried to explain what Dani meant to him.
‘Stay with me, ‘Teef. Do you need help? I can be there soon.’
‘I’m okay, Sis. No need to panic.’
‘I need more than that, baby brother. You’ve been gone for over a week. No one can find Trevan, either, and the Hatti throw a royal snit fit whenever anyone asks a question. What happened at that ceremony?’
‘I’m not sure.’ He sent his sister a quick summary of events, gratified to feel her loving support in return. ‘I can’t believe Trevan is involved. He must be a prisoner on the ship. We have to find him.’
‘We’re looking. After you two disappeared from the feast, Casella came to Beryl and told us what she knew. What did you learn at the ceremony?’
‘The Hatti could be new allies. I got a good feel from almost everyone I met, but since they have a psionic blocking field, I’m not positive I trust my impressions.’
‘What happened?’
Lateef’s stomach did a slow roll and he swallowed heavily. ‘I was set up. Someone arranged for me to walk into the kitchens in the middle of feast prep.’
A warm chuckle surrounded him in a bubble of love. ‘Talk about an understatement. The Embassy has already received several complaints about your reprehensible behavior. Taura is ready to strangle Trevan.’
‘She’s not mad at me?’ Lateef hated the insecurity that slipped into his communication.
‘Trevan is a senior diplomat, though he was not even close to ready for that post. I always thought…’ Her presence faded.
‘Rissa?’ He sent a mental nudge when the silence lasted too long.
‘I’m here. Are you hurt?’
‘I’m recovering. Nothing major. Is everything okay at home?’
‘No new attacks. Mellora has the Healer Hall under control. Mom is worried but thinks it’s good the other healers are coping without you for a change.’
‘Let her know I’m okay?’ Lateef shoved the twinge of guilt out of his conscience. He was the good kid, the one who never made his parents worry.
‘She’d know if you were in trouble, baby brother. Trust me. I’ve caused enough of her gray hairs, you don’t have to worry. The only way you could beat me is to bring the Falgarans into open conflict on Earth, and I don’t see that happening.’
‘I hope you’re right. The Hatti are on my tail, and I have to protect…’
Understanding and excitement at his unfi
nished thought flowed through the link seconds after he paused.
‘Did…?’ She cut off the thought abruptly. ‘Hang out on Earth, Lateef. I’ll come to you as soon as I can but keep an eye on her.’
‘Her?’ Lateef tried to project surprise. Rissa was mistaken. He cared about Dani because she saved his life, not because he was falling for her.
‘You can’t hide from me, ’Teef. I can tell you’ve finally found your match. Keep her safe and try to stay out of trouble. We’ll do whatever we need to work this all out.’
Lightning crashed nearby, shocking Lateef out of the contact. While he was still in a trance, he sent his senses out, searching for trouble near his current location. A knot of anger drew his attention and he concentrated on it. Damn, it’s a Hatti crew. He roused completely and stretched out cramped muscles until he was limber enough to move. He deliberately didn’t search for Dani. He couldn’t fall in love and leave her. Rissa was blowing things out of proportion. He was just doing his job. He teleported to a rise near the wreckage of his life pod.
Several of the Hatti warriors milled in the area, searching the ground for tracks. A harsh cough sounded lower down the mountain. What in the universe was that?
Lateef cautiously moved downhill, crouching to remain out of sight. He had to find out what creature had made such a horrifying noise. Can’t think of any native animal big enough.
A musky scent smacked him upside the nose and he pinched his nostrils to stifle a sneeze. Branches rustled, and he hugged the ground, thinking invisible thoughts as his heart threatened to pound out of his body.
When he wasn’t eaten after a few minutes, and the musky scent faded, he slowly raised his head, eyes scanning the area. With quiet ease he moved back uphill until he topped a slight knoll. Looking over the edge, he had to rub his eyes to be certain he wasn’t hallucinating. That sucker’s huge. The creature lifted its feathered head, the nostrils on the snout opening wide as it inhaled gusts of air. It looked in his direction and his body froze, not even his heart dared to take a beat. Large eyes took in the creature’s surroundings for an eternity before one powerful front paw raked along a tree, leaving four deep gashes in the wood.
Lateef gulped. Has to be one of those bloodhounds Trevan warned me about. I thought he was pulling my leg. Jangxing. The unfamiliar word floated to the surface of his memory as he studied the feathered mammal straight out of a horror-writer’s nightmare. The face had a short snout and eyes that were huge for the size of the face. Feathers formed a mane and followed the spine in an explosion of brilliant colors that complimented the tawny fur covering the rest of the body. All four heavily-muscled legs ended in vicious claws.
The Jangxing took another deep sniff of the mountain air, ruffled its mane, and then dropped its head to sniff at the ground in a questing circle.
I’ve got to get out of here. He wasn’t positive his heart would survive a separation, but that was the only way to keep Dani safe. The Jangxing couldn’t be allowed to find her because of him. He extended a thin thread of psionic energy and touched the mind of the creature. It shook its massive head, sending stray feathers to the ground.
He exerted a bit more energy, convincing the animal to change direction. It let out another barky cough and lumbered back up the mountain, gaining speed as it stopped fighting Lateef’s command.
He watched until the Hatti squad followed. Once the last soldier vanished into the thicket of pines he sagged with relief. Should keep them off the remnants of my trail long enough for the storm to wash away any scent. Lightning crashed and a thunderclap followed seconds later. Storms moved fast in these mountains. Have to leave tonight. I can’t take any chances. I’ll find some way to let them know I’ve left the planet. They’d have to follow him, so Dani would be safe.
