Dealers of Light

by Lara Nance

  “Of course not. I’ve been at this a long time, remember?” He smiled, longing to pull her into his arms and kiss away the worry lines on her face.

  “Rolf, I was so afraid when you left. I thought you meant to take them on by yourself.” She placed her other hand on his cheek, and energy charged through him, touching his core.

  He closed his eyes and grasped the hand at his cheek, carrying it to his lips. Her indrawn breath sent a shiver of desire through him. He froze. By the gods, did he have no will power at all? Sakhet’s face rose in his mind, lush red lips smiling, and a pang of guilt sliced at his heart.

  “Dear Cara.” He released her hand and stood. “You must let me do my job. Don’t worry, I can take care of myself. It’s you I’m concerned for.”

  She stood and laid a hand on his chest, eyes shining an invitation. “Rolf—”

  He set his forefinger against her lips. “My feelings for you cast a veil of confusion over my senses. That’s dangerous. We have to fight these Takers. There’s nothing more important. Don’t you understand?”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “Okay. If it’s what you want.”

  “It’s what has to be.” He kissed the top of her head then stepped back, knowing he had to leave or all the good intentions in the world would not keep him from gathering her close and covering her body with kisses.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, and bit her bottom lip, eyes down.

  “Good night, Cara.” He hurried inside without looking back, and returned to his room, aching with need. Once in bed, he closed his eyes and her image stayed before him until he fell asleep.

  Warm, dry air blew across his face. He blinked and when he opened his eyes, the sapphire waters of the Nile ran before him. Over his head, the white-hot sun floated in the clear cerulean sky. He squinted to gaze across the river where green grasses grew in wild abandon, thick and rich. A brush of air on his hand drew his attention to his right. Sakhet stood next to him, her full lips curved into a smile. His heart lurched. She’s come back!

  “Beloved.” Her voice embraced the word in tender, rich tones of love. Her fingers wrapped around his, warm and comforting.

  “Sakhet. I thought you would never come to me again.” His pulse raced. He swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand beside her. Raising his hands, he cupped her cheeks, savoring every precious part of her face—touching her lips and eyelids with his fingertips. Dear, sweet features. He lowered his head to kiss her, but she drew away.

  “Bes, my love, tell me about your heart.”

  “What do you mean?” Her withdrawal punched a hole in his soul. How could she not know his heart—she who knew him best?

  She tilted her head and gave him a gentle smile. “Poor Bes, I have kept you with me too long. I see that now.”

  “No,” he said, trembling with need for her. “That’s not true.”

  “You must let me rest in peace, my dearest. Too long have you denied yourself the pleasure of joining with another.” She reached up to caress his cheek with her fingertips. “I release you. Go and find the peace you seek.”

  “No, you are my love, now and forever.” Tears ruined his vision. Must she rip the heart from his chest with these words? His insides froze in the icy coldness of despair.

  “Yes, a part of you, always, but you must make room for others. It is time. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine. So many years you have fought to avenge me. Now, it is time to follow your heart. Unless you do, the world is lost. I must not visit you anymore so you can find your way to peace.”

  “I won’t let you go.” He fell to his knees and hugged her around her waist, burying his face in her silky, flowing clothing. Sobs nearly doubled him over. “To never see you, even in my dreams—”

  “Do this for me, Bes. Be strong.” She floated from his embrace and drifted away with her arms outstretched.

  His limbs went numb, but he managed to reach for her. Every muscle in him strained to rise and follow, but despite all his great power, she slipped between his arms like wisps of smoke. She smiled her beautiful smile, gentle and loving. Her body drifted from him. Then, with a last glance, she floated away until her form faded into the glare of the sun.

  “Sakhet,” he cried and fell over, wracked with sobs, his heart a cold, empty pit. But she was gone and he knew he would never see her again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The salon lay empty when Cara and Dusty climbed the steps to the main deck the next morning. Voices outside led her to the back deck. The others were all there, lounging on the cushioned seats and chairs that surrounded a teak table, drinking coffee as they munched on sweet rolls and fruit.

