Aurora Rising (20 page)

The room looked like a holding cell. There were no windows, only two small beds pressed against the wall in each back corner. A table with two chairs sat to the side of the entrance, and surprisingly, on the wall above it was a video screen which was meant for entertainment.

Rori let out a sigh of relief as abruptly the awful whine and pounding in her head ended along with the nausea. She took a deep breath. The air had an artificial taste obviously ran through a scrubber to render any particles inactive that an elemental talent might use.

“You okay? You look−” Bass cut off.

“I don’t know. I had such a headache. It must’ve been from the stunner,” she repeated what the man had said. “It’s better now.”

“Since being in here?” He looked at her curiously.

She nodded.

“I think it’s more likely that the talent blocking restraints are affecting you. I’ve heard of a few people who have problems with them.” He looked around the room, thoughtful for a second before he spoke again. “It’s probably has to do with your empathy. With it being such a large part of your normal emotions you are clashing with the restraints. It’s not a talent you choose to use on occasions, but a part of you all the time.”

She thought about it as he continued.

“This is a restraining room. So, besides deadening us in here it blocks out what’s outside,” he continued his line of thought.

“It makes sense. All I know is I feel better. So you’re being blocked?”

“Totally, I can’t even feel Cassie.” There was no missing the worry in his voice.

“I’m sure they’ve found her by now. I could feel her vitals before. They were strong. I’m sure she’ll be all right.”

“I know. But like you, I’m missing part of me. I’ll be okay. Actually, we’ve done drills where one of us put binders on and practiced without being able to reach the other. It just takes a second to adjust. I just wasn’t fast enough back at the restaurant.” His head hung down.

“Don’t blame yourself.” Rori took a step closer.

“I know.” He looked up at her. “It’s frustrating though to get beat.”

“Considering we were cut off, without any of our gear, and you had to provide most of the protection by yourself because I’m mainly defensive, we did pretty good.”

“An empath even when you’re shut down.” He bumped his shoulder against her, but it was his words that staggered her. “What?” He picked up her reaction.

“I think you hit on something. Before, I’ve always sensed something off about our attackers. It was what alarmed me when I first arrived at the transport dock. Then, remember when we talked about that enhancing drug they were experimenting with? I think that is what I’m picking up. It’s warping their natural selves. They are unstable and I’m feeling it.”

Bass nodded, his lips tightening and eyes going sharp as he thought about it.

Rori knew she was right and something else hit her. “There’s more, I think I kind of picked it up before, but I didn’t know what it was at the time. A med-tech came in when I was with Areathea after the festival. Anyway, I think I felt it in Edda, the med-tech. I didn’t know at the time, but after feeling these guys, I realize why her talent is off. She’s been drug enhanced.”

“The leak,” Bass exclaimed.

“Possibly,” Rori had to agree.

“Cassie’s there.” Bass’s voice sharpened in panic.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be okay. Areathea will never leave her alone. She won’t let anything happen to her. And besides, Areathea already mentioned to me that she thinks Edda’s talent is unstable. She would never let her work on Cassie.”

Bass relaxed fractionally.

Her mind went back to what was happening with them. “I think it’s more than clashing with the restraints.” She looked at him, her head was clearing with the whine gone, and she could think. “What if the restraints are actually blocking my shields, which have always filtered out some of what I feel off them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we came here, into this room, my head was pounding, and there was some kind of whistle echoing in my mind. It was making me nauseous.”

“When you almost fell?”

“Yes. I became so dizzy when that man looked at me.”

“Being in here blocks our talents, but it also blocks out theirs.” Bass got what she was thinking.

“And being around you doesn’t bother me.”

“Because I’m a natural talent,” he finished for her, looking serious. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I don’t know.” She wondered how many drug enhanced talents were here. Just being around four of them for a short time had been taxing on her. With the size of this place and the numbers they saw at the festival, she didn’t want to think about it. She figured there had to be at least a minimum of five times that many. And if they all were ever in a close proximity, she shuddered. She really didn’t want to think of it.

***

Keyen looked around the conference room, feeling frustrated. Cassie sat across from him looking wan. Sansa sat next to her, trying to give her comfort, but Cassie’s distress had grown since waking up and not being able to reach Bass. Keyen could understand. It ate at him not having Rori.

Cassie hadn’t been able to give them any leads. What she did remember was very brief. Rori’s warning just before the initial attack, and then everything went blurry. Still, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind who had them. The problem was getting authorization for a raid. Since it wasn’t a visible emergency, and there was no direct proof, they couldn’t just go in.

