aCome with me.a He said nothing else.

She followed him through the snow silently. Some of the Runners watched her pa.s.s, but for the most part they huddled together in small groups, preoccupied in conversation. More than likely, they were discussing the antic.i.p.ated test.

Torgo sat in the corner of the living room sorting through incoming tests. Theyad been arriving by the thousands, and earlier in the week the program designed to receive and grade them had overloaded and crashed. Patha was impressed by Torgoas ability to save the information and rewrite the program. Now it moved twice as fast and sorted the tests, eliminating those with more than one mistake. This made the job of reviewing the tests much easier, and Patha praised Torgoas landlink abilities.

aHeas a natural,a he told Darius in Torgoas presence. aWhat he canat do on the battlefield, he makes up for on the landlink.a That comment stung at Torgoas pride, but head kept a straight face.

aI want an hourly report from you on all written tests,a Patha ordered. aa.s.sign any a.s.sistants you may need to help you.a Torgo had immediately called upon Syra. The perfect tests, and those with one mistake, automatically printed out with the logon number at the top. For the first few days, only one or two tests met this criterion. But as the day of the Test of Wills approached, several more tests printed out. Torgo had Syra manually check the answers before they were turned over to Patha.

aHereas Kuroas test,a Syra said as she leaned back in her chair. Torgo came up from behind her and rubbed his hands down the front of her shirt as he leaned over.

aNot now, silly,a she giggled and pushed him away.

aPerfectly answered, I a.s.sume.a Torgo didnat like Kuro. He seemed fake and the way head buddied up to Darius annoyed Torgo for some reason.

aOf course,a Syra shrugged. aLooks like heall win the Test of Wills. I donat know about the rest of these people, but Kuroas quite the warrior.a aWell, I guess Iall take these reports to Patha for review. One of the clans reported a Runner whoas admitted coming up from Southland. Sheas from the Blood Circle Clan. Her nameas Leetha.a Torgo grabbed the reports and stacked them. aI can take those tests to him while Iam at it.a *

aUh-huh.a Syra wasnat listening to Torgo. She was busy looking at a test that had just printed. aTorgo, look at this.a He studied it, then looked at her, confused.

She grabbed back the test. aLook! Itas Taraas logon number. We forgot to delete it. Didnat Darius ask you to do that a while back?a as.h.i.t! Yeah, he did. But, the program crashed and I forgot all about it. I donat get it though. How come itas on this test?a Torgo reached around Syra and began pushing several b.u.t.tons on her keypad. He pulled up the instructions for the program and then switched screens and typed frantically.

The screens on her monitor flashed. She tried to follow what he was doing, but his landlink skills outcla.s.sed hers. aIt was submitted from a landlink in the Four Circle clan.a He continued to type. aTheyare just south of us.a aWhat are you going to do?a aReport it to Patha and Darius, I guess. Those are my orders.a Torgo took the tests from Syra and walked to the door.

Syra jumped up and followed him.

Patha and Darius werenat in the house. After minutes of whispered discussion, the youths decided to drive to the clansite and look for the two leaders. They rode together on Torgoas bike, believing their information vital enough for it to be overlooked that they were together on the bike.

Balbo disapproved of the time Torgo and Syra spent together, considering his daughter too young for the physical relationship he felt sure the Gothman lad would instigate.

Torgo drove straight to Pathaas trailer, which was parked next to Balboas. Snow started to fall, and no one noticed the two disembark from the bike. Darius and Pathaas bikes were parked outside the trailer. Torgo knocked on the door.

aCome,a Pathaas voice barked.

The two entered quickly, shutting the door behind them to prevent snow from blowing into the trailer.

Patha looked up at the young people questioningly.

Torgo handed him the two separate stacks of tests.

Darius sat at the landlink with his back to the two of them, not acknowledging their presence.

aYou drove out here to give these to me?a Patha glanced at the papers. aI could have picked these up from you later today.a aThereas something I wanted to bring to your attention,a Torgo spoke calmly. He was working on mastering the coolness of voice his brother possessed.

Patha leaned back in his chair. aGo ahead.a aOne of the written tests used Taraas logon number.a Lord Darius spun in his chair. aI told you to delete that number,a he barked loudly.

Torgo cowered in his presence. aWhen the scoring program crashed, I spent so much time working on it; I forgot to delete the number.a aLet me see the test,a Patha said.

aThe answers are almost identical to the answers you gave us for the program,a Syra pointed out.

aThereas something else.a Torgo wished Syra would let him do the talking. aItas probably just coincidence but I thought Iada"a aWhat is it?a Darius snapped impatiently.

