The Illegitimate Claim (26 page)

and they aren’t whole without each other. As their mama I see that and I wouldn’t dare

separate them.”

Ana stood expressionless and listened. When Meah finished her explanation, she

stood, walked toward Ana, and then placed her hands on Ana’s arms. Ana’s gray eyes

searched her face, and Meah managed a smile of reassurance.

“I won’t come between the two of you. I see now that he gets his strength from you.

Andru has to have you with him to remain strong. Without you, he’s just part of a

whole.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t care if he came to me?” Ana’s voice was a broken

whisper as her expression struggled with several emotions.

Meah’s smile was thin. “I’m saying that I won’t interfere. My loyalty to both of you

to be the best rulers you can be is that strong. Five winters have passed. I didn’t mean to

stay away that long but that’s how it worked out. I don’t know what will happen

between Andru and me, but the twins are his and this is their home. It’s my home, too.

If he and I can successfully raise them together…well, I understand that he needs you.”

She took a deep breath, glad she’d said what she needed to say to both of them. “There

is something that I want in return.”

Ana stood, and stared at Meah but said nothing. Her expression was blank and her

gray eyes looked milky. She was only an inch or two taller than Meah, and they were

able to look eye to eye.

After an uncomfortable silence Meah backed away from Ana and gave her a

curious look. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“I, um, don’t know what to say.” Ana seemed flustered by Meah’s question.

“Wait a minute.” Meah narrowed her eyes and was surprised to see Ana blush.

Meah didn’t take her eyes off Ana, but began to slowly run her hands over her arms

and shoulders, trying to feel every part of her body that Gilroy had touched.

“What are you doing?” Ana got a worried look on her face.

“I’m bugged, aren’t I?” She continued to run her hands along her back, and then

under her hair and up her neck. She felt a flat circular device stuck to her skin at the

base of her neck. “I knew it. Damn.”

“Meah, you’re Andru’s claim. We have to be absolutely sure you can be trusted,”

Ana spoke just above a whisper.

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“Crator, what am I doing here?” Meah’s temper soared. She held the paper-thin

disc in between two fingers. Other than the sound of the children at the other end of the

house, it was completely quiet. “Okay, Gilroy, hear me and hear me good. Remember,

your blood runs through me, and my loyalty to the Runner nation is at least as strong as

your loyalty to Gothman. If you doubt that then maybe you aren’t the incredible

warrior I believed you to be.”

Meah nodded in satisfaction then took the bug, and stuck it to her rear end. She

then sat down on the bed.

“Now, do you want to hear my terms?”

“Yes, I do. But you better hurry. We’ll definitely have company soon.” Ana eyed the

door as she spoke.

“What I have to say is for your ears only. If we get interrupted, I’ll have to tell you

later.” Meah also eyed the door, but then focused on Ana. “My terms are that you quit

letting Andru run your life.”

Ana opened her mouth to retaliate, and Meah held her hand up quickly. “Andru

manipulates you, and he always has. Hell, he manipulates everyone. But when it comes

to leading the Runners you must stand up to him. Don’t let him tell you how many

soldiers to have in each squad. Don’t let him schedule your war games for you. Don’t

let him review all your transmissions, and then approve your responses.”

Ana’s mouth fell open. “How do you know he does all that?”

“I’ve spent the last few winters in the company of Neurians, remember? You’d be

surprised at my landlink skills. You need to let him know that from now on you won’t

be reviewing your decisions with him before implementing them.” Meah knew she

asked a lot, and could tell by Ana’s expression that Ana wasn’t sure she could comply.

“That would start a big fight, I’m afraid.”

“Do Lord Darius and Lady Tara fight often over leadership issues?”

Ana laughed. “Oh, I’d say at least once a day as long as I’ve been alive.”

“You see?” Meah held her hands out. Maybe this is what the dog-woman meant

when she said she would get her wish. “I think Crator must want it that way. Both of

your parents are outstanding leaders.”

“I see your point.” Ana tapped her lips with her finger and studied Meah. She had a

faraway look in her eyes as if suddenly lost in thought. Her eyes suddenly grew wide

and she looked quickly at Meah. “And of course, I would reinstate your rank as my first

assistant and first commander. Am I right?”

“That would be nice.” Meah smiled.

“Do you know what you’ve suggested? You’re offering your claim in return for

rank and the betterment of your nation. That is a Bachula. You’re giving your claim to

your leader as a sexual gift in order to secure a higher rank.”