It seemed the council already there wanted to wait for the rest, to make the decision. The only problem, Keyen thought, was it might be too late. He agreed with Hiymm that Creed was going to attack the conference. Unfortunately, the committee members still couldn’t seem to fathom the possibility just because it had never been attempted before.

Keyen stood abruptly, no longer able to stay in his seat.

“Keyen.” Orn’s voice sounded behind him.

Keyen spun toward him. “We need to go.”

“Hiymm’s trying to persuade them,” Orn countered soothingly.

“You know it’s not going to work.” He started to pace.

“Hiymm can be pretty persuasive.”

“They don’t see the threat.” Keyen threw back, almost at the edge of his control.

“I think they are starting to,” Mitt spoke up. “You didn’t see their faces before you hurried out. They were shocked. Once they get past their denial, which is what they’re doing now, they’ll see.”

“And we’ll be ready to act,” Orn added, motioning to the screen where they’d been working out a plan.

The words were hardly out of Orn’s mouth when Hiymm walked into the room followed by Tasc.

Keyen, with all the others, looked expectantly to him.

Hiymm shook his head, reading the question easily before it could be asked. “We are making headway,” Hiymm stated. “They do concede there is a threat and have scheduled to go over it first thing when the council meets in the morning. They have also decided a Guardian team is to be on hand with the regular security force. Orn,” Hiymm looked at the team leader, who nodded with reluctance.

“What about Rori and Bass?” Keyen demanded, unable to hold it back.

“I am authorizing you to plan and get in position for a rescue mission to be carried out as soon as we can get clearance, or we are given any reason to act. I want you in place by first light.”

“We’re going to leave them there all night?” Keyen felt a stab of pain.

“There is no other option. Right now we don’t even know where they are. So even with authorization, which we don’t have yet, you will have to develop a plan with just the four of your team. And you all need some rest.”

Keyen wanted to argue that he was ready to go, but his gaze fell on Cassie, and though she would agree, he knew Hiymm was right. The effects of her earlier fight were very evident on her. Reluctantly, he nodded.

“Good. Orn, you stay and help with the planning. Mitt can handle the setting up of your team at the council lodge. You will need a rotation of at least two on at all times. It will be a long night and day until Keyen can return to help spell you. Unfortunately, Alpeous’ team is handling a major disaster, and Wallance’s is so far away and having troubles of their own to handle. So, for right now, we’re on our own.” With that, he turned and headed for the door. He stopped and looked back at Keyen and then Cassie. “We’ll get them back.”

“You’re right,” Keyen vowed. “We will.”

Rori and Bass jerked around when the door abruptly slid open without warning.

“This way.” The Block was back with two other men Rori hadn’t seen before.

Tendrils of their talent reached out to her. Instinctively, she pulled back.

“Now,” the Block barked.

Steeling herself, she stepped forward. The instant she crossed the threshold, the whine started back up. She was tempted to pull back but knew they’d just haul her out, and it would be worse having their hands on her. She didn’t want to risk the effect of them touching her.

Halfway down the row, just a couple doors from where they were held, the building ended and the colonnade formed a walkway to the next building. A thigh high stone balustrade fenced off the outside. Open green lawn stretched out a hundred meters before it dropped away into heavy foliage beyond.

Rori knew surveillance equipment would carpet the area, but if they could make it to the trees, they might have a chance of escaping. She glanced at Bass and saw his eyes flick toward the woods and knew he was calculating the possibility. As soon as they were by the next building, he looked to her as if asking what she thought. Not daring to make any noticeable reaction, she lowered her eyes slowly, giving him an affirmative signal.

Just ahead of them old fashioned double doors stood open, and the Block went in. Approaching the door, Rori stumbled as the surge of tainted minds hit her, some nauseatingly sick. She slowed.

“Get going.” One of the men stretched out a hand to push her. Bass sidestepped between them, taking the shove that nearly knocked him to his knees, only bumping into her kept him upright.

It took all Rori’s will to push back the nausea and step forward. The room was meant to be a ballroom, large and ornate, with vibrant colored moldings and murals on the ceiling, reminiscent of the past. She gave it only a cursory glance as her attention locked on the, at least, thirty men and women, mostly men, in the room. The whine in her head shot to a wail, and the pounding burst, making her vision blur. Nausea blossomed into sickness so fast it dropped her to her knees, and her body heaved to rid it of the tainted waves. But it was no use, it was all around.

Rori was barely aware of Bass yelling.

