Skyfall by Catherine Asaro Read Free Book Online Page B

She tried again. “They not fight over me. Leaders of my people meet. We vote about war. I must vote no.”
    “Ah! A meeting of Bards and Memories. And you vote? This makes sense. You are a Memory. Yes, I see that. You are a woman of intelligence.” He tapped her temple. “I feel it here.”
    Roca blinked. “Memory is title here of woman who leads?”
    “Of course.” He paused. “Are you sure you cannot miss this meeting?”
    “Sure.” Her node found the right word. “Absolutely sure.”
    His mind nudged hers, though Roca could tell he didn’t realize it. Her instincts prodded her to strengthen her barriers, but she kept them down. She projected her mood to Eldri, both her concern that she not miss her ship and her interest in developing ties with him and his people.
    He spoke carefully. “You would know my people better?”
    “We would like that.”
    “I have a proposal.”
    “Yes?”
    “Your ship comes in two days?”
    “This is true.”
    “Be my guest tonight at Windward. It is true that Garlin says I must know your people better.” He hesitated. “Or Brad’s people. Or whatever he represents. Even if Brad pronounces his title wrong, he is the only Bard here from the place he calls Allied Worlds. And you are a Memory from a different province.” He stopped as if confused by his own reasoning. “Anyway, let me offer you the hospitality of Windward. You and I will begin relations between our people. Tomorrow morning I will bring you back to the port. You will have plenty of time to meet your ship.”
    Roca reached out to his mind, trying to gauge his intent. She sensed no deception. It was a well-made offer, given the limited conditions they had to work with. But she shouldn’t have linked to him; she also felt how much he wanted her. Erotic images of her without clothes were playing out in his mind. Her face heated. He certainly had a prodigious imagination. Rather than putting her off, though, as such fantasies would have with anyone else, his excited her.
    Flustered, Roca snapped up her barriers, breaking contact. Eldri tensed, though she didn’t think he consciously realized they had been in a link. His desire was simple arousal enhanced by his fascination with her, much as she felt about him. No political calculation tainted his interest, none of the sexually charged avarice that edged the minds of the men, and sometimes women, who coveted her. Power was one of the most potent aphrodisiacs in existence, far more than her face or dancer’s body. Eldri had no idea of her power; he just plain wanted her.
    He smoothed her hair. “Come visit my home.”
    Roca tried to stop imagining what he could do with that hinged hand of his. She moved his hand away from her hair. “I accept invitation. But only for business.”
    “Yes!” His smile blazed. “We can do that.”
    She gave him a stern look. “No personal. And we send message to Brad.”
    “Any message you would like,” he promised.
    Roca pulled a clasp off her belt that regulated the temperature of her clothes. She fooled with its chip until she managed to program in a message. She wished she could have kept better comm equipment, but she couldn’t risk carrying anything Kurj could use to trace her.
    She gave the chip to the rider Eldri chose, and the man headed back to the port. The rest of their group took off for the Backbone Mountains, thundering across the plains.
    As they went, Garlin shot her a hard look.
     
    The path crumbled under the hooves of Eldri’s mount, and rocks clattered down the cliff. With her heart beating hard, Roca turned her gaze forward so she wouldn’t see the drop-off to their right. The cliff went straight down for hundreds of meters. It astonished her that Eldri and his men took this so casually. She felt as if they were going to end up very dead, very soon.
    They had climbed high into the Backbone Mountains. The stark peaks reminded Roca of spindles, and the upper ranges truly did resemble the skeleton of a