Pursued Read online

  “He stayed at Rast’s request. We’re still deliberating what to do about Draven, and since Rast is tied to First World, he needs someone else who can act as an ambassador to the Kindred Mother Ship. Viewscreen communication is wonderful but it can be kind of patchy this far out. And Rast wants someone actually there, to gauge the reactions of the Kindred Council.”

  “I see.” Lissa looked down at her feet as they mounted the steps. “I wonder how the Kindred High Council will feel about having one of the banned Touch Kindred as an ambassador aboard the Mother Ship?”

  Nadiah shrugged. “Rast says they’ll have to get over it. He doesn’t have anyone else he can send, and he likes Saber. There aren’t many males here, you know, and he and your, uh, brother have really ‘hit it off’ as my friend, Sophia says.”

  “They hit each other?” Lissa asked, horrified. “Is that some kind of male bonding thing?”

  Nadiah laughed. “No, no—it’s an expression that means they got along well right from the start. They like each other’s company.”

  “Oh.” Lissa felt a measure of relief. “I see.”

  They climbed silently for a few moments and Lissa kept her eyes fixed on the steps going ever upward, as though being careful not to trip. In fact, she had climbed them so often she could have managed the temple stairs blindfolded, but she didn’t want to risk meeting Saber’s gaze when they reached the top of the dais.

  They hadn’t spoken since the awkward incident in her room, where his crewmember had caught them holding hands, and that was the way Lissa wanted to keep it. Touching Saber—asking for his touch—had been terribly wrong. She had chastised herself for her impropriety and tried to put the incident from her mind, but still she found it impossible to forget the warmth of his hands around hers.

  I won’t make the same mistake twice, she told herself sternly. It would be better if he just flew home to Tarsia and we never saw each other again. The idea made her heart sink down to her simple woven sandals but she knew it was true. Better to have Saber half the universe away than to give in to the terrible temptation to transgress she felt every moment in his presence.

  “Whew—so many steps!” Nadiah murmured at last. “I never have to worry about keeping my figure around here—not as long as we have to climb up and down these every day.”

  “I suppose.” Lissa nodded, still looking down. But the next moment, she was forced to look up.

  “Lysell Nadiah. High Priestess Lissa, welcome.” Councilor Rast’s deep voice filled the chamber.

  “Councilor.” Lissa bowed deeply and rose, directing her gaze to the Seat of Wisdom where he sat, his iridescent wings extended and the Eye of Foreknowledge held in one hand. The Seat of Wisdom was on a raised platform and Nadiah had to climb more steps to stand beside her mate. Saber stood patiently to the left side of the throne, looking up, an unreadable expression on his handsome face. Lissa came and stood on the right side, being careful to keep a safe distance between them.

  “I’ve called you all here for a council of war,” Councilor Rast said, his truegreen eyes flashing. “We’ve had word from the Mother Ship that Draven has attacked another Kindred—Merrick, the hybrid who was here on a pilgrimage not that long ago.”

  “Oh, no!” Lissa put a hand to her mouth involuntarily.

  “Was anyone hurt? Wasn’t he traveling with the AllFather’s last victim?” Nadiah asked.

  “Elise. Yes—they managed to get away—barely,” Rast said grimly. “Apparently Draven is trying to get his hands on a wormhole generator—a ship that can create rips in the space-time continuum at will.”

  “A ship like that would be a great tactical advantage,” Saber remarked quietly. “The commander who owned a fleet of such ships could put his army anywhere he wanted to at any given time.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re afraid of,” Rast said, frowning. “And that’s the message I need you, Saber, to carry to the Kindred High Council.”

  “I will do my best to repeat your words faithfully and represent both First World and Tarsia with honor.” Saber bowed.

  “I know you will.” Rast nodded. “But I don’t like to send you without some ideas to present to the Council. What can we do about the Hoard? How were they defeated before, back in my father’s time?”

  Nadiah spoke up. “I have some news about that.” She turned to her mate. “As you know, I have been searching the temple library for weeks, looking for the earliest scrolls—the ones that described the period in history when your father, Kall, fought and defeated the Hoard.”

  He nodded. “And?”

  Nadiah sighed. “I am afraid those records are all missing. They have been sold.”

  “What?” Rast gave her a startled look. “Sold? By who? And to who?”

  “Sold by Minverna.” Nadiah shook her head. “Apparently before her death she’d been pilfering the library for some time, selling some of the temple’s most ancient records and artifacts to collectors in the Ganda system.”

  Lissa's stomach dropped and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. My fault! It’s my fault Minverna felt free to do such things. If only I had been a better high priestess, if only I had kept a better eye on her instead of letting her intimidate me, she never would have been able to get away with it! she thought, feeling sick.

  Councilor Rast frowned, clearly missing Lissa’s reaction to the news. “But why would anyone outside First World have any interest in our past?”

  Nadiah shrugged. “Apparently any kind of memorabilia from the ‘Hoard Wars,’ as people call them, is extremely valuable. Minverna made a very tidy sum which she stored in an off-planet account.”

  “Well did you at least find out who bought them?” Rast demanded. “We need to get them back! If we can find out how my father defeated this bastard, we might stand a fighting chance of beating him ourselves—before it’s too late.”

  “I narrowed it down to several collectors—apparently Minverna sold to more than one individual.” Nadiah unfolded a scrap of parchment and handed the list to Rast. “They all live on Yonnie Six, as far as I can tell.”

  “Yonnie Six?” Saber frowned. “I know of that world. It’s a matriarchal society, made up of extremely wealthy, sensation seeking females.” He bowed to Rast. “My Challa, I would offer to go there as your emissary to try and buy or bargain for your lost scrolls, but I fear it wouldn’t do any good. The Yonites hold males in the lowest esteem, deeming them worthy only to do manual labor or act as body-slaves.”

  Lissa took a deep breath. “I’ll go.”

  “What?” Nadiah looked startled.

  Lissa took a step forward, her heart pounding. “It’s my fault those scrolls were stolen in the first place,” she said. “I should have been keeping a closer watch on Minverna. Instead, I left her to her own devices, allowing her to intimidate me because she had been my superior for so long. So I’ll go to Yonnie Six. I’ll pose as a wealthy female of means—someone interested in buying antiquities. I can work my way through the list of collectors Minverna sold to and find the one who bought the scrolls.”

  Councilor Rast raised an eyebrow at her. “And what if you find them and whoever bought them doesn’t want to give them up?”

  Then…” She took a deep breath. “I’ll steal them. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to recover the scrolls but I swear to you, my Challa, I will bring them home to First World.”

  “High Priestess,” Councilor Rast said formally. “I want you to know that we do not hold you responsible for the theft of the scrolls.”

  “No, but I do.” Lissa lifted her chin. “And I will be the one to recover them.”

  “Not alone, you won’t.” Saber stepped forward. “I’ll go with her.”

  “What? No!” Lissa exclaimed before she could stop herself. “We can’t…you shouldn’t…”

  “Shouldn’t what?” Saber frowned at her. “Shouldn’t protect my little sister? For all that it’s a matriarchal society, Yonnie Six is a dangerous place, Lissa. If your deceptio