《Nightbound (Lords of the Darkyn #3)》 Page 1 Prologue September 29, 1208Advertisement House of Heaven Jerusalem, the Holy Land Sunken black eyes peered out of the two-inch view slot in the copper door. ¡°No beggars,¡± a cross voice said in gutter Arabic, spewing into the air the stink of his rotten teeth. Cristophe pulled back his cowl to reveal his shaven head, and the skin he had darkened with the juice of steeped nut hulls. To distract the eunuch from the light color of his eyes, he held up two pieces of silver. ¡°Four,¡± the eunuch demanded promptly. Cristophe shrugged, turned away, and took a step in the direction of another brothel. As he expected, the eunuch threw the bolt and shoved open the door. Stoop-shouldered by spine disease, a lifetime of beatings, or despair¡ªprobably all three¡ªthe eunuch twisted his head to one side. ¡°Our women are plump and fragrant, their talents many.¡± He named a variety of sexual acts and services in the monotone of unthinking, repeated recital. ¡°Three.¡± Cristophe held up the twin silvers again. ¡°Miserly wretch. For the love of Allah, I take pity on you.¡± The eunuch beckoned, but when he tried to grab the coins from Cristophe¡¯s hand, the knight blocked the snatch with a swat. ¡°Not so quick. You pay first.¡± The scent of frankincense and lung rot touched Cristophe¡¯s nose. A thin hand reached out of the shadows behind the eunuch to caress his balled fist. ¡°Leave this to me, Qutaybah. I shall settle with you later.¡± The eunuch scowled at Cristophe. ¡°He is too big, Afifah, and you too sick.¡± ¡°He does not come here to make use of me. That work was well done, long ago.¡± The courtesan drew back. ¡°Come.¡± Cristophe followed her through the narrow passages, ignoring the sounds of rutting all around them as she led him into her private chamber. Fire from the bronze braziers provided the only light, and the resins burning in them masked some of the smell of sickness. The wine table now held a bowl of oily herbs, a bundle of terebinth twigs, and a glass-bowled pipe blackened by the tar of frequent use. He closed the door behind him and bolted it before he spoke to her in her native Urdu. ¡°Why did you never tell me?¡± ¡°Do you care for some dreamsmoke? No?¡± Afifah went to a pile of cushions by the fire and slowly reclined. As she did, her veil slipped down to reveal her once-beautiful face, now too bony and gaunt for her cosmetics to conceal. ¡°You took your time in coming to me.¡± She coughed into her sleeve, staining it with dark red blood. She was very near death, he realized. ¡°I could not sprout wings and fly.¡± ¡°For a time I did not think you would come to me at all.¡± Her lips parted, showing teeth stained yellow-brown from daily use of hashish. ¡°Many nights I beseeched Allah that you would not. That you should already languish in the bowels of some sultan¡¯s hell, chained beside your brothers.¡± ¡°They were my family.¡± Cristophe went to the only window and looked out at the flies swarming in a dark cloud over the open privy pit. ¡°I am a priest now.¡± ¡°Finally ridding yourself of the concerns of the flesh.¡± Afifah giggled, a raspy parody of the girlish sound. ¡°As you rid yourself of Palestine. Of me.¡± ¡°I never gave you reason to believe I would stay,¡± he reminded her. ¡°From the beginning you knew what I was.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. The smith of black souls. The dark hammer of God.¡± Now she sounded sad. ¡°Chiseling away at your own heart of stone.¡± A liquid cough followed the last word, and she covered her mouth with her veil this time, soaking it through. Cristophe went to her, kneeling beside her to hold her quaking shoulders until the spasm passed. She represented the last of his mortal sins, this ashen flower, who had once been the most beautiful harlot in the city of David. He had imagined himself in love with her, with her clever hands and her silky words. When she rasped in two breaths, he asked, ¡°Why wait until you were dying to send for me?¡± ¡°Why did you leave me?¡± she countered. He tucked her head beneath his chin. ¡°I never had anything to offer you but pain and betrayal.¡± ¡°Then, perhaps. But now you are changed.¡± She used one bony finger to trace the bars of the passion cross on his unmarked tunic. ¡°Doomed, they say, to escape my fate. Does this make you happy? I think not.¡± He drew back. ¡°If that is why you sent for me, I cannot save you, Afifah. I would but hasten your end.¡± ¡°We both of us know I am not the one you wish to save now.¡± She tugged off her veil, folding it over and over until she¡¯d hidden the dark, clotted blood staining it. ¡°It will not be long for me, I think. What will you do when you leave here?¡± ¡°I shall return to England.¡± He felt her shudder. ¡°I cannot remain here, not as I am.¡± The kohl lining the crepey skin around her eyes took on a brighter sheen. ¡°And the gift you will take from here? What will you do with it?¡± Cristophe shook his head. ¡°I have no family, no holdings. I have given what wealth I had to the order. All I am permitted is my sword and my horse, and those I must surrender once I go into seclusion.¡± Her thin fingers curled into the laces of his tunic. ¡°You will give my Sunehri to them.¡± She was not making a request. ¡°Yes. That I think the wisest course.¡± Afifah released him, and clapped her hands twice. When the eunuch hurried in, she said, ¡°Bring my treasure to me.¡± Qutaybah glared at Cristophe. ¡°For this dog?¡± ¡°Not for him,¡± Afifah said. ¡°For his God.¡± Chapter 1 January 1, 2013 Knights Realm Stronghold Orlando, Florida ¡°Stand ready,¡± Harlech, captain of the guard, called out. His command silenced the three hundred men assembled in the courtyard and sent them into their ranks. Above the main hall the four gatehouse towers glowed with a torchlit, watchful menace against the night sky. While the thousands of tourists who visited Knights Realm each season believed they had come to a medieval theme park, the castle¡¯s occupants were not hired performers. Thrilled by the authenticity of the jousts, melees, and other spectacles of the Dark Ages, no human ever suspected that the people of the Realm were not mortal, or that what they did had never been a show. Iron sconces bolted to the gray stone walls of the castle cast pools of strange white-blue light over the oiled, packed dirt beneath the men¡¯s boots. Harlech preferred the natural scent and warmth of flame, but the modern civilized world had largely abandoned fire in favor of the tamed lightning they called ¡°electricity.¡± After a century of enduring the yellow light radiated by glass bulbs, Harlech found the merciless glare of the newly installed LED lights particularly annoying. But Americans had lately become obsessed with using as little power as possible¡ªwhile saving every last tree they could in the bargain. Harlech fully expected mortals would in the next century regress back into a second Dark Age, whence he could happily return to using tallow and wood for light. At least the important things have not changed. As Harlech scanned the formation, he permitted himself a small amount of pride and satisfaction. While the garrison had given their oath of loyalty to their lady paramount, Suzeraina Jayr mac Byrne, they were all of them his men. He had personally trained each and every warrior, and over time they had become a veritable army of death. While it had been more than a hundred years since war had last been waged on American soil, Harlech took nothing for granted. Centuries of living among mortals had taught him that much, he thought as he walked parallel to the front ranks. Should an invasion land tomorrow on the shores of their adopted country, his warriors were ready to¡­ Harlech halted and peered past a pikeman at a gap in the second line. ¡°Lowell.¡± The archer standing to the right of the empty space came to attention. ¡°Aye, Captain.¡± Harlech stepped through the first rank to ensure the glare of the light had not played a trick on his eyes. ¡°Where is Beaumaris?¡± Lowell frowned at the horizon. ¡°Not here, sir.¡± ¡°So I fathom.¡± Leaning down to eliminate all but an inch of space between their faces added some necessary menace to Harlech¡¯s soft murmur. ¡°Where is he?¡± Lowell did not blink or twitch a muscle. ¡°I know not his present whereabouts, Captain.¡± Harlech moved to the man on the left side of the gap. ¡°Ponsworth.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Your chamber is next to Beaumaris¡¯s, and you must walk past his door to report for duty. Is this not so?¡± The swordsman inclined his head in acknowledgment. ¡°Well? Is he still abed, then?¡± Ponsworth¡¯s expression remained resolutely bland. ¡°No, Captain.¡± Harlech smiled. ¡°So you then saw him leave his chamber.¡± ¡°I¡­I fear upon rising I was much preoccupied with my thoughts, sir.¡± Ponsworth¡¯s upper lip twitched. ¡°I passed by his chamber without notice of it or him.¡± ¡°How convenient for Beaumaris,¡± Harlech said sourly, ¡°that you are such a thinker.¡± He strode back to the front of the garrison and let the men see his displeasure for a full minute. ¡°Our lady comes tonight to inspect our readiness. I will know where Beaumaris is before she arrives, or every man here will suffer the consequences. Am I understood?¡± The men remained at silent attention. ¡°Rainer.¡± Harlech pointed at the towheaded giant standing at the end of the trackers¡¯ line, and then at the ground. ¡°Come here.¡± As the garrison¡¯s most beloved fool shambled through the ranks to stand before Harlech, he shrugged back his black cloak to reveal a hot pink tunic and glittering blue sequined kilt. Hand-painted smiley faces in matching colors dotted his blue hose and black boots. ¡°God in heaven.¡± Although like everyone in the Realm Harlech had grown accustomed to Rain¡¯s penchant for colorful attire, this latest ensemble reached new heights of outrageousness. ¡°What is this you wear, lad?¡± Page 2 ¡°¡¯Tis my latest fashion statement.¡± The former court jester performed a slightly wobbly pirouette. ¡°I call it ¡®Don¡¯t worry, be happy.¡¯¡±Advertisement Several of the men coughed suddenly, and just as quickly fell silent as their captain gave them a decidedly murderous glance. Harlech gritted his teeth. ¡°Rainer, where is Beaumaris?¡± The big man shrugged. ¡°Not here. Where he is now, I cannot say.¡± ¡°He bid you lie for him?¡± Rainer looked puzzled. ¡°Never would Beau ask that of me. He thinks I am too simple to remember such things as falsehoods.¡± Harlech sighed. ¡°Very well. You¡ª¡± ¡°Beau has only ever asked me not to throw knives when I am blindfolded again. Although I assured him the last time was a mistake. In truth I had not aimed for his ribs intentionally, you know.¡± Rain cocked his head. ¡°I wonder, Harlech, if I were to practice in secret until I am much improved with my tossing blades, might Beaumaris be persuaded to change his opinion?¡± ¡°I cannot say.¡± Questioning Rain was akin to herding a butterfly, Harlech thought, and just as heartless. ¡°It is best that you have no head for secrets, lad. You may step back in line.¡± ¡°I can keep a secret, surely.¡± Rain glanced over his shoulder before he added in a whisper, ¡°I told no one that your lady wife and I were the last survivors of Sherwood jardin. Well, not counting Nottingham, but he broke my arm six times and then everyone thought him dead. But he never dies, you know, not even after his seneschal near beheaded him. Very unsporting of the villain, I thought.¡± Harlech shook his head. ¡°Rain, I care not¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, neither do I,¡± the fool assured him. ¡°I never warmed to him even when his mother kept him in the dungeons at Sherwood.¡± He frowned. ¡°Why can no one kill him, do you think?¡± ¡°Luck, lad. His good, and ours bad.¡± ¡°There.¡± He swept forth one hand. ¡°There is another secret I have kept, Harlech. ¡¯Twas told to me that Nottingham went to war with mortals to die, but after being blown up and made changeling, still he lived.¡± He frowned and scratched the back of his untidy blond mane. ¡°Or perhaps he became a changeling before he exploded. I cannot recall the particular order of it. Either way, you must agree, a messy business and yet¡ª¡± ¡°Rainer.¡± Harlech could listen to anything but the jester¡¯s babble; another moment of it would drive him mad. ¡°Best you keep the remainder of your secrets to yourself.¡± He glanced pointedly at the main hall. ¡°Ere our lady comes.¡± ¡°Oh. Yes. Right you are, Captain.¡± Grinning, Rain lumbered toward his place in the back ranks, hesitated, and then went to occupy Beau¡¯s spot. The sound of descending footsteps, one pair light and the other heavy, drifted from the main hall to thump in Harlech¡¯s ears. He faced the garrison and barked, ¡°Close ranks.¡± Rainer occupied Beaumaris¡¯s position, which shortened the back line by one man. Quickly Harlech ordered the second and fourth ranks to shift three paces to the left before he turned and stood at attention. Lady Jayr mac Byrne crossed the courtyard, her form a slender column of bronze leather and moonlight. Sheathed copper daggers rode the sides of her hips; black pearls gleamed from the thick plait of her dark hair. In her left hand she carried a scroll of parchment, but her right remained entwined with one three times its size until she reached the garrison. Her companion released her hand with visible reluctance, his black cloak swirling around his tree-trunk legs. Even as a mortal Aedan mac Byrne had been a giant among men, as fierce as the savage blue tattoos spiraling over his features, as terrifying as the rare condition from which he suffered. Any act of life-threatening violence caused the big man to temporarily lose his mind and his self-control. The resulting madness that came over Byrne in battle transformed him into a berserker, a machine of death that would kill anyone and anything in his path. Rising to walk the night as Darkyn had not altered Byrne¡¯s monstrous mortal affliction; immortality had simply made him all the more dangerous. Harlech had once seen his former suzerain descend into the killing madness after being stabbed in the back during an assassination attempt by his bastard brother. The Scotsman had not only survived; he had cut down more than a dozen men in a few seconds before using his battle-ax to split his treacherous brother in half. ¡°Good evening, Captain.¡± Jayr smiled at his respectful bow. ¡°All is well with the garrison?¡± Once Harlech tracked down his missing swordsman, and clouted some sense back into his head, it would be. ¡°Aye, my lady.¡± The shrewd eyes of Jayr¡¯s towering companion scanned the ranks. ¡°You¡¯ve changed the formation.¡± ¡°Clever,¡± Jayr said before Harlech could reply. ¡°With the lines staggered I can see all of the men¡¯s faces. I need not walk the ranks.¡± She lifted a hand to shade her eyes against the glare from the floods. ¡°I cannot say I care for these new lights, however. Who ordered them installed?¡± ¡°Accounting, my lady,¡± Harlech said. ¡°They are called ¡®energy-efficient,¡¯ and as such should reduce our power tithes by a fourth.¡± ¡°Power bills,¡± Jayr corrected, and turned to Byrne. ¡°What do you think, Aedan?¡± Byrne turned and squinted at the lights. ¡°Smash the bloody things before our eyeballs commence to sizzle.¡± Harlech squared his shoulders. ¡°It shall be as you say, Seneschal, but¡­¡± He paused as he glanced past Jayr¡¯s shoulder to see Rainer float up into the air over the heads of the garrison. Since only Beaumaris had the ability to move anything living in such a manner, it seemed his missing warrior had at last reported for duty. ¡°¡­Ah, we might remove them instead and bid the maintenance crew to install them inside, where the humans work.¡± As Rain floated back down to his proper place in the back ranks, Harlech gestured toward the administrative offices. ¡°¡¯Twould save the cost of the bulbs, much shattered glass, and doubtless mollify accounting.¡± When Harlech turned back to the garrison, Beaumaris stood between Ponsworth and Lowell as if he¡¯d never moved from the spot, his eyes fixed on some point beyond their lady and her seneschal. ¡°A wise thought. See to it, then, Captain.¡± Jayr stepped forward and gave the garrison her attention. ¡°Good evening, lads. Now that the winter tournament is over, we have two weeks left to finish the renovations before the staff returns from holiday. The council is sending some prospects to me in hopes of filling our need for a tresora to the jardin, so I shall be occupied with these mortals. You¡¯ve done well preparing the keep and the grounds for the spring tourist season. When you have completed your nightly tasks this fortnight next, your time is your own.¡± As the men cheered, she held up the scroll she carried. ¡°Before you hatch plans to search every acre from here to Valdosta, I would first read you this.¡± Harlech frowned as Jayr unrolled the parchment and read the summons from Richard Tremayne. It was the second in as many months from the high lord of the Darkyn, but the message this time contained only disappointment. The treasure hunt Tremayne had announced in October had been called off; the gems he had set the Kyn to find had been destroyed during a battle with a rogue Kyn in South Florida. Rule of Ireland, the prize that the high lord had offered, would be decided by other means. ¡°I am sorry about the lost opportunity, lads. I would have been proud to see any one of you made lord paramount.¡± Jayr finished reading and rolled up the summons, handing it to Harlech. ¡°If you would, Captain, please post this in the commons so the men who are off duty may read it at their leisure.¡± ¡°Aye, my lady.¡± He tucked it into his tunic. Jayr smiled at the men. ¡°Beaumaris, I would have a word, please. The rest of you are dismissed.¡± As the other men dispersed and Beau approached, Harlech quickly inspected his errant warrior. Beau¡¯s clothing did not appear disordered, and he did not detect the scent of a mortal female on him. The pale cast of his skin suggested he had not yet fed, and he displayed no visible wounds. Only his brown hair, which still sported the golden sun streaks he¡¯d acquired as a mortal, looked slightly tangled. Harlech met Beau¡¯s gaze, and saw nothing but fixed boredom. Harlech had been Beau¡¯s foster brother when they had been human boys; he knew what that indifferent flatness meant. Something troubling has happened. ¡°You did not have to hurry back so quickly,¡± Jayr was saying to Beau. She glanced at Harlech and explained, ¡°I summoned Beau to my office before sunset. Tremayne called for him.¡± Harlech barely managed to keep the shock from his face. ¡°The high lord wished to speak to Beau directly? Why?¡± ¡°He wouldnae say. But he was no his usual snaky self about it. ¡®Bring Beaumaris of York to the phone at once,¡¯ Byrne said. Then he bid us go so they might speak alone.¡± Byrne regarded Beau. ¡°I never knew you to be one of Richard¡¯s creatures, Beau.¡± He¡¯d been a fool to report for duty, Beaumaris decided, just as he¡¯d been an idiot earlier to answer the call from the high lord. Now, with three of the Kyn he most respected staring at him as if he¡¯d sprouted a second skull, he could think of a dozen ways he might have prevented this. All useless to him now. ¡°I gave my oath to you, my lord, and then my lady,¡± Beau said, unable to keep the irony out of his tone. ¡°If I am anyone¡¯s creature, it is yours.¡± ¡°I do not question your loyalty, Beau,¡± Jayr said firmly. ¡°Nor should we leap to any conclusions when Richard is involved. Did the high lord give you leave to tell us what he wanted with you?¡± Richard Tremayne had instructed him as to exactly what to tell the others. ¡°It seems there is a secret clutch of traitors in our midst. The high lord believes them to be renegade tresori who have been turned against us. Already they have attempted to murder several Kyn lords and sentinels, and frame a member of the council for the crimes. Our lord thinks them here now, in our territory, searching for the gems.¡± He glanced at Jayr. ¡°The emeralds were not destroyed by the skirmish in the south, as the high lord would have everyone think. They remain hidden, somewhere in our territory.¡± Page 3 Byrne¡¯s lips peeled back from his dents ac¨¦r¨¦es. ¡°Harlech, cancel the men¡¯s leave. We have turncoats to hunt.¡±Advertisement Beau shook his head. ¡°Lord Tremayne desires this to be handled discreetly. I am commanded to go and infiltrate a group of mortals being used by the traitors to locate the gems. He bids me persuade them to reveal the identity of their ringleader, who I am to capture and deliver to him.¡± ¡°That sounds more like Tremayne,¡± Jayr murmured, her expression thoughtful. ¡°But why does he command this of you, Beau?¡± The suzeraina trusted him, Beau realized, because she had no reason not to. No one among his Kyn had any inkling of how long he had deceived them. For a moment he wished the earth would sprout a sinkhole to whisk him to hell. ¡°I daresay the high lord is aware that Beau knows our territory better than any member of the jardin,¡± Harlech said before Beau could compose an adequate reply. ¡°He came here a century before the rest of us.¡± He gave Beau a hard look. ¡°You were one of the first jardin in America, were you not?¡± ¡°Aye.¡± That much was the truth, and might serve as the reason Tremayne had selected him for this duty. The high lord had not actually troubled himself to explain his choice, and as a mere jardin warrior Beau could not question the Kyn¡¯s supreme ruler. He still felt a pressing suspicion as to Tremayne¡¯s motives; something in the tone of the high lord¡¯s silky voice had not set well with him. ¡°Who is this group of mortals, and how are you to infiltrate them?¡± Jayr asked him. ¡°They are archaeologists from a northern university who are performing an excavation to the west of the city. The high lord has arranged a position for me as their manager.¡± He knew next to nothing about digging in the dirt for old bones and such, but he could glean some of the basics from the Internet. ¡°He also directs me to keep close watch over a Dr. Al Stuart, the man in charge of this project. Apparently his knowledge of the Templars puts him in some particular danger.¡± ¡°So he orders you to skulk about, guard mortals, and spy on traitors, when we could track and kill them in a few hours.¡± Byrne sounded disgusted. ¡°Tremayne has finally gone completely daft. We must call Michael.¡± ¡°I would rather we not.¡± Jayr put her hand on her lover¡¯s forearm. ¡°We have nothing to offer the seigneur but doubts and rumors, and our own suspicions. If we must consult Cyprien on the matter, I wish to present facts and evidence.¡± ¡°What of this ringleader Beau is to catch?¡± Harlech asked. ¡°I have no doubt he will snare him, but what is to be done then?¡± Jayr faced Beau, her dark eyes intent on his. ¡°I know you are under the high lord¡¯s orders, and as such I am loath to ask this of you, but¡­when you find this traitor, will you first bring him to us, that we might question him?¡± That she would make it a request instead of an order humbled him all over again. ¡°My lady, my faith is ever with you.¡± Beau bowed his head. ¡°You have but to say, and it shall be done.¡± She touched his shoulder in a rare gesture of affection. ¡°I thank you, Beau.¡± She turned to Byrne. ¡°¡¯Tis likely this traitor is some mortal made unhappy by the Kyn, I think. But if there is more to it, we must know before we turn him over to Tremayne.¡± ¡°You were never this devious when you were my seneschal,¡± Byrne muttered. ¡°And if I was, how would you know?¡± Jayr slipped her arm through his. ¡°Now come. We must ride out and inspect the landscaping. I fear that freeze last night may have finished off the roses at the entry gate.¡± Harlech said nothing as Jayr and Byrne left for the stables, but once they were out of hearing range, he swore viciously. Beau dragged his hand through his hair. ¡°You share my sentiments, brother.¡± ¡°However this is played, no good will come of it.¡± Harlech eyed him. ¡°I know you to be secretive, Beau. Were you once sworn to Sherwood? Is that why Tremayne presses you into his service?¡± All the members of Sherwood jardin had been executed for conspiring against Richard and slaughtering the innocent and helpless during the jardin wars. Only Harlech¡¯s wife, Viviana, and Rainer had escaped death and treachery, first by running away from their jardin, and then by concealing their origins altogether. ¡°After I rose to walk the night, I served in the London garrison,¡± Beau said stiffly. ¡°I was sent to the New World to procure property and goods. I liked the life here, so I later petitioned him to be released from my oath, that I might serve Lord Byrne. You may call upon the Seigneur Geoffrey at your leisure to verify my claims.¡± ¡°Do not take that tone with me, lad,¡± Harlech warned. ¡°You and I were mortal brothers.¡± ¡°You were the son of the house, and I the orphan whose care was thrust upon it.¡± As soon as he spoke, Beau regretted his words. ¡°Forgive me. Your family, your father, they treated me as their own flesh and blood. I but yearned for what could never be mine.¡± What would never have been his, had his foster family ever suspected they shared their hearth and home with the son of an English Crusader, and a Saracen whore. ¡°Think no more of it. I do not envy you this damnable mess.¡± Harlech clapped his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Come. I shall help you gather what you will need for your journey.¡± Chapter 2 The Jade Palms definitely lived up to its marketing, Alys decided as she walked through the enormous lobby toward the reception desk. The hotel¡¯s facilities occupied acres of what had once been central Florida swampland, now transformed into graceful landscaping embracing an international resort. According to the information package the foundation had sent to her, the hotel offered a multilevel Fitness and Wellness Center, five Olympic-standard pools, two movie theaters, a private river winding through a PGA-scale executive golf course, and various other amusements and amenities. The resort¡¯s restaurants, of which there were nine, ranged from a casual Italian bistro to a five-star formal dining room enclosed by glass walls and a skylight in the atrium. Designed to impress, Alys thought as she glanced up at the lobby¡¯s centerpiece, a three-story, stainless-steel sculpture fountain. Whoever digs it up in a thousand years will probably decide it was a mass burial tomb for pilgrims who came to worship the Great God Disney, Lord of the Kingdom of Mice. Arriving at the hotel marked the point of no return for Alys, and while her heart wanted to dance, the enormity of the task ahead kept her excitement and her emotions in check. Over the next thirty days she¡¯d either make a name for herself by unearthing evidence of her unorthodox theories or dig a grave for her already-dubious reputation and fledgling career. She¡¯d talked her way onto this tightrope of a project, stretching her professional life between triumph and disaster; now she had to keep a cool head while walking it. This is what Robert wanted me to do, Alys reminded herself. Although she¡¯d never spent much time with her legal guardian, he had provided her with the finest education in the world, and the guidance she¡¯d needed to make something of herself. Out of gratitude she¡¯d always tried to live up to his expectations. Robert¡¯s tragic death in a car accident hadn¡¯t changed that; if anything, she felt even more determined to prove his faith in her had been justified. At the desk, the discreetly suited clerk greeted her with a shallow smile. ¡°Welcome to the Jade Palms Orlando.¡± He accepted the reservation e-mail she handed to him as if it were a used tissue. He scanned the page and looked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re with Dr. Stuart¡¯s team?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She mirrored the clerk¡¯s frown. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He slid the e-mail across the desk. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± He added another paper. She thumbed back the bill of her Red Sox baseball cap before she skimmed the printout, taking in the number of suites and rental cars that had been reserved and sorting them out in her head. ¡°This is fine, except we won¡¯t need this many rooms right now,¡± she advised him. ¡°Two interns had to drop out and I¡¯m not sure when their replacements will be arriving.¡± She wished she could have attracted more graduate students, or one or two of her colleagues, to join the project, but no one had taken it seriously, not even when she had landed the proper funding. The clerk was frowning at her again. ¡°You were informed that we¡¯ll be staying here until the end of January, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked past her, his eyes moving from one side of the lobby to the other. She glanced over her shoulder at the mounds of cases, crates, and carryalls the porters were still bringing in from the charter bus. ¡°We¡¯ll be transporting our equipment out to the field tomorrow afternoon, so we¡¯ll need to use your storage area only for one day.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be paying attention to her anymore. ¡°Did I forget to give you my credit card?¡± She began digging through her bag. The clerk politely cleared his throat. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡ª¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± Alys pushed two cards across the counter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but hotel policy requires that¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he glanced down. ¡°Oh. Pardon me¡ªmy error.¡± Alys filled out the necessary paperwork while the clerk began stacking a pile of electronic swipe cards that served as keys to the hotel rooms. She¡¯d just finished signing the last form when she heard young voices peppering the air, and turned her head to watch a small herd of college students trudge across the polished black tile floor. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± She waved at them. The half-dozen interns hurried over to her and formed a tight, anxious half circle as all of them began to talk at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m dying for a hot shower.¡± ¡°One of those guys knocked over the GPR monitor case. We should check it out before they try to hide the damage.¡± ¡°Some guy is looking for you.¡± ¡°Like you should talk. Does our grant cover room service?¡± Page 4 ¡°Are you going out to the site tonight?¡±Advertisement Alys silenced them with a single, two-fingered whistle that made the desk clerk jump. ¡°Sorry.¡± She scooped up the key cards to the rooms and began handing them out. ¡°Charles, you have to share the bath with your roommate, which means no two-hour showers, please. Chan, once you¡¯ve settled in, bring the GPR to my room; I¡¯ll check it over myself. Brenda, your per diem covers food, not room service, eating experiences, alcohol, pay-per-view, massages, manicures, any form of personal grooming, or items from any of the hotel boutiques. Jordan, no one is going out to the site until tomorrow afternoon, and that includes me. Paolo, what guy is looking for me?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t give a name.¡± The exchange student from Madrid nodded toward the bar. ¡°He went in there. He¡¯s a big guy. He sounded British, I think.¡± ¡°You mean that tall, streaky-haired eye-candy man?¡± Brenda fluttered her hand over her heart. ¡°He was delish. Seriously. Guy like that makes you want to run for a spoon.¡± ¡°Do try to curtail your cannibalistic urges,¡± Alys advised, frowning a little as the other interns snickered. ¡°I suggest all of you go to your rooms, unpack, freshen up, call home, order some pizzas¡ªno beer, please, Brenda¡ªand get yourselves organized while you have the time.¡± She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°Work hours at the site begin at sunset and end at dawn, so stay up as late as you possibly can before you go to sleep. That will help reset your biorhythms.¡± ¡°I still think it¡¯s beyond weird, that we can excavate the place only at night,¡± Alys heard Brenda say to Charles as they dragged their wheeled cases over to the elevators. ¡°How are we supposed to find anything in the dark, out there in the middle of nowhere? Is she crazy?¡± The elevator doors closed before Alys could hear the other intern¡¯s response, but she could imagine it. Why do you think they call her Alys in Wonderland? She didn¡¯t blame the students; half of them probably weren¡¯t planning to list the dig on their CVs. If she didn¡¯t find anything to prove her theories, none of them would. I am not going to fail. Alys walked over to the bar, and stood just inside the open entryway to inspect the patrons. A big guy who might sound British. She saw businessmen with loosened ties and rumpled suits who sat nursing scotch and bourbon at the bar; a few women in cocktail dresses clustered in tight, martini- and margarita-studded constellations around tables so small they resembled stools. A slight shift in the shadows drew Alys¡¯s eyes to one man standing with his shoulders against a back wall. The crystal chandeliers overhead sketched him with thin slashes of amber light, from the tigereye streaks in his thick sorrel hair to the blunt toes and buckled straps of his dull black boots. His shoulders and chest filled out his leather jacket with enough bulk to make Alys think bodybuilder, but the elegance of his strong hands belonged to a musician, and the long, beautifully muscled stretch of his legs suggested an athlete. He was the tallest and most well-built male in the bar. Big guy. He was watching her as well, and set aside a half glass of red wine before he started toward her, moving through the loose maze of tables and patrons without effort or notice of them. Fascinated now, Alys began mentally compiling an observational construct of facts: No hesitancy intent gaze unhurried step tailored garments handmade boots red wine negligent grooming physically fit. The words and their associated images floated in her mind, weaving in and out of one another as she applied her acquired knowledge and her intuition to arrange them together into a cohesive assemblage. Due to innate short- and long-term memory limits, forming such constructs was beyond most people¡¯s capabilities; few had the natural capacity to acquire and retain the bewildering amount of data, much less sort it into multiple paradigms. Alys, however, had possessed the unique talent from birth. From the connections she failed to make between her observations and her knowledge assemblage base, she concluded that he was not an academic, a hotel employee, or anyone with whom she had prior acquaintance. Nothing about his dress or demeanor indicated anything about him, except that he liked to drink wine. For her that made him the rarest of men: a complete enigma. The mystery man didn¡¯t stop at a polite distance but walked up to her as if he meant to greet her with a hug. Unused to having her personal space invaded with such nonchalance, Alys took a cautious step back. At the same time a warm pocket of scent followed her, lacing the next breath she took with the piquant but luscious fragrance of burnt sugar and cream. Delish. Alys realized her mouth was watering, and swallowed before she asked, ¡°Are you the gentleman looking for Dr. Stuart?¡± ¡°I need a word with him, yes.¡± His voice played the words like low notes from a cello, and colored them with a faint accent. ¡°Has he finally got himself here?¡± Twenty years melted away as Alys stared at him and heard two different questions. Do you see that rock, child, the one sticking up from the path? And the old root just before it? ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± the man was asking her. He has a British accent. That¡¯s all. Annoyed with herself, Alys shook off the old memory. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; we¡¯re rather busy at the moment. You should call the hotel later and make an appointment. Or you could give me your card and I¡¯ll have Dr. Stuart call you.¡± In four weeks, when she¡¯d finished the most important work of her career, she silently tacked on. ¡°I haven¡¯t any cards.¡± He bent his head, and his cool breath whispered against her skin as he asked, ¡°What is your name, love?¡± Love. He called me love. Alys felt her astonished heart skip a beat before her mind sorted it out. British colloquialism, a term of friendly, casual address. ¡°My name is Alys.¡± Despite her refusal to help him, the man didn¡¯t seem annoyed with her. His stance remained confident, his gaze direct. He¡¯d also managed to eliminate another inch between them without her noticing. If he came any closer, he¡¯d practically be on top of her. Was he attempting to wheedle information from her by using physical intimidation? She couldn¡¯t feel afraid of him, not with that voice. Not with the way it made her feel. ¡°You¡¯ve a pretty name, Alys.¡± He stunned her again by lifting his hand and stroking the pad of his thumb along her cheek. ¡°It suits you. Now be a good girl and go fetch Dr. Stuart for me.¡± The light caress confused her, as most physical contact did. She¡¯d learned that unsolicited touching by males was often a demonstration of sexual interest. Over the years she¡¯d learned to anticipate and avoid some of that. This time, however, it didn¡¯t irritate her. In fact she found his unwarranted touching disturbing¡ªand exciting. Indulgent tone relaxed features gentle physical contact. He seemed to be in a state of amusement. Pairing that with his directive, she concluded that he¡¯d mistaken her for one of the interns. He thinks I¡¯m a kid. Well, that was nothing new, and as good as he smelled and as comforting as his voice sounded, he was a stranger. Alys knew better than anyone what strangers were capable of. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go now. It was nice to meet you. Good-bye.¡± Beaumaris knew some humans were born with the natural ability to resist l¡¯attrait, the scent produced by the Kyn that allowed them to influence and control mortals. A few were even immune to it, but those mortals were so rare that he had never before personally encountered one. Until now. He watched Alys as she retreated into the lobby, her limbs easy in her loose khaki garments, a thick bunch of her fiery hair bobbing from where she¡¯d pulled it through the back of her cap. She intercepted a porter to speak with him before moving onto the elevators. Not once did she glance back at him again. To her I am nothing more than a human male in a bar. Beau had not bothered with mortal females for so long that the annoyance he now felt with this one gave him pause. Like all Kyn, he had indulged himself with human women from time to time, enjoying their welcoming warmth and the fragile sweetness of their passions. None had ever touched his heart, however, and over the centuries the lovers he had taken had become an endless procession of willing lips and caressing hands, the blur of their features fading from his memory even as he slipped out of their beds. Alys. Even her name intrigued him. This cheeky wench had been neither willing nor welcoming; perhaps that was what rendered her so singular. Her taste in clothing was nothing short of appalling, but even her wretchedly fitted garments could not disguise her charms. Tall and slender as a yearling filly, Alys had been graced with skin like sunlit snow, the eyes of a fawn, and the mouth of an enchantress. Save for that startled look she had given him when he¡¯d first spoken to her, she¡¯d also shown as much interest in him as she might a potted plant. Testing the depth of her resistance would please him to no end, but Beau had to find Stuart. Once she had disappeared from view, he began making his way along the bar. None of the men answered to the name or knew the man he sought. Exasperated, Beau went to the reception desk, and compelled the clerk to give him a key card to Stuart¡¯s room on the seventh floor. From outside the door to Stuart¡¯s room he heard the sound of the shower, and let himself in. He didn¡¯t interrupt the mortal¡¯s bath, but used the time to inspect the man¡¯s cases. He carried no weapons, but had filled one case with electronic gadgetry, and a second with large, old books. Beau opened one volume to read the title page, but the words were beyond his understanding. He tossed the book back into the case, infuriated with his own anger. As a mortal he had been taught to fight, not read; in his immortal life shame had compelled him to hide his ignorance from the other Kyn. When the Realm had nearly fallen to Byrne¡¯s bastard half brother and his Saracen conspirators, Beau had realized that his own, long-kept secrets could be revealed someday. A week after Jayr had been named suzeraina, Beau had gone into the city to seek a solution. Page 5 He soon learned that anyone could enroll in a literacy class at one of the public libraries; the mortals who taught them were volunteers who required no payment in return. Even better, most were held after sunset, to benefit those who were obligated to work during the day.Advertisement His first teacher, a retired librarian with seeming endless patience, had prevented him from giving up several times that first month. ¡°Reading is like learning another language,¡± Mrs. Decker would say. ¡°You can¡¯t expect to be fluent from the start. You must learn, and practice what you learn.¡± As Darkyn, Beau knew himself to be superior to mortals in almost every way; as a reader he discovered he was painfully slow, and made many mistakes. Mrs. Decker began asking him to stay behind after the class was dismissed to work with her for another half hour. ¡°You¡¯re fighting this too much, my dear,¡± she¡¯d told him after he¡¯d struggled through a line from his primer. ¡°Words are not bombs, ready to explode if you fumble them. Think of them more as gifts, under the Christmas tree, waiting to be unwrapped.¡± Her finger went to the line he¡¯d mangled. ¡°Sally. You know that¡¯s the name for the little girl in the story. Blue is the color of the sky on a summer day. Ball is her brother¡¯s favorite toy.¡± Beau nodded, and sounded out the word in the middle of the line. ¡°Kicks.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°What Sally wants to do to her brother¡¯s¡­toy.¡± Mrs. Decker had chuckled. ¡°Exactly.¡± Beau heard the shower shut off, and replaced the book in the case. Once he used l¡¯attrait to bring the professor under his control, he would interrogate him and learn how much he knew about the renegades, and how best to lure their leader into Beau¡¯s hands. The bathroom door opened, and Alys walked out, her hands busy tucking a towel around her damp body. Beau was so astonished to see her that at first all he did was stare. She stopped as soon as she saw him, turned, and ran for the door. Beau reached it before she did and slapped a hand against it to keep it shut. She spun around him, and without thinking, Beau clamped an arm around her waist. ¡°You needn¡¯t¡ª¡± She kicked back at him, knocking them both off-balance. As they fell forward, Beau brought up his free arm so that it would land on the carpet before her face, and used it to keep most of his weight off her. ¡°Be still,¡± he said into her arm as she wriggled under him. Her warm, damp body smelled of almond-scented soap over her own fiery scent. She was not afraid, he realized, but furious, and the scent he was shedding was not affecting her in the slightest. ¡°I am not here to hurt you.¡± Beau lifted up enough to roll her onto her back, but when she struck at his face, he pinned her wrists to the carpet. When he glanced down, he saw that her towel now lay wadded under her. That was what burned through his garments against his cool skin¡ªthe bare front of her body. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you,¡± she promised, her voice echoing the trembling of her body, ¡°and whatever you do to me, I will hurt you.¡± ¡°This is a mistake.¡± Beau started to lift himself from her, and then stopped. ¡°I did not come here to assault you, or see you naked, or whatever you are thinking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on top of me,¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m naked. You have an erection. What am I supposed to think?¡± ¡°I do not.¡­¡± Bloody hell, he was as hard as a club. Softening his voice, he said, ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll press charges,¡± she promised. ¡°After I hurt you.¡± Beau released her wrists, and pushed himself up, turning away as quickly as he could. ¡°Cover yourself now, girl.¡± He could hear her crawling backward and wrapping the towel. ¡°I came to see¡ª¡± She tried to get at the door again, and he was obliged to trap her against it. ¡°This didn¡¯t work for you the last time,¡± Beau told her. ¡°We can roll about on the floor again, or you can listen to me and stop trying to run out of here screaming.¡± She instantly opened her mouth and took in a deep breath, forcing him to clamp his hand over her lips. ¡°That was not a suggestion.¡± She made an angry, muffled sound. ¡°Listen to me. I can stuff something in your mouth¡±¡ªChrist Jesus, why had he said that?¡ª¡°or you can promise me you will not scream by nodding. What¡¯s it to be, then?¡± Over the edge of his hand, her eyes narrowed, and then she gave a single nod. As soon as he took his hand away, she said, ¡°Would you please get off me?¡± When he shifted his body away from hers, she ducked under his arm and retreated a safe distance. ¡°Now get out of here or I¡¯ll call security.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I have business with Dr. Stuart.¡± When she moved toward the phone, he added, ¡°I did check with the front desk. The clerk said that his room number was seven fourteen, and unless they¡¯ve changed the numbers in the last three minutes, this is room seven fourteen.¡± She picked up the receiver, placing it on her shoulder before she hitched up the front of the towel. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°You left the door ajar.¡± She wore no ring on her wedding finger, and she didn¡¯t behave like a wife. Beau¡¯s lust darkened as he imagined her long, graceful body spread beneath some rutting, gray-haired scholar¡ªbut surely she was too young for that. ¡°Forgive me, but who are you? The professor¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t leave the door open.¡± Doubt flickered over her features, and her confusion made her seem even younger. ¡°At least I don¡¯t think I did.¡± She slowly replaced the receiver. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Stuart. The only Dr. Stuart.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be.¡± He studied her. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Dr. Al Stuart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she insisted. ¡°A. L. Stuart. I use my initials for professional purposes.¡± Beau dragged a hand through his hair. ¡°You¡¯re a woman, and hardly more than a child.¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-six, and I earned my first PhD when I was twenty-one. Excuse me, but I¡¯m uncomfortable talking to you like this.¡± She unzipped a backpack and bent over to rummage through it. ¡°Why did you assume I was a man?¡± Beau caught himself admiring the long, elegant lines of her bare legs. ¡°Tremayne told me your name was Al Stuart. When we spoke in the bar, you knew I was looking for a man.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know who you were or what you wanted, so I was simply being careful.¡± She straightened. ¡°You should have mentioned that you were from the Hylord Foundation.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°I also happen to be cautious with strangers.¡± ¡°You mean, when you¡¯re not tackling them?¡± She scooped up a robe from the end of the bed. ¡°I have the preliminary excavation schedule prepared. I was going to fax it to Ireland in the morning.¡± She shrugged into the robe, turning her back to him as she let the towel drop to the floor and tied the belt. ¡°I also plan to file progress reports twice a week, if that¡¯s acceptable.¡± She faced him, her features completely composed, but her scent still hot with anger and something more. ¡°Are you with Hylord¡¯s local office? Should I e-mail a copy to you?¡± Obviously the girl was immune to l¡¯attrait, which meant he would have to rely on persuasion. ¡°I have been sent by the¡ªby Hylord¡ªto oversee your project.¡± That startled a laugh out of her. ¡°You¡¯re an archaeologist?¡± When he shook his head, her gaze went from his face to his chest and toes, and then flashed up again. ¡°What other digs have you worked on?¡± He couldn¡¯t deceive her on that score. ¡°This would be my first.¡± Her jaw set. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t have this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he assured her. ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡± Her scent abruptly cooled. ¡°This project is very problematical. I have a great deal of work to do in a very short amount of time.¡± As even as her tone was, her eyes filled with some strange emotion, as if she regretted the words she spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be distracted by someone like you.¡± She had no choice in the matter, but still her rejection rankled. ¡°Why do you believe that I would be a hindrance?¡± He gestured at the carpet. ¡°Other than the unfortunate tackling incident, which, I promise, will not be repeated.¡± ¡°In order to make accurate reports to the foundation on my progress, you¡¯ll have to shadow me constantly.¡± Her lips twisted. ¡°That is the real reason they sent you, isn¡¯t it, Mr.¡­ah¡­?¡± ¡°Beauregard York.¡± He offered the Americanized name that he used when among mortals. ¡°Do call me Beau.¡± He gave her his most fetching smile as he lied to her. ¡°I was not sent here to spy on you, Dr. Stuart.¡± ¡°Logic dictates no other alternative,¡± she informed him. ¡°Your foundation has been very generous, but they¡¯ve also made several stipulations to ensure secrecy. This is the first major project I¡¯ve conducted, making me unproven in the field. My peers already consider my theories to be everything from unfounded to ludicrous.¡± Beau was surprised she could speak so calmly about it. ¡°What would make them believe that?¡± ¡°When the Order of the Knights Templar was disbanded by the pope, some were able to escape. According to my research, at least one of them fled Europe for the Spanish Main, and then sailed from there to Florida. I believe he came here with a group of Spanish priests and with them founded a mission to convert the Timucua natives.¡± She hesitated, tugging at the belt of her robe. ¡°My colleagues think that is nonsensical, but what they flatly refuse to accept is my theory as to the Templars¡¯ other motive for coming here.¡± ¡°You have a second theory?¡± She nodded. ¡°Before he left the mission, the Templar concealed something very old and valuable there. I¡¯ve never been able to precisely identify the artifact he left behind, but I have a very good idea of what it is. I¡¯ve also published several articles in trade magazines about it, which is why my colleagues think I¡¯m crazy.¡± Page 6 Beau wondered what she would say if she knew a former Templar was standing right in front of her. ¡°Your colleagues sound small-minded.¡±Advertisement ¡°They¡¯re limited by ego and fear. I¡¯m not, although I do understand the risk I¡¯m taking. Failure on my part will put an end to my career, and the connection to me has the potential to damage the foundation¡¯s reputation.¡± Alys watched his face. ¡°So, Mr. York. If you¡¯re not here to monitor me, then why would they give someone with no archaeological experience this assignment?¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh, to manage things.¡± ¡°And that.¡± She shook a finger at his face. ¡°That is the other problem I have with you. You¡¯re far too attractive. Half of my interns are young, impressionable girls. I don¡¯t want them distracted from their work, especially if you decide to tackle one of them.¡± So she thinks me handsome. Beau had never been especially vain, but her compliment pleased him. ¡°You seem to think I can do nothing but roll about on the floor with women.