“I’m a Vartik.”
She stopped so fast he almost crashed into her. Spinning around, her eyes wide, she looked up at him. “A real live Vartik?” Looking him up and down, her forehead wrinkled. “Or is this another lie? How can I trust anything you say when you’ve been lying from the start?”
“I had to lie,” he countered. “Otherwise, you’d never let me into your lab. If I told you my true mission involved bringing back a Guardian of the Goddess of Light to help us fight the Battle of the End, you would have laughed me right off your asteroid.”
Her eyebrows cocked upward. “You’re right. That’s ridiculous.” She turned around and continued walking.
“I know you won’t believe this, but here it is. My name is Zelup Vartik, next in line for the Vartik throne. My brother has married the daughter of the Goddess of Light and is working to rescue his wife’s twin brother from Danzmin where he’s been imprisoned by the Crown Prince of Hell. But before he can do so, he has to gather the seven Guardians the Goddess of Light charged with protecting her children. And one of those Guardians was sealed in crystal and is guarded by a certain female scientist.”
“What is your source of information?” she asked smartly. “Entrails and the flight of birds? Let me guess, you saw my face in a whiff of smoke from a sacred fire? I thought the Vartik race was supposed to be more advanced than humans. If your supposed race even exists. I only know about you from speculation and rumor. In fact, the last paper I read on the subject said the chances of a race evolving with healing blood and psychic powers was close to zero.”
“We exist, but we are forced to hide our existence because of the turmoil those powers cause us. That, and the fact that our blood goes for millions of rubbals on the black market. And as for my source of information, how’s the Great Oracle of Territh sound?”
Dawn laughed with derision. “An oracle. I knew it. Well, aren’t you special?”
Her words hit against the wall of his pride with the force of a wrecking ball, but he made himself remain calm. She wouldn’t be persuaded by emotional appeals. Scientific proof was the only thing that would work.
Zelup called up his power of persuasion and reached out to her. “Stop walking.”
Dawn stopped, turning around with a frown on your face.
“Hop on one foot.”
She rolled her eyes but then started to hop. “Stop it!”
He released his power over her and she returned to two feet. She strode over to him, crooking her finger and causing him to bend down, expecting a kiss.
She slapped his face instead.
Rubbing his cheek, Zelup frowned. “What was that for?”
“Iknewyou did something to get into my lab. There was no way I’d open the door for you out of my own free will.”
His voice was steel. “I had to do it. The mission was too important.”
“And that night at the Double V? Did you use your little powers on me then?” Her face shone with betrayal. “Was that how you thought to wrap me around your finger? You weren’t expecting me to leave while you were distracted with that other female, were you?”
“No!” He waved his hands, shaking his head vehemently. “The only time I used my powers on you was just now and to get you to let me in your lab. That’s it.” When she scowled at him, he folded his arms across his chest. “I’m sorry sweetheart, but your lust for me is real.”
She recoiled as if he had slapped her. Anger shone from her eyes. “Don’t you ever use your powers on me again, you understand? Not ever!”
Zelup’s emotions were tangled, his thoughts vacillating between begging for forgiveness to brazen impudence. His powers were an integral part of who he was. Finally, he gave her a stiff nod but said nothing.
Dawn turned away from him, and he could see her whole body was stiff. “I’ll never believe a word you say,” she muttered, “but I don’t have time to argue. We need to find the female and see if we can wake her out of her coma.”
The little doctor stalked away from him. Zelup followed, feeling like a black hole was expanding inside his chest, swallowing everything.She can never trust you. Who could blame her? All you’ve done is lie to her.
If I could only convince her that her desire for me is genuine, that might be a way to build a bridge of trust between us.
But how could he accomplish that? If he came onto her again and she responded, she might chalk up her reaction to his powers and he’d be unable to convince her otherwise. How could he prove a negative? It was impossible.
Just like a relationship between them was impossible. Not only did he have a duty to his family and his people, but now he was afraid he’d never be able to win her over to his side. She wanted him—that was obvious—but sexual attraction wasn’t the best basis for a relationship. Although she wanted to fuck him, he wasn’t sure that she even liked him.
Dawn turned a corner and Zelup followed. This portion of hallway was better lit, as twin torches blazed against the wall. Zelup peered at them, something unusual catching his eye. The firelight seemed somehow fuzzy.
“An inefficient and primitive method of lighting a house,” Dawn said, “but it could come in useful.” She reached up and tried to remove the torch from its holder, but she couldn’t quite reach it. “A little help?”
Zelup pulled the blurry torch out and handed it to her. Then he moved over to the other one and grabbed it. When he removed the torch, a low creak sounded, and the bookshelf against the wall behind him began to pivot inward.
“A secret passageway,” Dawn breathed. “Cool!”
Not bothering to wait for him, she slipped behind the case and into darkness.