“C … an’t.” Gasping in air, she groaned. There was no way to get the words out through the agony. Everything started to fade. Rori welcomed the darkness, but it just never reached her. The wailing in her mind eased, and the pain lessened. Still, it took a minute to realize her internal shield was up and wrapped around her. Weakly, she fought to breathe.

“So, it’s true.” The words came in a deep masculine voice from above her, and Rori became aware of someone standing over her. It took all her strength to raise her head.

The man was easily over thirty, probably forty. He was more handsome than his images had shown him. He looked like a fallen celestial being, but there was a darkness in him that was so strong, she recoiled from it, though it wasn’t tainted. There was no doubting he was a high talent.

Her reaction didn’t seem to faze him. “You’re back with us now.” Drasc Creed swung the restraints that had been on her wrists in front of her face. “These can stay off if you behave yourself.”

She followed as his gaze shifted to the side.

“So amazing. Part of your talent actually works with the restraints. I’ve never heard of that before, something to look into.” He looked to Bass and Rori followed the movement.

One of the guards held onto the restraints on Bass’s hands while his other hand held a laser gun pressed to Bass’s neck with such force it tilted his head to the side.

“Even you can’t put a shield in a place so tight between, so, if you want him to live, you will not try anything. I would hate to lose him, but he is expendable.” That said Drasc turned away.

Hands grabbed her from behind, hauling her up. Rori was aware of the skewed talents of the two men, but at least, they didn’t make her sick. Still unsteady, she didn’t truly make it to her feet as she was dragged along behind Drasc. He walked to the front of the room where he took several steps up to a chair on its own raised platform. Rori was halted at the bottom, and Bass was brought up to stand beside her, the weapon still pressed firmly against his neck.

Drasc Creed dropped into the chair and took up a lounging position with one leg hooked over the arm. But for all his nonchalant demeanor, Rori felt the tension in him. It was all warped in with his megalomaniac personality.

She shivered when he looked her over.

“Aurora Straye.” He seemed to take too much pleasure in saying her name. “I guess I really should introduce myself.”

His pompousness got to her. “I know who you are. You were once a Guardian. A protector of the people, and now you are nothing but a power hungry, murdering villain in the worst sense.” She didn’t try to censure in the venom behind her words. She knew it wouldn’t make any difference.

His bottom lip twitched slightly but otherwise he didn’t move. Then he bowed his head in recognition of her outburst. “Very good. Well then, I suppose you are wondering why you have been brought here. You have been chosen to be my wife and the mother of my dynasty.”

The breath caught in her lungs on hearing the declaration. Even after what she’d heard earlier it hadn’t prepared her for the shock. It took her a second to find her voice. “I emphatically decline.”

“Oh, I’m afraid that will not be allowed. You see we are a perfect match.”

Rori wanted to yell
“No, Keyen was her perfect match,”
but didn’t dare, and Creed was already going on. His next sentence shocked her more.

“All your testing proves you are far more compatible than any other female talent I’ve found. Any child produced by us should be a highly intelligent, strongly talented, surely the strongest talent ever. Physically, they should be extremely attractive.”

Rori fought for calm. “You are inflating yourself. And what testing?” Rori locked on that to hide her revulsion.

“All the information in your file,” he said simply, confirming her fears.

“You have my file?”

“I have every file of any notable talent. Edda has been most useful. So helpful it is really too bad her talent is so unstable. She showed such strength and potential at first. She has been able to direct me to a number of available talents that suited my needs. She alerted me to you. She knew something was up when Hiymm came to Areathea so excited. But she has served her purpose.”

Rori felt sick again, but it had nothing to do with drug enhanced talents.

He took no notice, shifting back to his own superiority. “You see, I know everything that happens at Guardian headquarters,” he sneered. “They thought they could push me aside, that their ideals were better. Guardians of the people. It is all lies to keep us who are truly superior from reaching our full potential and being recognized for what we really are. Gods.”

A cheer went up in the room. Rori glanced at Bass. Even with a weapon pressed to his head, there was no disguising the loathing in his eyes for the man who would rule the world if he could. And Rori feared, with his insane bunch of talents, he would if they didn’t stop him.

“If you have it all planned out, why do you need me?” She pressed for more information and got it.

“Every God needs a Goddess at his side, one worthy to be there.”

“I will never be at your side.”

“Oh, but you will.” He glanced at the woman, Faen. “Even strong minds bend after time. You and Mr. Morus will eventually take your places at my side and any other worthy talents that survive.”

Rori felt Bass shift at his name and spoke up to keep attention from her. “Do you really think your artificial creations can stand against true talents?”

