Nadiah fell asleep frowning but at least she had no more dreams.
Chapter Twenty-two
“Good morning.” Nadiah smiled as Sylvan came into the dining area. She and Sophia were already up and enjoying a traditional Earth breakfast. Well, traditional to Sophia’s part of Earth, anyway. Apparently different regions of the planet had different cuisines.
Nadiah wasn’t a big fan of the yellow fluffy stuff the mate of her kin had called scrambled eggs—they had a strange texture. But there were thin crispy slices of something called bacon that were salty and delicious. Also, there was a warm, crunchy kind of bread with sweet, sticky berry spread on it that was wonderful.
But best of all, in Nadiah’s opinion, was the bright orange juice squeezed from a fruit—it tasted like liquid sunshine, tart and sweet and utterly delicious. Sophia had offered her white liquid called ‘milk’ as well, but Nadiah had turned it down. She’d already been warned by Baird that it came from a skin bag between a large Earth animal’s legs. Apparently, the bag was squeezed and the white fluid came jetting out. Ugh! It sounded every bit as disgusting as fleeta pudding to Nadiah, who had never been fond of her native dish.
“Good morning.” Sylvan smiled at them both. He kissed Sophia on the cheek and Nadiah on the top of her head before seating himself at the table. “I see you two are finally up.”
“What do you mean ‘finally up?’” Sophia protested. “I’ve been up for ages making you this yummy breakfast. Where were you, anyway?”
“In the viewing room,” Sylvan said, pouring himself a tall glass of the orange juice. “I had a very interesting call to attend to.”
“Oh, was it that annoying Detective Rast?” Sophia asked eagerly. “Did you give him a piece of your mind?”
Nadiah frowned. “How would you do that? With some kind of telepathy?”
“No, it just means to tell someone off,” Sophia explained. She looked at Sylvan. “So did you? Tell him off?”
“I didn’t get a chance,” Sylvan said mildly. “He wasn’t the one who called.” He looked at Nadiah. “It was your parents. And they were very unhappy. Is it true you left your home on the day you and Yo-dah were to be mated?”
“Well…yes.” Suddenly the orange juice tasted sour and flat. Nadiah put down her glass and sighed. “But Sylvan, if you could see him. He’s just so skinny and scrawny and whiny and…and so not Kindred.”
“You have a blood bond with him though.” Sylvan gave her a stern look. “That is not a commitment to be taken lightly.”
“Surely you’re not telling her to go back home and marry a man she doesn’t love?” Sophia scooted closer to Nadiah and put an arm around her shoulders. “I mean, they betrothed her to this guy when she was a little girl—she didn’t even have any choice in the matter.”
“That is how things are done on my planet,” Sylvan said, frowning. “I was betrothed to Feenah. We didn’t have a blood bond but the engagement between us was sacred. If she had not broken it, I would have mated her.”
“And you would have been miserable the rest of your life,” Sophia shot back.
“Sophia’s right,” Nadiah toyed with the strange silver eating utensil Sophia had called a ‘fork.’ “I don’t see why I should go home and be mated to Yo-dah when you didn’t have to mate with Feenah.”
Sylvan sighed. “I didn’t say you had to go back to Tranq Prime—not right away, anyway. But I did have to promise your parents I was watching out for you. And you will have to go home eventually, you know. The blood bond will compel you.”
“I’m not going until I find a Kindred male capable of challenging the bond,” Nadiah said stubbornly. “If I go back alone they’ll tie me down and force me to say the sacred vows. Then I’ll be stuck on that ball of ice having a bunch of scrawny babies with Yo-dah’s ugly face on them.”
Sophia looked like she was trying not to laugh. “Then let’s hope you find someone who can challenge the bond soon.”
Sylvan sighed. “I give up. Do as you please as long as you stay safe and retain your virtue.”
“Sylvan!” Sophia looked shocked. “You can’t tell her that she has to…to do that. A woman’s body is her own to do with as she pleases.”
“Not on Tranq Prime. And not my kin.” Sylvan glowered. “I won’t have it said I couldn’t protect Nadiah’s virtue.”
