All For One [Nuworld 3] (8 page)

flew around her. He groaned as he made eye contact with his mama for a brief second.

“I must hurry…someone will try to stop me before long,” Andru mumbled under

his breath as he pushed the glider. The sensation of the inevitable seemed to be replaced

by fear and expectation. He couldn’t explain it but he felt those emotions clearly.

“Andru, what are you doing?” His mama’s voice sounded right after a quick beep

from his comm.

“Mama, I’m guided by Crator. Go home. I’ll be right back.” He’d recently tested out

his authority on his parents, especially his mama and sister. Now that he stood half a

foot taller than both of them it was easier to take command.

“Andru, turn around. She will live through it. Some things are necessary in order to

grow up.” When Andru didn’t respond, but continued to fly until he was out of Tara’s

view, her voice became more insistent. “Andru, do as you’re told or you’ll get the same.

Both of you must learn to respect authority and follow orders.”

“Mama, I won’t stand by and let anyone hurt Ana.” Andru ignored her demand for

obedience. “What’s necessary, Mama?”

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His mama said nothing.

“Mama,” he yelled. “What is necessary for us to grow up?”

Then he saw them. Less than a mile ahead of him he saw his sister. She sat

straddled across her glider, parked on the ground. Where was her headgear? Long

blonde curls fell loose from a long braid and flew around her face. Her expression

looked wild as she watched Darius, who parked his glider some twenty feet from her.

He took long strides toward her and the fear in Andru grew.

Now he didn’t know whether he experienced his sister’s fear or fear of his own. He

pulled his glider to a quick stop and literally jumped free from it. He broke into a run as

he scrambled to reach his papa.

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Chapter Five

“So, did he say anything else to you?” Andru’s voice was gentle.

Ana loved the way he cuddled her when she hurt. She rested her head in his lap as

he leaned against her headboard on her bed. His fingers stroked her wet curls and she

closed her eyes wishing the pain away.

“He didn’t say anything other than what I told you. He’s Roth from the

Barringswood tribe. His brother met with Papa and Mama today and they call

themselves Tree People.” She breathed slowly trying not to aggravate sore muscles.

Her father had pulled her from her glider and thrown her across the plateau.

Hitting the ground hurt worse than when he’d slapped her or dragged her back to her

glider. She felt certain that if Andru hadn’t continually insisted their papa stop beating

her, she might have been worse for wear. As it was, she felt the swelling of her lip and

knew she’d have bruises along her leg. How could she possibly manage seeing Roth

again tomorrow?

“Andru, it wasn’t so much what he said to me but how he looked at me.” Ana

turned and lifted her head so she could see her brother’s face. “There’s something about

his eyes. They pull you toward him.”

Andru chuckled, more like a deep grunt in his throat. “He was trying to seduce

you, dear sister.”

“Andru, I’ve been taken on by Gothman and Runner alike.” She slapped at his arm,

although the attempt resulted in more of a pat. “This wasn’t like that.”

“He’s a different race. Maybe they do things differently.” Andru shrugged, and

gave her a mischievous grin. “When did you lose your headgear?”

She looked shocked. “I gave it to him.” Her hand went to her head. “I can’t believe I

did that. Andru, he did flirt. I mean, I think he did. But there was something more with

his eyes. I felt a sensation that he was dragging me into him. I can’t find the right words

to explain it.”

Andru lifted her head from his lap, and placed a couple of pillows under her. He

stood and shook his head, still smiling. “One of these days, one of them will catch you

with your guard down.” He placed his hands on his hips and frowned at her, noticing

how pretty she looked lying on the bed with her blonde curls pooled around her.

“Especially if you continue to put yourself into such compromising situations.” His

hand went to her cheek possessively. “I’m afraid I might kill a man if he hurt you. I’ve

seen women hurt before.”

Ana knew he ran with a group of young Gothman who were known to attack a

lady from time to time. There were always the rumors that spread whenever a woman,

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usually a Gothman woman, was raped. Ana had never heard anyone directly pin blame

on her brother. Andru, and his best friend Gilroy, were known for never having to rape

for pleasure…no girl ever refused them. But some of the young men he called friends

had been named before.

“I can take care of myself.” She stood up, but then moved slowly. “As long as

they’re not built like Papa.” Her hand went to her back as she met Andru’s eyes.

“They could be,” he whispered and, sensing her discomfort, moved to massage her

sore back muscles, placing his hand directly over where it hurt.

