Ryder pushed open the door, and we entered a beautifully warm room. It was carpeted in a deep moss. Trinium lamps in vibrantly designed glass shades warmly lit the chamber, along with an overhead light that was too brilliant to stare at. Being that we seemed to be deep underground, a lot of light was needed.
A few small desks were housed in natural nooks and corners of the room but were currently empty. Most impressive was the large, imposing desk with family pictures framed and displayed proudly at the front, facing outward. I felt energy pulling me in that direction, which was weird because no one was there, but I ignored it, not knowing what the hell was about to happen. All this energy stuff was still new to me. I didn’t know where it was actually coming from, and I didn’t know what to do with it.
Just in front of the desk was a large, round conference table. Both pieces of furniture were built in beautifully gleaming dark wood. It was the kind of room that, if it were aboveground, would be in a setting like Oxford University.
I could feel myself going pale, sort of shrinking from the wealth and privilege that was before me. I was out of my league. Deep under water. I found myself playing with my charm bracelet, seeking strength. Why in the world would Ryder be interested in little old trailer-park me?
It didn’t help that, though polite, the dozen or so people crowding the office were distinctly chilly. Not a one of them cracked a smile in my direction, which only worked to further alienate me. They didn’t even see me.
I tried to remember what Cynthia had told me, which was that these folks had been in office for twenty years or more, so they’d seen a lot of pain and anguish in their people’s lives due to outsiders. Still, I had to actively do my best not to feel hurt, which wasn’t really working.
I tried to stay out of the way, by the door, but Ryder spotted me and pulled me toward an attractive older woman who looked chic with her mahogany hair in a bob. She was wearing a linen-and-silk version of what I was wearing.
“Mom, I want you to meet Taylor. Taylor, this is my mother, Counsel Judiciate Miara Langston.” Her pale green eyes, which I saw as she glanced at me somewhat sharply and analytically, were a mirror of Ryder’s. Those alone could have told me she was his mother.
She held out a hand to me professionally. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I replied, and I shook her hand firmly. There wasn’t time for any other small talk, which was a relief to my nerves, as everyone was called to the conference table.
“Have a seat, and let’s all introduce ourselves to the newcomer,” commanded a voice from the table.
As Ryder led me to a seat at the table, I knew I would have recognized his father in a lineup. He was tall and broad, like Ryder, with deep, blue-black hair, though his had a few streaks of gray at the temples. He was also a bit more filled out with age, had a few more lines, and had bright blue eyes, but his deep voice and compelling gaze were the same.
His brow knitted, and he looked me over with a hawklike stare before turning his look on Ryder. In a cold voice, he remarked, “I see you dressed for the occasion.”
“Always,” Ryder responded with much the same tone.
“Earth seems to be rubbing off on you.”
“I hope so.”
They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills that made me, and everyone else at the table, uneasy. What was wrong with Earth, by the way?
After that, it was time for business.
Once everyone was seated, introductions were made. Because my brain scrambles when I’m feeling stressed, I immediately forgot all their names except for Ryder’s father’s. He was Talon, senior representative of the province Milak and the nation, Sunan.
Talk about stress. I was on overwhelm with all eyes on me, feeling like I was the freak show of the room. Looking around the table of representatives, I saw there might have been one or two faces that were neutral, but most were eyeing me with downright suspicious looks, which was really hard to accept. Besides that, being the center of attention was not my thing, particularly when I felt like I was being analyzed, judged and found lacking.
Recognizing their treatment of me was helpful, though. It got my inner bitch to wake up. I don’t cower for long, and the badass in my head suddenly smacked me hard.
Screw these people. They can kiss your ass. They should kiss your ass, because you’re the reason they aren’t mourning the deaths of hundreds. They should be smiling at you, thanking you, warmly shaking your hand and grateful that their marketplace didn’t become the site of a new memorial. I took a deep breath and coolly looked everyone squarely in the eye. I had nothing to be ashamed of. They were the ones lacking in manners.
I felt triumphant when Ryder’s mother gave me a small smile of approval.
Still, I appreciated it when Ryder’s hand found its way to my thigh under the table, which also gave me a hit of warmth. I squeezed his hand gently in thanks.
Not so strangely, Ryder’s mother seemed to pick up on our body language and continued looking between us searchingly, as though she suspected there was something going on. I flushed guiltily, knowing exactly what was between us. Her green eyes widened slightly, as though she’d just had her thoughts confirmed, and I looked away quickly.
If I clicked my heels three times and said home, home, home, would I find myself there?
“Images of the marketplace have been compiled,” Talon told the group. “The purpose of this meeting is to review the images and clarify any questions we might have over the incident. It will allow us to better evaluate the case and make necessary decisions.”
There were nods of assent all around.
At first, it all went smoothly.