“Relax, Sylvan, no one has to protect me,” Nadiah said quickly. “And don’t worry—I have no intention of doing anything rash. I’ll go intact to my mate to be—whoever he is—or I won’t go at all.”
Sophia shook her head. “I had no idea you guys had such primitive ideas on Tranq Prime. But whatever makes you happy.”
“What makes me happy is making sure that Nadiah is safe,” Sylvan said. “And furthermore—”
A small chime from the holo-link cut him off. Sophia hurried to answer it and a small blue dot above the unit quickly expanded to form the shape of a Kindred warrior’s head. “Pardon me, Commander Sylvan,” he said formally, nodding at Sylvan. “But there is another call for you in the viewing room and the caller requests that your kin should come as well.”
Nadiah groaned. “Omigoddess. I knew they wouldn’t leave me alone. Now they’ll be calling all the time, telling me to come back to Tranq Prime.” She looked at the disembodied blue head hovering above the holo-link. “Please inform my parents that I will come home when I am ready and not before. And I don’t wish to speak to them.”
“Forgive me, kin of Commander Sylvan, but the caller is not related to you.” The warrior nodded at her respectfully. “It is a human calling from the HKR building on Earth. He says his name is Detective Rast.”
“Detective Rast?” Sophia frowned. “Why is he calling us?”
“I don’t know.” Sylvan frowned. “But let’s go find out.”
Leaving the half-eaten breakfast on the table, the three of them hurried down the curving metal corridor to the viewing room where all off-ship communication took place.
Nadiah wasn’t a bit surprised to see that the human detective didn’t look any happier than the last time she had spoken to him. If anything he looked angrier. The moment she and Sylvan and Sophia stepped into sight of the big viewscreen mounted on the viewing room wall, he started firing questions at her.
“Is this the girl you saw?” he demanded. A picture flashed up on the viewscreen. The girl has Lauren’s same warm brown skin tones but other than that, she bore little resemblance to Sophia and Olivia’s cousin when viewed face-on. Still, Nadiah recognized her at once.
“Yes,” she said as the picture was replaced by an angry looking Detective Rast. “That’s her.”
“All right. Where were you last night?” he asked, glaring at her with those startling green eyes. “Were you anywhere near Sarasota?”
“Nadiah has been here on the Kindred Mother ship since she came for my joining ceremony, detective,” Sylvan said, frowning.
“I’d like to hear her answer for herself, if you don’t mind,” Rast snapped.
“I have no problem with answering your question.” Nadiah put a hand on her hip. “As Sylvan said, I’ve been here aboard the ship. Why do you ask?”
“Can anyone verify your whereabouts?” he demanded, ignoring her question.
“Sylvan and I both can.” Sophia crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s been staying in our suite with us.”
Rast frowned. “She could have gotten out during the night, when the two of you were sleeping.”
“No, she couldn’t,” Sophia snapped. “She had a nightmare last night and Sylvan and I were up with her.”
Nadiah’s cheeks burned. She knew Sophia was just trying to defend her but the way she talked it sounded like Nadiah was a baby who needed to be protected and coddled.
“A nightmare, huh?” Rast glared at her. “What was it this time? Another vision? A prophesy?”
“I saw the same girl that I saw in my previous vision, if you must know,” Nadiah said coldly. “The one who looks like Lauren.
She was…” She swallowed hard, remembering the horrible images the vision had shown her.
“She was what?” Rast sounded almost eager. “What? Where was she? Tell me!”
“Why do you want to know what I saw?” Nadiah demanded. “You don’t believe in my gift.”
“I want to know because a girl matching your description disappeared last night.” Rast poked a finger at her. “And I want to know exactly how you’re involved.”
“Wait a moment, Detective. What are you implying?” Sylvan took a step forward, frowning at the human. “You think Nadiah would have something to do with abducting a helpless girl?”
Rast ran a hand through his thick light brown hair in obvious frustration. “How else would she know the girl was going to be taken?”
“She knows because of her gift—because of the Sight,” Sophia said, putting an arm around Nadiah’s shoulders.
