All For One [Nuworld 3] (50 page)

Nuworld.”

“Gothman don’t share that way of thinking.” Ana got up and walked across the

room, her long weighted braids hanging down her back while blonde curls swirled

around them.

“So your Gothman blood tells you to accept this rape and wait submissively for the

next time?”

“How dare you.” Ana turned on him. “I am not…I did not accept what was done to

me. You have no idea how powerful this man is. He could defeat you without even

trying,” she threw out at him.

“So now he’s a man?”

“He almost has eighteen winters.” Ana threw her arms up in the air and turned to

face glass doors that held a view of the ocean. “There is no point in discussing this with

you. Leave me alone tonight. Let me sleep. I hurt too much for you to touch me

anyway. Maybe we can be claimed tomorrow.”

“Maybe we can get claimed tomorrow?” Roth hissed through his teeth. “Sweet

lady, Beel flew across our nation to bring back the honorable father to bless the mating.

He is enjoying a meal right now and when he is done, you shall become my mate.”

She kept her back to him and heard the door close behind him. Then, much to her

surprise she heard the click of a lock. He’d locked her in the room like a prisoner.

* * * * *

“Gilroy.” Syra slapped his arm. “Gilroy,” she whispered louder. “Keep your pants

on, stud, we’ve got company.”

“Huh?” He turned to look at Syra who lay next to him in the bushes. They had a

clear shot into the bedroom where Ana was and he couldn’t believe the sight in front of

him. Never before in his entire life had he seen such a dress, and he sure as hell had

never seen any female look that good in a dress. Damn. He wanted her all over again.

“Look.” Syra pointed as several gliders landed outside the cottage and the two of

them watched as Roth walked out the front door to talk to them. “I wish we had some

of our equipment so we could hear them,” she whispered, referring to the

eavesdropping equipment Torgo had invented.

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“So how many does that make?”

“Well, there were three guards outside and now two more people have landed. I

don’t know how many people are inside. We know Ana, Roth and Beel and whoever

that old man is are in there. There are the two servant girls that were in Ana’s room.

That’s eleven.”

“Roth and the three guards are our only threat.”

“None of them appear to be a threat to me.” Syra met his gaze, challenging him.

“Agreed.” There was that cocky grin again.

Their attention turned to the double glass doors again when Ana walked up to

them with a blanket in her hand. She reached up to secure the blanket over the top of

the doorframe and Gilroy thought for sure he’d come in his pants. Those large breasts

just about fell out of her dress and displayed themselves in full to him. He panicked for

a second, afraid he’d just groaned out loud. But Syra said nothing, and as hotheaded

and mouthy as he heard that she was, he knew she’d have said something if he made

such a sexist grunt. Then the blanket was up and he could no longer see the first virgin

he’d ever had.

“Let’s move in. I think we can take out those guards easily enough. Use a Runner

laser,” Syra instructed and then stood and began walking quietly across the sand

toward the cabin.

One of the guards walked around the cabin as Syra approached and she shot him

before he could react. Unfortunately, he fell backwards, immediately alerting the other

guards who stood out front. Shouts followed and to her dismay, Syra realized people

were running toward them from both sides of the cabin. She backed up into Gilroy’s

iron chest and he grabbed her protectively and pulled her behind him. She hardly had

time for her anger to flare in reaction to the Gothman stunt when the shattering of glass

caused an incredible distraction.

“Don’t let her escape,” one of the guards yelled, as he ran from the backside of the

cabin. Two other guards appeared from the front and all of them headed for the glass

doors. At that moment, Ana flew through the glass, enveloped by the blanket to protect

her.

Syra fought for release from Gilroy’s grasp as he quickly shot the three guards who

had appeared out of nowhere. Ana struggled to free herself from the blanket when Roth

appeared in what was left of the double-sized doorframe and grabbed her.

“I thought you said you were hurt.” He looked with disgust at the shattered glass.

She struggled to her feet and wiped her arms off then stood braced to attack him if he

moved in any closer. She was now attired in a simple Tree Person’s brown smock and

baggy pants.

“You said I accept the ways of my people. Well, I know how to handle pain as

well.” She stepped away from the tangled blanket and appeared to stagger for a

moment. “You locked me in there. You don’t care about me. No one forces me to do

something I don’t want to do. Hell, I can get that back in Gothman.”

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Then, much to Syra and Gilroy’s surprise, she flew into the air, straight at Roth and

knocked him off his feet causing both of them to roll several times before Roth got up

and pulled her to her feet. She swung at him with her free arm and tagged him in the

side of the face and he let go of her.

