I lashed out with my fists. There was a grunt when I hit soft tissue. I reach for the weapon, but I was too slow. The assailant was quick and strong. My arms were pinned to my sides. My legs were forced together. Wrapped in a tight binding, movement was impossible.
Tears of frustration wet my cheeks. Using my eyes and ears, I attempted to identify the attackers.
If they were the assassins we’d seen at the carnival, it was certain I’d to be taken to Prima Feminary. I knew the Genetrix believed the prophecy. If she thought I was the person destined to destroy the sisterhood, my future was grim.
My eyes searched for faces in the darkness until a sack was yanked over my head.
Seconds later, I was tossed over a hefty shoulder. I heard rustling. My captors were on the move.
My stomach ached from banging against the hard shoulder. I was relieved when I heard a command to stop. I was lowered to the ground and my head covering was removed. I took a deep breath of the sweet cool air. Through the dappled moonlight, I could make out the thick trunks of ancient trees. We were on a forested slope.
Dark forms huddled to my right. I couldn’t hear voices. Their faces were in shadows.
I turned my head left when I heard a grunt. Sickened to see Trill trussed up beside me, I wanted to scream at my assailants. Why had they taken her? She was of no use to them. Because of me, her life was in once again in danger.
I forced myself to remain calm and think. I would wait for an opportunity to use my voice against my captors. But would they be susceptible to it? The assassins might have defensive devices that would shield them. Perhaps they were Femin and had vocal powers of their own. There was so much I didn't know. If I’d had more time to study and translate the second diary I might have better understood Femin powers.
I pushed back the frustration that burned in my chest. If only I could free my voice.
I tensed when the figures broke from their group and approached us
We were lifted flat into the back of a vehicle by four hooded figures. They uncovered Trill’s head. She lay facing me, her eyes wide with fear. I wagged my head trying to offer a comforting gesture, but in the dim light, I saw tears glisten on her lashes.
I suspected that we were on another type of hover vehicle. For some time, it glided smoothly forward, but at one point, my body slid backward. We were gaining altitude. Through a square overhead window, I watched as the leafy canopy disappeared, replaced by blinking stars.
Our progress above the forest was smooth and fast. What seemed like hours later, the vehicle slowed. We sank and landed with a gentle thud. It wasn't unexpected that the Genetrix would have access to technology, but I was surprised to hear only male voices around us. Perhaps the Vaders were doing her dirty work.
“Take them inside,” a man called from nearby.
Hands lifted us into the air. Moments later, we were carried through a doorway.
I closed my eyes against blinding light as I was guided onto a chair. Hands removed the bindings from my cramped body and sore mouth. I gingerly flexed my arms and legs. Pulling my hair over my face, I squinted and looked around. Shading my eyes against the brightness, I noticed a blur of figures surrounding me.
As my vision adjusted, the faces became clearer. I gasped in amazement when I recognized Jarryd. Relief swelled my chest. I smiled as my eyes took in my brother’s blond good looks. Beside him, standing tall and strong like the warrior she was, Leika’s green eyes popped wide.
My searching gaze flicked along the line of figures, finally lingering on her brother Kaaluk. My heart raced when his emerald eyes locked with mine. His tall, dark figure and welcoming smile made my heart soar.
Jarryd’s eyes narrowed. “Brynna? Is that really you?”
I scrambled to my feet and rushed to him, almost toppling us both to the floor when I jumped into his arms.
He held steady, embracing me in a hard squeeze.
Tears fell freely down my cheeks.
Another pair of arms wrapped around both of us. Leika and I exchanged loving glances before her wet cheek pressed against mine.
“We were certain you'd been captured by Prince Delio's men,” said Jarryd, releasing me into Leika's hug. “When Circe flew to the boat without you, I knew something bad had happened. What's the story?”
“Give the woman time to get settled in.” Kaaluk’s emerald eyes sparkled as he opened his arms.
Like a wayward boat returning to a safe harbor, I glided toward him.
He pulled me against his chest.
