Tara The Great [Nuworld 2] (54 page)

hallway into the well-lit living room. “What’s wrong?”

“I heard something,” she spoke cautiously, still listening to the sounds in the trailer.

Whoever, or whatever, it was…was gone. The chill she had felt a moment before was

gone, also.

Darius studied her face. As he brushed her cheek with the outside of his hand, she

saw concern on his face, although she had to search deep into his eyes for it. He was

controlled, always under control. He did nothing and felt nothing unless he

commanded it. The dog-woman was right. Darius would not be swayed by a belief

unless he felt an advantage in having it. And as far as Tara could tell, this man felt very

confident that he had everything he needed to be in control. Evil would not be able to

manipulate him. No one would.

“Someone, or something, spoke to me in Syra’s bedroom. It’s gone now.” An

uncontrollable chill went through her body.

Darius leaned against the back of the small couch so he could look her straight in

the eyes.

She felt his gaze dig deep into her thoughts, searching for what she hadn’t told him

yet.

“Another vision?” His voice was calm, quiet.

“I didn’t see anything. I heard them talk,” and after a pause, “and I felt them.”

An eyebrow shot up. “Felt them?”

“It was cold.” She looked down at his jacket, then handed it to him.

“What did they say?”

She could tell Darius wouldn’t leave the trailer until she’d told him everything. His

calm eyes demanded enlightenment. “They thanked me for giving them the tool they

needed to grow in power. They said I would name them, because I helped make them. I

don’t know what they were talking about, but they said they had to wait right now.

They called it the Waiting.” She paused.

He cocked his head although his expression didn’t change. “What are they waiting

for?”

“I think to become more powerful. I don’t know.” She looked at her hands, then

back into his eyes. “What tool could I have given to someone?”

Tara immediately had her answer; she had given someone a child. And as she

studied Darius’ face, she felt he had drawn the same conclusion. But how could giving

the bastard to the Lunians be considered some type of tool?

“Could the Lunians have made the voices?” Darius took the landlink and began

scanning the room.

“I considered that, but my landlink didn’t show anything unusual. I don’t believe

they could have done this.” She thought about the time in the cave when the Lunians

made the dog-woman appear. She hadn’t experienced any emotional reaction to that

sight because it had been a hoax. The event she’d just endured was far different. It was

real.

“Let’s go.” She shrugged. “I don’t have time to let evil preoccupy my thoughts.”

She walked out of the trailer, and Darius followed. Tara decided that the only way

evil could grow would be if she allowed it to. The best thing to do would be to forget

about the eerie vision, and force it to die, instead of take root.

“Let’s give the Neurians time to set up their temple before visiting.” Tara slid her

hand around Darius’ arm. “I think I would like to head home and spend time with the

twins.”

Tara and Darius did manage to get some time in with the children later that

afternoon. They flew the children to the cliff where Tara and Darius had first made love,

and where Tara had found Darius with his mistress. Tara wanted to clear ugly

memories from the beautiful, well-hidden spot. There, the children enjoyed an

afternoon snack of cookies and plums.

Tara looked up from a flower necklace she had been making. Andru had yelled for

her attention from his spot next to Darius, who leaned against one of the large rocks in

the grassy area.

“Look mama, she’s back.”

Tara immediately saw the dog-woman and watched as the elderly lady picked up a

flat shiny rock and offered it to Andru.

He smiled and eagerly walked over to accept it.

“I want one,” Ana said, and dropped the flowers she’d been gathering for Tara. She

didn’t walk over to the dog-woman, though. Instead, she went over to Andru and tried

to take the rock from him.

“Here, Andru,” the dog-woman said and picked up another flat shiny rock. “Give

her this.”

“Okay.” He took the rock and gave it to his sister. He looked at Tara quickly, as if

remembering something, then looked back at the old woman. “Thank you. Why can’t

my sister see you?”

“Maybe she’s like your papa,” the dog-woman said.

Andru turned to study his papa.

“And what is this look for?” Darius frowned at his son.

“She said Ana is like you,” Tara said, and wondered what the dog-woman meant

when she compared the daughter to the papa.

“I like you, Papa.” Ana laughed and ran to Darius’ arms.

