Kayla shifted. Tarise’s glare always made her feel uncomfortable. Those large gray eyes seemed not to miss a thing. Like Jaden’s hand on Kayla’s shoulder. Honestly, if Tarise could shoot daggers with her eyes, Kayla would be toast.
Averting her gaze, Kayla focused on Iri and Atu. They sat quietly as usual, listening to the rowdy conversation. Sven took up most of the second couch.
“You made us work like dogs,” Markov accused.
“That was nothing. You don’t know what real training is,” Sven protested.
“It was just as well he did,” Shianna remarked. “I don’t think we would have been prepared for our first battle if he hadn’t.”
“Thank you, Shianna. At least one if you appreciates my efforts,” Sven grumbled.
That brought a few chuckles. Everyone was in such a positive frame of mind. Everyone with the exception of Tarise.
“Speaking of effort, what will it take for you to find a way around those numbing EMP’s?” Stovan prodded
Just like that, the mood changed. From what Bree told them, she had been injured because a Gaptor had numbed her. Paralyzed, she fell from her glider, was sliced by the same Gaptor’s rotating blades, and then was rescued by her glider. Clearly, Stovan wasn’t content with the situation.
“It will take time,” Sven admitted. “It is difficult to find a solution when I cannot pinpoint the exact frequency at which the transmissions are made.”
“Are you saying we should capture one of those monsters if we want a solution?” Stovan asked.
“That would be excellent, yes.” Sven beamed.
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Tarise snapped.
Kayla wasn’t the only one to notice her snarky tone. Jaden answered. “We’ll have to come up with a plan. Tarise, you’re the genius here. What do you propose?”
Anger flashed in Tarise’s eyes. “You’re supposed to be the leader. Why do I have to come up with the ideas?”
Jaden was taken aback. Kayla grimaced. He either hadn’t been paying attention or was totally oblivious to the way Tarise felt about him. Poor man! She would have to enlighten him. And ask him what happened between the two of them. Clearly, something had. But what?
Jaden floundered for a second. “Everyone knows a good leader takes the ideas of his group and considers them before making decisions. I just thought I’d give you that opportunity. But if you don’t want it . . .”
Well said. Kayla felt guilty pleasure as Tarise squirmed.
“I’ll work on some ideas,” Tarise conceded, less than gracefully.
“The gliders have fought these aberrations before,” Atu noted. “I’m sure they’ll have some ideas on how we can capture one.”
“Capturing them may not be the problem,” Sven said. “The more pressing question is how we will get them to raise those antennae for us, no?”
Jaden frowned. “You’re right. Okay, let’s set those problems aside for a moment. I want to explore a tangent that my brain keeps going back to. We know the medallions counteract the numbing effect of those EMPs, right?” Everyone nodded. “In the book Awena gave us, the Gaptor was set on stealing Gedrin’s medallion. Why was that? I mean, Gedrin was going to die, so why did the Gaptor take the medallion after it killed him? It wasn’t like Gedrin needed it to counter the EMP anymore.”
“I have an answer for that,” Kayla responded. She was amused when Jaden blinked in surprise. It really wasn’t his day. In fact, it begged the question: what was he focused on? “No, I’m not psychic, it’s just been bothering me too. The first time we met Zareh, he told us our medallions were the key. He also said something about the Gaptor—remember, when only the one escaped the battle with Atu’s relatives. He mentioned it only reappeared when there was a risk that its enemies would rise against it ‘in force.’ Then its goal was to take the medallions, not kill the seekers. He only killed the seekers because he took pleasure in it. I think the answer to your question lies in those few snippets.”
“Okay, so if the Gaptor was after the medallions when the seekers rose ‘in force,’ that would imply that there were a lot of medallions around back then,” Jaden thought aloud. “Maybe that means we need to get a whole lot of medallions together, and that will somehow help us get rid of the Gaptors?”
“That may be,” Sven pointed out, “but how are we going to find ‘a whole lot’ of medallions?”