Feeling the strong, steady thud of his heart under my cheek, I relaxed against his body. I was home.
“Welcome back, little one,” he whispered. “I'm glad you've survived, but you've changed a bit.”
Confused, I looked up at him then realized he was referring to my purple locks and wild makeup. I pulled at my hair and smiled. “It’s my disguise for my new career as a rock singer.”
Jarryd laughed aloud. “A good thing you’re not in Hypor City. You’d be arrested for sure.”
“Hey! Perhaps someone could untie me too.” Trill sputtered from her chair, her hands and feet still bound.
“Is she friend or foe?” Kaaluk asked, winking at me. “We can't have spies in our camp.”
Her face grew fiery. She huffed. “She is Trill. And I'm no more a spy than Brynna.”
I went to free Trill. “You'd better untie her or she'll explode, and you wouldn't want that.” I could see she didn't appreciate my joke. “Trill, let me introduce Jarryd, Leika and Kaaluk.”
She didn’t respond to my introduction. Once free, she jumped to her feet and narrowed her eyes. “What's the idea of kidnapping us? Don't you know we're rock stars on tour? You have to take us back. Patch will be frantic wondering where we are. Tell him, Brynna.”
Kaaluk looked at me when he answered. “We left behind a message for him, saying that you were concerned about being discovered and decided to go into hiding.” Kaaluk looked at me. “We took your friend,” he nodded to Trill, “so he wouldn’t worry that you were alone.”
“Patch is a good guy. You could have asked for his help rather than kidnapping us,” said Trill.
Kaaluk shrugged. “We couldn’t be sure of his reaction. He might not have wanted to let Brynna leave. The note was the best option.”
I was puzzled at first then finally understood. “So Patch will think we've left of our own accord and won't come looking for us. Right?”
“Exactly.”
“How did you know where we were?”
“We found out by accident,” said Leika. “Some of our villagers heard about the traveling show and decided to make the trek. They came back with stories of two incredible singers from Nuvega. A few of us went to your next performance. At first, I didn’t recognize you, but there was something familiar in your mannerisms. They were advertising you as Rock Angels, so I flirted with one of the technicians. He revealed your name, with a warning not to spread it around. He informed me that your compound had been attacked. He hinted that someone was tracking you. When I returned and told Kaaluk, he decided to plan a rescue.”
“What if you’d been caught?” I blanched at the thought of them being shot or even killed.
The look in Kaaluk’s eyes warmed my cheeks. “You are worth any risk.”
I fussed with my hair, this time to hide the flush in my cheeks.
“So now what?” Trill asked. “Do we just hide out in the forest eating squirrel meat and berries?”
My brother chuckled. “Where did you pick up this one? Maybe we should tie her up again and take her back to the desert.”
“Just try it.” Trill grabbed a knife handle protruding from the belt of an unsuspecting warrior. he surprised man rushed toward her, but she waved the blade at him, and then Jarryd. “If you value your manhood you'll stay away.”
The tone of the gathering altered immediately as the men formed a menacing circle around Trill.
“Wait.” I pushed through the men toward her. I
gently covered her hand with mine. She released the weapon into my palm. “Okay everybody just settle down, this is getting crazy.” I returned the blade and looked at Kaaluk. “Trill is one of the good ones.”
The tension eased and at Kaaluk’s signal, the men retreated.
I slung my arm across my friend’s shoulders. “Trill is one of the bravest people I've ever met.”
It was unlike her to be embarrassed, but when curious eyes focused on her, she dropped her head.
“Sounds like there's a story here,” said Leika. “I suggest we wait till morning. It's only a few hours until sunrise. Better get some sleep. Now that we have Brynna—and Trill—back with us, we need to make plans.”
Leika took Trill and me to a smaller camouflaged hut. It was soft sided with a fabric flap for a door and a metal exoskeleton. Leika laughed when I stroked the material. “Great aren’t they? We call them PLUs. Portable living units. They’re tough to see among the trees and easy to take down when we need to move fast.”