¡± She gave him a tight smile. ¡°I can only go by experience.¡± ¡°Well, Doctor, I don¡¯t. And if your young interns are hoping to impress me, perhaps they¡¯ll work harder.¡± Someone knocked on the door behind him, and he glanced through the peephole. ¡°There¡¯s an Asian lad standing in the hall. He¡¯s carrying a very large case.¡± ¡°One of my interns. I have some equipment to check.¡± She offered him her hand and, when he took it, gave him a brisk handshake. ¡°Thank you for stopping in to meet me, Mr. York, but I really can¡¯t use you on the project. Please give my regrets and my regards to Mr. Tremayne.¡± Chapter 3 Although Jayr usually held meetings with the mortal staff in the expansive area of the reception hall, she preferred to conduct personal interviews in the old armory that Byrne had converted into a study for her. ¡°I¡¯ve yet to fathom why you need to acquire a new tresora at all,¡± Byrne grumbled as he poured a glass of bloodwine for Jayr. ¡°We¡¯ve dozens of them about the place. Pick one from our own, and train them to suit you, I say.¡± ¡°Most of our tresori are performers, laborers, or office workers,¡± she reminded him as she accepted the glass. ¡°None of them have any experience with overseeing an entire household or serving the suzerainty. Also, most of them are female.¡± ¡°Aye, for we¡¯ve a progressive household, where women are respected and valued.¡± He lifted his glass to toast her. ¡°As well you know, my lady.¡± ¡°As I do, my lord.¡± She inclined her head. ¡°I might point out that you¡¯ve also slept with most of them.¡± He nearly choked. ¡°That was before you confessed your love for me. Since I¡¯ve had you, I¡¯ve naught touched another.¡± He gave her a suspicious look. ¡°Never tell me you are jealous of the house wenches.¡± ¡°Considering that I once handpicked your bed companions for you, no. I¡¯ve no quarrel with them.¡± His visible relief made her smile a little. ¡°I am accustomed to working with men, however, and as I am still new to rule, I would prefer a tresora with significant household experience.¡± Being named a lady paramount had made Jayr the first female to rule over a Darkyn jardin. Since she had also been the only female seneschal among the Kyn, she had not expected her new position to prove particularly trying. Shortly after being elevated to suzeraina, however, Jayr had discovered she was not, in fact, a nameless orphan, but the bastard daughter of Robin of Locksley. It had taken a long time for Jayr to accept that stunning revelation, as well as Robin¡¯s reasons for never claiming her. Her sense of self-worth had gradually recovered, but there were moments still when Jayr felt as if she were an impostor in her own life. Here in the study, surrounded by the books and artworks that she and her lover had collected over the centuries, Jayr felt more at ease with her role as suzeraina. She needed that if she was to choose the right candidate to serve her and the Realm as their new chief tresora. The latest aspirant, an Englishman from a very old and venerable tresoran family, arrived at the precise time for his interview. After Byrne made the formal introductions, Jayr shook his hand in American fashion and invited him to sit with her beside the fire. Jayr knew from the file provided by the tresoran council that Devan Leeds was single, thirty-two, and the youngest member of an ancient tresoran bloodline. Dressed in an immaculate, beautifully tailored navy blue suit, Leeds wore his fair hair very short and neat. Jayr liked the calm directness of his blue eyes; they made his otherwise unremarkable features seem friendlier. His quiet demeanor and economical movements clearly demonstrated that he was accustomed to service. Leeds had served as an assistant to his father, the chief tresora in an Italian stronghold. Such arrangements were common among their most faithful human allies, with fathers training sons in apprentice fashion to take their place after they retired from service. The practice ensured that the Kyn lord would not have to bring a stranger into his household, nor would he have to devote any time to teaching the mortal his personal customs and preferences. Tresoran families prided themselves on serving the same lord for centuries; a few had served their masters even before they became immortal. ¡°I¡¯m flattered that you would take interest in this position and my household,¡± Jayr told him, ¡°but I find myself puzzled as well. Your bloodline is English, and yet your family has served an Italian suzerain for well on five hundred years. After such long and distinguished service, why would you wish to relocate to America?¡± ¡°It does sound confusing, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Leeds smiled. ¡°Suzerain Marietto, whom my family has served since he rose to walk the night, was exceedingly fond of his mother. She was an Englishwoman who met and married his father while making a pilgrimage. Even when our lord was mortal, he would hire her countrymen and import them to serve in his household. Every child in my family has been raised and educated in England specifically to preserve those qualities he enjoyed so much.¡± Jayr detected an abrupt change in his scent, one that indicated he was saddened. Then she realized how he had referred to his master. Enjoyed. ¡°Did something happen to alter this arrangement?¡± ¡°Four years ago the Brethren attacked our stronghold in the middle of the day.¡± He related the details in spare but unflinching terms. ¡°They burned everything to the ground: the villa, the garrison¡¯s quarters, the staff¡¯s cottages. Our lord and his lady, their warriors, my parents, and every mortal on the property perished in the flames.¡± Byrne, who stood behind Jayr, stirred. ¡°Yet you survived.¡± ¡°I would have died with them, Seneschal, but two days before the massacre my master sent me on errand to Rome.¡± His mouth took on a bitter curve. ¡°He wished to move our entire jardin to England, and bade me put the matter before the council. He wished them to approve the relocation before he petitioned the high lord. It is ironic. In another month or two, we would have been safely beyond their reach.¡± Jayr knew of the Brethren¡¯s brutal campaign to drive the Kyn out of Europe; like the other American suzerains, she had offered sanctuary to as many refugee warriors as she could absorb into her jardin. She¡¯d never given much thought to how the horrific attacks impacted their mortal allies, however. ¡°Such a grievous loss renders all words inadequate, Mr. Leeds. Please accept my sympathies.¡± ¡°You are very gracious, my lady.¡± Leeds bowed his head. ¡°I count myself fortunate in that I am young enough to start again, and do what I can to preserve my bloodline. To serve in your household would be a very new experience for me, a chance at a new beginning, if you like.¡± Jayr was struck by how practical he was; she suspected, like her, he handled his difficulties by working through them. ¡°Some of the tresori I have interviewed did not seem comfortable with the thought of making their oath to a lady paramount. How do you feel about the prospect of serving a woman instead of a man?¡± ¡°You are the first lady to rule the Kyn, and I imagine all you do is subject to special scrutiny.¡± Now he sounded sympathetic. ¡°It is apparent that you need a well-trained tresora who can adapt to this new order of rule. One who has the appropriate standards, who can serve your needs without reservation or prejudice, and who will run your household flawlessly. I believe I am that man, or I would not be here.¡± ¡°And modest to boot,¡± Byrne muttered. Jayr frowned at him. ¡°You say our need is apparent, Mr. Leeds, as if there is something wanting.¡± ¡°Many things, I fear, my lady. This chamber, for example.¡± The tresora gestured around him. ¡°I can tell that this was once your armory. Converting it to a study makes it a very welcoming room, but what was done with the weapons that were stored here?¡± ¡°I believe my seneschal moved them to our underground storage rooms,¡± Jayr said. ¡°What does it matter where they are?¡± ¡°If the keep were suddenly attacked, your men would waste precious time retrieving what they needed for defense from the lower levels.¡± He clasped his hands, bracing his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. ¡°As I was escorted here, I noted a number of unoccupied rooms which could be used for weapons storage. You should also have caches hidden on every level for the same purpose.¡± ¡°We are open to the mortal public, lad,¡± Byrne said, sounding peevish. ¡°The Brethren do not skulk about here torching the unwary. They hardly have any presence in America.¡± ¡°As you say, Seneschal,¡± Leeds agreed, ¡°but now that they have caused so many to flee Europe, I fear they will soon be crossing the Atlantic in pursuit.¡± Jayr knew Byrne¡¯s moods better than anyone; for some reason he had taken an instant dislike to Leeds. She didn¡¯t understand why, but she couldn¡¯t discuss it with her lover in front of the man. That she didn¡¯t share Byrne¡¯s odd antipathy made the matter even more complicated. She liked Leeds, who was far more qualified than any of the other candidates, and wanted very much to offer him the position. Page 7 ¡°I expect you have much to consider,¡± Leeds said, as if reading her mind. ¡°There is no reason for me to return to Italy immediately, so if it would be agreeable to you, I should like to offer my services as tresora on a trial basis. Would a month be sufficient time for you to evaluate my performance? It may help you and your household to decide if I am the right man for the job.¡±Advertisement ¡°I think it would.¡± Jayr glanced at Byrne, who was scowling. ¡°This is very generous of you, Mr. Leeds.¡± ¡°My motives are not entirely unselfish,¡± the tresora admitted. ¡°I should like to see if living in America and managing your household will suit me as well.¡± None of the other candidates had made such an offer, and it would give the man a chance to prove himself. To me and Byrne. ¡°That seems quite sensible,¡± Jayr said, and rose to her feet. ¡°Very well, Mr. Leeds. You have your month.¡± ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± He stood, giving her a respectful bow before turning to Byrne. ¡°My lord, I know your mortal staff is still on holiday. Could you spare one of your men to show me about the premises?¡± ¡°I will give you the tour myself,¡± Jayr said before Aedan could answer. ¡°I am interested to know how our arrangements compare to those in Europe.¡± ¡°I can tell you that we don¡¯t have gift shops or snack caf¨¦s.¡± As a knock sounded on the door, Leeds went to it. ¡°Your submersible bridges are enviable as well. Are they operated by hydraulics?¡± Harlech eyed the tresora before he stepped inside. ¡°Forgive the intrusion, my lady, but the stable master has asked if Lord Byrne would look at one of the mares. She may have the colic.¡± ¡°No trouble, Captain.¡± Jayr introduced him to Leeds. ¡°Devan will be with us for at least the next month. Please advise the men accordingly.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± Harlech nodded to the tresora, who followed Jayr out into the corridor. The phone rang while Alys was in the middle of running a diagnostic on the GPR, and when she ignored it, Chan asked, ¡°Do you want me to get that, Dr. Stuart?¡± ¡°Right. Sure.¡± She watched the screen as she thumbed through the troubleshooting manual and studied the potential errors. Without the ground-penetrating radar fully operational, she would be digging blind, and with only four weeks to work, she couldn¡¯t afford to guess where she might find some evidence of the fountain. At least I won¡¯t have to dodge him. Being distracted yet again by the thought of Beauregard York annoyed and pleased Alys; she had no reason to dwell on the man, but the fact that she did illustrated how right she¡¯d been to keep him off her team. I can stuff something in your mouth.¡­ Attending an all-girls boarding school in Switzerland had effectively sheltered Alys from the opposite sex. Only when she had begun her studies at university did she first encounter the sexual side of social interaction. For a brief time she had even applied herself to study it, although the majority of sexual behaviors among her peers seemed largely a by-product of separation anxieties, self-esteem issues, or stress. She¡¯d watched many of her classmates engage in short-term pseudo-relationships, which they used as cover for the physical liaisons they craved. She¡¯d also personally experimented with sex herself, several times. It had seemed more attractive than drinking alcohol, a small amount of which she quickly discovered made her violently ill, or the other mind-altering substances her fellow students indulged in, which she avoided because they were illegal. While the mechanics of sex were initially somewhat interesting, the actual pleasures involved were no more exciting or fulfilling to her than a 5K run, or several hours working out at the student gym. The emotional outpourings and expectations of her partners, on the other hand, had alternately repelled and perplexed her. One of the boys she¡¯d slept with, a computer programming major, had used their first postcoital interlude to profess an undying love for her. He¡¯d also become instantly obnoxious when she refused to verbally reciprocate. Explaining her opinion on the matter had not improved the situation. ¡°Love is an artificial emotional construct. It provides justification for your pursuit of physical gratification, which you would otherwise consider shameful.¡± She¡¯d been curious about the reason for that, which had prompted her to ask, ¡°Did your parents raise you in an environment with an emphasis on religion?¡± ¡°If I wanted to screw a computer, Aly,¡± he¡¯d told her as he¡¯d jerked on his clothes, ¡°I¡¯d have borrowed one from the lab.¡± After that, Alys had stopped engaging the opposite sex; being found less than a desirable partner had inflicted feelings of inadequacy for which she had no use. Her inability to form emotional bonds with others seemed to be an integral part of her disposition. Since she could no more change who she was than she could have told the computer geek that she loved him, Alys accepted her partner¡¯s rejection and moved on. In the years since she¡¯d left college, Alys had learned to be less analytic and more personable in public. Now around others she kept her thoughts to herself while imitating those social behaviors that allowed her to function successfully within most groups. Until tonight, when Beau York had barged into her room, and knocked her to the floor. Why can¡¯t I stop thinking about him? It wasn¡¯t merely the ghost of his voice, whispering in her head. If the handsome Brit could distract her this much from her work, then his presence at the site would probably reduce her female interns into a pack of fawning little acolytes. Brenda, whose interest in the opposite sex was already a little too well developed, would likely spend the entire four weeks scheming her way into the man¡¯s tent. Something twisted in her middle as Alys imagined finding her student sleeping with Beau. Is that how he manages things? By seducing coeds? ¡°Dr. Stuart?¡± Chan had to repeat her name two more times before she looked up to see him holding out the receiver. ¡°It¡¯s some English guy.¡± ¡°Again?¡± She noticed how tired the intern looked, and checked her watch. ¡°Goodness, it¡¯s almost dawn, Chan. Go get some sleep. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Alys waited until the student left before she spoke into the phone. ¡°Look, Mr. York, I thought I was clear.¡± ¡°Good evening, Dr. Stuart.¡± The caller was English, but his melodic voice sounded nothing like Beau York¡¯s. ¡°This is Richard Tremayne. I do hope I am not disturbing your rest.¡± ¡°Mr. Tremayne.¡± Alys had never spoken directly to the chairman of the Hylord Foundation, and for a moment she blanked. ¡°Ah, no, I haven¡¯t been to bed yet.¡± Why was he calling her? Not to check on the arrangements. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°I gather you met my man York earlier this evening,¡± Tremayne said, ¡°and refused to permit him to join your project. May I ask why you found him so objectionable?¡± Beau had called Tremayne? That seemed unlikely. How could a project manager have direct access to the foundation¡¯s chairman? And why would he? ¡°Dr. Stuart?¡± Alys couldn¡¯t very well interrogate Tremayne, nor did she want to cause trouble for Beau. She certainly couldn¡¯t tell the chairman of the Hylord Foundation that his employee¡¯s voice had shaken her down to her heels. Be professional. ¡°I have nothing against Mr. York, sir. He seemed like a very congenial and capable person. I simply don¡¯t need him.¡± Or his beautiful body. Or his gorgeous face. Or that stupendous erection. Tremayne¡¯s voice went flat. ¡°Doctor, you are aware that my foundation has invested close to half a million U.S. dollars in your project.¡± Of course he¡¯d bring up the money; it was the only power he had over her. ¡°Yes, sir, and I am grateful for the opportunity to¡ª¡± ¡°Given the number of charlatans and scoundrels operating under the guise of scientific research,¡± Tremayne continued, as if she hadn¡¯t spoken, ¡°I have a keen interest in protecting my investments. York will assure that everything at the site runs smoothly and according to schedule.¡± Alys had tried to avoid maligning Beau, but now his boss was giving her no choice. ¡°Mr. Tremayne, you do understand how highly specialized my work is. Mr. York isn¡¯t an archaeologist, and he¡¯s never worked on any excavation in the past. He will be unfamiliar with the tools and equipment we use as well as the methods we employ during a dig. However gifted he is at resource or personnel management, he has nothing to contribute to the success of this project. I simply can¡¯t use him.¡± ¡°On the contrary, Doctor.¡± Each word he spoke drilled into her ear, as sharp and welcome as a probing ice pick. ¡°Mr. York will be a part of your team, and oversee all of your fieldwork, or the foundation will immediately withdraw all funding for the project.¡± Alys rubbed her aching temple. ¡°Under the circumstances I have no choice but to agree. Please let Mr. York know we¡¯ll begin work at the site tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°Thank you, Doctor. I feel sure you and Mr. York will get on very well, and I look forward to reviewing reports on your progress. Good-bye.¡± The line clicked. Alys¡¯s stomach rolled as she put down the receiver, and the taste of bile in her throat sent her hurrying into the bathroom. After she emptied her stomach into the toilet, she staggered to her feet to rinse out her mouth and wash her face. She reached behind her neck to unfasten her necklace, which felt like it weighed a ton, and set it on the counter before she glanced at her reflection. Sweat soaked her unruly red hair, plastering the underlying layer to her skull; her face had gone so pale her violet eyes and reddened mouth looked like huge bruises. Her ears still buzzed from the unpleasant sharpness of Tremayne¡¯s voice when he¡¯d delivered his final ultimatum. Fortunately the nausea had receded, and after she brushed her teeth, she cautiously drank a half glass of water. She generally had a cast-iron stomach, but the stress of talking to Tremayne had been considerable¡ªalmost painful. Alys saw a glimmer of light reflecting from her eye and leaned closer. The gold ring around the outside of her violet irises seemed larger now, although the mirror might be magnifying it. Page 8 ¡°Deal with it,¡± she told her image before she shut off the light and went back to work.Advertisement Byrne patted the neck of the sick, weary mare before he said to the stable master, ¡°¡¯Tis not colic giving her the bellyache. More likely she¡¯s foraged on buttercups or nightshade. It¡¯ll pass, but keep close watch on her tonight, and tell your lads to check the pasture where you last turned her out.¡± He saw his wardrobe keeper hovering just outside the entrance to the stables. ¡°Have them dig up whatever they find, drench the soil, and keep the horses out of there until spring.¡± As he walked out of the barn, a slim form emerged from the shadows. ¡°You sent for me, Seneschal?¡± Farlae asked. ¡°Aye.¡± He glanced at the castle, and felt again the prickle along his backbone that never boded anything good. ¡°We need to talk.¡± The wardrobe keeper, who as always was dressed in black, wrinkled his nose. ¡°Do we? I hope we need not adjourn to my workrooms for this t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte.¡± Byrne sniffed at his sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re as priss-nosed as my mother was.¡± ¡°Knowing how often she wanted you kept chained in the outer ward, I shall take that as a compliment.¡± Farlae inspected him with his strange gaze. While one of the wardrobe keeper¡¯s eyes moved normally, and was the color of the sea under a sunny sky, an enormous black mote paralyzed and engulfed the other, making it appear like some bizarre window into the abyss. ¡°But you did not summon me to discuss your lady mother.¡± ¡°No.¡± He gestured toward the citrus groves. ¡°We¡¯ll walk out there.¡± The frosty wind that accompanied them didn¡¯t bother Byrne; winter in Florida was like a balmy Scottish summer. What had chilled his blood was watching his woman warm to that mortal. Leeds had conducted himself with exquisite manners, admirable confidence, and every appropriate protocol. For if he hadn¡¯t, Byrne would have seized on it to have the man marched off his land. No longer my land, he reminded himself. The Realm belonged to his lady now, along with his men, his castle, and his rule, and it was past time for him to accept that. ¡°We¡¯ve gone outside the range of any ear, human or Kyn,¡± Farlae mentioned as they made their way down two rows of grapefruit trees. ¡°You are safe to tell me what has your spleen in a knot.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve a new tresora in the keep. English, from the Leeds bloodline.¡± Byrne described the man to Farlae. ¡°He¡¯s to give a month¡¯s trial to prove himself as bright and shiny as he looks.¡± ¡°Leeds.¡± Farlae¡¯s expression grew thoughtful. ¡°I thought I knew all the English tresoran families, but the name escapes me.¡± ¡°Aye, but you see, he¡¯s English by way of Italy.¡± The wardrobe keeper halted in his tracks. ¡°He can¡¯t be Nottingham¡¯s man. Cyprien packed off the few you didn¡¯t slaughter to the Orient.¡± ¡°To hear it told, this one served Marietto. His loyalty is unblemished, and the council has even vouched for him. You know those old bastards. They wouldn¡¯t stick out their scrawny necks for just anyone.¡± He reached out and cradled a ripening grapefruit with one hand. ¡°And I have heard of the Leedses myself. ¡¯Tis an old and respected bloodline.¡± ¡°Then why are we out here inspecting fruit?¡± Farlae asked. ¡°It seems he was on errand in Rome during a Brethren stronghold attack. They put to the flames everyone, even Marietto. This one is the only Leeds left alive.¡± Byrne glanced back at the keep. ¡°I dinnae trust sole survivors, Farlae.¡± ¡°Escaping a horrible death does not automatically warrant suspicion.¡± Farlae¡¯s brows drew together. ¡°What is your thinking? That this Leeds betrayed his lord and his mortal kin to the zealots, and now comes here to do the same to the Realm?¡± Byrne was not willing to cast that much suspicion on the man, not without proof. ¡°He is here to do something, and the knot in my spleen tells me it has nothing to do with serving my sygkenis.¡± He hesitated before he added, ¡°You know of this new group of traitors among the tresori, the ones who were hunting those Kyn-maker jewels.¡± ¡°You mean the Emeralds of Eternity, which were not actually destroyed during the battle in South Florida?¡± Farlae smiled. ¡°I may have heard a word or two. As for the traitors, they are said to mutilate their Kyn marks, steal our ancient treasures, attack our kind, and commit suicide when cornered.¡± Which was why Byrne had sent for him: Farlae had spies everywhere. ¡°I should¡¯ve asked what you dinnae know.¡± Farlae considered that. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve yet to fathom the motive behind this rebellion. Tresori are trained from birth to love and serve us, and we have always cherished them. Those who prove unsuitable are never permitted to know us. There seems little motive for either sort turning traitor.¡± ¡°As you say. Yet if this Leeds is one of them, come here to bring down our household¡­¡± Byrne felt wetness on his hand, and saw that he had crushed the fruit to pulp. ¡°Damn me. Four years I¡¯ve not felt this¡ªnot even a twitch¡ªand all my hand wants is a battle-ax. Why this, why now, when I¡¯ve everything a man could dream?¡± ¡°A beast will not sleep when something prods it.¡± Farlae drew a snowy kerchief from his sleeve and handed it to him. ¡°Leeds will have to be shadowed, his rooms searched, his movements tracked. I take it you have not spoken to Jayr about such things.¡± ¡°She believes his tragedy.¡± He wiped the pulp from his hands. ¡°Aye, she even likes him.¡± ¡°Then you must keep your distance, Aedan.¡± Farlae nodded toward the jousting field, where Byrne had last descended into the killing madness of his affliction. ¡°Else this mortal sends you in search of your battle-ax, and this dream of yours becomes a nightmare.¡± Chapter 4 On the table in his chamber Beau rolled out a map of the Central Florida region, on which he had marked the survey site. ¡°This is where I¡¯ll be working with the mortals for the next month,¡± he told Harlech. ¡°The land is undeveloped and deserted. As an additional precaution against attracting attention, the high lord has instructed Dr. Stuart and her team to excavate only at night.¡± Harlech peered at the symbols on the map. ¡°I¡¯ve ridden that way a time or two. There¡¯s an old Spanish mission, and some sort of Indian settlement near a pond.¡± He glanced up. ¡°How will you feed, and where will you take your rest during the daylight hours?¡± ¡°The mission has a large cellar level. I spent some hours last night making it habitable and laying in a concealed supply of bagged blood.¡± Beau rolled up the map. ¡°The high lord has me acting as an overseer so I may remain on-site. I will call in when I can, but it is likely that I shall return before February.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never operated from within a group of mortals,¡± his captain said, ¡°and they are not as oblivious as we would like. Remember not to use ability or your strength, and avoid wounds so they do not see you heal. You must keep to well-ventilated areas whenever possible. What of eating and drinking with them?¡± Beau hadn¡¯t considered that. ¡°I will find an excuse to be busy when they have their meals.¡± ¡°Mortals dine three times a day,¡± a sweet voice said, ¡°and will use any excuse to pop corn or roast marshmallows or consume bags of crisps while sitting about a fire swapping ghost stories. They will grow suspicious.¡± ¡°Never fear, brother.¡± Harlech turned to smile at the red-haired woman looking in on them, and held out his arm. ¡°Viviana has learned a few tricks on how to break bread with them, haven¡¯t you, my love?¡± ¡°Aye.¡± The skirts of her amber velvet gown swirled as she joined her husband. ¡°Beau, say to the mortals that you have many food allergies and as such you must prepare all of your own meals. You can then arrange this preparation so that you will dine alone. If you must share a table with them, first mix a little of your bagged blood in whatever you put on your plate. At best ¡¯twill hold off the sickness only a few minutes, so eat quickly and then visit the privy at once. If they find you emptying your belly, blame your allergies.¡± ¡°You might eat with your hands, and belch very loudly,¡± Harlech added. ¡°Whenever Rainer forgets himself and does that during the dining hall performance, the mortals vacate his table at once.¡± Beau thought of Alys on the floor, her bare body trapped under his. As he did, he felt his cock stir, as it did every time he remembered having her beneath him. Enough of Alys. ¡°I¡¯ve no wish to disgust them.¡± Beau went to his armoire and began selecting the garments he would need. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Viviana asked as she came to help him. ¡°Have they some maiden among them who has caught your eye? Or do they not permit women to do such work?¡± ¡°No. In fact the team is led by a woman.¡± He carried his garments over to his cases. ¡°Alys Stuart is her name. Dr. Alys Stuart.¡± ¡°How interesting.¡± Viviana¡¯s brows arched. ¡°What manner of leech digs in the dirt for things forgotten?¡± ¡°She is a doctor of archaeology, not medicine.¡± Beau saw the look Harlech¡¯s wife gave him. ¡°And yes, Vivi, she is young and lovely and, as far as I know, unattached. Unfortunately she is also immune to l¡¯attrait.¡± Viviana grimaced. ¡°Oh, bad luck. Is there anyone else, perhaps? For if there isn¡¯t, I could surely send along one of the household girls to visit you. Several of them are very taken with you, you know.¡± ¡°Are they?¡± Beau regarded his captain, who cringed a little. ¡°I thank you, but I think I should be able to bear the burden of an empty bed for a month.¡± ¡°Well, if you change your mind, you have only to call.¡± She gave his hand a fond pat before she said to her husband, ¡°Harlech, I will be supervising the fittings tonight, so do not expect me before midnight.¡± She kissed his check before she swept out. Page 9 ¡°For nigh on five centuries that woman kept from me that she was changed by Nottingham and she and Rain were the last of Sherwood jardin,¡± Harlech said. ¡°Yet when I confide in her, she cannot hold her tongue for five minutes.¡± As he had lied to Harlech since they were mortals, Beau wondered whether Viviana¡¯s offer veiled something more damning. ¡°If you have some doubt of me or this mission, brother, tell me yourself.¡±Advertisement ¡°When you were late to assembly, I questioned the men about you. I also asked Rainer.¡± Harlech lifted a hand. ¡°I know, ¡¯twas wrong of me to assume you were at fault. You are the most loyal of men.¡± A dull fear plumed inside his gut, making it difficult to keep his tone casual. ¡°What was said?¡± ¡°You know Rain.¡± Harlech rolled his eyes. ¡°He nattered on about Nottingham and Viviana, and that time one of his trick blades landed in your ribs. I thought I¡¯d go mad listening to him, but then he said something very odd. He claimed that you could not be out wenching, for you had not had a woman in months.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Beau hid his relief by opening his case. ¡°Well, that explains why your wife wants to fill my bed.¡± Harlech looked uncomfortable. ¡°¡¯Tis not like you to avoid females, Beau.¡± ¡°In truth I thought I had tired of them,¡± Beau admitted. ¡°¡¯Twas not until I had Alys under me that I felt the need.¡± ¡°The woman was immune to your scent, and you still took her to bed?¡± Harlech grinned. ¡°Small wonder half the garrison envies you.¡± ¡°I did not take her. ¡¯Twas an accident; we fell together.¡± Beau paced across the room and back again before he regarded Harlech. ¡°I will tell you this: I wanted to have her, right there, even as she was swearing to hurt me if I did. She thought me a brute come to rape her.¡± ¡°No doubt.¡± Harlech saw his face. ¡°Good God, man, you¡¯ve never had a mortal female refuse you. That in itself must make this Alys seem like the most alluring Aphrodite ever to walk the earth. So, then. Did you force yourself on her?¡± Beau gave him a filthy look. ¡°I may have unseemly thoughts, but never would I violate a woman.¡± ¡°I never doubted it. I will tell you my great secret, the one that has kept me true and faithful to Viviana all these centuries.¡± Harlech smiled. ¡°I have known any number of fetching wenches, and yes, a few who have thrown themselves at me, begging to see to my pleasure. When this happens, I see them as children too young to know what they are about.¡± His mouth curled. ¡°And then I go and find my wife.¡± ¡°Alys will not be throwing herself at me,¡± Beau admitted. ¡°She has disliked me from the start.¡± ¡°She will come to like you, Beau. Everyone does.¡± Harlech clapped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°But likely she is indifferent to you, or her passions run another course. To cool your desire, I suggest you think on some Kyn female you might pursue, and the mortal solely as a sister. A very young sister.¡± A sister, when Beau could not even remember his mother. ¡°And there is that look on your face again,¡± his captain said. ¡°You¡¯ve worn it like a mask every day since Byrne¡¯s brother attempted to take the Realm. It reminds me of how you were when we were boys.¡± ¡°¡¯Twas a shock. I should have known those Saracens meant to harm us.¡± And if I were to tell you the reason for that, you would have my head piked on the castle gates. ¡°As for women, I see you with Viviana, and our lady with Byrne, and I want the same for myself. A wife, a companion. But there are so few unattached females among our kind that thinking on them in that manner is the same as dreaming.¡± ¡°I am sorry I have troubled you about it.¡± Harlech grimaced. ¡°Only know that if you are in need of anything from a brother, you have but to find me.¡± As Harlech helped him pack, Beau¡¯s thoughts drifted back to his brief life as a mortal. He remembered almost nothing of his childhood before he had been sent to foster with Harlech¡¯s family. The smallest and thinnest of boys, Beau hadn¡¯t dared to utter a word to anyone. Preoccupied with his own training, Harlech had barely noticed Beau until one afternoon in the lists, when some of the older boys had come looking for Beau. That day it had been seven against one, and yet when the tussle ended and the dust had cleared, every squire lay huddled and moaning in the dirt. Harlech had tethered his mount and walked over to where Beau stood, his battered face tight and his bruised hands fisted, his back pressed against a hay bale. ¡°Well-done. Who taught you to fight?¡± Beau spat out some blood, but his eyes never strayed from the boys he had knocked down. ¡°Priests.¡± ¡°Huh. I shall have to attend church more often.¡± Harlech gave him a measuring look. ¡°Go and wash up. Mother hates to see evidence of our labors at her table.¡± Beau jerked his chin toward the fallen. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°I expect they¡¯ll be too busy now,¡± Harlech said, eliciting new groans from the fallen. To one of them, he said, ¡°Do remind me, Master Thaddius, what is the price for a squire who loses a challenge?¡± The older boy hung his head and muttered, ¡°Shoveling out stalls for the stable master.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Harlech smiled. ¡°Shit for shit.¡± ¡°Do you remember Squire Langston?¡± Beau now asked Harlech as he stowed some extra shirts in his traveling case. ¡°Thaddius the Thickhead?¡± Harlech chuckled. ¡°God in heaven, Beau, I have not thought of him in seven lifetimes. Why have you?¡± ¡°He died at a tourney in France when he was but twenty,¡± Beau said. ¡°He took a lance through the heart. He couldn¡¯t afford the proper armor, but still he rode. I thought it brave of him.¡± ¡°Stupid, more like,¡± Harlech corrected. ¡°Thaddius was a braggart and a bully who thought himself ever invincible. ¡¯Twas what killed him in the end.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°You were never friends with Thaddius.¡± ¡°Do you recall the day in the lists, when he and the other squires came to thrash me?¡± As Harlech nodded, Beau said, ¡°I did not come to the evening meal because I was bloodied and beaten. I went to the stables and shoveled out the stalls with them.¡± Harlech made an impatient sound. ¡°As angry as they were? They might have smothered you in shit.¡± ¡°They hated me because I was small and thin and alone.¡± Beau closed the case and fastened the straps. ¡°I had to show them that I was no different.¡± ¡°And did you?¡± ¡°I took a few more cuffs that night, but none in earnest,¡± Beau admitted. ¡°I have never been one to lead others, Harlech. If not for you, Thaddius might have become my friend and guide. I daresay I would have followed him to France, and died a mortal death as he did.¡± ¡°But you followed me into the Templars, and off to Crusade, and back to England again.¡± Harlech¡¯s expression turned pensive. ¡°Where I, your good friend, gave you the plague that took us both to the grave.¡± ¡°As well as the immortal life I¡¯ve lived since we clawed our way out of them.¡± Beau shrugged into the black leather jacket he wore when among mortals. ¡°For a long time I believed we were cursed by God for our sins. But the modern world has changed my thinking, and now I am persuaded to believe it is as Cyprien¡¯s leech would have it. We were changed by the strangeness of that plague, not divine condemnation. It was not punishment, but accident.¡± ¡°You have been thinking too much of late.¡± The captain folded his arms. ¡°So what if it was chance? Would you have rather died on the wrong end of a lance, as Thaddius did? Is that the real reason you¡¯ve given up wenching? Why you spend so many nights hunting alone? Some manner of atonement?¡± He peered at him. ¡°Have you taken to excessive praying, or drinking animal blood?¡± ¡°No. I have no desire to make myself into a changeling.¡± Beau felt once more the urge to confess to his friend the truth. ¡°Harlech, becoming a Templar was the making of me as a mortal, but being changed to Darkyn was my penance. If Dr. Keller is right, then I must accept that I have done nothing to make amends, not once in these seven hundred years.¡± ¡°You speak as if you need absolution for some terrible crime, but you have done nothing. Indeed, I have known you to be everything that is loyal and true and good in a man, mortal or Kyn.¡± The captain threw up his hands. ¡°You do yourself injustice without cause. Name a moment when you have not conducted yourself as the most courageous of warriors.¡± ¡°It does not matter. We must all face a day of reckoning.¡± And if he was right, his would soon be at hand. Harlech looked puzzled. ¡°Reckoning for what?¡± Beau looked out into the darkness toward the east. ¡°All our sins left unforgiven.¡± Unable to sleep, thanks to the X-rated movie starring Beauregard York that kept playing in her head, Alys went down to the hotel¡¯s indoor pool to swim off her frustrations. By dawn she had managed to exhaust herself, which allowed her to sleep until her afternoon wake-up call. It took another hour to rouse her interns and have their equipment loaded into the rental vans they¡¯d be using for transport to and from the site. Before they left the hotel, Alys coordinated their GPS units, distributed handheld radios, and gave her student drivers strict instructions to stay together. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone accidentally ending up at one of the theme parks.¡± ¡°Disney is for little kids,¡± Brenda said, sounding huffy. ¡°We were hoping to hit Knights Realm, but they¡¯re closed for renovations or something until February.¡± ¡°I can skip the medieval experience,¡± Charles told her. ¡°Those guys are just a bunch of wimpy RenFaire freaks anyway.¡± ¡°Might I remind you all? This isn¡¯t a vacation.¡± The disappointment on their faces made Alys feel a twinge of regret; they were still kids. ¡°That said, if you¡¯re diligent and we finish the project on schedule, I might be persuaded to pay for a celebratory visit to one of the parks for everyone.¡± Page 10 ¡°SeaWorld,¡± Chan said instantly.Advertisement Brenda shook her head. ¡°Universal is way better.¡± ¡°The Holy Land Experience.¡± Paolo cringed as the other interns glared at him. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m Catholic.¡± ¡°If the time comes,¡± Alys promised, ¡°we¡¯ll take a vote.¡± Driving her Jeep, Alys led the mini-caravan out of the city, following roads through hundreds of acres of undeveloped land until she reached the turnoff for the survey area. Newly installed fencing made of steel and wire had been tagged every few yards with danger signs warning of high voltage. ¡°Wow.¡± Brenda, who was riding in the passenger seat, peered at the signs. ¡°Kind of extreme. I guess we won¡¯t have to worry about looters.¡± Electrified fences seemed rather excessive to Alys as well, but obviously Tremayne meant to keep trespassers off the foundation¡¯s land at any cost. She stopped at the entry, where she inputted the access code on the security pad to release the gate¡¯s electronic lock. As the final barrier swung inward, the last rim of sunlight vanished, darkening the clear sky to an orange-bordered violet. The lack of light didn¡¯t bother Alys, as she had always been more awake and alert at night. She also liked seeing the stars glittering overhead; that was something she¡¯d missed since leaving Europe. The sky looks like his eyes. ¡°What was that, Dr. Stuart?¡± Brenda asked. Alys hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d uttered it out loud. ¡°I said that the sky is a nice surprise. We can¡¯t see this much of it in the city.¡± Her intern frowned at her. ¡°Are you okay? You seem a little, um, preoccupied. I mean, even for you.¡± ¡°I have a great deal on my mind.¡± And there was no room in it for Beau York. The foundation¡¯s property encompassed wide fields, acres of woods, and several small lakes, all of which showed no signs of occupation. Alys liked the sprawling majesty of the black oaks and their long, twisted limbs, made almost elegant by the silvery drapery of Spanish moss. The dirt road on which she drove had been recently leveled and graded, which would make the students¡¯ trips back and forth to the site easier. She spotted a crumbling brick wall illuminated by her headlights and slowed to take in the first sight of the old Spanish mission. Bright lights over the archaic buildings suddenly switched on, making her flinch until she heard the faint rumble of a generator. Someone is already out here, or Tremayne has the power supply on a timer. Since there was no sign of any other vehicles, Alys guessed it to be the latter. At least Beau York hadn¡¯t shown up yet. Alys needed time to collect herself and prepare to deal with him. The preliminary surveys conducted by Hylord¡¯s contractor had included a few photos of the mission, but seeing it in person allowed her to appreciate the fine details. The Spanish priests who had arrived here six hundred years ago had evidently taken their time constructing the place, which appeared much larger and more elaborate than some sixteenth-century Franciscan missions on Florida¡¯s east coast she had seen in photos. Four main buildings, all joined by open-sided passageways, made up the compound. In the center stood the mission¡¯s church, which featured a two-story tower vestibule and arched windows that might have once held glass panes. Beside it a flat-roofed structure was probably the cloister, where the priests had lived and slept. The other two buildings were smaller, and she guessed they had served as a kitchen and a stable or storage barn. From all indications the mission had been built as the precursor to the sustained European presence in the area, one that had lasted until the late eighteenth century, when Spain ended two hundred and fifty years of rule over Florida by trading it to the English in exchange for Cuba. Alys parked in a clearing behind the mission, where she got out and directed her intern drivers to back in so they could easily access the cargo areas. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll find any dead people out here?¡± Brenda asked as she went to help with the unloading. The groans and laughter drew Alys¡¯s attention, and she joined the group of students. ¡°If I answer all the questions, then you won¡¯t learn anything. Does anyone want to offer an opinion for Brenda?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Charles drawled. ¡°The ground¡¯s too wet in this part of the country. That decays the soft tissue right away, and turns any bones left into rice pudding.¡± ¡°Thank you for that visual, Charles,¡± Alys said. ¡°Human remains can be found almost anywhere humans have lived, but we won¡¯t be excavating any we might uncover here. Does anyone know why?¡± ¡°Because of chapter eight seventy-two of the Florida Statutes Unmarked Human Burial Law,¡± Chan said. ¡°That makes it illegal to disturb any burial site, and any that we uncover we have to report to both the state and local tribal officials so they can decide on their disposition.¡± Charles pretended to yawn. ¡°You¡¯re such a geek, Chan.¡± ¡°Bite me, preppy,¡± the Asian shot back. ¡°Gentlemen.¡± Alys gave them the eye before addressing the rest of the group. ¡°What that means, people, is that any human skeletons or bones are to be left where you find them and reported to me immediately.¡± Setting up the site would take most of the night, Alys estimated, although some work had already been done. Brush and grasses around the old mission had been neatly trimmed back, and she could see an ancient trail leading into the woods had also been cleared. Thanks to the winter season and its chilly night temperatures, they wouldn¡¯t have to combat swarms of biting insects. According to the surveyors, the land hosted only a minimal number of nocturnal predators, none of which was larger than a raccoon. Alys scanned the site with a deep sense of satisfaction. Hylord¡¯s people had relieved her of hours of prep, which would allow her to begin searching for and mapping excavation sites as soon as they unloaded and set up their equipment stations. Her plan was to first use the ground-penetrating radar to sweep the area around the mission to identify promising spatial clusters. Once they had mapped out a grid around the mission, Alys also intended to visit the nearby Indian village for any evidence of nonindigenous activity. With only four weeks to work, however, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do more than perform a quick visual survey. A grunt escaped her as she heaved a heavy case of field tools out of the van; a moment later it was pulled from her hands as the scent of warm caramel whispered under her nose. ¡°Allow me, Dr. Stuart.¡± The sweet, dark fragrance faded from her senses, replaced by the same voice echoing in her memory. When he takes hold of your arm, child, jerk yourself to the left, very quickly. ¡°Dr. Stuart?¡± Alys swatted at the hair that had fallen into her eyes to cover her distress. ¡°Mr. York.¡± When she was able to, she smiled blindly up at Beau¡¯s face. ¡°Such a pleasant surprise. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here so soon.¡± She recalled the absence of any other vehicles. ¡°How did you get out here?¡± ¡°An acquaintance drove the truck that brought me and the equipment. I switched on the lighting and had a look around the old church.¡± He hefted the box of tools as if it were filled with cotton balls. ¡°Where do you want this?¡± ¡°Under the long table the interns are setting over there.¡± She pointed toward Chan and Paolo, and watched him carry it past a wide-eyed Brenda, who rushed to her. ¡°Dr. Al, what¡¯s the delish guy from the hotel doing here?¡± the student demanded. ¡°That¡¯s Mr. York, and he works for the foundation that is funding our excavation. Once we¡¯ve finished unloading, I¡¯ll introduce him to everyone.¡± Alys handed her a box of cataloging materials. ¡°This goes in the processing area.¡± From that point the setup went smoothly and quickly, with Beau moving the bulk of the equipment cases and boxes of supplies, which allowed the interns to begin arranging their work areas. Alys focused on erecting the canopied mesh tent that she and the students would use as an on-site lab. Hammering the support stakes into the cold ground also allowed her to exorcise some of her pent-up annoyance, although the telescopic aluminum poles and the large roll of roofing canvas weren¡¯t meant to be assembled by one person. Before she could call Charles over to help, Beau appeared at her side. ¡°You look as if you could use a helping hand.¡± ¡°No, what I need is some pepper spray,¡± Alys muttered. ¡°I have excellent hearing,¡± Beau said casually, ¡°and as I¡¯m certain you really don¡¯t wish to temporarily blind me, why don¡¯t you tell me how this goes together?¡± He had a good sense of humor, Alys thought, feeling a twinge of envy. No one would ever accuse her of the same. She gave him a brief rundown of how the tent was assembled, and added, ¡°We have to raise the two support poles at the same time, which can be a little awkward. I can have one of the students¡ª¡± She stopped as he strode over to the opposite side of the canvas and bent to grasp the pole, which he handled without difficulty. ¡°On three?¡± he suggested. Alys nodded, he counted, and together they raised the canopy. Beau appeared to have no problem sinking his pole into the ground, and came over as Alys struggled with her side. ¡°The ground is still hard from the last freeze.¡± He wrapped one hand around the pole above hers, and she felt the aluminum slide through her fingers as his arm flexed. He stepped back and glanced at the other pole. ¡°Is that even, then?¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± She didn¡¯t understand why his effortless show of strength made her feel even more resentful. If anything, it would be good to have a strong, capable man to help the interns with the heavy lifting and other physical work, something she¡¯d always had to handle herself. Sharing the responsibilities with Beau would give her more time to focus on finding the evidence she needed, and for that, she could show a little more gratitude. ¡°Thank you. I appreciate the assistance.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll need more of it.¡± He picked up a roll of the enclosure mesh, checked the straps, and eyed the edge of the canvas. ¡°This is used for the walls?¡± Page 11 Alys showed him how to clip the mesh straps to the grommets in the canvas, which he then accomplished in a few minutes. She followed behind him, releasing the ties and securing the edge of the mesh to the ground.Advertisement Beau circled around the tent, finding and opening the entry flaps to step inside. ¡°Is this where you¡¯ll have your meals?¡± ¡°The canopied table over there is our dining area,¡± she said, pointing at it. ¡°We use this tent for our lab work.¡± She followed him in. ¡°We¡¯ll bring everything we process in here for cleaning, labeling, and cataloging.¡± She touched the inside of the mesh. ¡°This keeps the area reasonably clean and isolated from the rest of the excavation, which prevents any accidental contamination of the finds. You¡¯re very handy for someone who has never worked a dig. Are you a camper, or a hunter?¡± ¡°A bit of both.¡± On impulse she asked, ¡°Have you ever been to France?¡± ¡°I came to America from England when I was a boy,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°I¡¯ve not left the States since.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She felt disappointed, and then, strangely relieved. It couldn¡¯t have been him anyway; he would have been only a boy. ¡°You should visit it sometime. France, I mean. It¡¯s a beautiful country.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡± He went to hold back a flap for Chan and Paolo, who carried in one of the long folding worktables. ¡°What do you expect to find out here?¡± ¡°Typically Florida sites yield unorganized burial sites, some pottery sherds, refuse pits, shell middens, stone tools.¡± She nodded toward the church. ¡°Spanish priests, like the ones who founded this mission, introduced things like glass beads and forged metals.¡± ¡°Dr. Al gives a great seminar on coprolite analysis,¡± Chan told Beau. ¡°She¡¯s profiled the cultural features of a bunch of villages based solely on accretional deposits.¡± Alys waited until the boys had left the tent before she said, ¡°My interns are prone to exaggeration. I¡¯ve only profiled two villages. You don¡¯t know what coprolites are, do you?¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Something you dig out of the ground, I expect.¡± ¡°They¡¯re preserved feces.