Hathor Legacy: Burn (4 page)

"Or maybe you don't want it to be because it will get in the way of your plans for my life," Nadira snapped.

"Or perhaps you've been blinded by the connection you forced on him," Dakar countered. "Connecting with another binds them to you emotionally, mentally, physically--does he understand fully what that means?"

"There was no force, Dakar." Jon had understood what she'd had to do to protect him. She'd never hid her intent. "I told him what could happen between us and he accepted it."

"How long did you know him before you did this? Days? Is that enough time to know someone who will share your consciousness?"

"Why does the length of time matter? We want to be together."

"He is
moyen
, an average human with no telepathic or telekinetic abilities." When Dakar spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm much older than you, Nadira. I've seen it happen before. As you grow into your power, the emotional and mental strain on Mr. Keel will become greater. I promise you, he will beg for release from your connection and from you."

*****

"Wait--did I hear you correctly? You're giving me control of all the retail space in the new plaza?" Jonathan tried to keep himself composed as he repeated what he'd just been told. "I only came here to talk to you about opening a club."

"True. But before you came I received a message from one of the Novacorp Entertainment execs, and she said to give you an
ything you wanted."

"Who is this person and how did they know I was meeting with you?" Jonathan asked. When he'd made the appointment to meet with Lani Zakry, who happened to be even higher up on the Novacorp hierarchy than Ron and Karin, he hadn't expected their conversation to go in this direction.

In fact, when he'd walked into her office suite at the very top floor of the tower, he'd been prepared to have to work to sell his idea to her. After all, he wasn't from Hathor, he was just another CEO's son from a planet that, as Karin had reminded him, was still considered the frontier.

But instead of him having to prove himself, the woman across the desk from him was offering him a very large part of the new plaza development.

"I'm not at liberty to give you her name, but she is very well acquainted with Matt Bento." Lani flicked her long pink hair off her shoulder, revealing dangling crystal earrings that sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. "She said that he's a friend of your family. He's certainly an important person to know."

"He's in Detention, what influence can he have?"

"Jonathan, he owns a great deal of property here, and he still has powerful friends. Everyone's heard the rumors that he was involved with the theft from your father's mine." Lani smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth that almost glowed. "No doubt once he's released the rumors will go away. It's best for us to stay on the good side of someone with so many Novacorp connections."

"Of course." Jonathan gripped the metal armrests of his chair, debating whether he should get up and leave right now. He didn't have to go forward with this. But did it really matter that his co
nnection to Matt had opened up this opportunity?

Matt received a light sentence, even though he'd been indirectly responsible for the theft and the attempt on Jon's father's life.

"Jonathan. You don't look happy. Have I distressed you?" Lani asked, batting long, black eyelashes over her almond-shaped, brown eyes. "I thought you'd be pleased. We have a lot to discuss. I'd like you to meet with the city planners."

He could walk away now and turn his back on all of this. But at the same time, if he stayed, he had a chance to do more than open a club here. Did it really matter if his connection to Matt had opened the door?

Jon leaned across Lani's glass desk and offered his hand. "I am pleased, Lani. I'd like to get started right away."

She grasped his hand and shook it firmly. "Fine. Come, let's talk over here." She motioned to a set of chairs and a carved crystal table in the center of the office. "I'll have my people come and join us."

Jonathan followed her to the sitting area, glancing around him at the 360-degree view of Nova City through the glass walls of her office suite. Was it possible that one day he could have an office view like this?

As much as he hated what Matt had done, it would be wrong to reject this offer. Here was a chance for him to finally prove he di
dn't have to follow in his father's footsteps. He could create his own success here on Hathor.

5
The Gathering

Maybe she should've told Jon about the Gathering, but instead N
adira lied about it. No, it wasn't a lie. It was only a small deception.

As far as Jonathan knew, she was on her way to meet Brant at the Administration building. He hadn't asked questions about it, especially since he'd been busy in meetings with Lani Zakry.

As her ground transport trundled down the main boulevard, the scenery changed from the noise and lights of the Entertainments District to a quieter suburb of boxy, rectangular homes with shiny metal and glass exteriors. This residential district was as exclusive as the Palatine, but without the high-rise apartment towers and shops.

Security was tighter here in this part of the city, and tourists were discouraged. Sensors in the streetlights tracked the transports and scanned the foot traffic.

Nadira's transport slowed as it approached a building that was larger than the others. It was five levels of shimmery, silver metal with translucent windows that glowed from within. The transport pulled out of the traffic lanes and stopped in front of a set of frosted glass double doors.

"ID required before exiting the vehicle," a computerized voice intoned. "Place your hand on the plate."

On the dashboard, a rectangular sheet of glass glowed bright blue. Nadira leaned forward and placed her left hand on it. A moment later, the blue glow changed to gold and the door slid back.