The cool, 3-D imaging technology came out of a small metallic box, of which each corner was made of glass. Four different projections allowed everyone to watch from their own angles as Cynthia and I walked down the aisle of vendors toward the transfer location. The images, which were voice controlled, were stopped along the way numerous times. There were a number of questions about how I was able to pick up on the emotions, being a newcomer, when no one else in the marketplace had noticed anything. How was it that I could bypass mental shields, which everyone agreed were impossible to pass through. Did I believe I was more gifted than the rest of the people of Sunan in mind reading and perception?
The questions were borderline hostile, and I could feel Ryder tensing. Not knowing what he would do, I tried an experiment. I tried to hold my shield, but I sent him a reassuring mental blip, letting him know I was okay. That may or may not have been the reason he kept his seat. It didn’t stop his anger though, especially toward his father. His eyes kept finding the man seated almost directly across from us, his jaw clenched.
I kept explaining to the best of my abilities that I didn’t know what anyone else could do. I only knew that in that moment I was able to locate the two terrorists, though it had taken a lot of effort and concentration.
“Cynthia, did you feel the energy that Taylor is speaking of?” Miara asked her.
“Only after she was able to find the general location of where it was coming from, and only in small quantity.” Cynthia had gone quiet over the course of the questioning. Her toffee eyes were like round saucers, telling me that she hadn’t expected this meeting to go quite this way. “The truth is, she is very powerful. She was able to tap into what they were thinking despite their shields, something I couldn’t do.”
“Is that right? Can you bypass shields?” One of the other representatives was looking at me, aghast.
Ah. So it was my abilities that made me suspect.
“Not all the time. In that moment, a hit of power seemed to boost me, and I don’t know where it came from.” I shook my head to show my own befuddlement over it all. “For some reason, in the heat of the moment, I could see the bomb in my mind. They wanted to plan
t the bomb right next to the transfer units and transfer out before the bomb went off.”
A few gasps sounded around the table, along with murmurings about how mylunate from the transfer area would have created an explosion several times more lethal. No one would have survived.
I continued delivering my information. “The smaller one, the one that got away, was actually feeling horrified and coerced into doing what he was doing. He was holding the bag with the bomb in it over his shoulder, and both he and the large one were arming the bomb.”
Miara frowned her concern. “So what happened next?”
“I just knew that there was no time. Somehow it came to me. They were going to do this horrible thing, and only I knew about it. Then the smaller one said...” I closed my eyes to better remember. “The smaller one said that the marketplace would be our tomb. The larger one, though, he was out for blood. He felt a personal stake in this. He wanted revenge for a terrible wrong he felt was done to him by your people.”
“We wronged him?” one of the others sputtered. “That’s rich.”
“We lost close to a thousand in their attack twenty-five years ago,” one of the more elderly council members protested.
“Animals!”
“Subhumans.”
A general din of disapproving statements, comments and exchanges filled the room until Talon held a hand up for silence.
“Let’s finish watching images before we decide on the punishment for the Brausiian warrior.”
Punishment? Was this like...a trial?
The images played on, capturing my attention again. There were a few horrified gasps from the round table as I ran at the hooded pair, throwing my shoes. I had the grace to roll my eyes at my own actions, though there hadn’t been anything else I could have done in the moment. I hadn’t exactly had the luxury of time. I smirked and happened to glance at Ryder, which was a mistake. He had a dangerous look on his face. He was not amused. Well, if he didn’t like that, he was definitely not going to like the next part. Wait for it...
The Brausiian warrior unleashed his roar of fury as his partner escaped and began his mad rush at me with his knife drawn. I heard Ryder’s sharp intake of breath, and his hand tensed on my thigh. I tried to rub it soothingly, reminding him that I was here and okay, but he wasn’t eased. The warrior’s crushing embrace, where he was yelling at me to transfer him, only lasted a few seconds. Then the warrior collapsed in anguish, and I fell into a deep slumber. End of images. Another barrage of questions began.
“What did he want?” a representative near me asked.
“He wanted me to help him escape.”
“And you resisted,” a representative on Ryder’s other side stated with some awe. I decided to omit that my resistance was less by choice than by lack of knowledge. Who knows what I would have done if I’d actually had the knowledge. He was a scary guy.
“What did you do? Why did he let go?” Talon turned to me speculatively.
“It’s hard to explain.” I looked at Ryder, who seemed shaken by the images he’d just seen. This was clearly his first time viewing them. “I sort of went Rocky Balboa on the guy. The warrior’s mind was mostly open to me, like he was new at shielding and forgot to do it. I just imagined a hurtful power, allowed it to build strength, and bombed on him mentally. I thought of a huge fist delivering a powerful left hook.”
“This isn’t new. We just never found it to be effective,” one of the other members said.
“It appears to be highly effective,” Talon responded, eyeing the still again. “This small woman was able to bring down one of the warriors.”
I decided not to mention that burst of power I was given from somewhere again, because I just didn’t want to have more questions that I couldn’t answer, which would bring more suspicion down on me. So I remained silent and let the council speak among themselves.