¡± His expression made her smile. ¡°Don¡¯t look so disgusted. We learn a great deal by analyzing human waste and other preserved ecofacts. Latrine pits and garbage dumps help us identify what the inhabitants hunted, the crops they might have planted, the seasonality of their diet, even who in the surrounding region traded with them.¡± ¡°All that,¡± he said, ¡°from digging through shit?¡± ¡°We are what we eat, Mr. York. In a few hundred years some scientist may examine what you left behind in order to know who you were.¡± Alys saw the odd look he gave her. ¡°Do you wonder what his conclusions will be?¡± ¡°No.¡± A strange sadness flickered over his features. ¡°I¡¯ll take care not to leave anything behind.¡± With that, Beau strode out of the tent. Chapter 5 Once the equipment had been sorted and the work areas prepared, Beau excused himself from sharing a meal with the team and busied himself by adding fuel to the generators and stowing unneeded packing materials and empty cases inside the church. When he emerged, he found Alys setting up a second, smaller tent to one side of the tower. ¡°What is that used for?¡± ¡°Me.¡± She finished knotting a cord through the loop of a ground stake. ¡°The interns will be staying at the hotel in the city, but I have to remain on-site for the duration. This is where I¡¯ll be sleeping during the day.¡± ¡°Not outside, you won¡¯t. It¡¯s already been seen to.¡± When she stared up at him, he held out his hand. ¡°Come with me.¡± She pushed herself to her feet. ¡°What¡¯s been seen to?¡± ¡°Your comfort.¡± He drew back his hand, annoyed with her for avoiding his touch. He could understand such reticence if she had reason for it, but he had spent most of the night trying to anticipate and carry out her wishes, and treat her as Harlech had suggested, like a much younger sister. ¡°Dr. Stuart?¡± The buxom, dark-haired intern named Brenda joined them, and gave Beau a meltingly sweet smile before she spoke to Alys. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else for us to do, we thought we¡¯d head back to the hotel now.¡± Alys scanned the site before nodding to the girl. ¡°That should do it for tonight. I¡¯ll come and see you off.¡± Beau followed the two females to the vans, where the rest of the interns had congregated. ¡°Hey, Beau, you need a ride back into town?¡± Charles asked. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ve made my own arrangements.¡± He opened the van side door and helped Brenda up inside. ¡°Do be careful on the drive back, then.¡± She gave him a drowsy smile. ¡°God, I love the way you talk.¡± ¡°Good night, everyone,¡± Alys added. ¡°You did very well today. Just be sure to report back here tomorrow by sunset.¡± Once the students had departed, Beau cupped Alys¡¯s elbow and steered her toward the cloister. ¡°I¡¯ve no wish to interfere with how you do your work, but you are not sleeping in that tent.¡± She looked down at his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the matter was up for debate.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be,¡± he chided her. ¡°You know it is foolish to sleep outside in this weather. You¡¯ll catch a fever.¡± ¡°Bacteria and viruses cause fevers, not weather. I also have a very strong immune system. I¡¯m never sick.¡± She pulled her arm away and peered inside the open doorway. ¡°I also have no way of knowing if these buildings are safe for occupancy.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve survived this long without crumbling. Nothing will fall on your head, I promise you.¡± He led her inside and over to the short stairs leading down to the underground vault. He picked up and switched on a battery-powered lantern before he guided her down the steps and handed her the light. ¡°Wait here.¡± His Kyn eyes allowed him to move easily through the dark to each of the other lanterns he¡¯d placed around the cellar. He heard a soft gasp as he turned on the last of them, and looked back to see Alys¡¯s pretty mouth forming an O. He glanced around at the furnishings he¡¯d arranged, feeling pleased with himself. ¡°So, then. Is it to your liking?¡± ¡°My liking?¡± She met his gaze. ¡°Mr. York, this isn¡¯t a cellar. It¡¯s an apartment.¡± She moved past him, examining first the beds and then the desk before scanning the rest of the chamber. ¡°There aren¡¯t any windows. Of course there aren¡¯t. We¡¯re underground.¡± ¡°If it feels too cold for you, I have several space heaters to warm the air.¡± He pointed to the boxes he¡¯d stacked neatly in one corner. She went over to the adjoining lavatory and ducked her head inside before turning toward him. ¡°My budget doesn¡¯t allow for this kind of expense. How am I supposed to pay the rental fees for all this?¡± ¡°Hylord has covered the cost.¡± Beau doubted Tremayne would care if he had turned the mission into a restaurant and nightclub, as long as the emeralds were recovered and delivered to him. ¡°We will be living out here for weeks. Proper shelter is a necessity.¡± She turned around to face him. ¡°We?¡± Her eyes went to the beds, and then to the cases he¡¯d left by the window. ¡°You mean me.¡± ¡°You cannot stay here alone, unguarded,¡± he advised her. ¡°You are a woman, and this place is too isolated. If you needed help¡ª¡± She produced her mobile. ¡°I¡¯d do what everyone else in trouble does, and call 911.¡± ¡°Check it,¡± he told her. ¡°You¡¯ll find you have little to no reception.¡± Alys glanced at the display before she shoved it back into her trouser pocket. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because nothing is going to happen to me. This is private property, surrounded by an electrified fence. My interns will be on-site every night. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not this safe in my apartment back in Boston.¡± ¡°You are not in Boston,¡± he said patiently. ¡°You are here, and Hylord wants you comfortable and protected. So during the days, I will be sleeping with you.¡± Her mouth went tight. ¡°I agreed to let you join my team, Mr. York, not climb into my bed.¡± ¡°That is why I installed two of them.¡± She refused to use his name, and it was beginning to grate on him. ¡°Stop calling me Mr. York. I told you, my name is Beau.¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me the truth, Beau? You got two beds because you thought I was a man. Now that you know I¡¯m not, what will happen? Are we going to push them together?¡± The change in her scent tempted Beau to smile¡ªAlys¡¯s natural, faintly cinnamon scent practically sizzled and snapped in the air when she was angry¡ªbut he managed to keep his expression neutral. ¡°I see no reason for that. You needn¡¯t worry, Alys. You will be perfectly safe here, with me.¡± She started to say something, paused, and then spun on her heel and went back up the steps. Guessing she wouldn¡¯t soon return, Beau closed himself in the lavatory, where he had concealed under the floorboards his cache of bagged blood. The cold ground would keep it from spoiling, but he disliked the thick, chilly taste of the stuff. Still, there was nothing to be done about that. Aside from Alys and her team, there were no mortals in the area for miles. Even if he were to curtail his feeding and take only every few days the small amount he needed to live, he could not compel Alys, and the thought of making use of her young students turned his stomach. Once Beau made his way outside, he saw Alys waving toward the two vans driving away from the mission. A glance around the site revealed they were alone, and dawn would arrive within minutes. ¡°They are good workers, your students.¡± ¡°Wait until tomorrow night, when they begin whining about how sore and exhausted they are.¡± Alys turned and inspected him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem tired. You must be in marvelous shape, too. All that work you did today, and I never saw you once break a sweat.¡± Page 12 ¡°Perhaps I did, and you were too busy to notice.¡± He surveyed her soiled, wrinkled garments and the faint shadows under her eyes. ¡°You did rather too much yourself, I think. You should leave the heavy work to me.¡±Advertisement ¡°I¡¯m accustomed to working alone, and you¡¯ve taken on quite enough responsibility.¡± She shouldered a strange-looking silver bag and headed toward the cloister. Beau lingered behind to switch off the generators and make one last round of the camp. The most expensive, hardest-to-replace equipment had been secured inside the church, the food supplies stored in protective containers and coolers stacked inside a large, animal-proof cage. As he walked the perimeter, he wondered how Alys was faring with the portable shower he¡¯d rigged in the lavatory. She probably disliked it; mortals of this time were not accustomed to bathing with cold water. He should go down and see whether he could warm a ewer for her over the camp stove. Despite his best efforts Beau could not stop thinking about how she had looked, emerging from the hotel bath, her hair spilling like dark scarlet silk over her bare shoulders, her flesh rosy from the heat of the shower. She should have looked that in his arms, after he gave her pleasure, all shivering delight, her lovely mouth whispering his name¡ª She doesn¡¯t know my name, and when I had her in my arms, she fought me. Shame crushed his desire, leaving behind only shreds of self-disgust. He would be sleeping in the same chamber with the woman for weeks; he could not seduce her and he would not allow himself to touch her. No, as oblivious to him as Alys was, he would have to think of her as Harlech had said. A girl no older than her students, a young sister, one who neither needed nor wanted anything from him but gentleness and protection. With that mind-set he made his way downstairs, where he found Alys sitting on the end of one bed and drying her hair with a towel. She had dressed in fitted, cream-colored thermal garments that covered her from throat to ankle, and had stuffed her long feet into bright red fuzzy socks. Her clean skin smelled of some sort of light floral lotion, which didn¡¯t completely mask the exciting zing of her scent. The fact that she was warm enough to shed so much scent did puzzle him. ¡°The water was not too cold, I hope.¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter, Beau. It¡¯s freezing.¡± She shook out her hair and smoothed it back. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t use your shower rig.¡± He frowned. ¡°You have found a hot springs hidden somewhere?¡± ¡°In here.¡± She gestured for him to follow her into the lavatory, where she had hung the silver bag she¡¯d carried in. ¡°This is a solar water bag. Have you ever used one?¡± When he shook his head, she said, ¡°You fill it up and hang it in the sun. In two hours the solar units on the outside convert the sunlight, and that heats the water to a hundred degrees. It¡¯s only a little warmer than body temperature, but the chill outside makes it feel hotter.¡± Beau examined the strange but simple contraption, which sported a temperature gauge strip and a flexible spray-hose attachment. After all the centuries he¡¯d spent bathing in frigid rivers and icy lakes, it seemed almost magical. ¡°How could you make it work at night?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, so this morning I put it out on the hotel balcony. It¡¯s insulated, so it keeps the water warm for a long time.¡± She touched the bag. ¡°There¡¯s enough left for you.¡± ¡°You saved some of your water, for me.¡± Her kindness left him bewildered. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? If we¡¯re going to sleep in the same room, I¡¯d like you to bathe regularly.¡± She handed him a towel and made to leave. Beau caught her arm, tugging her to him. ¡°You are very kind to someone you dislike. It makes me wonder what you would do for a friend.¡± He kissed her brow in what he hoped was a brotherly fashion. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you.¡± She lifted her hand as if to touch her forehead, and then dropped it. ¡°You are¡­I¡¯m not¡­I left you some soap over there.¡± She made a quick gesture and quickly retreated. After Beau had bathed, he wrapped a towel around his hips and looked out into the chamber. Alys had turned out the lights and lay huddled under the coverlet, her face turned toward the wall. Knowing it might embarrass her if he slept naked, as he did at the Realm, Beau pulled on a pair of trousers before he stretched out on the other bed. Even underground he could feel the rising of the sun, for the day¡¯s hours sapped the strength from him wherever he was. He stared up at the weathered stone of the ceiling, on which some priest had scratched the sign of the cross over and over. Although Beau had long ago set aside his faith, and he did not believe in ghosts, from the moment he had stepped foot inside the church, he had felt a presence here. He could not tell whether it was malignant or benevolent, only that it weighed on his senses like a heavy, unseen yoke. He turned on his side to watch Alys sleep. Alys walked through the old sanctuary, her feet bare and burning as they crossed the cold planks. Every breath she took seemed to solidify in her lungs, and as she approached the altar, lacy snowflakes drifted down around her. The instant they touched her, they glowed with a strange, intense green light. She had done this before in her dreams, too many times to count. This time, however, she could see and smell tallow candles burning. The uncertain light flickered over a long row of men in black robes, all on their knees with their hands clasped in prayer. She shifted her gaze to the simple wooden cross suspended from the ceiling, and felt the coldness of its shadow against her face. ¡°This is silly,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not religious. I¡¯ve never attended church. I don¡¯t believe in God. I¡¯m a scientist. I should be dreaming of labs and lecture halls and charcoal-tempered pottery.¡± ¡°You are not dreaming, daughter.¡± A tall, broad-shouldered figure came out of the dark, sending a whirlwind of ice crystals around her. Alys regarded him. His hooded brown robe concealed his features, but his crudely stitched leggings and worn leather boots were embroidered with gold. Heavy leather gloves encased his hands, and brassy golden hair hung long and loose over his shoulders. While the snow was beginning to encrust her shoulders and arms, not a speck touched him or his clothing. She didn¡¯t remember him, but she felt sure she¡¯d seen him before in her dreams. She¡¯d definitely heard his voice before now. ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡°I was the maker of the scroll, and the keeper of the cross, and the savior of the jewels.¡± The priest¡¯s voice rasped as if he had a bad case of laryngitis. ¡°It was I who washed them in my blood. You and your mortal family were my army, my guardians, each sworn to protect the secrets of eternity. Now you are last. You will not fail me as your sisters did.¡± The other priests rose from their prayers and walked in two rows past her, each carrying a smoldering metal sphere. The unpleasant smell of incense and charred metal made Alys feel slightly nauseated, as did the sight of the priests¡¯ faces, which were covered in open sores. ¡°You¡¯ve made an error. My parents are dead, but I was their child. Not yours.¡± ¡°You have the wisdom to protect the mortal world from eternal damnation,¡± the big priest said. ¡°But do you have the heart to do what needs be done? Will you die for love?¡± Alys looked down at the blade that appeared in his left hand. Beneath the bloody slush dripping from it she recognized carved bone. She would not fear a figment of her imagination, not when it spoke with the same voice that had saved her during her childhood. Of course she¡¯d given him that voice, just as she had designed every other part of him. ¡°You are not real,¡± she told him. ¡°My subconscious has constructed you out of childhood memories and recent encounters to serve as a surreptitious emotional outlet. You represent someone in my waking life, perhaps the chairman of the Hylord Foundation, with whom I have unresolved conflicts. Your questions are therefore irrelevant. I want to wake up now.¡± ¡°This is your dream, child.¡± The snow grew thicker, changing from a drift to a steady fall as he slipped the bone blade in a sheath on his hip. ¡°You used it to capture me. I could not have made it through on my own. My body no longer remains part of this world for long.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a ghost,¡± she countered, ¡°how could I capture you? Aside from that fact, I know I¡¯m sleeping. In an unconscious state I¡¯m paralyzed and incapable of any action.¡± ¡°You are capable of a great deal.¡± He touched her cheek, and his hand felt colder than the snow. ¡°And you have my curse. You never truly sleep, do you, Alys?¡± A blizzard roared soundlessly around her, nearly knocking her off her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but continuing to talk with you is pointless. I¡¯m just talking to myself.¡± ¡°I will try to help you and the boy if I can,¡± the priest said. ¡°You must watch for my hand.¡± Knee-deep in a white drift, Alys turned to watch him. ¡°The boy? What boy?¡± His form began to change shape, shedding his robe as his chest narrowed and his hair darkened. The ice storm vanished into a curtain of darkness that shrouded Alys. Go to him, the priest¡¯s voice whispered in her ears. Be with him. He will protect you. Alys shuffled toward the bed, where she pulled back the edge of the covers and climbed under them. She smelled something cool and sweet as heavy arms enclosed her, and Beau drew her against his chest. His breath wasn¡¯t coming out in white puffs like hers, and his face was dry of the freezing tears streaming down her cheeks. She was shivering so much she could hear her teeth chattering. She burrowed against him, trying to warm herself, but the frost glazing her skin wouldn¡¯t melt. ¡°Pr-priest,¡± she heard herself stammer. ¡°H-h-el-p-p m-me.¡­¡± The big man¡¯s eyes opened, and she saw her cold, pinched face reflected in the dark mirrors there. I will give him to you, the priest murmured in her mind. His heart can be yours for all eternity. Open your arms to him, my child. Love him as I could not. Give him your blood. Page 13 Alys saw a white, sharp gleam, and when she reached out, it sliced through the tip of her icy finger. She felt Beau¡¯s lips move against the little wound, and then the soft, rough caress of his tongue. Her heart began to pound as her fingers and then her hand burned, the snow pelting them beading to warm droplets that slid down to trickle over his chest. The stiffness of her face eased away, and the frozen spikes of her hair drooped and became a dripping veil.Advertisement Beneath her his cool body heated as well, his muscles stirring and bunching as he shifted her, settling her on top of him, his big hands stroking her buttocks. Alys straddled him with her thighs and pressed her cheek over his heart, feeling the throb there like a slow, steady hammer. I want him. His sweet scent rose up in her head, as soothing as the claws of her own lust were vicious. I have to have him. The heat pouring through her raced through her veins, growing brighter and faster with every shallow breath she took. Everywhere their bodies touched, her skin came alive, tight and aching, and she gripped his shoulders, panting as a terrible hunger twisted deep inside her. The smoky sweetness filling her nose made her wonder whether she would spontaneously combust, and burn him alive with her. She nuzzled his chest, pressing her lips to the hard wall of muscle. He is mine. That is how it can be, she heard the priest say, his voice distant and fading. All you must do is bring him into your heart. Love him. Give him pleasure. And when you find the fountain, when you drink at last of the waters of forever, you must die for him. Something wrenched Alys away from the man, and hurtled her back across the chamber. She slammed back into her own body, shaking as the hunger and heat turned to pain and cold. Once more she lay alone in the darkness, with nothing and no one to call her own. Rise. Go to him. Alys¡¯s mind cleared of everything but the voice urging her on. She pushed the damp, clinging linens off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. He is waiting for you. Here. Her feet scraped against rough wood as she shuffled toward the voice. Give yourself to him now. She reached for the coverlet, pulling it back and slipping beneath, her limbs growing leaden as she curled up beside the sleeping man. As she drifted deeper into the blackness, she felt something touch her back, and thought she heard the priest whisper one last time. My last. My only. My omega. Chapter 6 The sinking of the sun roused Beau, who should have felt rested, but a heaviness still burdened him. He had spent most of his rest wandering through the nightlands, searching the void for something he had lost, long ago. Sunehri, the weary, rasping voice of a woman whispered in his heart. You are going on a journey tonight. The words meant nothing to Beau, and yet they weighed on him like a millstone roped round his neck. This man will protect you. Obey him as you would me. Beau could see the boy he had been, smiling and sleepy-eyed as he stumbled over to his mother, who caught him in her arms and covered the top of his dark curls with soft kisses. ¡°Ammijaan.¡± The boy buried his face against her breast, taking one furtive peek at the man. ¡°Sunehri.¡± She gently lifted his chin, and in Urdu said, ¡°You are going on a journey tonight. This priest is my friend, and he will take you to your father¡¯s homeland, that you may know his people.¡± When the boy protested, she touched her fingers to his lips. ¡°Remember, when we talked of this? You promised you would be brave for me.¡± He nodded slowly, and she smiled. ¡°Now, kiss me good-bye.¡± The boy pressed his lips to her thin cheek, but when she tried to put him aside, he wrapped his arms around her neck. ¡°You come with us, too, Ammijaan?¡± Beau reached for her as well, but the woman and the boy faded away, leaving him alone with the robed man. ¡°Aap mhujhe kahan lay kay ja rahe hain?¡± he heard himself say as he followed the man to an enormous warhorse. Where are you taking me? ¡°Ghar,¡± the man answered, picking him up and tossing him onto the destrier¡¯s back. Beau frowned as the man swung up on the saddle in front of him, and looked past his shoulder. ¡°The House of Heaven is my home.¡± ¡°Not anymore, lad.¡± They rode the horse through the city, and across the desert and into the mountains. Each day the man would stop and set up a nomad¡¯s tent so Beau could eat and sleep. Sometimes Beau would wake to see him making chains of tiny links. He made three chains, and on each of them strung¡­ The eye of Yblis. The tent, the man, and the horse faded from Beau¡¯s mind, and the burden pressing on him did the same, lifting and lightening until he felt only a hint of it huddled against his chest: soft, warm, alive. A single breath told him who the sleeping woman sprawled on top of him was, but Beau couldn¡¯t believe it. He lifted his head to see rumpled red hair spread beneath his collarbone. ¡°Alys?¡± She answered with a mumble, turning her head and twitching her limbs before going limp again. Beau touched her back with his hands, intending to gently shake her, but the clammy condition of her thermals gave him pause. Was she sick? Her heartbeat thrummed steadily against his chest, and her breathing seemed regular and clear. Despite the dampness of her garments, they didn¡¯t smell of her sweat or anything at all. Taking care not to jolt her, Beau placed her on her side, climbed over her, and stepped out of the bed. She slept on as he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to her bed. As Beau lowered her down, he discovered her linens were as damp as her garments. Alarmed now, he rested a hand on her brow. Her skin felt warm, not hot, to the touch. He lifted a corner of her coverlet to his nose, but like her thermals it smelled only of her body scent, not the salt of sweat. Beau glanced back at his own bed. The dampness of the cellar may have woken her, and in some drowsy confusion she may have mistaken his bed for her own. She had certainly shown no waking desire to share it. I agreed to let you join my team, Mr. York, not climb into my bed. Beau drew away from her and took a seat at the desk, swiveling the chair to watch her and think. He did not recall dreaming or waking even once during the day, which was not at all normal for him. The Darkyn did not sleep as mortals did; their rest was more conscious and deliberate, and when they did surrender themselves to the darkness, they often ended up in the nightlands. Alys¡¯s presence had made it difficult for Beau to rest, but when he had finally drifted off, he had blanked out completely. He could not remember experiencing such an oblivious sleep, in fact, since his days as a mortal. A faint ache in his head made him rub a hand over his scalp. At the base of his skull he found a new, tender spot that indicated he had been struck there. He eyed Alys¡¯s peaceful, innocent face. Had she clubbed him over the head while he slept? Why would she then crawl in bed with him? ¡°No.¡± As if she¡¯d heard his thinking, Alys sat straight up in the bed, staring at him with wide eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Presently?¡± He leaned back. ¡°I¡¯m sitting and watching you sleep.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. We¡¯re sleeping together. I mean, we¡¯re sharing a room.¡± She fell back against the pillow, and then brought her hands up to touch her sleeves. ¡°Why are my thermals damp?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you.¡± Beau regarded her, noting that her confusion seemed genuine. ¡°Did something happen while I slept?¡± ¡°How would I know? I was asleep, too. Ouch.¡± She touched the side of her head. ¡°That hurts. Did I fall out of bed?¡± Beau rose and went to her, pushing aside her hand to examine the spot on her scalp. ¡°Perhaps you did. You have a bump here.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I remember that?¡± Before he could reply, she shook her head. ¡°Never mind. I had an awful nightmare last night. I was thrown across the room, and then I was in bed with you.¡± She didn¡¯t have to say it as if it were the same as being submerged neck-deep in muck, Beau thought. ¡°Then you do remember something.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°When I awoke¡±¡ªhe nodded across the room¡ª¡°you were in bed with me.¡± Alys¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°I am not jest¡ªjoking. I woke up and found you on top of me.¡± He knelt down before her. ¡°Let me see your eyes.¡± When she glared at him, he could see that her pupils appeared normal in size. ¡°Do you feel dizzy, or sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± Alys glanced over his shoulder. ¡°That part about me being thrown across the room¡ªyou couldn¡¯t have done that. It¡¯s too far. I probably¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she went still and closed her eyes. ¡°Oh, God, no. Not now.¡± ¡°Alys?¡± He touched her hand. ¡°What is it? Do you recall something?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m pretty sure I know how I got in your bed.¡± She looked at him. ¡°I must have been sleepwalking. I had a terrible problem with it when I was a child, and I still have episodes once or twice a year. I am so sorry.¡± He sat back on his haunches. ¡°Why do you apologize to me? You were not awake. You could not know what you were doing.¡± She cringed a little. ¡°Thanks, but that doesn¡¯t make crawling into bed with you any less embarrassing.¡± Now she thought being in bed with him was humiliating. ¡°When I woke, you seemed quite content to be using my chest as your pillow. I certainly did not mind it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± She gave him a wary glance. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It seemed to me harmless.¡± Think of her as a child. ¡°Something a younger sister might do.¡± Alys frowned. ¡°Your sister slept in your bed?¡± ¡°No; I have no sisters.¡± He was making a hash of this. ¡°I only mean that you should not feel embarrassed. I knew from the moment I woke that it was an innocent thing.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, it was.¡± She swung her legs over the side of the bed. ¡°And it was probably the nightmare that set it off.¡± Page 14 ¡°Unpleasant, was it?¡±Advertisement ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°I was walking through the old church. I saw the missionaries kneeling and praying at the altar. It was so cold, it began to snow.¡± Absently she rubbed her hands over her arms. ¡°That¡¯s all I can remember.¡± Her scent remained clear and sweet; she spoke the truth. Which meant their injuries were the result of Alys¡¯s sleepwalking¡­or someone else had come into the chamber while they slept. Beau healed instantly, so whatever had been done to him didn¡¯t matter. The thought of someone assaulting Alys, however, made a slow, burning fury ignite inside him. ¡°Do you feel hurt anywhere else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She stood, cautiously stretching out her arms and legs. ¡°I¡¯m a bit stiff, but I think that¡¯s from setting up last night.¡± She picked up her watch from the lamp table and strapped it to her wrist. ¡°The interns will be arriving soon. I¡¯d better get dressed.¡± When she went into the lavatory, Beau pulled on a shirt and his boots before making a complete circuit of the chamber, looking for signs of an intruder. He found no trace of unfamiliar scent in the air, or on anything that might have been used to strike them while they slept. At the same time he felt sure someone else had come inside the chamber. If the intruder had touched nothing, and had taken the weapon with him¡­ Beau went upstairs and performed a thorough search of the cloister for trace scent. Wherever humans went, they dispersed tiny amounts of their sweat and other body odors into the air. Unless particularly strong, these traces were undetectable to other mortals. The Kyn, however, could pick them up for hours after the human¡¯s passage. Because all humans had scents unique to them, the Kyn could also follow the invisible trail to wherever the mortal had gone. The only scents Beau found inside the cloister were those belonging to Alys and himself. Outside the structure, all he could detect were the faint traces left behind by the interns. A carefully shielded mortal, or a very controlled Kyn, might have invaded the camp while he and Alys slept, but unless the intruder could levitate, he would have left tracks in the dirt. The only footprints he saw belonged to him, Alys, and her team. Everything indicated they had slept undisturbed, but Beau didn¡¯t believe it. His instincts still insisted that someone had come in the night. Someone who wanted to harm Alys. Beau¡¯s hand itched for his sword. When I find him, and I will, I will introduce him to his entrails. The sound of the cargo vans coming down the dirt road diverted his attention, and as he walked to meet the students, Alys caught up with him. ¡°Beau, ah, would you mind not telling the interns about what happened last night?¡± ¡°They may have seen someone coming this way when they drove out,¡± he said. ¡°You can ask them if they did, but please don¡¯t mention my sleepwalking and getting into bed with you and all that.¡± She sounded shamed. Beau gritted his teeth. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the best reputation,¡± Alys said, surprising him. ¡°With the way that students gossip, it could get back to Hylord and cause you some problems.¡± She sighed. ¡°It would definitely get back to the university.¡± She was blaming herself for this, and Beau couldn¡¯t fathom why. ¡°You did nothing wrong, Alys.¡± ¡°Your boss and the tenure board won¡¯t see it that way.¡± She forced a smile as the interns piled out of the vans and started toward them. ¡°Please. I have to deal with enough people who already think I¡¯m crazy, and I don¡¯t want to be responsible for getting you fired.¡± In a louder voice she called out to the students, ¡°I hope everyone got plenty of sleep. We have a full schedule tonight.¡± The students collectively groaned. ¡°That¡¯s why they call it a working site, people.¡± Alys grinned at them. ¡°The good news is that since you did such a thorough job last night setting up, we can begin the grid layout immediately. Chan, you and I will be operating the GPR. Brenda, Charles, you¡¯ll handle marking, and Paolo, you¡¯re on mapping. The rest of you can supply the workstations and set up the lab. Any questions?¡± Brenda waved one long-nailed hand. ¡°Can Beau¡ªI mean, Mr. York¡ªwork with me and Charles?¡± Some of the other students chimed in, asking the same, until Alys made a gesture for quiet. ¡°Mr. York has his own work to attend to, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you let him do it. We¡¯ll break at ten and three for meals. Anything else?¡± When no one spoke, she nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± The interns scattered in different directions, and Beau followed Alys as she walked toward the stable. ¡°I¡¯ve no real work of my own. I would be happy to assist your students.¡± ¡°Brenda and the other girls only want a chance to flirt with you,¡± she told him. ¡°You should try to avoid giving any one of them too much attention. They develop attachments quickly, and at this age their egos are very fragile.¡± Beau felt amused and annoyed. ¡°Do you speak from experience?¡± ¡°Me? I don¡¯t bother with romance.¡± She took out her flashlight and switched it on. ¡°Emotional attachments are time-consuming and unpredictable, and the results are often disappointing. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m very good at them, either. Would you carry out that big blue case there?¡± Beau retrieved what she wanted. ¡°Matters of the heart are not experiments, Alys.¡± She considered that. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word on that. I¡¯ve never loved or been loved by anyone.¡± She said it so matter-of-factly that he frowned. ¡°What about your parents, your family?¡± ¡°My parents died in a car accident shortly after I was born. I spent my childhood at boarding schools. They were all excellent learning institutions, but growing up in a purely academic environment doesn¡¯t encourage much in the way of personal bonding. I liked my schoolmates, and admired my teachers, but they weren¡¯t effective substitutes for siblings or parents.¡± Although she used unfamiliar words, Beau understood what she was saying. During his childhood Harlech¡¯s family had been kind to him, and he had responded with steadfast loyalty, but he had never truly felt part of his foster brother¡¯s boisterous, happy clan. ¡°Who sent you away to school?¡± ¡°My guardian. He knew my parents, and when they were killed, he took care of me.¡± She shouldered a pack. ¡°I didn¡¯t see him very often, and he died last year.¡± ¡°I am sorry for your loss.¡± Beau picked up a second case she wanted before she could lift it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your guardian bring you into his home and foster¡­raise you as his daughter?¡± ¡°We never discussed it,¡± she admitted, ¡°but Robert was a bachelor, and he had to travel extensively for his work. Sometimes he sent postcards to me from different countries.¡± Back in the processing area Alys gave Chan the task of assembling what she called ¡°the trolley¡± while she set up a monitor screen, computer tower, and wireless transceiver. To Chan she said, ¡°Mr. York hasn¡¯t worked at a site using ground-penetrating radar. Why don¡¯t you explain the system to him?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The intern turned to Beau. ¡°The GPR transmits a signal into the ground, which bounces off subsurface features and objects. The receiver collects the return signals and displays them on the trolley¡¯s LCD unit as a graphic. It also transmits them to the computer, where our software processes the time it takes for a signal reflection, and calculates parameters and depth. If the scans are clear, we should be able to construct a 3-D map of the area, which gives us precise coordinates.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to use a lower-frequency signal out here,¡± Alys added. ¡°Chan, please calibrate the emitter for two hundred megahertz to start. We¡¯ll adjust it after we see the initial test scan.¡± Beau eyed the trolley unit, which appeared to be little more than a four-wheeled cart. ¡°How deep can the signal travel?¡± ¡°With this equipment, depending on the frequency we use, up to a thousand meters,¡± Chan said. ¡°The saturation of the ground will help.¡± Alys came over to adjust one of the switches on the trolley. ¡°Dry soil doesn¡¯t reflect signals very well. When it¡¯s saturated, the moisture interfaces with buried objects, retaining or pooling on them, and that acts like a mirror. The more water present, the better the signal and the more details we can see in the reflection data.¡± Beau studied the equipment as he sorted out what they had told him. ¡°So you push this over the ground, and the echoes of the signal it makes creates a picture of what is beneath the soil. They tell you where you should dig, how deep, and what you will find.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t take all the fun out of it,¡± Chan said as he attached the U-shaped push handle to the trolley. ¡°We have to create image maps from the amplitude time-slices and interpret them. Spatial correlation is very objective as well. What we think looks like a Grecian goblet on the screen might turn out to be a big fossilized turd once we excavate.¡± ¡°A coprolite, you mean,¡± Beau corrected, and winked at Alys. Jayr rose early from her rest, easing out of Aedan¡¯s strong arms to silently dress and slip out of their bedchamber. Keeping the Realm running smoothly always required a great deal of time, and now she had only a few weeks with which to finish the renovations and finalize the arrangements for the new performance schedules. The innumerable details and conflicts involved proved a constant challenge; she felt for every task she accomplished, two more cropped up in its place. Jayr first paid a visit to the administrative offices to call the Realm¡¯s answering service and pick up the inevitable dozens of messages her mortal vendors left for her during the day. This time, however, the operator informed her that the messages had already been relayed to her assistant. ¡°Would you like me to read them again to you, ma¡¯am?¡± the woman asked. Page 15 She checked the duplicate copy in her message book and saw the messages had been recorded in unfamiliar writing. ¡°That will not be necessary. Thank you.¡±Advertisement Once she retrieved the clipboard with her notes on the progress in the different areas under construction, Jayr retreated to her study, where she found a fire burning in her hearth, a stack of messages sitting on her desk, and a neatly typed page that appeared to be some sort of task schedule. She had barely begun reading it when a knock on the door sounded. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Good evening, my lady.¡± Devan Leeds entered, carrying a bottle of bloodwine and a crystal goblet on a silver tray, which he brought over and served to her. ¡°Tresora Burke called earlier to remind you that the lady visitors from Alenfar jardin will be arriving tonight. I¡¯ve readied the reception room, and as they are sisters, I¡¯ve arranged adjoining chambers for them in the guest quarters. Is that acceptable to you?¡± ¡°That sounds very good.¡± Jayr watched him prepare her drink. ¡°Have you been settling in?¡± ¡°Quite well, my lady. I took the liberty of checking on the current renovations, which are progressing according to schedule, and placed orders for the props, fabrics, and gift items you wished to obtain for the reopening. The stable master reports the sickly mare has much improved and, as your seneschal suspected, buttercups were the culprit. He promises to eradicate them from the field at once. When convenient, Captain Harlech wishes to have a word about purchasing some new mounts for the jousting performance. I believe he wishes to buy five more from a breeder in the Carolinas.¡± He offered her the wineglass he had filled. ¡°This is a very pleasant Spanish red; I think you¡¯ll find it superior to the French label you¡¯ve been served of late.¡± Jayr stared at him as she accepted the glass. ¡°Good God, man, have you slept at all today?¡± ¡°I have, my lady, thank you.¡± He stepped back and folded his hands behind his back. Jayr drank from the glass and regarded him. ¡°I am in awe of your efficiency. Have you left anything for me to do?¡± ¡°I thought you might want to review the messages from the service, that I might know your wishes and attend to the return calls while you welcome your visitors.¡± He nodded at the typed page. ¡°That is my work plan for the night, but if you need me to do anything else, of course you may change it as you will.¡± Jayr wasn¡¯t sure she dared look at it. ¡°Mr. Leeds¡ªDevan¡ªyou likely know better your duties than I ever will. I would ask only that you not exhaust yourself. In two days I believe you¡¯ve done more work than five men might have in twenty.¡± ¡°It is good to have some real purpose again,¡± Leeds admitted. ¡°These last months since my master¡­Well, I am happiest when I am busy, my lady, but should I ever prove an annoyance, you have only to say.¡± ¡°That I think you will never hear from me, sir.¡± She drained the remaining wine from her glass. ¡°I¡¯ll review messages with you now, but the return calls can wait until after the Alenfar ladies arrive. I should like you at my side in the reception room.¡± For the first time a flicker of doubt passed over Leeds¡¯s features. ¡°You would? Forgive me; I had assumed that place to be your seneschal¡¯s.¡± ¡°As Byrne refuses to learn proper protocol and quite despises formal receptions, I feel certain that you will do a much better job of it.¡± She picked up the slips. ¡°Now, this call from Disney corporate is likely yet another offer to buy the Realm. Please advise them that my answer has not changed, and that I shall be delighted to sell it to them once hell freezes over.¡± Farlae slipped onto a viewing balcony, and parted the curtains to look down at the Kyn assembled below. The suzeraina greeted the two just-arrived female visitors differently, shaking the hand of the tall, fair Frenchwoman before embracing the petite, dark American. He knew from his sources in Europe and South Florida that the females were newly turned, the blonde by Korvel, formerly seneschal to Richard Tremayne, and the little brunette by Jamys, son of Thierry Durand. Neither woman had come from the ranks of the Kyndred, orphaned humans made over with Kyn DNA by the Brethren, but he still did not trust them. If Farlae were to be honest, he trusted no one and nothing. Especially not the smiling mortal standing beside Jayr. ¡°What are you doing?¡± a beloved voice whispered as the scent of warm strawberries teased Farlae¡¯s nose. ¡°Spying on our lady? What for?¡± ¡°I am not spying. Be silent.¡± He should have expected Rainer would follow him here; when it came to tracking Kyn or mortal, his fool lover had no equal. ¡°Better yet, go back to your poppets.¡± ¡°They¡¯re called puppets, not poppets. What is she doing?¡± Rain tried to peek through the slit in the curtain. ¡°Who are those females? That tall one looks fierce. Do you come here to spy on her?¡± Farlae took Rain by the arm and marched him out of the balcony and into the adjoining corridor. ¡°I have told you about this,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°You cannot tag along after me when I am working.¡± Rain stuck out his lower lip. ¡°You work in the sewing rooms, where I never go. Except tonight, but I needed more string for my puppets, and you were not there.¡± He hung his head and shuffled his feet. ¡°You were not very attached to that shawl you were making, were you?¡± Farlae wanted to tear his hair out. ¡°Rain, I don¡¯t give a damn about that bloody shawl, your puppet string, or¨C¡± ¡°My foolishness,¡± Rain finished for him, his eyes sad. ¡°As you have said, many times. But I am not as stupid as you think. I know what you are about here.¡± He had always managed to keep his lover from knowing about his less scrupulous activities. ¡°I am merely admiring the lady visitors.¡± ¡°Do not lie to me,¡± Rain said, suddenly looking uncharacteristically fierce. ¡°You watch because you¡¯ve taken a fancy to that new mortal of Jayr¡¯s.¡± Farlae almost laughed. ¡°Why would I want him when I have you, lad?¡± ¡°You do not even deny it.¡± He nodded toward the balcony. ¡°That is why you are there, peeking through the curtain. You have been following him everywhere. You want to do things with him, don¡¯t you? Things you¡¯ve only done with me.¡± His voice rose to a higher pitch. ¡°Things you said you would only do with me¡ª¡± ¡°Shhhh.¡± Farlae gripped his shoulders to give him a shake. ¡°Must you shout it to the whole of the keep, you idiot?¡± As he saw the hurt in his lover¡¯s eyes, he eased his hold. ¡°I want nothing from that mortal.¡± ¡°I know I am an idiot,¡± the big man said with great dignity. ¡°I am very good at it, am I not? But I have never fancied anyone else but you. I love you and only you, even as I know I am going to burn in hell for it for all eternity. If you would allow me, I would shout it to the rafters. But you wish to keep it all secret, so that no one will think less of you.¡± Was that what he imagined? ¡°Lad, you are mistaken¡ª¡± ¡°I am not so much the idiot you think. You never speak of us to anyone and I know why.¡± He jabbed his finger into Farlae¡¯s chest. ¡°You are ashamed of me.¡± Farlae rubbed his head. ¡°It is not my way to natter on about how I feel, especially to others. Christ Jesus, Rain, you ought to know how I feel for you. I bought you out of slavery. I taught you every pleasure you know. I saved you from Sherwood and execution and anything that has tried to harm you these seven hundred years.¡± ¡°But you do not love me, not as I love you.¡± Rain shrugged off his hands. ¡°You may have the mortal. He is not so handsome, but he is clever, like you. I am sure he will never disgrace you, as I have.¡± He trudged off. Farlae started after him, swore under his breath, and returned instead to his listening post. When this was over, he decided, he would make it up to his lover. He would take Rainer away with him on a journey. What did the mortals call it? A vacation. Aye, he would find a patch of woods where they could camp and hunt as they had in the old days, and bathe out in the open, and love each other without fear of being seen or despised. A look through the curtain allowed Farlae to see Leeds, now dabbing at a large wine stain on the front of his immaculate white shirt. Behind him, Byrne held an empty glass and was trying very hard not to look pleased. If the tresora hadn¡¯t been under suspicion, Farlae would have felt pity for him. Such accidents that will happen every time you try to take Byrne¡¯s place beside his lady. He heard Leeds excuse himself in order to tidy up, and glanced down to see him retreating from the room. Farlae had to trot out to the corridor and down the back staircase before he could pick up the mortal¡¯s scent from a safe distance. Leeds¡¯s trail ended at the door of the nearest unoccupied guest room, and Farlae could hear him moving around inside. Quickly he entered the next chamber and went to the adjoining door, feeling along the surface until he found the plug of wood concealing the peephole, and tugged it out. Leeds had bolted himself inside the chamber and now stood before a mirror. After rubbing the back of his right hand as if it pained him, he unbuttoned his ruined shirt, frowning at his reflection as he removed a handkerchief and a small container from his trouser pocket. Farlae watched the mortal shed his stained shirt, his eyes widening as he saw the large black cameo tattoo on his shoulder, and in the mirror the smaller, fainter mark of another over his heart. Leeds used the handkerchief to remove some smudged, flesh-colored paint from the chest mark, revealing it to be strangely done, like a compass. In the center, however, the profile of whatever Kyn lord he had once served had been removed so savagely that all that remained was scar tissue. Farlae knew exactly what that meant. Byrne had been right. There is a traitor come to the Realm. As he watched the mortal reapply a new layer of cosmetic, Farlae longed to jerk open the door. He could attack Leeds from behind, and snap his neck before the man¡¯s black heart beat twice under the mutilated mark. But even as he relished the thought, he knew the mortal would be more valuable alive than dead. If he was lucky, perhaps the seneschal would permit him to interrogate the turncoat. He¡¯d enjoy making the bastard scream for mercy. Page 16 Farlae slipped out of the room and made for the reception hall, planning what he would say to have a private word with Byrne. It would have to be some urgent matter that would not alarm Jayr¡ªAdvertisement Halt. Farlae¡¯s legs buckled, and he fell to his knees as if shoved to them. His nose filled with the stink of burning metal as a strange cloud of glittering gold surrounded him. This is not your concern, spymaster. He clasped his hands to the sides of his head as his body went numb and pain crawled through his mind. He could not speak, could hardly think. Who are you? What do you want with me? Peace, brother. We all serve to protect, and protect we must. I would not hurt you. Rage pulsed inside Farlae. Fuck you. The agony spread through him as he fought the invasion, but the alien presence in his head was too strong, and caused him to fall over and writhe. Just as Farlae thought his head might explode, a strange warmth came over him, as gentle and loving as a mother¡¯s caress. Rise. Farlae stood. You will return to your workroom, attend to your duties there, and remember none of this past hour. A blankness settled over the wardrobe keeper, obliterating everything. A moment later his head cleared, and he eyed his surroundings. He didn¡¯t know why he was in the guest wing, and with the work waiting for him, he had no business loitering here. Farlae smiled to himself as he made his way to his workroom, nodding to his ladies as he passed their worktables. When he went to his loom, he found the shawl he had been weaving in tatters. ¡°Viviana?¡± he called out. ¡°Who the devil has been cutting up this shawl?¡± Chapter 7 The first week of excavation at the mission went so smoothly that Alys decided she¡¯d give the interns the next weekend off. They¡¯d be ready for a break, and it would also give her two uninterrupted days to solve some problems that had come up since they¡¯d started digging. One of those problems was sitting with the students now, entertaining them during their last break of the night by telling them another of his stories about life in medieval England. ¡°No one noticed the smell because no one bathed,¡± Beau was saying. ¡°Villeins often went their entire lives without washing more than their hands and feet.¡± Brenda¡¯s nose wrinkled. ¡°God, they must have been practically black with dirt. And covered in lice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget leprosy,¡± Charles said, tapping the end of his nose. ¡°I¡¯ve read studies that say as many as one out of ten medieval peasants caught the disease.¡± ¡°Plague was more common,¡± Beau said, shaking his head when Chan offered him a can of soda. ¡°Sicknesses such as smallpox, cholera, and syphilis ravaged without prejudice. Great ladies who went about in public often had to first veil their faces to conceal the scars, the sores, and the boils. The men, who had no such excuse, grew thick beards and fringes of hair to cover what they could. When they became so disfigured they dared not show their faces in public, they would send their stewards to act on their behalf.¡± Paolo, the most fastidious member of the team, shuddered. ¡°So much misery, and it could have been prevented with running water and a few bars of soap.¡± ¡°A quarter of the world died in the fourteenth century,¡± Chan put in, ¡°because they had no rat poison.