* * * * *

Tara stood outside her daughter’s door, listening to her children’s conversation. She

hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. She wanted to see how her daughter had fared the wrath of

her papa. Tara agreed Ana’s behavior merited discipline, but Darius too often reacted

without thinking when it came to the women in his family. She’d seen him think

through the most intricate of strategic maneuvers. He never lost focus when confronting

any form of hostility—except with his women. He’d worked for winters to control her.

But now that their daughter challenged his authority, she feared he’d take out his

inability to manipulate his claim on his daughter.

Now she knew what Ana had done. She’d found one of the Tree People. And Ana’s

comment about the man’s eyes made perfect sense to Tara. She had experienced the

same thing. Andru’s concern that his sister could be raped was valid, but Ana sensed

accurately when she said his eyes weren’t seducing her.

But now, what to do? Her daughter would go to the Tree Person again. Tara knew

her daughter. The adventure was interrupted and not finished. She remembered herself

at Ana’s age, although it seemed her daughter was sprouting her wings at an earlier age

than Tara had. Ana seemed to be entering the age of searching, a time when young

Runners left their clan and learned of different people as they traveled across the

continent.

Tara had at least eighteen winters before she’d left her papa’s clan. Tara would not

allow Ana to travel unescorted with only sixteen winters!

Ana would leave again. Tara was sure of it. She needed a trustworthy spy. Someone

who wouldn’t alert Darius and would watch Ana to see what she did. She thought of

Jolee but knew how busy she was. She walked toward the kitchen and smiled at Fulga

who kneaded dough on the wooden countertop.

“M’lady, you’ve quite a scowl on your face, you do.” The large Gothman woman’s

middle jiggled as she chuckled quietly. “It’s the duty of a papa to keep his children in

line, to be certain. You know the child’ll be fine, yes. She might keep to her senses

though in the future.”

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Tara looked up at the old Gothman woman. The woman’s face was kind. Fulga had

seen her fair share of Darius’ temper over the winters she’d worked in the Bryon home.

Not once did she have a negative word for the leader of Gothman. He was in the right

as head of the house, and Lord of Gothman. Tara admired Fulga’s undying loyalty to

Darius. But the woman needed to be kept completely in the dark as to what Ana was up

to.

“Certainly you can’t tell me it never bothered you to see one of your children

beaten?” Tara intentionally relaxed her tense expression and spoke cautiously. The

Gothman women gossiped without mercy, and she didn’t need Darius hearing that she

questioned his actions in front of the servants.

“Of course it tears at you, m’lady. That’s part of being a mama, I fear.” Fulga

chuckled again and folded the dough before punching it with her fist.

Tara knew Fulga viewed her comment as a sign of weakness. Tara the Great,

Runner warrior, quivering about her daughter’s beating. She knew that would hit the

gossip circles faster than anything Darius did. She decided to redirect the questioning,

knowing little went on around the house that Fulga didn’t know about.

“And where was Cali today?” Tara kept her voice quiet knowing Fulga would

respect her authority more if she showed little emotion. Gothman had a hard time

viewing women in a position of command.

“Ah, ‘tis not her fault that Ana disappeared, m’lady, for sure it is not.” Her

Gothman accent grew in intensity as she realized the direction of the question. “Andru

and Ana left together this morning for the Crator temple. Cali hasn’t accompanied them

there before. It was nothing out of the ordinary, I should say.”

Tara nodded but didn’t comment. She walked out the back door as Fulga watched

her curiously. She knew the old Gothman woman would never understand the

behavior of a Runner woman. Nor would Tara waste time trying to explain herself.

“Cali.” She spoke into her comm once she’d put distance between herself and her

house.

“Yes, I’m here.” Cali sounded winded but Tara didn’t bother to ask what she was

doing.

“I need you to meet me. Where are you?”

“I’m on my way.” Cali answered without explaining her whereabouts. “Where

should I meet you?”

Tara thought for a moment as she studied the quiet backyard. “I need to meet with

Darius. He’ll come looking for me if I’m not in the conference room shortly. Can you

meet me out back in five minutes?”

“I’m almost there now.”

Tara wandered past the shed and within minutes Cali appeared behind her. Tara

shared with Cali how they had spotted Ana as they returned from their meeting north

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of town. She and Darius both agreed that they wouldn’t mention encounters with a new

race for the time being. That was one of the few things they had agreed upon today.

“I’m not sure where she went,” Tara lied. “But I’m afraid she’s entering the age of

searching sooner than I’d care for her to.”