“Not really. I’ve been providing . . .” She halted, fishing for words Jon would understand, but none came to her tired mind. “ . . . support,” she finished lamely.
Jon laughed, but it was a sound more of pain and disbelief than humor. “Are you serious? Support? As in ‘moral support’? Dina, the fact that he was poisoned makes him no less a suspect.”
The eight men surrounding Jon shifted their stances, and, while not yet aggressive, the shift signaled a palpable change in the atmosphere of the room.
Dina’s attention slipped to the Dailjan. The eight pairs of eyes, however, were riveted on Jon, not her. “All the more reason to keep him alive,” she replied, willing strength and steadiness into her voice. A confrontation with the Dailjan was the last thing they needed.
“We’ll talk about that later. Are you done here?”
“No. He hasn’t come around yet. I’m staying until he does.”
Jon shook his head. “No, Dina. We have an investigation.”
“This is the investigation.” She was pushing, and she knew it. For the first time ever, she felt at odds with Jon. She didn’t like the feeling, but neither would she back down. She was not going to leave Rayn.
“Be back before the sun goes down. And be prepared for some explanations.” Jon eyed each of the Dailjan one more time, then left the compound.
Though he had tried not to let it show, Dina could see that he was favoring his injured leg and was in a good deal of pain. She stood for several moments more, her thoughts on Jon. Her expression gradually softened. This was her partner who had risked himself to come to her rescue. It had been hard to contradict him, but he had left her with no choice.
At last she blinked, and realized that four of the Dailjan were still standing next to her, watching her. She studied them, one by one, getting her first really good look at the men around her. They had all been nothing more than faceless, hooded beings before now.
Kindyll had a young, boyish face and was lean and muscular. His long, sun-streaked, blond hair was held at bay by a wide headband. Dina had a feeling that behind the boyish features was a man whose years and experience far overreached his appearance.
Trai was stockier in build, with short, dark hair. He stood closest to Dina, and as she appraised him, he turned to her and met her gaze. He had a rugged, yet handsome face and cornflower blue eyes, one of which winked at her before he turned away again.
Raethe had shoulder-length, sandy hair and was the tallest and most muscular of the Glacians present. His features were strong and regular, but there was a hardness to his expression that was missing from the others. Raethe, who had good reason to bear a grudge against Mother Lode.
Another thought came to Dina. Rayn had obviously been covering for someone. One of his own people perhaps? Did that person fear betrayal?
Dina returned to the inner chamber where Rayn lay. Alee was washing him, and Dina could see that his clothes and bedding had been changed.
Alee spoke as Dina knelt beside her. “Why don’t you refresh yourself and get something to eat and drink? I’ll be finished in a few minutes.”
She had referred to Alee in anger as a “little camp follower,” but it was clear the young woman loved Rayn and would do anything for him. Dina smiled and nodded. It didn’t make sense. B’haratans were supposed to be so self-centered, yet the affection and loyalty Dina saw in the Dailjan for their leader seemed to be extraordinary.
But was it?
She went out to where the Dailjan had parked her skimmer, took out the extra desert suit she had packed along with a bottle of water, then entered the chamber adjoining Rayn’s. She washed, changed into the extra suit, and drank long from the water she had brought in. She refrained from eating any of the food Alee had laid out. Although Dina suspected the poison had been specifically targeted at Rayn, she didn’t want to take any chances.
As she turned to leave the chamber, her eyes caught a soft gleam from the table. Dina stared at the object. It was a pocket knife. A very special pocket knife, with a handle of black pearl. Her knife.
Dina retrieved a small container from her belt and carefully slid the knife into the container, careful not to touch it with her fingers. It was the knife she had carried in her utility belt the day she was attacked in the abandoned Kewero tunnel.
She stood a moment, forcing her tired mind to think. The killer had taken this knife. Now it was inside Sanctuary. Had the killer lost it, and had it been found by one of Rayn’s people? Unlikely. Had the killer left it here, or had the killer given it to an accomplice, one of the Dailjan? Dina decided it would be prudent for now not to mention the knife to anyone. Perhaps latent prints could be lifted from it.
She took a deep breath, stepped quietly into Rayn’s chamber, and leaned against the wall next to the doorway. Her eyes lingered on Alee, who was still kneeling beside Rayn. This was his lover, thought Dina. How must she feel to see another woman lying next to him? Dina continued into the room before too many emotions could seize her. She sat down, and Alee looked at her, shyly returning Dina’s smile.
“I do think he’s better. His breathing is easier, not so ragged,” said Alee.
Dina nodded. “Let’s the two of us get some air. I think we could both use a break. One of the men can sit with him for a while.”
Alee’s smile widened, and she rose easily to her feet. The two women sat in the shade near the entrance to Sanctuary, where they caught a slight breeze, but it, too, was hot and provided little relief.
Dina shifted her position, uncomfortable all around. Did Alee resent Dina’s intrusion into the life she and Rayn shared? Meaningful words failed her once again. “Gods, it’s hot today. How can you stand it out here every day?”
