Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

have loved to catalogueand examine. But they were herded on with only minimal rest periods. The days that followed grew hotter as they headed deeper into the Scourgeand the party was forced to a stop more often as Zen grew moreand more disoriented. The call was growing almost frantic now,and the pain was making it hard for her to concentrate on what she was seeing or doing. After three days of her stumblingand collapsing without warning, the hunter cut his prisoner’s bonds. “Carry your mate, Marek Tor,” the hunter frowned. “It is obvious something about this blighted place is disturbing her mind.” He looked around, expecting to see a band of natives, or worse, attacking them. “It is a haunted place,” he said softly. Marek picked Zen up in his armsand she laid her cheek against his shoulder. His nearness eased some of the pain,and freed her of the fear that had begun to fill her. Something was going to happen soon, she knew,and it was going to part them. She did not share this with her mate. He would learn soon enough,and she needed him unaware so she could do what she had to in order to keep him safe. She fell asleep as she lay in his arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. They settled for the nightand Marek brought her a cup of warmed broth from the fire, sitting down on a fallen log next to her,and watching her worriedly. “How can we be certain this is where Bemin Tor is hiding?” the first man frowned. He nodded at the young couple. “They could be leading us out here hoping we’ll be undone by the heat.” “He calls,” Zen said softly, then sipped at the broth. “We must go to him, Marek. Everything depends on our joining him now.” “Where is he, Zen?” Marek asked as he gave her some water. He wet a clothand dabbed her face with it gently. “How far?” “There.” She raised her hand and pointed directly west of their position. “In two days, we arrive at the place that is hidden yet seen.” She whimpered from the pain. “We must hurry.” “Zen!” Marek cried as she passed out. “Wake up, my love,” he begged, frightened by how pale she had grown. He looked at the hunter. “Can’t you see that she is ill? She’ll die if we stay in this place much longer.” “Unfortunately,” a cold voice called in from the shadows of the boulders near their resting place, “that does not agree with our orders.” A bolt of fire struck by the hunter’s feet as heand his men rose slowly to their feet. “Stand easy.” The hunter did exactly the opposite. He pulled Marekand Zen behind the larger bouldersand they watched as a squad of men in commando uniform strode in. They secured the other huntersand then moved out in widening circles. The hunter hissed. He cut his prisoners freeand indicated that they should follow him. Marek carried Zen as she began to stirand they followed him. It was obvious that someone else had just joined the hunt. The fact that their attackers had taken on a team of the Science Directive hunters meant only one thing. Their attackers were from the Temple. “Little ones,” Zen’s mind called out. “To me silentand unseen.” The beac followed herand she felt them settle into her braids, their secondary ‘cage’ in relief. In the shadows cast by the boulders, her hair appeared to be set on fire for a brief second. The glow died a moment later as her companions relaxed. Marekand the hunter exchanged puzzled glancesand then settled their minds to getting away. It took the hunter only a second to realize that they were being herded. Their pursuers were intent on capture, he saw a moment later as they came out of the bouldersand saw the net. Protect my mateand his companions, my little ones, Zen told the beac. He must get westand find Bemin Tor. Guide him. The beac swarmed over Marekand the hunterand they found themselves shoved against a boulder, unable to move or speak. “I am here,” Zen called out as she turnedand approached the net. “I do not fight you unless you move against the men.” Marekand the hunter watched as the attackers moved in around the girl. They did not touch her. A tall, silver-eyed man in the robes of a Cardinal of the Celestial Temple came up to her. He smiledand held his hand out to herand she took it, smiling. He had never been happier at Bemin Tor’s insistence that she lock their minds against her prying, than he was at this moment. The child actually believed he meant her no harm, he could see from her expression. She believed he was her friend. “Something has happened to you, princess,” he said as he raised her eyes to his. She held up her hand and he saw the mark. “You have mated! “I have,” Zen nodded, quite pleased at his shock, “and my mate has given me freedom to act.” She saw his unease. “You are planning something, Omri Snow.” She suddenly realized what was truly going on as she glanced through the mind of one of the guards near her. “You mean to use me; like my father meant to use me!” She was backing away, shaking her head. “I can not allow this! Not ever!” “Once we find Bemin Tor,” Omri smiled darkly as the men secured her with a cord braided from querin, the only material Zen herself has told himand Bemin could keep her in check, “we will have him give us a more elegant means of controlling you. Until then, we shall keep you caged.” He nodded to his men. “Take the princess aboard.” “And her companions, lord Cardinal?” one of the men asked. “They will be going after Bemin Tor,” Omri replied. “Let them. Their trail will lead them back to the princessand then we shall have them all.” He