He gulped. She won’t like this. I’ll tell her after dinner. That way she’ll eat at least one more meal. The stabbing pain in his heart almost made him change his mind, but he had to do what was best for Dani, no matter how much he ached.
****
Dinner was over and the kitchen returned to its normal, spotless condition. The harvested flowers had been hung to dry in the shed out back before the deluge had started. Abby had been fed and there were no more chores to be done, although Lateef racked his brain, desperately trying to find any excuse to put off this painful conversation.
“Okay.” Dani refilled both of their mugs with a cinnamon coffee blend as the rain fell outside in a steady patter. “Out with it.”
He decided to blurt the painful truth out. “I have to leave.” A loud crash of thunder shook the house. “I don’t want to go.” His look begged her to understand. “But… well, I was being chased when I crashed.”
“By whom? The men Charlie told me about this afternoon?” she asked.
“Probably.” He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. She had relayed her conversation with the sheriff while preparing dinner. “They think I’ve mortally insulted them and won’t listen to my apology. All I wanted to do was help, but you can’t help some people—they resist every effort.” He shot her a glance and a brief surge of frustrated anger flowed through his veins. There’s no reason for her to live in pain. I could completely fix her old injuries if she wasn’t so stupidly stubborn.
“Why are you being chased?” She obviously wanted to understand his situation.
“I…” He paused and then shrugged helplessly. “You’d think I’d have my story worked out by now, but I really don’t know how to explain any of it. If you were anyone else, I’d create a story, but you deserve the truth, Dani, and I can’t give it to you. Not in a way you’d believe, anyway.”
She snorted skeptically. “What makes me so special?”
He grasped her hands possessively then met her gaze, staring at her until he felt as though he was being pulled out of his body.
“I’m not sure,” he answered. He could feel the pulse in her wrist, a comforting thud against his fingertips. “But you are special. I’ll do what I can to keep you safe and you won’t prevent it.” His grip on her hands tightened. “Leaving’s the only way I can accomplish that, Danielle Hamilton. My enemies are in the area and if they suspect you’ve helped me, they won’t leave you alone. I don’t know how far they’d go to get information from an innocent by-stander—but if they suspect I care about…” his voice faded and he looked away for a moment before recapturing her gaze. “I can’t be here when they come. Don’t lie to them. Tell them I was here and answer any and all of their questions. They’ll leave you alone if they believe you’ve been honest.”
“What about you?”
“I have to go home.” His soul screamed at the thought of leaving her all alone to potentially face his enemy. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders, instead of in her normal ponytail, obscuring most of the scars scattered across her neck and shoulders. She looked so delicate, but he knew the fragile exterior hid a core of tempered steel. She’ll be safer without me, but I still feel like I’m abandoning her. I don’t want to go.
She met his gaze, staring straight to his soul then snatched her hands free.
“I told you I sucked at this,” he muttered, catching the look of confused horror on her expressive face. What had she seen in his gaze? He shook his head, then shoved his hair behind his ears. Conflicting thoughts ripped through his brain. He had to tell her as much of the truth as she could take. He owed her, but would she hate him afterwards? First contact sucks. Can’t tell if finding out Terrans aren’t alone in the universe will destroy her psyche or not. Can’t risk that when I have to leave.
“What are you trying to tell me? Just spit it out, please.” Dani clenched her hands in her lap, watching him with a guarded expression.
He took a deep breath, refusing to take advantage of his abilities to read her thoughts. His explanation would be ambiguous for now. “I’m a master healer. I work on people too badly damaged for normal
medicine and I’m good at what I do. I spend most of my time at the Healer Hall, but occasionally I get sent to fill in for a social affair when everyone else is too busy. I hate it—I despise crowds and having to be nice to people I know want to kill my friends and family, but that’s the price of being the youngest child in a family of diplomats.” He jerked to his feet and paced restlessly back and forth, talking to himself as much as to her.
“I know we’re speaking the same language, Lateef, but I have no idea what you said.”
He halted and turned to face her. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this kind of thing. My sister, Rissa, does first contact all the time, but most of the people I meet are unconscious…” His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes to get his scattered thoughts back in order. He took a deep breath and glanced at her. “I know how odd this all sounds.”
A lifted eyebrow was her only response.
“I really do. I’d like to tell you my life history and take you home with me, but the less you know about me, the safer you’ll be.”
“Okay.” Her voice quavered and she tried to disguise the fine trembling of her muscles by twisting her hands in her lap. “You’re a good guy and have to leave. I’m glad you’ve recovered from your accident. Thanks for all the help around the house.”
He quickly went to her and laid his hand against her cheek. “I am a good guy,” he whispered, his voice husky with repressed emotion as he leaned closer. “And I don’t want to leave—I have to. It’s the only way to keep you safe. I owe you my life and I’ll do what I can to repay you.”
Lateef stopped scant inches from Dani’s lips, allowing her to make the next move. With a small sigh she leaned forward to close the gap. Heat flashed over him as he kissed her. When she didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss. Her hands slid up his back to tangle in his hair and he groaned with need.
Guilt flooded the room in a tidal wave and he caught a brief image of a man and then two graves from Dani. Tears overflowed her eyes and she pulled away, her chest heaving with intense emotion. The chair toppled over as she threw herself across the room and ran out into the dripping night.
At Night's End Page 4
