Tablet of Destinies (32 page)

‘It was for the best,' Brian advised.

Although she wondered at the meaning of his odd response, Samara kept her smile and moved off down the corridor.

‘Forgive me, Lord.' Adair spoke up to gain Brian's attention before he departed. ‘It seems I have misjudged you several times in one day.'

Brian found Adair's confession most amusing and
laughed out loud. He'd thought it rather odd that the lad had burst into his mother's chamber without warning just now. ‘Your mother is a very attractive woman. Don't think I wasn't tempted by her attention,' Brian did a little confessing of his own. ‘But the love she craves is not mine,' he concluded, slapping a hand on Adair's shoulder. ‘We must fetch her true love back and set her heart to rights, ay?'

Adair was deeply moved by Brian's lighthearted manner. ‘That is my greatest wish, Lord,' he acknowledged in all seriousness.

‘And my destiny,' Brian confirmed, beginning to take his quest more seriously.

Samara had already told him that the mining ventures on Nugia were all underground, and very hard to penetrate, as there was usually only one very heavily guarded entrance. The mining operations were also numerous. Although they'd heard rumours of what had become of Tyrus-Leon, the truth was he could be anywhere, if he was still alive at all.

‘We will get your father out,' Brian said convincingly. ‘I have a plan.'

‘You do?' Adair asked, surprised and excited.

Sort of,
thought Brian, ‘Yes,' he said. ‘But before we discuss it, let me first address the enigma of DJ Nova.'

 

Greetings, interstellar trouble seekers,
Nova commenced his audio broadcast.
It seems you have all been hard at work since last we beamed, for I have many good tidings to convey.

‘I don't recognise the voice,' Rhun commented aside to his Governor.

‘You wouldn't,' Samara uttered, quietly. ‘Nova uses a myriad of different voices, but never his own.'

‘Dammit,' Rhun cursed. ‘The man
is
elusive.'

‘Or woman?' Samara suggested and Brian nodded to agree that she may well be right.

The latest word in from my agent on Kila is that Nergal is being thwarted on every front in his attempt to wreak destruction and force Lahmu out of hiding there … and I mean every front!

‘What does he mean “his agent on Kila”?' Rhun wondered. ‘It couldn't be one of our people.'

Brian waved his Vice to silence to hear the rest of the transmission.

Some Falcon sympathisers with Lahmu's cause have taken out my award for ‘humanitarianism in political sabotage', for they have intercepted a cargo of children bound for torture on Kila. And, as I can fully appreciate how annoyed my dear Lord Nergal is going to be by this event, I've arranged a real warm welcome where my feathered friends are bound.

Nova went on to explain how the children had been of various tribes and all under age ten. Everyone present in the operations room gave a standing ovation to the bravery of the foreign human breed who had come to the rescue of some of their own kind.

So who is the lucky Nefilim who gets to front up to Nergal and explain this bungle? The queen of pain herself, the beautiful, the deadly, Tashmet.
The DJ broke into hysterical laughter.

The riotous reaction this news roused in the Leonine gathering bordered on euphoric frenzy. Tashmet had ruled their planet with an iron fist for eons. It was music to their ears that she was to get a taste of her own medicine.

Brian found himself enchanted by the broadcaster. Nova was uniting the races by getting them rooting for one another against their common enemy. Even if the information was false, which Brian doubted, he still had to love the phantom for the great job he was doing in human relations. Brian also found it interesting that Nova's announcement implied that Nabu was the only immortal residing in the Su Palace at present. A smile formed on his face as he considered that conquering this planet might be a whole lot easier than he thought — if the news was legitimate.

Those Centaurs on Karleashian finally got their shit together, and yes, Nergal, that means you have yet another resistance force to contend with.

Shocked to learn of the existence of a colony of Centaurs, Brian looked to Thais who looked completely floored by the news.

As far as Thais had known, he and his mate, Hero, were the sole remnants of his breed. They'd never had children for fear that once grown, their offspring could never hope to find a suitable mate. The news was both horrendous and heartwarming to Thais — he'd just discovered his distant kindred, but they were a race enslaved and abused.