“Oh yes, Faen is one of my greatest.” He paused and looked again at Rori. “You are the only person ever to defy her. It was most distressful to her, but it was then that I knew for certain you were the one. Unfortunately, it will take time, and I’m afraid that is one thing we don’t have much of right now. So much to do in taking over the world. The council convenes in the morning. I don’t want to miss it. It’s such a prodigious occasion,” he gloated.

“So you really are going to kill the council.” Rori stepped forward, only to be grabbed and hauled back. Beside her, the laser was pressed tighter against Bass, making him gasp as it cut into his air.

“They are just a bunch of self-important, no talent fools. Who do they think they are to tell their betters what to do?”

“Meaning you.”

“And you,” he said smoothly, leaning forward. “Think of what you can do.”

“You are not doing this for me or anyone else.” Rori glared in challenge.

“Why should we spend our lives serving them?” He stood, aggravation poured off him. “They should serve us.” His voice rose with the words and a cheer went up from the people in the room.

Rori felt his emotions swell and, with it, the insane power of lust. She shook her head, standing straight and proud. “No, you are talking enslavement. I will not be part of it. I choose to serve the people.”

Creed surged to his feet and paced across the platform then stopped to stare down at her. When he spoke, his words were menacing. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice as you will soon learn.”

A smattering of snickers followed his words this time, but Creed ignored it turning his attention to the rat man. “Take them to their new quarters.” He looked back at Rori and Bass. “At least, until they have had a change in thinking.”

Rori let her talent swell, but a glance at Bass had her settling it back down. Not that she could do much. After all, her talent was good only for defense and swaying emotions.

With a jerk of Drasc Creed’s hand, their guards turned them, forcing them from the room. As she walked Rori’s thoughts went back to what Creed had said, ‘Even she couldn’t shield that tight’. But how did she know. She’d never tried.

Slowing her pace so she lagged behind, she studied Bass. The guard still had the weapon tight to his neck, but as she focused out calming waves, the guard relaxed his hold slightly.

Taking that as a good sign, Rori decided to try something else. “
Bass can you hear me
.”

Rori caught the reaction from him but no answer came. She tried to refine and strengthen the shield between his wrists and the binder and felt him trying to access his talent. “
How
?”

“
I’m shielding around you. We’ve got to get out of here.”
There was a tug on her senses but no answer came. Again, she tried to fine-tune the shield. “
Can you access your talent to break the binders?”
Rori felt him pull for his talent and the blockage. After several attempts at trying to fix the shield it became obvious it was a no go.

Frustration radiated from Bass, but he gave a slight negative movement of his head.

“
Okay. We still need to try.”
Her thoughts went to making a plan. It didn’t take long to see their best chance. “
When we get to the balustrade, you’ll just have to dive over and make a run for it.
”

There was another negative shake.

“
You’ll have to. If we can make it to the woods, we can lose them. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you all the way, but you’re going to have to run with your hands behind your back. We’ll worry about getting the restraints off after we’re free.”

Rori caught a quick look of questioned concern as the lines around his eyes tightened.
I plan on being right with you. But, if it comes between you and me getting away, you go. Creed won’t hurt me, but I have no doubt he will retaliate against you.”

Bass kept his attention straight ahead, but Rori could almost feel his glare. Still he made a slight nod.

Rori pushed more relaxation out to the guards and noticed the effect on the men. The balustrade was just up six meters ahead. “
Five, four
,” she counted off in her mind, “
three, two
…”

A man came running toward them. “Creed doesn’t want them in the holding cell. Take them directly to the labs. They are preparing rooms for them there.”

As soon as Rori heard the words, she knew they couldn’t let themselves be taken down below and certainly couldn’t be split up. They had to go now. She related her thoughts to Bass and saw him shift and knew it was in preparation to act on her signal.

“
Go, now,”
Rori yelled the words into his head at the same time as clasping her hands together and slamming them into the closest man to her. The man dropped to the ground. Beside her, Bass jerked his head back away from the weapon and rammed his body into the Block.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rori saw the man with the weapon move it back to Bass and threw up a shield. The explosion off the shield burst back on the weapon. The man dropped it, clutching his hand, not that it mattered as Bass was already free. In two steps, he dove over the balustrade. He tucked and rolled to his feet.

Rori followed. Clearing the railing, a hand struck her foot. She ripped free, but it knocked off her dive. Rori slammed to the ground, twisting at the last second, taking the impact with her shoulder and side. She shifted to stand, but before she could push up, something plowed into her back, smashing her into the ground. Rori swung an arm back and tried to twist away but didn’t connect with anything and couldn’t break free as the rodent man settled more firmly on her back.