The priestess raised the doll, showing the burnt side to Sherise. ‘Our gods are strong. Far stronger than anything you can imagine. We are a puny reflection of their image.’
‘Strange, how your people do not need hope and yet they are afraid of their gods.’
‘What do you pray for, alien?’ The woman’s eyes were slits of glittering crystal.
‘We pray for guidance. And for peace.’ Sherise spun on her heels and walked down the stairs, back straight, head high.
She thought of the total silence inside the temple, the subservience of the people and how, everywhere she looked, there was a vid-cam.
And all the long way back to her lodgings Sherise swore she could feel the priestess’s cold gaze like a laser beam, burning between her shoulderblades.
***
Maaka had recognised Sherise’s silhouette the instant he had seen her, but even before that moment his heart had squeezed with awareness, warning of her proximity. Skilled at hunting his prey, he had followed her for some time as she wandered the streets of the Fortress, seemingly in no organised pattern.
What was she looking for? Was she merely exploring the city or searching for something in particular?
The muscles along the line of his shoulders cramped as he considered the white-stone building and the dim shadows shrouding its entrance to give it a secretive appearance. It reminded him of the entrance to a tomb.
What would she find? Who she would meet? Then suddenly, she reappeared from inside the temple, walked down the steps and crossed the square to disappear around a corner.
Even from where he stood, he sensed her tension.
A scowl tightened his forehead as he stared toward the temple where a tall woman dressed in a long white dress had emerged. She didn’t make any attempt to descend the stairs, but merely stared in the direction that Sherise had gone.
His mouth clamped shut, Maaka spun round and strode off. The day was well advanced and he had yet to complete his own explorations. It would behove him to remember what was at stake and not allow himself to be sidetracked by the scent of his woman.
Although he trusted very few Puridean within these walls, he failed to see how Sherise could be in any danger. She should be safe enough while he continued his mission.
He stalked down a side street in plain view but no passing Puridean gave him a second glance, clad as he was in the beige uniform of a menial member of their society.
Thanks to the shaky allegiance of the Relic warlord, he had snuck on board the shuttle encased in Darkon armour. Even now the memory of how the metal had seemed to mould into his skin and become one with his body caused a shudder to wrack him head to foot. How Kondo had come by the armour, he had not asked, and as soon as the shuttle landed in the Fortress, he swapped the disguise for a new one. Clothes he had hidden on previous incursions into the city and which remained, unfound, scrunched into a ball and wedged on a ledge inside a drain. He had no wish for his clothing to be found hidden in the house of one of the few friends who lived inside the dome. Harbouring or aiding an Outworlder carried a harsh punishment.
Banishment or death.
But so far, the god, Leon, smiled on him and he’d travelled unchallenged through the streets.
Tomorrow, he’d don the Darkon disguise once more and join Kondo and the other aliens for the tour.
Another turn and ahead he saw the building which housed the male contingent of the Star People. If his luck held, he would find the building empty and he could fill his empty belly. Afterwards, he would recon around the militia headquarters. Ascertaining the extent of their weaponry and the numbers of their peacekeepers was a priority.
His stride quickened.
Then faltered.
The door to the aliens’ quarters opened and Maaka leapt sideways. He flattened his body into the shadows of the closest building as a woman emerged and loitered on the pavement, staring back at the doorway. She raised a hand in farewell and set off down the road, hips swinging in a seductive wriggle beneath gauzy skirts of pale yellow.
Maaka’s gut clenched and he released his pent up breath in a slow hiss.
Lilith! Not my friend Jerry’s sister? What, by Leon’s beard, was she doing here?
He bounded forward, his gaze fixed on the closing door, but by the time he reached the entrance nothing but solid timber stared at him. His hands curled into fists as he debated whether to investigate who she’d been visiting. He could sense whoever they were standing behind the door, watching and waiting for him to depart.
But with at least one of the Star People inside, his need for food would have to wait. Instead he would find out from Lilith why she’d been inside that house.
