Ultimate Passage: New Beginnings: Box Set ( Books 1-4) (40 page)

T
aya stretched
. They’d searched all day yesterday. No sign of Cinia. The warriors did not say they were giving up, but their shoulders had a slump to them that made her wonder if they suspected that Cinia was not alive.

They’d hunted and looked, stopping only for a quick bite and to make camp last night. Further and further from the Kormic settlement, they’d followed the bordering vegetation, staying in the Farlands, but within sight of Midland. They’d camped last night, setting up a series of hammocks suspended between tall boulders. At all times, three had stayed up and guarded while the rest slept. Barz had given her a pointed look but stayed far away. Taya didn’t know if she should be relieved that she did not have the temptation or if she should be upset that he didn’t want her.

They were taking a short break, Corzine told her they were thinking of separating into three groups. Taya was torn between wanting to be in Barz’s group and wanting to be far from him.

“I noticed something,” she said to Corzine. It seems as though the Farlands surrounds Midland. No matter how much we travel, we are always on the outskirts of Midland. If we crossed through it, from one end, through the center, then out the other end, would we end up in the Farlands again?”

He prodded at the ground with his lance, then nodded. “Except that one would go through Asazi territory to do that. All of the Asazi towns are in the middle of Midland, surrounded by Midland. And Midland is surrounded by the Farlands. I’ve wandered extensively. As far as I can tell, that it what is happening.”

“And our Asazi towns are in Heartland, surrounded by Midland.”

“It’s interesting that it is named Heartland, Midland, and Farlands. You know, we do not label them the same way. What are your towns like?”

She wondered about Kormic labeling. She’d have to ask him sometime, but wanted to answer his question. “Each town is different. Finn comes from a military outpost. He grew up on one, they are closest to Midland.”

“And you?” Corzine drew the animal skin water flask to his lips, tipped his head back.

“And her, what?” Barz said from behind her.

Taya jumped up from the rock she’d been sitting on, her face became hot. She tried to hide the emotions by controlling her breathing, but feared it was a losing battle.

“Taya was telling me about her town.” Corzine offered the information.

She was glad Corzine answered. She was tongue-tied around Barz. Had been since that night.

Barz took a seat opposite her rock, indicated she should sit with his hand. “I would like to hear about your town and your people.” His voice was sincere, but also had a measure of softness to it.

She gave him the eye. Why was he being so nice to her? “The area I came from is different from Finn’s, as I was telling Corzine. Finn grew up in a military outpost because he was the son of a soldier. My father was an engineer, we lived in the more advanced part of Heartland, closer to the center. We have conveniences that Finn did not grow up with. Luxuries as well.”

Barz rubbed his jaw. “How did you come to be with Saraz?”

Her hands shook, she grabbed her knees and clutched them tightly so the shaking wouldn’t be noticed. Discussing life with Saraz was uncomfortable. It shook her beliefs to the core, rattling the religious upbringing she had. In truth, the same one that all Asazi children grew up with. She took a deep breath and tried to keep it minimal.

“I was selected by our town’s council before I was two. I was raised a believer. I knew my life would be dedicated to serving god—Saraz.” She shook her head as if trying to shake loose something within. “I had no idea that our god was like Saraz. No idea it was . . .”

“A mess.” Corzine finished for her.

“Understated.” Barz added, then noticing her discomfort, he said, “Should we not move along? I think the rest of them are ready to go.”

The men talked in Kormic for a brief time, then announced that they would try a new tactic for searching. They split up in three groups. Taya, Barz, and another warrior took off in one direction. Corzine and two others went off at an angle to them. Corzine gave her a wave and an encouraging smile as he went the other way.

The third group, made up of the last three warriors went in the last direction. They’d decided they would go into Midland a bit more before declaring the whole trip over. There was no definitive answer, but the prevailing conclusion was that Cinia had fallen victim to a predator.

Taya wasn’t ready to give up hope. Not yet. After an hour of looking through the rainforest flora, picking their way among roots and ground cover—during which Barz had nothing to say—they stopped for a drink from a stream that flowed over a pair of boulders.

Both men rested their lances against a large boulder, then headed to the bottom to drink where the water fell, capturing the clear, refreshing cool liquid just before it cascaded into the pool. Taya sat by bounders in between the lances. She watched Barz kneel by the water, dipping his cupped hands in the pool, bringing them to his lips to drink. His back muscles rippled beneath the tight shirt clinging to his torso. He looked up at her, caught her watching him. His expression was unreadable. She blushed, looked away.

