Dealers of Light (21 page)

“Yes, it’s here on the boat.” Rolf rose and
strolled to a cabinet under the bar. He had secured the golden orb there when they boarded. He carried it out and placed the heavy artifact on the coffee table in the center of their seating. It glowed, with fragments of colored lights shooting from the protruding crystals.

Amber’s eyes widened
. “If this works for a location, why couldn’t we make smaller pieces to shield an individual?”

Excellent! Already they were thinking and responding to the challenge.
“Exactly. I used a similar method before I learned how to control my energy. But you all will need the shields. We’ll work on it together. I’ve completed a great deal of research you’ll find useful.”

“I think we need to continue
fight training,” Shana said. “Will that be possible?”

“Of course.
We can work on deck when the weather permits. If the weather’s bad we can move the furniture in here so you can use this area.” Rolf waved a hand at Tor.

“
I agree,” Tor said. “At some point we’ll be fighting these assholes. We need to be ready.”

“I hope it’s s
oon. I’m ready to kick some ass.” Shana’s eyes flashed. “I had to leave a whole floor of dying people who need my help, and that pisses me off.”

Marc
gave her a weak grin and walked to a window to stare out at the retreating land. Of them all, he seemed the unhappiest with the situation.

Rolf  sip
ped his wine.  They’d have to get over being gloomy and face reality. Their comfortable, cozy existence was over.  He turned to Alistair. “We need your help to continue researching ways to defeat Desmond. Your knowledge of history is vital in locating obscure records and weeding out anecdote from reality.”

“Of course,” Alistair
said. “My suitcase is filled with rare books, not just clothes. With those and the computer, I have every intention of tracking this phenomenon to the source.”

“Very good.
I think we have a good plan. Cara and I will work on combining our gifts to create a shield. Amber will make individual shields using the crystals. Alistair will continue his research and everyone will work on their fighting skills, led by Tor.” It was a start.

Rolf only hoped it
would be enough.

###

The next morning, Cara stood at the rail, and the wind blew her hair across her face. She clasped her sweater closer to her chest. The chill of fall filled the air, and the sun had just topped the horizon.

In every direction spread an expanse of d
ark blue-green water, topped with choppy swirls crested by white foam.
Avalon
plowed through steady and sure, heading further into the open ocean. Splashes and slaps of water against the hull played against the soft background hum of the engines. The freedom of the open sea filled her with exhilarated energy.

Such heady sensations infused her with the belief they might come out of this alive. She breath
ed deeply of the cold, salty air and pushed at her fear. With Rolf in charge, surely she could at least hope. Someone so strong and full of ancient knowledge had to be an asset. But Desmond had amassed a league of Takers, and Rolf would not be facing a single enemy. The thought made her shiver.

“Good morning
.” Rolf walked onto the deck. He wore a fleece pull-over—black, of course—and black jeans. He held two cups of steaming espresso and handed one to her.

“Thanks
.”

He joined her at the rail
, leaning his elbows on it as he gazed out to the horizon. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. Apparently exhaustion is a great sleep aid. And my head doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“
Very good. A few less Band-Aids, I see.” He squinted at her face.

“True.” She grinned,
then turned back to study the horizon. “Where are we? I can’t see any land.”

“We’re about one hundred and sixty miles off shore.”

“So, by tonight we’ll be pretty far away. Good.” She sipped her coffee, glad for the warmth of the cup between her hands and the strong, bittersweet bite of the espresso.

“A little over three hundred miles out, I hope.” He stood straight, turning his gaze to her, eyes so warm and deep she wanted to fall into them. “You and I need to start working on the link. Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“We’ll go to my stateroom so we won’t be interrupted.”
Rolf led her downstairs.

Cara’s feet sunk into thick Persian rugs covering the dark wood floor of Rolf
’s bedroom. The room was large considering the limited space on a boat. To her right, a big wooden desk took up the far corner. She trailed a finger across its polished surface as she strolled past. Against the back wall sat a queen-sized bed with a dark green satin comforter and a multitude of gold, green and burgundy pillows piled on top. Past the bed, a freestanding gas fireplace faced a plush settee and two over-stuffed chairs, all covered in soft burgundy velvet.

He led her to the seating area and
his arm brushed hers as he sank down beside her. Goose bumps erupted on her skin.  She rubbed her arms and scooted back in the seat. The power he exuded was a warm rush of energy that soaked into her skin, loosening her muscles and fogging her brain.  She reined in her sanity with a firm hand. They had to complete this attempt to protect the others.

“What makes you think we can form a shield?” she asked. “Have you done it before?”

“Not exactly,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows.

“Let me explain.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. “I have formed a link with another Dealer before, so I know it’s possible. I developed the idea of the shield from what Desmond is planning. He’s going to link up with other Takers and use the combined power to drain Light from people in the near vicinity of those in the link. I think the principle is the same if we reverse the process. We form a link and extend protection instead of absorption.”

“So, if you’ve formed the link before, it’s safe, right?” Cara glanced sideways at him.

“Of course.”

“How many Dealers have you done it with?”

His jaw worked back and forth in his cheek. “One,” he whispered. “Only one.” His lids lowered, hooding his eyes.

“One?”

He remained silent
until she reached out to rest a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. Did I say something to upset you? I didn’t mean to.”