Jaden began to pace. None of the others said anything. Kayla watched the group, intrigued that they knew to leave Jaden alone when he was in this frame of mind. Well, what did I expect? They grew up with him, didn’t they? They should know him this well.
Her eyes flicked to Tarise again. For the second time, she found those unsettling gray eyes honed on her. Abruptly, Kayla was angry. Just who did this girl think she was? How could she think she was the only one with any claim to Jaden? In fact, that was totally the wrong way to think about it. Tarise wasn’t giving Jaden any freedom to make his own choices. That irked Kayla more than anything else. Defiantly, she glared at Tarise, satisfied when Tarise turned away this time.
“What do you think the Gaptor did with the medallions he took?” Jaden asked, breaking the silence. “From what we know, he couldn’t get back to his world, and Slurpy couldn’t get here. He must’ve stashed them somewhere.”
“Where, though?” Markov murmured, reading Jaden’s mind.
“And are they still there or did he send them back to his master as soon as Slurpy found a way to open the breach again?” Jaden added.
“Unless the Gaptor knew we were going to take him out, he wouldn’t have had time for that,” Kayla pointed out.
“That doesn’t mean they’re still here,” Sven observed. “It’s possible the Usurper sent someone to get the medallions as soon as he could get Gaptors through, no?”
“Possibly,” Jaden mused. “But only if Slurpy knew where to find them. What if that first Gaptor didn’t tell him where they were stashed?”
Abruptly, Tarise stood. “There are too many unknowns here to draw a valid conclusion. I have some errands to run. Call me when you have a plan.”
So saying, she marched out. Jaden stared after her, his face thoughtful. Kayla wasn’t going to let Tarise’s rude behavior stand. “I’ll be right back.” Kayla dashed after Tarise and caught up to her on the roof just as Tarise was climbing into her ‘pod. “Hold up!”
Tarise glanced back, her annoyance clear. “What do you want?”
“You seem to have a problem with me. Why?” Kayla demanded.
“I thought that would be obvious.” Tarise folded her arms.
“Because of my relationship with Jaden?”
“He was mine until you came along. You poked your nose where it didn’t belong. You beguiled him with your medallion and your questions. Then you seduced him when you went to Ruby’s.”
“Hang on a minute,” Kayla interrupted. “I did no such thing!”
“Smoke and mirrors.” Tarise shrugged. “Say what you want, but you stole him from me.”
“Tarise, look, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but Jaden was never yours to begin with.”
Apparently, that was the worst thing Kayla could’ve said. Tarise’s face almost turned purple with rage. “He was mine. He just hadn’t realized it yet. Then you came along and spent all that time with him, time that you stole from this world while you were in that time freeze. You cast your spell over him, and he fell for it. Now you’re going to pay.”
Tarise slammed the hatch of her ‘pod shut as she slid inside and revved the engines. Even if Kayla wanted to say something, Tarise wouldn’t hear her over that racket. Kayla watched Tarise speed away, a knot of unease settling in her stomach. Had she done the right thing chasing after Tarise and confronting her?
Troubled, Kayla made her way back down to the living room. The others had moved to the kitchen to sample Bree’s delicacies. The sight of the wonderful morsels didn’t even make Kayla smile.
A hand slid into hers. “Are you alright
?” Jaden murmured.
“No. You do know that Tarise thinks you’re hers?” Kayla snarled, unable to stop herself.
Jaden sighed and ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair. “She mentioned that.”
“When?”
Noticing the others sending them furtive glances, Jaden pulled Kayla down the hall to the living room where they wouldn’t be overheard.
“That day we spent up in the mountains, right after we got back from the tower. Tarise confronted me as we were all leaving. I didn’t even know she felt that way,” Jaden railed. “I thought I made it clear to her that I never wanted to hurt her. I mean, if I didn’t know she felt that way, I could hardly be blamed. And I told her neither of us foresaw our relationship.”
Kayla guessed there was more he wasn’t saying. “And how did she take that?”
