All For One [Nuworld 3] (12 page)

He would betray his sister’s confidence if he shared his knowledge of Roth with

anyone. She wouldn’t discuss any of her meetings with Roth if she didn’t think Andru

could be trusted. And he could be trusted. His sister’s wellbeing mattered more to him

than anyone in his life.

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Was she in danger? Should he plant a bug on her to ensure her safety? And if he

didn’t share the information and the Tree People attacked them…

Oh Crator, what should I do?

“I can’t believe how much our clan has grown.” Syra laughed as children darted

around them.

“We have over fifteen hundred members at our last count.” His mama smiled at

him as she spoke. “Andru and Ana will rule all of it someday.”

“Of course, you’d get a different comment on that subject if you talked to my

papa.” Ana rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows all we’re good for is having babies and

getting knocked around every now and then.”

“Some people never change, huh?” Syra laughed.

Andru lost himself in thought once again as the women around him laughed about

the behavior of the men they knew. He watched the activities of the large clan site

without really seeing any of it. He needed to make a decision. If only he could argue the

points with someone. He now saw why his parents kept their advisors close by their

sides.

Across the field, he saw Uncle Torgo walking toward them. His uncle’s purposeful

stride, and harsh expression, reassured Andru that Torgo would appreciate the

seriousness of the matter. Runners greeted him, or simply stepped to the side and

allowed him passage. Andru saw that his uncle had respect of both the Runner and

Gothman communities just like his papa, and he knew Torgo would take the matter to

heart. He would talk to Torgo.

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Chapter Seven

“Ladies, if you’d excuse me for a minute.” Andru interrupted their chatter.

Tara looked up at her son. He smiled at the three of them, then turned and walked

toward Torgo.

Syra gasped, and Tara turned. Her niece looked over Tara’s shoulder and she knew

Syra had seen Torgo. She reached out and touched Syra’s arm.

“He took a claim,” Tara whispered.

Syra looked at her in shock.

“He didn’t wait for me?” Syra’s pain came through in her words.

Tara studied Syra’s face. Her niece was a beautiful young woman. Her skin was

dark from the sun and every muscle fine-tuned. Her black leather pants outlined her

figure nicely. She didn’t wear her headscarf and several small braids in her hair had

shiny pebbles woven into them. Several earrings hung in each ear, and by the type of

rock in them, Tara guessed Syra spent some time with the River People.

But there was a look of excitement in Syra’s eyes from the first moment she’d seen

her. Tara had guessed it was excitement at being back in the clan. She remembered

when she had come back to her family and friends after being gone for cycles on some

adventure. New life generated through her body each time she mixed with her people

and shared stories by the fire.

She thought Syra felt the same emotions at being back in the clan. And, maybe to

some extent she had. The look of excitement was gone now, and Syra looked lost. Tara

had misread her emotions. Her niece had felt excitement and anticipation at seeing

Torgo, but Tara crushed all those emotions when she told Syra that Torgo had taken a

claim.

“Come back to the trailer with me. We need to talk.” Tara squeezed Syra’s arm,

noticing how her niece looked lost, and simply nodded.

“Mama, I’m going to join Andru.” Ana spoke up and Tara nodded, not taking her

eyes off Syra who stared past her at Torgo.

Syra had tears streaming down her face by the time they reached the trailer. With a

wave of her hand, Tara sent Fartha and Trev out of the trailer. Tara could see pain and

confusion attack Syra as she plopped down on the couch.

“He said he’d love me forever, Tara. Was I a fool to believe that?”

“He doesn’t love Rayla.”

Syra studied Tara for a minute. She rubbed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“Rayla, huh? I don’t think I ever knew a Rayla.”

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“She lost her papa during the war with the Lunians. She has three younger brothers

and when she announced to her mama that she was pregnant with Torgo’s child, her

mama approached us immediately. It was quite advantageous for her family to

encourage the claim. Her three brothers are now apprentices to Darius’ personal

guards. And, Darius found her mama a new claim once her daughter was with Torgo.

Of course, Torgo had the right to refuse the claim.”

“But he wouldn’t do that, not Torgo. And he’ll always remain faithful to Rayla.

She’s a very lucky woman.” Syra began crying again. “And I am such a fool.”