A rumbling sound made her raise her head. She cocked it to the side, listening. Probably nothing. She watched Barz scoop another handful of water, washing his face with it. That’s when he looked at the other soldier and said something.

Taya didn’t have time to wonder what he’d said because a loud roar made her flinch. A look of panic struck the other Kormic warrior. He rose to his feet. Barz tensed.

Panicked, Taya looked around. A jungle cat, larger than any she’d ever seen, was poised, ready to leap. Was it going to leap on her? Or on Barz and the other warrior? Its eyes were focused on her, she stood still.

Noticing this, Barz yelled at the animal, raising his hands, waving them. The jungle cat bared its teeth, snarling. It focused on the two men, crouching, its muscles tightening.

What was he doing? Crazy man. She realized he was trying to divert its attention from her. She chanced a glance at the lances next to her. Inching her fingers back, her hand alit on the handle of one trident. The cat glanced at her. She froze. It crouched lower. Would it leap over her to reach the men? She should be the target. She was closer after all.

She tightened her grasp around the handle, feeling the finger grooves that had been engraved in the hardwood. She wanted to close her eyes to pray, but couldn’t afford to. She gripped the handle tighter to keep from shaking, though her knees were ready to give out.

“Hey!” she yelled at the cat.

“No!” Barz yelled, “Don’t do that!”

It crouched further, then sprang toward her. With a strength she didn’t realize she had, Taya swung the lance, yelled with a primeval power she’d never experienced and stabbed the three-pronged spear upward.

She pushed harder, piercing the jungle cat’s hide.

Blood began to spurt. The gigantic feline collapsed on the spear, driving it in further. Barz was climbing up the embankment toward Taya when she reached for the second spear and turned around in one smooth move, driving it into the cat’s neck.

The cat roared mightily, rose to two front legs, spears sticking out.

Suddenly, in a flash, Barz was next to her. He seized the first spear, yanking it free, and drove it into the animal’s neck, deeper than the one she had, and far more deadly in accuracy.

The jungle cat collapsed with a whoosh of air. Taya followed on its heels, landing in one heap, not far from the feline.

The other soldier grabbed one of the spears, held it in place, verifying the cat was dead.

Tears and adrenalin coursed to the forefront for Taya. She hugged herself in disbelief.

The Kormic warrior was whooping. Barz leaned down, scooping her into his arms, one of his arms under her knees, the other under her back, and he held her like a babe. Taya tucked her face into his chest, trembling, shaken.

Within minutes, all of their party had arrived. She heard the other warrior relating the experience in short, excited bursts.

“Are you alright?” Corzine’s voice pulled her face out of Barz’s chest. “You are quite the hero.”

Barz was looking at her, then it occurred to her—she was still in his arms. Feeling foolish and too needy, she cleared her throat. “Put me down, please.”

With a small frown of concern, Barz placed her on her feet. He tilted his head to the side. “You are bleeding.”

She looked down. She hadn’t felt it but her sleeve was torn open, and between the fabric pieces, shredded flesh poured blood.

“The cat’s claws got her.” That was Barz’s voice, but it sounded so far away. “I didn’t see it happen.”

Blood. Her stomach knotted. She didn’t do so well with the sight of her own blood. She never had. Her world began to spin. She reached a hand out. Someone grabbed her around the waist. She leaned into a set of arms that held her securely.

That’s the last thing she remembered before everything turned into fog.

M
arissa stirred the pot
, bringing chunks of meat off the bottom so they wouldn’t burn. Rubbing her temples, she wasn’t sure if her uneasy feeling was because of the steam and heat rising from the boiling stew or if it was the baby. She was pretty sure she was close to birth. Raiza had been spending a lot of time checking on her, making sure she was alright, even though she was still reserved, clearly upset about Norn’s sacrifice.

Finn walked by, put his hand on her stomach, nuzzled into her neck. She leaned back against him, a rhythmic tightening in her belly pushing against her back. He stilled. Applied more pressure with his hand.

“Something’s different,” he said, rubbing small circles on her abdomen. “Does it seem different to you?”

It did, but she didn’t want to alarm him. It was probably the weather, or something silly like that.

“No, not really. Not much.”

“Not much.” He turned her toward him, studied her face. “You are in pain.”

“More like discomfort.”

“Have you told Raiza?”

That was the moment a snarling cramp seized her. She grabbed onto Finn, squeezing his forearm, doubling over.

