Hathor Legacy: Burn (24 page)

30
Flash Point

"Nadira, they've taken Azure out of the city!"

"Wait, slow down, Maji. I don't understand what you're saying." Nadira moved her chair closer to the desk, as though sitting right next to the built-in com would make Maji's words clearer.

Good thing she'd stopped off at Brant's office--her office now--to call Maji and give her an update on her talk with Jen. Now there was something more to deal with.

"Three Guardians came here. They said Dakar had Azure escorted back to her home in the North for her protection!" Her voice blasted through the room, echoing off the walls. Nadira could imagine her expression, and her stance, hands on hips, foot tapping.

"What did they come to your house for?" News like that could've been delivered through the com. If they'd gone to the house, they'd wanted something else.

"They asked about you. I told them to go away."

"What about Varyn?" Nadira leaned her elbows on the glass desktop. "Did they mention her?"

"No. They only asked about you," she replied. "I called Lange. He hasn't been able to get in touch with any of the Elders."

Damn. That meant Dakar was consolidating his control in the worst way. Putting the other Elders under protection was just his way of shutting them all down. "Where is Lange now?"

"On his way here. What did Jen say?"

"I've got seven days to get Ron and his associates." Nadira dropped her fist on  the desk. "I called Karin Luke, but she didn't answer."

"It shouldn't be up to you to resolve this," Maji said. "That's what Dakar and the Elders are for."

"I know. But he's out of control and they're not able to fight back." For once she was tired of being responsible. Jen and Dakar had more power than she did. Why was it up to her?

"Remember what I told you. Go to Astarte. Don't wait."

"What about the deadline?"

"You have a deadline. Stop sacrificing your needs and Jonathan's," she admonished.

Maji was right. "I'll see when the next shuttle leaves."

"I've already checked. It leaves tonight. You can get on it and go."

"What about a ticket?"

"You're an exec now. You can bump any passenger who isn't one." Maji's voice had gone from upset to excited. "And you can leave without getting permission from anyone. Lange will meet you at the terminal in an hour just to be sure there are no problems."

"Wait. What about Varyn?"

"The Kasema will protect her. Now go."

"I don't have my clothes--" Nadira knew there was no need to finish. The blue call-in-progress indicator light was already off.

Whatever she needed, she could get on her way to the terminal. It's not like she hadn't been without her clothes since she'd been trapped in the warehouse. That was hardly a reason not to get on the shuttle.

She pushed her chair back and was about to get up when the door opened. The person who entered couldn't have been more unwelcome.

"Well. You've wasted no time settling in." Mikal walked in, his hands clasped behind him. "Brant sent a message to Dakar informing him of your promotion."

"You listen to his coms now?" Nadira stood up as he a
pproached the desk.

"I'm his assistant." Mikal's brown suit was trimmed with silver this time. He stopped on the other side of the desk. "I've been loo
king for Brant, but he hasn't responded to me. Do you know where he's gone?"

"No." He must've left already. Good for him. No doubt Guard
ians had gone to his home, just as they'd probably gone to all the homes of the Elders.

"You know, Nadira, we seem to have a misunderstanding." Mikal walked up to the desk and ran his index finger along the glass surface.

"I can't imagine why. Maybe because of what you did at the medi-evac?" At least she had most of her power back. Pinpricks of energy thrummed through her body, alerting her that there was danger nearby. Shoring up her emotional shields, she prepared herself for a possible assault.

"You're still angry." Mikal began to walk around the desk.

She moved in the opposite direction, keeping the rectangular obstruction between them. "I'm still disgusted."

He stopped at the corner of the desk. From the looks of it, he was studying the distance between them. "Come now. If you didn't want me to touch you, you could've stopped me."

"I was drained and helpless. But you like it that way, don't you?" she asked. If she let him bait her, she'd let down her shields and he'd have a way in. Keeping her cool was the only way to keep him out.

Smiling, he walked around the corner of the desk and stood next to the chair. "And you like to pretend. Is that what you do with that Fragile, Jonathan Keel? Let him think he's strong enough to please you?"

Now she was on the other side, facing him. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to congratulate you on your new job," Mikal said. "Do I need a reason to see you? After all, Dakar wanted us t
ogether. He still does."

"He doesn't control my life."

Mikal nodded and moved as though he was going to come around the desk, but stopped short. "What are you afraid of? Yourself?"

"I'm certainly not afraid of you," she replied. So far her em
otional shields were holding up, and he wasn't making any moves to try to get past them.

"You don't have to be. I won't take anything you don't want to give." This time he did move around the desk, stopping at the side. "And one day you will give."

As tempted as she was to blast the smirk off his face, she held back. Using her power now would only leave her open. She couldn't react in anger. That's what he wanted. "You're already connected to someone. I saw it. Is it Talia?"

A smile spread across his face. "Jealous?" His brown eyes showed a warmth that she knew wasn't really there under the su
rface.

Now her blood was boiling. It would give her the greatest pleasure to send him flying across the room. Clenching her sto
mach, she fought to hold herself back.

"I don't want you," she said.

"Your body told me otherwise. You were trembling, remember?" He darted around the desk.

Before he could get close enough, she eluded him and rushed to the other side. "I'll call security."

"I'm Elder Dakar's assistant. They won't touch me." Mikal pressed his palms against the desktop and leaned towards her. "Shall we discuss the topic of touching a bit more? Should I tell you how it felt to have my fingers inside your--"

"Stop it!" Damn it. She'd let him get to her. "This is my office. Get out!"