¡± ¡°No one in that time knew that the rats could make them sick, or that it was the fleas they carried that caused the Black Death. They were so much a part of everyday life that no one even noticed them. Like bad teeth, which truly was the plague of everyone, rich to wretched. In particular, tooth rot made one queen of England particularly savage. It was said that an inflamed molar drove her to declare war on the Spanish.¡± Beau caught Alys watching them. ¡°But that tale will wait for another time. I think Dr. Stuart has an announcement to make.¡± Alys watched Beau, who began collecting and stacking the dirty plates for washing. He put his own at the bottom of the pile, but before he did, she saw that once again her project manager had barely touched his food. ¡°Did you need to say something, Doctor?¡± Chan asked. ¡°Yes.¡± She dragged her attention back to her interns. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased with the rate of progress we¡¯re making. If we can keep on schedule this week, and finish processing and documenting, I¡¯m giving everyone the weekend off to stay at the hotel, sleep in, and have some fun in the city.¡± Instead of cheering or applauding as they normally would, the students only sat and glanced at one another. Alys folded her arms. ¡°Don¡¯t everyone thank me at once.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re not grateful, Dr. Stuart,¡± Brenda said slowly. ¡°A weekend off would be very cool, but you have to stay at the site, and you shouldn¡¯t be out here alone.¡± She grimaced. ¡°You know. Not with the site being haunted and all.¡± ¡°Not the ghost again.¡± Alys pressed her fingers briefly to her temples. ¡°Please. You are too intelligent to believe in this nonsense.¡± ¡°What about the shimmering light Paolo saw last Tuesday night?¡± Chan asked, nudging the other boy. ¡°You said it moved, like it was alive, right?¡± Paolo looked uneasy. ¡°I saw something shimmering.¡± ¡°You saw moonlight reflected by the frost on the brush,¡± Alys said firmly. ¡°The wind picked up, the brush moved, and that provided the ghostly animated effects.¡± ¡°What about all the cases that fell over in the stables?¡± Charles asked. ¡°When we went in to see what happened, there was no one in there.¡± ¡°Gravity was in there,¡± Alys assured him. ¡°You stack too many cases too high, continually shift them by bumping them, and eventually they will tumble over, all on their own.¡± ¡°But the ghost tried to push you down the stairs in the cloister just last night,¡± Brenda insisted. ¡°You could have been killed.¡± Alys didn¡¯t want to be reminded of her latest brush with disaster. ¡°No one pushed me. I happen to be clumsy, and I tripped over my own feet. Fortunately Mr. York caught me before I fell.¡± She still wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d done that, but that was a discussion she intended to have privately with her savior. Stop thinking of him like that. ¡°As anthropologists and archaeologists, you will encounter a great deal of superstition and ignorance. You will identify it, study it, and use it to better understand civilizations from the past. Don¡¯t add to it by believing in fantasies like ghosts. There is always a plausible explanation.¡± ¡°Okay, maybe the ghost isn¡¯t real,¡± Brenda said, ¡°but Beau still needs us.¡± The other interns nodded, demonstrating another facet of Alys¡¯s problem: Her students were now united in their hero worship of Beau. If she let them, they¡¯d follow him around like a pack of affectionate puppies. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. York can spare you for a weekend.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s when Beau said he was going to check out the Indian mission,¡± Chan said. ¡°We wanted to go with him.¡± His expression grew uneasy. ¡°He did tell you about it, right?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t had a chance to discuss it.¡± Alys had already vetoed this idea the first time it was proposed, and now repeated what she¡¯d told the interns then: ¡°As I mentioned last week, we have to finish the excavations here at the mission before we start surveying the village.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Brenda asked. ¡°We could do both, couldn¡¯t we? Beau could manage the village site while you continue digging here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re finding anything useful here at the mission,¡± Charles tagged on. ¡°The rosaries and prayer books we unearthed are Spanish Dominican. The glass beads left in the dump pit were common trade items. Nothing indicates the Templars came anywhere near the place, assuming they ever¡­¡± He stopped and squirmed. ¡°You¡¯ve gone this far, Charles.¡± Alys rolled her hand. ¡°You might as well say the rest of it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He hunched his shoulders a little before he met her gaze. ¡°Assuming they ever reached America in the first place.¡± ¡°See? That didn¡¯t make my head explode.¡± As the other interns chuckled, Alys sat down at the table. ¡°You are entitled to your opinions, people.¡± She eyed Charles. ¡°Especially when they¡¯re the opposite of mine.¡± Chan nudged Charles. ¡°Yeah, but any other prof would have kicked him off the dig by now.¡± ¡°I have more training, more experience, and I¡¯ve definitely read more books than any of you have,¡± Alys said. ¡°All that means is that I¡¯m farther along in my career. Someday most of you will catch up, and some of you will surpass me. Right now there is only one thing I have that gives me a real advantage over all of you.¡± ¡°Your PhD,¡± Chan said, nodding. ¡°My patience,¡± she corrected. ¡°Do any of you know exactly how long it took Howard Carter to find King Tutankhamen¡¯s tomb?¡± She waited, but no one answered. ¡°It took him thirty-one years, almost half his life. Here in Florida, Mel Fisher spent nearly two decades searching hundreds of miles of ocean floor for the wreck of the Atocha. Dozens of other archaeologists have done the same, with far less illustrious results. The chance at a major discovery might never come along once in your lifetime.¡± ¡°Maybe I should change my major now,¡± Brenda said, looking depressed. ¡°I just want you to be realistic,¡± Alys told her. ¡°We¡¯re not looking for a tomb or a sunken galleon filled with treasure. We need one item, one single shred of evidence that proves without a doubt that the Knights Templar came to America. And since we have only a month to find it, the odds are excellent that we won¡¯t.¡± ¡°If you know that, if you¡¯re sure we won¡¯t find anything, then why are we still digging?¡± Charles countered. ¡°My research indicates that they did come, and not merely to seek sanctuary from persecution.¡± She looked around the table. ¡°I believe the Templars helped build this mission for two purposes: to convert the natives, and to hide something valuable. I can¡¯t tell you what it is because the Templars deliberately destroyed every record of it. What I do know is that to find it, we must be diligent.¡± Page 17 She didn¡¯t have Beau¡¯s natural charm, or his colorful communication skills, yet judging by her interns¡¯ expressions, she had gotten across her point. They might still have doubts, but none of them were about her.Advertisement ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and you all look tired, so go on and head back to the hotel. When you come back tomorrow afternoon,¡± she said, pausing to make eye contact with each one of them again, ¡°be ready to work, because I need every one of you. Together we are going to find proof that the Templars came to America.¡± The students nodded, and after gathering their packs headed off for the vans. Only Charles lingered, his young face pinking as she glanced at him. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with any of your theories,¡± he blurted, and then swallowed. ¡°I never have. It¡¯s why I signed up for this project. I wanted to see you fail, so I could tell everyone that I¡¯m smarter than you.¡± Such youthful arrogance usually annoyed her, but Alys heard something else in his voice, something fearful. ¡°You probably are,¡± she conceded. ¡°No one believes this project will be a success. Well, except me.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind. I don¡¯t think the Templars ever made it here from Europe. But after what you said, well, now I¡¯d like to be the one who¡¯s wrong.¡± His pinkness darkened to red. ¡°So I want you to know, I¡¯m going to do whatever I can to show you how right you are. And how dumb I am.¡± With a pained smile he hurried off. Alys felt her eyes sting, and blinked a few times. After years of her being ignored or subjected to scorn by other academics, Charles had offered her something of an accolade. ¡°That boy,¡± Beau said as he brought the bus bin back to the table, ¡°is coming close to worshipping you.¡± Beau¡¯s observation added to her pleasure before she became irritated with herself for indulging her ego. ¡°Obviously I¡¯ve made a favorable impression on him, but you¡¯re the one they really worship.¡± ¡°And rightly so.¡± He picked up three forks and began juggling them. ¡°Who among you can scrape a plate or scrub a pot half as well?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more than your awesome dish-washing powers,¡± she told him. ¡°How many teenagers do you know who would sacrifice the prospect of a free weekend in the tourist capital of America to help you survey an Indian village?¡± She watched as he fumbled a fork and it clattered on the table. ¡°That would be the same village that I expressly said we would not be surveying until we finished at the mission.¡± He picked up the rest of the utensils and dumped them into the bus bin. ¡°I was planning to discuss it with you, Alys.¡± ¡°Of course you were.¡± She watched the students in the vans as they drove out to the road. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have told me all about it. Afterward.¡± Beau dropped into the seat beside her. ¡°What harm is there in letting them poke about the village?¡± ¡°Frankly I don¡¯t care about the village,¡± she said. ¡°I have an issue with you undermining my authority. As I am the archaeologist, and you are not, you should defer to my judgment on these matters. If you disagree with my choices, please feel free to discuss them with me. But don¡¯t ignore me.¡± ¡°Forgive me,¡± he said, surprising her. ¡°It was wrong to disregard your wishes. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Alys felt a now-familiar surge of exasperation mixed with affection; Beau often unsettled her with such good-natured reactions. Whenever she¡¯d worked on a dig in the past, she¡¯d had to deal with too many egotistical superiors and resentful subordinates. Beau was nothing like that; he went out of his way to make things easier on her. She was beginning to rely on it, and on him. Since she¡¯d only ever been able to depend on herself in the past, it was a novel and oddly comforting situation. I¡¯m not alone in this. Alys felt her heart melt a little. He wants me to count on him. But could she? Was Beau as sincere as he seemed, or was he simply using his charm to control her? He touched the side of her arm with his. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better if you thump me, you know. Go on. I deserve it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never struck another person in my life.¡± She¡¯d done far worse, not that she could ever tell him that. ¡°But you¡¯ve wanted to.¡± He picked up her hand, which she still held in a tight fist. When she loosened her fingers, he brought them to his mouth for a kiss. ¡°I am grateful for your understanding.¡± The intimate contact of his lips against her knuckles coupled with his voice and the memory of the nightmare from her childhood combined to completely unnerve her. ¡°It¡¯s done. Let¡¯s forget it.¡± She pulled her hand away and picked up the carryall. ¡°I¡¯m finished for tonight, too. Would you shut down the generators, please?¡± He nodded, and she headed for the cloister. As she showered, Alys felt less annoyed with Beau and more aggravated with herself. Because he was so willing to shoulder so much responsibility, he was easy to blame for her own shortcomings and frustrations. She hadn¡¯t been entirely honest with him or the interns, either. The students¡¯ efforts had been remarkable, and they did deserve a weekend for themselves, but Alys also wanted the time to work on her other problem: the flaw in her theory. Everything had indicated that the treasure was here at the mission. After a week of digging and turning up only the most ordinary and unremarkable artifacts, and finding nothing to indicate the mission was in any sense unusual, she was prepared to admit that she had made a miscalculation. The most frustrating aspect of all was that she did know where the Templars¡¯ treasure was; the location had been repeatedly described in dozens of letters and journals belonging to the Spanish priests. She knew it lay deep beneath the earth¡¯s surface, and was accessible only by a narrow stone passage. The only entry to it had been carefully concealed to prevent discovery. Some of the priests referred to the location in religious terms, describing stone vaults chiseled by the hammer of God, and sacred waters welling from a source of never-ending life. Although the descriptions varied, every single one of the mission priests had used the same name to refer to it: the fountain of youth. The legend of the fountain, which modern texts always paired with Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Le¨®n, was usually dismissed as pure myth, no more valid or real than the pool of Bethesda, the philosopher¡¯s stone, or any of the other folklore focused on the mystical endowment of eternal youth dating back to the writings of Herodotus in the fifth century BC. Alys might have rejected the legend of the fountain herself if the timeline and location had been different. But long before Ponce de Le¨®n had stepped foot on Florida soil for the first time, the mission¡¯s priests had entered into a pact to protect the refugee Templars by relocating them to what was then an equally mythic New World. Down in the cloister, Alys brought her laptop to bed with her, booting it up so she could begin reviewing her notes again. Her most important source, the letters of a priest who had attended the Spanish explorer Pedro Men¨¦ndez de Avil¨¦s when he had founded the first enduring colony in Florida at St. Augustine, had provided her with some clues. Our master listens too much to his lady¡¯s counsel, Father Gonzalo wrote in a letter to his sister. He often wrote about Men¨¦ndez¡¯s wife, who had been obsessed with finding the fountain. She has urged him to march against the savages who occupy the land to the west and south, and capture their leaders, which has outraged the entire tribe. Yet even under torture, these old men refuse to reveal the location of the fountain. They will say only that it was made long ago by white-skinned strangers like us, and anyone who drinks from it is not restored to youth, but cursed. So dreadful are their superstitions that several of the poor wretches used their teeth to open their veins, so they might bleed to death in silence before they could be questioned. Over time other explorers and missionaries encountered and recorded tales of what the Timucua referred to as the sacred waters, and from these accounts Alys had gleaned a few more precious bits of data. The settlement near the fountain had been abruptly abandoned by the Timucua at approximately the same time the priests at the mission had mysteriously vanished. After that, the natives in the area had become much more aggressive, vowing to kill anyone who tried to find the legendary fountain. By mapping every recorded Indian attack in the region, Alys had been able to narrow down the possible location of the fountain to within a fifty-mile radius. After reviewing countless geological surveys, she had identified each water feature within the boundaries of her search area, and further refined her results by eliminating every body of water that was not within walking distance of a native settlement. That had left her with a dozen potential sites, most of which had been exploited by modern municipalities. And of the three that remained undeveloped, only one had been located near both an Indian village and a Spanish mission. ¡°You said you were finished with work for the day.¡± Alys hadn¡¯t heard Beau come down the steps¡ªfor such a large man he moved with exceptional silence¡ªand when she looked up from the screen, she saw he had left his shirt open to the waist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ever cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived here for some time,¡± he reminded her. ¡°I imagine I¡¯m used to the weather.¡± ¡°This region is subtropical, and reports indicate this is the coldest winter on record, so you can¡¯t be accustomed to it.¡± Although she rarely consulted with others on her theories, she wanted to discuss her idea with him. ¡°Would you come here and look at this?¡± She closed the research file and opened the latest version of her site map. Beau walked over and studied the screen. ¡°What am I seeing?¡± ¡°A map of the entire property.¡± She zoomed in and highlighted the location of the mission. ¡°We¡¯re here, the Indian village is here, and the spring pond is between them, correct?¡± When he nodded, she zoomed out. ¡°Every survey on this property dating back to the turn of the century lists a pond as retention or seasonal. It¡¯s completely isolated, so this makes sense, but the water in it is fresh, not stagnant. So what¡¯s feeding it?¡± Page 18 His eyes shifted as he studied the map. ¡°The source must be a spring beneath the pool. But what has this to do with finding evidence of the Templars?¡±Advertisement ¡°I believe they hid something in the spring itself. Something they never wanted anyone to find. And whatever it was, it served as the foundation for the legend of the fountain of youth.¡± She closed the laptop and switched it off. ¡°We have to search the bottom of the pond.¡± ¡°That will be difficult to do in the dark.¡± He regarded her. ¡°You are serious? Alys, that pond is covered with ice.¡± He was right, of course, but she wasn¡¯t planning to stay in the pond long enough to develop hypothermia. ¡°The surface never freezes solid. I¡¯m a good swimmer, and I only need a few minutes.¡± ¡°A few minutes in water that cold will stop your heart.¡± He took the laptop and set it aside. ¡°You are not going in the pond.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission.¡± The conversation was turning adversarial, something she had hoped to avoid. ¡°Think about it. It makes perfect sense that they would conceal the treasure underwater. Hardly anyone in their time could swim. They may have even created the pond just for that reason by digging it out and diverting the water to fill it. The feed from a spring would maintain the water level, and the silt on the pond¡¯s bottom would conceal the entry point from view.¡± He didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°You would freeze to death to prove this. What if you are wrong, and the pond is nothing more than a pond?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± she insisted. ¡°If it were natural, the Indians would have used it, but we¡¯ve found no signs of activity anywhere around the pond. And why didn¡¯t the missionaries use it for their water supply, instead of digging that well we found beside the kitchen?¡± He switched off the lanterns. ¡°Natives have all manner of taboos. As for the missionaries, perhaps they didn¡¯t care to walk half a mile carrying filled buckets.¡± She sat up. ¡°Beau, they were medieval Catholic priests. They enjoyed suffering so much they invented self-flagellation. Besides, they had to know the water in the pond was drinkable. The well would have taken days, maybe even weeks, to dig.¡± She frowned. ¡°Unless they dug out the pond after the well, in which case they¡¯d have to haul water from the nearest river.¡± He came to stand over her. ¡°You can theorize all you wish, Alys, but you can¡¯t go into that pond. You¡¯ll have to find another way to search it.¡± ¡°All right. We are in Florida, home to most of America¡¯s finest marine biology programs. Maybe one of the local universities has some underwater cameras or robotic gear we can borrow.¡± She watched his shadow retreat to the other bed. ¡°If you¡¯re never cold, why do you wear your clothes to bed?¡± ¡°To preserve your modesty, madam.¡± As always he pushed aside the covers and lay flat on his back. ¡°At home I don¡¯t wear a stitch of anything when I sleep.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She turned over onto her back. ¡°Well. Thank you.¡± ¡°Good night, Alys.¡± Alys opened her eyes to the sound of children laughing, and sat up to see two little mischievous faces peering over the foot of her bed. ¡°How did you get down here?¡± The thin, strawberry blond girl grinned, showing a gap where her front teeth should have been. ¡°Grand-p¨¨re sent us,¡± she said in her lisping French accent. ¡°He isn¡¯t our grandpa,¡± her companion, a tiny brunette with a head full of curls, scolded with a distinctive American voice. Her dark eyes gleamed as she looked at Alys. ¡°He¡¯s our great-great-great-great-great-forever-and-ever-great-grandpa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he is,¡± Alys told them, climbing out of bed. ¡°But you two can¡¯t stay here. We¡¯re not prepared to look after little girls.¡± ¡°We want to see the Indian village.¡± The French girl tugged at her hand. ¡°No, we want to go swimming,¡± the American insisted. ¡°Children. Please.¡± Alys took hold of their hands and marched them over to the steps. ¡°You need to go home.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Do you know how to get back home from here?¡± ¡°We do.¡± The French girl¡¯s face grew solemn. ¡°But we can¡¯t go away, not yet. You are very close, ma demi-s?ur. Soon you will find them, and it will be very bad for you.¡± ¡°Very, very bad,¡± the American intoned. The blonde nodded toward Beau¡¯s bed. ¡°He is last, like you, Grand-p¨¨re says, so he must not fail. You must not let him fail, Alys.¡± ¡°You know my name.¡± ¡°We know everything here.¡± The American girl beckoned for Alys to lean down and, when she did, whispered, ¡°He has a secret. We can¡¯t tell you what it is because that¡¯s not fair, but it makes him sad and lonely. You could make him happy again.¡± ¡°How?¡± Alys whispered back. The brunette¡¯s cheeks dimpled. ¡°You know how, silly.¡± She grabbed the French girl¡¯s hand, and the two of them skipped up the stairs, vanishing from sight halfway to the top. ¡°Two ghosts?¡± Alys sighed and went back to her bed, pushing at the lump under her covers as she tried to get comfortable. The tangle of linens wouldn¡¯t budge, so she draped one arm and leg over it and used one end as a pillow. As awkward and bulky as its shape was, the mound felt very nice against her body. She burrowed against it, smiling as she felt it grow warmer. Just as she was falling back asleep, she felt a caress on her cheek. The girls again. Alys kept her eyes shut. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in ghosts. Go away.¡± The annoying, nonexistent spirits muttered something as one of them nuzzled the top of her head. The touch didn¡¯t feel like it came from a little girl, however. ¡°I mean it, whoever you are,¡± she warned. ¡°I¡¯ll throw you on the floor.¡± ¡°You can try,¡± a deep voice said. She opened one eye and saw the pattern of the coverlet fading and smoothing out into a golden brown bulge¡ªbut the one on her bed was purple. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you violet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a flower.¡± Alys lifted her head to see Beau¡¯s face, and went very still. ¡°What are you doing in my bed?¡± ¡°Let me show you something.¡± He reached out and switched on the lantern nearest to them, and pointed toward the other side of the room. Alys looked over at her empty bed, the coverlet and sheets in a rumpled pile on the floor, and groaned as she let her head fall against Beau¡¯s chest. ¡°Not again.¡± ¡°I woke up when I heard you talking to the stairs,¡± he informed her. ¡°Then you came over to my bed, flopped on top of me, and here we are.¡± ¡°I am so sorry.¡± No, if she was honest, she wasn¡¯t. Being sprawled on top of him felt good¡ªmore than good¡ªand his voice stroked her like a warm silk glove. It made her whole body want to rub itself all over him. I want to have sex with him. Alys had never felt such a purely physical impulse, but it didn¡¯t frighten her. Neither did Beau. Although he was big and quite strong, he¡¯d always been careful with her while they were working. He would probably be equally as gentle if they were naked. She wanted to be naked with him. She looked up at him again. ¡°Do you like me?¡± He laughed. ¡°Yes, Alys, I like you. I like you very much.¡± He sat up, holding her in his arms. ¡°Any bumps or bruises this time?¡± ¡°No, I feel wonderful.¡± She should flutter her eyes at him, or rub her hand on some part of his body, but she wasn¡¯t sure which would be more effective. She also didn¡¯t want to appear clumsy, not when she wanted to be graceful and alluring for him. Beau¡¯s muscles tightened as he gathered her up in his arms. He¡¯s going to initiate this. Alys felt relieved; for her the first physical overture had always been the most awkward part of sex. As Beau stepped off the bed and straightened, she glanced down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Could they have sex standing up? Considering the differences in their heights, it seemed unlikely. Unless he held her up in the air. ¡°I¡¯m putting you back to bed.¡± He carried her over and gently put her down on the mattress before he retrieved and shook out her linens. ¡°Was it another nightmare about the church?¡± ¡°No, we were here. The girls and I. There were two little girls.¡± As he draped her sheets and coverlet over her, Alys subsided against the pillows. ¡°No one has ever carried me like that. It¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°I can be a very nice man.¡± He said that oddly, and bent over to kiss her forehead. ¡°Sleep, and try not to walk while you do.¡± Sleeping was the last thing on her mind, but she pretended to as she listened to him return to his bed. That he hadn¡¯t wanted to have sex with her made her stomach feel tight, but she acknowledged that she had misinterpreted his actions and come to an erroneous conclusion. She wished she hadn¡¯t. Beau behaved as if he liked her, and never appeared bored around her. She¡¯d already admitted to herself that she found him very attractive. Hearing his voice made her feel safe, and being in his bed had aroused her. But he hadn¡¯t responded to her subtle overtures, and took no initiative of his own. A thought occurred to her. ¡°Beau, are you still awake?¡± He muttered something unintelligible in response. ¡°Are you married, or emotionally involved with someone?¡± He made an odd sound, and then mumbled what sounded like a ¡°No.¡± With the way Brenda and all the female interns had been ogling him, that didn¡¯t seem probable to Alys. ¡°Why not?¡± Another possibility came to mind, and she sat up. ¡°Are you gay? Is that it?¡± The sound of a thud came from his direction. ¡°No, Alys. I¡¯m not married or involved, nor do I chase after other men. What I am is bloody exhausted. Now, good night.¡± He pulled the pillow over his head. Chapter 8 ¡°Usually we don¡¯t have a problem with borrowing equipment from other colleges,¡± Charles said to Beau as he handed him a case of bottled water from the back of the van. ¡°I thought we¡¯d be able to get at least one research submersible on loan. But these other teams got there before us and grabbed everything, even scuba gear and wet suits.¡± Page 19 Beau stacked the case with the rest on the hand truck. ¡°You¡¯re certain these other archaeologists are working in the area.¡±Advertisement ¡°That¡¯s what they put in the equipment checkout logs,¡± Charles said. ¡°I Googled the addresses on my phone, and their campsites are only a couple of miles apart, just west of the old village. The American team is so close to the property line they can probably jump the fence. I bet they do so they can spy on us, the assholes.¡± ¡°Charles.¡± Alys appeared, her expression as stern as her tone. ¡°However much they behave like one, please do not refer to any colleague as a body orifice. They generally dislike it, and someday you may have to work for one of those assholes.¡± Brenda giggled as she and Chan joined them. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you knew how to swear, Dr. Stuart.¡± Alys gave Beau a narrow look. ¡°Everyone has hidden talents.¡± ¡°Someone left this at the hotel for you, Dr. Stuart.¡± Chan handed her a sealed gift box stamped with the words PIRATE WORLD. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some complimentary tickets?¡± ¡°Too heavy for that.¡± Alys broke the seal and lifted the lid to reveal three large, glittering green gems. Beau went still. ¡°Oh, my God. They¡¯re gorgeous.¡± Brenda leaned over to look. ¡°Look at how huge they are.¡± ¡°About thirty carats each.¡± Alys took one out of the box and held it up. ¡°If they were real.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fakes.¡± She frowned as Beau plucked the emerald out of her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Admiring your gift,¡± he said before he handed it back to her. ¡°Dr. Stuart is right. They¡¯re made of glass.¡± ¡°Thank you for confirming the obvious.¡± Alys emptied the other gems into her palm and looked under the cotton liner. ¡°No card.¡± She glanced at Chan. ¡°You¡¯re sure these were left for me?¡± He nodded. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what the guy at the front desk said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd. Maybe it¡¯s some sort of park promotional deal. I¡¯ll call the hotel later.¡± Alys tucked the box into her backpack, and her eyes shifted briefly to Beau. ¡°Brenda, you and Chan can finish processing the last of the soil samples.¡± After the two interns headed for their workstations, Alys turned to Charles. ¡°Those artifact logs aren¡¯t going to update themselves. Get to work.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The intern made a face at Beau before hurrying off. ¡°I saw that,¡± Alys called after him before she eyed Beau. ¡°And you. I¡¯d appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t encourage the interns to waste time. We have only seventeen days left to work, and I have to put something in my project summary report other than ¡®Stood around gossiping with project manager.¡¯¡± Beau nodded and frowned as he watched her stalk off. Over the last five days Alys had grown increasingly short-tempered with her students, showing little of her former patience and sometimes snapping at them over the slightest mistake. Beau knew he was the cause, as she¡¯d actively avoided him all week, barely speaking a handful of words to him whenever she couldn¡¯t. He knew why she was so angry with him. Her dark mood had begun one morning a week past, when he¡¯d caught her slipping out of the cloister soon after they¡¯d gone to bed. He¡¯d assumed Alys was sleepwalking again, until he found her setting up her ridiculous little tent beside the church again. She¡¯d insisted she wanted to sleep outside, even as she¡¯d stood shivering in the cold morning wind. Tired and in no mood for another debate, Beau had settled the argument by picking her up and carrying into the cloister. Once he¡¯d deposited her back in her bed, he¡¯d told her that if he caught her sneaking outside again, he¡¯d burn the bloody tent. She¡¯d turned her back on him in a huff, and the next night had refused to speak to him at all. Alys¡¯s anger wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to bear if Beau hadn¡¯t been wrestling with his own dark mood. The damned woman hadn¡¯t the faintest idea of how lovely she was, how good she smelled, or how sorely she tempted him. When he looked upon her, he didn¡¯t see a child, or a young sister. He saw a woman he wanted to touch and breathe in and hold. When he heard her showering in the next room, he drove himself half-mad thinking of her naked and wet. After they retired for the day, he would lie and listen to her breathing, and watch the outline of her breasts lift and fall, his hands clenched against the need to touch them. No, if anyone should be sleeping in a tent outside, it should be him. He had not touched her, would not touch her. He could not take such a risk. As she had pointed out, they had but seventeen days left to work, and while that now seemed to Beau like an eternity of torment, he could endure it. Fortunately Charles had given him something else to dwell on besides Alys¡¯s myriad allures: the two other archaeological teams that had encamped in the area. One or both of them could be the tresoran traitors; using the guise of a dig would allow them to openly search for the emeralds. Once the interns left and Alys went to sleep, he¡¯d have to scout their encampments. After he put away the supplies Charles had brought, Beau went to check on Alys, following her scent to the mission¡¯s kitchen, where she had hung a large map of the site marked with a grid pattern. She was standing before the map when he found her, consulting it as she wrote notes in a small diary. He cleared his throat. ¡°May I have a word with you?¡± Her shoulders tensed, but she didn¡¯t look up from her notes. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°While we were gossiping, Charles told me that he was unable to borrow any equipment from the universities.¡± He waited for her to say something, but she only nodded. ¡°I can send a request to the high¡ªto the foundation for the gear you need.¡± ¡°Fine. Do it.¡± Beau didn¡¯t like talking to the back of her head, and came around her so that he could see her lovely, stubborn face. ¡°You¡¯ll need to tell me exactly what you want.¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± She tapped the end of her pencil against her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯d like seventeen weeks¡ªno, make that seventeen months¡ªto continue work here. I¡¯d like a dozen qualified, experienced excavators, artifact handlers, and associate archaeologists who won¡¯t act like they¡¯re on spring break or treat this project like a glorified Easter egg hunt. You¡¯re not writing this down. Do you know how to write? I ask because I¡¯ve never seen you do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Beau held up his hands in surrender. ¡°We should talk later.¡± When he turned away, she darted around him to stand in his way. ¡°Wait. You want answers, and so do I. Why don¡¯t we trade? I¡¯ll give you an answer for every one you give to me.¡± He could smell the anger rolling off her skin, and felt his own temper begin to fray. ¡°You want to make a game of it?¡± ¡°I want answers. Here.¡± She flipped to a blank page in her notebook. ¡°I¡¯ll start making a list of mine for you. I want a small research submersible,¡± she said, writing as she spoke, ¡°with dual remote controls, an onboard camera, probe and collection attachments, and a retracting tether.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°All right. Why have you been following me, and how, exactly, are you locating me when you do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s two questions.¡± And two answers he couldn¡¯t give her. She began writing again. ¡°I¡¯m adding a wireless video transmitter for the submersible. That¡¯s two answers. Your turn.¡± To keep from snatching the notebook out of her hands and ripping it apart, he shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m following you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think; I know. You followed me into the woods yesterday, and to the palmetto grove the day before, and to the pond the day before that.¡± She gave him a measuring look. ¡°I see. You¡¯re not going to tell me the truth. Or you¡¯re going to try to charm me into whatever you want me to think. Never mind.¡± She walked toward the kitchen¡¯s back entry. Grimly he held on to his self-control as he followed her. ¡°Alys, you¡¯re calling me a liar before I¡¯ve said a word.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stalling instead of answering, you¡¯re avoiding my eyes, and you¡¯re hiding your hands.¡± She ducked under some hanging vines and stepped outside. ¡°That tells me you¡¯re going to lie to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve told the interns not to go off on their own,¡± he reminded her as he kept pace with her. ¡°So yes, I have been following you, to protect you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see me leave camp when I went to the grove. You were behind the church, changing that flat tire on the van. You were in the stables helping Chan straighten the handle on the trolley when I walked out to draw some water from the spring.¡± She stopped and glared at him. ¡°And I know you were taking a shower when I went into the woods yesterday. I waited until you did before I left, and I erased my footprints from the trail with a palmetto leaf as I walked. I was very careful.¡± She was also too bloody perceptive. ¡°This is not a large area, Alys. There are only so many places you can go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you patronize me,¡± she snapped. ¡°You know every time I leave the camp, and wherever I go, you find me within a few minutes. Even when I make sure that you can¡¯t. So.¡± She gestured at him. ¡°How are you doing it?¡± ¡°If I give you this secret, you must never repeat it.¡± When she nodded, he bent down to whisper next to her ear, ¡°I ask the others where you have gone, and they tell me.¡± She tried to push him away, failed, and nearly fell on her bottom. ¡°You are utterly infuriating.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one covering my tracks,¡± he pointed out. ¡°But you are hiding something.¡± The fiery note her anger added to her scent abruptly cooled, and her eyes took on a suspicious brightness. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Beauregard. This is my career, my future. All the work I¡¯ve done, year after year of study and research and planning, it¡¯s all brought me here. I¡¯ve been given one chance to prove myself, and my time is rapidly running out. What happens to me for the rest of my life will be decided in the next two weeks. I¡¯ve been trusting you, and maybe that was a huge mistake. If you¡¯re here to stop me or discredit me¡ª¡± Page 20 ¡°Alys, no.¡± He reached out to her.Advertisement She caught his hand in hers. ¡°Then tell me. Tell me who you are, and why you¡¯re here. Please.¡± Slowly he withdrew his hand from hers, and silently cursed Richard as he repeated the lie. ¡°I am not here to harm you or the project. I was sent only to help. You know who I am.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She shook her head, backing away from him, and touching her face in surprise as she felt the tear spilling down her cheek. She glanced at her fingers, and then Beau. ¡°I want to, but I don¡¯t think I ever will.¡± Alys fled, and as soon as she was out of sight, Beau turned and rammed his fist into the trunk of an enormous black oak. Bark and wood fragments exploded outward as he swore. Someone cleared his throat, and Beau turned around to see Chan standing a few feet away. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Sex with Brenda,¡± the intern said, his eyes darkening and his voice taking on a dreamy tone. ¡°Sex with Brenda in the back of a brand-new Infiniti. A winning lottery ticket so I can pay off my student loans and take Brenda to Bermuda. A banana split with extra sprinkles. A banana split on Brenda with extra sprinkles. That I eat while someone makes Charles watch.¡± Beau sighed. ¡°Come here, lad.¡± The unexpected emotional reaction Alys had during the encounter with Beau left her in a state of confusion and depression. She found that she couldn¡¯t concentrate on her work, make useful decisions, or respond to her interns with any degree of coherency. Fortunately Beau joined the students and kept them focused on finishing the last of the processing, allowing Alys to retreat to the lab tent and brood in silence over the unsettling incident. Gradually she came to one undeniable conclusion. Beau wasn¡¯t creating any problems; Beau was the problem. The man was a logician¡¯s nightmare. As dirty and taxing as the work they did was, Beau never refused to do any task, even the most menial. He kept busy throughout the night but never sweated or smelled of sweat. Over the past week Alys had yet to observe him stopping for a rest break or showing any signs of tiring. One evening he¡¯d spent five straight hours going back and forth with their largest barrow, wheeling away from the work areas several hundred pounds of dirt, rock, and plant matter. Beau was incredibly, even suspiciously strong. He constantly carted around packed equipment cases as if they contained nothing but feathers, and had repeatedly hefted huge stones out of the way of the GPR trolley. Alys had later tried to shift one especially large rock herself, and found it to be so heavy she couldn¡¯t tip it over, much less lift it. A few nights ago, when she¡¯d tripped on the stairs in the cloister, Beau had caught her from behind and lifted her back onto her feet. He¡¯d saved her from a broken neck with just one hand, pressed to her midsection. Given the angle of her fall and her body weight, Alys knew it should have been impossible. Then there were his stories about medieval life¡ªsupposedly from books he¡¯d read¡ªthat included so many strange and unique facts. Alys would have confronted him and accused him of inventing them, but what he told the interns sounded eerily correct to her. She had been studying medieval literature and historical texts since Robert had first told her about the Knights Templar, and yet none of the hundreds of books she¡¯d read contained any of the details he kept producing. Alys had asked him one evening about the texts he¡¯d studied, but despite his excellent memory of their contents, he claimed to have forgotten the titles. For such a studious soul Beau didn¡¯t spend a second studying anything. He had yet to touch a book or one of the computers, and several times she¡¯d caught the interns explaining to him how to use some of the simplest devices. The buzz of Charles¡¯s electric razor had made him jump, and when Chan had asked him to work out a measurement on his scientific calculator, Beau had refused, claiming his fingers were too clumsy. Later Alys spotted him sitting alone in the lab tent and playing with the same calculator, turning it over in his hands, eyeing the screen and jabbing the buttons until he accidentally turned it on. The greatest discrepancy about Beau was his terrible eating habits. Beau had told everyone that he had food-related allergies, so many that he had to prepare his own meals. Most of the time he ate alone in the church or the cloister, but the few times he¡¯d joined her and the interns on their meal breaks, he¡¯d brought almost nothing to eat, and had barely swallowed a mouthful of that. He also refused to drink anything but a little water, and she¡¯d noticed him using the same bottle for the entire day without refilling it. His starvation diet would have caused anyone else to grow weak and dehydrated within a day or two, but Beau showed no ill effects or weight loss whatsoever. Because Alys knew so little about Beau, every observational construct she had put together about him remained inconclusive and disconnected. While he talked a great deal, he never offered details about himself, his life, or his work for the foundation. A furtive search through his belongings had turned up nothing but clothing and toiletries. The wallet he carried contained a modest amount of cash, a preloaded credit card so new it still had the activation sticker attached, and a driver¡¯s license issued one day before Alys had met him at the hotel. Nothing about Beau fit any theory she formulated so far, which indicated a need for investigation. She simply needed to collect more data about him. Alys felt a little better when Charles came in to speak to her shortly before midnight. ¡°We¡¯re finished with the last grid, Dr. Stuart. Do you need us to do anything else?¡± Several forms had to be filled out on each of the artifacts they had recovered, something that would take hours, and Alys needed to begin mapping out and scheduling the work for next week. But she knew how much the students had been looking forward to their free weekend, and she could deal with the paperwork herself. ¡°Thank you for offering,¡± Alys told him, ¡°but I think that will do it for tonight.¡± Alys walked with Charles out to where the interns were gathered around Beau and chatting about their plans. Most of the work lights had been switched off, but Beau turned his head and looked in her direction before she came out of the shadows. As Alys said good-bye to the students, she added another item to her mental list: He can see in the dark. Once the vans left, Alys made a circuit of the camp, and was pleased to see that the interns had made an effort to leave their work areas tidy. She stopped in the galley tent to retrieve a bottle of water, but found the last case sitting empty. Annoyed, she picked up a cup from the dishes container and went to the upright metal cooler the interns kept filled with water from the spring pool. As Alys reached for the spigot, she smelled a faint, burning metallic scent, and glanced down. An electrical extension cord snaked along the ground beneath the table. ¡°Who did this?¡± Alys crouched down to pull the wire away, but felt the heat radiating from the broad cable, and stood up again. She followed the cord around to the back of the table, where it had been carelessly draped over the metal handle of the cooler. On closer inspection she saw some of the protective sheath on the cable had been cut away, exposing the wires, which lay directly against the cooler¡¯s metal exterior. Alys backed away, groping until she found a metal spoon, and then tossed it at the cooler. It bounced off with a bright flash of sparks, and for a long moment the lights went dim. If she had touched the spigot, she would have been electrocuted. Alys used a wooden spatula to knock the cable away from the cooler, and once she disconnected the dangerous cable from the generator extension, she looked around. Someone had just tried to kill her; the attacker must have left tracks or some trace behind. The only thing she spotted out of place was a machete and a pair of binoculars someone had left on the seat of a chair at the planning table. She walked over to retrieve them when she saw Beau¡¯s black leather jacket was also draped over the back of the chair. Map. Binoculars. Machete. Jacket. ¡­Their campsites are only a couple of miles apart, just west of the old village.¡­ Beau intercepted her at the door to the cloister, his expression carefully bland. ¡°Are you done for the night? I¡¯ll shut down the generators.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She covered a phony yawn with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I think I¡¯ll turn in early.¡± Alys went downstairs, showered and changed, and got into bed before Beau joined her. She reached out to shut off the lantern near her bed and turned her back on him. Instead of going in to shower, Beau came to loom over her bed. ¡°Alys, I am sorry that I upset you today,¡± he said, his voice low and gentle. ¡°That was not my intention.¡± How sincere he sounded for a man planning to sneak out on her. Alys was tempted to tell him about the sabotaged cooler, but that might only make him more determined to do something stupid. ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± His hand touched her shoulder. ¡°You were crying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset now.¡± She feigned a drowsy, somewhat annoyed look as she rolled over to look up at him. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted, and I want to sleep. Can we talk about this tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course. Good night.¡± He retreated into the shower. Allowing her body to go limp and slowing her breathing was simple enough, and by the time Beau emerged from the shower, Alys felt certain her pretense of sleeping was convincing. She did have to wait for him to leave, but planning how she would follow him kept her mind occupied. Beau didn¡¯t leave immediately, and it was difficult for Alys not to tense when the scent of warm caramel told her that he had come to stand beside her bed. Does he do this every night? She felt a touch on her cheek; he used the backs of his fingers to give her a gentle caress. Of course, he¡¯s testing me. She mumbled a few consonants and turned her head away from his touch, hoping that would simulate a natural reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t dream of me, love,¡± he murmured, and then moved away. Don¡¯t dream of him? Love? Alys felt like jumping out of bed and kicking him. How could she ever have trusted someone who probably lied to her every time he opened his mouth? She clenched her teeth and waited for the sound of his footsteps on the stairs, and then the sound of the door opening and closing before she opened her eyes and counted silently to thirty. Page 21 By now he was out of the cloister, she thought as she pulled back the covers and quickly changed into her darkest clothing.Advertisement Cautiously she climbed the steps and tiptoed through the cloister. Once outside, she looked all around and listened before she turned off her flashlight and inspected the ground. Beau¡¯s footprints had left oval tracks through the grass, and led through the center of the site to the village path. Alys grinned and hurried toward the path. The air had grown so cold it stung her nose, but she felt completely exhilarated. I knew it. Following the path to the village in the dark proved easier than she¡¯d expected, as Beau had used the machete to clear it ahead of her. Once she reached the open space that led into the village, she paused again, peering through the darkness for any sign of him before stepping out into the open. Alys hadn¡¯t decided what to do when she caught up to him. She could observe more if she concealed herself, and she could also keep an eye on him and make sure he didn¡¯t get into any trouble. At the same time she wanted to see the look on his face when he realized she¡¯d followed him. I wonder how you¡¯ll like it, Beauregard. To keep from losing him, she needed to make up some time and close the gap between them, so instead of following the longer path around the village, she pushed her way through the tangle of brush and grass in its center. None of the ancient Timucua dwellings had survived the ages, but parts of the clay floors of the main community house, and circles of stones that had once served as its fire pits, remained intact. Since these were hidden by the brush, Alys forced herself to slow down and plant her feet carefully. A rustle of leaves made her freeze in place and hold her breath, but a subsequent scurrying, retreating sound told her she¡¯d startled something in the brush. ¡°Another rat, I bet,¡± she muttered, moving away from the brush and through a silvery curtain of Spanish moss laced with dead vines. She had to stop again when a fallen vine caught her right foot, but she shook it off and emerged into an area around the largest of the fire pits that had been recently cleared. A glimmer of moonlight reflected on something pale in color and moving inside the stones, and for a moment Alys thought of her interns¡¯ wild stories about the ghost. Her mouth hitched as soon as she saw the peculiar way the tendrils of white mist were rolling over the sides of the pit and spreading out in all directions. ¡°Very funny, you guys,¡± she said, looking down in the direction of the camp. Ghosts didn¡¯t cover the ground with an inch of thick fog, Alys knew as she approached the stones, but exposed dry ice did. The interns must have set this up as some kind of prank on her and Beau¡ª Dry branches snapped as the ground disappeared from under her feet. Instinctively Alys scrambled backward, trying to find solid footing as the soil collapsed and dragged at her legs. She twisted, clawing desperately at some dead tufts of grass before losing her last handhold and sliding into blackness. Chapter 9 Beau reached the American encampment first, and took to the trees to inspect the intruders. Although they had pitched their tents within a few feet of the fence surrounding Tremayne¡¯s land, they had laid out a grid and begun excavating on the opposite side of the camp. Three men stood talking quietly as they warmed their hands over some brush burning in a barrel; the rest of the companions appeared to be in their tents. He spotted some hand tools, maps, and books arranged neatly on a long table, but saw no weapons, surveillance equipment, or any sign to make him think they had come to do anything other than dig. He might be able to separate one of the men from the others and compel him to confess any unsavory intentions he might have, but he first wanted a look at the other camp. Beau couldn¡¯t move as quickly as Jayr, whose ability gave her bewildering speed and agility, but his Kyn strength allowed him to reach the second team¡¯s camp within a few minutes. As there were no trees in the immediate area, he took to the brush, using it as cover while he employed the binoculars. No tents for the Europeans¡ªthey had parked a dozen large new RVs at the edge of the clearing they were excavating. Mounds of aluminum cases lay neatly stacked under tables of computers, electronic devices, and what appeared to be some manner of radio. A tall, heavily rigged steel frame dangled a long pipe in a vertical position above the ground; he didn¡¯t recognize it or its purpose. A portable satellite dish on a trailer sat aimed up at the stars; another held a robotic device mounted with cameras and attached to a coil of shielded cables. Beau suspected the latter was the research submersible Alys had wanted. She¡¯ll be wandering about the Americans¡¯ site by now. Beau had known Alys would follow him, naturally. From the moment she¡¯d produced that phony yawn and announced she was going to bed, he¡¯d been sure of it. