All For One [Nuworld 3] (29 page)

pulled her cloak off her head and ran his fingers through her many braids. “Syra, I

killed him, I did.” Torgo’s expression looked torn, and for a moment, the teenage boy

sat in front of her once again.

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“I hope you made it painful,” she said through clenched teeth, feeling all the pain

he felt. She reached up and pulled the Runner’s cloak off him, and smiled gently as she

straightened his curls. “And what about your claim? What will you do with her?”

He shrugged. “I have no desire to ever see her again. I didn’t have time to talk to

her before I left, I didn’t. I told Darius to make sure the children were secure.” Torgo

traced his fingertips down to her waist and rested them on top of her legs. He searched

her eyes for a moment then looked down her body to where his hands were. “I wonder

if your body could carry twins,” he muttered with a hint of something other than

sadness in his tone.

“Tara was able to do it.”

“Do you still take the Runner anti-conception pills?”

Ah, the age-old argument resurfaced. Syra studied his face for a moment, and his

eyes slowly lifted to meet hers. They had fought over the medication from the moment

he’d learned she was taking them, which was right after they first had sex as teenagers.

Gothman didn’t believe in birth control, but Syra hadn’t wanted children.

Not then.

Not when she knew she would face the age of searching.

Syra had wanted him to travel with her, and he had laughed at the idea, saying she

was running away from her responsibilities. She’d told him there was nothing

irresponsible about learning how the people of Nuworld lived and how they thought. It

was the clash of their cultures. They wouldn’t bend to each other and it had driven

them apart.

Somehow Syra didn’t feel the strong opposition she’d felt toward him several

winters ago. Distance and time had only made her feel closer to him. With all her heart

she wanted the pain he felt to go away. It would pass with time and she hoped he

would let her be with him while he convalesced. And with this question, Torgo just told

her he would let her be with him. She knew her eyes must have glowed at the prospect

of carrying his child because his expression grew softer.

“I didn’t have access to any pregnancy prevention while I was with the River

People,” she managed to say. The words were barely out when his mouth landed on

hers.

Syra wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her while his arms

wandered up her body setting her on fire.

“Come back to my tent with me.” His voice was rough and full of passion that had

mounted to a boil over the past winters that they’d been apart.

Syra nodded with a smile and he jumped off the log pulling her off with him. He

wrapped his muscular arm over her shoulder, holding her close as they walked toward

the campsite.

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“You know, Torgo, if I find Rayla…I’ll kill her.” Syra spoke carefully but from her

heart. She didn’t want to hurt him any more than he already was, but she felt a need to

share how it would be.

“I’m sure you won’t find her, no.” To her surprise, he chuckled. “I daresay she’ll be

well out of Bryton before we get back.”

She looked up at him. “You told me you loved her.”

“Yes, I told you that.” He brushed her forehead with a kiss. “I wanted to hurt you…

I’m sorry.”

“It did hurt, but I forgive you, especially if it’s not true.”

Torgo sighed deeply. “I think there was a time when I tried to tell myself that I

loved her, I did. I thought if I could love Rayla, then I’d get you out of my head. You

don’t want to know how many times I called her by your name—” He gave her an

affectionate squeeze. “Especially when we were fighting.”

“So help me, if you ever call me by her name—”

Torgo suddenly grabbed her and threw her to the ground, literally landing on top

of her.

“What the—” Syra couldn’t finish her question because Torgo’s hand went around

her mouth.

“Be quiet,” he whispered into her ear.

The ground was very hard underneath her and Torgo’s body was very heavy on

top of her. His hand still covered her mouth. Her eyes and ears were alert however, and

she struggled slightly underneath him trying to discover what was wrong.

A second later she heard what Torgo had heard just moments before. Both of their

bodies tensed as voices, speaking quietly and coming closer, were audible through the

trees. She couldn’t tell what they were saying or even how many people there were. She

could tell however that they were coming directly toward them. Torgo must have

sensed the same thing because suddenly he was dragging her backwards attempting to

hide them under the fallen log.

“There’s a clearing up here a little ways,” she heard a man’s voice say. “We’ll be

able to take off without being detected from there.”

“This means a lot to me, Roth. All I want to do is see him. There are certain family

characteristics that we all have.”