He hastened along the footpath, diminishing the distance between him and his quarry with every long stride.
He reached out, grabbed her by the shoulder and flicked her round to face him. Her mouth rounded into a surprised circle and she stared for a second before squealing and flinging her arms about his neck.
Maaka sent a hunted glance in all directions up and down the street, while attempting to unglue her touch. She’d arrived unexpectedly at her brother’s quarters one day and found him there. She quickly made it obvious she was keen to foster a close relationship with him. But she held no allure for Maaka and he knew his friend would not be happy if his only sister became involved with an Outworlder. Since then, he’d tried to avoid meeting her and had succeeded.
Until now.
He evaded her eager lips and finally managed to create space between their two bodies. His grip tightened over the fine bones of her wrists as he glared into her upturned face. She half lowered her lids and fluttered her thick lashes over high cheekbones. The flirtatious act only annoyed him.
‘Who were you visiting in the Star People’s building, Lilith?’
A smug smile lit her face and she stepped forward to brush her pointed breasts against his chest.
Maaka dropped her hands and moved well out of range. He folded his arms, the bitter tang of distaste souring his mouth. Of all the people to come across, it had to be her! He waited, keeping his expression neutral, guarding the unease that spiked along his spine like the poisoned barbs of the carnivorous bramble vine.
She pouted. The sharpness in her frosty-blue eyes warned him of caution.
‘A friend. Are you jealous, Maaka?’ She cocked her head to one side and slipped her finger into her mouth, making loud sucking noises.
He shot another look down the street as his acute senses warned of the approaching tread of militia. In the distance, a trio of soldiers rounded the corner. Not the city’s peacekeepers then; it was the Star People returning to their quarters.
Maaka grasped her upper arm and swung her into step beside him as he surged into motion.
‘Where are we going?’ panted Lilith. ‘We could go to my rooms. I have missed you, Maaka.’
‘Nothing has happened for you to miss,’ he growled past his clenched jaw.
They hastened around a corner into a narrow laneway where shadows lay dark and deep. He released his hold.
‘There can never be anything between us. I have told you this, before,’ he snapped.
Her sharp inhale sounded like the hiss of a snake. ‘Do not be so hasty to repulse me. Imagine the pleasure we could share together.’
Maaka snorted. ‘No thanks. I don’t bed the sisters of my friends. Besides, it’s not safe for you to be anywhere near me.’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not worried. You’re not the only one with friends … except mine are in high places.’
‘Like who?’ he shot back at her swiftly.
‘It will cost you.’ She moistened her lips with the tip of her pink tongue.
‘The price is too high,’ he drawled. He narrowed his eyes, watching her every move as a faint ripple of anger flickered over her face. ‘Your brother told me of your role as sacred handmaiden of the temple. What were you doing in the Star People’s quarters?’
‘My job.’
/> ‘Who with?’
‘Again, Maaka, such information will cost you.’ She stepped closer and placed her hands on his chest, a smile spreading over her angelic face.
Maaka brushed her hands aside then rubbed his tense jawline. ‘Lilith, this is important.’
‘You are boring me.’ She lifted her hands in a pretty gesture, the charms on her bracelet tinkled like tiny bells. ‘I was told my services were required. That is all.’
‘Who was your mark?’
‘Maaka, I cannot say. It is against the rules of our order.’ She smiled, waved her hand in the air again. ‘A lonely man. But I can assure you, it was no one of importance.’
Now, why do I not believe her? He stared into her guileless face until he turned aside. ‘You had best be on your way.’
Lilith caught hold of his sleeve. ‘Come to my room.’
‘No.’ He shook her off.
‘What are you doing in the city? You told me you would never return and yet here you are,’ her voice rose, rife with suspicion as ripe as rotting fruit under a hot sun.
‘I am foraging for medicine.’ He shrugged. ‘Why else would I be here?’
‘I want you to stay away from Jerry. He was stupid to help you. You know what they will do to both of you if you are caught.’