“I don’t believe that,” Rast said stubbornly. “There must be some other reason—some way she knew.” He looked at Nadiah. “Admit it—you had something to do with this.”
“Be careful what you accuse my kin of.” Sylvan’s voice had deepened to a menacing growl. “Nadiah is closely related to me—she is what you would call my cousin. I can vouch for her honor and tell you that she would never be involved in an abduction.”
“And she would certainly never have anything to do with torture!” Sophia put in.
“Torture?” A muscle in Rast’s jaw twitched. “Who said anything about torture?”
“That’s what I saw.” Nadiah felt sick. “In my dream—my vision. He was hurting her…torturing her.”
“He? He who?” Rast demanded.
“The AllFather,” Sylvan said. “The overlord of the Scourge. Tell me, Detective, did you happen to find the girl’s clothing all in a pile as you did in Lauren’s case?”
“We did.” Rast frowned. “But we assumed that whoever had taken her took the time to undress her first.”
“I don’t think so.” Nadiah shook her head. “She was taken the same way Lauren was—with the Scourge molecular transfer beam. That’s how he got her.”
“And why are you so determined that Nadiah had anything to do with it?” Sophia asked. “The last time she talked about her vision, you mocked her because of what she saw.”
Rast looked uncomfortable. “The details she mentioned…they checked out. The girl disappeared from the place she talked about.”
“What place?” Nadiah asked, truly mystified. “I didn’t see anyplace in particular. I just saw giants kissing.”
Rast cleared his throat. “Maybe…maybe you’d better come down here. I’ll show you what I mean.”
For some reason Nadiah’s heart started racing. “Down to Earth? Right now?”
“After the things you accused her of?” Sylvan frowned at Rast. “I don’t think so.”
Rast frowned back. “Look, if you and your wife will vouch for her, I’ll take your word that Nadiah isn’t connected to this. But I need her to look at something. To see the spot where Tabitha disappeared.”
“Tabitha?” Nadiah asked, raising an eyebrow.
“The girl who was taken.” Rast ran a hand through his hair. “Her parents are frantic.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse but at the mention of the girl’s parents, Nadiah felt something loosen inside her. She lifted her chin. “I’ll come. But only if you give your word to treat me with respect. I don’t care if you believe in my gift or not but I won’t be verbally abused by you or anyone.”
“Fair enough.” Rast nodded shortly. “I’ll meet you at the HKR building in half an hour.”
Sylvan frowned. “I have not given my consent for this.”
Sophia shook her head. “Honestly, Sylvan, when did you turn into such a caveman? Nadiah can go if she wants to.”
“Not if she’s heading into danger.” Sylvan leveled a stare at Detective Rast. “See that you treat my kin with the respect and courtesy she deserves, Detective, or you’ll have me to answer to.”
“You can think what you want about me but I’d never harm a woman.” Rast’s voice was harsh. “I’ve devoted my life to finding and protecting them, damn it.”
For a moment Nadiah’s eyes fluttered closed and she saw a picture in her mind’s eye. A boy with light brown hair and truegreen eyes—the same color as Detective Rast’s. The boy was crying, tears streaming down his face as his lips formed a name she couldn’t quite catch. And then he was gone.
The vision came and went so quickly she barely registered it, but somehow Nadiah knew it was important. “It’s all right,” she said, putting a hand on Sylvan’s arm. “He’s telling the truth—he won’t hurt me.” She looked at the viewscreen. “There’s a reason Detective Rast acts the way he does. A personal reason.”
Rast’s face got red. He seemed about to say something but then he shook his head. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes,” he muttered and then his image winked out of sight and the viewscreen went dark.
* * * * *
“I got here as fast as I could. So you’re seriously calling in a psychic? I thought you hated that kind of shit.” Detective Jack Barnes, who had been Rast’s partner before he left the PD, looked at him in amazement.
“I know how it looks.” Rast ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “But she seems to know something about the case. And you know how critical the first twenty-four hours are.”
“Yeah, I know,” Barnes said dryly. “Critical enough for you to leave the PD and set up your own agency.”
Rast nodded. “What else could I do? Just because someone is over eighteen we’re supposed to waste an entire day hoping she just ran off with her friends instead of being snatched by some creep?”