He
looked away from her for a moment. When he turned back, his angular features had smoothed and his eyes softened. “No need to apologize. It’s not you.”

Cara crossed her arms, waiting. Finally
, he went to his desk and picked up a two-way radio. He called Sean and asked him to bring them breakfast.

“Rolf?” She stood and met him in front of the sofa. “Tell me about it and maybe it won’t hurt so much.” She needed his head clear and
him focused for the challenge ahead.

His eyes grew shaded
. “You may be right. Perhaps I should tell you.”

A knock
heralded Sean’s entrance with a tray of food along with two more cups of espresso. He placed the tray on the table in front of the settee then left.

“Come on, we’ll eat and you can tell me th
e story.” Cara assumed control and placed food on both plates—scrambled eggs with cheese, crusty croissants, and bacon. Her stomach rumbled in hunger at the rich aroma of bacon and eggs. She dug in, but Rolf only moved the food on his plate with a fork.

“The person I formed the link with was my wife,” he said
at last.

Cara stopped chewing.
Wife?

“It was thousands of years ago, when I lived in
Eqypt.” He stole a glance at her then looked back at his plate. “Her name was Sakhet.” His voice caressed the name. “She was beautiful beyond words and a powerful Light-dealer, an ancient like me. We discovered our gift during that lifetime and explored what it meant, what we were capable of. Sakhet, especially, wanted to understand the giving and taking of Light. It led her to an involvement with dangerous people. Takers. They…they eventually killed her.” He put his fork down, giving up any pretense of eating. Hurt radiated in his eyes.

“I’m so
rry,” she whispered. Now she understood his mission to destroy the Takers. They had murdered his wife. “I had no idea.”

He
shook his head. “You couldn’t know. But you should understand I would never put you in danger by linking to you. Now that you know the person I linked with before was my wife, the dearest person in the world to me, do you trust me?”

His face reflected
all the depths of fear, hurt, guilt and power that had left their marks on him. So many complicated layers. Did she really know him at all? But she had to have faith. He was their only hope. “I trust you, Rolf. Let’s do this.”

A wave of relief washed over his features
, and he turned in his seat to face her. “First, we need to work on the link. We have to open ourselves to each other’s energy. Parts of this will be…difficult.”

“Why?”

“Because there will be memories. Visions from our pasts will flow with the energy.” He paused. “Does that concern you?”

“Memories,” she repeated.
He might see she’d almost killed someone herself. Did it matter? She swallowed and raised a hand. “Okay, look. None of this should make any difference. We’re trying to save our friends and the country. If you see any of my embarrassing memories, just try to forget them, okay?”

His lips curled
in a smile.

Seeing him suffer with
visions from his past would be disturbing, though. She didn’t like to think of him as vulnerable.

“
Put out your arms.” He motioned to her.

She
lifted her arms, and he wrapped his fingers around her wrists, firm and sure. She tightened her fingers in return. His strong, muscular arms were an anchor. Their eyes met and Cara wanted to pull him close against her chest.

The intensity in his eyes cooled and his lids dropped, breaking the intimate contact.
“Relax, and close your eyes,” he said in a low voice. “Try to clear your mind.”

“
That’s hard,” she said. How could she clear her mind when so much was going on to fill it? Especially the feel of his hands on her.

“Think of a blank wall, focus on it.”

She gritted her teeth and pushed away the hot desire crushing her chest.

“Good. Now direct your Light toward your hands
, just like you do when you are healing someone.”

She thought of a white wall, like a theater screen. Thoughts intrude
d, but she fought to keep the wall blank. She searched in her center and focused on her Light. In the past, she’d only experienced it passing out of her fingers into another person, which seemed automatic. In those instances, she controlled the rate of flow so there
had
to be some conscious effort involved.

Her hands warm
ed as she focused on concentrating Light and letting it gather. Rolf’s fingers on her wrists likewise radiated warmth.

“Good,” he whispered. “Now re
lease—let the energy flow between us. Allow your Light to join with mine.”

The
heat from their hands mingled like they were immersed in a ball of warm dough. She no longer felt his fingers or her own. The white wall in her mind flowed with images, flickering like scenes in a fast-forwarded movie. She caught flashes of Rolf in different clothes, different places, and glimpses of a dark-haired beauty with ruby lips.

T
he visions abruptly ceased and she drew in a sharp breath…and floated. A void surrounded her, neither dark nor light. Comforting warmth wrapped her round, safe and secure.

Cara?
Rolf’s voice echoed in her head. The sound didn’t come from her ears, instead it was just
there
in her head. 
Cara, can you hear me?

She thought of the word
Yes
and it echoed through her head.

You did it, Cara
. We’ve linked. You can hear my thoughts and I can hear yours.

It’s strange
, she told him. The warmth she’d felt earlier in her hands now suffused her whole body. Power surged into her and she realized it was Rolf. The power of his essence curled around her own. The threads of their Light circled and twisted together, forming a cohesive ball. She sensed surprise from Rolf; he had not imagined they would mesh so easily.

Now
, try to find the part of your Light that protects you,
Rolf directed
. A shiny globe of light.

She swirled in the
void, floating to check different areas, searching for the gift—Emmie’s gift. Fog came out of nowhere, a shifting mist of blue and gray. She sharpened her focus, but the fog thickened. Rolf called to her from a distance.