Tara The Great [Nuworld 2] (36 page)

her as well. “Keep her well guarded when she sleeps tonight, you should,” he said

under his breath.

“It’s already crossed my mind.”

Darius noticed Gowsky didn’t smile for the first time since he’d arrived. “Good.”

He dropped the subject. “Tara told me what the Lunian campsite looked like, she did.”

“What? She’s already been there once?” Gowsky looked toward him and his brow

narrowed. He was smiling less and less.

If he kept this up, Darius feared he might start to like the guy. “She saw it in a

vision, yes.”

The Neurian woman who’d been working on the landlink joined them and heard

Darius’ comment. She immediately brought her index finger, middle finger and thumb

to her mouth, kissing them.

Gowsky did the same.

Darius looked at them in bewilderment.

“Crator has chosen her as His prophetess. Not many are privileged to have the

visions,” Gowsky explained.

“I don’t know if Tara would agree that it’s a privilege, no. She told me the Lunians

are underground and that a canopy covers the entrance, it does. She wasn’t sure of the

timeframe of the vision, no, but was under the impression that she had time to prevent

the things she saw from happening.”

“What did she see?” Gowsky’s curiosity seemed piqued.

Instead of answering, Darius looked up at the young Neurian woman who stood

next to Gowsky. He didn’t want to share this information in front of her. She was a

delicate-looking woman, hardly someone he’d want to bring into battle. Maybe she was

Gowsky’s woman.

Her silky, long black hair disappeared over her shoulders and her dark skin was

flawless. She almost appeared to blush at his gaze. She’d be an easy conquest if that

were something he had on his mind at the moment.

Gowsky looked up at the woman. “Were you able to establish communication?”

“Yes, sir.”

Her singsong accent added to her beauty. This race had its appeal. Darius

wondered for the hundredth time if Gowsky had seduced Tara.

The woman offered her landlink to Gowsky. “I’ve opened transmission with Patha

of the Runners.”

Gowsky gestured with his hand that Darius should take the landlink, and he did.

The woman’s hand shook as she handed it to him, and he wondered if she feared

the Gothman reputation with women. If she didn’t, she should.

After updating their condition to Patha, Darius typed in the question concerning

the safety of their boundaries. To his surprise, Patha informed him that the Lunians

retreated shortly after Darius left the battlefield.

Was all that bloodshed simply to obtain Tara and him? He couldn’t fathom it. But

why would they retreat as soon as he’d left? Was it coincidence? He had no answers.

“I take it your homeland is safe,” Gowsky said, after Darius closed the

transmission.

“At the moment,” he said, still pondering the reason for the Lunian’s retreat. Maybe

Darius’ troops had been winning. In the middle of battle, it was always so hard to tell.

“You’re distracted,” Gowsky noted. “You’re worried about Tara.”

Darius scowled. Of course he was worried about her. Knowledge of her vision

didn’t help his thoughts, either. “She’s my claim. I’ll kill to protect her, I will.” He

looked at Gowsky, deciding the Neurian had the kind of face and body women would

like. “And I guess I haven’t said yet how considerate it is of you to offer your assistance

in rescuing her.” He let the sarcasm drip. Why was Gowsky here anyway?

He watched the Neurian’s face grow guarded. The repulsive smile returned. “We’re

here to help and do Crator’s will.”

Help yourself to what? Darius found comfort in his dislike for the man. “I can’t help

but wonder at your true intentions, no.” He leaned forward and stared into Gowsky’s

dark eyes. “After all, you held her captive for six cycles, you did. She’s an incredibly

beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she is.” Gowsky matched his stare. “You’re a very lucky man.”

Darius watched Gowsky’s muscles tighten and laughed inwardly at the notion that

the Neurian might challenge him.

“I tell you this, Lord Darius,” Gowsky continued. “She lay in my home,

unconscious for six cycles, under false pretenses created by a Runner you later killed.”

He obviously spoke of Kuro. The Runner had fed the Neurians lies about the Blood

Circle Clan. And the man would have won the Test of Wills if Tara hadn’t returned

from the Neurian nation when she did. But how did Gowsky know he’d killed him?

“Tara’s loved ones and clan were lied to under those same pretenses when her

family was returned to them.” Gowsky didn’t bat an eye and continued to stare him

straight in the eye. “Those conditions make it difficult for you to trust us. I regret that

and have begged your forgiveness.”

Was Gowsky actually raising his voice to him? He’d humiliate him in front of his

own soldiers, the pretty-faced scoundrel!

“I tell you this, lord.” Gowsky’s eyes burned like hot coals. “I am not an adulterer!