  Rolf sat in a chair, drinking a cup of espresso. For once, he wore a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck and black cargo shorts. She swallowed and put a hand to cover her pounding heart.

  Rolf turned his head and pinned her with a blue-eyed gaze, unsmiling. She swallowed and turned away, sadness calming her pulse.

  “Hey, Cara,” Amber said. “Try this on.” She held out a necklace: A black leather cord with a large pendant containing three crystals and runes carved in the gold which held them.

  Thankful for the distraction, she crossed the deck to Amber and took the necklace, admiring the work her friend had done. Runes carved in the metal had no meaning for her, but, hopefully, the spells would work to hide her energy. She held her pendant up by the cord then placed it around her neck. She forced herself to stay focused on the jewel, with only a brief sideways glance at Rolf. “Well, feel anything, Rolf?”

  He hesitated, then rose and walked around her. Her skin tingled.

  “I don’t feel any energy at all. Good job, Amber,” he said. “You only need to wear it when we leave the boat, Cara. Here, we’re protected by the globe.”

  “Yeah!” Amber jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “It works.”

  “So, what’s up?” Cara removed the amulet and stuffed it in her pocket. She hoped the others couldn’t see how much her heart ached.

  “I was about to fill the group in on my discoveries last night.”

  “What happened?” Marc asked.

  “I decided to find the Takers,” Rolf replied.

  “By yourself?” Amber ceased her celebration and frowned.

  “Yes, I know what I’m doing.”

  Shana walked by and punched him in the shoulder. “Yeah, but now you got a team, so don’t be going off by yourself again.”

  “So I was told last night.” Rolf glanced at Cara.

  Shana raised an eyebrow, but Cara lowered her gaze to the floor.

  “What did you find?” Alistair asked.

  He recounted his tracking of the Taker and the discovery of the house with the two others.

  “You’re sure they’re not with Desmond?” Tor stretched his arms over his head.

  “It would seem so.”

  Cara crossed to the table and poured herself a cup of coffee from the thermal carafe.

  “What are we going to do about them?” Amber asked.

  Shana raised her fists in the air. “Eliminate them.”

  “What?” Marc jumped to his feet.

  “She’s right,” Tor said. “We have to get rid of these dudes. They’re murdering people. Are we going to let them keep killing?”

  “You’re talking about murdering someone, do you realize that?” Marc stared at Shana. “Can’t we turn them in to the police or something? Maybe they can get some help and change.”

  “I told you, once a Taker is turned, there is no help.” Rolf draped one arm over the back of his chair. “There is no choice but death.”

  “Look, I don’t want to kill anybody, but Tor’s right.” Shana put her hands on her hips. “We have to take care of this. The authorities won’t discover them until they’ve killed who knows how many other people, and if we try to turn them in, the cops will laugh at us. We know what they are and where they are. I say we take them out.”

  Marc sat on the couch, face pale
as sweat trickled down one side of his face. He crossed his arms over his chest. Cara couldn’t blame him. Now that they were faced with it, she didn’t know how she would be able to kill someone. She’d devoted her life to saving people, healing. How could she reconcile killing with her conscious?

  “I’m afraid Shana’s right,” Rolf said. “We have to make sure they don’t kill anyone else.”

  “The killing is regrettable, but necessary in this case, sad to say.” Alistair cleaned his spectacles, appearing far more absorbed in the simple task than necessary.

  Tor stood. “I agree. What’s the plan?” He flexed the muscles in his shoulders, dark eyes intense.

  “For now, Amber needs to complete the amulets,” Rolf said. “They don’t know about us, so time is not a factor. Continue your training with Tor. When the amulets are complete and you feel ready, we will make a plan to ensure they never kill anyone again.”

  “You sound so matter-of-fact, but these people can kill us,” Amber said. “They’re evil and murder without a thought. Is anyone besides me frightened?”

  Shana put a hand on Amber’s shoulder. “I’m scared. I admit it. But I’m more afraid where it will lead if we let them keep killing.”