‘No one knows I am here,’ Maaka evaded. She was right of course. Each time he returned to the city, he risked the lives of anyone who gave him aid.
He hooked his thumbs into his belt and shifted his stance. There was speculation in her bright eyes. He spoke, his voice deep with meaning, ‘And you will not betray me, will you.’
Chapter 17
‘I attended your temple today.’ Sherise looked across at Kade who had her scuffed boots propped on the table.
The other shrugged and stuffed a cube of cheese into her mouth. She chewed, her cheeks bulging, a smirk twisting her lips.
Bree stopped poking at her evening meal of wilted green vegetables. ‘I wish I’d been with you. We used to go to church every Sunday …’ She broke off and grabbed her plate. Her chair fell to the floor as she flung the plate onto the counter and rushed from the room.
‘What the …?’ Kade snapped her gaze from the doorway, back to Sherise. ‘You people are really weird.’
How much information would their hostess be willing to divulge? Could she trust her to not reveal the topics of their conversation if she was questioned?
Perhaps she would do well to remember that Kade was militia. Or was she?
Sherise patted her mouth with a coarse napkin before folding it neatly and placing it beside her plate. ‘What is it that you do, here in the Fortress?’
Kade’s boots hit the floor with a thump as she straightened. She sighed and put her elbows on the table, propping her chin in her hand.
‘I’m a deputy. A Deforbryian, but I’m saving hard. Soon I’ll have enough to purchase some mute-ops and …’ she snapped her fingers, ‘… I’ll be a bona-fide Puridean.’
‘What is a mute-op?’
‘Purity is all. Purity of the mind, the soul and the body is what we all aspire to and sometimes, for those who aren’t born pure but have the creds, you can pay for the transformation. A mute-op.’ Kade’s eyes shone.
‘This will make a difference to you?’
‘Sure will, I’ll no longer be a member of the lowest of the low. I’ll have access to better lodgings. I’ll be able to study instead of working with the dredges. I’ll be one of the pure. I’ll be allowed to have a family.’ Kade scowled and shoved back from the table, as if annoyed she had said so much.
‘You have a lot of laws that curtail your freedom.’
‘Laws keep us safe,’ Kade snapped. ‘Our rituals keep us pure.’
‘I thought you may be militia, a soldier.’ Sherise indicated the beige uniform. Her head buzzed with questions she longed to ask, especially about the rituals, but the sharp glint of suspicion in the other woman’s eyes gave her pause.
‘We don’t have soldiers, only peacekeepers. You’ve met some of them; Lieutenant Colonel Rothe is one.’ Kade shrugged. ‘All Deforbryians have to wear this colour, it denotes our status. I’m a deputy, which means I work for the peacekeepers and hunt down runners.’
‘Runners?’ It was becoming more and more apparent to Sherise that a strict class society existed within the Fortress. It was a city where the citizens’ every movement was monitored and assessed. Her fingers shaking, she fiddled with the napkin, soothing the rumpled fabric into crisp folds. How could she ever forget that, sometimes, regimented restrictions bred resentment? And look where that had led her people?
To war and almost total annihilation.
‘Yeah, stupids who think it’s better in the Outworld and try to leave the Fortress. Personally, I don’t know why we bother. Let ’em go I say. But then, every so often, a mutant sneaks its way inside the city. Part of my job is to also hunt them down too. Which reminds me.’ Kade slapped her tunic until she found the pocket she was looking for and slipped her hand inside. ‘Hot on the wire is this mute, allegedly spotted in the city today. This bozo sure must be important. We don’t often get orders to kill on sight.’
She tossed a folded sheet of paper onto the table. ‘Go on, take a look. Maybe you met him when you were on the outside.’
It was silly to feel so anxious. Why should it be him? But Sherise’s hand shook as she picked up the paper and soothed out the folds.
Her stomach heaved and fell into an abyss.
At least she’d had the forethought to hold the paper in front of her face, shielding her reaction from Kade.
For the face staring back at her was Maaka’s.
He was here in the city. Why?
