All For One [Nuworld 3] (26 page)

displayed.

“That means Andru has stayed quiet. They don’t suspect you.” She reached for him

but he grabbed her hands.

“Ana, that’s not the worst of it. I’m supposed to arm our troops down here and go

meet Lord Darius and his warriors at the border. Sorg wants me to stay with them

while they conduct a search of the area.”

Ana thought she saw something resembling panic appear in Roth’s eyes. He didn’t

want to take on her papa.

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Chapter Fourteen

Tara ran down the stairs as quickly as she could. She’d just returned from the Blood

Circle Clan. Syra had mentioned her conversation with Ana about the Tree People and

commented on how interested Ana had been in their culture. She insisted on helping

with a search and Tara brought her back to the house with her. They’d gone up to the

landlink room to organize Runners to assist searching for Ana, when they heard shouts

downstairs. Both women hurried out of the room.

Tara could hear what Darius and Torgo were screaming at each other and tension

already ran too thick for this to be a pleasant sight. Cali and Fulga seemed to have

vanished, although Andru stood at the other end of the room, trapped in the corner.

The two men stood chest to chest in the middle of the room and Torgo was pointing his

finger in Darius’ face. Tara held her arm out to stop Syra when they reached the

entryway to the living room.

“You’re a damn fool, you are. You can’t go over there. Brother, you’ve dug your

own grave, yes. If the wrong person gets a good look at your face and connects you

with that bastard. Man, it’s nobody’s fault but your own, I say. We’re going to go look

for your daughter and you’re going to stay here. Think of Gothman for a change, you

will.” Torgo ignored the look of fury on his older brother’s face as he spoke.

Darius lunged at Torgo and Torgo returned the attack. Syra’s hands went to her

mouth to stifle a scream when Darius screamed in anger and charged into his brother.

He took him across the room and slammed his back against the wall with a loud thud.

“Andru, get out of here,” Tara yelled, and beckoned with her arm as the tall boy

darted around his papa and uncle and through the doorway where the two women

stood.

Torgo appeared stunned for a minute with his back to the wall, but a moment later

he turned into a madman. The two men crashed over the side of the couch and broke

the wooden coffee table into several pieces as they landed on top of it then hit the floor.

Darius pulled Torgo up by his shirt and brought his fist back aiming directly for

Torgo’s face.

“No. Please. Stop it!” Syra screamed, and pushed past Tara to grab Darius.

He threw her off of him but then pushed his brother back and jumped to his feet.

Torgo rose as well and stood facing Darius, breathing heavily.

“I’m right about this, Darius, I am,” he said, as he took a deep breath. “There’s

plenty that needs to be done here to help with the search.”

“Don’t talk to me like that. I know what needs to be done, I do.” Darius put his

hand to his forehead and turned his back on his brother. “I’ll pay for that blasted deed

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for the rest of my life, I will,” he muttered. “I just can’t believe she would take off like

this, no.”

Tara cleared her throat then looked down at the braided carpet beneath them.

“What?” Darius growled.

“I had eighteen winters when I first took off,” she said, feeling a need to point out

that their daughter leaving was due to her craving to explore.

“Now you tell me, you do.” He walked over to her and took her by either arm. “I’m

worried about her, my lady. She’s way too beautiful and still so innocent, she is.”

“I think you should go ahead and just be mad at her. Save your worrying. I have a

feeling our daughter is fine. At least she will be until I find her.” Tara smiled then

tiptoed to plant a kiss on Darius’ mouth. “She will crave the adventure for quite a few

winters now. She’s starting young but once a Runner begins the age of searching, you

can’t really stop them.”

“And what did you do during the age of searching?”

“I met you.” Tara smiled at the stunned look on her claim’s face.

* * * * *

Tara stood outside with twenty soldiers as Darius went over the trip log. He

explained where she should cross the mountains and that a group of Tree People would

meet her on the other side. Her contact person was Sorg’s younger brother, Roth.

Tara tried to listen, but was distracted by the people around her. She watched Syra

and Torgo. They weren’t talking but instead moving around like a unit of one. Torgo

instructed the soldiers on the habits of the Tree People and what they should expect.

Syra jumped in from time to time finishing his sentences. It was hard to believe they’d

been apart for three winters. They worked well together and she knew it wouldn’t be

long before they were together.

