Sun Touched (Diamara Book 1)

by J. C. Hart

  Decision made, Madea stood and stretched out her muscles. She would go to Rickard's and get Jaxon back, and then she would find her way to the tunnels and tell Tahra about Garrett.

  All she could hope was that Garrett would forgive her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  There were no lights on at Rickard's by the time Madea got there. She waited outside the building, trying to find a sign of life. After half an hour one light came on briefly and she could see Rickard's silhouette in the kitchen window. She stood and stretched her muscles, then moved through the shadows to the back door.

  She closed it quietly behind her and stood in silence, listening for any sign of where they might be. She was so close to Jaxon, so close now and if Rickard had done anything to him there would be no stopping her from exacting a quick and painful revenge.

  "Who's there?" Rickard's voice echoed down the hallway. "I know someone came in. Show yourself now or I'll call the Enforcers." He flicked on the light and Madea stepped out into the middle of the passage.

  "Madea?" Confusion passed across his face, as well as fear and grief. "What are you doing here?"

  "I came for Jaxon," she said, her voice firm and clear. "Where is he?"

  "He's sleeping." Rickard moved towards her but stopped, leaving a few feet between them. "I've spoken to your father. He's worried about you." His voice was quiet, and he seemed guarded, as though he expected her to attack him or something.

  "I bet he is." She snorted. "Look, Rickard, I'm not mad. Okay? I promise. You've known me most of my life. Look me in the eyes and tell me you think I'm crazy." She let her hands fall to her sides and stood there, defenceless before him. He approached, one reserved step at a time, his eyes locked on hers, the lines in his face relaxing.

  "Okay, so you don't look crazy." He frowned. "But if you're not Touched, what happened? Sarai said you took off, asked her to look after Jaxon and that your father was fuming. And then they took you to the Hollowing chair."

  "It's a long story. One I don't have time to go into right now. I need to see Jaxon, and then we need to talk."

  "Come on." He led her up the hall to his room. He opened the door and let her poke her head in. The boy was fast asleep, his hands tucked up under his chin. It was all she could do to restrain herself from going to him then and taking him in her arms. They ached to hold his small frame.

  Rickard tugged at her shirt and she moved away, letting him close the door. "Thank you," she said, her voice husky with emotion.

  "Come on. I'll make you a coffee. You look like you could do with one."

  They moved into the kitchen and she leaned against the bench. The feel of it under her arms was too familiar, felt too much like Garrett's so she pushed off and crossed them over her chest.

  "What do we need to talk about?" Rickard asked as he prepared the coffee.

  "I've learned some things since I've been gone," she began. "I know that you're Jaxon's father."

  Silence hung between them for a few moments. Rickard poured milk into their cups and stirred.

  "Well," he said.

  Her heart stopped for a beat. "How could you do that to his mother?"

  "What?" Confusion spread across his face.

  "You went to Father, didn't you? You told him about your illegitimate child and he helped you tidy away the problem."

  "What? No. How could you think that? I didn't have anything to do with that. In fact it wasn't until I saw him at your house that I knew for sure he was mine. He looks like me. Don't you think?" There was a gleam of something in his eyes, something she hadn't expected. Was it pride?

  "He does, a little. I wasn't looking for it before, but you're right." She eyed him warily, still thrown by his confession.

  "How could you think that I would do that to him? Take his mother away?"

  "It was the only thing that made sense. You're his father, you were ashamed—"

  "If I had known... Yes, I was reckless in my youth, but it wasn't his fault. It wasn't even hers..." Rickard sighed and scrubbed his chin with a hand.

  Madea swallowed, the images of Janae and Rickard springing into her mind in full colour. She blushed, thinking of the passion he had shared with her, wondering whether he shared the same passion with her sister.

  "Yes. I spoke with him. I heard that Janae had a child, but I wasn't sure it was mine. I was worried that Sarai would find out and cancel our marriage. But I never thought he would do something about it. I never thought he would move so quickly." He slammed the palm of his hand against the bench. "You believe me, don't you?" he pleaded.

  "I don't know what to believe." She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. He pushed a mug of coffee across the bench towards her, as if just remembering. "Thanks."

  "So why are you here? Other than to make wild accusations at me," he said wryly.

  "I need Jaxon. I made a promise to him, and I intend to keep it."

  "He's my son. You can't take him away now."

  "You've only just met him, and I made him a promise. Besides, he's not safe here. How long do you think it will be before Sarai lets slip that you have a child living with you and Father comes to collect the boy? Have you come clean to her yet about who he is?"

  "No, I haven't." Rickard glared at his mug of coffee. "He's my son."

  "And he's not safe." Madea moved into the kitchen and put her hands on his shoulders. "If you really care, then you need to let me take him somewhere safe. You saw what Father did to the boy’s grandfather. Do you think he'll leave Jaxon just because he's a child? That man will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

  "You don't think I can protect him?" Rickard scowled.

  "I think that I can protect him better." They stared at each other, then she relaxed her shoulders. "You care about him?"

