Transformation, M J Marlow [thriller books to read .TXT] 📗

me,” she frowned as she turned to Omri. “It is for your own protection, princess,” Omri corrected. “There are those who would destroy you, if they could. Here at the Temple, you are safe.” “I am a prisoner until you learn how to chain me,” Zen protested. “And then you will use me like I am nothing but a tool.” She shook her head. “I do not wish to remain here,” she cried as she headed towards the doors. Two men stood just outside the doors. They stood in her way, their intent quite clear. “Omri Snow,” she sighed as she felt the walls closing in around her, “you are a cruel man.” “I do what I must, Princess,” Omri replied. He realized that she was about to faintand he ran to her side, catching her as she swooned. “Call the Medic!” he told the men at the doors. He carried Zen to the bedand laid her down. The woman came runningand he stepped back. “She fainted.” “She may be an ancient, lord Cardinal,” the Medic frowned at him as she began her examination, “but she is also a child who has been thrust into a completely unfamiliar world.” She stroked Zen’s cheek gently. “We have been given a great gift.” “She is a tool, Medic,” Omri replied tightly, “not a pet! She probably needs nourishment. I have asked Liet to see to it.” He sighed as he was reminded of her state by the mark on her finger. “Our great lord is not going to be pleased to hear she has mated,” he said as he stroked her hand. “He was saving that pleasure for himself.” He turned to his men. “You will see that her mate does not survive the retrieval,” he ordered as he left the room with them. “We can not have our plans circumvented by the whim of this child.” Zen lay locked in nightmare, stuck between pastand present. It was not her father who threatened to chain her now, but Omri Snowand a golden-haired man with a cold, hungry mind she had not yet met. This time, however, they were using Marek as a hostage to make her obey. At the last moment, when she had sacrificed herself, it was Marek who performed the act. A wall of orangestone sprung up between themand she could not reach him, could not feel him. She was pulled away from him as the wall shatteredand he was rendered to nothingness. Cold laughter accompanied her screams of pain. She felt pain striking her armand then there was only the darkness, warmand sheltering. She went into it gladlyand found her mind going to Marek. Marekand the hunters were headed across the scorched earth. They had been traveling hardand all of them were exhaustedand in need of rest. But the urgency in their minds could not be denied. They continued onand stumbled into a herd of predators. The struggle was hardand all of the men were injured, one of them quite seriously, before they won. Marek could not prevent himself from going to their aid. His unchained talent for healing would not be denied. He let the power flow through him to heal,and it left him trembling with weakness. The lead hunter, Quern, ordered a halt for the rest of the dayand went off to make his report. “This is Hunter Blue-7,” he said stiffly. “We have been heading steadily in a westward direction for seven hours. The boy, Marek Tor, has just displayed abilities to heal he could only have gained from his bonding with the princess, Zen. Are there any changes to your orders?” He noddedand closed the channel. Then he returned to the camp. “He,” the man nodded towards the sleeping Marek, “is to go boundand hooded from this point on.” “The boy just saved our lives, hunter!” the first man protested. He rubbed the back of his neck where it was still a bit stiff. “If we had not had medical attention after those injuries, we would have died out here.” “The order was given,” the hunter said almost mechanically. “The order must be followed.” He took the strip of lucen out of his bagand turned Marek on his face. Then he bound Marek’s wristsand pulled out a dampening hood. “I am as regretful for this action as either of you, but it must be done. We don’t know what else he might be capable of. We can’t run the risk of his getting away from us now.” Zen’s mind touched Marek’s to calm him as his anger mounted at finding himself boundand hooded. They joined mind-to-mind, reliving the bonding ceremony. Again they were bathed in the glow of lightand joy. She shared her strength with him; showing him what she was doing so he could do the same for her if it was necessary. She did not let him worry that she was making herself weaker,and more helpless. She assured him that she was fine; no one was hurting her. When it was over, each of them, separated by distance, was content. * The embassy of the Science Directive was as bleak as all the other metaland concrete in the city of Belastia in the southern reaches of the planet. The man who had masqueraded as an Elder in the slaver village only two days ago had replaced his village garband braided hair for city silksand close-cropped stubble. He hurried up in the elevator to the topmost floorand stepped out into the austere conference chamber of the Ambassador Trel. He bowed his head to herand she waved him to a seat as she finished listening to the missive from the Directive’s ruling council. She set aside her headset after another momentand then turned to her agent; her sedate graysand blacks flowing around her slim form as she moved. “Am I to understand that five of your handpicked men failed to lay hands on the child, hunter lord?” the lady Trel, Ambassador to Belastia from the Directive