  “Do we really stand a chance against them?” Marc gazed at Rolf.

  “Just keep practicing. When the time comes, surprise will be on our side,” was Rolf’s non-committal answer.

  Dusty left Cara and trotted over to Rolf seeking attention. Traitor.

  “Can we please go to the beach just once?” Shana put her hands up in a prayer gesture. “Please, please?”

  Tor’s eyes lit and Amber bounced on her toes. They all needed some stress release.

  Rolf threw up his hands and stood. “Okay, we can go for a few hours to a secluded cove I know. We won’t encounter the Takers in such a place. It’s best if we all go together.”

  Amber squealed and rushed off, Shana and Tor in her wake, while Marc trudged along in the rear.

  Alistair rose from his chair and brushed back the thin wisps of his hair. “I daresay it would be a jolly good time, but I don’t want to sunburn. Besides, research relaxes me.” He headed along the deck to the Salon.

  “I’m glad you’re safe.” Cara rose and put a hand on Rolf’s arm after the others left the salon. The air between them crackled with suppressed emotion. “I—”

  He patted her hand but moved away. “Let’s not talk about last night. I’m sorry, but what you want is impossible for me. I don’t want to hurt you. Do you understand?”

  She rested her hands on her hips. She wasn’t going to lie. “No, I don’t.”

  He hesitated, then shook his head and walked away.

  “Damn it,” Cara said under her breath. Tears started in her eyes, but she brushed them away.

  ###

  The taxi dropped them on the side of a back road. Cara followed the others down to the secluded area of Jobson’s Cove, a delight of pink sand and lapping turquoise waters. She had to stop and stare at it for a minute to soak in the beauty. Rolf dropped the bag off his shoulder and spread a blanket on the sand.

  Unable to resist the temptation of a tropical paradise, Cara stripped off her outer clothes and tossed them on the blanket. “Woo hoo,” she yelled and ran into the water, yelping as a wave splashed in her face and salty water shot up her nostrils. Rolf actually laughed. He stripped off his clothes, revealing his bathing trunks and joined her. The others weren’t far behind, whooping and yelling.

  She swam out a ways and dove under the surface, reveling in the warm caressing water and a sense of freedom. Floating on her back, she looked at the clear blue sky. It was so beautiful here. Why couldn’t life stay like this?

  Rolf swam to her and surfaced, slinging drops of water out. “You look happy.”

  “Right now, I guess I am.” She spread her arms, sending ripples out. Then she tucked her feet under her and treaded water. “Are you happy?”

  “At this moment, yes.” His ice blue eyes made her shiver, despite the warm water.

  She stopped a few feet from him, water up to her chest, and her feet found the gritty surface of the sand. He faced her, squinting from the bright sunlight. A golden ankh on a chain glittered against the tan skin of his chest. How she wanted him to kiss her again, but he remained reserved, aloof. “I’m glad you’re happy,” she said. “You deserve some happiness after all you’ve been through.”

  “Do you really believe that?” He squinted at her.

  “Yes.” Her eyes met his, unwavering. “You’re a good person. You’ve suffered over the centuries. Of course you deserve to be happy.”

  “I’m afraid I’m not a very good person, Cara.” He dove under the water and swam back to shore, then went to his towel, flopping down on it.

  “How’s it going?” Amber swam up and darted her eyes to Rolf.

  “It’s not. But you know what? I’m going to enjoy today and not think about tomorrow. And, right now, I need some sun on my uber-white body.”

  Amber laughed and, after splashing in the cove with the others for an hour, they straggled, dripping and tired, from the water. Cara collapsed onto her towel. She glanced at Rolf lying on his back, eyes closed, a few feet away. Was it even possible to forget about her feelings for him? More existed between them than just physical attraction, she was sure of it. She could feel it in the Light when they joined.

