GABRIEL (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 4) (25 page)

Gabriel reached for Shara's hand as the group moved forward but she held it away from him. She didn't feel like holding hands with the man who was planning to stand in the way of her goal.

"Give me your hand," he ordered.

"No." She crossed her arms in front of her and tucked her hands under them.

"Fine," he said, putting his arm around her and pinning her to his side. "We could get separated. Be reasonable for a change."

Shara held her retort rather than start an argument in front of so many observers. The whole situation was unreasonable. Why should she be any different?

Using his body as a wedge, Gabriel managed to get the two of them next to a window. As the balloon rose into the air, she noted that he kept his one hand on her waist but his other hand was aiming Beauty at the disaster on the ground.

Whole buildings had been reduced to rubble. Others were standing but blackened with soot. There didn't appear to be a glass window left intact anywhere.

Sections of the overhead rails were twisted and bent. At least one large transport had crashed to the ground. From the abundance of activity, it appeared that rescue operations were under way throughout the city but it was too late for a great number of people.

A park had been converted into a temporary detention center for the rebels, with security officers posted around a cordoned-off area. Looking down on the group below, Shara surmised that the Friends' ranks had been reduced by at least a third.

The balloon descended and the rebels on board were escorted into the park with the others.

"I hope you have a plan to get us out of here," Shara murmured to Gabriel.

He arched one eyebrow at her. "Me? This is your adventure. I'm just along for the ride. Remember?"

She made a face at him. "Do you want me to admit I'm in over my head?"

"That would be a good start."

"Fine. I admit it."

"I think you can do better than that."

She angled her head at him, trying to guess what concession he wanted. "And I admit that the only reason I've made it this far is because of you."

His expression softened. "Anything else?"

"And I'm terrified out of my wits. Gabriel, please, do you have a plan or not?"

"Maybe. I need a hug first." When she leaned away instead, he said, "If I tell you to do something, I have a good reason. If you balk, it could mean the difference between escape and spending the rest of our lives on ancient Terra."

She swallowed her pride and wrapped her arms around his waist for the hug he requested. The moment he held her close, she knew she had needed this more than he had. "Thank you."

He gave her a squeeze. "If we're going to make it through this, we have to trust each other without question from now on. Agreed?"

"Agreed," she said, but privately added,
except where my goals are concerned.

"That reminds me, thank you for trusting me about the paralyzer rod back there. For a moment you looked like you were going to fall apart."

"I almost did. I was so frightened, I couldn't concentrate well enough to use my power of suggestion to get us out of there."

"It probably wouldn't have helped. There were too many of them between us and freedom." He gave her one more squeeze then released her. "Here comes Zeus. He obviously doesn't know when to quit."

The big man was working his way through the crowd. As he neared, Shara could hear him offering condolences while at the same time reassuring the Friends that their fight for freedom wasn't yet over. She thought it was interesting that Hades was nowhere in sight.

"Shara and Gabriel," Zeus said, greeting them each with a pat on the shoulder. "Glad to see you made it in one piece. What of Athena? I heard the situation went badly."

Gabriel answered, "Athena was injured, but alive. Several others weren't so fortunate."

Zeus bowed his head for a moment then said, "Their lives were not lost in vain. This day will prove to be to our advantage in the end."

"Have you heard what's to be done with us?" Shara asked.

Zeus nodded. "We will each be questioned. Speak the truth, for they will be able to know your thoughts. Take the opportunity to reiterate the peaceful motives of the Friends." After another shoulder pat, he moved on.

Shara turned to Gabriel and murmured. "Did you hear that? They will know our thoughts! They're bound to be suspicious if they can't read us."

"We may have to allow them access, but there's no way to predict how they'll react. We'll simply have to wait and see how things go."

"That's
your plan?" she asked with a skeptical smirk. "Wait and see?"

He ginned at her and shrugged. "It works for me."

In the following hours, two rebels at a time were taken into the park shelter where the Security Services had set up temporary headquarters. Shara couldn't help but notice that when some of the Friends returned, they had a very strange look about them, as if they were walking in their sleep.

"What do you think is happening in that building?" she asked Gabriel nervously.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look promising. At this time, the Noronian method of reprogramming disturbed minds was in the early experimental stages. Electricity and personality-altering chemicals were still being tested. It could be that there's more than questioning going on in there."

"Dear heavens! We've got to get out of here before our turn comes."

Ping

Chapter 13

Gabriel and Shara both froze at the warning sound.

"Not now"
Shara whispered, as panic made her pulse race faster than it already was.

Gabriel touched his pendant and murmured, "Beauty, display body temperature."

Shara stood in front of him so that no one but she could see the numbers appearing on the mirror. "You're barely up half a degree. Why did it go off?"

"I reprogrammed it this morning. I thought we might need more time. Check yourself."

Placing her hand between Beauty and Gabriel's chest, she requested her own reading then groaned softly. "This can't be happening! I'm having a terrible nightmare, that's all." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I am going to wake up now and I'll be perfectly safe in my own bed." She felt his hand touch her cheek and she opened her eyes.