Barnes waved a hand at him. “Don’t start on that again. Besides, I’m totally with you on this one. Most girls don’t take off all their clothes in a public place and suddenly—poof—vanish.”
“Her friends say they saw her one minute and the next it was like she’d disappeared off the face of the Earth.” Rast frowned. Maybe literally if what Commander Sylvan is saying is true.
“Well if anyone can find her it’s you.” Barnes clapped him on the shoulder. “Which is why I’m giving you this evidence.” He handed Rast a sealed plastic bag with the missing girl’s clothes and personal effects. “Just be sure you get it back to me by the end of the day, okay? It just came from the lab—not that I think we’re going to find much of anything on it. Whoever took her was quick and clean. A real professional.”
“You got it.” Rast gave his former partner a nod. “Thanks, Jack. I owe you one.”
“Just find her.” Barnes sighed. “Find her so I don’t have to tell her parents she’s gone for good. God, I hate that part of the job.”
“Not half as much as I do,” Rast muttered. “I—”
Just then the sliding glass door of the HKR building opened and a tall, slim blonde girl walked in. Though he had seen Nadiah just thirty minutes before on the viewscreen, Rast found he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her long waterfall of pale blonde hair brushed her bare shoulders. It was set off with a single streak of dark blue which emphasized her slightly tilted, exotic blue eyes. To cap it all off, she was wearing a long, clinging, pale blue gown that clung to her high, firm breasts and curving hips in a way that made it clear she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.
The effect was more exotic than erotic—somehow he knew Nadiah wasn’t trying to be provocative. Probably this was just the way people dressed where she was from. But despite the innocent way she carried herself, Rast still felt his shaft spring to attention inside his khakis.
God, he wished he could forget the way she’d felt in his arms! Not to mention the sweet taste of her lips when he’d kissed her, like ripe cherries… Get hold of yourself, he told himself fiercely. She’s a fake. A fraud. Right. He just wished she wasn’t so fucking gorgeous—it was damn distracting. And the way everything shifted so enticingly under her gown when she walked did
n’t help either. In fact—
“Hey, is that her?” Barnes nudged him with an elbow, breaking his train of thought. “Wow, you can really pick ‘em, Rast. What a looker.”
“Shut up.” Rast gave him a glare. “She’ll hear you.”
“Hello, Detective.” Nadiah gave him a glacial smile.
Rast opened his mouth to answer but Barnes beat him to it.
“Well, hello pretty lady, I’m Jack Barnes, Detective first class.” Smiling, he took Nadiah’s hand in his and raised it to his lips. “When Rast told me he was having an expert come down from the Kindred ship to help with this case, I didn’t know he was bringing in a model.”
Rast rolled his eyes. He loved Barnes like a brother but his old partner was kind of a dog when it came to women.
“Thank you.” Nadiah smiled politely at Barnes. “But isn’t a model someone who wears clothing the manufacturer hopes other people will buy? I can’t possibly be one of those because my tharp is one of a kind.” She nodded down at her pale blue gown.
“It certainly is,” Barnes murmured, eyeing her appreciatively.
Rast felt a stab of jealousy as his old partner’s eyes crawled over Nadiah’s slender form like greedy spiders. “That’s enough, Barnes,” he said roughly. “She’s here to look at the evidence, not be your girlfriend.”
“I don’t see why she can’t do both.” Barnes was still eyeing Nadiah like a hungry dog with a juicy bone.
“Because you are already mated.” Nadiah withdrew her hand pointedly.
“What?” Barnes frowned. “Oh, you saw my wedding ring, right? Let me tell you, though, we’re separated right now and I’m leaving her. So that shouldn’t pose a problem.”
“What about your children?” Nadiah raised one slim blonde eyebrow disapprovingly. “You have a little boy and a little girl. Won’t they miss their father?”
Barnes frowned. “Hey, how did you know that? You must have done some research on me or something, right?”
“I’ve never seen you or heard of you before this minute,” Nadiah said. “I saw it when you took my hand—saw your family. They’re counting on you, Detective and your wife loves you very much. You should honor that love.”