She stepped out onto the marbled sidewalk and smoothed down her jacket. When the transport vehicle pulled back into the traffic lane, there was no other movement on the street, just the line of metal buildings. In front of her, she saw her distorted reflection in the metal siding. Up close, it wasn't shimmery silver, but dull and tarnished.

Before she got to the entrance, the doors swung open. A man stood illuminated by gold-tinted lights. He was tall, like Jonathan, but less muscular. His dark brown suit fitted him in a way that flattered his leaner body, making his shoulders look broader than she guessed they really were.

When Nadira had last seen him, they were both twelve years old. At that time, he'd been taller than everyone else, but she r
emembered that he'd still had the voice of a child.

"Nadira!" He rushed towards her, his arms outstretched. "It's been so long!"

"Hello, Mikal." She allowed herself to be gathered into his embrace. "How did you know I was out here?"

"I was waiting for you." He stepped back, looking her up and down.

His light brown eyes were bright and cheery, not the somber look she'd remembered him having the last time they'd met. He'd always seemed so serious, even at his young age. It was a big reason why the other children hadn't dealt with him very much. His energy had felt like a heavy, overbearing weight back then.

But from the looks of him, she guessed he'd had a procedure or two. Maybe it was the lights, but she could've sworn his skin had a pearl-like luster that wouldn't have been there naturally.

"Has it started yet?" she asked as he guided her inside. "I know I'm late. There was a lot of traffic when I came through the Entertainments District."

"Not yet. The Elders are meeting first. It looks like they'll be in there for a while."

The foyer opened up into a huge entry hall filled with people in dark grey and brown corporate suits, clustered in small groups around a central table filled with food and drinks. Above the table, the cut glass skylight was a patchwork of color, surrounded by exposed metal beams that resembled the spine of a large animal.

Mikal gestured for Nadira to follow him. "I was about to get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am." She hadn't had anything since lunch, and she'd been too nervous to eat before she'd left the apartment.

"Come on, let's get something then we can catch up." Mikal beamed and led her over to the table.

Easing through the throng, she acknowledged a couple of the Guardian Protectors she recognized from her visits to the Detention Center. Responsible for mind interrogations of suspects who were taken in for questioning, they were often called to the Center to assist the officers. Their powerful skills were much in demand for company security investigations.

During Nadira's training, she'd worked with the Protectors and the Watchers, who worked on routine surveillance. When Jon had first come to Hathor, she'd been assigned to watch and protect him. And as it turned out, he'd certainly needed protecting.

"Did Dakar tell you? I'm his assistant now. That's why I've been promoted." Mikal motioned to his suit. "Or didn't you notice the change in status from grey to brown?"

Novacorp executives wore brown suits, as did the upper echelons of the Guardians. "Yes, he told me about it, and about Akita's accident."

"That is strange, isn't it? I thought it should be looked into, but the Elder discouraged it." Mikal picked up a plate from the table and looked over the array of food that covered it. "He's very secr
etive about some things."

"What things?" Nadira asked.

"I can't go into it here. We'll talk later."

A half hour later they sat in an alcove off of the main hall. It was a bit quieter, but not by much considering there were almost 200 hundred people assembled. The sound of laughter and conve
rsation echoed through the room and forced her to lean close to Mikal as they talked.

"I've asked Elder Dakar why you were kept away from the rest of us." Mikal paused to sip his drink. "Even when you were in training you were separate."

"Zina was training me. I guess it was her decision."

"No, it wasn't. Elder Dakar ordered it. But if I'd been in charge, things would've been different."

"You know more than the Elder does?" Nadira scoffed.

Mikal gripped the stem of his glass so hard that his fingertips were red. "My family has connections to the Elders. I've heard things that might change your mind about how much he can be trusted."

"He wouldn't betray us, if that's what you're saying."

"I've said too much. I'm sorry." Mikal set his glass down on the small crystalline table between them. "This was improper. I'm his assistant and it's not right for me to criticize him."

"If you feel that way, why did you accept the position as his assistant?" she asked.

"It's very prestigious, isn't it? Who knows? It might lead to me being an Elder one day," Mikal replied. "I want to be more than a glorified security officer."

"That's how you see us? Don't Guardians provide a service by protecting Hathor? What do you think would happen if we weren't here?"

"We're not protecting Hathor, we're protecting Novacorp's a
ssets. They run the planet and they own the resources," Mikal replied, his voice rising. "Aren't you tired of following their orders? We're powerful and yet we have to answer to weak Fragiles. It's not right."

Nadira glanced over at the hall, sure that someone must've  heard him. But no one was paying them any attention. "We have a responsibility," she said.

"Yes, I see they trained you well." He picked up his glass and gulped down the rest of his drink. When he finished, he gripped the crystal goblet with both hands. "After what they did to your mother, I thought you'd see the truth."