boarded the transportand saw Zen in the cage. “Is your mate one of those you sent to hunt, princess?” Zen turned her back on himand he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter,” he said bluntly. “If the Scourge doesn’t kill him, my men or the Directive hunters will.” “This world confuses me,” Zen said softly as she toyed with the hem of her tunic. “Why is your kind so obsessed with controlling others?” “If we do not control others,” Omri told her, “they control us.” He wondered at her still being so innocent. “Your time out of our hands has not changed you, creature…” “I am Zen!” she criedand turned to glare at him. “I am not a creature.” “There are some who would argue that point, princess,” Omri laughed at her. “You were revived after twenty five centuries of sleep.” “I am still Zen,” she told him, puzzling over his thoughts. “The fact that I am alive again after twenty five centuries is a mystery to all of us.” She hugged her legs to her chestand rested her chin on her knees. “I had a motherand a father, as you did, Omri Snow.” “Indeed you did, princess,” Omri nodded. He remembered what he had read in the ancient archives about this girl. “But my father was not a power-mad bastard who planned to sacrifice his own child to gain power.” “You have misread the texts, Omri Snow,” Zen told him, her voice tinged with painand anger. “My father was not going to sacrifice me to gain power. I sacrificed myself to stop him from gaining power.” Omri’s ears perked upand Zen could feel his curiosity coming to the forefront. He had a living, breathing source of ancient history in his hands. He was just beginning to realize what he had been denying himself all these years. She saw the shift in his feelings towards herand grew worried. There was nothing more dangerous than a man who craved – whether it was power, wealth, or knowledge – it usually ended badly. He nodded to one of his menand the door to the cage was opened. She was helped to her feetand led over to sit near him. At least if he kept her out of a cage, she had a hope of freedom. Marekand the hunter were freed as soon as the transport liftedand sailed off. He started after itand the beac held him back. He was blocked at every attempt to follow her,and realized that she had told them that she needed him to hunt. She was a prisoner, but he was still free. Heand the hunter returned to campand freed his companions. When his men moved to secure Marek, the hunter signaled them off. They had a common purpose for the moment, he could see. There was no need to subdue the younger man. Once they had Bemin Tor, however, all bets were off. His employers would insist that the Tor men be brought to them at once. The little princess would just have to wait. * They arrived at the Templeand Zen accompanied Omri to his private quarters. He gave her the small bedchamber off of his sitting roomand left her in the care of a priestess he told her was called Liet. The young golden-haired, blue-eyed woman in the gray hooded gown bowed her head at the introduction. Zen felt her uneasiness,and knew that Omri had told his Temple enough about her to make them uncomfortable with her. It didn’t matter. If they kept their distance her mind,and her body, were free to roam at her leisure, not theirs. Liet took her to the bathing chamber where servants helped her clean up. As they braided her hair in a coronet around her head, Liet brought her a silvery gown that caressed Zen’s curves as she slid it on. A thicker over gown in a darker gray was placed over thisand laced up each side. Embroidery decorated the high collar. Liet handed her a veil of sheer silver embroidered at the edgesand Zen looked at it in confusion. “It is worn over the head, princess,” Liet told her, demonstrating how it fitand pinned into place with two silver hair sticks. They were beautiful objects, Zen thought as she admired the workmanship; the pearls, bluestones,and silver medallions on delicate chains dangling from the ends put out a gentle music as she moved the sticks. “Didn’t maidens in your time wear veils?” “It was considered rude to hide one’s face,” Zen told the other girl “for it meant one was hiding other things.” She placed the pins to secure her coronet. She left the veil lying where it was,and Liet frowned. “I have no reason to hide.” She saw the girl’s frown deepen. “I will remain in my room, if you can not control your emotionsand extend welcome.” “That is not necessary, princess,” Omri said from the doorway. “Liet, bring the princess some nourishment.” The girl moved off in reliefand the man approached Zen. “The veil is worn covering the face so that men are not driven to impure thoughts.” “I shall remain in these rooms, then,” Zen replied. “I would not wish to be responsible for your weak menand silly women harming themselves with negative thoughts.” “You are being rather harsh, princess,” Omri frowned, though he secretly applauded her belief. He had always admired her time in history; people had seemed to know the difference between trivialand valuable. “You are no longer in your age. You must learn to deal with ours.” “You are correct,” Zen nodded. “My behavior is every bit as unmannered as your own.” She saw him flinchand ignored it. Let him be mad, it made no difference to her. She moved out on to the balcony outside of the chamberand wondered at the walls around her. She could see through the various openings but not clearly. It was fashioned of querin; as the cords that had bound her wrists earlier had been. “Still you cage