Light Speed, Arkadie, L. [free ebooks for android txt] 📗

before all of Ol pursues you. You will not be ableto survive that kind of an attack. You’ll have to hurry; get in andget out.” She directs her attention to Na’ta, “You’ll have to carryNa’ta to the Tarantula.” Now she puts her eyes back on me. “Adore,use the medallion to open the door. But you’ll need the light inyour sight to find the keyhole. It will be on the claw of the frontright leg of the Tarantula.”

“Wait,” Chex cuts in. “She’s obviouslyfaster than I am,” he says, meaning Na’ta. “How long will it takeme to get there on my own?”

“You’ll never make it,” Magnificent Starreplies casually.

Chex moves close behind me as if he’s on theverge of forcibly seizing me. “Then she’s not going. Not withoutme.” He throws up a hand, halting Na’ta before she can object. “Iknow… She doesn’t need me. She has you. But I can’t let her gowithout me. It’s as simple as that.”

“Not your choice,” Na’ta snaps.

“Is my choice,” he insists. “And it’sno.”

“Okay,” Magnificent Star says loudly enoughto command our full attention. She’s turning weary of the back andforth between Na’ta and Chex. “You all must agree. Therefore I canpresent another option.”

“Then what is it?” Chex barks. He still hasa tight hold on me.

“You can retrieve Telman first and he cancarry you into Ol alongside Navi.”

“You have no objections to that, do you?”Chex asks, glaring at Na’ta.

She scowls at him but voices no objection.On the contrary, she is eager to hear what Magnificent Star has tosay and is relieved that circumstances will give her what shewanted all along, sooner rather than later—she’ll have her Selellback.

Now that that is settled, MagnificentStar walks quickly across the floor. We all watch eagerly as thewires reattach to her head. “I was able to follow them thisfar.”

“Them? Chex asks. “Who are the themyou’re referring to?”

At first, Magnificent Star takes a curiousglance at Chex and then she taps the pillar and says, “They’rehere.”

Chex touches me on the hip before hereleases me to stride over to see what she’s showing him. Hisstance is strong, confident as he glowers over Magnificent Star’sshoulders. “Where was the last place you saw them?”

Magnificent Star’s fingers tap the screenthree times. When she looks up, Tetra has transformed into an Earthcity. I know it to be so because the headlights of motor vehiclesblur in the incessant downpour of rain. And humans dwarfed bycement, stone, and glass buildings slog up and down the wetsidewalks holding fanned out umbrellas while hugged by their bigcoats.

“Here—Boston, Massachusetts. There were fourof them and they were dragging him past the second stoplight,east,” she says to be exact.

“And then what happened? How did you losethem?” Na’ta asks. Her level of anxiety is heightened.

“Time expired. Time,” she sighs gravely,“It’s the hub’s single flaw. I’m only able to hold a space for nineEarth minutes and after that the gateway closes and I can’t reopenit for eighteen minutes. When I returned, I was unable to locatethem.”

“Humph,” Chex grunts and glares out at theentire setting, absorbing the cityscape one increment at a time.He’s proficient in his study, gazing into the high windows andmaking a trail with his eyes downward, past the street, and intothe depths of the earth. Then he looks at me with a satisfied grinand the lift of an eyebrow. “I know where they are,” hedeclares.

“You have seven minutes, thirty-sevenseconds to reach him,” Magnificent Star says, but it sounds as ifshe’s posing a question.

“Fair enough.” He separates his index andmiddle finger to point at Na’ta and me. “But you two - stayhere.”

“No,” Na’ta says. Her tone is blunt anddefiant.

“Yes—you will,” Chex insists past clenchedteeth. “If we had the option to fight all day, then you could comealong for the fun of it. Your blood and a vampire’s den don’t mix.Your coming will be the difference between a scuffle and awar.”

“Shit,” Na’ta sighs. “You’re right.”

Chex doesn’t take a moment to gloat. PerhapsNa’ta admitting that she’s wrong and someone else is right doesn’thave the same impact on him as it does on me. Instead he looks toMagnificent Star and asks, “I just cross that line and I’m there,in Boston?”

She nods, “Yes.”

“I’m going to spend five seconds for this…”Suddenly I’m securely in his embrace and the familiar taste of hiswarm tongue caresses mine.

I count, du, dut, duk, du’hi, du’jek,du’te’tu… My head is spinning. The way he tastes is insanelydelicious - du’ rem’sek- not in five but in seven secondshe’s gone.

We are able to watch as he strides with theconfidence of a supreme predator. There aren’t very many humans outand about, but they are certainly mindful of his nearness. Atfirst, passersby cast their eyes on his remarkable physique but thelonger they look, and they have to look because there’s no turningaway, their instincts send a warning, causing some to shudder awayfrom his nearness and others to tear their eyes off of the splendorthat he is, lower their gaze, and hustle past him. But me, I can’ttake my eyes off of him; I am mesmerized by his prowess.

With one hand, Chex lifts himself up over ahigh black iron gate. That was graceful, and the hub is able tokeep a clear eye on him as he swiftly moves down the tight openingbetween the two stone buildings.

At the end of the path he lifts up a squarecement slab and bounds feet first into a cavity in the ground. He’scomposed as he freefalls, his arms crossed against his chest, andwhen he lands it’s gently, on his toes.

I turn my wide expression on Na’ta. She’sclearly not as impressed as I am. Her stern eyes are fastened onChex. Her expression is pensive. I can tell that she’s anxious tocatch sight of Telman.

There’s a Selell leaning against a door atthe end of the corridor Chex is stomping down. It’s a female whohas cropped straw-colored hair and she’s smoking an object called acigarette. Before she can fully rotate her head to see him, he’sright in front of her with his hand clamped around her neck. Herlips part and her eyes widen in horror. Only now do I see what hisother hand