But, not to worry my stallion friends, Nergal thinks I'm full of lies and why bother looking for another rebel force that obviously doesn't exist … how could it? When all are slaves or righteous supporters of the Pantheon. Still, I fear my Lord's dear wife, Ereshkigal, will have a few unexplained happenings to report from Karleashian in the near future.

As Thais approached, Brian knew just what he was thinking.

‘I must investigate.' Thais proved predictable.

‘One planet at a time, Thais.' Brian encouraged him to have a little patience and faith. ‘Today we'll hand Nugia back to the Leonines, and tomorrow we shall reclaim Karleashian for your people.'

‘Let me go ahead alone,' Thais begged.

‘Sorry.' Brian hated to deny Thais, but he had other plans. ‘I need you to come with me right now, but I promise our errand won't take long.'

‘Where are you going?' Adair wanted to know. ‘What if Nova calls back?'

‘Patch his call through to my new residence,' Brian requested, as the Chosen Ones present gathered around to accompany the Governor to his new destination.

‘And where might that be?' Adair needed an address if it was to be at all possible.

‘I'll be staying at the Su Palace,' Brian boasted. ‘You must come visit me there soon.'

As the Governor and his party vanished, the Leonines didn't know what to make of his claim.

‘Surely he doesn't mean to confront Nabu on his own ground?' Samara found herself fretting for her husband's lookalike.

Adair smiled at this. ‘I think Lahmu means everything he says.'

 

Once all the children were asleep in their designated beds, Tory headed for the flight deck, hoping to find Hawk.

She felt sure he hadn't meant what he'd said, about her not belonging on his crew. After she'd saved all their butts on their last misadventure? But then, why would he lie?

Tory was alarmed to find a steady stream of smoke rising from the pilot's seat and she approached quickly to see what was on fire. ‘
Oh Raven
,' she exclaimed, relieved to find the smoke emanating from a long paper tube he held in his hand. ‘I thought we had an alert.' She waved away the smoke and collapsed into the co-pilot's seat.

Raven shook his head, placing the offending item in his mouth and puffing away madly. ‘To the contrary, things are very chilly here, my dear,' he grinned, high as a kite. ‘Do you indulge?' He offered the smoke to her.

‘I don't think so,' she decided, as the smoke drifted into her eye and stung like mad. ‘Although, the smell does seem vaguely familiar.'

‘It is distinctive.' Placing the tube back in his mouth, he turned to address a flashing light on his console.

‘I was looking for Hawk. Have you seen him?'

Raven was surprised by her question. ‘He disappeared hours ago. I thought he must have been hiding out with you somewhere.' He winked at her, and roused a shy smile from their guest.

Tory shook her head, thinking his assumption farfetched. ‘I really don't think he's very interested —'

Raven burst into hysterical laughter. ‘Sorry Swan.' He struggled to repress his amusement. ‘Oh shit …' he drew a deep breath, ‘… love
is
blind.' He gave another couple of chuckles and finally regained control.

‘You think I'm mistaken then?' Tory dropped her tone and leant closer to the pilot, eager for him to expand on his opinion.

‘The interest is there, my sweet. Believe me!' he emphasised. ‘I think that perhaps Hawk feels undeserving… you are a Goddess, after all.'

‘Would our association normally be deemed unlawful then?' Tory wondered if this was more the reason that Hawk was hesitant to get close.

‘He's broken just about every law there damn well is to break!' Raven scoffed. ‘Pantheon law is
not
his worry.'

‘You think?' Tory was not fully convinced.

Raven looked her square in the eye to satisfy her doubt. ‘It wouldn't stop
me
.'

Tory was touched by his argument. ‘Thank you.' She leant across and kissed the pilot's cheek.

‘You'd best go find him then,' Raven suggested, feeling honoured to be in such good favour with a Goddess. ‘All our extended crew will be awake and demanding your attention before you know it.'

Tory nodded, walking swiftly from the flight deck. No sooner had she stepped into the corridor, than she felt someone grab her wrist. This was startling, and looking around she found Hawk. His eyes were darker than usual, and swollen, although they were dry at present.

‘Shh.' He held a finger to his lips and urged her, with a gentle tug, to join him inside the small tech-room.