Jaden huffed. “Well, she said it was okay, but her body language didn’t exactly line up with her words.”
“Uh-huh. And you didn’t think to follow up on that?”
“I didn’t have to. She came to my house the next day with all sorts of recriminations,” Jaden remembered.
“It seems you still didn’t resolve matters though.”
“Tarise didn’t give me a chance. She stormed out before I could talk sense into her. What happened when you chased after her today?”
Jaden had switched the focus of the conversation, but Kayla let it pass. Jaden couldn’t tell her much more that she hadn’t already guessed. “The same thing that happened to you. I confronted her about her attitude, and she yelled and took off before I could say anything to calm her down.”
Jaden smiled ruefully. “Sorry about that. I didn’t notice she was giving you a hard time today.”
Kayla wrapped her arms around Jaden’s neck. “You had other things on your mind. Besides, it wasn’t what she said. It’s what she did. Her actions were hostile from the start. But you can make it up to me.”
“I bet I know how.” Jaden grinned, bending his head to kiss her.
Kayla never tired of the effect he had on her. The heady sensation, the feel of his strong body under her fingers, the incredible need to be close to him.
“You two really should get a room,” Markov commented behind them.
Jaden groaned as he pulled away from her. “Dude, did you really have to interrupt?”
Kayla giggled. It was reassuring to know she wasn’t the only one enjoying their kiss.
“Yes, we need to know where you keep the pizza dough. We figured we’d throw some pizzas in the oven, especially since Bree’s here. Aren’t the leftovers from her pizzas what we always fight over?”
Jaden grinned. “Yeah, I’ll be right there. Give me a minute.”
Markov nodded and left them.
Jaden studied Kayla. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little subdued.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m just tired. I’m going to head home for a shower. Maybe I’ll feel better after that.”
“You want me to get Iri?” Jaden asked, aware Iri had chosen to stay with Kayla while they were back in Daxsos.
“No, let her have fun with the others. She needs to get to know them. I’ll be fine on my own. Okay if I take your ‘pod and you remote command it home?”
“Yes, but I can come with you if you like,” Jaden offered.
“Thanks, that’s sweet of you, but did you already forget they need to know where the pizza dough is?”
Jaden chuckled. “Okay, okay, I’ll let you go. Let me know when you get home.”
“Will do.” Kayla gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and made her escape.
Relieved, she sank into the plush interior of the ‘pod. She really needed some alone time. Setting the panel to her coordinates, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
Dank air assailed his nostrils as he entered the black depths. The icy temperature made him boost his body heat a little, but not too much. He couldn’t show the fires that burned within. Only the sound of dripping water marred the silence. A perfect place to meet this human. Thoughtfully, Zubiaba ran his finger across the wall, through the green trails of slime marking the water paths. Dried bones crunched underfoot, the remnants of long-dead victims. Rotting leaves, blown into the cave and trapped there, sent their putrid aroma his way, reminiscent of a tasty appetizer. Despite these pleasantries, Zubiaba hated the place. He wanted to be back in his own home.
But that home had been taken when Zareh and his troops had invaded. A fresh wave of fury ramped up his inner flame. He grinned devilishly, savoring the thought that they had neither captured him nor been able to lay their hands on his breaching device. Just as quickly, Zubiaba remembered the loss of the two sets of parents, and his thoughts soured again. He hadn’t expected that. It would be interesting, if not entertaining, to see what this girl, Tarise, had to say.
As if his thoughts had conjured her, she appeared at the entrance to the cave. Her nervousness was a balm to his bruised ego, but he couldn’t show her he relished her pain, her suffering. She would have to be convinced he was her benevolent benefactor.
“Greetings, Tarise,” Zubiaba purred. He stepped forward and took her hand, planting a gallant kiss before releasing it. He hid the smile at her shiver. Excellent! She was afraid.
“Hello,” Tarise stammered. “What should I call you?”
