latest model."
The vehicle pulled back into the traffic lanes. Jon stood watc hing it as it headed down the street.
"How did it go?" Nadira asked.
"Fine. I met some club owners and company execs. Lani knows a lot of people."
"That's good." She didn't know what to say. Her head was still spinning from what had happened at the Gathering.
"So what did Brant have to say?" Jon pressed the fingerpad to ID himself and the door opened.
"Brant?"
"Your meeting. With Brant--remember? The one you just came from?"
"Oh…it was…he just wanted to talk about some security i ssue." She followed him into the apartment. "It was nothing."
"I hope you got dinner at least." Jon took off his jacket and threw it on the couch. "Lani took us to this new place over by the waterfront."
"He…I…we went to a Ready-Eat." She walked over to the couch and sat down. "I wasn't hungry."
"I'm not surprised. Since when do you eat synthetics?" Jon dropped down beside her. "Is something wrong?"
"What?" She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes. Her head was aching and her stomach was churning. Not only had the Gathering left her feeling troubled, but lying to Jonathan made it worse. She forced herself to put up a shield between them, walling up her emotions. If he picked up on what had happened, he'd start asking questions she didn't want to answer.
"You're shutting down. You forget? I can feel it. What ha ppened?"
Damn it. Hiding her feelings from him was getting harder and harder. "I'm just tired. But there is one thing. I talked to Dakar, the leader of the Guardian Elders. He wants to meet you," Nadira said.
"Really? When?" Jonathan asked.
"Day after tomorrow at his home. Will you be available?"
"Should I be prepared for any specific questions?" He rested his hand on her knee.
"It's not an interrogation, Jon." Even as she said it, it felt like another lie. "We don't have to go."
"No, we should. I have to meet them at some point if we're going to be together. Don't I?"
She didn't answer at first. If the Elders had their way, Jonathan would be removed from her life just as her mother had been. But she couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let it happen.
"Don't I?" he asked again.
"Yes, you do." She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're trembling." He put an arm around her. "What happened tonight? Something's wrong."
"It's nothing," she whispered. "Nothing."
"I know there's something you're not telling me. But I'll wait," he said. "You'll let me know when you're ready."
*****
When they arrived at Dakar's home, Nadira found it hard to keep herself calm. Her heart was beating like she'd just run a few kilometers, and it was hard to stay focused.
By comparison, Jonathan was calm and quite eager to meet another Guardian. In the four months since they'd met, she'd never tried to introduce him to any of the others. After her experience at the Gathering, she wasn't sorry she'd kept him away from them.
The carved wood door swung open, revealing Mikal wearing a brown suit that had gold embroidery around the slim lapels. U nderneath, his light grey shirt appeared to be made of a fine silk, with a collar that encircled his neck with a band trimmed in gold.
"Nadira. Welcome!" Mikal stepped back to allow them to enter. "And you are welcome as well," he addressed Jon.
"Mikal, this is Jonathan," she said.
"Welcome, Jonathan." Mikal held out his hand. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this moment."
"I've been waiting to meet you all too," Jonathan said, as he shook it.
"You are enjoying your time here?" Mikal asked, as he led them through to the adjoining living area. "Nova City is the largest city on Hathor. I'm sure you'll find much to entertain you."
"Yes, I am being very well entertained." Jon flashed her a look of amusement.
The living area was filled with light, as usual, and this time there were large pots of flowers set on the tables and on the floor. The room was
The vehicle pulled back into the traffic lanes. Jon stood watc hing it as it headed down the street.
"How did it go?" Nadira asked.
"Fine. I met some club owners and company execs. Lani knows a lot of people."
"That's good." She didn't know what to say. Her head was still spinning from what had happened at the Gathering.
"So what did Brant have to say?" Jon pressed the fingerpad to ID himself and the door opened.
"Brant?"
"Your meeting. With Brant--remember? The one you just came from?"
"Oh…it was…he just wanted to talk about some security i ssue." She followed him into the apartment. "It was nothing."
"I hope you got dinner at least." Jon took off his jacket and threw it on the couch. "Lani took us to this new place over by the waterfront."
"He…I…we went to a Ready-Eat." She walked over to the couch and sat down. "I wasn't hungry."
"I'm not surprised. Since when do you eat synthetics?" Jon dropped down beside her. "Is something wrong?"
"What?" She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes. Her head was aching and her stomach was churning. Not only had the Gathering left her feeling troubled, but lying to Jonathan made it worse. She forced herself to put up a shield between them, walling up her emotions. If he picked up on what had happened, he'd start asking questions she didn't want to answer.
"You're shutting down. You forget? I can feel it. What ha ppened?"
Damn it. Hiding her feelings from him was getting harder and harder. "I'm just tired. But there is one thing. I talked to Dakar, the leader of the Guardian Elders. He wants to meet you," Nadira said.
"Really? When?" Jonathan asked.
"Day after tomorrow at his home. Will you be available?"
"Should I be prepared for any specific questions?" He rested his hand on her knee.
"It's not an interrogation, Jon." Even as she said it, it felt like another lie. "We don't have to go."
"No, we should. I have to meet them at some point if we're going to be together. Don't I?"
She didn't answer at first. If the Elders had their way, Jonathan would be removed from her life just as her mother had been. But she couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let it happen.
"Don't I?" he asked again.
"Yes, you do." She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're trembling." He put an arm around her. "What happened tonight? Something's wrong."
"It's nothing," she whispered. "Nothing."
"I know there's something you're not telling me. But I'll wait," he said. "You'll let me know when you're ready."
*****
When they arrived at Dakar's home, Nadira found it hard to keep herself calm. Her heart was beating like she'd just run a few kilometers, and it was hard to stay focused.
By comparison, Jonathan was calm and quite eager to meet another Guardian. In the four months since they'd met, she'd never tried to introduce him to any of the others. After her experience at the Gathering, she wasn't sorry she'd kept him away from them.
The carved wood door swung open, revealing Mikal wearing a brown suit that had gold embroidery around the slim lapels. U nderneath, his light grey shirt appeared to be made of a fine silk, with a collar that encircled his neck with a band trimmed in gold.
"Nadira. Welcome!" Mikal stepped back to allow them to enter. "And you are welcome as well," he addressed Jon.
"Mikal, this is Jonathan," she said.
"Welcome, Jonathan." Mikal held out his hand. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this moment."
"I've been waiting to meet you all too," Jonathan said, as he shook it.
"You are enjoying your time here?" Mikal asked, as he led them through to the adjoining living area. "Nova City is the largest city on Hathor. I'm sure you'll find much to entertain you."
"Yes, I am being very well entertained." Jon flashed her a look of amusement.
The living area was filled with light, as usual, and this time there were large pots of flowers set on the tables and on the floor. The room was
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