Once inside, I discovered the PLUs were quite comfortable, with battery-powered lights, cushioned pads for sleeping and temporary washing, storage and sitting areas. Trill checked out the PLU, but after the night’s excitement, I was emotionally as well as physically exhausted. Trill was still talking when I flopped onto a welcoming bed pad and succumbed to sleep.
The following morning, a persistent finger poked my shoulder blade, apprising me that Trill was already awake. We were alone in the PLU.
“So what's all this talk of plans?” she asked, pulling on the fresh clothes Leika had provided. “Does this have something to do with the Genetrix?”
I hadn’t had any outside contact for several weeks and didn’t want to give Trill incorrect information. “I'm not sure. Let's join the others and find out.”
“I hope they haven't had breakfast without us,” said Trill, rubbing her stomach. “I could eat anything, even a dead squirrel.”
A wave of homesickness flooded over me when I stepped into the surrounding forest. Towering trees swayed overhead. Flowering bushes added splashes of red and yellow to the green backdrop. Thick deep grasses swamped every step. I stopped, closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet, crisp morning air.
Trill slapped me on the back as she ran by. “This is no time to stop and admire the scenery. We need nourishment.”
I chased her. It felt good to be alive and free again.
“Finally,” said Leika as we appeared. We’d entered the larger PLU we’d been in the night before. “We've been keeping the food hot for hours.” She lifted the lids off several bowls, allowing the steamy aroma to fill our nostrils. Trill groaned and immediately grabbed a plate and heaped it with vegetables and meat.
Leika moved to my side and leaned in. “Have you told her anything about us? Does she know about the rebellion?”
I nodded. “I told her what happened in Hypor City. Have things changed?”
She handed me a plate. “We know that Prince Delio has made contact with Tarvek. Kaaluk has men watching Tarvek's compound.”
Trill peered at us as she passed by, carrying her plate to a table. “What are you two whispering about?”
“Don't worry,” said Leika. “You'll know everything in a while. Kaaluk's called a meeting for after breakfast. Your breakfast, that is. We had ours eons ago.” She grinned, nudged me toward the food, then turned and left.
“I'm not sure about her,” said Trill between mouthfuls. “She's got a good strong aura, as do Jarryd and Kaaluk, but she has an edge to her.”
“She's a little like you.” I waited for her reaction.
She shook her head violently and waved a finger at me, but her mouth was too full to speak.
I grabbed her finger and gave it a shake. “I predict you and Leika will become good friends. Now hurry up and finish eating so we can join the others and find out what the future holds.”
What did it hold? Would I be able to rescue Mother? Would the planet be saved? Or would all be lost?
I felt my mood plummet and stopped eating.
Trill choked as her greasy fingers grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong? Your aura is as gray and thin as a shadow.”
I shook my head and forced a smile, but I could tell when her eyes narrowed that I wasn’t very convincing.
12
Revelations
When I finally got tired of Trill’s scrutiny, I left the dining tent and immediately spotted Kaaluk. He had picked the perfect location for our meeting. In a small clearing surrounded by massive trees was a wooden table with bench seats. The three occupants looked up as I approached. Trill ran up behind me.
“You both look better today,” said Jarryd. “A little less scary without that goop on your faces.”
It had taken some scrubbing, but before getting dressed, Trill and I had managed to remove the stage makeup. I'd pulled off all the rings on my ear. Only a long purple shank of hair, draped over my amber eye, remained as evidence of my recent career.
“Make fun all you want, but we had hundreds, maybe thousands of admirers. We had fabulous clothes and many people at our beck and call. We were stars.” Trill lifted her chin and glanced at me. I rolled my eyes and she started to laugh.
“Come and sit.” Kaaluk held out his hand to me. His warm fingers took mine and pulled me to the seat beside him. I always appreciated that he made me feel like an equal.
As Trill took the seat between Jarryd and me, one of Kaaluk's men ran into the clearing. He stopped and spoke quietly into Kaaluk’s ear.