“We need to get Raiza.” He made the decision for her. “Feroz.” He called his little half-brother over. “Fetch your mother. Tell her it is urgent. It is Marissa.”

Little Feroz ran away, toward the cabin that Raiza and Norn shared.

Marissa straightened her body. “We need to tell Saraz,” she panted the words out.

“Is that all you think about when you are delivering our baby?” Fury consumed him, his skin shimmered a blazing orange hue.

“It is for our good. All of us.” She struggled to get the words out. “Don’t you see that?”

“Fine. Do you need to do your magical mind-talking thing to reach him? He will have to wait outside the gates to be escorted in. He cannot come in uninvited.”

Within moments Norn and Raiza were next to Marissa, holding her.

Raiza led Marissa to a cabin she’d set up for the birthing, instructing Norn to get Finn away for the time being. “He is stressing her out right now. Can you take him and get him settled down?”

“We will go get the Elders. They will not allow Saraz entrance without an escort.”

Marissa wondered briefly how Saraz could be kept out and what the Elders did to allow him to enter, but this train of thought was short-lived as another contraction took hold. She sweated and strained through it.

Raiza rubbed a pungent, tangy salve on her temples and wrists. The contractions became less severe, and the world around Marissa was fuzzy.

F
inn followed
Norn toward the entrance to the settlement. This was the last place he wanted to be, but he knew that Raiza was right. His reactions to Saraz were clearly stressing Marissa out.

“I know your feelings.” Norn started.

“You don’t.”

“You’d be surprised.” Norn put his hand on Finn’s shoulder.

“I have a request to make of you.”

Finn’s eyes narrowed. His father’s requests of late were not wishes he wanted to grant. “Go on.”

“When Saraz creates the portal, and he will, you must do something for me.”

Finn already didn’t like where his father was going. “Look, we—”

“Wait. Hear me out. Please.” Norn looked down, shook his head, and then looked back up at Finn. “I know you don’t have to do what I’m asking. But I’ve not asked much of you. And I’ve done what I thought was right in my life. First for the Asazi people, then for you. After Marissa gives birth, Saraz will open the portal for you, and you will go back to Earth. I need you to stay there. Do not bring Ali back. You need to take care of Marissa and your baby. And I’m sending Raiza and Feroz with you. They will be in your care. You cannot return here. Do you understand me?”

Finn had waited patiently while his father spoke, now it was his turn. “No.” He took his father’s shoulders in his hands, looked him in the eye. “I do not understand this at all. I cannot leave you here to perish. Or worse to do anything foolish.”

“I will not. Kal has no ties, no children, and no responsibilities. You will send Kal with Ali. You must stay behind on Earth.”

“Father. There is something you do not know. About Kal.” Finn rubbed his face, scratching the stubble. “My mother was his mother.”

“What? How?” Realization crossed Norn’s face. “Those idiot scientists. What did they do?”

“They took my mother’s eggs during an examination. They used Uncle Nevim’s sperm. Kal’s not simply my cousin. He’s my three-quarter brother.”

Norn sat down. “Why would they have done that? Was it deliberate? If it was, to what end? When did you find out? How?”

“Kal told me the last time I saw him. Poor recordkeeping, maybe? An accident?” Finn shrugged.

“Who knows? I thought they were diligent in ensuring that this sort of issue would be avoided. They claimed it was paramount that inbreeding not occur.” Norn’s face turned sad.

Finn knew he was thinking of Finn’s mother. Half-human, half-Asazi. Her death had broken Norn’s heart. He’d sunk into his military career, then vanished, declared dead in battle. And all this time, living a different life. His father had not had a simple life at all.

“How would that even be likely when our females are not procreating? When they have to use components from humans.” The same question plagued Finn that he’d had since he was sent out on the Third Wave. “And no one I know can tell me what those components are. Eggs? Genes?”

“The scientists only answer to the High Council. Not to every town or district’s council.” Norn pointed.

Finn turned. Six Kormic Elders approached from the north, their heads covered with their hoods. “They come.”

“I had them summoned. I am sure Saraz will be here shortly. You need to allow this process. You cannot be a party to destroying our plans.”

Finn whirled toward his father. “Whose plans? What plans?”

“They are not my plans. I cannot discuss them. I am merely another flame in the fireplace.” Norn strode toward the Elders, bowing.

‘The Evil One has been called?'
One of the Elders mind-spoke to them.

‘I believe he is on the way,’
Norn answered.