  "I do. I thought it would be years before I was a father, thought I wasn't ready, but when I saw him, when I got to know him...how could I not feel something? He's a great kid." He tugged on his earlobe, a sign that he was trying to think the whole thing through.

  "If you care, then you must know that it's best he's safe. I can take him somewhere, protect him from my father. After this has all blown over, I promise that we'll work something out."

  He pursed his lips, then licked them. "For all I know this is some craziness brought on by exposure."

  "You can't honestly believe this was mere coincidence, all the things that have happened."

  "I—"

  "You're over-thinking it. This is the best we can do for him. I need to make sure he's safe."

  "Okay." Rickard exhaled heavily.

  "Great." She beamed at him as she patted her pocket for the needle she had picked up from her unit. "Did you bring any of his things?"

  "I'll get them." He moved ahead of her, back into the hallway and she took the opportunity to take the cap off the needle and slide it into his neck. He slumped to the floor, face drenched in confusion.

  "I'm sorry. I know you were going to let me take him, but I needed to make sure you wouldn't follow me. I can't have you knowing where he is, or he won't really be safe." She bent down and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I really am sorry. I'll call Sarai and tell her to come and take care of you. You'll be fine. Honest." She bit her lip, trying to decide whether to get him a blanket or something. His eyes were drifting shut, so she pulled him flat on the floor so that he didn't wake with a kink in his neck. If there had been another way to be sure he wouldn't follow...

  She made her way to the room. Jaxon stirred as she sat down on the bed beside him. "Hey, Jaxon, it's me, Madea."

  "Are you real?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

  "Yes, I'm real." She grinned and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into her embrace. "I'm sorry I had to leave without saying anything. Someone was trying to hurt me, and I didn't want them to find out about you."

  "Are they still trying?"

  "They are. We need to go somewhere safe, so that they can't get either of us. Rickard said it's all right.
We'll see him a little while."

  "Okay. Can I say bye?"

  "No, he's having a nap right now. We'll see him soon though, okay?"

  "Okay."

  Madea grabbed his bag, pulling out some dark clothing. Once he was dressed, she grasped his hand and they moved towards the back door, where she sent a message to Sarai before slipping out into the street.

  It wasn't long before Jaxon's pace decreased, so Madea scooped him up and did her best to carry him the rest of the way. It was slow and uncomfortable, but the sound of his soft snores near her ear made his weight easier to bear. By the time they made it to the shelter of the church, sunlight was beginning to filter in through the dome. Madea closed the door on that world, trying hard not to think about Garrett, and what her father might be doing to him, as she headed back to the tunnels beneath the surface.

  "Where are we?" Jaxon murmured once she had closed the hatch behind them.

  "Somewhere safe, where no one can hurt you." She glanced around, then headed toward where she thought her room was. After a few wrong turns, she found a familiar corridor, and pushed into her living space, closing the door behind her. She led Jaxon through to the bedroom and tucked him into the bed. "I think you should get a little more sleep." She stifled a yawn of her own as he nodded. "I've got to go and tell someone that I'm back, but I won't be long. If I'm not here, stay in the room. Okay?"

  "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" His eyes were wide and guilt that she was even thinking about abandoning him again so soon drew her down onto the bed beside him.

  "Of course I can." She smiled and draped an arm over his small frame.

  "Thanks," he said, yawning. "Thanks for coming to get me."

  "I made a promise. I'm sorry I had to break it for a little while, but whatever happens, I'll always come back."

  "Good." He yawned even wider. His eyes drifted closed and his breathing fell into an even rhythm within minutes. Madea carefully lifted her arm off him and rolled away. She hoped he would still be sleeping when she got back, but there was no way to know for sure. She was always leaving him. Maybe he would have been better off staying with Rickard, but she would rather he was here, where she knew he'd be safe, than up in the domes and at risk from her father. Who knew what he was capable of? The limits of his need to protect his image hadn't been fully tested yet, she was sure.

  With a sigh, she tore her gaze away from Jaxon and left the unit, wondering how long it would be before Tahra came looking for her if she didn't report in directly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It didn't take long to find out as a man rounded a corner and stopped in front of her.

  "There you are. Tahra wants to see you." She didn't think she knew the man, though obviously he knew her.

  "Great, I was just trying to find her." She gave him a cheery grin. "Lead the way!"

  He looked a little taken aback by her demeanour, but led her down the hall regardless. He opened the door to Tahra's office for her, but didn't follow, instead closing it between them.

  "Where is Garrett?" Tahra demanded.

  "Hi Mother, I'm good, thanks, nice to see you too." Madea threw herself into one of the chairs near the desk. She knew she was being childish, flippant, but she already felt awful about what happened to Garrett and she wasn’t ready for a dressing down by her mother.

  "I'm pleased you made it back safely, but answer the question. Where is Garrett?"

  Madea paused, chewed her bottom lip before meeting her mother's gaze. "He got caught."

  "What do you mean, he got caught?"

  "I'm pretty sure it was my father's men. No one was at my place, Garrett thought it was safe to go in, but I guess they had a sensor there to let them know if anyone came."

  "And how did you manage to avoid capture?"

