Davin's Quest (3 page)

“Don’t move,” the taller of the two said, deadly menace clear in his voice.

“I won’t. Just don’t shoot. I’m not what you think.”

“And what’s that?” the other man asked, watching him with observant eyes.

“I’m not part of the research team. I’m not like them at all.”

“So what are you doing out here, watching our valley?” the first man asked. “They promised we’d be undisturbed as long as we cooperated, which we are doing—fully. What’s your story?”

“I’m a throwback. I have emotions.”

They smiled. He didn’t know what to make of their reaction, and he was further surprised when the rifle barrel lowered to rest toward the ground, still ready, but not trained on him any longer. The darker man motioned for him to rise.

“No shame in that among us, stranger. What are you called?”

“I am Davin.” He faced the tall man squarely.

“What? No numbers?”

Davin shook his head. “Throwbacks are not given numerical designations since we’re not desired in the gene pool. Davin is the name I chose for myself at ten years of age.”

The big Breed nodded. “I’m Justin O’Hara and this is my brother Mick.”

“What are you doing way out here, Davin?” Mick asked.

12

Davin sighed, running one hand through his hair. He wasn’t accustomed to explaining himself, but he needed their understanding. It was important these Breeds not report his presence here to their keepers.

If the Maras knew he was sniffing around their experiments, there would be increased scrutiny from the High Council, which he definitely didn’t want.

“I need to leave the others every once in a while. It’s hard to be around them. I go into the Waste and try to learn about your planet firsthand rather than from their observations. It helps me in my work and helps me stay as sane as I can among them.”

Justin’s eyes narrowed. “I guess it would be hard to be the only one with feelings for miles around. I’d probably take off into the hinterlands myself. But that doesn’t explain what you’re doing up here, watching us.”

Davin shrugged, unable to give them the full truth. “Curiosity. I’ve never observed Breeds in their natural environment, interacting with each other and their surroundings on an emotional level. It’s fascinating.”

“We’re not
Breeds
.” Mick emphasized the word as if it were a curse. “We’re human. That’s the name of our race.”

“I stand corrected,” Davin allowed graciously. He hadn’t realized they were so touchy about the term, but he’d remember in the future.

“Well,” Justin shouldered his weapon, “there’s only one way to be certain you’re telling the truth.”

“What’s that?” Davin wasn’t sure he liked the man’s tone.

“Not what, but who,” Mick said with a thoughtful look. “We have several strong empaths among our family. Jane, especially, will be able to feel your emotions—if you really have them.”

“One of your females is empathic?” Davin wondered privately if it would be the gorgeous young woman he’d glimpsed in the field. “I’d heard about your mental powers but I’ve never experienced it firsthand.”

In truth, he was fascinated by the idea of the Breeds’ extra-sensory abilities. Fascinated and a little concerned they might be able to harm him, even with his advanced technology, but it was worth the risk.

He would risk his very existence to connect with another being on an emotional level—something he’d longed for his entire life.

“You are a miracle, Jane O’Hara.” Davin was humbled by the warm reception he received from the mother of the O’Hara clan. Justin and Mick moved to flank her, their arms coming over her shoulders protectively, one on either side as Davin sank to one knee in respect.

“Just so you understand,” Justin said with soft menace, “Jane is
our
miracle. Women are rare in our world now and we protect them fiercely. Your own people have guaranteed our safety in return for our cooperation.”

13

“Justin.” Jane turned to him, stroking his chest with one small hand. Seeing her unthinking gesture of love and comfort toward the man who so fiercely defended her, Davin was struck again with the emptiness of his own existence. He held up his palms in a gesture of peace as he remained vulnerable, on one knee before them.

“Jane O’Hara, your males are right to protect you. I mean none of you any harm. I only seek to learn and, unlike those of my kind you’ve dealt with before, I do understand the emotional aspects of what my people have done to your kind and your planet. I am deeply ashamed and filled with sorrow at our actions that have caused such death and destruction.”

Jane reached forward and took both of his hands in hers, tugging to indicate he should stand. He did, looking down at her as he struggled for calm. It was a shock to be in the presence of beings who felt so deeply and understood him on an emotional level.

“I feel the truth of your words.” She put one arm around each of her male protectors’ waists in a reassuring gesture. “My love belongs to the O’Hara brothers, as theirs belongs to me,” she said formally in words he could easily understand so there would be no confusion. “But I can offer you friendship. I think you need a friend, Davin, and I think perhaps you might find a few of them here at our ranch.”

Davin met each of their gazes. “I know you have young living here. I want you to know I would never harm a child in any way.”

Jane merely nodded as if she knew that already, and he realized she could probably read every emotion that festered in his damned soul. It was an uncomfortable thought.

“We have a rather non-traditional family, considering human history, but it works for us.” Her smile was accepting and gracious. “Our children are curious and if you stay here for any length of time, they will no doubt plague you with questions.”

“Do any of them share your amazing gifts?” he couldn’t help but ask.

She nodded. “All of them have some amount of empathy, some stronger than others. But they share their fathers’ gifts as well, so beware of telekinetically sprung practical jokes.”

“The nosy little eavesdroppers are already listening in,” Mick said with mock disgust as he opened a door from the kitchen, revealing a small group of chagrinned children of various ages.

But Davin only had eyes for the tall female he’d seen frolicking with the infant horse in that green pasture.

His mouth went dry and his insides flamed as he saw her features clearly for the first time. As delicate as her mother, but taller, probably owing to her father’s height. Davin wondered idly which one of the O’Hara men was her sire, but it really didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was here, and her innocent beauty inspired him to hope.

Jane came up beside him, her gaze moving from his dazed expression to where her oldest child stood, equally dazed in the doorway behind her younger siblings. The others were all making loud excuses to the two O’Hara men who teased them.