“You’re forcing me against my will. How is that any different from what you called

the worst crime in all of Nuworld?” She screamed the words at him, and several

servants as well as Beel, appeared in the open doorway of her bedroom.

“Cover the people in the house. I’ll get Roth.” Syra jumped out into the open before

Gilroy could object.

“Roth, I suggest you move away from her right now.” Syra walked up toward

them, laser in each hand, and both of them pointed at him.

Ana immediately ran to Syra and took one of the lasers. Gilroy moved in the

darkness, virtually undetected, and when one of Roth’s loyal servants tried to fire at

Syra, Gilroy fired and everyone in the doorway fell to the ground.

Ana leaped forward. “No. Tell me you didn’t hurt Beel.” She stopped dead in her

tracks and looked up horrified when she realized the invisible accomplice was Gilroy.

“Ana, please calm down.” Roth held his arms out, palms up. “Syra, there’s no need

for any more bloodshed. There won’t be any servants left to wait on us.”

Beel appeared in the doorway and stepped over the dead servants to walk outside.

Relieved, Ana turned her aggression toward Roth. “Shut up, why don’t you? I can’t

believe how spineless you are.” She lowered her laser and looked straight into his eyes.

It was dark but he pulled her primary thoughts.

“Look at you. You weren’t hurt at all…maybe you weren’t even raped.” He

lowered his voice and studied her carefully. “Ana, you’re bleeding.”

She looked down to see where the blood was coming from and Roth lunged at her.

She stepped back quickly and then the impact of a laser beam at close range sent Roth

flying backwards across the sand until he fell, lifeless.

Ana stood numb, staring at Roth’s lifeless body. Strong hands rested on her arms

and she jumped. “Don’t touch me,” she screamed at Gilroy and he flinched. She moved

behind Syra and then grabbed her arm as if she needed the crutch to stand.

“Are you okay?” Syra eyed the teenager carefully as Beel and Gilroy watched

silently.

“No, Syra. I’m not okay. I’m very much not okay.” She began to shake and then for

the first time since Gilroy raped her, she began to cry.

“We’ll stay here tonight and go after Torgo in the morning,” Syra decided.

“Go after Torgo?” Ana looked around the dark beach and her eyes stopped on the

waves as they slowly beat the shore. “Why are we going after him?”

“The Tree People attacked the Blood Circle Clan, Ana.” Syra stroked Ana’s cheek

and wiped away tears. “Did Roth come get you before he headed for home?”

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Ana looked up at Beel. He was too focused on the tall young Gothman standing

close by. Gilroy was a true Gothman warrior and he didn’t know Beel wasn’t. Beel

would see to it that this strange dark Gothman didn’t find out. Beel didn’t look at Ana.

“No,” Ana noticed Gilroy watched her and looked down at her shoes. “I was doing

some, um, Gothman exercises at Fools Creek. They flew over and I waved them down.”

She looked up at Syra, suddenly mad. “He would have left without saying goodbye,

wouldn’t he?”

“Who knows?” Syra shrugged and rubbed Ana’s arm.

“We don’t need to stay here tonight.” Ana’s expression turned icy. She’d been

through too much since she’d woken up that morning. “Where’s Torgo, do you know?”

“I do.” Beel stood tall and tried to keep his voice low. “I saw him when I got the

high priest. It would be easier to get him while it’s dark. I know the area like the back of

my hand but I would be recognized instantly in the daylight.”

Syra looked toward the cabin. “Let’s go see who’s left inside and we’ll clean up that

cut on your arm. Where are your Runner clothes?”

A very pretty dark-haired servant girl and the high priest scurried away from the

front door when the four of them entered. They looked most terrified at the sight of

Gilroy but Syra in her Runner outfit also made them very nervous. It took no effort to

shut the servant and the priest into the back bedroom and lock them in there. Ana

grabbed some things out of the master bedroom, now chilly and strewn with glass.

“You should change your clothes,” Syra said when Ana walked back out to the

living room.

“I’m fine.”

“Ana, you’ll need your bulletproof outfit before the night’s over. It’s going to take

all our skills to free Torgo, I’m afraid.” Syra pulled her leather gloves over her hands as

she sat on the couch. “Go change your clothes.”

“I can’t.” Ana suddenly looked very uncomfortable and Syra looked at her

confused.

“What happened to your clothes?” She continued to study the teenager and saw

something close to panic cross her face. Standing, she pulled her coat on and noticed

Ana glare at Gilroy.

“They’re bloody, okay. I can’t wear them.” Ana turned her glare to Syra and

directed her fury at her. “And you want to know something?” Her voice now bordered