headquarters, asked as she settled into her padded seat at the head of the table. “How is this possible, Horan?” “The child controls the beac,” Horan stated simply. He saw the woman’s disapproving look but he continued. “I saw it, my lady. She sat down by the fountainand opened the cage. The beac swarmed outand subdued my men, leaving them cowedand unwilling to pursue her further.” “So this child has the ability to influence the actions of insects,” Trel said softly, adjusting the pins that held the golden coronet of her hair in place, “and adjust the attitudes of thugs.” She thought it overand knew what she had to do. “It is time we met this child, Horan. You must put as many teams as necessary to the task of bringing her to us. Do not force her unduly. Issue a simple invitationand let us see what she will do.” She saw him frown. “There is a problem?” “The lord Cardinal Omri has her at the Temple at Tavensur, my lady,” Horan informed the woman. He nodded as she hissed out a curse. “Indeed. Our spies there tell me that he is seeking a way to control her…” “She is not under his control?” Trel asked. “How – odd.” A smile lit her face. “Then we have no problem. She will not wish to remain where she is being kept against her will.” She was pleased. “Imagine the information this child can bring to us, Horan. Properly treated, she could become a great asset to our cause.” “Or,” the lord Reo Flox, her twin, stated as he came in from a connecting roomand went to settle by the windows, “its biggest threat.” He looked at Horan briefly, dismissing him as a mere pawn. “Let us make her retrieval interesting,” he said as he looked out the windows. He turned to the man. “Approach her openly, no bonds, no collars,and let us see what she will do. Is that clear?” “Crystalline, lord Reo,” Horan bowedand left, taking the warrant with him. “You’ve learned something of this child that excites you, brother,” Trel said once the doors closed. “This child,” he told her as he brought the reports to her, “was the daughter of the Great Dictator.” He saw her confusion. “The princess who sacrificed herself so that our world could slip out of his graspand rise up to destroy him?” “Zenyssa?” “Zenyssa,” Reo nodded as he made himself comfortable. “With such a child in our hands, there is nothing we can not learn of the age of the Great Dictator. Once we learn hismistakes, we can adjust our own plans to assure we do not repeat them.” “Put our best minds to the problem of controlling her then, Reo,” Trel decided. “If we bring her here, I want to know we can keep her here.” “As you wish, sister,” Reo nodded. “I will see to the research.” He left the meeting halland hurried down to the research center. He smiled as he saw three mirrorsand the box holding a daggerand three rings. They had unearthed these artifacts only a week goneand he was eager to see how they worked. “It is said that any of these mirrors will chain her will,” he said as he ran his hand along the surface of the redstone mirror. “I look forward to seeing how this is done.” A technician brought him the latest translation. “Indeed?” The technician noddedand his smile widened. “This is going to be much better than I could have hoped.” * Zen wokeand found a meal waiting for her. She ate slowly, allowing her mind time to process the ingredientsand alert her to danger of drugs meant to chain her. There were noneand she allowed herself to relax slightly. She finished eatingand moved to the doors. The men were thereand she had no compunctions at slipping into their mindsand sending them elsewhere. It was a struggle; Zen could feel her ability slipping out of her control. She was sobbing in relief as they moved away. Her relief died a moment later as the doors openedand the lord Cardinal Omri entered. He was frowning,and she could see his anger. The cause of it was standing behind him. The most perfect man she had ever laid eyes on stood behind him. Thick auburn waves framed his strong face. Wide copper eyes were filled with intelligenceand wit. He looked enough like her father to claim a relationship,and she found herself trembling. He swept past Omri, as if the man were nothing,and came towards her, throwing his arms around her. “Mykala, my sweet child!” he cried in happinessand relief. “I have been so worried about you?” “Mykala?” Zen frowned. “I don’t understand…” She looked at Omri for some clarification. “Do I know this man?” “I am your brother, lord Leonin of Ynast’ur, child,” Leonin said, looking down at her sadly. “I have been looking for you for weeks.” He stroked her hairand looked over at Omri. “I was beginning to despair of ever seeing my sister again, lord Cardinal.” He leaned in to embrace Zenand whispered. “If you want to get out of here, princess, remain confused.” “I don’t know you,” Zen cried, her eyes swimming in tears. “I don’t know who this Mykala is, but it is not me.” “Poor child,” Leonin said sadly. He looked at Omri, his act perfect as the grieving sibling. “Mykala has been seriously ill, lord Cardinal. It left her very – confused. I had to hire keepers for her.” He continued to stroke Zen’s hair, her back, her cheeks. “She wandered off while the woman was getting their meal.” “You are fortunate that she came to no true harm.” Omri frowned. He knew this was all an elaborate lie, probably put on by the Directive, but he could do nothing to prevent it. This man had all the proper documentation. He turned to Zen. “Your brother is going to take you home, now, child.” She had no