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Both of their heads turned quickly at the sound of someone coming up the stairs.

Ana turned around quickly and opened her closet door just as Andru opened the

bedroom door, and looked from one of them to the other.

“Here.” Ana stepped out of her closet, and handed a Runner outfit to Meah. “I

think this will fit you perfectly.”

Meah immediately recognized her old Runner clothes. On the arm was the

armband of the first assistant. Meah looked up and met Ana’s gaze. The two women

just stared at each other and then slowly turned to look at Andru.

* * * * *

Andru woke up exhausted the next morning. His night was nothing more than

tossing and turning and disconnected dreams. The sheet on his bed was twisted into a

long rope and fell half off to the floor. His bed had looked better after a night of wild

sex…and there certainly hadn’t been any of that.

Conflicting information ran rampant through his mind all evening long. He hadn’t

even been able to focus on Ana. Gilroy had argued with him to simply let him

interrogate Meah further, until they were satisfied completely either of her guilt or

innocence. Andru wouldn’t hear of it. It had been all he could do to watch Gilroy knock

Meah around earlier that day.

“Andru, are you up yet?” Darius knocked firmly on the door.

Andru opened his bedroom door, and let his papa in. “Yeah, I’m up, though I

daresay not much good to anyone at the moment.”

Darius entered and observed his son, standing barefoot and shirtless in his

drawstring pants. The bed gave indication he’d tossed and turned all night.

“It’s a bad sign, son, when a bed looks like that after a man has slept alone in it,

yes.”

“I was just thinking that same thing.” Andru scratched his tangled hair.

Visions of Meah standing inside her trailer as he wished her goodnight then walked

away without touching her raced through his mind. Her lips parted as if to say

something to him, but she didn’t. She just stood there and watched him leave.

“I have something for you to do that might take your mind off the matters that are

causing you to lose sleep. I want you to meet with Rog today, I do. He sent another

transmission this morning asking for an audience. You’ll hear his demands and then

bring the information to me, you will.”

* * * * *

The first thing Andru noticed about the Neurian camp just several miles into

Freeland territory, which was under Gothman jurisdiction, was that it was a lot bigger

than just fifty men. He flew over the hills with a small scouting team of twenty

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Gothman to give Rog his audience. When the Neurian camp came into view he

immediately slowed and turned to look at Gilroy through his dome.

“How large would you say that campsite is?” Andru asked through his comm.

“I daresay about five hundred men if I had to guess.” Gilroy spoke through his

comm as well, but his gaze met Andru’s as they flew alongside each other.

“Does the landlink confirm that?” Andru looked again toward the camp spread out

below them.

Gilroy looked down at the screen on his console. “No, my lord, it shows a camp of

about fifty men.”

“Interesting.”

Andru gestured with his hand that they should proceed, and the Gothman neared

the camp then landed on the outskirts. Several young Neurians, no more than eighteen

winters at the most, ran up to greet them. They were tall, thin lads, not yet filled out to

manhood, although Neurians didn’t fill out the way Gothman did.

“If you’ll follow us, my lord,” one of them spoke in a thick singsong accent.

Andru nodded, and walked with the boys through the campsite with his men

surrounding him. Gilroy walked next to him, and he could tell his friend was on full

warrior alert.

“Ah, the heir to Gothman, Lord Andru, is it? Come in, come in.” A tall, very black-

skinned man, with coarse hair darker than a moonless night, smiled shiny white teeth at

them. He gestured with a gallant wave of his hand that they join him at a long,

rectangular table with several cushioned chairs placed around it.

Andru and Gilroy accepted the chairs offered, and Rog sat across from them. He

poured a pink drink into tall, thin glasses filled with ice chips. After dispensing with all

hospitalities, he leaned back in his chair and studied the two men who faced him.

“You wish to have an audience. The Lord of Gothman has sent me to hear your

requests and return the information to him. You seem to know I’m Lord Andru, am I to

assume you are Rog?” Andru studied the man sitting in front of him, wondering what

Meah, or Sharay, saw in him.

“My manners, I apologize. Meah spoke so often of you that I feel as if I know you. I

guess for obvious reasons she wouldn’t share as much about me with you.” Rog turned

his attention to Gilroy. “And you? I would guess you’re the second-in-command.”

“This is Gilroy, Commander of Lord Darius’ armies.” Andru didn’t look at Gilroy,

but continued to stare at Rog as he spoke.