Jarryd waited for the man to leave before asking. “More news?”
Kaaluk nodded. “A couple of new developments. My men have seen a woman with Prince Delio.”
I gasped. “It has to be Calia. She must have escaped with Prince after Steepchase. One thing about Calia, she’s a survivor.” It was hard to believe that we had once been close childhood friends. We’d played together, but our dreams were very different and because she was now Prince’s girlfriend, we found ourselves on opposing sides.
“She's no threat,” Jarryd commented dismissively. “What else?”
I was shocked by Jarryd's tone. It was sharp and demanding, like Father’s when he was irritated.
Kaaluk continued. “The Genetrix was seen arriving at Tarvek's compound, along with her bodyguards. She remained for an hour and then left with her entourage in tow.”
“Any idea what she could've been doing there?” Leika asked.
“There's no way of knowing, but it confirms our suspicions that she had some kind of a deal with Tarvek and Prince Delio or at least with his father.” Kaaluk remained silent for a few moments as if considering the implications of her appearance.
Trill scanned our faces. “Well, I'm not surprised she was there. We think it was her goons who attacked us on tour. They had drones and everything. In fact, we thought you were the Genetrix's assassins when you kidnapped us. Didn’t you Brynna? I certainly did.”
The others exchanged puzzled glances.
“But why would they attack your tour?” Leika asked.
Trill rolled her eyes. “Because of Brynna, of course.”
I put my hand on Trill's arm, hoping to stem her impulsiveness.
Jarryd's eyebrows drew together into a frown. “I don't understand.” His eyes flicked between us. “What does she mean, Bryn? Why would the Genetrix be looking for you?”
Trill threw up her hands in frustration. “Because of the prophecy. You're her brother. You must know about it. It's all because of her mismatched eyes.”
“What are you talking about?” The crease between my brother's brows deepened. “What prophecy, Bryn?” His tone held frustration. I knew anger wasn’t far behind.
I pinched Trill's arm when she started to speak. This time she got the message. “There's a lot I have to tell everyone, especially you Jarryd. There are things you don't know about me. Mother thought it best to keep certain information secret.” My heart ached when I saw the hurt and disbelief in his eyes. “Leika know
s some of my story, but not all.”
Jarryd flashed Leika a suspicious glance. She lifted her chin and smiled at me. I knew she was trying to be supportive, but she looked uncomfortable. I sensed her relationship with Jarryd had changed since I had last seen them. There was a bond between them that hadn’t been there previously.
Kaaluk reached for his sister's hand, and mine, and then looked into my eyes. I felt his strength and support flow into me. “If you want to have a private discussion with your brother, we'll understand.”
I appreciated his consideration, but shook my head. “I think this is something you should all hear. Since the Genetrix is involved, it's important that you understand my connection to her.”
It took me a while to tell my story. No one spoke during my explanation of events, my gift, Steepchase, the encounter on the island, and the diaries. An array of emotions flitted across their faces: concern, shock, curiosity.
“Since my fifteenth birthday, I’ve worn a blue lens to hide my mismatched eyes.” I drew back the swath of hair that hid my amber eye. For several minutes, the only sound was the rustling of branches stirred by the wind.
“See I told you,” Trill offered in a soft voice. “I can read her aura. Brynna is something special.”
Jarryd stood and then stalked off into the forest. Leika glanced at me and shook her head. I was relieved when she quickly rose and followed my brother, but I wondered about their relationship. What about Jarryd’s fiancée, Marta? I remembered the happiness I felt when they announced their engagement, but that was before the rebellion and Marta’s abduction.
“What’s wrong with him?” Trill asked. “You think he'd be happy. It's like having a secret weapon.”
Kaaluk still held my hand. He stroked his thumb over my palm. “You're right, Trill, but it's a lot to take in, especially for Jarryd.” He looked to where my brother and Leika had disappeared into the forest. “I think we'll have to leave our planning session until later.” He gave my hand one final squeeze, stood and walked toward a group of his men.
The Lost Prophecy Page 9