"At some point, Nadira, we'll have to finish this." He smoothed out his jacket, taking time to flick lint off of his sleeves. "You're stronger now, but so am I. And when this all ends, you will belong to me."

*****

Leaving the Administration Building, Nadira kept her awareness open so that she could tell if anyone was following. It was hard to stay focused, particularly with all the conflicting emotions she was picking up from the people around her.

Should she take a transport? If she was in a vehicle, she'd be protected for a while at least. She wouldn't have to keep scanning the crowd as she walked. It only took a few moments to get over to the transport stand. Luckily she didn't have to wait.

"Take me to the shuttle terminal right away," she requested as she climbed into one of the waiting transports.

The vehicle pulled away from the curb and headed back into the traffic lanes. As they got closer to the terminal, the traffic slowed. When she was about a block away, she could see the co
ngestion up ahead. It would be quicker to get out and walk. She ordered the transport to open the door, and she climbed out.

Dodging an oncoming vehicle, she ran over to the sidewalk. It took a few minutes to get to the terminal. Once inside, she rushed towards the departing shuttle area, weaving her way through the crowd.

Back in the departures area, she saw a sign pointing her towards the Astarte-bound shuttles. She hurried over to the long, metal desk under a sign that read, "Security Check In."

"Yes?" A man with curly, black hair and bluish-green eyes looked up from the display on the desktop.

"I have to get to Astarte as soon as possible," Nadira replied.

"Identify yourself."

She held out her left palm to show him the half-moon line, and then placed it against the desktop. "I have business. I need to be on the next company shuttle going out."

He scrutinized the readout. "Guardian Sentry Leader Nadira. Yes, we can accommodate you. Carrying any baggage?"

"I'll have a small bag. Are the shops open?"

"Yes, in the atrium by the waiting area." He motioned behind him. "We don't start loading for an hour or so."

"That's fine. How long will it take to get there? Two days or three?"

"Two standard days, on the larger cruisers. That's what you'll be on. Does that work for you?"

"Yes." She glanced behind her. No sign of the Guardians or other security. Maybe Lange was waiting by the departure gate. "Thanks."

She rushed around the desk and followed the signs for the var
ious departure gates. The waiting area for the Astarte shuttle was in the middle of a semi-circle area filled with chairs. Beyond it was the atrium with shops and restaurants. Based on the movement and the noise coming from there, it was where most of the activity was.

"Nadira!"

She spun around to see Lange approaching from across the waiting room.

"Maji told me to get over here." He grinned, adjusting the sleeves on his workshirt.

"I heard about Azure. You can't find anyone else?"

"No one's responded to my calls. I went by Petra's and no one was there. Not her or her partner, Leesa. Maybe they heard som
ething was up and left the city."

"I've got to get something from the shop. Let's walk," she said.

Nadira knew that they were both keeping awareness of their surroundings open. Making sure that they wouldn't be surprised by anyone sneaking up. Walking through the crowded atrium concourse, she kept checking to make sure Lange was behind her. He brought up the rear, continuing to watch as he followed.

She went into a clothing shop and quickly purchased unde
rwear, pants and a top, then stopped at a place next door to get the basics she'd need. More than likely the shuttle would have things like teeth cleaners, and of course soap, but she felt better having everything with her.

When she was finished, they went back to the waiting area and sat on a ledge along the wall. From where they were facing, they'd see anyone entering.

"Dakar is becoming like his father," Lange said. "It's out of control now. At this point, no one knows what's happening except him and some of the Protectors."

"And Mikal," Nadira added. "He came to the Admin Building after I met with Jen Montaigne."

"You met with her? Is she going to talk to Elder Dakar?"

"She refuses to admit anything's wrong. And I'm supposed to get the evidence on Ron Duvol in seven days."

"Seven? How can you do what they can't?" Lange sucked his teeth.

"Ron's sister is going to help me. But I couldn't reach her e
ither." Nadira squeezed her small travel bag closer. "Do you think all the Protectors are helping Dakar?"

"Doubt it. But all he'd need would be a handful of the strongest ones. Most of the Guardians don't have the same type of abilities they do. It'll be hard for anyone to go up against someone who can overload your mind with energy before you can react."

Shuddering, she thought about what Jon must've endured. If the headache that had recently come over her was any indication, she was starting to experience their connection again. So far, it wasn't painful enough to be distracting. But if it got worse, she'd be unable to focus her energy properly.

She pressed her fingers against her forehead. Even the slight pressure was uncomfortable. Closing her eyes, she tried to feel Jon's consciousness. If she could communicate with him, it might help.

A pat on her arm brought her back to awareness. "Nadira," Lange said. "Look."

Two men in grey suits walked into the area and looked around, one with spiked blond hair, the other with shoulder-length, brown braids. When one of them spotted Nadira and Lange, he poked the other one with his elbow. They both approached, their hands ou
tstretched in greeting. They were Guardians.

"Sentry Leader Nadira." The man with shoulder-length braids spoke. "I'm Stephen, this is Terek," he motioned to his companion, "we have been asked to accompany you to Elder Dakar's home."

"I'm heading off world. I'll see him when I get back." Nadira hitched the strap of her bag across her shoulder.

Stephen glanced at Terek, and then sized up Lange, who by now was standing and making it obvious that he was taller and more solidly built than they were.

"Who sent you?" Lange asked.