Soulwalker (29 page)

Rare sunshine greeted her as she left the building. Derille followed a few steps behind. Tarris stepped out onto the road and stopped a passing motorist. “I’m commandeering your car, citizen.”

The man jumped out of the vehicle and ran for his life, not once looking back at her.

Tarris yelled at him, “You can pick up your vehicle at the Council Assembly building.” She lowered herself inside and studied the dashboard.

“Move over,” Derille said. “I’ll drive.”

She did as he asked. “If this is a trick—”

“Yeah, I know. You’ll rip my head off.” He put the vehicle back into hover and sped off in the direction of the Assembly building.

Tarris sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window at the passing scenery. Life was going on as normal, as if nothing monumentally catastrophic was going to happen. If they only knew…

“Where’s Darmen?” Tarris said.

“With the mediprac and the boy.” When Tarris made a move toward him, he added, “Don’t fear, they’re not in danger… at least not from Darmen.”

“And where are they?”

“They’re at the Assembly observing the Council in session.”

“When we get there, you get them out of the building… and fast.” Corman would need darkness to be a threat, and once that happened, chaos would erupt. “I want them in broad daylight and on the concourse with other people.”

“Fine. And what about you?”

“I do my best work in the dark.”

And in the light, sister,
Rya added in her mind.
I’m no longer restricted to day or night.

Tarris could feel Rya’s strength within her, and she was barely able to contain it. If she hadn’t grown with her, Tarris doubted that her body would have been able to hold her twin.
You could be your own person, Rya.

You… you do not want me within you?

Tarris immediately regretted the thought.
No! No, please, Rya. You misunderstand. You are the other half of me. That will never change. All I was saying was that if you wished to exist outside of me, you have my blessing. I will always love you.

She felt the massive knot of tension within her release. Rya was appeased.
But now we have work to do.
Tarris was forced to ignore the pain across her back and thigh where the batons had whipped her, even though she wanted nothing more than to find a quiet bed to crawl into and snuggle up to Asher.

Tarris snickered at the thought. It seemed that her plans for the future now included the mediprac. What did that mean? She liked Asher, there was no doubt about that, but was she thinking about a time after this was all over that included Asher in it? She didn’t want to be alone anymore, but did Asher mean more to her than mere companionship?

Why don’t you just admit it?

Have you been eavesdropping on my thoughts, Rya?

Sister, it’s hard not to hear them. Just tell her you need her.

Need? I’ve never needed anyone in my life. Derille told me I’m an experiment, just like you. We are bastards of a political system hell-bent on death and destruction.

But Asher has shown us more. She cares for you.

Tarris was annoyed that her shadow had suddenly become her mother.
Now is not the time—

If not now, when? You can’t be sure that I’ll win.

You
will
win.
Tarris thought with conviction.

Tell her how you feel.

I… I don’t know how I feel.

Of course you do, sister, but you won’t admit it.

Rya had nailed the problem. Tarris did feel something more than friendship for Asher, but she didn’t know how or what it was. Expressing it to Asher, however, was something else altogether.

Both of you walk in the dark.

What?

You and she deny yourselves, because you’re afraid.

And how you do know what she thinks?
Tarris was confused.

I’ve heard her thoughts, as I’ve heard yours. You are both so blind.

Tarris lifted her hand to her mouth and rested her chin in her palm as she placed her elbow on the car door. A smile crossed her lips, hidden by her hand, as the conversation bounced around in her head. Not long ago, Rya could converse in nothing more than vague images. In the short time that Asher had been in her life, Rya had evolved in leaps and bounds. Now Tarris’s shadow was her equal and giving her advice on her nonexistent love life. It was all so ludicrous.

“Hello?”

Tarris drew herself out of her reverie. “Huh?” She turned her attention to Derille.

“We’re here.”

Tarris looked around. Derille was right. Not only were they at their destination, but also the hover car had been parked and closed down.

