I joined him and picked up speed as we let our horses have their heads. “I love this place,” I yelled into the wind as we raced.
“Me too,” he shouted.
We rode, our surroundings still beautiful in spite of the harsh drought.
Brilliant colors shimmered around us, red the predominant, with the dusty landscape broken by the towering gum trees. Beyond the rocky hills, the ridge rose steeply to meet the rich blue of the sky. The sight enthralled, because the Ledge was like a slab of stone appearing out of nowhere.
An hour passed and we neared our destination. What must Donaldo be thinking with Saunder’s father now returned? He would have heard and I should have asked one of the warriors, only with all I’d been through, I’d forgotten.
“Hey, Maslin, what happened with Tawson Rivera?”
“Lieska took him to Dralion when he woke. She informed Donaldo she’d found him in Peacio, making up quite the tale. Tawson was groggy and unresponsive, his recollection of those hours before and after he woke hazy. Saunder’s with him, and as far as I’ve heard, Lieska’s word stands.”
Hmm, Silas should know what had occurred since I’d left him.
Telepathy.
Trust between mates was a given, and those who had the telepathic skill always connected in order to maintain closer contact. I only hoped with him being a protector, I still had that level of trust to create the threaded link.
Focusing directly on him, I sent out the call. “Silas. Please hear me.”
The horse underneath me pounded across the hard-packed earth.
No word from Silas, not a flicker.
“Answer me, please. We need to talk.”
“Hope?” His voice was a stunned whisper.
I grabbed hold of the link and locked it down. “Oh my, guess what?”
“Hell, you have telepathy. Brilliant. Wait there. I’ve been detained. It took a while to find Carlisio, but I’ve finished speaking with him.”
“Um, I’m not in Peacio. Alexo collected me when he saw I fast-healed.”
“What?” His voice rebounded around inside my head. “Damn it. I leave and he comes and takes you. Where are you? Your bedroom?”
“No, I’m out riding.”
“Where?”
“On my horse.”
“Don’t be smart.”
I groaned. “I’m with Maslin and I doubt the two of you would get along.”
“Where are you riding to? You and I shouldn’t be separated right now. We spoke about this.”
My saddlebags held a meal, one he wasn’t invited to. “Ah, none of your business.” I didn’t need him turning up, not that he had the image for the Ledge to ’port to.
A furious snort traveled down our link. “I’ll kill him if–”
I snapped it shut, blocking him from reconnecting. Laying out the groundwork was important. He couldn’t tell me what to do.
Gripping the reins, I shoved all thought of him aside and soaked in the beauty of tumbleweeds blowing across the land.
Running my hands down the gelding’s sweaty neck, I settled lower. The ride lengthened, and we passed several half-dried watering holes before Maslin angled off toward the one we’d aptly named the Rocky Ledge. The Ledge’s watering hole descended deep inside a rock-strewn basin, one the cattle found impossible to reach. This hole held the most water of all of them.
As we drew up to the side, we slowed our mounts. I slid my leg over the saddle and jumped to the ground.
Maslin took my horse’s reins, slung them over a low branch and tethered our rides to the same tree. He grabbed the supplies from his saddlebags and mine and inclined his head toward the rocks which rimmed the basin. “We’ll eat down by the water.”
“Sounds good.”
He looped a blanket over his arm and led the way.
I followed over the rough boulders, scrambling in some places until we reached the heart of the watering hole. This was one of my favorite locations, an oasis with towering trees along the perimeter offering delectable shade. The water invited one to swim, and the soft patch of green grass to sit.
Maslin flapped out the gray saddle blanket and spread it over the ground. He dropped his pack, lay down and clasped his hands behind his head. “I love this spot. It’s so peaceful.”
“Thanks for thinking of this.” The outback had many secrets, and this location was one of them. I plopped down and settled on my back with my ankles crossed. I peered through the dappled leaves above. Blue sky dominated, with not even a wisp of cloud in sight. So serene.