Torgo didnat like how mean his brother had become since Tara had left. aThe Four Circle clan reports a Runner has joined them from Southland.a Torgo held out the report to Patha. aHer name is Leetha, and sheas a member of the Blood Circle Clan.a aThereas no Leetha in my clan.a Patha rubbed his head, then looked up at Syra. aIs there?a aNo, there isnat.a Syra came out from behind Torgo. aI checked before we came.a Patha handed the papers to Darius so he could study them.

Darius looked up at the two young people and frowned. aSo what are you saying?a He handed the papers back to Patha.

aWeare saying itas a mighty strange coincidence,a Syra spoke up quickly. Lord Darius annoyed her with his continual grouchiness. Once, shead thought he was cute, but not anymore. He was the one that f.u.c.ked up, and she wished head just get over his self-pity.

She continued, aA Runner joins the Four Circle clan from Southland. The report shows she didnat have a landlink on her bike so they werenat able to verify her ident.i.ty, but she says sheas Leetha with the Blood Circle Clan. The leader of the clan reports sheas staying with his daughter. The next day, a written test is submitted from that clan on the daughteras landlink, using Taraas logon number. And the test answers match your answers almost perfectly. It just seems odd, and we thought you should know.a Syra glared at Lord Darius and then gave the same look to Patha. aCome on, Torgo, letas get back to work.a She turned to leave.

aWait a minute.a Lord Darius growled.

Syra turned and crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak.

aAre you saying this is Tara?a aIf itas her, then why is she trying to sneak back up here?a Patha thought out loud and all three people turned their heads to look at him. Patha looked at the test answers more thoroughly and all three stood quietly, watching him.

The answers were almost verbatim to his. He could almost hear her vocal inflection in the writing style. It was a mighty odd coincidence. He looked up at Darius, nearly forgetting the others in the room. aItas always bothered me that the Neurians were never able to produce a body.a He stood. aI want you to check this out.a Darius quickly grabbed his coat.

aFind out who used that number. If itas Taraa"a but Darius was already out the door.

aDid you submit a written test for the Test of Wills after I forbid it?a Rolko barked at Tara as she got off her bike.

aIdentify yourself, Runner,a Darius spoke with authority and a coolness that had her heart pounding.

Her wide eyes stared, and she began breathing hard. Even though snow fell steadily, Tara no longer felt cold. In fact, she could feel her gloved palms grow damp from sweat. For a moment, she couldnat remember the name she had created to conceal her ident.i.ty.

Darius stood in front of her, and in spite of his apparent intentions to look intimidating, all Tara could see was how incredibly s.e.xy he looked. Six cycles had pa.s.sed since Tara had been s.e.xually active, and her body screamed for relief. But more than that, she wanted to cuddle into him. She wanted to hear how he had missed her. She wanted to hear how sorry he was that he made her leave. Tara wanted, more than anything, for everyone around them to disappear and leave her alone with the man she loved.

His presence almost overpowered her. Why did he make her feel like this? He had committed the ultimate of crimes and needed to beg for her forgiveness. She fought for words. aMy nameas Leetha.a *

Her voice hit him. There was no way he could react quickly enough to conceal his reaction to the sound of her. He stood staring, completely shocked.

His guards gave him a questioning look.

aIall speak to her inside the trailer.a His scratchy whisper sounded cruel, even to him. Darius made certain his expression appeared as harsh as he sounded. In no way could he betray his true feelings in front of his men and these Runners.

Darius wanted to grab Tara and run. His instincts had him ready to do anything to prevent her from moving an inch. Donat go away, he wanted to say. Whatever you do, donat leave my sight again. But he couldnat. The Lord of Gothman didnat behave like a babbling idiot. He did not take his eyes from hers for a second.

She returned the gaze.

Rolko grunted and gestured to the trailer. aBe quick about it, we have a clan to get settled.a Darius held out his hand for her to lead the way, and she obliged. He entered the trailer behind her and shut the door.

aThere is no Leetha of the Blood Circle Clan. Who are you?a His growl was low as he watched the Runner walk slowly into the trailer.

She walked farther into the room and glanced up at him again once shead reached the landlink.

He watched her every move, waiting for her to speak again.

