Hathor Legacy: Outcast (12 page)

"Do you want me to stop?" He had to ask, to be sure she was still with him.

"No."

Lingering over her for a moment more, he hugged her to him. Feeling her body pulsing against him, tingling in anticipation, e
njoying the power he had over her reactions.

Jon moved back down her body, planting kisses as he went, d
eliberately making his progress last as long as possible. With each contact of his lips and tongue against her skin, he could feel her emotions churning within her.

Though he was taking his time with her, his own desires were setting him on fire. With one quick pull, he was able to free her from the sapphire blue triangle of fabric. Positioning himself at her moist opening, he teased her with his tongue, dri
ving her until her moans became cries, and she was writhing under his firm grip. He knew she craved release but he wasn't going to let her have it just yet.

Continuing to tease her, he flicked his tongue over the sensitive mound, gently nipping and sucking. By remaining open to him, she was allowing Jon to exper
ience her desires in addition to feeling his own.

Her moans grew louder and deeper, vibrating within him, dri
ving him to the edge. As much as he delighted in pleasuring her this way, he also wanted more. But first, he'd let her have what she was desperate for.

It only took a moment more to coax her to the brink. As her body tensed, his did too. He gripped her tighter, holding on to her as she trembled and pulsed, a
lmost sending him over the edge. After a long, deep sigh she relaxed against the bed cushions, her body still.

Unable to hold back any longer, he positioned himself, one hand under her hips. He eased into her slowly, waiting for any sign of her discomfort. But there was no resistance. Instead she pressed her legs against him, her hands braced on his shoulders.

Being inside her was almost enough to send him to the point of exploding, but he forced himself to gently pull back, then ease in again. Her slickness made his movements easy; her tightness surrounded him, cocooning him, accommodating him.

Her emotions flooded him to the point where he wasn't sure which were hers and which were his. All he knew was that he was completely engulfed, and yet it wasn't like drowning. It was a joi
ning between them, connecting him to her even more than he'd been before.

With a loud cry he released himself, and was instantly struck by an energy rebound that left him gasping. As his body jerked he felt Nadira's arms wrap around him, holding him close as he felt a second and third rebound hit him. Through their connection he felt her body reacting as well. Their combined energy moved between them, each time with less force, like an echo that event
ually faded and left them spent.

With a groan he rolled onto his back, his arms and legs ou
tstretched, his sweat-drenched skin sticking to the bed covers. As he returned to awareness, he felt Nadira's presence next to him. Touching her, he immediately withdrew as the connection between his fingertips and her skin lit up his nerve endings.

Desperate for contact, he braved the shocks and satisfied hi
mself with leaning his head against hers on the pillow.

"I've never felt anything like that," he said, his voice sounding like it was co
ming from far away.

"Neither have I," she whispered.

"We've broken all the rules, haven't we?"

She turned to him, her forehead touching his. "There are no rules, Jon. Not any more."

16
No Going Back

When Nadira woke, sunshine was pouring through the wi
ndows, lighting up the room in a bright golden glow. She leaned on her elbows, straining to look out at the sapphire sea. Foamy white caps bubbled up, then dissolved with the movement of the waves.

Jonathan was still asleep, his back to her. Resisting the urge to touch him, she slid out of bed and padded into the adjoining shower area.  There was one long shower, tiled in sapphire and e
merald that sparkled in the sunlight. At the end,  a clear glass wall gave her a view of the gardens at the rear of the house.

Drops of water hit the top of her head as soon as she stepped into the shower enclosure. She pressed the temperature indicator on the wall, setting it for a hot shower. The water washed over her, sending rivulets down her body,  mixing with a creamy soap that filled the room with the smell of spicy flowers.

As she rubbed it over her skin, she thought of Jon touching her, pleasuring her in a way that she'd never experienced before.

Zina had discouraged her from forging relationships with an
yone who wasn't a Guardian. No doubt her mentor wanted to keep her from doing the same thing her mother had done.

But intimacy with other Guardians had never sated her. They were always too focused on shielding themselves, reluctant to let anyone else in, even for sex.

She turned off the water and activated the body dryer. The warm air flowed over her, enveloping her in a slightly moist cocoon. After she finished preparing herself for the day, she returned to the bedroom to get dressed.

Jon was still asleep, so she quietly slipped out of the room and headed downstairs. Jason was sitting at the dining table reading something on his tablet while he drank his coffee.

"I haven't smelled coffee like that in years," she said, sitting down across from him. "Could I have some?"