“We’ve been here for two minutes now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I have been,” he said quietly, “for the last two minutes. I wasn’t going to interrupt whatever you were thinking about in case you made good on the threat to take my head off.”

“Let’s go.” Tarris opened the door and allowed it to push out about nine inches before it swung upward. She didn’t let Derille see the smile on her face as she stepped out of the vehicle. Sometimes it was good to be dangerous.

Before Derille had a chance to lock up, Tarris was already in motion, her ungainly walk forgotten as she strode across the open plaza to where a crowd had gathered. They were watching the Assembly meeting on a large outdoor screen and milled around slowly as they waited for the debate to finish.

No one seemed surprised to see her, but they did part to give her clear passage to the front steps. So Corman had already arrived before her. Her keen gaze swept the gathered crowd in the hope that she would find Asher, but she was out of luck.

She ascended the staircase and entered the low building. A number of guards were scattered through the large foyer, standing at their posts apparently undisturbed. If Corman was here, he was keeping a low profile, at least for now. She headed for the moving walkway that led to the upper gallery. From there, she would have a full view of the Assembly. Maybe she would get lucky and find Corman before he found her.

Her ascent was too slow for her liking, but she was bound to the speed of the travelator and what the suit would allow her to do. In the silence of the large winding walkway, the metal squeaked and she winced at its loudness. Any chance she had of arriving unannounced was gone.

On the uppermost level, Tarris approached the doorway with some trepidation. What would she find? Deathly silence and foreboding darkness? The door slid open quietly, and she moved just inside to allow it to close. She moved into the shadows to observe the scene. Her hand rose to the back of her neck, and she tapped the tab gently. Her true guise would bring a reaction, and at this point, she needed to be just one of many in the crowd.

After she felt the tingle cross her scalp, she lifted her finger to her temple and tapped the second tab under her skin. Her gaze scanned the Assembly. Someone addressed the members in a lone drone, and she thought she heard someone snore. As far as she could see, there was nothing out of the ordinary except for some middle-aged politician boring the audience to death. She chuckled to herself. If the Prime let this man talk for an hour or two, he wouldn’t need Corman to eliminate his opposition.

She scanned the audience seated in front of her but couldn’t find the familiar head of hair she was looking for. Maybe Asher had already left the building and was in the relative safety of the plaza with its sunshine.

Tarris remained at her post in the shadows to observe the proceedings. She looked intently for the Prime and Corman.

I will look.

Rya said what Tarris had been thinking.

Don’t be afraid to ask, sister.

Things are different, Rya.
I no longer control you.

It was never like that to me, Tarris.
Tarris was taken aback by her name being spoken by her shadow.
But we can work together, can’t we?

Yes
, Tarris thought,
we can work together… as partners.

Yes
, Rya replied,
as partners.
It seemed that Rya’s evolution was now complete.

The politician had completed his rhetoric, and the Prime stepped onto the podium. “It has come to my attention that the enemies of the State are at the front gate and looking for our destruction.” He paused for a moment for effect. A murmur swept over the assembled crowd.

It’s time
, Tarris thought. A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped, She lifted her fists to defend herself.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she said in a harsh whisper.

Asher looked at her. “I couldn’t leave you here to fight them alone.”

“I don’t need your help.” Tarris tried to verbally push Asher away in the hope that she would leave the building.

“Maybe not, but I think Rya does.” Asher stepped closer and looked deeply into her eyes. “I think that now, more than ever, she needs both of us.” Tarris refused to answer. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“And where’s Jerad? Did you leave him all alone?”

“What are you talking about? I’m not his mother.”

“You’re the next best thing he’s got.”

“Stop worrying about him, okay? While we were locked up, he found his mother.”

The odds of that happening were astronomical. Tarris certainly hoped there was more to the story than Jerad found his mother. “And?”

“It seems one of the guards took a liking to her, and in exchange for a favor or two, he put her on cooking duty.”