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with stomping each step to leave visible footprints for her, or using the machete to clear the path. It was only fair. As unhappy as he¡¯d made her, she needed this little victory, and he hoped it would satisfy her curiosity. He¡¯d also have to make more of an effort to behave more like a mortal. The sharp-eyed little wench had already noticed too much about him, and with her immunity to l¡¯attrait he couldn¡¯t wipe any of it from her memory. The Europeans had not bothered with staking out a grid; nor could Beau see any sign of recovered artifacts. Several broad patches of grass had been cleared in the field, but all that had been dug in those spots was single two-foot-wide oval holes. Beau couldn¡¯t tell how deep they were, but the breadth of the holes was just a little larger than the submersible. He shifted the binoculars to inspect the frame and pipe rig a second time; he could just make out the pointed, twisted taper protruding from the end of the shaft. They¡¯re not excavating; they¡¯re drilling. The entire region lay atop a vast network of underground reservoirs; Beau guessed the Europeans were attempting to tap one and use it to send the submersible onto Tremayne¡¯s property and possibly to the spring itself. Which meant Alys¡¯s suspicions about the emeralds were dead to rights. In that moment Beau could have happily invaded the camp, smashed all the equipment, and compelled the entire team to present themselves to the authorities and confess their crimes. Even as his anger billowed up in him, he knew he couldn¡¯t do it. If these were the tresoran traitors, which he suspected they were, they would likely be immune to l¡¯attrait. They¡¯d also have taken the precaution of arming themselves with weapons capable of killing Kyn. Beau tucked the binoculars in his jacket and checked the time; by now Alys should have caught up to him. He backtracked toward the Americans, breathing in the air deeply to pick up her scent, but even outside the second camp he detected nothing of her presence. She wouldn¡¯t have given up so easily, and she couldn¡¯t be lost.¡­ Beau backtracked along the trail he¡¯d left for her, first trotting and then racing as he tried to pick up her scent path. He finally found a very faint trace in the air on the east edge of the Indian village, the merest whisper of her. He concentrated, closing his eyes as he breathed her in. She had been angry¡ªyes, he could taste the peppery heat of that¡ªbut there was more, a sharper edge left by a sudden and very different burst of emotion: terror. Beau followed the scent, pausing only when he picked up the minute particles of the one thing that caused his dents ac¨¦r¨¦es to emerge, full and straining, into his mouth: mortal blood. Alys was bleeding. Sweeping methodically from one side of the village to the other, Beau searched the ground and called out her name. Toward the heart of the site he saw an unnatural fog wafting over the ground, and spilling into a dark gash in the earth as if it were being sucked in. He made his way to the edge, cursing as Alys¡¯s scent rose up to meet him. ¡°Alys?¡± He peered into the hole, but it was too deep and dark for even his Kyn vision to penetrate. It wouldn¡¯t harm him to jump in, but he might land on top of her. ¡°Stay where you are. I¡¯m fetching some rope.¡± Beau ran to the camp, grabbing a coil of utility rope, a lantern, and a first aid kit from the supplies stowed in the church. If she was unconscious and the pit very deep, he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump out with her, so he grabbed a handful of stretch cords with end clamps that he could use to bind her body to his. Back in the village he quickly knotted the end of the rope around two tree trunks, and tested his weight on the line before he went back to the edge. ¡°Alys, I¡¯m here,¡± he called to her. ¡°I¡¯m coming down for you now.¡± He ran the rope through the handle of the first aid kit and the lantern so that both would slide down behind him. Loose soil rained all around him as he descended, and to prevent another cave-in he tried not to touch the side of the pit. He dropped another twenty feet before his feet touched bottom. Quickly he removed the kit and the lantern, switching on the light. On the opposite side of the pit Alys lay next to an outcropping of stone, her body nearly buried beneath fallen dirt and broken branches. Beau placed the lantern next to her head, touching the underside of her jaw, where he felt her pulse throbbing strong and regularly. The relief to know that she had survived the fall came over him so strongly that he braced an arm to keep from dropping down alongside her. ¡°You are supposed to dig the holes, woman, not fall in them.¡± Carefully he brushed the dirt away from her face, which appeared unmarked. Almost at once she began coughing, but he clamped his hands on her shoulders and pinned her in place. ¡°Don¡¯t try to move yet, love. I have to check you for broken bones.¡± Her eyelids fluttered open. ¡°Beau.¡± She frowned at him. ¡°I found a pit trap.¡± Her eyes shifted. ¡°I think I fell in it.¡± ¡°Yes, actually, you did.¡± He cupped the back of her head, feeling a small bump there but no bleeding. ¡°I have to see if you¡¯ve broken anything. Can you be a good girl for me while I do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I only behave like one on occasion.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Beau tested the set of her neck and shoulders, moving his hands down one arm and then the other. The sight of her bleeding palms and broken nails made him feel sick with fear. She¡¯d fallen more than twenty feet; the impact might have broken her back. Page 22 ¡°Can you feel this?¡± He brushed his lips over the knuckles of one hand and the palm of the other.Advertisement ¡°Stop kissing me¡ªI¡¯m filthy.¡± She looked past him. ¡°This isn¡¯t a pit trap. I¡¯d be impaled on a bunch of spears if it were, it¡¯s too deep, and besides that, the Timucua never built them.¡± Beau began checking her fingers. ¡°Do remind me to thank the natives.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. The last Timucua Indian died almost two hundred and fifty years ago.¡± She shifted her eyes to the left. ¡°This looks like a borrow pit.¡± He placed her hands at her sides. ¡°They borrowed it from someone?¡± ¡°We call them that because the natives dug them to borrow the dirt for burial mounds,¡± she said. ¡°Which is even odder. There aren¡¯t any burials anywhere near here. I think the closest one is in New Smyrna Beach.¡± ¡°Be still.¡± He pulled away the debris covering her abdomen and right leg. ¡°Does anything hurt?¡± ¡°My head is pounding, and something under me is jabbing me.¡± She tried to look down the front of herself. ¡°I can feel my toes.¡± Soil fell away from her sneakers as she wiggled them. ¡°I don¡¯t think my legs are broken.¡± That left checking for the worst. ¡°I¡¯m going to put my hand under you, and feel along your spine.¡± Her scowl ebbed as fear filled her eyes. ¡°I landed on my back, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, you did, love. But you just moved your feet, and I suspect you have a spine made of iron.¡± He leaned over and kissed her brow. ¡°Be brave now. Tell me if you feel any pain.¡± She nodded. Beau used his ability to lift her body enough to place his hand beneath it. He felt the warm wetness of blood as soon as he touched her back. He felt along her spine for the source, but Alys didn¡¯t make a sound until he reached her waist. ¡°There.¡± She caught her breath. ¡°Something there. It feels like a knife.¡± He went around the spot and continued until he reached her buttocks. From what he could feel, her bones were intact, which meant he could risk moving her. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn you on your side and have a look. We¡¯ll go slowly.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± Alys shifted, groaning as she moved onto her left side. ¡°Oh, that really hurts now. Please tell me there aren¡¯t any bones sticking out.¡± Beau lifted the lantern over her, and as soon as the light illuminated her injury, he put it down. ¡°No bones out of place. There¡¯s a bit of wood lodged under your skin.¡± He studied it before he reached for the first aid kit. ¡°It hasn¡¯t gone in very deep.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Her voice sounded strained. ¡°Pull it out.¡± He took a gauze pad from the kit. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She muffled a sharp sound as he tugged it free, and then exhaled heavily. ¡°A twig? That was all? It felt more like a log.¡± Beau tossed the wood aside and quickly bit into his own wrist, opening two puncture wounds that he held over the gash in Alys¡¯s skin. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Only a little antiseptic.¡± He watched as his Kyn blood sank into the wound, putting an immediate stop to the bleeding. He covered the gash with more gauze, which he taped in place. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sting, but it feels hot.¡± She tried to look over her shoulder. ¡°How did you know I was down here?¡± More questions. The wench had nearly died, and she was still asking them. ¡°I heard the ground collapse.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t; that was me falling in. This pit was already here; someone just camouflaged it.¡± She struggled into a sitting position. ¡°I want to stand up.¡± As he helped her to her feet, Beau glanced at the mound of deadwood around her. ¡°The natives did not do this.¡± ¡°No.¡± She picked up an oyster shell. ¡°After they dug this pit and did something with the dirt, the Timucua probably used it as a very large garbage can.¡± She gingerly felt the back of her head. ¡°Maybe the kids covered it up as part of a prank.¡± ¡°They would not do something so vicious.¡± Beau caught her as she staggered, bringing his arms up around her and holding her against him. ¡°I must take you to hospital.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave; the terms of the grant were very specific. If I do, Hylord will shut down the project.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°I think I¡¯m all right. Mostly. Are your eyes glowing?¡± Beau hadn¡¯t fed before leaving to scout the other camps, and expending so much energy as well as using his ability to get to Alys had further depleted him. The scent of her blood had stirred the worst part of him, and if he soon didn¡¯t get away from her and feed, his hunger would grow out of control. ¡°I must leave you here for a little while,¡± he said, holding her at arm¡¯s length. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s afraid. Your hands are shaking.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Your voice has changed, and your teeth are different, too.¡± ¡°You just took a bad fall,¡± he reminded her. ¡°You¡¯re shaken from it.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± She breathed in and smiled as her eyes darkened. ¡°Brenda calls you the Candyman. Do you know why? You smell like caramel. Hot caramel.¡± She¡¯d fallen again, this time under his sway. Beau knew that even the few mortals who were immune to l¡¯attrait could still be affected by it when they were injured or weak. Which made him want to curse God and all the heavens for doing this to him. ¡°Do you like me,¡± Alys was asking him, ¡°or do you just pretend to because we have to work together?¡± ¡°Alys, listen to me. I want you to sit down and wait here.¡± He turned away from her to pick up the lantern and switch it off. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡± He reached for the rope, but when he grasped it, the entire length came slithering down, until the other end landed at his feet. ¡°Do you have to leave me?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like being alone down here. Not after someone tried to electrocute us. Can¡¯t I climb out with you?¡± The fall must have addled her thoughts. ¡°Neither of us will be climbing out of here,¡± he said, his voice sounding harsh. ¡°Someone cut the rope.¡± ¡°All of the interns are back at the hotel in the city. We¡¯re the only ones left out here. Unless it was the ghost, but I don¡¯t believe in ghosts.¡± She came up behind him. ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t tie it right.¡± ¡°No, it was tied well enough.¡± As soon as she touched his shoulder, Beau moved away from her. ¡°You should sit down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll save my life again. Just like you did in France, when I was a little girl.¡± ¡°You should sit down and rest. Let me help you.¡± When he reached for her, his fingers brushed against her pendant. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°My cross.¡± She tucked in her chin to look at it. ¡°I¡¯ve had it since I was a baby. Like the omega. I think my parents were religious. And maybe a little weird.¡± She was still making no sense at all, but neither was the cross she wore. Simply touching it sent an unpleasant tingle through his fingers. Beau was convinced he¡¯d seen it before, and not on Alys. He turned it over in his hand, and saw the glint of a tiny jewel embedded in the center. The eye of Yblis. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you watching me, you know.¡± She tugged the cross from his fingers and bent to turn on the lantern. ¡°Most men don¡¯t do that after they talk to me. Either I intimidate them or I don¡¯t say what they want to hear.¡± ¡°You do unsettle me on occasion,¡± Beau said, ¡°but I am not afraid of you, Alys. And you can say anything to me that you like.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She beamed at him. ¡°Will you have sex with me?¡± Whatever antiseptic Beau had used on Alys¡¯s back had burned away the pain; now it mellowed into a deep, pleasant warmth that spread through her abdomen and pelvis. She wanted him to hug her again, but he was still staring at her cross. He also hadn¡¯t answered her question. ¡°I said, would you¡ª¡± ¡°I heard you the first time, love. No.¡± He moved away from her again until he disappeared into the shadows. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking clearly right now.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of me.¡± She reached for the stone wall, leaning against it until the pit stopped spinning. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± She ran her fingers over the surprisingly smooth surface. ¡°This should be clay. With the water table as high as it is here, we should be swimming, too.¡± She turned around until she spotted Beau. ¡°Oh, there you are.¡± When Alys went to him, he caught her hands and held her away as he looked over her head. ¡°You have to stop this now, love. You¡¯re like a sister to me. A young sister. A very young, innocent sister.¡± ¡°That would be fine, only I¡¯m not your sister.¡± She stretched her arms out to change his angle of leverage, and pressed herself against him. ¡°Remember when you came in my hotel room, and I tripped you, and we fell down together? I was afraid, and really angry, but I liked it, too.¡± He tried shuffling back, but she followed him until she had him pinned against the stone. ¡°Alys, please.¡± Pleased she had him cornered, she rested her cheek against his chest. ¡°It was when you rolled me over onto my back, and my towel fell off and I felt you.¡± She shimmied her hips against him, rubbing her belly against the hard length of his penis. ¡°Like this. You were aroused, just like this. I love that I can do that to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man; you were naked.¡± He lowered his hands, bringing hers down to her sides. ¡°I did not go there to assault you. I¡¯ve never forced myself on a woman.¡± ¡°But you thought about it, didn¡¯t you?¡± She looked up at his tight features. ¡°I could see it on your face, and feel it in your touch. Your body was practically shouting how much you wanted me. For a minute, when I thought you were going to spread my legs and push yourself inside me, I wasn¡¯t angry. I was excited. I wanted it. I want it now.¡± The pit began to spin again, and Alys sagged against him. ¡°Why am I talking like this? I never talk like this. I feel like I¡¯ve been drugged.¡± Page 23 He muttered some astoundingly foul words before he said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, love. I have you.¡±Advertisement A moment later he was sitting with his back to the wall of the pit and she was on his lap. Alys felt bemused. ¡°Is this what they mean by two people having chemistry? I never understood that euphemism. Literally speaking, it makes no sense. What could beakers and Bunsen burners and formulas have to do with sexual attraction?¡± ¡°The chemistry is mine, I¡¯m afraid.¡± He tucked her against his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve merely succumbed to it.¡± ¡°You know, modesty is not one of your shortcomings.¡± She would have felt annoyed with his arrogance if it hadn¡¯t seemed so right. ¡°You¡¯ve been with a lot of women, I guess. I would really like to have sex with you, but I know I¡¯m going to be a disappointment. Just so you¡¯re prepared.¡± She started unbuttoning her shirt. His hand stopped hers. ¡°Alys, you are unlike any woman I¡¯ve ever known, and yes, there have been many. None of them had your honesty, your simplicity. There is no artifice in you. Your heart is so open and clear and lovely, I think it must be fashioned from crystal.¡± He was being ridiculous; her heart was made of muscle and arteries and membranes. An organic pumping mechanism, that was all it was, so why did it feel as if it were melting? For once, she knew how to respond in kind, however. ¡°Then please don¡¯t break it.¡± Beau tipped up her face and put his mouth to hers. Alys hadn¡¯t indulged in much kissing; the partners she¡¯d taken in college had devoted a desultory effort to foreplay. Beau¡¯s mouth tasted cool and wet, and when he touched her tongue with his, it sent a shivery panic through her. He drew back a little. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to fear from me, love. Let me in. Let me show you.¡± He punctuated his words with light touches of his lips to hers, coaxing them apart for his tongue. His mouth felt warmer now, and not so startling, although other things distracted Alys. Her skin seemed too tight, and she couldn¡¯t catch her breath. This close, Beau seemed so much bigger and harder, his body like some smooth, sculpted rock to which she could only cling. And she was clinging, Alys thought, completely befuddled by the urgency pounding in her chest and the empty ache pulsing between her thighs. She¡¯d never been one to cling or pulse over anyone, and yet here she was, grabbing at him and opening for him and taking each deep, slow kiss as if it was all that mattered. ¡°Wait.¡± She ducked her head, gasping for breath as she ground her forehead into his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t think like this. I can¡¯t¡ªdo this. I don¡¯t understand. I feel like I¡¯m coming apart.¡± ¡°Shhhh.¡± He stroked her arm with a gentle up-and-down motion. ¡°Nothing more will happen. You¡¯re tired and hurt, and I shouldn¡¯t have touched you at all.¡± Alys didn¡¯t know what to say, but her body reacted by pressing closer against him. ¡°Please,¡± she begged. ¡°Don¡¯t stop now. I can handle it. I think.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, love. I¡¯ll see to it.¡± Beau turned her away from him, holding her loosely around the waist. ¡°Lean back against me, yes, like that.¡± She glanced down at his hand, which had released the button of her jeans and was opening the zipper. The set of his fingers made her frown. ¡°You have a crooked finger on your left hand.¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Are you going to try to manually stimulate me?¡± She¡¯d experimented with that, too, but while she¡¯d eventually learned how to bring herself to orgasm, it never felt especially satisfying. ¡°I¡¯m going to touch you, Alys.¡± His voice whispered against her ear, and the low, rough sound seemed to echo through her, reaching down to intensify the ache. ¡°It¡¯s not anything you have to think about. You¡¯ve only to feel.¡± She could feel his hands pushing her jeans and panties out of his way, and her thighs trembled as he coaxed them apart. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at having orgasms. Your hand is going to get tired.¡± ¡°I never weary of touching you.¡± He cupped her, threading his fingers through the curly thatch of her pubic hair, and parted her mons with the edge of his thumb. ¡°Can you feel that?¡± he murmured as he stroked the inordinate wetness between her folds. ¡°That¡¯s your wanting me.¡± Alys knew the clinical term, but decided she liked his expression better. ¡°That¡¯s because I want you.¡± It surprised her how much she did. ¡°I like how you touch me.¡± A sound came out of her throat as his fingertips moved lower, pressing in. ¡°Here?¡± He drew his hand back, rubbing her own wetness over her clit. ¡°Or here?¡± She had never felt less capable of speech; her throat tightened, her limbs trembled, and every rational thought left her head. ¡°Both,¡± she managed to pant out. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Since you ask me so nicely.¡± Beau shifted his hand, working his long fingers into her body while he caressed the little knot at the top of her sex with his thumb. ¡°I wish this was my mouth, so I could taste you. And then my cock, so I could feel you squeeze me as you come. Another night, Alys, I¡¯ll come into your bed and wake you with my kisses. I¡¯ll strip you down until you¡¯re naked for me, and touch every inch of your beautiful skin. I¡¯ll bring pleasures that have no names, delight that you¡¯ve never imagined. And when you¡¯re wet for me like this, when you can¡¯t bear another moment apart from me, I¡¯ll come into you and fuck you until you scream my name.¡± Listening to his rough, passionate promises set her imagination on fire; hearing his last threat sent her body out of control. Alys felt herself clench around his fingers as the first hot burst exploded inside her, shaking her to her heels as she lost herself in the heat and sensation. Beau thrust his fingers deep, his thumbnail grazing her swollen clit as he caressed her in time with the pulses of her pleasure. She slipped from one peak only to be hurtled to another, her heart drumming in her ears, her breath sobbing in her chest. Beau murmured something as he put his mouth to her shoulder, and Alys felt something sharp tear through her shirt. His teeth grazed her flesh with two sharp points, and she thought he would bite down, but suddenly he wrenched his mouth from her and abruptly put her aside. Alys propped herself up on one elbow, unable to believe he had shoved her away at such a moment. ¡°Beau?¡± ¡°Forgive me, love, I¡­¡± He stopped and turned his back on her. ¡°Forgive me.¡± Alys¡¯s eyes widened as Beau crouched, and then shot up through the air, disappearing over the edge of the pit. ¡°Beau.¡± She scrambled to her feet, wincing as her movements pulled at the wound in her back. ¡°Beau, don¡¯t leave me down here.¡± As she called out his name over and over, the air around her came alive with a soft, shimmering light. Alys¡¯s voice died away, and when she tried to move back, her body turned to stone. He will return for you soon, a deep voice whispered inside her head; a voice that belonged to Beau. As Alys fell to her knees, and then lay down on her side, the light filled her with its golden warmth. Sleep now, my child. Chapter 10 Jayr didn¡¯t need another fortnight to decide whether Devan Leeds was the best candidate to serve as her chief tresora. Over the last two weeks the man had fit himself seamlessly into her household, and had managed the running of it so skillfully she couldn¡¯t imagine the Realm without him. Only one obstacle remained, and he was sitting by her bedchamber hearth brooding over a half glass of whiskey. She sat up, swamped as always by the enormous bed she shared with her lover, and looked for her robe. ¡°Why are you drinking that swill?¡± ¡°This swill?¡± Byrne regarded his glass. ¡°I refuse to give it up. Like you, my lady.¡± He rose and came to her, pausing to scoop up her robe from where he¡¯d tossed it on the floor the previous night. ¡°I dinnae know why you insist on wearing garments anyway. I¡¯d chain you naked to this bed if I could.¡± ¡°You like my touch too much to clap me in manacles.¡± She lifted her face to kiss him, looping one arm around his strong neck as he lifted her from the sheets. ¡°Now tell me what has you resorting to that god-awful liquor.¡± Byrne carried her over to his big armchair and settled in it, holding her on his lap. ¡°I¡¯ve to ask you a favor. One you¡¯ll not wish to grant me.¡± She smiled. ¡°Nonsense. You know I would do anything for you.¡± He kissed the end of her nose. ¡°Send the Englishman back to Italy.¡± ¡°Anything but that,¡± she said, her smile fading only when she realized he meant it. ¡°You cannot be serious. Aedan, the man has been working like a slave for us.¡± He picked up his glass again and drained it. ¡°Aye, and so he has.¡± He studied the empty crystal. ¡°A veritable rabbit of efficiency, he is.¡± ¡°How can you object to him?¡± she demanded. ¡°He¡¯s everything courteous and mannerly; he conducts himself so perfectly I wish he¡¯d take the rest of the mortal staff in hand. He¡¯s moved the renovations ahead of schedule by a full week. Every task I¡¯ve set him has been done perfectly, and when I have no more, he finds work for himself. I vow, Devan hardly sleeps.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re calling him Devan now,¡± he muttered. Jayr studied his scowl. ¡°You cannot be jealous. Of a mortal? Sweet Jesu.¡± She thrust herself off his lap and strode to the bed, jerking on her robe. Byrne came up behind her, turning her to face him. ¡°He is a man, and you a beautiful and powerful woman. God¡¯s teeth, Jayr. Have you never wondered why he labors so long and dearly for you?¡± ¡°Could it be that I am the ruler of this territory, and he wishes to earn the highest and most important position for a mortal in my household?¡± She pretended to think. ¡°No, that cannot be it. You are right; he wants only to crawl in my bed. I wonder how he will get you out of it first.¡± ¡°There is more to it than lust. He tries too hard. He watches you every second, and not merely to drink in your beauty. Test him.¡± When she started to tell him what she thought of that, he seized her up in his arms and kissed her. ¡°If I am wrong, I will make my apologies and accept him as your tresora with all my heart.¡± Page 24 Jayr touched her brow to his. ¡°No, you will not.¡±Advertisement He sketched his fingers along the side of her face. ¡°Then I willnae look for any excuse to kill him.¡± Byrne¡¯s suspicions plagued Jayr even after they parted, and partially out of embarrassment she skipped her habit of beginning the evening in her study and went instead to attend to her lady visitors. Christian answered her chamber door with a grin. ¡°My lady Jayr.¡± She bobbed a cheeky curtsy before opening the door wider. ¡°Come on in, we¡¯re got Am¨¦lie on.¡± ¡°Am¨¦lie?¡± Jayr couldn¡¯t place the name, but as soon as she saw Simone sitting in front of the television and watching a subtitled French movie, she felt relieved. ¡°I thought for a moment you had a mortal in here with you.¡± ¡°I left all my mortals back in Provence,¡± Simone told her. ¡°Fifty-three brothers. They were very unhappy about it, but then, they are also my garrison.¡± ¡°At least you have guys.¡± Chris offered her a glass of bloodwine. ¡°My garrison is all chicks. Immortal former sex-slave chicks.¡± She winked at Jayr. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I left them back home, too.¡± ¡°Do not describe them to my garrison, Christian, I beg you.¡± Jayr perched on the arm of one love seat and studied the two women. ¡°Now I can see the resemblance. You have the same smile.¡± ¡°With only brothers, I always wanted a sister.¡± Simone gave Christian a fond look. ¡°Even one who wishes to steal all of my shoes.¡± The petite brunette sniffed. ¡°We wear the same size, and you get to shop in Paris.¡± ¡°While you live in Paradise,¡± Simone countered. ¡°Literally.¡± ¡°To think, you¡¯re squabbling like sisters already. I expect you will be great friends.¡± Jayr finished her wine. ¡°When are your lords due to arrive?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, we hope.¡± Chris sighed and absently rubbed her temple. ¡°We¡¯re already feeling the separation anxiety thing. Massive bond-strain headache here.¡± ¡°You should know that once their business is done, Lucan promised that he would personally escort Korvel and Jamys here,¡± Simone said, and then glanced at Jayr. ¡°With your permission, of course, my lady.¡± Like most of the Kyn, Jayr had avoided Lucan while he served as Richard Tremayne¡¯s chief executioner. Since coming to America and assuming the suzerainty of South Florida, however, the former assassin had gone to some lengths to establish friendly relations with his neighboring jardins. He¡¯d also fought alongside Jayr against a nightmarish enemy, and had proved to be a formidable ally. ¡°Lord Alenfar knows he has a standing invitation to visit the Realm.¡± Jayr hesitated, not wishing to trouble the women with her own dilemma, but in dire need of feminine advice. ¡°I rarely have the chance to confer with other Kyn women. I wonder if I might trouble you both for your counsel.¡± Christian exchanged a look with Simone. ¡°We haven¡¯t been Kyn that long, but sure. Shoot.¡± Jayr briefly explained the situation with Devan Leeds. ¡°He is an exemplary tresora, and I believe him to be perfectly suited for my household. But for some reason Byrne has taken an unreasonable dislike to him, and wishes him gone. We have argued about it twice now, and tonight he challenged me to test the man.¡± Simone frowned. ¡°What sort of test?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a loyalty thing,¡± Chris said. ¡°Kyn lords¡ªand ladies¡ªhave to be absolutely sure their mortals will stick to their training and serve them without question under any circumstances, even the most nerve-racking. The only way to know is to deliberately put pressure on them. A lot of heavy, nasty pressure.¡± The Frenchwoman¡¯s expression turned cool. ¡°You intend to physically harm the man, my lady?¡± ¡°That is not my want or my thinking.¡± She explained what she thought she had to do, adding, ¡°I do not wish to torment him. But if by some small chance Byrne is right about him, I must alert the council and have him permanently removed from service.¡± Which would destroy Leeds¡¯s life all over again. ¡°Do it.¡± Chris¡¯s dark eyes were solemn and direct. ¡°This guy is going to have access and control over practically every part of your life. He¡¯s going to be your first line of defense against the mortal world. If he¡¯s not a hundred percent, you have to know. So does the council, or you¡¯re just going to pass the problem along to another suzerain. You can¡¯t be nice or polite about this, my lady. It¡¯s too important.¡± ¡°That is not her worry,¡± Simone said, giving Jayr a shrewd look. ¡°I think she¡¯s never done anything like this.¡± Chris frowned. ¡°Not even with Byrne?¡± Jayr shook her head. ¡°I have always served, and it is not in me to be so¡­aggressive.¡± ¡°Oh, no problem.¡± Chris made a dismissive gesture. ¡°I can walk you through it.¡± She saw how Simone was looking at her. ¡°Not all of us were raised by nuns, sweetie.¡± ¡°Well, I was,¡± Jayr said, and made them all laugh. A half hour later Jayr left the women and went to her study, where she found Leeds patiently waiting. What she was about to do to the mortal made her feel sick, but she would see it through. I can do this. As Christian said, it is but playacting. ¡°Hello, Devan.¡± ¡°My lady.¡± He bowed. ¡°I was about to go in search of you.¡± He watched her secure the door. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Steeling herself, Jayr strode past him, pausing only to switch off the phone on her desk. ¡°I was late rising because of my seneschal. Sometimes he still believes himself lord here.¡± She sat back in her chair and regarded him with what she hoped was an arrogant look. ¡°I had to remind him that this is my jardin, and he belongs to me. Like you.¡± Leeds merely inclined his head. ¡°Would you care to go over the schedule for the evening, my lady?¡± ¡°I am weary of schedules and work and business.¡± She picked up the glass of bloodwine he had poured for her, cradling it in her hand but making no move to taste it. She had to feign boredom, restlessness. ¡°I am in a mood to be entertained.¡± She cringed a little to hear how arrogant she sounded. ¡°I am not sure what you mean, my lady,¡± Leeds said, frowning slightly. ¡°Do you wish me to summon Rainer?¡± ¡°I do not want that fool. He does not even like women, you know.¡± She eyed him. ¡°Are you a lover of men, Devan?¡± The tresora stiffened. ¡°No, my lady. I am a heterosexual.¡± ¡°Such cold words you mortals use. I dislike them intensely.¡± She rose and approached him, keeping her gaze locked with his. ¡°No more of them tonight. Say, ¡®I am a lover of women.¡¯¡± He didn¡¯t move out of place, not even when she stopped just short of touching him. ¡°I am a lover of women.¡± ¡°Many women, I think. I can see it in your eyes.¡± Jayr looked him up and down as she might inspect a new horse. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you look as well.¡± She forced herself to lean into him so that only an inch separated their faces. At least the tresora had a pleasant scent, or she might not be able to bear what was about to occur. ¡°Take off your jacket.¡± He blinked once. ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°You heard me.¡± She stepped back and circled around him as he removed the garment and draped it over his arm. When she trailed her hand across the back of his shoulders, she felt him flinch. ¡°Very nice indeed. Do you like the look of me, tresora?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a very beautiful woman,¡± he said quietly. She came around to face him. ¡°Give me your hands.¡± When he did, she placed them on her waist. Making the man touch her made her think of how it had been with her and Byrne the first time he had kissed her. She¡¯d not been at all prepared for it, and neither would Devan. ¡°Now kiss me.¡± Leeds¡¯s hands tightened before he took them away. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot do that, my lady.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t fear. No one will see us,¡± she promised, resting her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve bolted the door. You want to. I can smell the lust on you. Go on, then.¡± She put her lips a whisper away from his. ¡°Give me your mouth.¡± Leeds took a step back. ¡°I would like nothing better than to please you, my lady,¡± he said carefully, ¡°but you are bonded to your seneschal.¡± ¡°Byrne? Forget him. He will never know.¡± She touched his face. ¡°I want you to be my mortal lover. When we are alone, I will let you do whatever you wish.¡± She glanced down and felt disappointed when she saw the bulge at his crotch. Byrne was right about him. ¡°You like the idea of that, I see.¡± ¡°I am not made of stone, my lady, and you are everything a man dreams of.¡± He swallowed. ¡°But you already have a lover, and whether he knows what you do or not, I must respect his prior claim on you.¡± ¡°His claim? Do you forget that I rule here?¡± she snapped. ¡°You are my servant, and you will serve me as I wish. I want you to pleasure me. Now.¡± ¡°I have not yet given you my oath,¡± Leeds said. ¡°Even if I had, I would still be permitted the right to refuse. So I must again respectfully decline, my lady.¡± Jayr no longer had the stomach to keep pressing him, and the regret in his eyes made her retreat to Byrne¡¯s chair by the hearth. ¡°Very well. You may go.¡± Leeds came and crouched down before her. ¡°Whatever happened between you and Lord Byrne has obviously upset you. Do you wish to talk about it?¡± She stared at him. ¡°You would console me, after what I just did to you?¡± ¡°You have paid me an enormous compliment.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°And you frightened the wits out of me, but now I think that was your intention all along, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She groaned and covered her eyes with one hand. ¡°I am a wretched actress.¡± ¡°I beg to differ. You had me utterly convinced.¡± He sat back on his heels. ¡°At least until you ordered me to kiss you. Kyn ladies who enjoy using mortal males for sex are rather more direct about how their desires should be serviced.¡± Page 25 She dropped her hand. ¡°You have served such a lady?¡±Advertisement ¡°I was not the one she used,¡± he said, bowing his head, ¡°but yes.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Devan.¡± She might as well tell him everything. ¡°It was suggested that you might have some romantic feeling for me. I did not believe it, but¡­¡± ¡°You had to be sure.¡± He nodded and stood. ¡°I think this must be my fault. I was raised in a small and very intimate household, and our lord treated me and all the mortals under his rule with great care and concern. Of all that I have lost since the Brethren took my Kyn family from me, it is that affection that I miss most. Perhaps unconsciously I have been seeking the same from you, and I apologize for it.¡± She reached out and took hold of his hand. ¡°You have it already, Devan. If it still pleases you to serve such an inconstant mistress, I would ask for no one else.¡± ¡°We have two more weeks to sort this out.¡± He looked uncertain. ¡°Should I speak to Lord Byrne, and explain myself to him?¡± ¡°No, let me deal with Aedan. Now that you have passed this damned test of his, he will come round.¡± She stood. ¡°You should have the rest of the night for yourself. Go and spend it doing whatever you please. And thank you for not taking offense.¡± ¡°You are very kind, my lady.¡± He bowed. ¡°I will not forget this.¡± Farlae waited until Jayr left the study before he moved the ceiling panel back into place, closing the gap he¡¯d used to watch her with Leeds. Silently he rolled over and stared at the top of the narrow crawl space. He was still holding his dagger, he discovered, which he slipped back into his forearm sheath. He would have to report the incident to Byrne, but that was better than slitting the mortal¡¯s throat for daring to touch the suzeraina. Farlae had known Jayr was putting on a performance from the moment she spoke of Rainer. Their suzeraina had endless affection for the great hulking fool; she alone could tolerate his nonsense better than anyone. She was also excessively protective of him. Of us both, Farlae had to admit. While most of the warriors pretended not to notice their relationship, and Byrne had merely tolerated it, Jayr had shown her approval openly. Part of the renovations she had ordered was to create new quarters for them both away from the garrison; when construction was finished, they would have their own suite to share. If Rain ever bothers to speak to me again. Farlae didn¡¯t know why his lover had been so pointedly avoiding him, but after the night¡¯s work was done, he intended to find out. He left the crawl space to track the mortal, who had returned to his chambers. Farlae had already searched them several times in hopes of finding proof of his duplicity, but had found nothing but a few dull letters from another tresora in service. Farlae moved past the mortal¡¯s chamber and down the hall to the monitoring post he had arranged in one of the unused storage areas. By concealing a pair of video cameras, one in the air vent and another in a wall cache, Farlae was able to see every part of the room on a remote terminal. He sat down before it and switched on the monitor, which brought up twin images from the cameras, which showed the mortal pacing about his room in an agitated fashion, his hands fisted and his expression grim. ¡°Ah, you were not expecting to be tested, were you, human?¡± Farlae settled back in his chair. ¡°They are on to you, Devan, as am I.¡± On the screen Leeds stopped beside the bed, sitting down on it and propping his head in his hands. When he lifted his face a minute later, Farlae saw he was composed again, but then he nearly fell off his chair as the mortal tore open the front of his trousers. ¡°Well, now.¡± He grinned as Leeds shoved his clothing out of the way and exposed the swollen shaft of his erect cock. ¡°What a lovely lad you have there. Will you give me a show, then?¡± As if he heard him, Leeds gripped his shaft with an unsteady hand and began to pump it rhythmically. Farlae turned on the audio feed, which allowed him to hear what the mortal was muttering. ¡°¡ªpleasure you,¡± Leeds muttered, his fist stroking up and down his shaft. ¡°Pleasure me first. However I wanted to be fucked.¡± Perversely aroused by the mortal¡¯s crisp, polite voice uttering such obscenities, Farlae reached for the buttons securing his own trousers and released them, easing his rigid penis out of the opening and wrapping the broad head in a handkerchief. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Tell me all about it, darling.¡± ¡°Kiss you, indeed,¡± Leeds murmured, his hand stroking steadily. ¡°I¡¯d have you bound by wrist and ankle, on your knees in front of me. I¡¯d take your pretty hair in my fist and shove my cock in that bloody gorgeous mouth of yours. You¡¯d whimper as I fucked myself in and out of your lips.¡± Farlae¡¯s eyelids drooped as he imagined the same, Leeds on his knees in front of him, his hands chained behind his back, his mouth open and wet. But the mortal¡¯s face quickly blurred in his mind, broadening into one dearly loved, as open and unpretentious as a summer¡¯s day. ¡°Jayr,¡± Farlae heard Leeds panting, and squeezed his cock as he answered with, ¡°Rain.¡± The mortal took only another few minutes to bring himself off, and Farlae followed him, jerking as his body spasmed. He closed his eyes, letting the solitary pleasure ease to a sullen glow as he imagined kissing his seed from Rain¡¯s lips. For all his talk of eventual damnation, his lover was as generous and passionate in bed as he was ridiculous and foolhardy out of it. After so many centuries of being together, Farlae had expected their mutual desire to cool, but if anything, it had grown more intense. I will tell him that I love him, Farlae thought, that he is my sygkenis and I will have no other. And if it can be done, I will marry him. The slam of a door startled him out of his reverie, and when Farlae glanced at the terminal, he saw Leeds¡¯s room was empty again. ¡°God rot you,¡± he swore as he wiped himself with the handkerchief and buttoned up his trousers. ¡°You¡¯ll not spend another night under this roof, you randy little bastard.¡± Farlae switched off the terminal and left the storage room, tracking the mortal¡¯s scent through the corridors and out into the gardens. There he stayed in the shadows as he caught up with Leeds, who moved with purpose toward the potting shed. Cursing himself for not thinking of searching the grounds, Farlae slipped around to the side window, where he watched Leeds unearth a plastic-wrapped satellite phone from a pot of soil. Now I have you for certain, you fucking traitor. Farlae watched and listened as the mortal punched in a long string of numbers and began speaking in rapid Italian. ¡°I believe I have been compromised,¡± Leeds said. ¡°I must move on to the next phase ahead of schedule.¡± As he listened, his shoulders stiffened. ¡°Yes, I will kill her myself. I will contact you as soon as it is done.¡± Jayr. Farlae drew his dagger, and moved around the shed to wait for Leeds to emerge. Shortly after midnight Harlech burst into Jayr¡¯s study. ¡°Captain?¡± She smelled the blood on his hands before she saw it, and jumped to her feet. ¡°How are you injured?¡± ¡°It is not my blood, my lady.¡± He glanced over his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve a man down. Would you come, please?¡± She hurried out after him, and followed him down to the end of the corridor. Three warriors with blades drawn stood guard as a fourth crouched over a blood-soaked body on the floor. ¡°One of the household patrols found him here,¡± Harlech told her as Jayr knelt down beside the body. ¡°From the trail he left on the stones, he must have crawled in from the gardens.¡± He produced a dagger. ¡°We found this lodged in his chest.¡± ¡°You have given him blood?¡± When Harlech nodded, she leaned over, brushing the hair back from the still face. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± When he didn¡¯t stir, she pressed her hands to his chest, finding no pulse. She concentrated, searching with her Kyn senses for any spark of life left in him, but only when she was about to give up did she find it. ¡°He is still alive. Harlech, we will need a litter to carry him to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± He ran off. A shadow fell across the stone, and Jayr looked up, feeling an intense relief. ¡°Devan, thank God.¡± ¡°I heard the commotion.¡± He knelt down to look at the wound, which he examined closely. ¡°My lady, this was no accident. This man was stabbed with copper. Who is he?¡± ¡°This is Farlae.¡± Despair swamped her as she rested her hand over his silent heart. ¡°He is our wardrobe keeper.¡± Chapter 11 The smell of honey made Alys frown, as did the warmth enveloping her. The bottom of the pit was cold. She should be freezing. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± She opened her eyes to see Beau standing beside her in the dark, a tray in his hands. ¡°What time is it? Why are you here?¡± ¡°It is a little after six, and I sleep here.¡± He reached over and switched on a lantern. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She sat up and rubbed the back of her head where there should have been a bump¡ªand there wasn¡¯t. ¡°We¡¯re back at the cloister.¡± As he set the tray of tea and food on her lap, she gazed up at him. ¡°I was in the bottom of that borrow pit. You left me there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± he said. ¡°I found you wandering about the native village just after sunrise this morning. You were sleepwalking again.¡± And he was lying to her. Again. ¡°I was?¡± He nodded. ¡°You must have had another nightmare. You were in a pit, you said?¡± In the pit where he had done terribly intimate things to her, as he well knew, Alys thought. ¡°Yes, I was.¡± She didn¡¯t have to try to sound muddled; she was completely dumbfounded. ¡°I fell into it and you came to rescue me.¡± He smiled and poured a cup of tea for her. ¡°How did I do that? Was it like that Raiders movie you spoke of, with all the snakes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember any snakes.¡± He was joking about it now. She wanted to hit him. ¡°I saw you jump straight up in the air, and then¡­I must have blacked out.¡± To keep from screaming, she took a sip of the tea, which he¡¯d laced liberally with honey. To cover the taste of the drugs? She set down the cup. ¡°It was a very vivid dream.¡± Page 26 ¡°It sounds as if it was.¡± He nodded at the tray. ¡°That¡¯s the last of the bread and eggs. I¡¯ll make a trip into the city for more food supplies.¡±Advertisement ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She forced a smile. ¡°I have some things I need to do, too.¡± After he went to take stock of what they would need, Alys dumped the tea he had made for her down the shower drain, and stuck the food in a self-sealing bag under her mattress. In the process she remembered the back injury she¡¯d sustained, and reached back to feel for the bandage. She wasn¡¯t bandaged or wounded, Alys discovered, and wavered for a moment. She had fallen into a very deep pit and blacked out. Concussions had a way of distorting memories. Is he telling the truth? Was it all a nightmare? She felt along her back again, this time more carefully, and felt a faint, irregular scar. She took the hand mirror from her backpack and held it, turning her head and positioning it so she could see the spot. She did have a scar, a brand-new one that had not been there yesterday. Somehow she had healed overnight. No, he did something to me. She remembered the strange heat of the antiseptic he¡¯d used on her. If it had actually been antiseptic from the first aid kit, it should have stung; she knew because she¡¯d used it several times herself on the cuts and scrapes she acquired while working the dig. And while she¡¯d never had a problem recovering quickly from any wound, no one could spontaneously heal.