Was this Tara? d.a.m.n! He wanted this to be her body, her voice. She was in full Runner uniform wearing the emblem for the Blood Circle Clan. What was she doing here, after all this time? And why was she entering the Test of Wills? aI asked you a question, Runner.a She put her gloved hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. aDo you have Andru and Ana?a She looked up.

This time it was Dariusa turn not to answer. He moved quickly towards her and ripped off the headscarf. Her light brown hair fell past her shoulders and over her face.

She reached up and shoved the hair from her eyes.

His face softened the second he saw her. aYes, I have them.a His voice cracked with emotion, and he touched her face with his fingertips. He pulled his mouthpiece out of his pocket and wrapped it around his ear. Sliding his hand down it, he reached for the switch to activate it.

aNo, donat.a She grabbed his hand quickly. aYou canat.a aWhat do you mean, I canat?a He took her hand in his before she could pull it away, put her fingers up to his mouth, and kissed them. aI have to tell Patha.a She pulled away her hand after a second. aYou canat. It will ruin everything. If I announce Iam back, the Test of Wills will be cancelled. That would cause an uproar among the clans that canat be allowed to happen right now.a aTara, thereas no need for it. Youare Pathaas heir, you are. Itas your nation, my Lady. Youare not going to give that up.a aI have no intention of giving up my right to rule the clans.a She looked at him defiantly. aIave entered the contest and shall win.a Darius laughed and reached out to her again.

Head obviously put their past behind him, but she still felt they had unfinished business and stiffened. He ignored her hesitation and pulled her to him aggressively.

In spite of her intention to remain aloof, his presence in front of her was too overwhelming and arousing. She finally allowed him to literally pull her off her feet and into his arms. He held her with one powerful arm and lifted her face to his with his other hand. Without pause, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her pa.s.sionately. The warmth of his body smashing hers softened all her defenses and she melted.

Finally, he moved his mouth away from hers and smiled at her again. Pa.s.sions that had been asleep for many cycles soared to life. Tara felt intoxicated from all the emotions twirling inside her. She wanted to rip this manas clothes from his body and make love to him, forgetting the rest of the world existed. She wanted him to hold her, and talk to her for hours and hours, until they both knew each otheras hearts again. But Tara also wanted to hear Darius swear unconditional loyaltya"to her and their family. Tara wanted him to know that he would have to prove his love through his actions, and not his words. Although her heart needed to hear the words, too.

All of this, as important as it was, needed to remain on hold for the time being. A political agenda existed, and it must be handled first.

aSo, my Lady, you plan on defeating all the other warriors, do you?a She fought against his grasp now. He continued to hold her with one strong arm, and struggle as she would, she couldnat release herself until he let her go. She backed up and faced him as if head just challenged her.

aMy Lady, do you know how strong some of the entries are?a Dariusa gaze dropped as he looked her over.

aI will be triumphant. Thereas no doubt about that. Now, what you need to do is tell Rolko that I am Leetha, and youave agreed to let me take my argument to Patha when we reach the Blood Circle Clan.a aAnd why is it that I need to be telling Patha a lie?a Darius grabbed the side of her head, wrapping her hair around his fingers, and pulled her to him.

Tara pushed against Dariusa chest so that her face was less than a foot from his. aYou canat create more of a scene than you already have. These people are primed for the Test of Wills. Iave heard the stories around the campfire of their predictions of victory. If I announce my presence, there will be much adrenaline, and nothing to do with it. It will cause a stir and create unrest among the Runners. A true warrior prepares for battle and then must fight. The Test of Wills canat be reversed once the process has started. Do you understand what Iam saying?a Something cold and brutal melted in those gray eyes. Dariusa expression softened considerably. aSo youall put your life on the line to keep peace, will you?a aI will live through this, Darius,a she whispered, as she searched his face, and her hands went from his chest up to his shoulders.

aYouall be an outstanding leader, Tara. Your point is taken, and Iall inform Rolko, yes.a aYou should do that now,a Tara said, although she didnat want to leave his embrace.

aIall not lose you again,a he whispered, but there was a snarl in his voice, almost animalistic, definitely possessive.

aI a.s.sume youave learned some manners.a Her whisper was just as harsh, and she hoped the fire in her eyes brought his blood to a boil.

aIf anyone can teach me manners, it would be you.a He kissed her again.

This time, she pulled back and tore away. aThere are cold Runners out there.a She ripped her scarf out of his hand and wrapped it around her head. Then she opened the door and walked out.