“I understand you need to mind-merge with Carver every third day.”
“For five minutes when I do.” I rolled to my side and leaned toward him on one elbow. “I didn’t know this would happen with Silas. Although he and I should take things slow. There are too many factors for me not to make that call.”
“The slower, the better,” he added.
I wanted to be honest with Maslin. “With the mind-merge I saw what Silas desired, and it’s not to have his enemy as his mate.”
“He should want one of his own.”
“I need to keep an open mind, but being here reminds me of the world of difference between him and me. I spend half my life here, and the other half in Dralion. I’d have to find a way to factor Peacio into it, and I’m not sure I can do that.”
“I don’t envy the position you’re in, only, do not eliminate me from the equation.” He passed me a flask of water, one of the cut sandwiches and some fresh fruit. “Now, no more talk of him when I’d like to talk to you about my grandparents.”
“I’d like that as well. It’s your father’s parents who are from No-Man’s Land, right?”
“Yes. For my father’s efforts with the warriors many years ago, he accepted the relocation they offered him to Dralion. My grandparents though, still live in the Sol compound, and one of the benefits of serving as a warrior is gaining access out. I travel to No-Man’s Land whenever it’s possible, although our relationship is new and I’m still getting to know them.”
“It must be awful for your family, particularly with your father losing contact with his own parents.” I unwrapped then bit into one of the sandwiches he’d brought.
“It’s difficult, but we’re immensely grateful I can visit and take home news to my family. I’d like to take you to the compound. And now I know of your mind-merge, I’ve had niggling thoughts. I’ve heard a little about it, or at least I’m sure I have.”
“Oh my goodness. You might have heard of mind-merge? No way.”
“Only a touch, because I’ve not paid a great deal of attention, and my trips to No-Man’s Land have been about meeting my family and rebuilding lost bonds. I didn’t want to excite you too soon if I wasn’t correct.”
I jiggled about, unable to sit still. “Tell me more. Don’t miss a thing.”
“When Goldie told us everything, it seemed too much of a coincidence. I’ve heard the odd bits and pieces about the merging of one’s mind to another’s from within the Sol compound. We should investigate.”
I bounded to my feet and skipped in a circle. “No-Man’s Land experiences the disruption of the energy field.” How had I not paid more attention to the fact Dad lost sight of me for a few days? I had to be in the dark for that to happen, or of course, in a gray area. The only gray area was within No-Man’s Land near the border to Dralion where one’s skills faded in and out because of the dome’s energy field so close by. I reached down and grabbed Maslin by the hands. “We have to go. Now.”
He squeezed my fingers. “We may find your Sol ancestry is linked to mine. I’ve always felt certain ties binding us, and we could be remotely blood-bonded through familial ties. It would make sense.”
Our friendship had always been a given, and a blood-bond would certainly have aided in that. “How many Sols live within this compound?”
“A few hundred, but the compound moves as each season changes. The gravitational pull on the planet causes the gray area to fluctuate, but
the tribe is never more than thirty miles from the old stone church’s base. They’ve been there for three months, and they’re not due to move until the next full moon.”
Because of such a seasonal fluctuation, and if some of the Sols held mind-merge as I did, then they surely couldn’t be without their skill. “The full moon is tomorrow night. We need to go before they move.”
“Yes, or it’ll take longer to locate them if we hold off. Let me contact Goldie and let her know what we’re doing.” He was silent, and then shook his head. “She’s not answering. I’ll inform Guy instead. He knows the location of the stone church. I’ve taken him there once or twice.” He paced away then returned with a grin. “We can go. Guy said he’ll collect the horses from here for us. Are you ready?”
“Like, yesterday.” We were leaving, now, for the Sol compound. I couldn’t wait. Only, Dad had said he would lose sight of me for a few days. Had the fluctuation in the gray area come early?
Maslin ’ported us.
Damn, too late.
We had arrived.
