“So you mentioned Walkers. Tell me more about this.” Channa’s ivory teeth flashed in an attempted smile. I took a deep breath, before complying.
“They’re a race of humanoids. They have no world so they walk amongst all the planets in the star system. They are both powerful and immortal.” And mischief makers, I silently added. “They didn’t believe that they could have offspring with any other than Walkers, but we’ve recently learned that one woman on each of the youngling planets had the power to conceive and nurture a half-Walker female. Talina and I are both halves and we are on a mission to gather the rest of the half-Walkers.”
“And Jordan believes Fury is your half?” She didn’t show any reaction to my explanation of the Walkers or the news of these gods living amongst them.
“That’s what he said.”
“What are you gathering them for?” she asked.
I took a deep breath. I’d explained this many times and would many more after this. I should just carry a recording around with me.
“When the original seven Walkers were created by the universe, an anti-seven also emerged to balance out the power. Known as the Seventine, they’re energy-sucking demon creatures and they are set to unravel the worlds. We believe ...” I hesitated, not knowing what I believed anymore, but determined to finish my mission anyway. “That the only way to defeat them is with the seven half-Walker females. Two Seventine have been released already, but if all seven become free, they will destroy everything. Every single world and their inhabitants will cease to exist.”
I wasn’t going to explain about the tethers and how they were severing them to gather energy. It was too complicated.
“Well,” Channa said, “sounds like we need to find Fury for you.”
Damn, these Crais people took bad news in their stride.
“Fury’s gone.” A man who had just stepped into the room drew everyone’s attention with his brief words.
Channa stood. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
Yeah, I was kind of wondering the same thing.
“Nomads just stormed the entrance and made off with more of the females.”
“Were they the blessed from the sacred grotto?” a female asked.
I looked around as panic spread through the group. Why had no one mentioned having problems with the nomads before?
“No, just a few random tribeswomen who were in one of the gathering rooms,” he said, taking a deep breath.
“And Fury just happened to be one of them?” I couldn’t help the suspicion that bled from my words.
He spun around to face me, I think for the first time noticing we were not local inhabitants. His eyes widened as he answered. “Fury was not taken. She stole sacred leaves from the grotto and took off after the nomads.”
Now that sounded like Walker behavior.
“She said something about having a man on the inside that may be able to help.” Having passed on the information, he turned to leave the room.
“Has the sun eclipse just started?” Channa’s words halted him.
He spun his head and nodded before leaving the dining room.
Channa started to pace and I swear as her eyes flashed in anger it looked as if tiny flames were lit within them. “The nomads are a dying race. For some reason they cannot produce young, although this doesn’t stop them from stealing our women and holding them captive,” she practically spat out.
I exchanged a glance with Lucy. Well, now we knew exactly what those poor women were being held for. I had a brief flashback to my life on Earth. The human smugglers and Gangers were the same, taking woman for their own sexual perversions.
I hadn’t noticed at first, but I was absently running my hand along the knife strapped into my boot. I guess I was mentally preparing to castrate a few men.
“Do they have no women of their own?” Lucas asked the question.
I wrinkled my nose. He sounded more interested than concerned.
Channa gave him a long look before replying. “I have never heard of any besides Fury’s mother. The nomads are born from our tribes. They come and take them from us.”
“How do you know they’re nomads?” Lucy asked.
“All nomads have hair of pure white,” Channa said, and then with a flurry of gestures she ushered us from the dining room.
No more words were spoken as we hurried to follow the quick-footed woman. My eyes had adjusted quite well to the semi-darkness, but still I had to keep a close watch.
“Something about this whole situation stinks,” Lucy bit out. “Seems like a setup.”
“Agreed.” Talina’s tone was dark.
Before I could help it I exchanged a worried glance with Lucas. His face was calm, but the icy blue of his eyes didn’t hide his concern. Damn, Lucas never worried about things; something really did smell rotten here.