Brightly lit panels of equipment illuminated the room, and it was rather snug size-wise.

‘Swan, I've lied to you.' Hawk turned to address her after securing the hatch door behind them. ‘I believe —'

Tory clamped a hand over his mouth. ‘I know what you're going to say and I don't care.'

Hawk removed her hand. ‘No, you don't.'

‘Is this confession leading to a kiss, because that's all I wish to know?' she boldly insisted.

‘If you would just hear me out, I feel sure you won't be considering that eventuality any longer,' Hawk was sad to say.

‘I'll take that as a no.' Tory moved him out of the way to open the door.

‘Swan …' Hawk grabbed hold of her shoulders to prevent her from leaving and turned her about to face him. ‘Why are you making this so difficult?'

‘Because I'm in love with you,' she blurted out, rather vexed by the fact. ‘I don't care about any stupid law,' she thumped him away from her, ‘or who I used to be! What I care about …' she grabbed his leather vest and pulled Hawk close once more, ‘is that, here and now, I've met the most incredible man, who, by lunchtime tomorrow, is going to vanish out of my life! What should I do, Captain? What would you do?' She shook him to prompt a response, as Hawk was completely dumbfounded — but only for a second.

He pulled Tory close and kissed her long and soft. As her body hugged close to his, their kiss became more frenzied. When it ended, Hawk kissed her face, her neck and shoulders.

‘I have no idea what I'm doing,' Tory confessed in a sultry whisper, welcoming the sensation that his hands aroused as they skimmed over her body. ‘Still, I have this dying urge to get naked.'

‘Whoa, yeah,' Hawk agreed, and emerging from his rapture he whispered: ‘It figures that the one time I really need my cabin, it's full of kids. This …' he looked around the tech-room, ‘… is about as unromantic as it gets.'

‘Really?' Tory's eyes remained glued to his face as she reached behind her neck and unfastened her top. ‘I can't say that I noticed.'

As the flimsy material fell to her waist, leaving the Goddess half-naked before him, Hawk felt compelled to admit: ‘Breaking the law has never been so sweet.'

The restraint his brother had insisted the Goddess wear drew his attention. ‘No need for this anymore.' He detached from her wrist the source of the only deliberate lie he'd told her and cast it aside — for he could not, in good conscience, make love to this woman unless she knew all that he did. Without the device, Hawk knew his guest would regain her telepathic ability, and so wrapped his arms about her and engaged her in a deep, loving kiss.

In his mind he ran through what he'd suspected all along — that Crow had lied to him — but due to his fascination with this immortal warrior woman, he'd hesitated to voice his suspicion. Deep down he'd realised that Crow had been lying when he denied knowing Swan before. She was the Chosen One he'd kidnapped for Nergal and left unconscious in a spaceship about to self-destruct. Crow's target had been the ex-Governess of Kila, sister of Lahmu and wife of the legendary Dragon, Maelgwn Gwynedd, whose praises Nova had sung for many years.

As the information began pouring into her brain, Tory felt all the more compelled to love Hawk, for she was also perceiving the intense attraction he felt for her and the feelings of inferiority that had kept him at bay. ‘If only you could read
my
mind, and know how much I don't care.' She wiped the tears from his face and drew his forehead down to rest against her own. ‘I'll worry about my past, tomorrow. Only the present truly exists … and, right now, all I care about is you
.
'

Hawk felt more deeply moved at this moment than he had in his entire troubled existence. ‘Do you not fear that what we are about to do might be a sin against creation?'

‘Is it not creation that compels us to feel as we do?' Tory reasoned. ‘You can't always trust what life has led you to think, which is why I believe my prior earthly knowledge has been taken from me. I have only my higher instinct to guide me in this affair, and therefore, I can only think that you deserve to know the love you inspire in me … you and no one else.'

His heart exploded with her words and he could not speak, for never before in conscious memory had another living soul professed to love him.

Tory thought it all the more reason to bestow her affection upon him. After everything this soul had endured throughout his life, he'd more than earned the right to feel loved. And, what's more, Tory felt she would die where she stood if she could not fulfil the curious desire to be one with him, the desire that had possessed her being since the instant they'd met.