groans from the others. Dakar rubbed his forehead and refused to make eye contact with her. "We've already spoken about this, Nadira. I will not offer them any help," he said.
"We're descended from the first settlers who came here over 200 years ago. Nadira, those people--the Deshtu are not like us," Lange said. "We have to think about our own survival."
"During the Corporate Wars, they helped our enemies attack and slaughter our people." Petra's voice grew louder as she ge stured towards Dakar. "We had no protection at all until Elder Dakar's father took charge and--"
"Enough!" Dakar stood up and smoothed out his long vest. "There is nothing more to discuss. Nadira, I want you to bring Jonathan Keel to meet me. I'll expect you both the day after tomo rrow."
"Why do you want to talk to him?" Nadira asked.
"Because I want to see what type of person he is."
"She won't release him just because we request it," Azure said. "He's deeply embedded in her consciousness."
"You're reading me?" Nadira asked. Somehow she'd been able to slip through Nadira's emotional shields.
"I know it was not polite. But you must watch your anger. It makes you vulnerable and leaves you open," Azure replied.
Nadira glared at the older woman, but Azure's expression remained mild. The corners of her mouth were turned up, like she was on the edge of smiling. Sitting there, with her eyes twinkling, she reminded Nadira of her grandmother.
While she and her mother had been on the run, Nadira's gran dparents had hidden them from security for a while. Unfortunately they'd been picked up, along with everyone else who'd helped Minona to reject the Guardians. Where they were now, Nadira had no idea. None of her efforts to find them or her mother had led to anything.
"These are dangerous times and I must know where Mr. Keel's loyalties are," Dakar said.
The door opened and noise from the main hall flooded in. Mikal stepped inside the room and bowed. "Pardon me, Elder. I was concerned that I hadn't seen you out in the hall."
"Our business ran longer than I expected," Dakar replied. "N adira is leaving. Request a transport for her."
"Oh, you're not staying?" Mikal asked.
"No, I'm not." Nadira glanced at the Elders, then brushed past Mikal and left the room. Let them believe that she'd go along with their plans for her. She had plans of her own.
*****
After Mikal requested the transport, he waited outside with N adira. She stood under one of the twinkling overhead lights suspended over the front entrance. It illuminated them in a bright circle of light.
"Did they tell you why they wanted you to come tonight?" M ikal asked, glancing over at her. "I heard Elder Dakar talking about it with Elder Azure when she visited him last week."
"Yes, they told me." She glanced down the street towards the city center. The glow of the Entertainments District was easy to see from here. Was Jon still there making the rounds of the clubs with Lani Zakry? She was introducing him to several of the executives, and helping him to get connected to the important people.
"It's not fair you know. If the Elder's father hadn't done what he did, you wouldn't have been forced into this position," Mikal said.
"Azure mentioned him in the meeting. What did his father do?"
"I've said enough. This has been my night for making mistakes, hasn't it?"
"If you know something, you should tell me. No one in that room made any sense. They talked about the Corporate Wars…I've never heard any of that before. What was it about?"
"Old stories that no one cares about anymore," Mikal replied. "What do they want you to do?"
"Help them to connect their abilities through me." Even as Nadira said it, she shuddered as a chill passed through her body. "Is that possible?"
"I doubt it. But they're foolish enough to believe it."
"I've never heard anyone say the Elders were foolish," Nadira said. "Wasn't one of your relatives an Elder?"
"Yes, one of my great uncles. But that
"We're descended from the first settlers who came here over 200 years ago. Nadira, those people--the Deshtu are not like us," Lange said. "We have to think about our own survival."
"During the Corporate Wars, they helped our enemies attack and slaughter our people." Petra's voice grew louder as she ge stured towards Dakar. "We had no protection at all until Elder Dakar's father took charge and--"
"Enough!" Dakar stood up and smoothed out his long vest. "There is nothing more to discuss. Nadira, I want you to bring Jonathan Keel to meet me. I'll expect you both the day after tomo rrow."
"Why do you want to talk to him?" Nadira asked.
"Because I want to see what type of person he is."
"She won't release him just because we request it," Azure said. "He's deeply embedded in her consciousness."
"You're reading me?" Nadira asked. Somehow she'd been able to slip through Nadira's emotional shields.
"I know it was not polite. But you must watch your anger. It makes you vulnerable and leaves you open," Azure replied.
Nadira glared at the older woman, but Azure's expression remained mild. The corners of her mouth were turned up, like she was on the edge of smiling. Sitting there, with her eyes twinkling, she reminded Nadira of her grandmother.
While she and her mother had been on the run, Nadira's gran dparents had hidden them from security for a while. Unfortunately they'd been picked up, along with everyone else who'd helped Minona to reject the Guardians. Where they were now, Nadira had no idea. None of her efforts to find them or her mother had led to anything.
"These are dangerous times and I must know where Mr. Keel's loyalties are," Dakar said.
The door opened and noise from the main hall flooded in. Mikal stepped inside the room and bowed. "Pardon me, Elder. I was concerned that I hadn't seen you out in the hall."
"Our business ran longer than I expected," Dakar replied. "N adira is leaving. Request a transport for her."
"Oh, you're not staying?" Mikal asked.
"No, I'm not." Nadira glanced at the Elders, then brushed past Mikal and left the room. Let them believe that she'd go along with their plans for her. She had plans of her own.
*****
After Mikal requested the transport, he waited outside with N adira. She stood under one of the twinkling overhead lights suspended over the front entrance. It illuminated them in a bright circle of light.
"Did they tell you why they wanted you to come tonight?" M ikal asked, glancing over at her. "I heard Elder Dakar talking about it with Elder Azure when she visited him last week."
"Yes, they told me." She glanced down the street towards the city center. The glow of the Entertainments District was easy to see from here. Was Jon still there making the rounds of the clubs with Lani Zakry? She was introducing him to several of the executives, and helping him to get connected to the important people.
"It's not fair you know. If the Elder's father hadn't done what he did, you wouldn't have been forced into this position," Mikal said.
"Azure mentioned him in the meeting. What did his father do?"
"I've said enough. This has been my night for making mistakes, hasn't it?"
"If you know something, you should tell me. No one in that room made any sense. They talked about the Corporate Wars…I've never heard any of that before. What was it about?"
"Old stories that no one cares about anymore," Mikal replied. "What do they want you to do?"
"Help them to connect their abilities through me." Even as Nadira said it, she shuddered as a chill passed through her body. "Is that possible?"
"I doubt it. But they're foolish enough to believe it."
"I've never heard anyone say the Elders were foolish," Nadira said. "Wasn't one of your relatives an Elder?"
"Yes, one of my great uncles. But that
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