"You're hot," he said, his voice slightly scolding. "Why didn't you say something?"

She lowered her lashes. "I was hoping it was the fire."

Shaking his head, he muttered, "You are the most unreasonable female I have ever encountered."

Instantly her mood changed from shy to bristling.

"Go ahead, insult me! That will certainly—" His mouth came down on hers so swiftly, she would have lost her balance if he hadn't been holding her up. As soon as her eyes focused on his, she realized he was silencing, not kissing her. Ashamed that she had let her runaway emotions endanger them, she closed her eyes and leaned into him in a gesture of submission. She hated being so out of control but it really wasn't his fault.

When he was certain her tantrum had been aborted, he raised his head and loosened his hold. One glance around let him know that no one particularly cared if the lovers were having another little quarrel.

Shara looked up at him apologetically. "I don't feel well, Gabriel. I should have told you."

"And I should have known you wouldn't." Suddenly his face lit up. "This could be a blessing in disguise."

She wondered if the fever was affecting him more than her.

"It might get slightly embarrassing but I think it'll work."

Her gaze darted back and forth to the people on all sides of them. Images flashed in her mind of her and Gabriel coupling in wild abandon on the grass while everyone casually looked on.
Slightly embarrassing?

He kissed her nose. "Trust me. I'll have us somewhere private before we lose control."

She tried to give him a trusting smile but her lower lip didn't cooperate. His finger traced her mouth then he slipped his hand beneath her hair to stroke her neck. His touch was gentle but when his fingers trickled down her spine, she stiffened. "Please don't. I don't want to be rude again but when you touch me like that, well... I mean, it's very nice, but my skin is getting more sensitive by the second."

Gabriel placed his mouth against her ear. "That's the point. I'm trying to arouse you." She shivered, either from his words or the heat of his breath, and he nipped her earlobe. "The faster the fever's symptoms are visible, the faster I can set my plan in motion. Let me see your eyes, sweetling." She met his gaze and the rich shade of chocoberry told him all he needed to know. "Don't take those pretty eyes off me now. Try to forget that there's anyone around but us. We're all alone here."

He drew her close so that his thigh wedged between the juncture of hers, and she gasped at the intensity of her body's response to the expertly applied pressure. The thin material of their tunics was as nothing between them. She bit her lip as an imperceptible shift of his leg caused her to involuntarily arch into him.

"That's it," Gabriel whispered, slowly rocking her lower body against his. "Do you know how badly I want to be inside you right now? As deep as you could take me. Sliding in and out. Driving us both out of our minds with pleasure. I'd try to go slowly, to make it last, but you're so hot and tight, it's impossible."

Her response was a whimper of pure sexual frustration.

"Give me your sweet mouth, Shara, like you did this morning. Don't hold back. Take whatever you want."

She pulled his head down to hers and dove into an eating kiss that increased rather than satisfied her desire. She was on fire with raw need clawing at her body and her mind. His tongue in her mouth was not enough. She wanted all of him inside her, or she would surely die.

Gabriel almost forgot where they were and what he was supposed to be doing. Her peaking fever was raising his, despite all his efforts to remain conscious of his actions. With tremendous determination he eased her away from him. The corneas of her eyes were blood red as she tried to recapture his mouth.

He swept her up in his arms and rushed to the security officer he had noted was close to his size. He was also an older man who probably had firsthand experience with the mating fever.

"Please help us," Gabriel said to the man in a raspy voice he barely recognized as his own. "We are in our mating fever. Allow us a few minutes of privacy. My
shalla
is very shy. If I take her here, in front of everyone, she may never forgive me."

The officer touched Shara's cheek and lifted her eyelid, then glanced at Gabriel's blatant arousal. With an understanding nod, he let another officer know he was escorting the two prisoners into the shelter.

Gabriel was barely clinging to consciousness as they entered the building. He could see the officer smiling and speaking to several others, but he could no longer hear the words for the blood roaring in his ears. As the officer led him down a hallway, Gabriel felt as though he were walking in slow motion through a thick fog. His body was burning up and his sex throbbed painfully. Shara was moaning and squirming so much in his arms he could hardly hold on to her.

The officer waved him into a lavatory and closed the door. Muscle spasms had Gabriel's entire body shaking violently as his gaze landed on a single straight-back chair in the corner. With the last vestiges of his control he carried Shara to it.

She was so far gone, she fought his efforts, but with his increased strength he was able to maneuver her so that when he collapsed in the chair, she was straddling his lap. Unable to wait another moment, he lifted her hips and buried himself within her.

Their cries of relief had little to do with pleasure and everything to do with salvation from oblivion. As Gabriel's mind cleared, he knew they had come very close to the edge of life itself. Shara continued to cling to him as desperately as he held on to her. He felt dampness where her cheek rested against his head and, as she took a ragged breath, he realized she was crying.

A fist closed around his heart and squeezed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, discovering his throat was tight with an unfamiliar emotion. "I didn't mean to risk your life."