Chapter 5
“I’m an idiot.” I uttered the words to Maslin as my boots sank into coarse orange sand. Lifting my arms to hold my balance, I blinked against the added brightness after the pitch-black of his teleportation. My feet had settled an inch down, and everywhere a lifeless sea of sand spread out. “They’ve moved.”
Twisting around, I found the old stone church Maslin had spoken about. Oh, it looked nothing like a church. Squat, square, and constructed of thick slabs of orange stone, it held a flat roof made of the same. It blended in with the desert sands.
I opened my telepathic link with Goldie, but found nothing. We’d arrived, and our skills were useless. Getting here was easy. Leaving was not.
I tried Silas too, but no response.
Oh boy, not good.
Now I was here, I didn’t like the idea of being without him for the next few days.
I slapped my thighs. “I am too impulsive.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think, but the tribe never travels more than thirty miles from this base. Don’t worry. We’ll sort this. We can walk thirty miles. It should only take a day.”
“Grrreat.”
“Hey, we always have supplies at this church. This is nothing we can’t deal with.”
“I’d rather you be able to ’port.” I looked at the sand-hills surrounding us, at the bare expanse of desert. No signs of civilization. Talk about a dummy.
With his hand on the front door knob of the church, Maslin shoved his shoulder into it. The dark wood scraped open over the sand gathered underneath its bottom edge. I gritted my teeth. “Yuck. It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard. How old is this place?”
“The church has stood for hundreds of years. It’s said in the beginning members of the Sol clan were married here, which was how it came by its name. Although now it’s primarily used as a storage location and teleportation point during the season, the Sols set up camp here. We’ll go inside and find out where the caravan has moved to.”
I followed him into the windowless interior where it was cooler compared to the heat outside.
Oil lamps hung near the door, and Maslin lit one and passed it to me. “Watch your step.”
Six wooden pews were stacked one on top of the other at the far end. In front of them, several mattresses had been piled in a wonky arrangement, and to the side, wooden storage crates abounded. “This feels like a bunker, except it’s not underground.”
“Yeah, that gear is stowed here for when the worst of the sandstorms blow in. There’ll be plenty of dried food and clean clothing in the crates. The tribe only takes what’s necessary since their teleporters can renew supplies once they set up their new camp.”
I rubbed my arms. The walls flickered orange in the lamplight and the flooring was made of the same stone, but blasted smooth. Such solid construction.
Maslin lit another lamp and held it high near the wall next to him. He tapped a chart tacked to it. “Check this out. They’ve moved due west of here, closer to the Peacian border. If we head out first thing in the morning then we’ll get there by nightfall.”
“Okay, that’ll be two days away from Silas. I can handle that. So, we should set up for the night?”
“Yes. The sun sets here at five and rises in the morning at the same time. We should pull some of those mattresses over to sleep on, check through the supplies and pack a bag to take.”
“What will happen once we get to the compound?”
“I’ll have the image and coordinates needed for teleporting. At that point, you can speak to the Sols with ease because I’ll be able to ’port you as you wish.”
“I can’t wait.” Yet I had to for another day. That sucked.
“I’ll get you to Carver so you can mind-merge in plenty of time. No harm will ever come to you in my care.”
Silas. I wished he were here. I was an independent woman, but merging my mind with his had increased my dependency on him. Not that great.
“I meant what I said. Nothing bad ever.”
The depth of Maslin’s vow had me barely holding back tears. I trusted him. “I know you won’t.”
“There’s nothing we can’t deal with. I’ve promised to look after you, and I always keep my–”
The sharp clang of steel on steel beyond the door had me swinging around. My heart pumped faster. What the...
Swords? What was going on?
Maslin stepped in front of me, obliterating my view of the door as he withdrew a short dagger from a sheath along the inside of his arm. He passed me his oil lamp. “Stay here,” he whispered, and slunk to the side of the door.
“Damn it, Carver. Stop fighting with Guy. I had him bring us here, as you demanded. And you, Loveria, let go of me. My arms are killing me, pinned to my back.”