¡­ Alys went to the trunk where she kept her books, and searched through them until she found the last birthday gift Robert had sent her, a memoir written by an ex¨CCatholic priest who among wild fantasies had claimed he¡¯d discovered a second, secret society within the ranks of the Knights Templar. The author, an octogenarian whom the academic community had always dismissed as a madman, had insisted he¡¯d even been attacked by members of the secret sect of Templars, who he claimed were not only immortal but also vampires. He¡¯d prevented them from drinking his blood by hurling holy water at them. She flipped through the chapters, skimming until she found the section on the evidence the priest had gathered about the sect he referred to as the ¡°dark kyn,¡± and began reading. Those who are damned for eternity will be comely of appearance, the men strong and handsome, the women delicate and lovely. They exude the precious scent of God¡¯s gift of torment, that of flowers, but it is a lie to lure and trap their unsuspecting victims. They will partake of neither food nor drink but wine. When brought into the light of heaven they will shield their eyes and grow agitated; if left in shelter they will sleep without breath or movement. They have knowledge of the black arts and wield these against their victims, each with their own spell to create confusion of the senses and to enslave with but a few words. Few can resist their murmurings and touches. They fornicate freely and respect not the bonds of marriage or betrothal. Nothing may cut their flesh but copper, which burns them like fire. They heal from any wound, but thanks be to God may be dispatched back to Hell by beheading. Alys closed the book and sat back against the side of her bed, building almost helplessly a construct that duplicated the priest¡¯s claims: Strong and handsome. Smells wonderful. Avoids food. Only awake at night. He has every intern in love with him. He has me in love with him. She shoved the book back into the trunk and slammed the lid down. Love wasn¡¯t real, and neither were the imaginings of a disturbed mind. The priest had died more than a hundred years ago, committing suicide shortly after the publication of his wretched book. She could build another, completely logical construct to explain away the similarities. Beau had food allergies. He was charming. Hylord had insisted they work at night. Beauregard York was not a vampire. Last night I saw him jump out of the pit, just after he made me orgasm. But before that, he almost bit me. Alys reached for her shoulder, and felt a tender spot. With trembling fingers she pushed back her collar, and saw two shallow scratches surrounded by a fading bruise. Scratches that hadn¡¯t been there yesterday. Scratches from two identical sharp objects scraping against her skin¡­ Alys retrieved her laptop and booted it up, watching the stairs as she ran several searches on Google and MapQuest. It would take hours, and if she was wrong, Beau would be furious with her, but nothing else would suffice. And if she was right, she needed incontrovertible proof with which to confront him. She dressed and prepped her backpack before leaving the cloister, and found Beau stacking equipment cases in the church. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. We¡¯ll only be a few hours.¡± He gave her an odd look. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. You¡¯re ready to leave? Let me get my jacket.¡± When Beau returned from the cloister, she shouldered her backpack and took out her keys. ¡°We¡¯ll take the van; it has more room in the back. Would you like to drive?¡± ¡°That would not be wise. The rental agency will have insured only you,¡± he chided. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well enough to drive, perhaps you should stay here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely recovered, thank you.¡± He had a rational excuse for everything he couldn¡¯t do, she thought. Of course he thought she¡¯d never seen the two-week-old driver¡¯s license in his wallet. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± On the way to the city Beau turned on the radio, scanning the channels until he found the local classical music station. A dark and dramatic cello concerto filled up the silence between them. ¡°I liked that,¡± he said after the final, stark notes of the piece drifted into silence. ¡°It sounded like a storm brewing.¡± ¡°Do you know the composer?¡± She glanced at him. ¡°She¡¯s a South Korean with a very memorable name.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Unsuk Chin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jest¡ªjoking.¡± He¡¯d nearly said ¡°jesting¡± instead of ¡°joking¡±: another of his verbal slips. ¡°You can Google her if you like. What sort of computer do you use at home?¡± ¡°Nothing special,¡± he said, turning his head to look at the scenery. ¡°A laptop, like yours.¡± ¡°Is it Mac, HP, Texas Instruments?¡± she persisted. ¡°Texas Instruments.¡± Who sold their laptop product line to Acer back in ¡¯ninety-seven. Alys was almost beginning to enjoy herself. ¡°So you like vintage tech.¡± ¡°Like you, I am very fond of old things.¡± He nodded at the windshield. ¡°There is an excellent market on the next block, to the right.¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d stop and get something to eat first. Charles told me about this place near here called Hoolihan¡¯s. Great food, and live music, too.¡± ¡°That sounds interesting,¡± Beau said, shifting around to face her. ¡°But you just ate a full meal back at camp.¡± Alys hoped her stomach wouldn¡¯t give her away by growling. ¡°I was thinking about you. You haven¡¯t eaten anything yet.¡± ¡°I did, just before you woke,¡± he said through his teeth. ¡°But I appreciate your concern.¡± No, you don¡¯t. Alys made a turn into the grocery store¡¯s side lot and parked the van. She was tempted to leave the keys in the ignition, but Beau was watching her too closely now. ¡°We¡¯ll need a shopping cart.¡± As she climbed out, she nodded toward a row of them sitting in a return slot several cars down. ¡°Would you mind getting one for me? I need to use the ladies¡¯ room. I¡¯ll meet you over in the produce section.¡± She breezed inside the store, heading directly to the restroom sign, glancing back to see Beau pushing a cart in through the doors. As soon as she was out of his sight, she changed direction, walking over several aisles and doubling back. At the end of the aisle she saw a clerk and hurried up to him. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said. ¡°Is there another exit other than one at front of this building? There¡¯s a man who followed me in from the parking lot, and he¡¯s acting a little creepy.¡± ¡°Sure, you can go out through the liquor store.¡± He pointed to a pair of sliding doors. ¡°They have their own entrance. If this guy¡¯s really bothering you, my manager can call the cops.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I only need to get away from him.¡± She smiled and hurried toward the sliding doors. Back outside in the parking lot, Alys ran to the van, fumbling her keys out of her pocket and nearly dropping them twice before she got the engine started. Throwing the van into reverse, she backed out, turning her head to see Beau standing just outside the front entrance. ¡°Now let¡¯s see you follow me, smart guy.¡± She sped off. Alys drove to the first address she¡¯d written down in her notebook, a busy hotel near the convention center, and parked the van in the visitors¡¯ lot. Once she¡¯d locked it up, she hurried over to the long line of taxis waiting by the main lobby. ¡°Hi,¡± she said to the driver of the first cab she reached. ¡°My rental broke down and I need to get back to my hotel to arrange to have it towed. Can you take me to the Neptune resort?¡± ¡°No problem, lady. Hop in.¡± She climbed in the back and hunched down as far as she could, waiting until they were on the road again before she sat up. ¡°You know, I think it would be better if I go to the place I rented it.¡± She read the address to him from her notebook. ¡°That way I can get a replacement car tonight.¡± ¡°Whatever you say.¡± The driver made a neat U-turn and headed in the opposite direction. Once he¡¯d dropped her off at the rental agency, Alys walked past the building out to the bus stop on the corner, where she waited for five tense minutes before the resort shuttle arrived. It was crowded with tourists returning from dinner, so she had to stand, but there were enough people packed around her to effectively block her from the windows. She got off the resort shuttle at its first stop, taking a second to a satellite hotel, and then a third directly to a theme park, where she rode the tram to the ticket booths. ¡°You do know that we close in two hours, ma¡¯am,¡± the girl in the booth warned her as she printed out her ticket. Page 27 ¡°I know. I can¡¯t help myself. I love¡±¡ªshe glanced up at the park¡¯s sign¡ª¡°Pirate World.¡± She paid for the ticket with her credit card. ¡°Are any of your restaurants still serving dinner?¡±Advertisement ¡°The Jolly Roger Grill stays open until the park closes. It¡¯s located on the upper deck of the Flying Dutchman.¡± She handed Alys a map of the park with the location circled. ¡°Thank you.¡± As she walked into the park, Alys couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was being followed, although she saw no one whenever she turned back to look. A man jumped out in front of her, making her stumble backward until she saw he was in costume. ¡°Take your picture with Blackbeard, my pretty?¡± He lifted the camera hanging around his neck, tugged his fake beard out from under the strap. ¡°It¡¯ll only cost ye twenty doubloons.¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± Alys went around him. ¡°I hate Pirate World.¡± An enormous man-made lake formed the center of the park, and held more than a dozen reproduction pirate ships. Some appeared to be stages for live performances, while others housed gift shops, boutiques, and snack bars. Visitors walked back and forth to the vessels across wide wooden bridges labeled on the map as ¡°planks.¡± ¡°Walking the plank. Of course.¡± Alys stuffed the map into her jacket and started across the bridge that led to the Flying Dutchman. High guardrails kept anyone who might have slipped or stumbled from falling into the lake, but the creaking, swaying wood of the bridge made Alys quicken her step. Two men walking even faster brushed past her, one going to the rail to look over the side. The other slowed and turned around, his dark eyes measuring her as he blocked her path. ¡°Excuse me.¡± When he didn¡¯t move, Alys gestured past him. ¡°I¡¯m going over there.¡± ¡°You are Dr. Stuart?¡± he asked, his thick accent mangling her name. ¡°Yes.¡± She took a step back. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± He turned his head and said something in Italian to his companion, who nodded. ¡°Where are the jewels?¡± ¡°What jewels? I don¡¯t know what you mean. How did you find me here?¡± Her eyes widened as he produced a gun. ¡°You¡¯re going to shoot me? In a theme park?¡± ¡°Tell us where the jewels are, and we let you go,¡± he offered. ¡°I don¡¯t have any jewels. All I have¡±¡ªshe fumbled at her neck for her cross¡ª¡°is this. It¡¯s gold, and there¡¯s a little gem in it. Here, you can have it.¡± She reached back for the catch. The other man came at her and seized her by the arm and throat. ¡°Where are they?¡± Alys struggled, choking under his brutal grip and then writhing as he thrust her back against the top of the railing. ¡°Where?¡± the man shouted, throttling her. She shook her head, and then brought up her feet and used them to shove him away, pushing herself over the railing. She grabbed at it, desperately trying to hold on, but her fingers slipped and then she was falling. Dropping into the pit last night had been a quick and petrifying business; falling into the cold, dark water of the lake seemed to take an eternity. Alys felt herself floating, feather-soft, on a cool wind that curled around her, holding her in a gentle embrace. She turned over, wanting to see what had her, and caught her breath as the water rushed up toward her face. A few inches above its icy surface her body came to a stop and hung there. She frowned at the distorted reflection of her features, unable to comprehend them. Nothing was holding her up; she hadn¡¯t landed on anything. And now she was sliding sideways, parallel to the lake, tugged toward the embankment as if someone was reeling her in like a hooked fish. Not someone, Alys saw as she turned her head and made out the furious features of the man standing at the lake¡¯s edge. Beau. A crowd was heading toward him, led by a group of security guards with flashlights. Beau turned his head to glance at them before he met Alys¡¯s gaze. ¡°Hold your breath.¡± The force pulling at her disappeared, and she plunged into the freezing water. Flailing until she found the bottom with her feet and was able to push herself upright, Alys surfaced. She would have swum toward the bank, but Beau was right there, water streaming from him as he gathered her into his arms and began wading out with her. Alys looked over at the growing crowd waiting for them, and finally understood. ¡°You couldn¡¯t let them see.¡± ¡°Say nothing,¡± he ordered her. ¡°You¡¯re cold and in shock. I will do the talking.¡± Alys curled up, hiding her face against him. ¡°All right.¡± By the time he stepped out of the water with her, Alys didn¡¯t have to pretend to shiver, although it was difficult to remain silent as Beau spoke to the security guards. ¡°There were two men up on the walkway,¡± he said as he carried her away from the lake. ¡°They assaulted my wife and threw her over the side into the water. I want them arrested.¡± ¡°Staff members on the ships saw the entire thing, sir,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°We¡¯re trying to find the men now, but they seem to have disappeared.¡± ¡°They meant to kill her.¡± Beau glared at him. ¡°Try harder.¡± A short, stout man in a sober business suit appeared with a blanket, and handed it to Beau as he set Alys on her feet. ¡°I¡¯m Louis Taylor, the park manager. On behalf of Pirate World, sir, I would like to apologize for this terrible accident. We will of course refund your tickets entirely.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do better than that, Mr. Taylor,¡± Beau said. ¡°You have a hotel on the grounds?¡± ¡°Three, actually,¡± the manager said. ¡°Uh, the police will be here shortly, and they¡¯ll need statements from both of you¡ª¡± The air turned darkly sweet as Beau leaned close to him. ¡°My lady needs a hot bath and a place to rest. You will take us to the finest suite you have. Now.¡± ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Taylor said, almost slurring the words. ¡°This way.¡± The man led them to a golf cart, which he used to drive them to a large contemporary resort. Less than five minutes later Beau carried Alys into a luxurious guest suite, and took her directly into the bathroom. He turned on the taps in the big bathtub, testing the water and then turning to her. ¡°Can you undress yourself? I must finish dealing with this fool.¡± She nodded. ¡°Call out if you need me.¡± He touched her cheek before he left her. Alys went to the door and opened it, watching Beau as he issued orders to the park manager, who nodded so often he resembled a life-size bobblehead doll. Beau instructed him to have food and wine delivered to the suite, and issued orders for them not to be disturbed, which didn¡¯t seem as outrageous as his final command. ¡°You will tell the police that we left the park before you were able to obtain our names,¡± Beau told him. ¡°Where are the men who did this to her?¡± ¡°Our security team was unable to find them, sir.¡± Taylor sounded heartbroken. ¡°I could go and search the park personally, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re gone by now.¡± Beau made a dismissive gesture. ¡°That will be all.¡± Alys backed away from the door and started slowly working her way out of her sodden clothes. She wondered whether she was in shock; she felt completely numb. What Beau had done was contrary to the laws of science, of physics. He possessed some sort of superhuman power that could cancel out gravity. She¡¯d heard of psychics who could make spoons bend and tennis balls roll spontaneously, but over the years nearly all of them had been debunked as tricksters. This had been no trick, no scam. Nothing on this earth could explain what had happened to her. Nor could Beau reasonably explain how he¡¯d tracked her to the park, or how he¡¯d compelled Taylor to follow his orders. He won¡¯t have any explanations this time. Alys should have felt a sense of triumph, but oddly all she wanted to do now was protect him. If Beau¡¯s abilities were made public, he would become the most hunted man in the world. That was why he never confided in her or anyone about his powers¡ªhe couldn¡¯t. Alys grabbed the complimentary robe hanging from the back of the bathroom door and pulled it on before she stepped out into the suite. Beau had taken off his shirt and was standing at the window looking down, the lamplight gleaming on his bare back. For the first time Alys could see a distinctive tattoo that arced across his spine. It was the symbol of the body art that made Alys¡¯s heart constrict. Someone had tattooed him with the twenty-fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, the universal symbol for the last of anything. She knew every inch of his ink, from the stylized curve enclosing three short, vertical lines to the scrolled embellishments that wove around it like writhing snakes. Omega. The end. Chapter 12 ¡°Where did you get that tattoo?¡± Beau closed the curtains and turned to Alys, whose face was so pale all her freckles stood out like tiny bruises. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve had it since I was an infant.¡± She still smelled of the park¡¯s lake water. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you bathed?¡± ¡°Your parents tattooed you, didn¡¯t they?¡± When he nodded, her voice began to shake. ¡°And they¡¯re dead, and you¡¯re an orphan.¡± ¡°Yes, my parents are dead. I cannot say who gave me the tattoo; likely it was my mother.¡± He started toward her, halting only when she held up her palm. ¡°Alys?¡± ¡°You have to see this.¡± She turned around, shrugging off the robe and displaying an omega tattoo identical to his own. Suddenly he understood. ¡°No.¡± She pulled the robe back in place and faced him. ¡°My parents are dead. I have violet-brown eyes, like you.¡± She raised her left hand. ¡°A crooked middle finger, like yours. I can do things that other people, normal people, can¡¯t do. Just like you.¡± She covered her face with one hand and rushed back into the bathroom. Page 28 Beau heard her locking herself in and went to the door. ¡°Calm down, love. It isn¡¯t what you think.¡± ¡°It is exactly what I think.¡± She sobbed the words. ¡°We have the same tattoo, the same eyes, the same hand. What else could it be?¡±Advertisement He rested his brow against the door. ¡°This was done to me a very long time ago. You cannot be the child of my parents. I am sure of it.¡± ¡°I have to take a bath,¡± she said dully over the sound of water splashing. At the same time, someone knocked on the door to the suite. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more after you¡¯ve bathed.¡± Beau went to answer the door, and found a waiter with a large service cart. ¡°What the bloody hell do you want?¡± ¡°Mr. Taylor sends this with his compliments,¡± the waiter said, lifting the linen covering the cart to reveal plates of food, glasses, and a bottle of wine. Beau shed enough scent to make the mortal¡¯s eyes darken. ¡°Leave it here. Do not disturb us again. Forget me.¡± ¡°Leave. Do not disturb. Forget.¡± The man bobbed his head and walked back to the elevators. Beau pushed the cart inside, securing the door and then pacing the length of the room as he waited for Alys to emerge from the bath. A short time later she did, the white robe once more shrouding her slender body. ¡°They sent food for us.¡± The paleness of her face made his heart ache. ¡°Come and eat something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Alys went to the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call downstairs and get another room.¡± Beau grabbed the receiver from her hand and slammed it down. ¡°You are not my sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Please.¡± She turned away from him, hugging herself with her arms as she fled to the opposite side of the suite. ¡°It¡¯s horrible that this happened between us, but we didn¡¯t know. Now that we do, you can¡¯t¡ªyou and I can never¡ª¡± He seized her with his ability, turning her around and lifting her off her feet as he pulled her through the air to him. ¡°I was born in the thirteenth century, and when I became a man, I took vows as a Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.¡± When she reached him, he held her suspended in the air before him. ¡°After the Crusades, I came home to England, where I died of plague. Three days later I rose from my grave to live again as a blood-drinker. I have walked the night for seven centuries, love.¡± Gently he lowered her to the floor. ¡°I am all these things, but I am not your brother.¡± ¡°I want to believe you.¡± Her expression clouded. ¡°I know you have an extraordinary power; you¡¯ve demonstrated it twice now.¡± ¡°Three times,¡± he corrected. ¡°I used it to keep you from falling down the steps in the cloister. Why won¡¯t you believe the rest of what I¡¯ve told you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She clutched at the front of her robe. ¡°You have to understand¡ªI¡¯m a scientist, Beauregard¡ª¡± ¡°Beaumaris. My true name is Beaumaris.¡± ¡°All right.¡± She looked miserable. ¡°Beaumaris, you are an amazing man. You¡¯ve also been lying to me since we met. As I said, I¡¯m a scientist. I deal in facts, not fantasies. Human beings can¡¯t live for centuries. Having the plague doesn¡¯t make you rise from the grave or drink blood or give you eternal life. You have a tremendous gift, and I can¡¯t explain how you have it, but it doesn¡¯t make you an immortal.¡± She didn¡¯t believe him at all. Beau was speechless. ¡°We can be tested and find out if we¡¯re siblings.¡± The wrenching sadness in her voice made it clear that she still thought they were. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re related more distantly; I know cousins sometimes share physical characteristics. The rest of it, well, you don¡¯t have to lie to me anymore. I¡¯ve read about the dark kyn, but they¡¯re just stories made up by a mentally ill priest.¡± She thinks I am lying. Or mad. ¡°You will want proof.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t prove¡­I mean, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± She reached out and touched his arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Honestly, I¡¯m not making fun of you. You saved my life tonight. I¡¯ll always be grateful.¡± Grateful. She was bloody grateful. Not for long. ¡°Come with me.¡± Alys didn¡¯t resist as he dragged her over to the room service cart. When he picked up the serrated knife from the tray, she reached for it. ¡°Please don¡¯t¡ª¡± He held out his forearm. ¡°My kind are very hard to hurt, and nearly impossible to kill. Behold.¡± He thrust the knife against his arm. The blade snapped off and fell to the floor. He held up the broken handle. ¡°When we are strong, as I am, steel cannot cut through our flesh.¡± Doubt flickered for a moment over her face. ¡°Did you use your power to snap the blade?¡± He bent down and drew the dagger from the sheath in his boot and handed it to her. ¡°Examine it. Assure yourself it is not a fake.¡± Alys heaved a sigh before she inspected the blade. ¡°It¡¯s a real knife, and the metal looks like copper.¡± ¡°It is copper, the only metal that can hurt us.¡± Beau took the dagger from her and used it to slash his wrist. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Alys grabbed his arm. ¡°What have you done? Are you crazy?¡± Beau stopped her from using her robe to stanch the wound. ¡°Watch.¡± After a few moments the blood stopped flowing, and then disappeared as the edges of the slash sealed together. ¡°A mortal cannot heal so fast. Examine it for yourself.¡± She touched his arm just as the last mark of the wound vanished, and gazed up at him. ¡°I can¡¯t explain this, any more than I can substantiate your kinetic power. I wish I could. But it¡¯s not proof that you¡¯re some kind of immortal vampire who¡¯s been alive since the Dark Ages.¡± She touched her shoulder. ¡°Maybe you believe you are, and you behave as if you are, but there are no such things as vampires.¡± There was nothing left for Beau to do but demonstrate in the most basic way what he was. He handed her his dagger again. ¡°Prick your finger on the tip. Not deeply, only to draw a drop of blood.¡± When she hesitated, he added, ¡°You said you were grateful to me. I did save your life, Alys. This is what I want in return.¡± Alys looked sadly at the blade before she pressed her finger to the point. She showed him the drop of blood that welled from the tiny wound. ¡°Anyone can drink blood, Beaumaris. Even me.¡± He took hold of her wrist, bringing her fingers up to his face and breathing her in. He opened his mouth, tilting his head back so she could see his dents ac¨¦r¨¦es stretch out into his mouth. He lowered his chin. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Alys stared at him blankly. ¡°You grew fangs.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Now that he had told her all, he saw no reason to mask his natural speech. ¡°The scent of mortal blood sends us into our predatory state. My eyes change as well.¡± ¡°Your pupils are constricting.¡± She moved closer, her hands cradling his face as she watched. ¡°Like a cat¡¯s.¡± She pressed her fingers to his mouth. ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Have a care. They¡¯re sharper than my blade.¡± Beau parted his lips for her, and stood silent as she traced the shape of his dents ac¨¦r¨¦es. The touch sent a new surge of lust through him, and when he groaned, she snatched her hand away. ¡°It does not hurt me.¡± He brought her fingers back to his mouth. ¡°It is a different kind of torment.¡± She glanced down and up again. ¡°It arouses you.¡± ¡°Not always. The taste of blood is a pleasure, as is feeding on it, but you arouse me.¡± He took her in his arms. ¡°So, then. Have I convinced you at last?¡± Slowly Alys nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to you. You are a vampire. A real, living vampire.¡± She uttered a short laugh. ¡°With food allergies.¡± ¡°We cannot eat food. Any food,¡± he admitted. ¡°But, Alys, we are vrykolakas, not vampires. Sunlight does not turn us to ashes, nor must we sleep in coffins or fear the cross. Like the vampires of folklore we do not age, and we heal instantly from almost any wound, but we are not evil.¡± She smiled. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be evil if you tried.¡± ¡°There is something more you should know about me.¡± Beau had never told a living soul about his origins; he¡¯d spent seven lifetimes pretending they didn¡¯t exist. But no one had ever loved him before Alys, and she deserved nothing but the truth. ¡°I was born in Jerusalem. The man who sired me came there on Crusade. I never knew him or his name, but I was told he was an Englishman.¡± He had to say this now, this thing that he had never spoken aloud. ¡°He met my mother in a brothel. She was a harlot. A Saracen harlot.¡± ¡°We call them Muslims now.¡± Her smile faltered. ¡°How did you get to England from Jerusalem?¡± ¡°My mother gave me to a Templar. I was only a boy; I didn¡¯t understand that she was dying of consumption. He brought me to England and found a family to foster me.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t tell anyone about your mother,¡± Alys guessed. ¡°And neither did you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t speak enough English to say more than ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no.¡¯ By the time I did, they believed what the Templar had told them: that my mother was Italian.¡± He held up their hands, her flesh so pale against his. ¡°That explained the color of my skin.¡± He kissed the back of her hand. ¡°I have never told anyone of this¡­but you.¡± ¡°We all have secrets.¡± Her eyes shimmered with tears. ¡°When my guardian sent me away to school, I realized I wasn¡¯t like the other little girls. Their parents came to see them on weekends and holidays, but Robert never visited me. I was so lonely, but I was only seven years old. I didn¡¯t understand how busy he was, or even where he was. One Christmas I ran away from school and took a train to Paris. I walked to the address on Robert¡¯s checks from there, but it was a church, not a house or a business. The caretaker said he didn¡¯t know my guardian. A man drove past me while I was walking back to the station, and offered me a ride. It was raining, and I was wet and cold, so I got into his car. But he didn¡¯t take me to the train. He drove off the road into the woods.¡± Page 29 Beau could imagine the rest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me any more of it, love.¡±Advertisement ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± She slipped away from him and sat down, staring at her clasped hands. ¡°He told me what happens to little girls who run away¡ªwhat he was going to do to me. I got out of the car and began walking toward the road. He came after me, but when he grabbed me, he tripped and fell down and he didn¡¯t move again. A few hours later the police found me walking on the road toward the train station. They told me the man was dead.¡± ¡°What killed him?¡± She met his gaze. ¡°I did.¡± Beau¡¯s voice grew gentle. ¡°Alys, you can¡¯t blame yourself for the death of a man who surely would have killed you. You were a child. It was an accident.¡± ¡°When the man was saying all those terrible things, I heard another voice. It whispered to me inside my head, and told me to get out of the car.¡± Alys knew how crazy she sounded but pressed on, determined to tell him all of it. ¡°It showed me the rock sticking up from the ground, and the old root stretched across the road. It told me that if I took three steps to the left when the man reached me, that he would catch his foot on the root and fall, and hit his head. I didn¡¯t know it would kill him, but no one had bothered to explain death to me yet. I thought he was sleeping.¡± He came to her, drawing her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. ¡°Perhaps God was looking out for you that day.¡± ¡°God, if he even exists, doesn¡¯t tell runaway seven-year-olds how to kill someone. I didn¡¯t know whose voice was inside my head, but I¡¯ve never forgotten it. And I never heard it again, until two weeks ago, in the bar at the Jade Palms.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°It was your voice, Beaumaris. Twenty years ago, when I ran away from school and was picked up by that monster, you saved me. You were the one I heard in my head. You told me how to kill him.¡± Beau scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the master bedroom, where he lowered her onto the bed and sat down beside her. ¡°I wish I had saved you.¡± Beau tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. ¡°I would have gladly put an end to that monster myself. But I cannot speak to the mind of a mortal; no Kyn has such a gift. Nor was I in France twenty years ago. I never knew you as a child. The voice you heard that day did not come from me. I wish I could explain what happened to you, and why you believed it was me, but I cannot.¡± Alys put her hand on his. ¡°He sounded exactly like you. Maybe I¡¯ve convinced myself it was you because you¡¯re so good at rescuing me.¡± ¡°I will never let anyone harm you again. Rest now.¡± He leaned over to kiss her. Alys looped her arms around his neck, holding him close when he would have drawn back. ¡°You¡¯re not jumping out of here this time. I won¡¯t let you.¡± ¡°You know what I am now, and what I can do to you.¡± Beau pushed aside the robe and traced the marks he had left on her shoulder. ¡°We do not kill mortals; we try to live in peace with you. But we need your blood to survive.¡± She put her hand over his. ¡°You wanted to feed on me last night. That¡¯s why you left me down in the pit. So you wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I cannot bespell you. I would have hurt you.¡± Beau briefly explained how the Kyn used l¡¯attrait to lure mortals as well as make feeding on them painless. ¡°Some mortals can resist our influence for a time, but only a very few like you are completely immune to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that immune.¡± A sudden rush of self-consciousness made her cover her face with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m in love with you.¡± Beau brought her hand away. ¡°You do not know what you say, Alys. What I did tonight¡­You owe me nothing.¡± ¡°You saved my life tonight, and for that I am grateful.¡± She leaned closer. ¡°But it¡¯s not why I¡¯m in love with you.¡± ¡°I am not a mortal,¡± he reminded her. ¡°Even if I were, I am no one and nothing to be loved. I was born in a brothel to a whore. My very existence was so repulsive to my father that he never claimed me as his son. I have spent my life like a coward, hiding what I truly am from everyone.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t hiding it from me now.¡± She took a deep breath and linked her arms around his neck. ¡°You trusted me with the truth. Can¡¯t you trust in how I feel about you?¡± Beau gave her a desperate look. ¡°You told me that you don¡¯t believe in love, Alys.¡± ¡°Five minutes ago I didn¡¯t believe you were one of the dark kyn.¡± She pressed a shy kiss to the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m flexible. Would you like to find out how much?¡± ¡°If I stay,¡± he warned, ¡°it will be much more than a little touching and a few scratches.¡± ¡°God, I hope so.¡± She reached for the belt of the robe to untie it, and found his hands had already done it for her. Beau parted the robe¡¯s edges by running one hand from her navel to the inner curves of her breasts, which he uncovered with two slow sweeps of his palms. ¡°You should never hide these beauties.¡± ¡°I sunburn easily, and I¡¯d get arrested for indecent exposure, and oh, my.¡± All the breath left her lungs as he lowered his head and brushed his mouth over her nipples. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Saying hello to your ladies.¡± He stretched out over her, cupping her mounds and watching as her flesh pebbled. ¡°Shy things, they are.¡± He met her gaze. ¡°Like you.¡± He kept watching her face as he began using his mouth, sucking and licking at her, making the tingle from his touch spread and sink into a deep, swelling ache. His mouth made her nipples gleam, wet and dark pink, while the friction of his tongue sent shocks of excitement jolting through her abdomen that set off slow, deep flutters between her legs. Alys closed her eyes, unable to watch, and opened them again when she couldn¡¯t bear not to. ¡°I want to do that to you,¡± she said, sliding her hands over the wide curves of his shoulders. ¡°Not yet, love.¡± He moved up to kiss her mouth, his fingers still exploring her like some delicate treasure, stroking and soothing her breasts, gliding over the curves and hollows of her belly. As Beau put his tongue in her mouth, he moved his hand between her legs, tasting her and penetrating her, and the feel of him at each end of her, pushing in and gliding out, set off a helpless, uncontrollable shaking. ¡°Not yet,¡± he repeated, rolling onto his back and bringing her on top of him. Alys wanted to explore him, but as soon as she caressed his nipples, she felt his power wrapping around her, lifting her up from his body, separating her legs and shifting her pelvis toward his parted lips. ¡°You¡¯re cheating.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He looked up at her. ¡°Open yourself for me. Show me what I¡¯ve only touched in the dark.¡± Alys felt her cheeks redden; she¡¯d never put herself on display for any partner. But this was Beau, and she wanted his mouth on any part of her, every part of her. She reached down, embarrassed and thrilled by her own touch as she parted her mons and felt his breath touch her wetness. He grazed her with his lips, teasing her with little kisses until she groaned and shivered. ¡°Do you want my tongue on you? Do you want to feel it inside?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± She sounded nothing like herself, her voice low and her breath rushed, and when he covered her with his mouth and the first stroke of his tongue laved over the throbbing knot of her clit, she almost shrieked. Beau worked at her with his mouth, delicately at first and then harder, his tongue lashing her and then pushing inside her, penetrating and curling and tormenting her. Alys felt herself go liquid as she writhed, so close to the pleasure it seemed to scald her from the inside out. ¡°Not yet,¡± he said a third time, bringing her down and turning with her again, his big body blotting out the light, his lean hips brushing against the insides of her thighs. He brought her hand down to the thick, rigid length of his penis, wrapping her fingers around him as he rubbed the heavy dome of the head between her folds. She tried to urge him inside, trembling and whimpering, but he still held back. ¡°Look at me.¡± When she did, he bent his head and pressed his lips once against hers. ¡°You¡¯ll never sleep alone again, my beauty.¡± Alys could feel how much he needed her, his body coiled, his muscles rigid, but when he came into her, it was like being filled with music and laughter and sunlight. He didn¡¯t penetrate her; he poured into her, his shaft forging into her clenching wetness so smoothly and sweetly she felt tears of joy spill over her lashes. It felt so perfect, her arms and legs wrapped around him, his penis deep inside her, his mouth kissing the tears from her face, that Alys thought her heart would shatter. Beau laced his fingers through hers, his eyes glowing a brilliant gold as he looked into her wet eyes. ¡°Now, love.¡± Everything Alys knew about sex dwindled away as Beau made love to her, his body moving over her, inside her, driving into her with deep, steady rhythm. Something primal and wordless rose inside her, meeting each movement, returning each kiss, and Alys let it take her to him, her pleasure radiating from some nowhere inside herself, where now there was Beau, and he was so much a part of her she couldn¡¯t think of herself as Alys anymore. She was with him, surrounding him, caressing him, melting into him. ¡°Give yourself to me,¡± he murmured against her lips as he went deeper, harder, driving into her now as she cried out his name and let the agonizing delight envelop her. ¡°Yes, love, yes, come to me. Come all over me.¡± Alys saw the glitter of his fangs, and turned her head, urging his mouth to her flesh. When he pressed a kiss, she curled her fingers into his hair. ¡°Take it. Take all of me.¡± When his teeth pierced her, she came again, her sex gripping his shaft convulsively, and as he drank from her he filled her, the hard jets of his cool semen flooding her hot sheath. Beau lifted his mouth from her throat, holding her close and pushing his hand between them. He stroked her softly, playing with her, urging her to another climax before he shifted over onto his side, his hand cupping her bottom so they remained joined. Page 30 Alys drooped against him, elated and exhausted, the salt of her tears on her lips, the sound of his heart beating against her cheek. ¡°Do you have another superpower that you forgot to mention to me?¡±Advertisement His chest rumbled with a low laugh. ¡°In this I am just a man, love.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± She lifted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do more research.¡± She dropped her head. ¡°In a year or two, when I recover.¡± She closed her eyes. Chapter 13 Jayr¡¯s memory stretched back seven hundred years, to the June when she had run away from the English convent where she had been raised, and traveled to the village of Bannockburn. In search of her parents, she had arrived only a day before King Edward II and his army. Just before the invaders arrived to battle the rebellious Scots, Jayr was promptly dragged out of her room at the inn and shoved into the street. As the army approached, she went to hammer frantically on every other door she saw, but no one would give her sanctuary. The moment she spoke, they spat and cursed at her; one old boot maker tried to clout her with his gnarled fist. They said ugly things to her in their beautiful language, shouting through tears, glaring through eyes bright with terror. And then the doors would slam, and the heavy bolts inside would fall, and she would trudge on to the next place. She was an English girl alone in a Scottish town, and in the fields beyond it, her people were killing theirs. There was no haven in these hearts or homes for the likes of her. She could not even buy it, for as soon as word came that the Scots had prevailed over the English, the innkeeper and his wife had taken from her the last of her coin before tossing her out into the street. Jayr left the town and crossed the marsh, making for the trees. A path of heather sprang up from the ground to guide her steps. It was June; she could spend a night in the woods and not freeze to death. In the morning she would find a church. The priest did not have to know that she had refused to take her vows and fled her convent to search for her parents. For all the poor souls on the battlefield, and the hatred that had sent them to die there, Jayr knew there was still love in the world, and in this place, she would find it. She had only to follow the heather back to the beginning. ¡°You¡¯re very brave.¡± Jayr whirled around to see a young girl in a dirty frock and pinafore sitting on a tree stump. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her gaze shifted to the dazzling white creature in the girl¡¯s lap. ¡°Where did you find that rabbit?¡± ¡°He found me.¡± Carefully the girl placed the snowy animal on the ground. As it bounced away, it left prints made of frost on the grass. ¡°I¡¯m safe, for now. But you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re American.¡± Jayr peered at her. ¡°How can you be here? Your country will not exist for another five hundred years.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes shifted up to the rapidly darkening sky. ¡°We¡¯re not in Scotland anymore, Dorothy.¡± Jayr watched as frost spread out from the rabbit¡¯s tracks and raced across the ground. The lovely trail of heather wilted, the tiny purple flowers turning icy black. She looked into the girl¡¯s eyes, innocent and jewellike, and recognized their lovely amethyst-gold color. ¡°I know you.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± As she spoke, the girl¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°I am never going to be able to say those words again without blushing. We¡¯ll meet soon, my lady. I promise.¡± I am in the nightlands, and none of this is real. Jayr felt one fear fade and another take its place. ¡°You came to tell me something.¡± The girl pointed past her at the town. ¡°They thought you were their enemy. You sounded like one, and you looked like one, but you weren¡¯t. They didn¡¯t know you, or why you came here. Remember that, Jayr. It¡¯s the only thing that will save you.¡± Jayr started after the girl, but without warning, the earth shook beneath her feet, knocking her to the ground as a wide fissure opened. Green light poured out, forming itself into broad towers and solidifying into gray stone. Smoke filled the air as men shouted and arrows flew past Jayr¡¯s head. ¡°My lady.¡± Harlech, his face covered in soot and his garments wet with blood and gore, pulled her up from the ground. ¡°They have cut off the roads and set the moat on fire. They have spiked their rockets with copper¡ª¡± They both staggered as multiple explosions landed all around them, gouging huge pits in the ground and showering them with dirt and rock. ¡°We must flee,¡± he shouted over the din. Jayr peered through the smoke and saw a line of men dressed in black and carrying automatic weapons advancing toward the castle. ¡°Who are they? Why are they attacking us?¡± Byrne came out of the smoke, his limbs and face battered, his eyes filled with blood. ¡°Traitors,¡± he muttered, his voice flat as he lifted his battle-ax. ¡°Die.¡± Jayr darted in front of Harlech. ¡°Aedan, no.¡± He dropped his ax and seized her, shaking her until her teeth chattered. ¡°Kill us all kill us all kill us all¡ª¡± Jayr drove her fist into his face as hard as she could, her knuckles crunching and her flesh splitting. The burning air stole the breath from her lungs as the smoke wrapped around her, blinding her, smothering her with its whiteness until she struck out again. ¡°I¡¯m with you, lass.¡± Byrne¡¯s hands, now gentle, pulled the cloth away from her face. ¡°You¡¯re safe.¡± Jayr stopped struggling, amazed to find herself tangled in a blanket, and Aedan leaning over her. Behind him, Farlae lay pale and motionless in one of the infirmary beds. ¡°What in God¡¯s name¡­¡± She stopped as she smelled his blood and saw the condition of his face. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, too?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve deadly aim, even in your sleep.¡± The split in his lower lip disappeared as he pulled her close. ¡°You scared the wits from me, screaming like that.¡± ¡°I came to sit with Farlae, and I must have dozed off.¡± She eased back and looked around the sickroom. ¡°I was in the nightlands. There was a mortal girl, and a rabbit, and then the Realm was under siege. And you were, ah, not yourself.¡± ¡°You mean, I went berserk. Glad I am you were but dreaming.¡± He helped her up out of the chair. ¡°Come, you must feed and rest now. Harlech and the men will keep watch over Farlae.¡± Jayr couldn¡¯t shrug off the dread she felt, even when she returned to her chamber with Aedan. She said as much to him, but he didn¡¯t seem concerned. ¡°¡¯Twas but a nightmare, wife.¡± He sat down by the fire to drink his bloodwine. ¡°The Realm is safe, and so are we.¡± ¡°What if we are not?¡± Like all Kyn, Jayr understood very little about the nightlands, but she never believed them to be merely a place of dreams. ¡°What if the nightmare was sent to me as some manner of warning?¡± ¡°Mortals of this time do not siege castles,¡± he assured her. ¡°Unless you lower the ticket prices. Then they may surround us in hordes.¡± Annoyance surged inside her. ¡°How can you make light of it?¡± ¡°How can you put faith in a fancy?¡± He went to the armoire they shared and took out one of her riding habits. ¡°Forget it and come here. I will dress you, and we will take the horses for a long run, and forget this foolishness.¡± He thought she was a fool, did he? ¡°I think not.¡± She brushed past him and retrieved her leathers. ¡°I need to train.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll burn your hair off again, and I prefer it long.¡± He replaced the habit and turned, scowling when he saw she had used her talent to dress herself in a few seconds. ¡°Jayr.¡± She went to her weapons case and removed her favorite sparring blade. ¡°Since Harlech is looking after Farlae, I want you to drill the men tonight. Use the back pasture, and have them don full battle armor. Run them through all of the defense formations.¡± When he didn¡¯t move, she glared at him. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve ears that still work.¡± He folded his arms. ¡°Would you like me to kiss your boots first, my lady?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my second, Aedan. Try to act like one.¡± She stalked out of their chamber. None of the men yet occupied the lists, and Jayr was glad of it. She needed to work off this maddening anger, and the fear lurking beneath it, before she did rip off someone¡¯s head. She doused herself liberally with water before she chose one of the straw-stuffed practice targets and began working through her forms. With each flash of her blade the effigy sprouted tufted gaps in its burlap, sagging lower and lower until the form toppled from the pole and collapsed at her feet. Jayr kicked it. ¡°Bloody useless.¡± ¡°I fear that straw does not present much of a challenge for a blade-arm of your caliber, my lady.¡± Leeds joined her and surveyed the ruined target. ¡°Would you like me to summon one of your warriors?¡± ¡°No, they will be drilling tonight.¡± She eyed him. ¡°I am in a mood, Devan. ¡¯Twould be best if you return to the keep.¡± ¡°If that is your wish, of course, but I thought I might offer my services as a partner.¡± He smiled at her reaction. ¡°I cannot hope to give you much sport, my lady, but I am trained to spar, and I would appreciate the practice.¡± Jayr had never sparred with a mortal; she was too fast for even Beaumaris, who wielded the deadliest blade in the garrison. Byrne could never spar with anyone for fear of rousing his inner beast. On impulse she nodded, although she suspected he would need a lighter weapon. ¡°You¡¯ll want rapiers, then?¡± ¡°If I may choose, my lady, I prefer a bastard blade.¡± He shrugged out of his jacket, draped it over a workbench, and rolled up his sleeves as he went to the sword racks to choose. After going through a brief, economical series of stretches to loosen his muscles, Leeds returned and stepped up to the circle. Jayr took the opposing position, and returned his salute. ¡°You must tell me when you tire.¡± ¡°If you will tell me when you grow bored.¡± He stepped into the circle as she did, raising his blade and moving into the defensive form. Page 31 Jayr watched him as they crossed blades several times, and saw that the tresora had not exaggerated his abilities. ¡°You trained with a Kyn master.¡±Advertisement Leeds mirrored her movements. ¡°Lord Marietto did not separate his tresori from his warriors. Every mortal who served him trained in the lists.¡± Now Jayr understood the scars, and felt ashamed of herself for accepting Leeds¡¯s offer. ¡°That must have been painful.¡± ¡°The Kyn understood we could not heal as they did. We were never unduly harmed.¡± He easily avoided her next, halfhearted thrust. ¡°Please don¡¯t hold back, my lady.¡± ¡°I fear I must.¡± Jayr flashed around him, waiting until he turned before she went on guard. ¡°Else you would be fighting a blur.¡± Leeds nodded, and for the first time attacked, working his jabs from left to right with focused, economical moves. Jayr felt the surprising weight of his strength as she parried and was forced to shuffle backward. Sweat streaked the tresora¡¯s face, but he did not relent. Jayr used her speed to move beyond his reach. ¡°You are tiring¡ª¡± She stopped as he lunged, and brought up her blade without thinking, slashing his wrist and causing him to drop his weapon. ¡°Damn me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He grasped his wrist, and grimaced as blood trickled through his fingers. ¡°The match is yours, my lady.¡± Jayr drove her blade into the ground and went to him, taking hold of his arm. ¡°Let me see it.¡± Leeds took away his hand, revealing a gash that nearly went to the bone. ¡°I will pay a visit to the infirmary, and they will set it to rights.¡± ¡°Stupid of me to react without thinking. I might have lopped off your hand. Forgive me, Devan.¡± Jayr lifted her own wrist to her mouth, biting into it before she held the punctures over his wound. ¡°No, don¡¯t move away. This will heal it.¡± Leeds gave her a strange look. ¡°You would shed your blood for a mortal.¡± ¡°For an ally, and a friend, yes. I will.¡± On impulse she kissed his cheek. ¡°Friends, are we, now?¡± Jayr looked over Leeds¡¯s shoulder to see Byrne standing just outside the circle. ¡°We were sparring, and I was careless and wounded Devan. I¡¯m healing the damage I did.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Byrne made a show of studying the tresora. ¡°Yet I see no mark on his face.¡± ¡°My lord, our lady was simply¡ª¡± ¡°She is my lady, you fawning little ponce. Not yours.¡± In a blink Byrne had the front of Leeds¡¯s shirt in his fist and used it to lift him to eye level. ¡°You¡¯ve used up your welcome here, English. Pack up your suits and your sniveling and be gone by sunset.¡± ¡°Aedan. Put him down.¡± For a moment Jayr thought her lover would ignore her, but after a long, ugly moment he lowered Leeds back to the ground. To Devan, she said, ¡°Go inside now, and leave this to me.¡± The tresora smoothed down the front of his shirt with his uninjured hand before he bowed to her. ¡°As you command, my lady.¡± He walked past Byrne as if he were invisible. ¡°If you mean to persuade me to coddle your mortal pet, save your breath, my lady,¡± Byrne told her. ¡°He¡¯s naught but trouble and spite, and I¡¯ll not have him on my land another night.¡± ¡°Your land? Your lady?¡± Jayr picked up her blade and sheathed it. ¡°You forget, Aedan, you no longer rule here. This is my jardin, and you are my seneschal. As such, you have no say over my mortal, my territory, or me.¡± ¡°You are my sygkenis, bonded to me. As my woman and my life companion, you are obliged to obey my wishes.¡± He strode a few steps away before turning and coming back to her. ¡°You were kissing him. Kissing that mewling bag of blood.¡± ¡°I slipped while we were sparring, and nearly cut off his hand.¡± She threw out her arms, so infuriated she shouted the rest. ¡°It meant nothing.