“I feel your fascination with my daughter, Callie,” she said in a low, almost worried voice. “She’s very young, Davin, and strongly empathic. Please make an effort to conceal your desire from her if you can.

Mick might be able to show you how.”

14

Davin turned. “I would never harm her. You have my word of honor.”

“You don’t understand the empathic gift. You can literally make her feel your own desires and she’s too inexperienced to know whether her feelings are her own or merely reflections of yours. I wouldn’t want that for her, Davin. She’s too precious to my heart.”

The mother’s entreaty touched his emotions. “I will endeavor to comply, but I fear I’ll need further instruction in the control of my emotions.”

Dawning realization showed on her features. “This must be so new to you. I’m sorry, I didn’t consider it.

I think subjecting you to the whole family at once might be rough.” She summoned Mick over, motioning Justin to keep the kids in the other part of the house for now.

Mick, Jane and Davin moved from the kitchen to the outbuilding that had been made into a combination laboratory, examining room and office for Mick’s medical work. Davin was surprised to learn that the youngest O’Hara brother had been training to be a veterinarian before the cataclysm, and now was the closest thing the family had to a doctor.

“Did you plan to stay in the area?” Jane asked once they were seated in Mick’s lab.

“I’ve been sleeping in a nearby cave for the past two nights. I stored my flyer within. Before departing, I told my subordinates I’d be gone for a week. They didn’t understand what I might want to do on my own in the Waste for a week, but they’re used to me being odd.”

Mick sat back in his chair. “Well, there’s an old human saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ You might as well stay here at the ranch than in a cave. It’s got to be more comfortable.”

“And you will know where I am,” Davin agreed, trying not to take insult from the man’s blatant distrust.

“There’s still the complication of Callie,” Jane said while Mick bristled.

“What about Callie?” Mick’s expression grew stern, the male’s protective instincts coming out as Davin watched with interest.

“Um,” Jane seemed hesitant, “Davin here is quite attracted to her. I was hoping you could show him how to hide it.” Jane addressed Davin. “You see, of all the brothers, only Mick ever mastered the ability to hide his emotions completely from me. Maybe he can show you how it’s done.”

“If he can’t hide it from her, we’ll have to keep them separate,” Mick said. Davin didn’t know if he was capable of the task, but it immediately became imperative to try. He didn’t want to be kept away from the girl. She was quickly becoming an obsession.

Jane made a rude noise. “Easier said than done, Mick. And I don’t want Justin to know. He’d go insane. It’s only for five days.” Jane turned to Davin. “Justin is Callie’s biological father and he’s extremely protective of her. Well,” she admitted with a small grin, “he’s protective of all the children, but he has a special need to protect the really empathic kids. He knows how I suffered with my gift and he wants to keep them from doing the same.”

15

“Justin was an officer in our military special forces before the cataclysm,” Mick warned. “He has skills the rest of us don’t even want to know about and is deadly when riled. We don’t want that kind of trouble here, Davin.”

Davin nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I’ll do what you ask to hide my emotions from her, if I can. But I tell you this now…” his eyes narrowed, “…if she has her own true feelings for me, they will not be denied. I came to the Waste knowing I could never find a true mate among my own kind. I came here with the idea of either finding my true mate among the Breeds or ending my existence before I follow the rest of my throwback brethren into madness.”

“Throwbacks go mad?” Jane asked quietly, and even Mick seemed curious. Davin realized the man was a scientist, after all. Davin had been studied his entire life for his oddities. It seemed nothing had changed, even among these strangers. Davin was the odd man out, the freak of nature to be studied and dissected.

Still, these folk had more of a chance than his own people at understanding. He would give them an explanation, since of all the beings he had ever met, these Breeds might just hold the key to his salvation.

“I have studied my people’s histories closely over my lifetime, seeking answers,” Davin said shortly.

“I’ve found evidence in early writings that when our people had strong emotions—before they were bred out by the geneticists—our males often spent years of their lives on mate quests. For each male, it was said, there was one female who resonated on his emotional wavelength. Males outnumbered females about two to one when our people bred naturally. If the male found his mate, they would join for the rest of their lives and breed the next generation. If he did not find her, he would most often put his energies into his work. Many would become warriors to focus their aggression and anger at not finding their mate.

Ours was a very violent race and we would war amongst ourselves endlessly. The supply of young warriors was large and most would die in battle. It was deemed preferable to do so than go into old age and madness alone. Without a mate, most often, our males would go insane as they aged.” Davin ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m like them. I have the emotions the geneticists sought to remove from our race. Throwbacks like me almost always end in madness. Still, I have hope I might find my mate among your people and avoid that terrible end.”

“You think Callie…?” Jane breathed.

Davin shook his head. “I have no idea if Callie could be my resonance mate, but I would like to see if such could be the case. There are ancient tests our males performed to find their resonance mates.”

“What sort of tests?” Mick asked with suspicion.

Davin held up the hand of peace. “Nothing that could harm her in any way. The first stage is merely the Hum. If we are compatible, there are further tests.”

“The Hum?” Jane asked, “What’s that?”

Davin looked surprised. “You haven’t noticed it between you? The air fairly throbs with the Hum when you touch.”

Mick looked intrigued. “Is it a physical sound you hear?” At Davin’s nod, Mick turned to his big computer station and flicked the switches, warming up the machine. “Human hearing is probably not as good as yours. Can you tell me the frequency range you hear this Hum in?” Mick had auditory testing equipment on a low bench. He motioned Davin over and asked him to help him find the right frequencies.

Adapting some of the computer equipment, Davin invited Jane to stand beside Mick in front of the auditory pickups.

16

“Touch her and you may have your answers,” Davin said softly, backing off to the other side of the room so as not to interfere in the experiment.