At least the girl had some sense. She wasn’t going to use the unmentionable name that creature Zareh had given him. “You may call me Zubiaba.” The meek way she ducked her head almost made him salivate. What would feasting on her flesh be like? But no, not yet. He had to establish her worth. “The offer you sent via one of my creations—or Gaptors as you call them—sounded intriguing. Why don’t you tell me more?”
Tarise straightened, and her eyes lighted with fervor. “I believe we can help each other.”
“What makes you think I need your help? Or anyone’s help for that matter.” Keeping his tone civil took effort. To her credit, the girl didn’t back down. If anything, she grew bolder the longer she stood there. Interesting. Her hatred made her resilient. She might be more useful than he’d thought.
Tarise smirked. “I can neutralize those missiles that destroy your Gaptors.”
That got Zubiaba’s attention. From his spies’ reports, the weapons were a problem. “And what makes you think you can do what my best engineers have been unable to?”
“Your best engineers aren’t geniuses,” Tarise said scornfully. “They also weren’t there when Sven designed the weapon. There is something he overlooked, a weakness that can be exploited.”
“Why should I give you anything for this information? I could just torture it out of you,” Zubiaba sneered.
“You could try.”
The girl’s total lack of terror made Zubiaba reconsider his options. If she was as intelligent as his reports claimed, she could have put a failsafe in place to prevent that. But what?
To his annoyance, the girl leered at him. “I bet you’re trying to figure out what I’ve done to protect myself. You can just keep guessing because I won’t tell you. But you will regret it if you try.”
Zubiaba wanted to throttle her right there and then. Watch her eyes bulge as he squeezed the life out of her. He tucked his arms tightly over his chest, struggling to restrain himself. Soon enough, he could linger over killing her. She would suffer for this. The thought comforted Zubiaba. “What is it you want?”
“Nothing that I think would be a burden for you. It might even help your cause.”
Would the girl continue to toy with him? She was digging her grave deeper by the second. “Are you going to make me beg?”
Tarise shook her head. “No, I’m not that foolish.”
Zubiaba relaxed. He hadn’t had to plead with anyone for over a millennia, and he didn’t plan on ever doing it again. Her wisdom had spared her an hour of suffering. Or at least half an hour.
“I want Kayla Melmique removed from the equation,” Tarise spat. “I want that girl gone. And I don’t care how
you do it. The sooner the better.”
“Anything else?” Zubiaba rasped, his usually mellifluous voice deserting him. Nettled by this slip, he cleared his throat. Had his lapse hinted this was something he already planned? Kayla was an infallible way to draw that wretched boy, Jaden, to Zubiaba now that the boy’s parents had slipped from his grasp. And Kayla’s parents were beyond his reach, having joined that rabble of Pallaton’s. Hopefully, his offer would derail any suspicions on Tarise’s part.
“No. But if it will help sweeten the deal, you might want to know that she has a birthmark in that ancient language that means ‘key.’ How’s that for useful?”
Zubiaba had spent years learning to school his expressions, both macro and micro, into a mask of indifference, but this revelation almost ripped the mask clean off. He knew Kayla was somehow needed to complete this diversion Zareh devised—but he hadn’t known how or why. His mind ran rampant with possibilities. Zubiaba finally settled on the one that suited him. The girl herself might be the key if the mark was on her body. Either way, he couldn’t dispose of her, not until he had the Gatekeeper too.
“I will take Kayla ‘out of the equation’ as you requested. For your part, you will disable those missiles the Armorer has developed?”
“I’ll do my part if you do yours.”
Did she know how easily he could reach out and snap that skinny little neck of hers? Her attitude was more than unacceptable. She needed to be punished. Now. His pride would not let him wait. “If we have a deal, then let us shake hands on it.”
Tarise stepped forward without hesitation and extended her hand. “We have a deal.”
Grinning maliciously, Zubiaba took her hand in his own. He had been waiting for her to say those words. Now he would seal the bargain irrevocably. He was gratified when the pain registered on her face. The smell of her burning flesh where their hands met was heady, and her agony was invigorating.
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