It was Goldie. Guy had brought her? Silas and Loveria were here too?
I slid in beside Maslin and set the lamps on the floor.
Silas stood in a fighter’s position, his sword raised against Guy’s. This was unexpected.
“Your enchanter drew his sword on Silas first.” Loveria had Goldie restrained to one side. He continued, “I’ll let you go, Wincrest, when Moyer lowers his weapon. We both agreed to no blood being spilt while we searched for Silas’s mate.”
“Hope isn’t lost, you dimwit.” Goldie cranked her head around and glared at him. “Maslin told Guy he was bringing her here. Here is where they’ll be.”
Silas shot Loveria a quick look. “There’s no tribe here as they said there would be. They lied.”
“Warriors do not lie.” I stepped into the doorway.
Goldie harrumphed. “See, I told you she’d be here. Let go, you imbecile.”
Loveria pushed her away and wiped his hands on his buff leather pants. “Gladly.”
“Are you hurt?” Silas’s gaze moved over me.
“No. I’m among my own, remember?”
Guy pounced on him and Silas heaved to the side, barely bringing his blade up in time to deflect the attack.
I wagged my finger at him. “My mate, you need to be more worried about yourself. And, Guy, if you draw blood and he can’t walk, you’ll carry him out of here.”
“I’m not carrying him.” Guy tapped the flat of his blade. “Damn, you being bound to a protector is all kinds of wrong.”
Silas grumbled as he joined Loveria. “Hope, come here.”
I leaned a hip against the doorway. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
He glared. “Get. Here. Now.”
I crossed my arms. “No. I’m. Good. Thanks.”
“You cut me off during our telepathic connection.”
“Tough. Sometimes I get moody when someone says they are going to kill someone else. Who I know.”
“What do you expect me to say? You told me you were with him.” He shot a daggered look at Maslin.
“Puh-lease.” Goldie let out the mother of all sighs. “As much as I want to hear you two fight, we’re losing day
light. I gather we’re sleeping here.” She clamped one hand on Maslin and the other on Guy, hauling them past me.
Silas advanced. “I promised your aunt no blood would be shed if Moyer brought us here, but if I see Sol even breathe on you, all deals are off.”
I looked into his eyes and the truth blazed back at me. “Maslin knows you’re my mate. I made that clear, not that you and I are fully committed to each other.”
“Trust me, we’re committed.” He pulled me to him and bent his head. “You are a difficult mate, disappearing constantly from my sight. I couldn’t focus on my work with the way you left.”
“Too bad. I can’t teleport, so I’m at the whim of others.”
His lips brushed my cheek. “I–” His lashes fluttered down as he drew in a haggard breath.
“You?”
His mouth came down on mine, his kiss taking my breath away.
I held onto the rear loop of his black jeans. Wow, my mate could kiss like there was no tomorrow.
Oh yes, he felt so good this close. Such a sensory overload. If only I could merge my mind with his...
A small sigh escaped me. What was I doing? I didn’t need him thinking he had to watch over me every second of every day. I had a life, so separate from his.
A low groan rumbled from him. “This is not the place, or the time.”
“My thoughts exactly, and we’ve a thirty mile walk ahead of us tomorrow so we can reach the new Sol compound. That’s why Maslin brought me. He’s heard of my skill of mind-merge and believes we’ll find answers there. This could be where Katerin Sol’s family came from.”
“I never considered No-Man’s Land as where Katerin Sol’s ancestry might come from. There are so few who live here, and this desert isn’t a part of Dralion or Peacio. Is Sol certain he’s heard of mind-merge from within this clan?”
“He’s heard the odd bits and pieces, although his trips here have been more about meeting his family and rebuilding lost bonds. Maslin’s grandparents remained here forty years ago when the dome was created, but his father took the opportunity to relocate to Dralion when it was offered. We must have had tight ties with No-Man’s Land back then.”
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