The Dark Rider

CHAPTER Twenty-Nine



Nicola watched as the commuters began to fill the space below, a constant stream of dark-clothed ants pockmarked with the occasional bright-colored jacket. Here and there small groups of people walked against the current, the flow parting and moving around them without conscious command.

Her back straightened imperceptibly as Alex came into view. The woman hesitated at the edge of the open space and Nicola felt the fear and uncertainty in her mind.

“Just act normal,” Nicola whispered as she sent a calming pulse of energy across the space between them.

After a moment Alex stepped out from the side of the building and began to walk towards the subway entrance, picking up her pace as she crossed the plaza. Nicola didn’t notice the involuntary intake of breath she took as Alex moved forward, for she was too intent on watching, her senses straining for some sign, some signal that he was there, that he was still alive.

“You cannot watch her forever.”

Nicola turned her head to Falk. He was sitting on a bar stool, his back to her. Further away a group of office workers were ordering wine and beers as they began to celebrate the end of the week. She forced the scowl away from her face.

“We have to know,” she said quietly.

Falk pushed himself up and came to stand next to her by the window. He stared out at the cityscape of glass.

“The Rider is dead. All you are achieving by doing this is putting both Alex and yourself at risk.”

“I respect your views Falk. I have heard them enough times.”

She turned her head to fix him with a steady stare.

“The risk is minimal against the possible gain. If he survived somehow he will be sure to try and contact her.”

“The risk is not minimal,” Falk growled, holding her gaze, “and you seem to have forgotten that wolves still hunt us. If the Dark discovers the link between your minds...” He left the last sentence unfinished, the logical conclusion hanging in the air.

Nicola turned back to the window, watching as Alex disappeared into the open mouth of the station concourse. A few seconds later a figure in a long white coat detached herself from the side of an advertisement board and followed. The Gyr woman walked in such a manner that people moved out of her way without really being aware she was there. Seconds later she too had disappeared among the endless stream, being absorbed into the gaping mouth of the entrance.

Nicola let out the breath she had been holding and leaned back against the decorative pillar next to her. She had been certain something would happen today, a feeling pricking the back of her mind, and now it looked like this last day was to pass with nothing. No contact. No fleeting presence within the energy that would signal Paul was still alive. Nicola felt a tear forming and blinked back hard, turning away from Falk. She felt him staring at her again as he had done many times since their escape from Myrkur. She could sense the questions forming in his mind, the uncertainty. After an uncomfortable pause he spoke.

“It is time.”

“No,” she wanted to scream, beating her fists against his chest, fighting against the black hole within her, the bleak empty path that threatened to engulf her. “No,” she wanted to cry in choking sobs as the pain of loss tortured her, yet she did neither. Instead she pushed herself away from the pillar and began to cross the bar towards the exit. Falk followed a few paces behind, his face set grim, his eyes unseeing of the drop of blood oozing slowly from Nicola’s lip where she had bitten through the skin.

Nicola reached the door, put her hand out to grab the handle, and as she touched the cool metal she was enveloped in a sudden feeling of malevolent dread that tainted the very pores of her skin. Gasping, she froze. She felt Falk turn and move sideways putting space between them, his body suddenly filled with the power. With her heart pounding she rotated slowly, her eyes traversing the length of the bar. She took in each person, searched each area of light and shadow, saw nothing but laughing faces and animated gestures. No eyes met hers. No sign of the dark energy betrayed itself to her awareness. She forced a breath and tried to calm the thundering in her chest.

“What is it?” asked Falk, his voice low and urgent.

“I thought…” Nicola began but then her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath and turned to him.

“It’s nothing. Sorry for the alarm.”

“Nothing?” he questioned, the disbelief plain in his voice.

“Yes, nothing,” she said impatiently. “Can we go now?”

Falk stared at her but did not speak.

Nicola turned away, reaching for the door handle. The hairs on the back of her neck were rising, a chill shiver trembling up and down her spine. It was the sort of feeling she got when someone was watching her, the feeling she remembered from when she had been standing on the beach before it had all begun, something that seemed from a different life now.

She pushed the door open and stepped out into the foyer. Ahead of her was a bank of elevators and she walked forward to press the call button. Falk waited behind her in silence and she kept her back to him. An uncontrollable surge of joy was rising within her. The certainty growing with each passing second that it had been him, that he was alive and was watching her. With a chime the doors opened and she stepped into the elevator, a smile already formed on her lips.