Please, goddess Cercis, keep him safe.
Disconnected thoughts whirled through her head while Sherise fought to contain her anxiety. She wanted to rush out the door, find him, protect him, and berate him for his rash behaviour. Somehow, she remained in her chair. She refolded the paper and placed it on her plate, hoping all those long aons of training in keeping her feelings hidden from others had paid off. She buried her trembling hands in her lap, certain the other woman would hear the frantic beating of her heart. Some of her tension dissipated as Kade paid her no attention, busy chugging down her drink.
How had Maaka entered the Fortress undetected? A memory of Kondo slapping a Darkon warrior zipped into her mind. It reminded her of how he had pounded Maaka’s back on the road to the Freebers’ settlement.
Kade slammed her hand down onto the table, making the remaining plates, and Sherise, jump. Her gaze zeroed in on Sherise. ‘I also do patrol duty, making sure people ain’t poking their noses into places they ain’t supposed too. You were spotted outside the archives building, walking up to the door. Looked as if you were trying to get inside. That place is strictly off-limits.’
The warning in the other’s voice rang with subtext.
Kade strode to the door but before she left the room, she lowered her voice and continued, ‘Course if anyone only wanted to peek through the windows of a few government buildings, then that would be different.’
Sherise blinked. Her focus crystallised and she nodded as their gazes met in mutual understanding. ‘Say one rone?’
‘Huh?’
‘I believe that is an hour in your time.’
Kade nodded. ‘Wear black.’
Whether she was friend or foe, Sherise still was uncertain, but this was an opportunity she intended to take.
***
‘So, where do you wanna go?’ Kade whispered, as they hastened along the dark streets later that night.
‘I want to get inside archives building.’
Kade reached out and grabbed Sherise, jerking her to a halt. ‘No way! That’s a hot potato.’
‘What?’
‘Means you’ll be arrested and so will I. The best you could do is look in a few windows.’
‘Are you positive? What about a rear door? There has to be more than one entrance.�
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‘I said I’m not sticking my neck out for you. But I’m happy to make sure you don’t get lost. Our streets aren’t that well lit at night.’
Sherise sighed. She would investigate some other time when Kade was not dogging her like a second skin. What was the woman’s real motive? Her swing from indifference to sudden helpfulness was hard to trust. Perhaps she was under orders to keep Sherise in her sights at all times? That made the most sense but hardly seemed necessary considering the city was grid-locked with vid-cams.
She remembered the fervour in Kade’s voice when she had spoken of becoming a Puridean. Then her intent gaze when she’d handed over the wanted poster. Did she think Sherise knew something about Maaka’s whereabouts?
Keep your enemies close, whispered her brother’s voice inside her head.
‘Why are you helping me?’
‘I’m curious at all this snooping you’re doing. You don’t trust us and I want to know why.’
‘I’m cautious, that’s all. Most of our questions have gone unanswered and I witnessed for myself the harsh living conditions of the Outworlders.’
‘So?’
‘Why not share your food and medicine with them?’
Kade took a long moment to scan the street, then turned back to Sherise. She was frowning. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted slowly. ‘We’ve been taught to fear them and the Outworld.’
‘Perhaps your teachings are wrong. Or you could think for yourself.’ Sherise waited, but the other woman didn’t respond. Eventually she added, ‘I wouldn’t mind another look at the temple. I assume it will be empty considering the curfew.’
‘It’s this way.’ Kade set off with Sherise following close behind.
‘Tell me about your teacher. Is he also a believer in your gods and worships in your temple?’
‘Of course he does,’ scoffed Kade as they jogged down the road.
‘Is he a Puridean, like you?’
‘What else would he be? You ask some really strange questions. He preaches about living the life of the Pure and presides over the masses held in the Corporation building. There’s not much more to know. Shush now, we’re almost there.’
She wished she had gone against Kade’s demand and woken Bree to accompany them. She could do with a friend watching her back. Even the Relic warlord’s presence would be welcome. Too late now.
Quest For Earth Page 19