“‘The desert burns, but is no more blood-hot than man,’” said Alee, a wistfulness softening her voice to little more than a song on the wind. “Rayn told me that when I first met him. I used to complain about the heat, too, but after he said that, I never complained about it again.” She turned to Dina. “Thank you for coming. I suppose I should be jealous of you, coming into his life like you did. Maybe I am. But I knew from the first day you were here that you’d have something with him I could never have. I’m trying to accept it. It’s not easy, but what else can I do? And I’m grateful for what you did today.”
“I’m just here conducting an investigation, then I’ll be gone. He’s very lucky to have you,” said Dina, her voice gentle.
“I think you’re fooling yourself, just like he tries to fool himself. For someone so wise, sometimes he’s awfully thick-headed.”
“And stubborn,” Dina added, her smile growing.
“And overbearing,” said Alee, laughing.
“He is that.” Dina paused, and her face grew serious once again. “I’d better go sit with him. I don’t have much time before I have to leave.”
Alee nodded, and the two women embraced before Dina returned to Rayn’s side. She settled next to him and studied the face before her, so young-looking and so vulnerable. Her fingers brushed the side of his face and trailed down his neck, catching on the gold chain and sliding down the smooth links to the pendant that rested over his heart.
She lifted the pendant and examined it closely for the first time. It was oval in shape, but with a round cutout off to one side. The oval stone was a shimmering, almost iridescent cream color, and mounted inside the cutout area was a round golden cabochon stone unlike anything Dina had ever seen. Deep within the golden stone was a silver star that shifted when Dina moved the stone back and forth to catch the light from different angles. Dina wondered where Rayn had gotten the pendant and why it was so important he never took it off.
Running her fingers up to his face once again, she stretched her mind out to his as she had done before. This time she found the small area of light much quicker than before. Did it seem larger an
d stronger now, or was it her imagination?
Rayn, I’m here. Everyone’s here for you. Alee is here, and Kindyll, Trai, and Gaard. They all need you . . .
She continued talking to him with the voice of her mind, compelling him to live, until, as before, her mind finally relaxed from sheer exhaustion. Half-asleep, but still mentally connected to him, she suddenly felt that she was no longer alone. A cool ripple of air flowed over her face, and behind her eyes she saw a dome of midnight blue, the color of the sky between merkwia and true night. Her eyes fluttered, she sat up, and, holding the side of his face, stared at him. “Damn it, Rayn. You no-good, conceited, arrogant, krek . . . wake up! Come on, tell me you hate me. Tell me I have nothing you need. Tell me . . .”
“Enough shouting, little girl. I can hear you,” he breathed, opening and focusing his eyes on hers. She sank her head to his chest in relief and felt his left arm slide over her, holding her to him. It was an impulsive move on her part, but it felt good, and she didn’t protest his embrace.
After a moment she lifted her head and drank in the life in his eyes, as if they were a potion she couldn’t get enough of. “How do you feel?”
“How do you think I feel? Like I was kicked in the gut and thrown off the top of Chayne Berg.” His voice was so soft that she wasn’t sure she would have heard it without her ability.
“I’ll tell the others,” she said.
But his left hand was still on her arm, holding her. “You do realize my men are going to look upon you from now on as a goddess. All of their immeasurable strength and loyalty will be yours.”
“Ummm. And what about their leader? How will he look upon me?”
“Why, little girl, we’re just even now,” he said softly, releasing her arm.
Dina frowned. “Don’t call me that. I’m not little, and I’m not a girl.” At any other time, his teasing would have brought a tart rejoinder, but there was no bite to her protest this time. “Rayn, I know you want to see Alessane and the others, but I have to return to the city soon, and we have to talk before I go. I need to know exactly what happened to you.”
“Ah, the return of the stalwart investigator.”
“Rayn, this is serious.”
He regarded her soberly. “Yes. This is very serious. Go, then. Tell the others. We’ll have time before you leave.”
Dina told Alee that Rayn was awake, and the news spread quickly through the compound. During the next hour, in which there was much quiet celebration, several of the Dailjan approached Dina to speak to her privately.
Kindyll Sirkhek was the first to seek her out. “Thank you, my lady, for what you have done. My heart and arm are yours,” he said, bowing his head to her.
Dina looked into the boyish face and saw strength and kindness, but there was also a sadness apparent in his hazel eyes. Dina remembered from the AEA file that Kindyll had no family to return home to after the completion of his guild contract. She placed a hand on Kindyll’s arm and smiled up at him. “Thank you, Kindyll. That means a lot to me.”
Trai was the next to speak to Dina. “DeStar has good instincts about people. The first day he brought you here, I wondered. But no more. If I can ever be of service to you, it would be my honor.”
Raethe, who said very little, and Gaard, who said even less, each managed to catch her eye, and when they did, they nodded to her in turn. Somehow, those little acknowledgments meant more to Dina than the flowery pledges of the others. Would a guilty man catch her eye? Could one of these men have betrayed Rayn? She was about to quickly probe their minds when Alee glided up to her and whispered that Rayn was ready to see her in private.
“Rayn, there’s so much we have to talk about. But first things first. What happened last night?”
He shook his head slowly. “I’m not sure. I left the compound for a few hours. When I returned, Alee made me one of her ‘power’ drinks.”