The general consensus was that this did appear to be effective, and following that, there needed to be experimentation done to see where they’d gone wrong in the past.
“She’s slight and was capable of bringing down the warrior without bloodshed.”
“More study of this must be done. It’s effective in the short run, but look. She became immediately incapacitated.”
“Perhaps we can experiment. It might become a weapon of choice if we can increase the lethal force and control for the effects.”
“Of course he’ll be executed, but perhaps first we could experiment on him?”
What? Executed? Is there not going to be a trial? I’d felt the pain the Brausiian was in, the grief and fury over what he’d perceived as being done to him. Would he get no say? Didn’t he deserve his day in court? To defend himself? He wasn’t evil, and he hadn’t succeeded in his attempt. Didn’t he deserve, like, a prison sentence or something?
“Let us reconvene for our final decision during the morning session,” Talon interrupted. “If there are no further questions, let us adjourn.”
Immediately, the representatives began making their way out of the room, a few of them coming over to shake my hand formally and wish me well, which was better than the suspicious sideways glances I’d received earlier.
“We’ll see you later.” Cynthia gave me a quick hug, following behind the last of the representatives. “I promised my mother I’d have lunch with her.”
“All right.”
“You’re okay?” She arched a delicate eyebrow.
“Good, fine.” I pushed a quick smile at her, not letting her see the inner turmoil I was feeling. She left with Nick, who shook hands with Ryder and gave me a measured nod. He seemed to have developed a grudging respect for me and my badassness. Then we were on our own. Ryder’s parents had made their way to the magnificent desk deeper in the room and seemed to be discussing a file.
“If you even consider doing something like that again, I’ll lock you up myself,” Ryder growled quietly, for my ears only. There was a tremor to his muscles, as though he was barely containing his emotions.
“All’s well that ends well,” I snapped, and I pulled my arm out of his grasp.
“What’s your problem?” He scowled, looking thoroughly pissed off.
He was about to have company with that emotion.
Chapter Fifteen
“What the hell was all this about?” I motioned toward the now-empty table.
“It was a briefing. Most of the evidence was captured in images, which is why our public areas are under surveillance.”
“So a person accused never has a chance to speak, if their actions were caught on tape?”
“Exactly. Their actions speak for themselves.”
“So the guy has no chance?” Horror made my voice shake.
“A chance for what?” The look of incredulity on Ryder’s face said it all.
“Are you kidding me? What kind of place is this?” I couldn’t help that my voice hiked. I was aghast. “He doesn’t get a chance to defend himself?”
“What’s the problem?” Talon’s voice reared up from behind his desk.
I paused a moment, my mind debating in the space of seconds whether to say anything, and I knew that even if it meant cutting my own throat, I needed to. This was a man’s life at stake, and I had had a hand in this sentence. “I was told you were a just society, but then you deny someone their day in court? Doesn’t the warrior get the chance to defend himself?”
“Were any of you in the marketplace going to be given a chance to defend yourselves?” Ryder answered. “His bomb was going to level the marketplace. His knife was ready to eviscerate you.”
“But he didn’t actually do anything, and you don’t know that he was going to follow through with it. I felt him! I was in his mind! He wasn’t a monster. He was betrayed. Something horrific happened to him that he believed was caused by your people! Don�
�t you think that’s worth questioning?”
“He was going to fucking kill you, Taylor! The son of a bitch is lucky he’s in lockup, because given the chance, I’d tear his goddamn heart out. Don’t you dare defend him to me.”
“Ryder, calm yourself,” his mother snapped, her eyes narrowing on him. “There’s no reason to speak this way to Taylor. She is not from here. She doesn’t understand.”
“Who is she to you?” Talon demanded of Ryder while looking at me.
“Not your concern,” Ryder returned tightly, partly, I imagine, because he still hadn’t recovered from seeing me attacked by the large Brausiian warrior in the images, and partly because it was his father who’d asked.
“Everything that happens in Sunan is my concern.” His father raised his voice angrily and stepped out from around his desk to approach. “Haven’t you done enough? When do you start listening to those around you? When do you become accountable?”
“Talon, not now,” Miara warned, following her husband.
“Yes, now! He makes poor choices, and we all suffer for them!”
“We all thought she was lovely. She had us all fooled,” Miara countered. “You can’t hold that against him or you have to hold it against us all.”
Was this an ex-girlfriend they were talking about? And was I now being lumped into the same pile as her? The one labeled Bad Choices? The pain of that pierced my heart with a hot blade. The idea that I wasn’t good enough for Ryder wasn’t a new one to me, but it wasn’t one I thought would have been said to me in an outright manner. The familiar feeling of shame, like I was wearing whore’s clothes in the castle, hung over my head. It made me pale with a sense of disappointment so deep, I thought I’d never climb out of the darkness of it.
“I can blame him for refusing to allow proper punishment. She was found in your office, among your files. She deserved imprisonment!”
“It’s time to let that go, Talon.”
Quicksilver Dreams (Dreamwalkers) Page 30