“Syra, Torgo was coming to see you. Darius told him you were here and that’s why

he’s out there. I haven’t seen him on the clan site for quite a long time.” Tara looked

down at her hands, searching for the words to say what had to be said. She glanced at

Syra. The young woman stopped crying, straightened, and looked at her through puffy

eyes.

Tara allowed a small smile. “You’re strong, Syra. But I know this isn’t easy for you.

Torgo has fought his family reputation for as long as I’ve known him.”

“I know he has.” Syra forced a smile and stood up, walking to the window in the

kitchen. “He despised the way Darius treated you and had no qualms about saying that

to his brother’s face. Torgo knew his papa was the same way. And he watched his

mama, and you, suffer for it. He’s a Bryon but he won’t act the way they did.”

Syra turned around quickly and threw her arms up in the air. “But Tara, I just saw

him for the first time in three winters out there. He’s so damned good-looking, my legs

went weak at the sight of him.” She sighed. “I don’t think I can look at him without

wanting him. I don’t possess his wonderful virtues.”

She slammed the counter with her fist while Tara sat calmly and watched her. Then

Syra shook her head firmly as if trying to clear Torgo from her thoughts. She looked at

Tara with determination. “He’s not the only reason I came back.”

She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a landlink disc. She tossed it to

Tara just as the door to the trailer opened and Torgo stepped into the room. For an

instant Tara thought he looked just like Darius. His broad shoulders filled the doorway

and his blond curls were windblown.

But it was the fire in his eyes that caused Tara to see the resemblance. He looked at

Tara and then turned his gaze to Syra. Their eyes locked and Tara watched while they

searched each other. Searched each other’s thoughts for answers to questions neither

one of them had the courage to ask. Syra pulled her eyes away from Torgo first and

looked at Tara.

“I also came back to report to the leader of my people. I’ve been across the

mountains. There’s a nation over there. They call themselves Tree People and I’ve never

known a race like them. I spent quite a bit of time among them. They’re good people

but I felt a need to document some of the things I learned.” She nodded to the disc in

Tara’s hand. “That’s a daily journal I made for you. They live in tribes and one tribe

leads the others. These people are the ones that fascinated me. They have this ability to

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sort through people’s thoughts and pull them. The other Tree People can’t do it, just the

Barringswood tribe. It’s rather unbelievable so I documented everything.” She bit her

lip, exhaled a shaky sigh, and looked at Torgo. “The instructions to access their

transmission is on there too.”

Tara’s mouth fell open and she looked at the disc. She glanced up at Torgo and their

eyes locked. She handed the disc to him and he took it, then played with it with his

fingers as he stared at it.

“Syra, your timing couldn’t be better. Members of the Barringswood tribe are

camped south of Bryton. They’ve just arrived and have expressed an interest in learning

about us.”

Syra moved around the counter quickly as if she would run to Tara but stopped

dead in her tracks when Torgo didn’t move. She’d have to squeeze past him to get any

closer to Tara and she didn’t dare try to touch the man. She didn’t retreat either,

though, but stood within inches of being in his arms and focused on Tara.

“The Barringswood men can gather information from you if you make eye contact

with them. Don’t look in their eyes.”

Tara just stared at Syra for a minute. Then she turned her gaze to Torgo. Torgo’s

eyes were on Syra, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. As if understanding that this

news forced him to duty, he turned and looked at Tara. She looked at the two of them

standing next to each other, turmoil spread across their faces. She sighed and licked her

lips.

“I’ll give you two thirty minutes. Then Torgo, you will take that disc to Darius. I

want a thorough report before we meet with the Tree People tonight.”

Torgo nodded and then Tara looked at the two of them again, trying hard to keep

her own ghosts suppressed. She could tell by their faces that the inevitable would

happen and it was none of her damn business. She left the trailer, and left the two of

them alone.

* * * * *

“You’re not going anywhere right now.” Andru grew frustrated with the wild side

of his sister, but managed an amiable expression as they passed Runners, busy with

their daily activities. He had a smile for each of them and returned greetings as needed.

“Syra showing up is the perfect distraction.” Ana walked alongside her brother

toward the trailer where their gliders were parked.

She looked up when Andru greeted someone, and nodded her greeting along with

his. The two of them were born with the knowledge that they were heirs to the

Gothman and Runner nations. Ana had no problem leaving the thoughts of ruling to

her brother. By Gothman law, it was all his. By Runner law, she would lead the Runner

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clans someday. Someday was the key word, for she would rule, but right now was the