“A favor? What sort of favor?” Did she really want to know?

“You know, one of those favors that men seem to think all women are good at.”

“You mean—”

“Yes, she had to be his whore in exchange for her life. Pretty nasty, if you ask me.”

Nasty didn’t begin to describe it, and Tarris’s anger simmered.

“Hey,” Asher said quietly, “it kept her alive and she found Jerad. She’d probably think it was a good deal.”

“And the father?” The fact that Asher hadn’t made mention of him didn’t bode well.

“Didn’t make it.”

“And how’s Jerad?”

“He’s over the moon, but as far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t know how she survived, okay?”

“Where is he now?” Tarris hoped he was far away from the danger.

“He and his mother were going home to get reacquainted. I told him you’d visit when this was all over.”

“Why did you tell him that?”

“I also told him you’d give him fifty credits,” Asher said.

“Fifty!” Tarris whispered harshly.

“Yeah, I told him it should help a lot with the whole bonding with his mother experience.”

“But fifty—”

“Listen to me, Tarris Waite.” Tarris winced at the harsh pinch of her arm. “He took us in and rescued us from the guards. Or have you forgotten? If you can’t afford fifty, I’ll give you some of it.”

“No, no. I can do it,” Tarris said. “It just took me by surprise.”

“Don’t turn out to be a cheapskate, just when I was starting to like you.”

Tarris’s conversation with Asher was interrupted when the Prime spoke from the stage. “The Party has declared a state of emergency. A curfew will be enforced by the Council’s militia. Anyone caught out on the streets after dark without proper identification will be arrested…”

Tarris turned her attention back to Asher. Her hand rose and touched Asher’s cheek. “Please, get out of here while you can.”

“I walk out of here with you, or not at all.”

“Why?”

“You have to ask?”

“Yes, I do. I have to know.”

“You’ve gotten under my skin, Trooper.” Asher smiled gently. “And after this is all over, I’d like to get to know you even better.”

“Yeah?”

Suddenly the lights went out.

Chapter 15

“This is it,” Tarris breathed. She internalized to talk to Rya and found that her warrior was elsewhere, lovingly cupping that part of her that pulsed vibrantly with life. But it was only part of her.

“Is Rya with you?”

There was silence from Asher for a moment. “I think she is. I have this warm fuzzy feeling in my chest.”

Rya’s presence was in both of them. “I need you, Asher.” Tarris wasn’t sure where that came from, but her emotions burst into life within her. The warmth that had been there now glowed white-hot. This was the first time she had reached out to someone and didn’t have it thrown back in her face, or at least she hoped not. Asher hadn’t responded.

“And I need you, Tarris,” came the whispered reply. “Why do you think I’m here?”

“For Rya’s sake?” Tarris still couldn’t believe someone would actually want to be with her.

“For your sake, my dear woman.” Maybe Asher heard her harsh intake of breath, she didn’t know, but Asher continued, “And yes, you are a woman and not an abomination.” She said the last word with emphasis.

Tarris pulled her into a fierce hug and felt her own heart thumping in her chest. She had never felt so alive as she did at that moment. Despite the dire situation, Tarris sought out Asher’s lips in the dark and imprinted on them all the emotion she felt. At that precise moment, she felt Rya move and her shadow swelled both in power and size. When she could no longer contain her, Tarris let her go.

“Everyone stay calm,” the Prime announced, almost a little too smoothly. “The lights will be back on in a minute.”

There was uneasiness in the air, and Tarris suspected it was as much from the nervous spectators as it was from the shadow warriors she knew were out there somewhere.

It pleases me to see you happy, sister.

Rya had passed her message from outside Tarris’s body. As if answering her question, Rya said,
Your love for each other has made me strong.

“And we give it freely, my friend,” Asher said for both of them.

Tarris trembled. Her whole life had turned upside down in the blink of an eye, and she was speechless.