Page 96 of A World Enough

“I don’t need rescuing,” Vorka said.

Vorka lifted up her hand and had a glowing green ball of power. Davor swung his arm to release his glowing weapon, but Vorka met him in mid-air.

Davor shouted in pain. The green ball of energy had subsumed Davor’s and was now making its way down his arm.

He was putting every ounce of energy into this attack. Sweat was pouring off him, and yet he was being pushed back all the time. If the energy reached his chest, he felt like it would be over for him.

“Stop. Stop!”

With Davor’s free hand he pulled at his forehead, hoping his mind would signal his body or Ninti to pull him out.

“You will not find my Camber,” Vorka said.

Just as the green energy was at his shoulder, he was ripped back into the interrogation room. Davor fell off the chair. He was gasping for breath.

Ninti came towards Davor. She injected him with a calming serum which would help him but hopefully also help with the plan she had in mind.

“Take some deep breaths, Davor.”

He did, and she helped him to his feet and then to a seat.

“Thank you, dear Ninti. Did you help me get out?”

“Of course, Davor. I was monitoring you the whole time.”

That was a lie. She’d monitored Vorka mostly and made a show to the cameras of checking him.

The truth was, when she saw Vorka violently thrash around in the chair, her vitals looking like they were going to explode, and Davor going deathly white, she knew Vorka was going to not stop until he was dead. Even if that would mean her death.

But Ninti wasn’t going to let her go without a fight.

“Did you get what you wanted, Davor?” Ninti asked.

“That woman was in there.” He pointed at Vorka. “Her mind was set out like Danus. The information I need was in different alcoves of her brain, and she defended every one of them. Burned my arm in one of them.”

“Shocking, I didn’t think her mind could hurt people,” Ninti said with her best attempt at sincerity.

“That woman has power.”

He obviously hadn’t been shown the memories about Ninti’s connection with the rebellion, or her friendship with Vorka, or her relationship and love for Kartog. If he had, she would be dead already.

Thanks to Danu and the other First Ones, Ninti thought.

“She had an energy weapon in her hand like ours, only—and this goes nowhere.”

“Of course, Davor,” Ninti lied.

“It wasn’t a tech generated power like ours.” He pointed at his wrist. “It was natural. She said in the beginning times, the people of Danu evolved to an omnipotent race. They gave special gifts to worlds that displayed weakness, like an end to war and peaceful living. It made me feel sick. Our world wasn’t included, just because we were powerful.” Davor let out a cry of pain and shook his arm. “That woman is a witch.”

“What else did she say?” Ninti asked.

“Could you give me something for the pain?”

Ninti had to stop herself from sighing. He was pathetic. Davor wasn’t used to feeling pain. He usually had someone pleading at his knees.

She prepared the injection and pressed it into his neck. Davor squirmed in pain again. “That hurt.”

Ninti had picked this drug particularly, from all this many kinds she had on offer, because it burned on the way in.