  She closed her eyes, basking in the warm sun as it soaked into her skin. Above her head, palm fronds scratched as they swayed in the breeze, and the occasional raucous call of exotic birds contrasted with the calm lapping of water. The perfume of exotic flowers came and went, and the heat of the sun warmed her with a balm of pure pleasure. It was paradise, but at its edges shards of uneasiness still intruded.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Sir, so far we have a little over six hundred million dollars in the bank account.” Carlton scanned the printout in his hand.

  “Arrange to transfer a hundred thousand dollars to each member’s account and the rest to our account in the Caymans,” Desmond responded. But there was still a chance of discovery until they controlled the entire country. “I don’t want any questions raised by those not under our control.”

  “Very good.” Carlton started to go.

  “Wait,” Desmond called, and Carlton turned back to him. “Any word of our enemies?”

  “No, I sent messages to the people we’ve bribed in every city in our web with pictures and descriptions of Rolf and the woman, Cara. They seem to have traveled beyond our boundaries.”

  “I’m not happy they’ve slipped from my grasp.” Desmond paced the room. Rolf had intimate knowledge of Takers and was the only person in the world Desmond feared. He’d counted on Rolf being caught within the Net. But, somehow, he’d escaped. How had he known? Was it possible he knew more about the grand plan than the isolated events here in Norfolk? Impossible. Only Desmond’s followers knew, and of them, only Carlton was privy to the extent of the scheme. Desmond scrutinized the younger man but rejected the idea Carlton might be able to fake his devotion, or risk being cut off from Desmond’s tortured Light.

  “If they surface anywhere from Charleston, South Carolina to Baltimore, we’ll be on the lookout for them,” Carlton said.

  Desmond crossed his arms. “Send out a reminder. They pose the only threat to our expansion. If there is any sense of their presence I want all resources sent to intercept and eliminate them.”

  “Very well.”

  “I think it’s time to launch phase two. Establish the link to all radio stations in the area.”

  Carlton’s lips curled. “At once.” He hurried away.

  Some urgent need tugged at Desmond’s memory, but he couldn’t define it. Some vital piece of information eluded him, some reason for Rolf’s easy escape. He momentarily pondered the possibilities, but nothing came forth to explain his uneasiness. He shrugged. Soon they would expand their Net and, perhaps, catch Rolf at that point.

  In any event,
Desmond would make sure his followers remained on alert for any sign of the two Dealers.

  Right now, the need to inflict pain gnawed at his soul like hunger with sharp teeth. He left Carlton’s office and strolled outside. Dusk cast lengthening shadows across the street, and he drank in the warm scent of people close by, possibly on the next street. He clutched his dark jacket close about him to block the chill of evening and set off with a determined stride, the hunter after his prey.

  ###

  “Cara!”

  Shana slammed into her and they both tumbled to the floor. Damn it, Rolf kept distracting her. She struggled to her feet, rubbing the pain in her shoulder where she’d landed. They circled again. This time, when Shana rushed her, she stepped to the side, snatched Shana’s wrist and twisted her arm up behind her back.

  “Uncle,” Shana panted, so Cara released her.

  “Let’s take a break. Good work.” Tor tossed them both a towel and Cara wiped sweat from her forehead. Amber sat on a bar stool, using the surface as her work area, and Cara wandered close to check on her friend.

  “How many have you finished?” She grabbed a bottle of water and peered over Amber’s shoulder as she hammered a rune design onto a gold sheet.

  “Three more will be finished today. I’m getting better at it now that I know the rune designs and have all the crystals sorted out.”

  “You really have a knack for this.”

  Amber smiled up at her. “Thanks. Maybe when all this is over, I’ll take up jewelry making.”

  When all this is over…Cara couldn’t imagine what would happen. Would they be able to return to their old lives and pick up where they left off? It didn’t seem possible. But they couldn’t sail the seven seas on Rolf’s boat forever. Best to not think about it or she’d become depressed.

  A few hours later, Cara had showered and slipped into the long flowing sundress she’d bought in Hamilton. She ran her fingers down the silky material of the skirt. Let’s hope Rolf notices how this green brings out my eyes like the clerk did at the store. She adjusted the low V-cut bodice so her bra didn’t show.