Chapter Twenty-One.

The Blood Circle Clan was alive with festivities. The snow had ceased, and its insulation on the ground made the night air crisp but tolerable.

Tara heard music and singing as she drove slowly through the camp. Nostalgia crept through her. Several huge bonfires sent streaks of fire shooting up into the cold gray sky. She could hear loud drunken stories and laughter coming from the fires as mugs were pa.s.sed and ale poured. She smiled broadly to herself as she noticed so many familiar faces going about their business, unaware of her presence. So many newcomers arrived at the location that no one bothered to look up as she drove by.

She knew there was no way she could slip into one of the circles around the fires this evening. Shead be recognized the second she spoke. She had to maintain a low profile tonight, and she knew exactly how she would do it.

The land was so familiar to her it was as if shead never left it. But she had, and there were two people she had to see immediately, her children. Darius said he had them, so she knew they would be in their bedroom, probably asleep. She wouldnat wake them but she had to see them, to touch their soft skin. Her heart ached as she slowly drove through the thick trees around the town and toward the large house on the hill.

It would take a skillful eye to track Tara as she moved through the woods. She knew how to stay invisible. It was just that skillful eye watching her now.

Darius sat motionless on the side of the road and observed her every move, following her as she pa.s.sed among the trees and the large rocks jacked up out of the earth. He had known it was Tara as soon as the sound of her bike reached him. His landlink matched the code from the panel that had been installed onto her bike. Not that he needed confirmation.

Now she was moving at almost a dangerous speed, considering the limited visibility from the night and the snow. It suddenly occurred to him where she was going. He left the roadside and sped so quickly through the town to his house, more than one head turned and more than one body jumped out of the way.

Darius slid to a stop in front of the house and ordered the guard to put his bike in the shed as he ran inside.

Reena and Hilda looked up astonished as he bolted in the front door.

aDo not come upstairs.a He barked the order and leapt up the staircase, taking three at a time.

The excitement in the community had proven to be an excellent distraction. Tara found herself behind the old familiar house before she knew it. She parked the bike in the seclusion of the trees and bushes and slowly moved toward the structure.

The best place to enter, she decided, was through her old upstairs bedroom. She easily climbed the trellis, free of ivy from the cold of winter. She lifted her body up onto the walls of the balcony and hopped nimbly onto the floor outside the closed door.

The room was vacant and dark, and the warmth from the house radiated toward her body. As she opened the door an inch to peek into the hallway, she heard voices coming from rooms below. The upstairs appeared to be quiet, and she moved slowly down the hallway to the nursery at the other end.

She was surprised to hear a low, quiet voice coming from behind the partially closed nursery door. It was Darius, and she was very much surprised to hear him softly singing a Gothman folk song. She couldnat see him through the half-closed door, but from where she stood, she could see Andru sitting in his crib watching his papa.

Tara froze at the sight of her son. He was so big! So grown up! Had she only been gone six cycles? He didnat look like a baby. His blond curls fell loosely around his head, and his eyes were big and a deep gray. She watched him move his small hands and wiggle the toes that were sticking out from under his blanket. He was pudgy but not fat, very cuddly looking.

She felt tears well in her eyes, and her vision blurred. It was a physical effort not to run into the room and scoop the small child up into her arms. She wanted to bury her face in him and whisper how sorry she was that he was taken from her. She wondered what kind of adjustment he and his sister must have gone through. How traumatized had it made them?

After several minutes of staring at her son in the dark hallway, laughter from downstairs brought her back to the reality of her situation. She stepped away and entered the bedroom shead shared with Darius. The door adjoining the room to the nursery was closed, and all Tara could do was stand and listen to the song Darius was singing. He ended the song; several minutes of silence followed. She pressed her ear to the closed door and listened, trying to determine what Darius was doing. She heard nothing.

Suddenly, the door to the nursery flung open, causing her to jump backwards. She struggled to regain her balance in the dark room and not trip over furniture. Before she had her bearings, a large hand wrapped around her neck. Instantly she was lifted off the ground.

aWhat is it that you plan to do, malady?a Dariusa whisper was more like a snarl.

She wrapped her fingers around his hand and struggled to no avail.

He threw her back.

She slid across the floor, skidding to a stop before she hit the wall. Tara flipped her legs around and looked like a cat ready to pounce as he came at her again.

aYou are not taking these children anywhere!a This time the snarl was more apparent than the whisper. He lunged toward her.