Syra almost squealed at the sound of the young woman’s voice and her eyes

opened wide as she jerked her head up to see who spoke. Torgo tightened his grip on

her mouth and pulled her closer, smashing her cheek against his.

“I understand how important this is to you or I wouldn’t agree to this ridiculous

stunt. We’ll be lucky not to get caught.”

Syra could see Ana clearly now as she walked alongside Roth. Roth pushed a

glider, and Ana had changed the color of her hair. She knew all too well where they

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were going. What she wanted to know was when Ana had become so chummy with

Roth.

Torgo pulled her up after Ana and Roth had disappeared into the forest. “Let’s go.”

He grabbed her by the arm and moved as quickly as he dared back to the campsite.

Neither one of them spoke as they reached camp. Everyone was asleep but they

used caution as they walked toward the part of the forest where the Tree People were

camped. They didn’t need to talk to each other and they both knew what they were

going to do.

Torgo took out the only Tree Person on duty in their camp and Syra grabbed his

glider and turned it around quickly. Torgo grabbed the other side of it and without a

sound they pushed it into the forest. By the time they’d reached the clearing Roth had

mentioned, there was no sign of either Roth or Ana.

“I assume you know how to get there.” Torgo climbed into the foreign glider next

to Syra and studied the gauges on its dash.

“Yeah. I know exactly where they are going, and they’re both fools.”

He then noticed that she was smiling and frowned. “I’m at a loss to see any humor

in this.”

“You’re right. It’s not funny. I just remember Tara telling Darius when you two

were fighting that he shouldn’t worry about his daughter—just be mad at her.” She

smiled at Torgo’s confused look and reached out to stroke his cheek. “We’re Runners,

Torgo. I don’t think Roth understood, either. Ana sees an adventure and she isn’t

paying attention to any potential dangers. In fact, all they do is make the adventure

more appealing.”

Torgo shook his head and Syra laughed again.

“You know, if it weren’t for a Runner seeing an incredible adventure and ignoring

the possible dangers, that girl wouldn’t exist and you and I certainly would never have

met each other.”

Torgo looked at her and then rolled his eyes. “You’re right, I guess. I was there

when Tara first entered our house and she took everyone and everything on with a

vengeance, she did.” He suddenly looked very worried. “It looks like Ana is about to

prove how much she is her mama’s daughter.”

“Like any of us had any doubts.” She flipped a switch on the dash and the dome

rose over their head.

“Okay, let’s go. It shouldn’t take an hour to get there.”

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for the night,” he muttered, and she giggled

from the joy of being by his side again.

* * * * *

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Barringswood Tribe covered a vast amount of land with manicured lawns, well-

groomed hedges, and incredibly large trees. The tribal land stood out amidst the

undeveloped countryside that surrounded it. A wooden fence, standing well over

twenty feet, marked the beginning of Barringswood land.

Ana couldn’t believe her eyes at the size of the fence, and the fact that it traveled

along the countryside farther than she could see. Even though it was well into the night,

soft green lights enabled her to see quite a distance. The light lent a surreal atmosphere

to the land inside the fence opposed to the dark and unruly land outside.

Ana didn’t realize how tight a grasp she had on Roth’s hand until he maneuvered

the glider down into the gigantic trees and she let go so he could steer with both hands.

“We’re almost there.” His tone was hushed as he looked at her. “You still want to

do this?”

“Yes, oh yes.” She smiled at him and he leaned over to kiss her.

“Oh shit,” Torgo hissed, as he held his viewer to his eyes. “That Roth guy just

kissed her.”

He frowned at Syra as she steered the glider down through the trees and followed

Roth at a safe distance.

“I might have to kill him,” he added when his comment brought no response.

“Seems to me I remember your being afraid of the same thing happening to you

when we were kids.” She shot him a dirty look then looked forward again.

“That was different.”

“How so?”

Torgo didn’t answer right away and she nudged him teasingly. “Oh, I know. We

were in love and she’s just out on an adventure.”

“Doesn’t this place have any security?” Torgo decided to change the subject,

knowing he wouldn’t win if he tried to argue his feelings with her. He remembered

what they did when they were kids, but Roth didn’t look like any kid to him. If that