Chapter 19
She wasn’t sure how long they stood, arms entwined, telling each other of their days. Mayra expected it was both longer and shorter than she thought. Having lost track of time, she was surprised when her mother finally pulled away, clucking her tongue and commenting on the late hour.
“I have loved every moment of seeing you, daughter, but I fear that if we remain together for much longer, we may arouse suspicion.”
“Surely, you can’t think evil forces will descend in just these short hours?” Mayra was incredulous. Too much had happened too fast, and she desperately needed time to process it all.
“Your mother is right,” Nojan said, moving close to put an arm around her. “If they know your lineage, then it’s not much of a leap to think they may be keeping tabs on your mother in the hopes of catching you.” His expression was gentle as he handed her the visor.
Mayra stared down at it, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. It wasn’t fair. She’d gotten her first taste of family, and now she had to go, apparently to hasten the coming of the apocalypse.And I thought slavery was bad. Now I have front-row seats to the end of the universe.
Her mother drew close, lifting her chin to unite their gazes. Mayra was again struck at how similar their eyes were. And she was saddened that the knowledge of the woman’s hard life had aged her beyond her years. “I will never forget you. And one day, when this is all over, you can come back to me.”
“Mother.” Her voice broke on the word, and she lunged forward, but Nojan held her back.
“I’m sorry, angel, but we should be going now. The longer we’re here, the greater the chance of being found out.”
Mayra struggled against his hold so Nojan picked her up. “A little help, dear?” he said, motioning toward the visor in her hands. Her mother plucked it out of her grip and placed it on Mayra’s face.
“Be safe, daughter. Come back to me.”
Then Nojan was sweeping through the tent, out the flap, and back out into the bustling marketplace.
“Gods damn you, Vartik bastard,” Mayra said, squirming in his arms. “Put me down.”
“And risk you running back? Not likely.”
“If you’re really so worried about being found out, don’t you think it’s a tad suspicious, you carrying me around like a sack of flour?” she hissed.
Nojan grunted, then paused long enough to put her feet on the ground. He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, pulling her close. “Let’s get back to the ship.”
The return journey through the crowded streets was a blur. The flashing lights and hoarse-sounding hawkers were of no interest. In her mind, she was reliving the event that had just unfolded in the ratty old tent that stank of incense.
Before she realized it, Nojan was sealing the ship’s door behind him. “I’m going to get us off the surface immediately,” he said. “And after that, I’ll set a course for Vartik. We’ve got to get this book to the lab. I’m beginning to think this whole thing is a lot bigger than I had thought.”
Yanking off the visor, Mayra dropped into one of the chairs and watched as he pushed buttons on the console, her thoughts a million miles away.Come back to me, her mother had said. And Mayra would. If she had to fight her way through the Battle of the End to do it, then so be it. And the only way to get the ball rolling, so to speak, was to unlock her full powers and learn to use them.
The sooner the better. If I really am being hunted, I want to be able to see them coming.
But she wasn’t even certain how to unleash her powers. Sex had been suggested, and it seemed likely as she’d experienced the vision about her mother not long after Nojan had taught her how good kissing could feel. Then after the shower, she’d been able to pinpoint her mother’s location in the colonies. It was time to see if losing her virginity would find her the power to see the future.
“Nojan,” she said softly, standing up and moving behind him. “Is it a far journey to get back to your planet?” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders as she spoke.
“Not too far,” he said. “Around thirty hours or so.”
“Good,” she purred, leaning down to plant a kiss against his jaw. Now that she had her focus, Mayra didn’t want to waste any more time. Although she was well aware of her own hideousness, she realized that he hadn’t turned her away before now. And even if this was all part of an elaborate con on his part to break her in as an oracle, it didn’t matter. He could never look her away again, as long as he was willing to go through with it once.
She felt as if a sword was being thrust into her chest at the thought. Mayra realized how much she’d come to admire Nojan, how much she wanted his kindness and his protectiveness to be genuine. If he did take her virginity as a plot to unlock her powers for his own benefit, it would crush her emotionally. But the stakes were too great to risk delaying.
If he crushes me, it will hurt worse than anything I’ve experienced until now. But I will not let it destroy me.
Her hands stroked up his neck, her fingers burying themselves in his hair. “I think I have an idea of how we can spend that time,” she whispered into his ear.
Nojan stood, moving to take her into his arms. “What’s your angle, angel? You were upset a moment ago. Now you’re like a kitten rubbing against my leg to be stroked.”
Mayra shrugged a shoulder, blinking wide eyes up at him. “I’m just finishing what you started in the shower. But instead of an hour, we’ve got thirty. That should be long enough to get up to some trouble.”
Nojan laughed. “Oh, it’ll be trouble, all right, if it’s with you.” He bent to place a kiss against her forehead. “I’m extremely titillated by the offer, little one, but I can’t help but think your desire is being forced. Why don’t we talk about what just happened?”