  "I was in the bathroom." She swallowed the lump that grew in her throat when she remembered the sounds she'd heard through the wall. "He said he was there looking for me, that he didn't know where I was. I hid in the shower when they did a search, and they didn't see me."

  "How long has it been since he was taken?" Tahra demanded. There was fear on her face, and something else, a stricken look as if she had lost something precious to her. "Where would they take him?"

  "It was a few hours ago now. I thought it best I finish our mission—"

  "You thought you'd just go off and get the boy on your own? You thought it wasn't important to come back and report Garrett's loss? Anything could have happened!"

  "I didn't want his loss to be for nothing! He came with me, risked himself for me, because he knew how important this was."

  "And where is the boy now?" her mother snapped.

  "He's sleeping. He needs more rest, he's only little."

  Tahra's face softened a little, as if she remembered when Madea was young, and then she frowned again. "I wish you had come to me first. I could have had people out looking for him sooner. The longer he's gone, the more difficult it could be to get him back."

  "I thought that if I came back without Jaxon, you wouldn't let me go and get him. I couldn't let that happen."

  "You speak as though I'm holding you captive."

  "Not captive, no, but something similar." She stared her mother in the eyes, daring her to disagree.

  "Madea, must we really cover this again? I care about you, and I want to keep you safe. That is all. And then you rush off on a half-planned mission to rescue your ward and lose my best man in the process? It doesn't exactly instil a lot of faith."

  "Do you remember that talk we had the other day? About you being a bitch?" Madea bit out, unable to keep the snark from her voice. Why was her mother being like this? They had never argued when they'd lived as a family, why was this so much harder now?

  "Go on, blame it all on me." Her mother flung her arms in the air. "It's always going to be my fault, isn't it? When are you going to forgive me for not taking you with me?"

  Madea felt the anger flush from her body. She slumped into her chair and looked at the ground, which was blurry through unwelcome tears.

  "I'm sorry." Tahra dropped to her knees beside Madea and grabbed her hand. "When am I going to stop hurting you? I never meant to. Really, I'm sorry."

  "So am I. I knew I should have come back, but I acted like a teenager, not like an adult." Tears slid down her cheeks.

  "Well, when we last saw each other you were teenager." A wry smile spread across Tahra's face. "Maybe that's why this is so difficult. I have to start treating you like the adult you are." She reached out and stroked Madea's cheek. "A beautiful, intelligent, dutiful and caring adult."

  "Thanks, Mum." Madea smiled. "That doesn't change the fact that they have Garrett. I can't leave him there. I need to find a way to get him back."

  "We will, don't you worry. In fact it might be time to move into the next phase of my plan. Has he told you about it?"

  "No, he said we would talk about it when we got back." Madea brushed the tears away and sat up straight. "Tell me what you can now, but I need to get back to Jaxon soon. I don't want him to wake alone."

  Tahra nodded as she stood and paced away from Madea. "You've seen the creatures. Felt them. Right?" Tahra faced her.

  "Yes. It was amazing."

  "We think that everyone should have the chance to experience that. We want to teach everyone what being Sun-Touched is truly about, to help them see that it's not madness and that we don't have to be confined to the domes anymore."

  "And how do you plan to do this?" Madea was sceptical. There was such a huge stigma around being Touched, there was no way that could easily be removed. It would take years to create change, and from the gleam in her mother's eyes she didn't think Tahra's plan was a long-term one.

  "We're going to bring down the domes. We're going to blow them up, and then they will truly know what being Touched is."

  "You can't do that," Madea whispered, horror clawing at her throat.

  "What do you mean? It's the easiest way to ensure that we are a
ll made equal."

  "But people won't know what to expect, they'll think they are going crazy. Can you imagine the chaos that would create?" She could just see horrific acts which would occur.

  "It wouldn't last long." Tahra shrugged. "As soon as they connect with one of the creatures, as soon as they've felt what you and I have felt, they'll know that it's nothing to be scared of."

  "But I knew what to expect. I was prepared. Those who know nothing will panic, and people will get hurt. Killed." Madea paced over to her mother.

  "It's a small price to pay, and it will all be over quickly."

  "No. We can't do it, not like that. I hear what you're saying, and I agree that people should be taught that being Touched is nothing to fear, but you can't force it on people. How is that any different than what was done to you? Stripped of your regular life for something that you didn't ask for? And you'd do that to them? People would kill themselves, they would turn away from all that is good because of the fear of what they might do once the madness takes hold."

  "It was days before you saw anything, it would have been longer if we didn't intervene. Don't you think they will realize by then that it's nothing to fear? We'll have time to give them the information they need."

  Madea buried her head in her hands, pressing her palms against her eyes until all she could see was red. She wished Garrett was here. She knew he had the zeal in him, but surely he wasn't crazy like Tahra. Surely she could find a way to reason with him. But Tahra? Then she realized something.

  "This isn't just about the Touched, is it?" She looked her mother in the eyes, watching for any hint that she was right.

  "What do you mean?" Tahra frowned.

  "This is about Dad casting you aside when you got exposed. About the fact he refused to even acknowledge that something had happened to you. That he would rather pretend you had died than admit someone in his family was tainted."