"Ah yes. Smells good, doesn't it?" He pushed his chair back and walked into the kitchen, r
eturning a few moments later with a cup. "The beans are grown a few kilometers from here."

"Grasi." Nadira took the cup from him and sipped the steaming hot beverage. She rarely drank coffee at home. But it was hard to resist something that r
eminded her of her childhood.

Jason rested his arms on the tabletop. "I've had very few Guardians visit this house. When they do come, they don't use our language. They think it's beneath them. Who taught you those words?"

She was taken aback by his directness. "My mother taught me."

"She was from the North?" He rubbed his balding head, his large hand pausing to scratch the tip of his ear. "Your pardon, I'm sure I'm asking too much. But when you mentioned the house by the kiosk, it raised questions in my mind."

"Yes. We left the city when I was eight years old and stayed in the North for a while." Not sure how much to reveal to him, she chose her words carefully. "I had family here."

"So that is when your gift developed?" He nodded, taking a sip of coffee. "People in the North have the strongest abilities. That's why Guardians come here most often when they are looking for people to train."

"Why is that true, Jason? I've never heard that before."

"This planet is still a work in progress, even after generations. When Hathor was being terr
aformed, the people from Earth settled in the North. Then Novacorp came, and the West became populated. The people here in the North Country are the true descendants of the First Families. That is why this gift came to us."

He paused to take another sip before continuing. "For Novacorp, the value of the Guardians is that they have a ready-made security force with extraordinary powers. Once the company reco
gnized that, our people accepted that this was not something to be feared."

"Jason, when they discovered my abilities, the Guardians wanted my mother to give me to them for training. That's why she left Nova City and came here."

Even as she said it, Nadira felt discomfort. Never had she heard anyone call her power a gift. If it was, why hadn't her mother embraced it?

"Ah, I see. Not every parent is pleased to have a child with abilities." A frown passed over his face, then quickly disappeared. "I also have abilities, though they were never strong enough to be developed. Would you show me your hand again?"

Nadira thrust her hands out, palms up. "I'm sorry. I should've done this as soon as we were introduced."

"No bother. That's an old custom. It's of little consequence these days." Jason examined her hands, running his finger over the half-moon line in her palm. "How strong are you? This line is very deep."

"I'm a Sentry."

He looked up at her, his mouth open. "Are you really? There have not been many. Maybe three or four are born in a generation. You are favored."

Was she? It was hard to feel that way considering what it had cost her.

"The custom of showing your palms came from the days when people misu
nderstood what the powers were. It was done to show that you didn't have the markings and were not a threat." He released her hands.

"I wasn't taught that during my training, Jason."

"That is because the history you were taught is according to Novacorp. When they took over, they took all our historical records into their possession." He sighed, his eyes downcast. "Perhaps I should not say this, but the house you asked about was destroyed by Guardians. 

"They destroyed it? Why?"

"At times people had hidden from the Guardians in that house. I suppose when it was discovered, they were angry." He cradled the cup in his hands.

"Why are you telling me this, Jason?"

"If you were like the other Guardians I've met, I would not have said anything." Jason's fingers tensed as he gripped his cup. "But I wanted to give you the truth. Perhaps you can look for your family while you are here."

"That's in the past now. I can't go back." Nadira felt her hand trembling as she finished her co
ffee.  This wasn't what she wanted to talk about right now.

"Well, you are back, aren't you? This may be an opportunity."

"You said the houses by the shore were built by Novacorp," she remarked.

"Yes. About 10 years ago. I was working on my family's farm and I found that it was not for me." He chuckled. "Here I can live near the sea, maintain the house and entertain visitors when they come. I have no complaints."

"Is there anywhere that isn't controlled by Novacorp, Jason? Wouldn't you like to experience that?"

He looked off to the side, thinking of an answer. It came quicker than Nadira expected. "Is there such a place? Neither of us can leave Hathor, so it's best to accept what we can't change." J
ason pointed to her cup. "Do you want more?"

"No, thank you."

"That coffee smells good!" Jonathan padded across the floor in his bare feet, his shirt open and half tucked into his pants.

"Perhaps you should finish dressing," Nadira smirked.

"I'm sure you're both hungry," Jason said, as he got up from the table. "My assistants have not arrived yet. I'll go prepare food." With a quick nod to Nadira, he picked up his tablet and headed into the kitchen.

After he sat down next to her, he leaned over to plant a kiss on her mouth. "I'm still knocked out from last night."

She motioned towards the kitchen. "We're not alone."