¡± ¡°To you, aye, I believe that. I¡¯d go mad if I didn¡¯t.¡± He bent down to glare into her face. ¡°But I saw the look on his face when you put your mouth on him. The daft prick imagines himself in love with you. Cannae you smell it on him? Or is it a new sport, seeing how oft you can make the sorry little bastard tilt his cods for you?¡± Jayr slapped him. The crack of her palm against his face echoed around them, stabbing at her ears, sharp and terrible. ¡°For love of you, Aedan mac Byrne, I have never looked upon another man, any man, human or Kyn. Not since the day I gave my mortal life to save you.¡± She watched the dark pink print of her hand fade from his tattooed cheek. ¡°At first I thought this jealousy of yours amusing, even flattering. You have always been first with me, and I thought no one knew this better than you. But now I see how little you know me, that you would insult my love for you so easily.¡± He reached out to her. ¡°Jayr¡ª¡± ¡°I will not touch you or speak to you or look at you again until you apologize to Devan. Yes, Devan, who is staying on my land, and will be joining my household, and serving as my tresora.¡± She strode off into the keep. Beau slipped out of bed, leaning over to cover Alys¡¯s naked body with the sheets. ¡°Are you sure you want water, and not wine?¡± ¡°Alcohol makes me throw up.¡± She gave him a sleepy smile. ¡°I¡¯d rather do other things with my mouth tonight, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± He chuckled and went into the bath to fetch her water. As he filled the drinking glass in the sink, the glitter of gold caught his eye, and he shut off the tap and set the glass on the counter. The chain of the necklace had been fashioned from very fine, tiny links, each twisted into the shape of an hourglass. From the chain hung a golden cross, as plain as the links were elaborate. The solidness of it felt heavy in Beau¡¯s hand as he lifted it and turned it to see the twinkle of the tiny gem set in the cross¡¯s center. Green, like the eye of Yblis, the Evil One. His mother had taught him that. But Beau had ridden with the devil himself, and his eyes had been silver.¡­ The man in the robe rode through night, never stopping until sunrise. Whenever Beau had slumped against him from exhaustion, the man would tie him to his back with the rope-belt from his robe. When the sky turned from black to gray, the man would find a shaded place, and set up his nomad¡¯s tent for Beau to eat and drink and sleep through the long, hot hours of the day. The robed man himself never ate or drank or slept; he would sit and watch the horizon, or he would take out the chains of gold he carried in his pouch. Chains upon which hung the devil¡¯s green eyes, captured in gold¡­ Beau closed his hand over Alys¡¯s cross as the blurry memory crystallized. The day had dawned cold, and ice covered the land. When the man found a place for the tent, he had wrapped Beau in his robe, and built a small fire. ¡°Warm yourself,¡± he told Beau, sitting on the other side of the flames in nothing more than a loincloth. ¡°Soon we will cross the great waters, and then you will be home.¡± Huddled under the robe, Beau had felt the pouch filled with the devil¡¯s eyes against his hip. With frightened fingers he¡¯d ripped it from the pocket within and cast it into the fire. ¡°What have you done?¡± The man¡¯s cold voice made Beau¡¯s insides shrivel. ¡°They are the eyes of the Yblis, the evil one.¡± ¡°Foolish boy.¡± The man reached into the fire, and plucked out the smoldering pouch. ¡°These are gifts I have made for my kin.¡± Beau knew how hot the fire burned, and yet no marks did it leave on the man¡¯s cold flesh. ¡°Then you are the devil.¡± ¡°Perhaps I am.¡± The man had smiled at him, and held up the three chains. ¡°I will tell you what these are. My eyes. Those who wear these, my blood kin, will forever be judged by them. If they are worthy, they will be granted special gifts. If they betray me, they will die miserable deaths. And when I grow too weary of this world, one of them shall be changed to take my place.¡± Beau didn¡¯t understand the man¡¯s strange prophecy. ¡°What will you do to me?¡± ¡°That has already been done.¡± The man reached for his pack, and took out a wooden box. ¡°I have but to mark you, the last of my mortal seed, my third eye. My omega.¡± ¡°Beau?¡± He opened his eyes to see Alys in the doorway, and looked down at the cross clutched tightly in his hand. He wanted to go to the nearest window to throw it out into the night, but instead made himself place it back on the counter. Alys came to wind her arms around his waist. ¡°I hope that ghost didn¡¯t follow us here. You look like you¡¯ve just seen it.¡± She glanced at the cross. ¡°I¡¯m really not religious. I only wear it because my guardian asked me to. Robert was very insistent about it, but I think he was Catholic.¡± Beau hugged her close. ¡°Did he have gray eyes, your guardian?¡± ¡°No, they were brown, I think.¡± She tipped her head back. ¡°Robert is dead, so if the cross bothers you, I don¡¯t have to wear it anymore. I never really liked it. Why does it matter what color his eyes were?¡± ¡°Alys, I have seen this cross before, when I was a boy. I don¡¯t understand everything about it, but with your gift of making sense of things, you may be able to make sense of what I saw.¡± He picked up the glass of water, and saw a flash of green in it as it magnified the glitter of the gem in her cross. Water. Emeralds. Eternal youth. It seemed in that moment everything was within his grasp. But what did it mean? Alys broke the spell by taking the glass from him and drinking from it. ¡°Come back to bed and tell me.¡± It took some time for Beau to relate everything he remembered about the robed man from his childhood, and the journey they had taken from Jerusalem to England. After describing how he had tried to destroy the crosses, he said, ¡°I cannot remember any more of the journey from there until the day the priests delivered me to my foster family. But I remember my back still burned where the mark is now. I¡¯ve always assumed my mother gave me the tattoo, but now I think the priest must have done it, that night by the fire, and made me forget.¡± Page 32 ¡°Or the trauma of having a man you thought was the devil hurt you made you suppress the memory,¡± she suggested. ¡°You were only a little boy.¡± She shifted around to place a kiss on his spine.Advertisement ¡°I have always wondered why the high lord chose me to protect you.¡± He pulled her on top of him so he could stroke the silky line of her back. ¡°We know that we bear the same mark. The cross you wear was made by the priest who took me from Jerusalem. And we have both come here to find the Emeralds of Eternity.¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡¯m looking for emeralds?¡± Beau explained his mission to her. ¡°Tremayne funded your project in hopes that you would find the emeralds for him, and sent me to take them from you when you did. I cannot say why he is so convinced you¡ªor I¡ªwould find them.¡± Alys thought for a moment. ¡°Were you one of the Templars who came there?¡± ¡°I was not, love. I never knew of the mission until the high lord gave me orders to join the project.¡± Tremayne would have his head for revealing his schemes to a mortal, but Beau was determined to tell Alys everything. ¡°Cristophe, the Kyn who guarded the emeralds¡ªwhich I believe to be the same treasure that you seek¡ªwas a smith, and a mason. He abandoned the Templars and our kind to join a monastery in Aragon. When the order fell, he fled to the Spanish Main, and then to Florida. He has not been seen in these six hundred years since.¡± ¡°So I was right.¡± Alys wrapped her arms around herself as she grinned. ¡°I knew it. I knew it.¡± She eyed him. ¡°It¡¯s possible that Cristophe came here to hide the emeralds. He fits the profile of the unnamed Templar in my research. But why bury them?¡± ¡°In my time there were no archaeologists digging up the earth, and none of my kind had yet come to the New World. Perhaps he thought they would be safe.¡± He told her everything he knew about the emeralds, and added, ¡°In truth I cannot say if they are blessed or cursed. What I can tell you is that almost every mortal who has sought them has died.¡± Alys shook her head. ¡°Jewels can¡¯t kill people. They¡¯re simply very pretty rocks. Since he is Kyn, Cristophe is still around, trying to protect their location. Wait.¡± She propped herself up to study his face. ¡°We have the same color eyes, and the same crooked finger. Both are recessive traits. Even if we were born seven hundred years apart, we could still be related.¡± Beau wrapped his arms around her. ¡°You agreed that you are not my sister.¡± ¡°No, but I could be one of your mortal descendants. A very distant¡­¡± She fell silent, and her expression blanked. Beau cupped her face so he could kiss her mouth. ¡°What do you see in that head of yours?¡± ¡°You never knew your father. Your mother sent for the robed man to take you to England. The robed man called you the last of his mortal seed. The crosses. His blood kin. Orphans. The tattoos. The emeralds.¡± She repeated the phrases over and over in a monotone as she stared blindly at him. Beau could almost hear the thoughts racing through her head. ¡°Yes, love, that¡¯s it. Find the connections.¡± Alys¡¯s empty eyes fluttered and then refocused on his face as she smiled. ¡°Out of the fourteen most apparent theoretical constructs, there is only one that maintains complete logical integrity.¡± He kissed her mouth. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Cristophe was the robed man, and your biological father. He tattooed you to identify you as the last of his offspring for Tremayne. I am the last descendant of Cristophe¡¯s mortal family, and I was tattooed for the same reason. Tremayne identified us by our tattoos and sent us to find the emeralds, probably in hopes that Cristophe would not try to kill us, as we are the end of his immortal and mortal bloodlines. Cristophe is also not finished with us.¡± ¡°Cristophe is still alive?¡± Alys nodded solemnly. ¡°He¡¯s the ghost at the mission.¡± Chapter 14 The sound of a beloved voice tugged at Farlae¡¯s ears, luring him out of the haze of pain. ¡°Harlech said I should talk to you,¡± Rainer was saying. ¡°He is watching me all the time now. If not for his penchant for Viviana, I should be worried.¡± Farlae was puzzled. The last thing he remembered was going to speak with Jayr about¡­something. Costumes for the spring schedule, probably. With more than five hundred to make, he and his ladies would be cutting and fitting and sewing up until the very last second. He wouldn¡¯t be sewing anything if he couldn¡¯t rouse himself from this torpid senselessness. Why do my bloody ribs feel as if they¡¯re on fire? ¡°Jayr¡¯s new mortal watches me as well,¡± Rainer continued. ¡°He seems kind. I juggled eggs for him, you see, and when one slipped and landed on his shoe, he did not become even a little annoyed with me. If you still mean to have Leeds, I think he would be a good partner for you.¡± Leeds. The name seemed to twist in Farlae¡¯s chest like a knife, although he couldn¡¯t fathom why. Jayr¡¯s mortal. I saw him somewhere¡­through the glass.¡­ ¡°You must wake up soon, Farlae,¡± Rain muttered. ¡°I do not want you to take Leeds as your partner. I want you to keep me. I do not like sleeping or bathing by myself. I can¡¯t even sin by myself. Well, yes, I can. Every man can. And of course I have. But I like it better when you do it. I am more handsome than Leeds.¡± A soggy sniff dragged Farlae out of his patchwork memories. The feel of his limp hand being lifted and pressed to a wet cheek clawed at his heart. ¡°Do you hear me? You cannot go away and leave me alone,¡± Rain whispered, his breath soft against Farlae¡¯s ear. ¡°You promised you never would. Remember, the first time we were naked together, in that glade by the lake? You told me that immortals never die, so we would never burn in hell for it.¡± Farlae wanted to turn his head and console his partner, but it remained impaled on the pike of his neck. Neither could he raise his eyelids or make the slightest sound. Only one thing could reduce a Kyn to such a state¡ªcopper poisoning¡ªand the amount required to render him so helpless would be a lethal dose. But the pain in his ribs suggested an alternative. Someone stabbed me in the chest with a copper blade. Rain¡¯s voice changed. ¡°I know what a fool I am, and how often I vex you. If you will but wake, things will be different.¡± He pressed a kiss against the back of Farlae¡¯s hand. ¡°I will clear all of the toys out of my chamber. You will never again have to listen my wind-up chattering teeth, or sit upon my cushion that breaks wind, or watch my Monty Python DVDs. I will dress like a true warrior, in armor and leather and those things. You will never have to be ashamed of me again.¡± The shame was his, Farlae thought as he felt the void dragging at him. His heart had been poisoned long before anyone had taken a copper blade to him, and if not for the endless, sunny love he¡¯d been given, the darkness would have swallowed him whole. He¡¯d been the fool all along, not Rain. He had to live, if only to tell his partner that he would always be proud of him, and grateful that he had saved him from the hell of his own making. Farlae fought through the sludge of the void, forcing his will through the pain and the emptiness toward Rain¡¯s voice. He hesitated only when he smelled another scent clouding his lover¡¯s: that of mortal sweat and blood. He knew that scent. It belonged to the hand that had struck him down. ¡°How is he?¡± That was the mortal¡¯s voice, the one that came out of his memory in a whisper as loud as a shriek. You should not have followed me here. ¡°He has not awakened yet,¡± Rain said. ¡°Harlech says it will be some time. You are hurt?¡± Not by my hand. The mortal had attacked Farlae from behind, thrusting his blade in from the side and skewering him before he could turn. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I had an accident in the lists.¡± The mortal¡¯s voice changed as he added, ¡°Seneschal.¡± ¡°Tresora.¡± That came from Byrne, and with great reluctance. ¡°I mistook what I saw in the lists. I would ask that you forgive me my harsh words to you.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to apologize.¡± Leeds sounded contrite. ¡°I was hardly mannerly myself.¡± Farlae wanted to scream for Byrne to kill the traitor, but all he could force from his lips was a sputter. ¡°Farlae?¡± Rain¡¯s hands touched his face. ¡°Farlae, can you hear me?¡± It took every ounce of his will, and every shred of his strength, to open his eyes. The three men stood all around him, but he focused on the still, pale face of the mortal. Byrne leaned over, resting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You took a copper blade to the ribs, lad. That is why you are here. It nearly touched your heart.¡± Farlae moved his head slightly. ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°What does he say, Byrne?¡± Rain asked. ¡°And why does he look at Devan like that?¡± ¡°Him.¡± Farlae dragged in another breath and nodded once more at the mortal. ¡°¡¯Twas¡­him.¡± ¡°What he is trying to tell you,¡± Leeds said, almost kindly, ¡°is that I am the one who stabbed him and left him for dead.¡± Rain lunged across the bed, using his bulk to hold Byrne back as he shouted for the guard. ¡°Please, Aedan, no. You will turn into Death again. I do not like you when you kill. You never wish to stop.¡± He burst into tears. Byrne stopped trying to fend him off. ¡°Why?¡± he snarled at Leeds. The mortal shrugged. ¡°Does it matter now?¡± As the guards came in and flanked Leeds, Byrne wrapped his arms around Rain, embracing him like a wounded child. ¡°There will be no more monsters let loose in the Realm, my lad.¡± To the guards he said, ¡°Take this piece of shit to the dungeons.¡± Once he had compelled Taylor to forget them, Beau walked out of the resort to join Alys at the curb. ¡°A pity we cannot stay another night,¡± he grumbled as he donned his eyeshades and linked hands with her. ¡°The manager would have happily seen to our comfort.¡± Page 33 ¡°The manager didn¡¯t sign for several hundred thousand dollars¡¯ worth of equipment, or leave it sitting unguarded for a day.¡± She yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder. ¡°But the room service was nice. So was that shower.¡±Advertisement ¡°I favored the bed.¡± He¡¯d allowed her precious little sleep in it, even after the sun had risen, but couldn¡¯t stir himself to feel guilty. ¡°I should have compelled him to deliver it to the site.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll push ours together.¡± She straightened as a long dark limousine came to a stop in front of them. ¡°I thought you called a cab.¡± ¡°Car service,¡± he corrected, nodding to the driver and opening the back door for her. ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden in a limo.¡± Once inside, Alys had to inspect everything. ¡°Hylord¡ªI mean, the high lord¡ªmust pay pretty well.¡± ¡°He pays nothing at all, but no one dares complain.¡± Beau gave the driver directions to the site before closing the partition between the seats. ¡°Come here.¡± Alys perched on his lap, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she traced the leering skull on the front of the new T-shirt the manager had given him to wear. ¡°You never told me how you found me at the park last night. Can you sense where I go, or something like that?¡± ¡°I can track you by your scent when you are on foot.¡± He smoothed her rumpled hair back from her face. ¡°But I already knew what you meant to do. Just before we left for the city, when I went back into the cloister to get my jacket, I checked the history on your laptop.¡± She sat up. ¡°You didn¡¯t. You sneak.¡± Her indignant expression eased into a rueful look. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you knew how to use a computer.¡± ¡°I dislike them, but I have learned.¡± Beau tucked her back against him. ¡°I can also drive¡ªI prefer horses, but I have learned to operate any vehicle¡ªand read children¡¯s books, and sign my name.¡± ¡°Why do you read children¡¯s books?¡± ¡°I could not read at all until a short time ago, when I began taking night classes.¡± Beau told her about his solitary quest to become literate, and added, ¡°Writing is my new challenge. It¡¯s not as easy as it looks, and I think I hate cursive more than plague. But such things were not required of me when I was mortal.¡± ¡°And I taunted you about it.¡± She hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You are a child of this time. I am not.¡± He kissed the top of her head. ¡°But if you need a sword wielded, or a horse shod, I am your man.¡± Once the limo dropped them off at the site, Alys waved to the driver and then took Beau¡¯s hand. ¡°Damn,¡± she said as they walked past the parking area behind the church. ¡°I forgot I left the van at the convention center. Well, at least we still have the Jeep.¡± She glanced at the camp and frowned. ¡°Did you reset the timers on the generators? They should have come on by now.¡± Beau breathed in and smelled burnt metal, smoldering plastic, and the scent of several unfamiliar mortals. ¡°Wait here.¡± He was glad of the darkness when he came upon the GPR trolley, smashed into pieces, and the mounds of equipment that had been destroyed. From the stink, the intruders had doused everything with petrol and set it alight; the camp must have burned all day. Every workstation had been rifled through and toppled; the lab tent lay in shreds. Artifacts, some still in their bags, lay strewn everywhere. Beau saw the beam of a flashlight, and intercepted Alys as she came around the mission. Immediately he tried to turn her away. ¡°You¡¯ll not want to see this, love.¡± ¡°Please.¡± When he stepped aside, she went to the wrecked trolley, crouching down to touch it before she turned her flashlight over the rest of the encampment. ¡°They torched everything, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°The equipment can be replaced.¡± ¡°Of course it can, but¡­Oh, no.¡± She stood and dashed off to the cloister. Beau found her standing beside the empty trunk in their cellar chamber. The mattresses of both beds had been ripped open, all her garments and belongings thrown to the floor. ¡°My laptop¡¯s gone. So are all my discs and books.¡± She bent down to pick up her red cap, turning it over in her hands. ¡°They got my research notes, the reports I wrote for Tremayne, and every other record of the work we¡¯ve done here. They took everything.¡± ¡°This is my doing.¡± Beau put aside his own fury and tried to comfort her. ¡°We can begin again. I will call Tremayne, and tell him what has happened.¡± ¡°Are you going to explain where we were while it was happening? I should never have left.¡± She pushed her hair back from her brow. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back into the city and let the students know. Some of them have other commitments.¡± She gave him a wan look. ¡°Do you think Taylor will let us use that room for another night?¡± He bent his head to kiss her. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Together they collected their garments, which Alys carried up out of the cloister to the Jeep while Beau used the solar shower bag to soak down the still-smoldering equipment. When the last wisp of smoke dissipated, he tossed the bag on top of the pile in disgust. The danger has only begun, lad. Beau¡¯s head snapped up as a shimmering cloud of golden light appeared a few feet from him. It solidified into the shape of a man who was part flesh, and part light. ¡°Cristophe. Show yourself.¡± Your lady is about to die. Beau bunched his hands into fists. ¡°If you go anywhere near her¡ª¡± They have already seen to it. Go to her. Save her. Beau took a step toward him before he remembered what else they had left behind last night. The Jeep. He saw Alys sitting behind the wheel of the Jeep and digging through her backpack. He reached her just as she was putting the key in the ignition. ¡°I think the battery is¡ª¡± He scooped her out of the seat, flinging her over his shoulder as he fled from the vehicle. A moment after he ducked around the stables, the Jeep exploded, sending a huge ball of black smoke and fire into the air. Alys cringed against him as Beau turned, pressing her against the old brick. He used his body to shield her from the rain of flaming shrapnel, but once it had abated, she wriggled out from under him to look at the fiery ruins. She turned to him, her eyes shocked. ¡°How did you know there was a bomb in my car?¡± ¡°Our mutual relative warned me.¡± Beau took out his satellite phone and began punching the buttons. ¡°Who are you going to call?¡± Alys demanded. ¡°Ghostbusters?¡± He eyed her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind. It sounded funnier in my head.¡± She pressed a hand to her brow. ¡°Not even shock can make me into a comedienne.¡± ¡°You may be anything you wish, love, but we cannot stay here.¡± He lifted the phone to his ear. ¡°This is Beaumaris. Send the car back for us. Yes, now.¡± Alys walked over to where she had dropped her backpack, and bent down to collect everything that had fallen out of it. When she straightened, she gave the flaming wreck of the Jeep a helpless glance. ¡°Where can we go?¡± ¡°The one place where I know you¡¯ll be safe.¡± He switched off the phone. ¡°Home.¡± Beau wouldn¡¯t let go of her, even when the car returned and they were safely on their way, but Alys didn¡¯t mind. She¡¯d come within seconds of being blown up with the Jeep; her hands were still shaking. ¡°Where do you live, anyway?¡± she asked him, wondering whether he had a house or a condo, and whether she¡¯d put him in danger by staying with him. ¡°¡¯Tis not far from here.¡± Beau looked as if he wanted to say more, but turned his head to watch the limo¡¯s side mirror, which he¡¯d been doing since they¡¯d left the site. ¡°Maybe it would be better if we went to a hotel,¡± she suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t want whoever did this to come after you and blow up your house.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll not be able to get at my home, love.¡± As the limo slowed, he lowered his window and reached out to input a series of numbers on a security pad. Alys couldn¡¯t see through the dark glass of the partition, so she leaned over him. An artfully painted sign behind the keypad showed two horsemen in armor jousting beneath lettering that read KNIGHTS REALM. ¡°You¡¯re taking me to another theme park? Pirate World wasn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°The Realm is more than a park.¡± He took her hand in his. ¡°This is where we live.¡± ¡°We? As in the Darkyn?¡± She gaped. ¡°There are more of you around here?¡± He nodded. ¡°Many more.¡± Another man dressed in a medieval guard¡¯s costume walked up to the window and bent down to peer inside. ¡°Beau, what do you here? Harlech said you would not return for another fortnight.¡± The man¡¯s eyes shifted, and he grinned. ¡°Hello, pretty thing. What are you called?¡± Beau scowled. ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°As you say.¡± The guard winked at Alys. ¡°If you tire of him, sweeting, ask for Gowain. I love ginger-haired gels.¡± ¡°Lay a finger on her and I¡¯ll gut you.¡± Beau raised the window, shutting out the guard¡¯s leer. ¡°You¡¯ll gut him?¡± Alys repeated, fascinated now. ¡°For touching me? Really?¡± Beau gave her a narrow look. ¡°Really.¡± It was as if she¡¯d been transported to her own private fantasyland, Alys thought as the gates opened and the driver moved the car up to the edge of a moat surrounding an enormous castle. She heard the hum of hydraulics as the water parted and a gleaming drawbridge surfaced. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you live in a medieval theme park.¡± She admired the gatehouse towers, and the two armored guards standing at attention in front of them. ¡°How do you keep the tourists from finding out what you are?¡± ¡°Mortals are easy to convince; what you see is what you believe.¡± Beau sounded slightly less testy. ¡°Our visitors think they come to a theme park, which permits us to live as we wish.¡± Page 34 ¡°And they have no idea.¡± Alys chuckled. ¡°Of course they don¡¯t. They think it¡¯s all a performance. God, this is brilliant.¡±Advertisement In the castle courtyard she saw another group of men leading horses to long, low trenches of water made from hollowed-out logs; each of the men wore a sheathed sword strapped to his shoulder or hip. A pair of ladies in long billowing gowns and wimples curtsied slightly as they passed them, while the warriors bowed. More torches and braziers flamed along the curtain walls and high up on the battlements, where Alys spotted more guards standing watch and moving in pairs on patrol. She caught her breath as she spotted a towering frame of wood and metal supported by a rolling platform; a long sling hung from a broad beam of wood set at an angle. ¡°Is that a trebuchet?¡± ¡°Aye.¡± The car came to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, and Beau helped her out. He looked at the people emerging from the castle. ¡°My lady comes. She is the ruler over all of the Kyn who abide in this region. I must introduce you and explain what has happened.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She glanced at the slender girl and the massive warrior approaching them. The man appeared mature, and savage Celtic tattoos covered his face, but the girl looked like a teenager. ¡°Is she your queen?¡± ¡°Lady Jayr is our suzeraina. This portion of Florida is her territory, and I serve as one of her defenders.¡± Beau laced his fingers through hers. ¡°Do not be afraid. No one here means you ill.¡± ¡°Beaumaris.¡± Jayr stopped and regarded him as he bowed. ¡°We were not expecting you this night.¡± Her dark eyes shifted to Alys¡¯s face. ¡°¡¯Tis not the best time for overnight visitors.¡± More warriors poured out of the castle, taking up positions behind Jayr and the tattooed man. ¡°Forgive me, my lady. I would have sent word ahead, but circumstances forced me to move quickly.¡± He turned to Alys, hesitated, and then faced Jayr again. ¡°This is Dr. Alys Stuart, who works on behalf of the high lord. She is not an overnight visitor. She is my kyara.¡± The men standing behind Jayr reacted by exchanging mutters and staring at Alys as if she¡¯d grown another head. ¡°You¡¯ve revealed us to her?¡± the tattooed man demanded, his harsh words made melodic by his Scottish accent. Beau nodded. ¡°There was no avoiding it, my lord, but I will vouch for her. She can be trusted.¡± ¡°So you say, while I¡¯ve a mortal who trifled with our trust down in the dungeons this moment.¡± The Scotsman came to loom over Alys. ¡°Why should I put faith in your little wench?¡± Alys decided cowering would not impress him much. ¡°Because you look like the last man on earth I¡¯d ever want to trifle with, period?¡± He took in a deep breath, and some of the hostility eased away from his fierce features. ¡°Stuart, is it? A good Scots name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always thought so. Lady Jayr.¡± She went with her instincts and dropped into a somewhat awkward curtsy. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, and I¡¯m sorry to have intruded at an inconvenient time. Someone stole my research, destroyed my camp, and tried to kill me tonight, and Beau¡ªBeaumaris¡ªthought I would be safer here.¡± ¡°As Byrne mentioned, we¡¯ve similar troubles.¡± Jayr gestured toward the castle. ¡°Come. We will see to your comfort.¡± The wonders outside the castle were nothing on what Alys saw inside. As she passed through the oak-plated iron portcullis, Alys was enchanted to see the long, narrow meurtri¨¨res overhead, as well as a dozen crossbowmen standing ready to fire through them. Inside the hall more guards stood at attention, bowing their heads as Jayr passed, and eyeing Alys with visible suspicion. Of course, I¡¯m a stranger, and a mortal. Alys wondered whom they had thrown down in their dungeons, and why. As she followed the suzeraina, Alys passed rooms filled with medieval antiques. While the floors on which they walked were fashioned of slate instead of the expected rush-strewn soil, enormous standing vases filled with heather, tansy, and violets lent their perfume to the chilly interior air. Alys gulped as they entered a magnificent main hall, where a formal canopied dais occupied a rounded platform of polished granite. Along the walls stood flat, wide rectangles of white marble and carved mahogany trestles, ready to be assembled into tables. Fat tallow candles flicked atop standing, beautifully wrought iron poles; cascades of bowl-shaped oil lamps hung suspended from the vaulted stone ceiling. No fewer than three giant fireplaces burned, the flames dancing behind brilliantly polished brass screens. Taller, cloth-covered folding screens formed a mazelike concealment at the other end of the hall, and at either side wall hung two wide balconies, the sort of galleries where Alys could imagine musicians playing. She walked up to the whitewashed stonework and trailed her fingers over it. ¡°This isn¡¯t plaster. It¡¯s the real thing.¡± She suppressed an excited laugh. ¡°The wall hangings, they look so new.¡± ¡°They are new. Our ladies are as industrious now as they were in their mortal lives.¡± Beau nodded at the table where Jayr and Byrne stood. ¡°I must relate what has happened at the site. I fear my lady will have questions for you as well.¡± He meant they would ask about her research, and what she knew about the emeralds. ¡°Trust can¡¯t be one-sided.¡± After they sat down with the suzeraina and her seneschal, and Beau briefed them on the project, he also related a surprising amount of information about the two competing teams that had set up camp near the property. ¡°The Europeans are far more well equipped than the Americans, and have already begun tunneling into the ground.¡± He turned to Alys. ¡°You studied the geological surveys. Can they reach the spring somehow from underground?¡± ¡°If they tap into the aquifer, the submersible may be able to follow water back to the source,¡± she said, ¡°the location of which unfortunately we¡¯ve never determined exactly. I believe it¡¯s under the pond, but I can¡¯t know without searching the bottom.¡± ¡°If they knew, they would not have stolen your research,¡± Jayr put in. ¡°They must have guessed you were close. Destroying your camp and the cowardly attempt to take your life seems reckless. Had you been killed, the authorities would have become involved and, given their proximity, would have definitely detained them for questioning.¡± ¡°I think not, my lady,¡± Beau said. ¡°The site is too remote to attract public notice. The tresoran traitors must know Tremayne purchased the land, and would prevent any mortal involvement or investigation.¡± ¡°That sounds like Richard.¡± A petite, russet-haired woman came into the room. ¡°Hello, Jayr, Byrne, Cute Guy, Redhead.¡± She came over and hugged the suzeraina. ¡°Sorry to interrupt the fascinating conversation, but I¡¯m on a house call.¡± ¡°Alex, thank heavens.¡± Jayr rose and glanced at Alys. ¡°Dr. Stuart, would you excuse us? Dr. Keller is needed in the infirmary.¡± ¡°Another doctor?¡± Alex¡¯s brows arched. ¡°What am I here for, a second opinion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a PhD,¡± Alys said. ¡°Archaeologist.¡± The shorter woman grinned. ¡°Nice to meet you, Indiana.¡± She turned to Jayr. ¡°Okay, so where¡¯s my patient?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take this up later, lad,¡± Byrne told Beau, and nodded to Alys before he followed the women out of the hall. Alys blew out a breath. ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t believe I just met the fastest surgeon in the world. She¡¯s Darkyn, too. I guess that explains her speed.¡± ¡°You know of Lady Alexandra?¡± ¡°Anyone who subscribes to Time magazine does.¡± She smothered a yawn. ¡°Sorry. Lack of sleep, partially your fault.¡± ¡°You must be exhausted.¡± Beau drew her to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my chambers.¡± Chapter 15 On the way to the garrison¡¯s quarters, Alys recalled something Beau had said when they¡¯d arrived, and how strangely the other men had reacted. ¡°You never mentioned to me what a kyara is. Is that another name for your mortal allies?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± He stopped and, after looking around them, took her hands in his. ¡°Sometimes Kyn warriors and lords take a mortal into their household to be their companion. It does not happen very often, as we cannot bond with mortal females, and unhappily we always outlive them. But this does not matter to me. You are mine, and by claiming you as my kyara, you will be accorded every courtesy due my rank.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m your companion.¡± She frowned. ¡°You mean, like a girlfriend?¡± He kissed her. ¡°A kyara is more than that. You are my mortal wife.¡± Alys felt her knees buckle, and grabbed his arms. ¡°Excuse me? When did we get married?¡± ¡°It had to be said.¡± Beau¡¯s expression grew shuttered. ¡°Lady Jayr might turn out any mortal she wishes. As my wife, you have the right to sanctuary here.¡± Of course, he¡¯d done it to protect her. Alys didn¡¯t understand why she felt so disappointed. ¡°I understand.¡± Beau started to say something and then, as another man walked past them, took her arm. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more in my chambers.¡± When they entered the section of the castle occupied by the garrison, Alys saw a crowd of men lining both sides of the corridor. ¡°They¡¯re not going to throw rice at us, are they?¡± ¡°This is a Kyn tradition.¡± Beau swept her up in his arms. ¡°Keep your head against my shoulder.¡± Alys saw why as he started walking down the corridor, and every man drew his sword and held it up to form a canopy of razor-sharp steel. ¡°Oh. This is nice.¡± She hid her face against Beau¡¯s shoulder and peeked out now and then to make sure no one was going to start slashing at them. A tall, stern-faced man with sandy hair stepped in front of Beau at the end of the passage. ¡°Beaumaris.¡± His cool eyes shifted to Alys¡¯s face. ¡°So you have finally gone wenching. Was it necessary to bring back a sample of your night¡¯s work?¡± Page 35 ¡°Alys, this is Harlech, captain of the garrison, and my foster brother,¡± Beau said. ¡°Captain, this is Dr. Alys Stuart, my kyara.¡±Advertisement Harlech took a step back. ¡°Your wife?¡± ¡°Hi, Captain.¡± Alys offered him her brightest smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Lady Alys.¡± Harlech bowed to her, but when he straightened, he gave Beau a pointed look. ¡°I look forward to hearing your report on the morrow, brother. A full report.¡± ¡°Until then, Captain.¡± Beau carried Alys inside a chamber and, as the men in the corridor began cheering, closed the door. Alys turned around to take in her new surroundings, which were far more luxurious than she¡¯d expected. In addition to a huge bed, several chairs and tables, and an enormous armoire, Beau¡¯s chambers were decorated with heavy, dark purple velvet curtains, several stark paintings of the sea, and a mounted display of some thirty different swords. Soft wool carpets covered the stone floor, and a banked fire glowed in a narrow iron hearth near the bed. ¡°This looks comfortable.¡± Alys went over to the curtains and looked out one of the tall arched windows at a massive citrus grove. ¡°Do you bring a lot of wenches here?¡± ¡°You are the first woman I have ever brought to the Realm.¡± Beau came to stand behind her. ¡°And you are not my wench. You are my wife.¡± She tried not to stiffen as he put his arms around her waist. ¡°Is that all it takes for a Kyn warrior to marry someone? You just say, ¡®She¡¯s my wife,¡¯ and everyone holds up a sword and it¡¯s done?¡± ¡°We cannot marry as mortals do. Our enemies hide behind the church. We cannot allow any official records to reflect our names or our whereabouts. For us, it must be enough to declare it to each other.¡± Beau turned her around to face him. ¡°Why are you so unhappy with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been a wife.¡± She ran her fingers along the strip of leather that laced the front of his tunic. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I always thought that if I ever married someone, I would have a real wedding.¡± Beau drew her over to one of his big armchairs, and sat down with her on his lap. ¡°What is a real wedding?¡± ¡°A traditional ceremony. Not in a church, but somewhere beautiful, maybe outside. I used to buy those wedding magazines and look at the dresses. I definitely wanted to wear a great dress.¡± She looked down at her Pirate World T-shirt and laughed. ¡°That didn¡¯t happen. It¡¯s silly, I know. I should be grateful to be alive, and to be with you.¡± ¡°I wish I could give you that wedding,¡± Beau murmured, and kissed her temple. ¡°I would love to see you in such a dress. But for now I must keep you here, and safe.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± He¡¯d done this to protect her, and she could be gracious about it. ¡°When it¡¯s over, do you say, ¡®She isn¡¯t my wife,¡¯ and that takes care of the divorce?¡± ¡°There will be no divorce, Alys.¡± Beau frowned. ¡°You are my wife, and I am your husband. Whatever happens with the emeralds, and Tremayne, you and I will be together.¡± Alys stared at him. ¡°But it¡¯s not real. You said¡ª¡± ¡°I love you.¡± He cradled her face between his hands, kissing the space between her brows, the curve of her cheek, and both corners of her lips before he drew back to regard her with a fierce expression. ¡°And I will have no other woman but you. However you feel for me, in my heart I will be your husband for the rest of my life. Perhaps our way is not how mortals go about it, but marrying means the same to us. More so for us to marry a mortal. Why would you think this not real?¡± Alys took a deep breath. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me to marry you, Beau. You didn¡¯t even consult me.¡± ¡°There was no time, and I thought you felt the same. Christ Jesus, I am an idiot.¡± Beau got up from the chair to set her on her feet. ¡°Forget everything that I have said, and everything I have done.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± She had some very fond memories from last night. ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°The worst of it, then.¡± He went down on one knee, and held her hand between his. ¡°I ask you now, Alys Stuart. Will you have me as your husband?¡± All her amusement fled. ¡°Some people would say we hardly know each other, but I don¡¯t have the luxury of time anymore, do I? Not when I¡¯m in love with an immortal. Maybe the reason I¡¯ve never been able to emotionally connect with other people is because some part of me was waiting for you to find me.¡± ¡°I could say the same.¡± Beau kissed the back of her hand. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve finally found you, and I could have what other women have¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°Alys?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯ve accepted that I¡¯m not ordinary, and that strange, startling things happen to me on a regular basis. Look at where I¡¯m spending my wedding night.¡± Alys gestured around her. ¡°A fourteenth-century castle. A working fourteenth-century castle.¡± Beau rose to his feet. ¡°But you will never be an ordinary woman.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve accepted it. I¡¯ve tried to be a good sport, and see it as an adventure instead of a curse. I think I¡¯ve coped pretty well, all things considered. I won¡¯t complain. There¡¯s really only one thing I want you to understand.¡± She pulled the T-shirt up over her head to remove it, holding it in her hands for a moment before offering it to Beau. ¡°This is not my wedding dress.¡± He took the shirt and draped it over the back of a chair. Alys stripped out of the skull jeans, shaking them out and folding them neatly before placing them with the shirt. ¡°I know we¡¯re in terrible danger, and there is no time, and who knows when this will be over? I can wait. But someday, when things stop exploding and all the traitors are vanquished and the dungeons are empty, when this is finished, Beaumaris, I want a real wedding dress. I deserve one.¡± ¡°So you shall have it.¡± He pulled off his shirt before he took her into his arms. ¡°I never wished I could be human again, until now.¡± She had to be sure he knew what he was getting into. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ve really thought about us. The reality of us. I could die any day in an accident, or from disease. If I do live on, eventually I¡¯ll grow old, and you¡¯ll have to watch that happen. Whenever my time comes, you¡¯ll have to let me go. Can you do that?¡± ¡°I would do anything for you,¡± Beau said, and caressed her arm with his hand. ¡°Come, you need to sleep.¡± ¡°On my wedding night?¡± Alys shook her head, and drew him over to the big bed. ¡°That¡¯s not something I¡¯m willing to wait for.¡± She glanced down at herself. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t have to undress me. I¡¯m already naked. Think of the convenience.¡± ¡°There is that.¡± Beau reached for the front of his trousers. ¡°Let me.¡± Alys beat him to it, unfastening the button and sliding down the zipper before she slipped her hand inside. The bulging length of his penis pressed against her palm, deliciously rigid. ¡°You¡¯re not sleepy.¡± ¡°No.¡± He watched her work his trousers down from his hips, and stepped out of them for her. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She moved around him, running her hands over the hard planes of his muscles. ¡°There are so many things I want to do with you. I hardly know where to start.¡± ¡°I have some suggestions.¡± Beau caught her by the waist and pulled her against him. ¡°I liked your first one.¡± She kissed her way across his chest. ¡°When we were in the hotel room.¡± He buried his hands in her hair. ¡°What was that?¡± Alys pushed him onto the bed, and knelt in front of him. ¡°You wanted to keep me quiet.¡± She brought his hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss against his palm. ¡°But you didn¡¯t want to use this, did you?¡± Beau¡¯s pupils narrowed to slivers. ¡°No.¡± Alys set his hand aside and brushed her cheek against the upright, straining column of his shaft. ¡°This is what you wanted to put in my mouth.¡± His thighs tensed under her hands. ¡°Is that what you want now?¡± ¡°I admit, I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡± Alys looked up at him, holding his gaze as she parted her lips, and let her breath whisper over the satiny plum of his cockhead. ¡°What it would feel like.¡± She brushed her lips over the small slit, collecting the drop of semen there with the tip of her tongue. ¡°What it would taste like.¡± She closed her eyes, savoring him. A big, unsteady hand cradled the back of her head. ¡°Show me what you wanted, love.¡± ¡°This.¡± She opened her mouth, enveloping him and sucking lightly as she curled her fingers around his swelling length. Slowly she worked her mouth over him, taking him in, using her tongue to caress and the edge of her teeth to tease. Slowly she let him slide from her lips, relishing his groan when she nearly released him, and then drawing him deeper. Beau¡¯s fingertips caressed her scalp as he guided her, his voice soft and low as he murmured to her. ¡°Your lips are so beautiful on me, love. So warm and wet. I thought of this every time I looked at your mouth. I wanted to see you like this, suckling me, loving me. God in heaven, you feel so good.¡± Alys reveled in the power it gave her over him, that such a simple thing could make her strong, invulnerable warrior tremble and groan. She released him only once, using her hand to stroke him as she looked up into his half-closed eyes. ¡°Now show me what you wanted.¡± She released him to lie back on the rug. Beau came down over her, pressing his body against hers as he pinned her wrists beside her head. ¡°Open your mouth for me.¡± When she did, he rose, straddling her breasts and guiding himself to her mouth. ¡°Take it,¡± he said as he pushed his penis between her lips. ¡°Take all of it. Just like that, yes.¡± He tipped her head so he could forge deeper, his hips stroking faster. Page 36 Alys watched his face as he glided in and out of her lips, shaking as he felt every tug of her mouth. She felt his shaft growing even harder, and when she felt the first throb, she dug her nails into his thighs.Advertisement Beau hunched over, bracing himself with one hand, his big frame shaking as his seed jetted into her mouth. Alys drank him in, taking everything he gave her, and when he drew out of her, she smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± Beau moved down the length of her body, his hand parting her thighs and his fingers finding her slick folds. He bent his head, laving her with his tongue as he worked two fingers into the tight wetness of her sheath, bringing her over so fast and hard Alys cried out. Beau held her close, lifting her up and stretching out with her on his bed. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ll have me, then?¡± he asked as he traced the curves of her mouth. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re definitely mine now.¡± She snuggled up against him. ¡°For as long as you want to be.¡± He kissed her brow. ¡°That would be forever.¡± Chris knocked on Simone¡¯s door, opening it to look in on her sister. ¡°Rise and shine, Frenchy.¡± A mumble came from the mound of covers on Simone¡¯s bed. ¡°Don¡¯t be lazy. The boys are supposed to arrive tonight, remember? You¡¯ll be spending plenty of time horizontal.¡± She walked over to the bed, slowing only when she saw Simone¡¯s hand hanging limply over the side. It looked so much like her mother¡¯s hand, hanging over the edge of the bathtub in which she¡¯d killed herself, that Chris¡¯s stomach turned. ¡°Simone, wake up.¡± When her sister didn¡¯t move, she reached down to pull back the linens, appalled to see that her hand was shaking badly. ¡°Okay, no more all-night movie marathons for you.¡± Chris slowly uncovered her sister. Simone lay on her side, blankly staring at nothing, her skin an icy white. ¡°Jesus.¡± Chris rolled her onto her back, crawling onto the bed and kneeling beside her as she felt for a pulse and found none. ¡°No. You are not dying on me.¡± She raked her dents ac¨¦r¨¦es across her palm and pressed it to Simone¡¯s lips. At first the blood merely trickled out of the other side of the Frenchwoman¡¯s mouth, but slowly her lips pursed and covered the wounds. Her skin took on a delicate flush, and her eyes fluttered as she whispered, ¡°Chris.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She bent down. ¡°I¡¯m here. What happened¡ª¡± Simone seized her by the throat, rolling over and dragging her from the bed. As Chris tried to free herself, she saw the body of another woman on the floor by the door, her arm outstretched, as if she¡¯d collapsed while trying to crawl toward it. Simone. Chris clawed at the steely fingers biting into her flesh, trying to scream but unable to make a sound. The woman strangling her began to grow taller and bulkier, her body radiating a strange dark yellow glow as her features broadened and her hair disappeared. Chris recognized the dark features of the man trying to choke the life out of her. ¡°Cristophe.¡± She used her Kyn strength to shove him away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What I and my kin vowed we would do,¡± the smith told her flatly. ¡°Protect the emeralds from the Kyn and the mortal world. Everything I have done has been for that reason. But you and your sister and your lovers have failed to relieve me of my burden. Simone returned to France, and you ran away to the islands with your boy lover. Now there are only two left to save the world. The last of my blood must take my place before it is too late, and I will allow neither of you to interfere.¡± When he came at her again, Chris used all her strength to slam her fist into the side of his head. He staggered, releasing her, and she jumped to the other side of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not a mortal anymore. Neither is Simone. Why come after us?¡± Cristophe touched the side of his head, where his scalp burned away from a path of light. A burning sensation made her look down at her hand, where flecks of molten gold were sinking into her skin. ¡°What the hell?¡± The smith raised his hand, and one of the tall iron candlesticks flew toward Chris, wrapping itself around her legs before she could evade it. She fell backward, and shrieked as Cristophe used his power over the metal to drag her body across the floor to him. ¡°You failed me,¡± he repeated. ¡°Now you and your sister will do my bidding.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe a mortal did this.¡± Alexandra Keller used her scope to inspect the neat, near-lethal wound in the Kyn male¡¯s side. ¡°Judging by your man¡¯s condition, the blade came within a millimeter or two of piercing his heart. Did you recover the weapon?¡± Jayr went to the storage cabinet and brought a dagger to her. ¡°It was found near his body.¡± Alex took the blade, sniffing the blood staining it before she held it up and studied the length. ¡°Yeah, this did the dirty work.¡± ¡°Will he die, Alex?¡± Jayr asked. ¡°Doubt it.¡± Absently she set aside the blade and began checking the pulse points on his limbs. ¡°You followed to the letter the instructions I gave you over the phone, which diluted the poison in his blood but didn¡¯t send him into thrall. That¡¯s half the battle.¡± She combed her fingers through Farlae¡¯s matted hair before she nodded and straightened. ¡°He¡¯s in the process of shedding the copper. He¡¯ll be out of commission for a couple of weeks, but a few more carefully timed transfusions, a decent haircut, and he should make it.¡± Jayr dropped into the chair beside Farlae¡¯s bed and braced her head in her hands. ¡°I cannot thank you enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but it wasn¡¯t anything I did.