“”Power’ drinks?”
“That’s what she calls them. She’s something of an herbalist. She makes various teas and cocktails with different herbs, depending on my mood or a perceived want she decides needs remedying. The drink she gave me last night was a yegwa cocktail. Water, juice, yegwa powder, and gods know what else. She said I looked sullen. Yegwa is a relaxant and a mild antidepressant.”
“Does she make these drinks for any of the others?”
“She tries, but most won’t drink them. Alee’s concoctions are definitely an acquired taste.”
“Where does she get her herbs? Surely she doesn’t grow her own.”
“She grows some desert herbs, but most she buys from one of the mercari. I’ve known the man for years. He sells good quality products. Alee refuses to buy herbs from anybody else. I find it hard to believe he would sell her tainted goods.”
“What happened when you drank what Alee gave you?”
“I don’t remember all of it, other than I got sicker than I’ve been in a long time. And I remember yelling at Alee like a madman.”
“Rayn, I’ll have to question her.”
“She didn’t intentionally try to do harm to me. She wouldn’t. This I know.”
“Even so, I have to talk to her.”
“Whatever you say, Agent Marlijn.” The grin Rayn attempted manifested itself as more of a grimace of pain.
Dina took a moment to wipe the sweat from his face with a cool cloth before she left to find Alee. It didn’t take Dina long, as the girl was in the next chamber, waiting to see Rayn. Dina took her gently by the arm.
“Alessane, I know you’re anxious to talk to Rayn, but I need you to show me where you made this drink last night.”
Alee led Dina to a nearby chamber that felt cooler than the others. Numerous airtight glass jars were crowded onto shelves that had been constructed against one wall. “This is where I do my food preparation. It stays nice and cool in this room, and there’s ventilation through that passageway there.”
“Tell me what happened last night after Rayn returned,” Dina asked.
Alee took a deep breath. “He was in a strange mood, like I told you before. He didn’t want to talk, didn’t want anything to eat or drink. I hate it when he gets so moody. I finally talked him into a yegwa drink.”
“Show me what all you put in the drink.”
Alee pointed out a jar of yegwa powder, a jar of lecithin granules, and showed Dina the cooler that held the juice and water.
“I’ll have to take a sample from each of these to test.”
Alee nodded, and Dina continued her questioning. “After you finished preparing the drink, did anyone else have access to it before you gave it to Rayn? Did anyone else come into this room? Take your time and think carefully.”
Alee sat down and closed her eyes. “Yes, Raethe came in and started poking around for something to eat. I gave him some sweet bread so he’d stop bothering me.”
“Anybody else?”
“I don’t think so. I did hear a commotion out back, but when I went to look, it was nothing. The wind often plays tricks with this passageway.” Alee nodded toward the narrow tunnel that wound its way upward to the outside.
“So you left this room for a while before you gave Rayn the drink?”
“Only for a minute.” The tears started welling again in Alee’s eyes. “I don’t know who here would want to hurt Rayn.” Two glistening trails painted the girl’s face. “He thinks I did it, doesn’t he?”
“No, Alee. He doesn’t.”
Fresh pearls of moisture continued sliding down the wet tracks. She nodded her head in stubborn opposition to Dina’s words. “Yes, he does. You didn’t hear him. He yelled at me, accused me. The whole compound heard him.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to know what I had given him. He said I was trying to poison him, then he came at me. I thought he was
going to hurt me, but he got sick. Raethe and Gaard tried to hold him so we could give him water, but he wanted to fight everybody. It was awful. I’ve never seen him that angry, that violent.”
“Alee, listen to me. Rayn knows you didn’t intentionally try to hurt him. I think he was drugged. Is there any of the drink left that he didn’t finish?”
“No, he threw the glass against the wall. I cleaned up the mess.”
“One more question. Does anyone here ‘dance with shadow?’”
Alee stared at Dina, her dark eyes as round and shiny as the glass eyes of a doll.
“Alee, I know you know what I mean.”
“It’s not against the law.”
“I know that. Just tell me, please.”
“Rayn doesn’t allow it. He says that any desert rat who needs to ‘play with shadow’ in order to escape the hardships here doesn’t deserve to be a Dailjan.”
Dina couldn’t suppress a small smile. Rayn, an outlaw who had broken gods know how many laws, taking a moral stance against the dark pills commonly called “shadow.” Widely accepted as sedatives and anxiety relievers, few people cared about the “shadow dancers,” those who took large quantities in the hope of simulating the effects of intoxication. Even fewer spoke of the deaths that resulted from toxic levels of “shadow.” After all, it was an industry worth millions.
“But ‘shadow’ is available from the mercari, isn’t it?”
Alee nodded. Dina collected her samples, then took a walk through the narrow tunnel that led to the outside. She looked closely at the ground outside but saw nothing of interest and, checking the time on her commband, returned to Rayn.
“Rayn, time is so short. I wish I could do a more thorough investigation, but I can’t. I don’t have any proof, but I think you were given an overdose of ‘shadow.’ But that’s not all we have to talk about.”
Rainscape Page 17