"My mother made her choice and I've made mine." It was the answer she always gave when this came up. Her mother had br
oken away from the Guardians. And that would always be a mark against them both. Nadira knew it, even though no one ever said it to her directly.

"Yet again, I've said the wrong thing." Mikal set his glass back down again. "So, you were investigating the mine robbery on D
emeter four months ago. It was all over the news alerts. And so was Jonathan Keel."

Nadira felt a twinge as she heard Jon's name mentioned. It sounded like Mikal had a bit of contempt in his voice. "His father is the CEO on Demeter."

"And he's from Astarte. Which makes me wonder why he stayed here. But when I discovered he was staying with you, I understood why."

"He's not just staying with me, Mikal. We're together."

"Nadira, you must be careful who you associate with. Keel is in the Executive level and they only crave wealth and power. Guardians must be above petty ambition."

"Look around you, Mikal. This house is a symbol of wealth and power. No one without credits is even allowed to come to Hathor as a tourist, much less live here. They're screened by security b
efore they can board a shuttle. Are we any better than they are?"

"Yes we are. We're descended from the First Families who came from Earth. This planet is rightfully ours. Don't you see?" He grasped her hand and rubbed his thumb along her wrist. "They use people, just as they use up the resources of this planet. You cannot trust any of them."

She was tempted to pull away, but Mikal's touch was strangely soothing. "Jonathan's not like that."

"I know that it was wrong to take you from your mother. She was only trying to protect you. Mikal's voice was soft, as he leaned so close that their faces were almost touching. "Elder Dakar and the others want to use you for your power. But I would never do that."

Mikal's words were drowning out the noise around them until she could only hear a low murmur in the background. He understood. He knew what she'd been through, and he was the first one to say it'd been wrong.

"I promise you, I will never hurt or betray you," Mikal said. "Remember when we were children? That's when I knew it. I knew we were going to be together."

"Mikal, I--I'm not--" She stopped herself. No, she wouldn't tell him about her psychic connection to Jon. There had to be one thing in her personal life that could be kept private. "I told you, I'm with Jonathan."

"Now you are. But you and I know that it can't be permanent. It can never be--"

"Nadira!" A woman with shoulder-length brown hair came over and held out her hands in greeting. "I thought I recognized you."

How are you, Eleni?" Nadira returned the gesture. "I haven't seen you since we were introduced to the Elders."

"Where have you been? They shouldn't have kept you away from us," she said, her blue eyes shining.

"Eleni, you're interrupting our conversation," Mikal snapped.

"You've monopolized her all evening." She tossed her hair back and perched her hands on her hips.

"We're having a private discussion."

"Just because you're Elder Dakar's assistant doesn't make you more important than anyone else," Eleni said.

"I'm warning you; go back to what you were doing."

Eleni glared at him, then winced as she touched the side of her head. "How dare you!"

Mikal waved her away. "I suggest you leave now. Unless you want more."

She turned and rushed back out into the hall.

"You hurt her! Why did you do that?" She hadn't expected such a violent response from Mikal, of all people. Invading someone's mind to inflict pain was not only disgusting, it was violation of all the rules she'd been taught.

"I didn't harm her. I simply sent her a message that she would understand."

"That was wrong." Nadira tried to free herself from his grip, but he held her wrist. "Let go of me."

"Nadira," he whispered. "Forgive me. I just wanted more time alone with you."

"Let me go!" Tempted to send him a blast of energy herself, she yanked herself  out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry. I was just upset by what we discussed about Dakar," Mikal said. "I let my emotions overwhelm me."

Nadira stood up and backed away from him. His emotions were churning just beneath the surface of his calm expression. Instin
ctively she shored up her emotional shields to protect herself. If he could so quickly reach into Eleni's mind, he might try the same thing with her. "I have to go."

"Do you accept my apology?" When he stood up to face her, his hands were balled into fists. "I lost control of myself."

"You need to calm down, and go apologize to Eleni."

"I will. I promise." He smiled and reached for her.

Nadira folded her arms across her chest. "I'll talk to you later." Without another word, she walked out of the alcove, hoping no one else would stop her before she could get to the door. Jon would probably be back at the apartment by now. It had been a mistake not to tell him she was coming here. It had been a mistake to come here at all.

As she threaded her way through the crowd, she bumped into someone who didn't move out of her way. It was Dakar, wearing a long black and grey vest over his brown suit. "Nadira. I was loo
king for you. Come with me now."

"I'm going home, Dakar. Please let me pass."

"Not yet." He clasped his hands in front of him, a smile on his lips. "Come along. The Elders wish to greet you."

All of the Elders were waiting? Leaving now would be an i
nsult, especially since they'd requested to meet her privately. As much as she wanted to get away, staying to find out what they wanted might be best.

"What do they want with me?" she asked. "Why am I so impo
rtant to you now?"