Jean Lorrah - Flight to Savage Empire

“I–I guess I’m just finding it hard to believe this is happening. I cant go back to the Academy; I have to go with you. I never dreamed of any man wanting me-”

He reached across the table for her hand. “I want you and need you, Astra. Even without the danger to our lives and freedom, I couldn’t have left without you. ” He realized this even as he spoke, hoping she could Read how true it was. “But I can’t let you come without knowing that the greatest dangers may face us when we reach our destination.” He started to tell her what Mallen had said in the arena.

“Yes, I Read both of you during the combat, and could make out most of what you were saying,” she said. “What do you think he meant by a ‘great evil’ forcing him to leave Madura rather than face death or

‘something far worse?”

“I don’t know. It could mean a number of things, including slavery, ” he said. “But I believe that renegade Portia confronted was right-there’s nothing we can’t do, combining our powers.” He wondered, suddenly, if she understood just how he yearned to “combine” with her. And whether she had heard the rumors he had deliberately spread…

What if her idea of their relationship was considerably different from his?

“Astra,” he began, “like you, I’ve had to remain celibate in order to protect my special abilities. When people noticed that I didn’t celebrate my victories like most gladiators, I… invented an excuse. I let it be known that a wound I received early in my arena career had left me impotent.”

Astra nodded. “I heard that story, and believed it… until that day I watched you training for the match.

You were so strong, so appealing, that I…” She blushed a deep scarlet, unable to look at him. “I Read you. Thoroughly.”

Zanos laughed, a good hearty laugh that helped to ease his pain. He came around the table, gently lifted Astra to her feet, and hugged her.

“And when I discovered the truth,” she added as she let her arms slide around him, “I didn’t know what to think.”

“No, but I can imagine,” he chuckled. It felt so good to have someone with whom he could share his secrets besides-

Serafon! By Mawort, he’d nearly forgotten that he had to get to her, tell her that all their plans had been upset!

“What’s wrong?” Astra asked at his sudden sobriety.

“Nothing. It’s just that we have much to do and very little time in which to do it.” He gently touched her cheeks and looked into her eyes. “Astra, you never actually said that you would come with me, face the dangers-”

“Oh, yes, my love.” She smiled. “I’ll journey with you to the ends of the world and beyond, and face the dark gods themselves if they should stand in our way!”

He kissed her then, for the first time-and as she clung to him he felt a kind of strength he’d never before experienced. Over the years, he had eased his natural yearnings by convincing himself that love was, for him, a dangerous weakness. He was glad to discover he’d been wrong.

They spent the next hour hurriedly packing what they thought they would need for the journey. Zanos’

plan now called for nine people to travel together- Astra, Serafon, Zanos, and his six fighters. Astra pointed out that the larder held not a day’s supply of food for so many.

“And who is Serafon?” she asked.

“High priestess of the Temple of Hesta,” Zanos replied. “Like me, she’s an Adept, but her powers are strongest ‘in the realm of nature,’ as she puts it. For many years, she’s been secretly helping the farmers around Tiberium, doing what she can to change the weather in their favor. She knows more about living off the land than the rangers of the deep forests. Without her guidance, I would have been dead long ago-executed for trying to escape, or exposed as an Adept.”

“But how did-” Astra stopped in midsentence, staring at something beyond the villa wall. “Zanos, we’re being watched. An old man in the alley across the street. He’s pretending to be asleep, but he’s watching this house!”

Zanos slid over to a front window and peeked through the shutter. “That’s Varan,” he muttered. “Looks like I owe you an apology-you were right that Varan frightened Clea into running away. Vortius is using him to deliver messages now-and his message to me is that I am being watched.”

“No,” the Reader said as she moved close to him, keeping clear of the window. “Vortius is punishing him with assignments like this because he said something to Clea-he let slip that he’s associated with Vortius! Vortius wanted to use Clea again, but she ran the moment Varan tried to approach her-he’s thinking right now about how he didn’t handle her right… because Morella’s coming up the street!

Phaeru’s with her, and they’re coming here.”

Zanos concentrated in Varan’s direction for a moment, and the old man slumped over. “Now he really is asleep,” he said, “and will stay that way for quite a while. Tell me-how did you get Morella and her girls to help you disguise yourself for Gareth’s party last night?”

“I told her our lives were in danger, and that I had to speak with you without Vortius knowing about it.

Morella hates Vortius as much as you do, but she has to deal with him and his men anyway. When she told her girls that you were in danger, they immediately volunteered to help. Morella knew about Gareth’s party, and he certainly didn’t object to some of her girls helping to keep his guests happy.”

When Morella knocked at the door, Zanos was already moving to let her in. Both Morella and Phaeru had been crying, but he waited for them to tell him what was wrong.

“Astra told me what you and your girls did to help us last night, ‘ he said as he led them to the music room. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Friends help friends, Zanos.” She looked at Astra, then back at him. “It’s all over The Maze that Vortius is claiming your property and freedom for gambling debts-I take it he somehow cheated you?”

“Somehow,” Zanos replied.

“That viper! He’s got all the local law in his pocket-I hope you’re planning to run rather than try to fight him. Astra, we brought you some clothes suitable for traveling. I know you can’t go back to your Academy-”

“How did you know?” she asked.

“Readers aren’t the only ones who know things-as soon as I heard about Vortius and Zanos, I realized that you’d been caught in that corruption trying to help your friend. And you’re not the first I’ve helped escape enemies in Tiberium. ” Tears welled up in Morella’s eyes. “I only wish Clea had trusted me to help her this time!”

“Clea?” asked Zanos. “You know where she is?”

“Word reached me this morning. Yesterday, a farmer in the southlands was tilling his field for spring planting. He found her… remains. She’s been dead for weeks-had to be identified by the rings she was so fond of wearing.”

Phaeru turned away with a choked sob.

“She must have been trying to go home-her parents’ home is the southlands,” Morella went on. “If I could get my hands on the monster who caught up with her-”

“I’m sorry,” Astra whispered, remembering Clea’s courage in breaking her addiction to white lotus.

“I wish we could do something to help, ” Zanos added.

“The best thing you two can do is get out of this

corrupt land,” Morella said firmly. “Now tell me what Phaeru and I can do to help.”

“And just what kind of help are they giving you?” Serafon asked.

“I gave them what money I had left,” Zanos told her. “They’re buying us horses and supplies. I don’t know what to do about my fighters-”