"He knows we slept in the same bed," Jonathan said. "What did he think we were doing up there, discussing speed of light travel?'

"Jon, we have to focus." 

"That's what I'm doing." This time he moved in for a lingering kiss that left her breathless. 

"Jonathan!" Pulling away from him wasn't as easy as she'd hoped, especially not with her heart racing.

"It's a bit late to play hard to get." He grinned at her. "Hey, where's Jason's ta
blet?"

"He took it with him."

"Why?" Jon paused, his attention on the dividing wall. "Wait--I hear him talking to someone."

Nadira heard it too, but it sounded like a woman's voice. No, he wouldn't betray them. Or had she misjudged?

"I'd better go check." Jon headed over and almost bumped into Jason as he rushed out of the kitchen.

"You have to see this!" He rushed over and handed the tablet to Nadira. "There's an alert."

Taking it from him, she stared at the still image on the screen.

Two faces were displayed side-by-side. On the left was a man with short, curly brown hair, strewn with strands of grey. His fe
atures were familiar:  squared face, rough-hewn with a hint of stubble. It was an older version of Jonathan except with brown eyes.

Underneath his picture flashed the words, "Demeter CEO Pr
esumed Dead" in bright red. On the right was a picture of Jonathan.

"There is a security alert for the apprehension of Jonathan Keel for questioning in this matter. Do not approach. Contact security if this individual IDs himself in your vicinity. This has been a me
ssage from Novacorp Security," the computerized voice intoned.   

"What the hell?" Jon reached over and snatched the tablet out of Nadira's hands. 

"Jonathan, we knew this was going to happen--" Nadira began.

"But you didn't mention the 'Demeter CEO presumed dead' part!"

Nadira tensed. "Jon, I'm sure it's a mistake. They just haven't found him yet, that's all."

If Jonathan found out that she'd known about the remains, what would he think of her?

"They claim Mr. Keel escaped from the city because he is purposely withholding information from the authorities," Jason said, as he studied Jonathan. "But I know that a Guardian would not protect anyone who was a criminal."

His words reassured her, though it was surprising that he trusted her judgment with so little knowledge of her motives. "If someone wanted to travel in the North and maintain their privacy, how difficult would that be?" she asked.

"Not difficult, though it would be wise to travel by private transport, rather than to use the public vehicles."

Sure it would be a lot better. But they didn't have one. There had to be a quick way to find out where Matt's house was located.

"Jason, is there a public com nearby?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes. It's about thirty minutes away by transport. When my a
ssistants arrive, I'll have one of them take you over there. They'll be here very soon."

"We can go there to access the directory and find Matt's house," Nadira said.

"I know. I'll take care of it. You wait here."

"Jon, I don't think we should separate. If security finds you, they'll take you to detention."

"If I'm detained, I don't want you to get stopped with me. Just tell them you didn't have a choice. I forced you into helping me escape."

She almost laughed at his suggestion. "I didn't have a choice?"

"No, you didn't," he said. "We're connected now, and there's no going back."

*****

As soon as Jason's assistant, Lora arrived at the house, Jason had her drive Jon to the com station. Taller than Jason, she had dark blue eyes and matching hair that she wore in thin, long braids.

Most importantly she was friendly enough, and she didn't ask too many que
stions.

As far as he was concerned, the view from the road was just as uninteresting as the beachfront. One sand dune looked just like another, and the boxy, rectangular houses all had the same drab, grey or brown exterior.

"Is it always this quiet?" Jon asked, as he watched the scenery go by.

"The season hasn't started yet. When it does, there will be more visitors," Lora replied, not ta
king her attention from the road.

"You do a lot of different jobs, don't you?"

"Yes, I'm learning from Jason. I hope to manage a house when I've learned enough."

"That's good," he said, not sure how else to respond. Managing a house by the shore was not his idea of an exciting profession, but Lora seemed happy with it.

What if Nadira had never been discovered by the Guardians? Would she have been satisfied with this type of life? Working in a guest house or in a manufacturing complex? He doubted it.

Thirty minutes later, Lora steered the transport into a large, open area where several other v
ehicles and cycles were parked. 

"Here we are," she said.

"I'll be right back." Jon climbed out and strode over to the L-shaped, stone building in front of them.

The public communications center was also a transport term
inal, in addition to a food market and a gathering place. A sign pointed him to his first destination: the directory. It was a long wall of frosted glass right across from the food stalls.

As soon as he walked up, a woman's face appeared on the su
rface, her purple eyes shimmering.

"Hello, my name is Sila. How may I help you?"