And I am not a rapist!”

What? Darius stared at him. Was that an accusation? It most certainly was, even

though there was no law against adultery in Gothman, and rape was not an issue unless

the woman was claimed.

He thought about his own actions. He could justify his adultery, given the

circumstances, even if Tara had fumed over the injustice she felt she’d experienced. Silly

girl. Like some tramp could ever replace her. But why had Gowsky mentioned rape?

Unless…

Darius knew that no document existed charging him of rape. Indeed, no woman

had ever come forth and accused him of such. Yet Gowsky had just implied that rape

existed among Darius’ crimes.

Still, one instance rolled through Darius’ thoughts like a bad headache. His time

with Tasha. What had happened to Tara’s sister after she left the clan site? She’d never

reported her whereabouts. Darius hadn’t given thought to where the woman and her

bastard son had gone. Until now. But Gowsky was implying Darius had committed

rape, and Darius guessed he referred to Tasha.

Suddenly Darius knew where Tasha had fled when she’d left the clan.

“Our laws are very different,” he said, still lost in thought. He felt the need to make

his position with this foreigner very clear. “If I ever find out you laid a hand on Tara,

you will not see the end of that day, no.”

“Your threats aren’t necessary.” Gowsky’s smile appeared forced. “The Neurian

council sees the advantage in an alliance with your people, and so, I am here.”

Movement behind Gowsky caught Darius’ eye. He looked at his troops settled

around the campfire, some of the soldiers turning a shaft over a large fire. Several wild

birds were skewed and cooking slowly. Beyond that activity, however, he noticed one

of his men had the pretty young Neurian woman by the arm. She obviously protested,

but seemed stifled with fear.

Provoked by his conversation with Gowsky, he stood quickly and with several long

strides, crossed the campsite, knocking a small stack of firewood over as he went.

“Arien, you’ll leave the Neurian soldier alone, you will!” His command was spoken

so loudly, several birds in a nearby tree complained and took to flight.

“Of course, my lord.” The powerful Gothman warrior looked somewhat startled

but backed away quickly and disappeared to the other side of the campfire where he sat

without a word. The man was known for his pleasure in raping unclaimed women.

Although he had a pretty claim, a woman like the Neurian wasn’t safe in his presence.

Darius looked at the young woman, who seemed to be trying to figure out what she

possibly could have done to deserve such treatment. Her eyes met his, then she looked

down quickly.

Darius figured if she’d heard any rumors of the Gothman men, she’d certainly

heard rumors about him. He hadn’t asked her to be here. Maybe deep down inside, she

was curious about his race. “I’m going to do a little exploring, yes.” Darius turned to

face the camp.

“My lord, you shouldn’t go alone,” one of his soldiers spoke from the campfire.

“I’ll go with you, I will.” Another jumped to his feet.

He raised his hand for silence. “No, none of you are any good to me if you don’t

eat, I say. I know what I’m looking for, and one man makes less noise in a forest than an

army.”

“Lord, if you’ll let me put a monitoring device on you, then we’ll know exactly

where you are if you need us.” One of the Runner females stood authoritatively and

moved to a bag from which she pulled a small box. Opening it, she selected a small, flat

disc and held it on her finger as she walked over to Darius.

“It works best on your skin. It’s seldom found when placed on the back of the

neck.” She held out her finger and he took the small disc, placing it as she instructed.

“I want continued monitoring of the area and an immediate report if any human

life is detected,” he said, moving across the camp toward the woods.

Behind him, he heard Gowsky say, “Tealah, you’re with me.”

Turning, Darius saw Gowsky gather a few items into a tote bag and gesture to the

young Neurian woman. He caught Gowsky’s look as the Neurian stood and placed the

tote over his shoulder. At the moment, he really wanted to be alone, but decided not to

argue the point in front of the camp. Grunting, Darius turned and headed off quickly

through the trees, vaguely hearing Gowsky leave instructions with his troops.

Darius felt the need to see the sky, to leave the closeness of so many trees. He knew

they camped within walking distance of the edge of the woods, since they’d flown over

the area several times earlier that day. That’s where he headed.

Night covered the trees with blackness, and he was forced to slow down long

enough to attach a light to his laser. Footsteps behind him announced Gowsky and the

way too pretty Tealah were gaining. Every crunched leaf or broken twig indicated their

presence and added to his aggravation.

“Why are you following me, I’m wondering?” Darius finally confronted them.

“It must be frustrating being lord of a land and not being allowed any time to

yourself,” Gowsky said, as he and Tealah stopped next to him.