“What else has she said?” Darius allowed his daughter to cuddle on his lap, but

focused on Tara.

“Nothing yet,” Tara said.

Tara knew Darius didn’t enjoy the fact that he couldn’t see the dog-woman, and

understood that he probably felt left out. She watched the old lady cup Andru’s face in

her hand and study the boy. Andru seemed relaxed in her presence.

“Do you like our sankoo, um,” Andru wrinkled his brow and stepped backward

out of the dog-woman’s grasp to look at Tara.

“Sanctuary,” she said the word he was trying to pronounce.

“Sankoowardy,” he said proudly, smiling at the dog-woman.

“I do,” the dog-woman answered, then settled on the ground with more ease than

Tara would have guessed a woman of her age would possess. The dog-woman sat

cross-legged and reached into a bag that lay on her lap. She pulled out two peppermint

sticks and handed them to Andru. “One for you and one for your sister.”

“Look Ana!” Andru held out his hand to show the hard candy to his sister, who

immediately jumped up from her papa’s lap.

The children shrieked with delight and immediately sat down facing each other to

eat their candy.

Tara laughed at their antics.

“The dog-woman gave them candy?” Darius sounded a bit grouchy.

“Yes.” Tara stopped laughing and offered her claim the details he couldn’t see.

“The dog-woman sits here on the ground.” She pointed. “And she pulled candy from a

bag that she has on her lap.”

“I see.” Darius studied the area Tara had indicated, and Tara wished he could see

the woman.

“Some of the sacred writings are here.” The dog-woman looked seriously at Tara

now.

“The books the Neurian priests brought?” Tara confirmed, partially so Darius

would know what they were talking about.

“Pay attention to them. There’s much to learn. Teach your children. You must take

advantage of the Waiting.”

“What are we waiting for?”

“You aren’t waiting for anything,” the dog-woman said. “Educate your children.

Teach them the sacred writings so they’ll know Crator. When the Waiting is over, they

must be ready.”

Then she was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The following week, Tara visited the new temple at the clan site. She pulled up to

see that no trailer had been provided. Instead, two large white tents stood alongside

each other.

“My lady, what a surprise.” The tall Neurian priest, who had presented himself in

her living room, turned when she approached. He was on his hands and knees by one

of the tents, planting seeds in the ground. Standing, he wiped off his hands on his robe.

“This is quite an honor. We haven’t had many visitors.”

“Give it time.” She smiled and looked at the two tents, then the exposed ground

where the priest had been working. “I never asked your name.”

“My name is Seth.” He bowed in front of her.

“Do you have a title?”

“We are servants of Crator, my lady. Titles are reserved for those who tell others

what to do. We do as we’re instructed.”

“I see.” Tara was quiet for a minute. “I’m interested in knowing what you’ve done

so far. And I want to look at the sacred writings.”

Seth nodded and gathered his robe in one hand as he moved toward a tent. “I

would be honored to show you.”

Tara followed behind, feeling a peaceful presence surrounding the place. She

decided it had been a good idea to make time to see the temple; it was a practice she

needed to add to her schedule.

The opening to the tent had been pulled back and tied, and Tara followed the priest

inside. A small table stood along the opposite wall, and a large, straw-woven mat

covered the ground. Several brightly dyed, square pillows rested on the ground and the

priest gestured for Tara to sit.

“This you must see first,” he said. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, very.” Tara nodded, and watched as the priest turned his back to her and

lifted a large brown book out of a square glass case.

“You should scan this to disc,” Tara said as she accepted it from him and gingerly

handled the dilapidated bound papers.

“We have. I thought you might want to see the original. We don’t wish to make it

available to just anyone. There are several discs available to view, if anyone is

interested.”

“Have many people visited?” She cautiously turned the yellowed papers, looking at

the foreign print. On some of the pages were pictures, so faded she could hardly make

them out.

“A handful has come out of curiosity.” Seth shrugged.

“Maybe you could announce an educational class that will meet at the same time

each week. See who shows up.”

Seth nodded in consent.

“Keep me posted. I will come to as many sessions as I can.” She handed the ancient

book back to the priest and started to leave, then paused and turned back to him. “Have

you heard of a period of time called the Waiting?”