The other person she watched was Andru.

He was almost as upset as his papa when he found out he couldn’t accompany the

search party. Her son stood along the sidelines watching everyone with a scowl on his

face. She knew how badly he must be worried about his twin sister. They were so close

that they seemed attached at the hip. What made it harder for Tara was she couldn’t tell

him the real reason why he couldn’t accompany them. They were meeting the son of the

woman who had his bastard brother as a servant. None of these Barringswood tribe

people could see Andru. She hoped Crator would reassure him his sister was okay.

Crator!

Tara waited until Darius was through explaining the route she would take, and

then nudged his arm and gestured toward Andru. He followed her gaze and then she

walked over to their son. He looked completely distraught when they approached.

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“I wouldn’t let you down if you let me go.” His soft voice nearly broke Tara’s heart

as her son looked at Darius who stood behind her.

“I know you wouldn’t, son, I do.” Darius looked at her and she could have

clobbered him for making it sound like she was the reason he couldn’t go.

“Andru, has the dog-woman come to you today?” She decided the best thing to do

was change the subject. Andru’s going with them wasn’t open for discussion.

Andru looked at his mama as if he were trying to figure out what she meant by the

question. He glanced up at Darius then looked behind them across the field.

“Yes, I saw her earlier, right after I returned from the fields.” Andru cast his eyes to

the ground as he spoke.

“And?” Darius asked.

“What did she say?” Tara searched to meet her son’s gaze.

Andru’s eyes were on the verge of tearing when he looked at her. He wouldn’t look

at Darius but instead took a deep breath and squinted off into the distance. She admired

his desire to prove his capabilities to his parents and she knew, like any son, he wanted

to impress his papa.

She would never tell her son that she’d seen his papa cry upstairs in their bedroom

earlier. He feared the worst for his beautiful daughter, and he’d admitted to Tara that

one of his initial attractions to her, other than her beauty, was what she had to offer

through her heritage. Ana could offer someone the opportunity to rule a nation.

“She told me I’d successfully ended The Waiting.” He met Tara’s gaze. “She told

me that all must be for one before evil can die.”

“Did she tell you what she meant by that?” Tara felt a shiver of fear run through her

bones. It wasn’t a feeling she’d experienced very many times in her life. She wrapped

her arms around herself, suddenly feeling a chill. Darius’ hands went to her shoulders

as if sensing her reaction.

“She never does,” he said, and threw his arms up. “What all is there?”

Tara looked up at Darius and could tell the same thought entered his head that

entered hers. The only all she could think of, were all of Darius’ children. He studied

her for a minute and then looked at his son.

“Your vision will help us, son.” He patted the boy on his shoulder then quickly

turned to scan the soldiers preparing for their journey.

“What does she mean?” Andru asked again.

“I don’t know yet, but I plan on finding out, I do.” Darius turned to answer his son

then looked back over the field. “Torgo,” he yelled. “We’ll delay half an hour. Meet in

the conference room now, I say.”

Torgo came on the run. Syra hesitated for a minute then walked slowly in their

direction, looking at Tara for answers. She gestured for Syra to follow them and her

niece increased her pace until she walked alongside Torgo.

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“Andru, we need you to monitor the landlinks while we brainstorm a bit, we do.”

Darius spoke as a warrior speaking to another warrior.

As Torgo and Syra came up behind Darius, Tara was thrown back to a time when

Torgo was a boy demanding his older brother’s respect. Now it was Andru. Darius had

learned how easy it was to turn rebellion in a young man into cooperation by simply

showing appreciation.

Andru straightened before turning and jogging into the house.

“What is it?” Torgo asked.

“Andru had a vision,” Tara said as if that were enough explanation.

Neither Torgo nor Syra asked for more. They’d lived through the Lunian war,

which was won because they relied on her vision.

“Where are the advisors?” Darius asked as he led the way into the house.

“Mine are out at my trailer monitoring Tree People transmissions.” Tara fell in

alongside him. She glanced over her shoulder. “That’s why these two are here. We need

all the heads we can get to brainstorm this thing through.” It was at times like this when

she prayed to Crator to send the visions to her once again.

Darius glanced over his shoulder at Syra. For a moment he looked like he would

protest her presence.

Syra looked quickly at Tara as if for reassurance that she’d been invited.