¡± She nodded toward the blade. ¡°The killer mortal wasn¡¯t much of a killer. He missed the heart. Or maybe he¡¯s a very good killer. He knew exactly where to put the blade, and the correct angle to thrust, but he didn¡¯t shove it all the way in. Or he could be bonkers. Who in his right mind would try to kill a Kyn and not finish the job? Where is this guy, anyway?¡± ¡°Byrne had him taken to the dungeons.¡± Jayr sighed and dropped her hands. ¡°I have to go now to interrogate him, but I confess, Alex, I never wish to lay eyes on him again.¡± ¡°You¡¯d rather Byrne do the honors?¡± Jayr¡¯s appalled look made her smile grimly. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. I bet the prisoner is immune to l¡¯attrait, too.¡± ¡°What am I going to do?¡± Jayr spread her hands. ¡°Leeds came here under false pretenses, and attacked Farlae without provocation. I have to know why.¡± ¡°This is why I never go for the position of absolute power. Being in charge sucks.¡± Alex took out a chart from her medical case and started making notes on it. ¡°I can talk to the bad man later if you want. I don¡¯t do torture, naturally, but I¡¯m his generation and I have an excellent cell-side manner. He might open up to me.¡± ¡°No, this is my duty. However much it, as you say, sucks.¡± Jayr stood. ¡°Christian and Simone are visiting us, and I know they will wish to see you. When you are finished here, perhaps you¡¯ll join us in the main hall?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alex watched her go before she looked down at her patient. ¡°It¡¯s safe now. You can quit pretending to be unconscious.¡± As Farlae did, and revealed the nightmarish flaw in his eye, she made a face. ¡°That¡¯s not a very nice birth defect. Are you blind in it?¡± ¡°I was, until I changed.¡± His voice rasped with weariness. ¡°So I hear I am to live.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s why they made you the spy.¡± She took out her sample kit. ¡°I need to draw some blood and run some tests. Don¡¯t give me any grief, and I won¡¯t tell Jayr you were eavesdropping.¡± ¡°You must keep her away from him, my lady.¡± Farlae managed to grab her wrist. ¡°Leeds is a desperate man.¡± ¡°Take it easy.¡± She pried his hand off and placed it back at her side. ¡°The guy is sitting in a dungeon with every vampire in the place pissed off at him. He¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± ¡°I mean he is desperate for Jayr.¡± Farlae subsided with a groan. ¡°Give me something to get me back on my feet.¡± ¡°Sadly, I didn¡¯t bring a forklift with me.¡± She sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Maybe you should tell me what the hell is going on here.¡± Before Farlae could reply, the door to the infirmary swung open and Jayr came in, followed by two warriors carrying Chris and Simone. Alex got to her feet. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We found them on the floor in Simone¡¯s chamber. We cannot rouse them.¡± Jayr directed the men to put the women down on two cots. ¡°They show no sign of injury.¡± Alex went to Chris, checking her pulse and her pupils before doing the same to Simone. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re in thrall.¡± She jerked up her head. ¡°You find any unconscious, dying mortals lying around?¡± ¡°No. Our human staff remains on holiday,¡± Jayr said. ¡°The only mortal here is Dr. Stuart, and she is with Beaumaris in his chambers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alex took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Someone please call my lord and master and let him know I¡¯m going to be here for a while. I could also use some nurses.¡± She met Jayr¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯d better go have a word with your traitor, and see if he¡¯s somehow responsible for this. Right now.¡± Beau left Alys in his chambers just before dawn. ¡°I must go and make my peace with Harlech.¡± He tucked the covers in around her. ¡°Sleep.¡± Alys smiled as she watched him go, and snuggled down into the sheets that smelled as darkly sweet as her lover. She still couldn¡¯t quite believe all this was real; it felt like a dream and any moment she would wake up and find herself back at the site. I don¡¯t have a site anymore. She fell back against the pillows and stared at the interlocking stonework that formed the ceiling. The project is over. Somehow she¡¯d have to send word to her team that the dig was closed. Page 37 The thought of her career self-destructing no longer frightened her; she¡¯d hardly given her ambitions a single thought since making love with Beau. Not that they had ever been her ambitions¡ªRobert had trained her like a performing chimp. She didn¡¯t want to think about her guardian, not here, where her real life was finally beginning. What will it be like, to be his wife, and spend the rest of my life with him? She couldn¡¯t see the future, but ever since walking into the castle, she¡¯d felt as if she¡¯d finally come home.Advertisement A commotion outside the chamber made her climb out of bed and peek out of the door. A group of warriors, visibly angry ones, stood arguing over someone named Leeds. ¡°I say we go to the dungeons and deal with him now,¡± one thin, stern-faced man snapped. ¡°Whatever he meant to do, I will get it out of him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s mortal, Lasander,¡± another said. ¡°He¡¯ll not live long enough to tell you.¡± ¡°Why should that be a problem for you, Revus?¡± Lasander demanded. ¡°The coward attacked Farlae from behind, and now he has poisoned the ladies visiting. What more must he do before we put him to the blade?¡± ¡°We will take the matter to Harlech,¡± Revus said. ¡°If he gives us leave, Lasander, I¡¯ll be happy to stretch the mortal¡¯s neck for you.¡± As the men disappeared down the passage, Alys slipped out of the chamber and quietly went in the opposite direction, retracing her steps until she reached the passage leading back to the main hall. There she hesitated until the scent of warm strawberries enveloped her, and a towheaded giant dressed in bright pink and green clothes came out of a side passage. ¡°Hello,¡± he said, smiling as he approached her. ¡°You¡¯re a mortal.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Dr. Alys Stuart.¡± She held out her hand, and was charmed when he took it and bestowed a decidedly theatrical kiss on her knuckles. ¡°Beaumaris brought me here. I needed a safe place to stay.¡± ¡°I have heard your name spoken. You are the new kyara everyone talks of. I am Rainer.¡± He bowed. ¡°You must be the reason that Beau has not gone wenching of late.¡± ¡°So everyone knows about this wenching.¡± She¡¯d have to discuss that with him. ¡°It is what the men do. I thought it most perverse of Beau to give it up, but now that I look upon you, I understand.¡± The big man pulled an enormous bunch of flowers out of his pocket and offered them to her. ¡°I like women. Not in the way Beaumaris does, or used to, but you are lovely things, and you wear such pretty clothes.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Cautiously Alys accepted the bouquet, the flowers of which were made of thin silk and collapsing springs. ¡°You¡¯re a magician?¡± ¡°I am a fool,¡± he said, very seriously. ¡°Great.¡± Alys was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, too. ¡°I was hoping to explore the castle a little on my own. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You belong to Beau now, so you may do much as you wish. Do not take the next passage left,¡± Rain advised her, ¡°for that leads below, to the dungeons. We have a traitor down there, and he is an evil, cunning snake. You will not wish to meet him.¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Alys smiled. ¡°Thank you for warning me.¡± ¡°You are welcome. I must go now. My lover is very sick and I must talk to him a great deal so that he does not die.¡± He bowed. ¡°Until we meet again, my lady.¡± Gay medieval vampires, Alys thought as she watched him go. Well, why not? She took the next passage on the left, and the long staircase at the end of it to a deep underground level shrouded in darkness. If she was caught down here, she¡¯d probably end up locked in a cell herself, but something kept pushing her on, as if everything depended on her talking to the assassin. At the base of the steps she encountered two guards, both of whom eyed her but didn¡¯t move or speak. ¡°I¡¯m just going to say hello to the prisoner.¡± She watched their faces, but they didn¡¯t twitch a muscle. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s okay with you.¡± ¡°They will not object,¡± a man¡¯s voice said from the shadows. ¡°Unless you try to release me, and then they will cut off your head.¡± Alys touched her neck before she followed the voice to a cell occupied by an average-looking man wearing a bloodstained white shirt and dark trousers. ¡°Hello.¡± She surveyed the chains manacled to his wrists and ankles. ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± ¡°An earlier accident.¡± His chains rattled as he showed her a new, wide pink scar on his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re Dr. Stuart, I presume.¡± ¡°Yes. They said your name is Leeds?¡± When he nodded, Alys glanced back at the guards and lowered her voice. ¡°Why did you do this to them?¡± ¡°Why must you know my reasons?¡± he countered. ¡°There are a bunch of very angry men upstairs who want to torture and kill you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like to persuade them not to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but you assume I wish to live.¡± He drew back out of the light. ¡°You should not be here.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Jayr came to stand beside Alys. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I heard some of the men talking, and, well, I really don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here.¡± Alys looked at Leeds. ¡°I suppose I thought I could talk to him, one mortal to another.¡± ¡°That was kind of you.¡± The suzeraina gave the prisoner a disgusted look before she said, ¡°You should return to Beaumaris¡¯s quarters now.¡± Alys glanced at Leeds. ¡°I think he wants you to kill him, my lady. Be careful.¡± Leeds suddenly shot to his feet, jerking the chains that manacled him to the wall. ¡°Attend to yourself, Dr. Stuart. You are not safe here, and you cannot trust the Kyn. Leave.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Alys asked. ¡°What do you think they¡¯re going to do to me? They¡¯re protecting me.¡± ¡°You are a mortal, and there is nothing that will keep you safe in this place,¡± Leeds predicted. ¡°Leave now, if you value your life.¡± With Leeds still shouting after her, Alys fled for the stairs. Chapter 16 Once Alys had disappeared, Leeds stopped shouting and sat back on the floor of his cell. ¡°She will not go, will she? She smells of Kyn. Of course. That is how he is manipulating her.¡± He spoke as if he was talking to himself. ¡°I know nothing of your schemes.¡± Anger kept Jayr from looking directly at the tresora; she focused on the welds at the base of his cell¡¯s bars. ¡°We found Christian and Simone. What did you do to them?¡± ¡°Nothing at all.¡± ¡°Just as you did nothing to Farlae.¡± Jayr clamped down on her temper before she added, ¡°These women are not part of my household. Whatever grudge brought you here to take your vengeance on me has nothing to do with them. Tell me what you used to harm them, and how it may be reversed.¡± ¡°I did nothing to Christian, Simone, or you.¡± He was such an accomplished liar that as he spoke, his scent never changed. Jayr knew he would never tell her, not while the women still lived. She would inform him of his fate, then, and leave with dignity. But when she spoke, the words came not from her cool head but from her bruised pride. ¡°You did nothing to me? You had me trust you, Devan. You convinced me to welcome you into my household, and accept your counsel, and verily believe every falsehood you uttered.¡± She reached out for the bars, and drew back her hand, clenching it into a fist. ¡°You betrayed me in every manner imaginable.¡± ¡°As you say, my lady.¡± Leeds¡¯s chains rattled as he rose and shuffled across the pitted slate to the cell door. ¡°If I may know, when am I to be put to the sword?¡± When she didn¡¯t answer him, he said, ¡°Perhaps you have something else in mind. Do you mean to starve me, or let me rot? Perhaps have the men use me for a target?¡± Heavy manacles clanked against the bars, and gentle fingertips touched her arm. ¡°You could enrapture me, you know.¡± ¡°Get off.¡± She spun around, thrusting her arm between the bars to shove him back. ¡°You think yourself so tempting to me. You, who are everything vile and twisted. Rather I would feed on rats for all eternity than let a drop of your blood pass through my lips.¡± Leeds staggered before he slowly straightened. ¡°I know that, my lady. I know because you are everything that is honorable and true. I think I would kill for you.¡± ¡°Never say you did this for wanting of me.¡± But she could see it on his face, forlorn with longing. ¡°Have you lost your wits? I am bonded. I belong to Byrne.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°That was evident from the first moment I beheld you with your seneschal. Do you even know how you look at him, as if he were all the world? Not even he knows the depth of your love, I suspect. As for me, well, we so often covet that which can never be ours. And I knew I could never have you.¡± He was toying with her, Jayr thought. Scheming to once more get inside her trust by making such a pathetic excuse. ¡°You never knew me before you came here.¡± ¡°Also true. I was sent to this place to carry out several unpleasant tasks. I anticipated every danger except you, my lady.¡± He braced his forearm against the bars, his eyes boring into hers. ¡°I am in love with you, Jayr.¡± She backed away from the cell. ¡°You are mad.¡± ¡°I should have left as soon as your spy found me out, but I could not leave you.¡± He curled his fingers around the bars. ¡°My orders were to kill you. That was why I came to the lists tonight. I meant to run my blade through your heart.¡± That was why he had taken that final, deadly lunge. ¡°I should have cut off your hand and your head.¡± ¡°But instead you healed me, my lady.¡± He showed her the scar. ¡°I am forever marked now by your blade and your blood. That was why I confessed to stabbing your wardrobe master. I knew I would never leave here. I have nothing left to me but you.¡± He spoke of her as if she were already his possession; that was how disturbed he was. ¡°You truly believe you have some chance with me.¡± Page 38 ¡°On the contrary. I know very well that you will be the end of me. I will go to my death without a murmur.¡± He rested his forehead against the bars. ¡°But no one will ever love you more than I do.¡±Advertisement ¡°We¡¯re finished.¡± Jayr spun on her heel to make for the stairs. ¡°My master intends to take the Realm by force,¡± Leeds called out, halting her. ¡°When he comes, and it will be soon, he will slaughter every Kyn here.¡± She glanced back at him. ¡°Who is this master of yours? Another turncoat, like you? He will be hacked to pieces the moment he sets foot on my land. He and the other traitors like you.¡± ¡°You cannot put it a stop to it now,¡± he said. ¡°Byrne, your men, they are only hours from dying. But I will not let them have you. Come away with me, tonight, and you will live.¡± He sounded so desperate, so convincing, that Jayr almost believed him. ¡°You would say anything to be free.¡± ¡°No.¡± He made a bitter sound. ¡°But I would do anything to save you.¡± ¡°Make your peace with God, Devan. Jamys and Korvel will soon arrive, and once they have seen what you have done to their ladies, I am sending them to deal with you.¡± She went to the guards. ¡°Go and fetch my seneschal, and have him meet me in the garrison.¡± As one trotted off, she turned to the second guard. ¡°No one else is to see the prisoner, or speak with him.¡± The guard nodded. ¡°Aye, my lady.¡± Leeds heard the door to the upper level of the castle slam, and retreated to the shadows. As he¡¯d guessed, Jayr¡¯s rejection of him had been quick, unwavering, and absolute. Less certain was her resolve to have him executed before dawn; she would have to set aside the guilt he had instilled in her as well as her own feminine instincts. Women, even those who were immortal, were nurturers, not killers. He closed his eyes, tired of the game he¡¯d played too long. Duty had brought him here, but it would be love that destroyed him. The guard shuffled to the door of his cell and inserted the key in the lock. Leeds rose to his feet, tensing as he saw the warrior¡¯s slack expression, and the glow of gold in his eyes. ¡°So you¡¯ve come for me.¡± Did you doubt it, mortal? a voice inside his head asked. The guard dragged his feet across the cell, and began releasing his manacles. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part,¡± Leeds said, rubbing his hands together to restore the circulation. ¡°Where are the jewels?¡± Go to the spring. There you will find all that you desire. Leeds didn¡¯t trust the immortal, not since the first time he had spoken to him. ¡°If you¡¯re wrong about her, everything will be lost.¡± She is the last. She is the one. She will not fail me. To the guard, Leeds said, ¡°I need your clothes.¡± ¡°This traitor confessed to stabbing Farlae,¡± Harlech told Beau as they walked along the outer ward. ¡°He refuses to say what he used to poison the visiting ladies, but that was his doing as well. As soon as the ladies¡¯ lords arrive, the suzeraina will put the traitor in their hands. I expect they will convince him to admit the rest.¡± He made an ugly sound. ¡°I still cannot believe how he deceived us all.¡± ¡°He has done a terrible thing.¡± Beau felt a hollowness in his chest, and thought of Alys. He wanted to keep her here at the Realm, but he could not stomach the idea of continuing his own deception. ¡°Harlech, there is something I must tell you.¡± ¡°You do not really mean to take that mortal as your kyara, do you?¡± the captain asked. ¡°She is lovely, and I am certain of her affections for you, but you know how it will go. You cannot give her children. She will age while you do not, and someday leave you to go on living without her.¡± ¡°What I must say does concern my love for Alys, but not in the manner you think. It is about me, who I am.¡± Beau removed his sword, setting it aside to stand unarmed before his foster brother. ¡°When the Templars brought me to your family, they told you that I was an orphan, the son of an English Crusader and his Italian wife. They gave you my name as Beaumaris of York.¡± Harlech frowned. ¡°Who told you this?¡± ¡°I have always known,¡± Beau admitted. ¡°When I came to your household, I did not say a word for all those months because I could not. Nor could I understand the priests who brought me to you. I did not speak English.¡± ¡°Of course, you spoke your mother¡¯s tongue¡ª¡± Beau shook his head. ¡°My mother was not Italian. She was Saracen.¡± Harlech fell silent. ¡°By the time I had learned enough English to tell you, I had also been thoroughly schooled on how dearly Saracens were despised. I cannot say why the priests lied to you, but I thought if I spoke the truth¡ªif I told you that I was the bastard son of a Saracen harlot¡ªthat you would kill me.¡± The captain gave him a narrow look. ¡°So you concealed it out of shame.¡± ¡°You misunderstand me. I loved my mother. I cannot regret being born the son of two enemies. It is not as if I had some choice in the matter.¡± Beau looked into Harlech¡¯s eyes. ¡°My shame is that I never confided in you. You have been my brother, and my best friend. That is why you had to be the first I told¡­after Alys.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve confided this to her.¡± Beau nodded. ¡°I have been afraid of the truth all of my life, and I never meant to tell her, or anyone. I cannot say why I would face it now, except that she makes me want to be a better man.¡± He ducked his head. ¡°I will accept whatever punishment you or Lady Jayr decide I deserve for deceiving you.¡± ¡°What you deserve is the truth.¡± Harlech lifted his fist, opening it to grip Beau¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There is more you do not know, lad. The priests who brought you to my family told us the truth of who you were. They did not name you, or invent an Italian mother to explain away your dark hide. My father and I did. I¡¯ve always known about your mother.¡± Beau stared at him. ¡°But¡­all these years, and you said nothing?¡± ¡°You were barely out of swaddling when they brought you to us,¡± Harlech reminded him. ¡°You never spoke of it, and in time I told myself that you had forgotten your cradle tongue and your origins. No, truth be told, I had hoped you would never remember. No child should be taken from his mother as you were.¡± ¡°All my struggles to keep my secret, that was never a secret.¡± Beau sighed and glanced at the garrison¡¯s quarters. ¡°Will our comrades be as understanding as you, I wonder?¡± ¡°They know you to be a formidable warrior, the best blade in the Realm, and a loyal friend, which is all that matters,¡± the captain said. ¡°I expect your lady Alys feels the same. Unless you now fancy yourself to be Saracen, and intend to go about dressing in robes and speaking your heathen tongue. That may prove somewhat contentious.¡± ¡°That is not my aim.¡± Beau picked up his sword. ¡°There is another matter I must tell you.¡± Harlech arched his brows. ¡°Your mother was Saracen, and your lady is a Scot. Never tell me that your grandparents were Huns.¡± ¡°I cannot say who my grandparents were, but I have kept another thing from you,¡± Beau said, determined to be rid of the last of his secrets. ¡°I have not been going into the city merely to hunt. I have also been taking instruction on how to read, and to write.¡± ¡°You have been going to school? With mortals?¡± Harlech chuckled. ¡°Beaumaris the Scholar. Now, that will greatly entertain the lads.¡± Alys didn¡¯t want to tell Beau she¡¯d been caught talking to Jayr¡¯s prisoner, and she¡¯d felt light-headed ever since leaving the dungeons. She wandered through the keep, stepping out of sight whenever she saw one of the Kyn, and ended up standing outside the infirmary, unable to decide whether she should go in. It wasn¡¯t as if she were really ill; she was probably more upset than anything. Alexandra Keller opened the door and peered out at her. ¡°Your smell is distracting me, Indiana, so make up your mind.¡± She moved her hand back and forth. ¡°Coming in, or going back to your cute guy?¡± Alys still hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you, Dr. Keller. I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Alex, and you don¡¯t look so okay.¡± She took her arm and guided her inside, leading her to an empty cot. ¡°Sit.¡± She pressed two fingers to Alys¡¯s wristbone. ¡°Your heart is doing a river dance. Did Cute Guy nibble on you more than once in the last forty-eight?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s only, ah, done that once, and not for very long.¡± She glanced at the other three patients, all of whom appeared to be unconscious. ¡°Are they very sick?¡± ¡°Spy Guy there has a nasty stab wound, but he¡¯s on the mend. Our ladies are in the Kyn version of a coma. Look up; keep your eyes open, please.¡± After she checked Alys¡¯s pupils with a penlight, she clicked it off. ¡°Good news. You¡¯re not bespelled.¡± ¡°Beau says I¡¯m immune to that.¡± She kept looking at the two female patients. Tall blonde, petite brunette. ¡°Who are those women?¡± ¡°Friends in trouble.¡± Alex stepped back. ¡°Your vitals are on the high side, but nothing too alarming. The dark circles under those gorgeous eyes are turning into luggage, and your scent tells me you¡¯re about to drop. Cute Guy needs to give you a couple nights off to sleep.¡± She followed the direction of Alys¡¯s gaze. ¡°Something you want to tell me?¡± ¡°The blond woman¡ªshe¡¯s French, isn¡¯t she? And the brunette is American.¡± ¡°Yeah, they are.¡± Alex shifted to block her view. ¡°Would you mind sharing how you knew that?¡± ¡°I dreamed of them. They weren¡¯t like this¡ªI mean, they were little girls¡ªbut I¡¯m sure it was them.¡± Alys knew how ridiculous she sounded, but the doctor wasn¡¯t laughing. If anything, she was riveted. ¡°Does it mean something to you?¡± ¡°No, but my magic trick is reconstructive surgery, not neurology or psychiatry.¡± Alex slung her stethoscope around her neck. ¡°You, on the other hand, probably know a lot about minerals, am I right?¡± Page 39 ¡°I minored in geology,¡± Alys said. ¡°Most archaeologists do.¡±Advertisement ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll tell you my bizarre thing.¡± She nodded toward the unconscious women. ¡°I took blood samples from Simone and Chris shortly after they were changed to Darkyn. I also got one from Simone while she was still human. When I put the samples under the scope for the first time, I saw minute crystals in their blood.¡± ¡°Is there any chance the original samples were accidentally contaminated, or perhaps partially frozen?¡± When Alex shook her head, Alys grew thoughtful. ¡°The liquid environment of the bloodstream requires absorption of minerals in their electrolyte or ionic form. They¡¯d only crystallize under a few, very specific conditions.¡± ¡°Like cholesterol forming atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels, or Charcot¡¯s forming in leukemic blood after death.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°These were different. They were green. And when I checked the samples a few hours later, they were gone.¡± ¡°Inside the body the liver probably would have filtered out the contaminants; outside the body a chemical or heat source would be required.¡± Alys noted how the doctor had emphasized the color green. ¡°Did you observe the structure of these crystals?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Alex nodded, and picked up a chart, flipping over the top sheet to make a quick sketch, which she showed to Alys. ¡°They looked like this.¡± Alys studied the lines. ¡°Cubic. Perfect cleavage in all four directions.¡± ¡°Is that somehow significant?¡± ¡°Only in that I can eliminate one source.¡± She met the doctor¡¯s puzzled gaze. ¡°The contaminant in your blood samples didn¡¯t come from the emeralds.¡± Alex drew back, surprised. ¡°How did you know I thought that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my magic trick.¡± She handed the chart back to her. ¡°Emerald crystals are hexagonal, not cubic like this. Also, when you ran the blood tox screens, you would have detected chromium, which I assume you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right on the money, Indiana.¡± She eyed the chart. ¡°So what the hell is it, and why did it dissolve?¡± ¡°Without an intact crystal lattice to study and test, I can only theorize,¡± Alys warned her. ¡°What you saw sounds like an unstable isotope, but behaves like a microorganism, one that spontaneously crystallizes. Which would indicate that it is¡ª¡± ¡°Pathogenic.¡± Alex kicked the leg of the empty cot, knocking it sideways. ¡°Goddamn it, not another one.¡± Alys gave her a sympathetic look. ¡°If you¡¯re ever able to collect another sample, I¡¯ll be happy to analyze it. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alex frowned and rubbed at her temple. ¡°Someone close by is having a bad day.¡± A guard appeared in the doorway, and before either woman could react, he raised a gun and fired it at Alex. She looked down at the dart embedded in her chest. ¡°Son of a bitch. Alys, get out of here.¡± Alys tried to catch her as she sagged, but the guard yanked her back from the doctor, and used a zip tie to bind her wrists behind her back. ¡°Who are you? Why are you doing this?¡± Without saying a word the guard produced a roll of heavy-duty packing tape, tearing off a length with his teeth and slapping it over her mouth. Once he dragged her out into the corridor, he shoved her into a large laundry cart and piled linens on top of her. ¡°If you move or make a sound,¡± Alys heard the guard whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll shoot whoever comes near me, and then I¡¯ll put one in your head.¡± Alys felt the nudge of a gun barrel through the cloth behind her head, and stopped moving. The cart rattled and swayed as her captor pushed it down the corridor. Alys didn¡¯t dare move, and when the cart abruptly stopped, she held her breath. ¡°You, there. Hold,¡± Beau¡¯s voice ordered. ¡°Have you encountered a red-haired mortal on your rounds?¡± ¡°No, my lord,¡± her captor answered politely. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any women tonight.¡± ¡°Then tell me,¡± Beau said, ¡°why is her smell on your garments?¡± Gunfire made Alys shriek behind her gag, and then her abductor was running with the cart. She was jostled by the twin bumps of the wheels as they crossed a threshold, and the drag as they moved over grass. When the cart came to a stop several minutes later, the linens were yanked away and she was hauled out onto her feet. She looked around wildly, but saw no sign of Beau. All the life went out of her. He killed him. The intruder held her by the neck as he unlocked the back of a service van and shoved her toward the hands reaching out. Alys was unceremoniously dumped on her side as the van drove off. During the fifteen-minute ride that followed, none of the men spoke, not even to one another. Alys couldn¡¯t think of Beau lying dead in the passage without wanting to scream, so she focused on her situation. The interior of the van was too dark for her to make out the faces of the two men crouched on either side of her. Both were armed with guns concealed beneath the service uniforms they wore. Whoever the men were, they were probably the same ones who had destroyed her camp and planted the bomb in her Jeep. They¡¯d wanted her dead; now she was being abducted. Something has changed. The van began to jolt as it drove onto a dirt road, and Alys had to hold her head up to keep it from banging against the floor. By the time the van slowed and coasted to a stop, her neck ached with stiffness, but she welcomed the pain; it was the only thing she could feel besides the ice encasing her heart. Whoever did this is going to regret it. The men climbed through the back doors and hauled her out, each one taking hold of her arm as they marched her through a dark grove. Alys saw the dark shapes of tents outlined by firelight but no equipment or other people. The emptiness of the camp indicated whatever work had been done here was finished. Or taking me was the last job they had to do. The men marched her to the largest tent and shoved her through the curtain of vinyl strips hanging over it. She promptly tripped and fell to her knees in the dirt. ¡°Leave us.¡± The voice made her head snap up, and as the men left, Alys struggled to her feet, turning around as she tried to see who had spoken. ¡°Hold still.¡± A manicured hand ripped the tape from her mouth. ¡°If you scream, Alys, I¡¯ll have you gagged again. Which would be a pity, given how much we have to discuss.¡± She stumbled back, her eyes widening as a lantern switched on and illuminated his face, and the dazzling white of the suit he wore. Until that moment, she was sure she¡¯d been hallucinating. ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°I never died, my dear. I merely had no more reason to act as your guardian.¡± Robert Leeds lowered himself into a folding chair, and gestured to another. ¡°Do sit down before you faint.¡± Alys stayed on her feet, her mind racing as connections she had never noticed began assembling themselves into a complicated construct. ¡°Why am I here?¡± ¡°Your research proved most disappointing, Alys. The treasure is not located beneath the spring pool, or anywhere near it.¡± He took out a cigar and lit it, puffing until the tip glowed orange-red. ¡°You falsified your notes to conceal the fact that you already had the emeralds, didn¡¯t you?¡± Alys blinked. ¡°You did this because you think I have the treasure?¡± ¡°Of course. I sent you here to find the Emeralds of Eternity.¡± He blew out a stream of smoke. ¡°What other reason would I have to waste twenty-six years of my time, a considerable amount of my money and resources, on raising, educating, and guiding an unwanted orphan?¡± ¡°You became my guardian so you could train me, and use me.¡± It was almost as brilliant as it was sickening. ¡°Your mother refused to recognize your potential, or to grant me the access to you that I required.¡± His eyes bored into hers. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to persuade her to marry me, but her unhappy affair with your father left her too emotionally damaged. I had no choice but to kill her and forge the papers granting me guardianship so I could bring you to America and set up your new life.¡± Alys frowned. ¡°I¡¯m American.¡± ¡°Your father met your mother while she was an exchange student in Paris, and used her for sex until he grew bored with her. She promptly fled back to Ireland, where you were born eight months later.¡± He smiled. ¡°Not what anyone would call a grand romance. After your father rejected her so cruelly, your mother felt nothing but resentment for you as his child. If not for her religion and her country¡¯s antiquated laws, I¡¯m certain she would have opted to abort.¡± Alys¡¯s legs wobbled as she went to the chair across from Robert and sat down. ¡°I don¡¯t have the emeralds. I don¡¯t know where they are.¡± ¡°My men watched you pick them up from the ground after the explosion,¡± Robert said. ¡°At which point your Kyn lover whisked you off to the Realm, where no doubt he convinced you to give them to Suzeraina Jayr. Don¡¯t look so shocked, my dear. It¡¯s what they do best. They feed on us, they work us like slaves, and then, when we are of no further use, they discard us.¡± His light tone couldn¡¯t quite cover the rage and hatred seething behind the words. ¡°Is that what they did to you?¡± ¡°My family has served the Kyn since the Dark Ages. Which is to say Lord Marietto bred us like cattle. He had us branded at birth.¡± He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo that had been partially mutilated. ¡°And brainwashed as well. We believed he adored us, and would do anything for his ¡®treasures.¡¯ But when his lady and I fell in love, I discovered it was all a lie.¡± Alys pushed away thoughts of Beau. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± ¡°He removed me from my position, stripped me of my rank, and sent me into exile. When I came back for my lady, my parents said she had killed herself the day after I was banished. But I knew the truth.¡± He closed his eyes briefly. ¡°Marietto murdered her and passed it off as a suicide. My family never knew the kind of jealous, murderous bastard they served, but I did. Leora warned me about him when we became lovers. She was terrified of him, and I failed her.¡± Page 40 Alys noted the lines of his face, the set of his mouth, and realized why Leeds had seemed so familiar. ¡°The emeralds won¡¯t make you immortal, Robert. It¡¯s only a legend. If you want to kill this Lord Marietto¡ª¡±Advertisement ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already done that.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°One phone call to the Kyn¡¯s enemies was all it took. I wished I could have watched him burn, but other matters required my attention.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± She glanced over her shoulder at the two men standing guard outside the tent. ¡°Building an army of traitors takes some time, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I prefer to think of it as freeing my fellow slaves. What the Kyn have never understood about the tresori is that we can think for ourselves. After centuries of catering to them, we know exactly what they are. A plague upon the earth, one that has ravaged humanity for far too long.¡± He stood. ¡°A plague that you were born to help me to end.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you do anything,¡± Alys told him. ¡°I don¡¯t have the emeralds.¡± ¡°But you do have a photographic memory and excellent drafting skills.¡± Robert picked up the roll of paper and placed it on the table. ¡°Which is why you¡¯re going to draw a floor plan of the Realm, and show me precisely where Lady Jayr put the emeralds.¡± ¡°By now they know you shot Dr. Keller and kidnapped me,¡± Alys said. ¡°Even if I do this, you¡¯ll never get your men back inside.¡± Robert took hold of her arm and pulled her out of the chair, forcing her out of the tent and out into the center of the camp. Once there, he pointed to the road. Alys saw an endless line of vehicles filling both lanes of the road. There had to be hundreds of them, all driving east toward the Realm. ¡°As you can see, my army is already on the way,¡± Robert said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to sneak into the castle. This time, we¡¯re going to take it, and kill them all.¡± Chapter 17 Clutching his shoulder, Beau hurried out to the service lot, where he saw the taillights of a van as it pulled out onto the road. As it turned to the west, it passed a red Ferrari and a black Porsche entering the access road. Beau scanned the vehicles left in the lot as the two sports cars parked. Two tall, fair-haired Kyn males climbed out of the Ferrari, while a more youthful-looking warrior got out of the Porsche. As they approached him, Beau recognized Lucan, and remembered to bow as the suzerain halted in front of him. ¡°Good evening, Lord Alenfar.¡± ¡°Warrior.¡± The former assassin eyed the front of his tunic. ¡°Are you aware that you are bleeding all over yourself?¡± ¡°Aye, my lord. A traitor infiltrated the keep and has taken my woman. I was wounded trying to stop him.¡± Beau glanced back at the castle. ¡°Forgive me; I would escort you inside and summon my lady, but I must go now if I am to recover her.¡± ¡°Not with that copper slug burning in your flesh.¡± Lucan reached one gloved hand into his jacket and offered the dagger he drew out to the Kyn standing beside him. ¡°I believe you have some experience with this sort of extraction, Korvel.¡± Beau shook his head. ¡°There is no time. If I do not pursue them now, they will surely kill her¡ª¡± ¡°While you will surely drop dead of copper poisoning before you can reach her. I will have it out quickly,¡± Korvel promised. When Beau nodded, he said, ¡°Stand against the wall.¡± He turned to the youthful-looking warrior. ¡°Lord Jamys, hold him, if you would.¡± Jamys used his arms to brace Beau in place, and Korvel tore aside his shirt before slipping the tip of the dagger into his wound. Beau bit back a howl as white-hot pain sizzled through his joint and down his arm. ¡°I nearly have it.¡± The Kyn lord deftly worked the slug out of his flesh, and caught it in his palm, tossing it away. ¡°Here, brother.¡± Jamys bit his palm, and clamped it over the wound. ¡°I am in your debt.¡± As the pain eased, Beau regarded Lucan. ¡°Might I borrow your vehicle, my lord?¡± ¡°And drip your blood all over the hand-sewn leather interior?¡± The suzerain sniffed. ¡°I think not.¡± ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake, Lucan.¡± Korvel looked disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s only a car.¡± ¡°I beg to differ. It is a Ferrari.¡± He glared at his companion. ¡°My favorite Ferrari, as it happens.¡± ¡°Take mine.¡± Jamys pressed his keys into Beau¡¯s hand. ¡°My thanks, Lord Jamys. Suzerain. Lord Korvel.¡± With another hasty bow Beau ran to the Porsche. Once out on the road, Beau lowered the window to let the night air stream inside. Being locked up inside the van had effectively cut off Alys¡¯s scent, but it was easy enough to pick up and follow the fresh exhaust left from the van¡¯s engine. By the time he reached the back roads leading to Tremayne¡¯s property, Beau knew where he would find her. He drove to the site, leaving the Porsche hidden behind the church before he struck out on foot for the Europeans¡¯ camp. The dull throbbing in his shoulder hardly registered now, but his fear that he would not reach Alys in time swelled with every yard he ran. They wouldn¡¯t have taken her if they meant to kill her immediately, Beau thought as he vaulted over the fence and made for the Europeans¡¯ camp. They must need her to¡­ He stopped as the stink of fire and spilled blood and violent death filled his lungs, and listened to the wind before he slowly approached the camp. He found the first body where it had fallen in the brush; the man had been shot in the back while running from the camp. More bodies appeared as he moved toward the tents: all of them dead, most of them shot. Two had been repeatedly stabbed; one had his throat cut. From the tracks left in the dirt they had been attacked by at least two dozen well-trained killers. All of the team¡¯s equipment had been burned, as well as their RVs. Beau spotted one partially melted bag containing a potsherd, and when he picked it up, he could still make out some of Alys¡¯s handwriting on the label. He also caught the scent of the killers, who had gone south, and dropped the bag as he followed their trail. When he reached the grove of trees concealing the Americans¡¯ camp, he smelled Alys¡¯s scent and nearly fell to his knees. She was alive, and very close; he could almost hear the frantic beating of her heart in his ears. I¡¯m coming, love. The first explosion came a few moments after Jayr had ordered Harlech to double the patrols. ¡°Down.¡± Byrne shielded her with his body as stone chips and dust rained over them. A low, deep rumble shook the floor beneath them, swelling to a roar and then dying away, ¡°That sounded like the forward tower curtain. For once he told the truth.¡± Jayr brushed the debris from her lover¡¯s back as he helped her to her feet. ¡°Sound the alarm.¡± Byrne went over to the square device in the wall that was marked FIRE ALARM and punched through the glass before pulling down the handle inside. Instantly a screeching, repeating wail echoed throughout the castle. Jayr went to the weapons cache in her cabinet and took out her sword. It was the sight of the battle-ax beside it, however, that gave her pause. ¡°Aedan, if I could spare you this¡­¡± ¡°I know you would, lass.¡± His big hand rested on her shoulder. ¡°But you¡¯ve stopped me before, and you will have need of my affliction now.¡± She nodded, removing the ax and passing it to him. ¡°Try to hold on to your senses for as long as you can.¡± She reached up to kiss him quickly. ¡°I love you.¡± He held her hand against his heart. ¡°And I you, wife.¡± Byrne shouldered his ax and made for the garrison, while Jayr climbed the inner-ward tower to the highest point of the castle, a fortified room lined with monitors projecting every possible view of the keep, along with her communications array. Once inside, Jayr slipped on her headset and studied the screens to survey the damage to the curtain wall. Beneath the gaping hole in the face of the ashlar, rubble had poured into the moat. Dozens of inflatable rafts propelled by small outboard motors were already crossing the waters and making for the sloped bank. On the opposite bank, two men shouldering a large pipelike device were taking aim at the castle. Jayr enabled her microphone. ¡°Trebuchet to the opposite bank, fifteen degrees left of tower two, fire at will. Archers, north battlement, commence the hailstorm.¡± Arrows rained down on the first men attempting to climb the slope of the inner bank, skewering them to the ground. At the same time a massive ball of flame soared across the moat, smashing into the pair with the rocket launcher and setting off an even larger explosion. Jayr rapidly relayed orders to her defender units as the intruders scattered in all directions. She almost relaxed until she saw the lines of armed men marching out of the groves. ¡°Aedan, they¡¯ve a second wave carrying in flamethrowers from the south,¡± she warned her seneschal. ¡°Stable master, release the horses and withdraw to the outer ward.¡± ¡°Stay aloft, my lady,¡± Byrne¡¯s voice rumbled over her earpiece. ¡°We¡¯ll attend to these trespassers.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve no one faster than me,¡± she reminded him as she scanned the monitors. ¡°They¡¯re moving in from all sides now. The Realm is surrounded.¡± ¡°Then they best buckle on their helmets,¡± Byrne growled before he began issuing orders. ¡°Crossbowmen to the back loops¡ª¡± Jayr removed her headset and secured the transmitter before she took out her battle armor from a storage trunk under the console. While she could move faster than the eye could see, she had no illusions about how well her Kyn talent would protect her. She might dodge an arrow, but not a bullet or ground-launched rocket. To survive the night, she would have to be as clever as she was quick. On her way down to the lower level Jayr heard three voices in the corridor, and flashed the rest of the way to stop in front of Lucan. Her sudden appearance made his two companions start in surprise, but the suzerain merely cocked a brow. ¡°Someone should really put a bell on you, my lady.¡± He exchanged bows with her. ¡°Perhaps after the mortals have finished playing at siege.¡± Page 41 ¡°My apologies for the unseemly reception, and the inconvenience of the attack, my lord.¡± She gestured toward the staircase. ¡°You may take refuge in the loft while we deal with the attack.¡±Advertisement ¡°What, and miss all the hacking and dismembering and beheading?¡± He drew off his gloves. ¡°Please, Jayr. Don¡¯t deny me my little amusements.¡± ¡°What he means to say, my lady,¡± Korvel put in, ¡°is that we would be happy to assist with your defense. He¡¯s also summoned his garrison. They should arrive in a few hours.¡± ¡°Did you have to spoil the surprise?¡± Lucan demanded. ¡°Thank you, Captain Korvel. If you would join Harlech in the bailey, he will be glad of your counsel and experience. Lord Durand, your blade will be welcome among my swordsmen at the outer ward.¡± She turned to Lucan. ¡°My lord, thank you for sending for your men. I must inspect the perimeter and assess the traitors¡¯ numbers and resources, so if you are willing, I will give you the keep.¡± ¡°My lady.¡± A glint of respect shone in his cold eyes. ¡°I shall hold it safe until your return.¡± Jayr used the postern passage to enter the escape tunnel under the castle, and flashed through it until she reached the moat lock. After she sealed herself inside the watertight room, she braced herself and pressed the button to open the outer doors. Water flooded the chamber, immersing her in seconds. She swam out through the doors, turning long enough to seal them before she kicked her way to the surface. She came up into the frigid air beneath a low-hanging fringe of branches from the holly Byrne had planted along the very edge of the moat¡¯s inner bank to provide concealment. From her position she could see a few boats still floating, their occupants covered with arrows, but the bulk of the rafts had retreated to the outer bank. She glanced up to see the finest of her garrison¡¯s snipers still holding position behind the machicolations, each man¡¯s weapon poised and ready to fire. Jayr sank beneath the water and swam across the moat to emerge beneath the platform that connected to the bridges to permit vehicles into the castle courtyard. As soon as the general alarm had been sounded, her men in the barbican towers had locked the bridges at the bottom of the moat; the attackers would not be able to raise them again without access to the tower controls. She crept up the bank, keeping her body close to the earth to avoid being spotted as she listened to the mortals several feet away. ¡°¡ªthat pontoon ready to launch in one hour,¡± a harsh voice ordered. ¡°Move the rocket launchers into position, and have the sharpshooters take out those emergency lights.¡± Jayr breathed in, appalled by the number of scents she detected. From what she had seen on the monitors, she had guessed the mortals numbered only a few hundred; she smelled close to a thousand or more. The attackers outnumbered her men three to one, and with their sheer numbers and explosives they might breach their defenses before Lucan¡¯s garrison could reach the Realm. We do not die so easily. She crawled back down to the edge and slipped into the water. A daring idea began to form in her mind as she swam along the entire length of the moat, surfacing every few hundred feet to survey the positions of the mortals. At last she reached the underwater entrance to the lock and used it to reenter the postern tunnel. She stripped out of her sodden armor, leaving it in the tunnel as she flashed back up into the keep. She found Lucan in the main hall, standing watch on the gallery. ¡°They¡¯re preparing a pontoon. They¡¯ll use their rockets to cover the launch, which will be in less than an hour.¡± She pulled down from a recess in the wall a large map of the Realm and the land surrounding it. Lucan jumped down to the floor and joined her. ¡°They¡¯re not fools. This time they¡¯ll shield the pontoon from your archers. How many are there?¡± ¡°A thousand, perhaps more. Once they breach the walls¡ªand they will¡ªwe¡¯ll be overrun before your men arrive.¡± She glanced at him. ¡°Unless we invite them in first by raising the bridges, and opening the gates.¡± He scowled at her. ¡°My lady, Kyn do not surrender to mortals, or anyone, for that matter.¡± ¡°This I know, my lord.¡± She replaced the map. ¡°But who said anything about surrendering?¡± Lucan regarded her in silence for several moments before he smiled. ¡°I like you, Jayr. I like you very much.¡± ¡°Good to know someone¡¯s happy.¡± Alexandra Keller leaned against the doorway, her expression dazed. ¡°Me, I¡¯ve been shot. Every time I come to this fucking place, I get shot. Oops, there go my knees again.¡± She slid down to the floor. Jayr hurried over with Lucan and helped her to a bench, checking her over before she looked up at the suzerain. ¡°I don¡¯t see any blood.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any,¡± he drawled. ¡°Only ice runs through those veins.¡± ¡°Shut up, Lucan, before I make you slap yourself. There isn¡¯t any blood, Jayr. The bastard tranq¡¯d me.¡± She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s wearing off, and I¡¯ll be fine. I heard about the siege, and I¡¯ve got your ladies setting up the infirmary for casualties. Just tell me where you stashed the girls.¡± Jayr frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; the girls?¡± ¡°Simone and Chris? My patients?¡± Alex looked from her to Lucan and back again. ¡°You didn¡¯t take them out of the infirmary and put them somewhere safer. Great. That means the shooter has them, too.¡± ¡°Once we take possession of the Realm, I¡¯ll be back for you,¡± Robert said as he watched the guard tying Alys to the tent pole. ¡°Then you will show me where the emeralds are hidden.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the emeralds,¡± she repeated wearily. ¡°They¡¯re not in the castle. I don¡¯t know where they are. What your spies saw were fakes.¡± Robert crouched down in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re being tedious, Alys. If you don¡¯t cooperate, I¡¯ll give you to my men for a few hours. They know many inventive ways to help jog your memory.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t make any difference what you do to me. I never had the jewels.¡± She closed her eyes, unable to look at his face for another second. ¡°You might as well kill me now.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die when I say you will, my dear.¡± Robert stood up and walked out with the guard, who took up a position just outside the tent flap. Alys flexed her cramped, cold fingers, straining again at the plastic tie until it bit into her flesh. Robert would kill her eventually, but he would make her suffer a great deal first, and somehow she had to prepare for that. Or she might try to kill herself before he initiated the torture to come. Don¡¯t be a coward. Beau would want you to keep fighting. Alys began twisting her wrists against the plastic again, but while it bruised her, the edges of it were too dull to cut her skin. She couldn¡¯t make herself bleed, and blood was the only thing she had that might help her work herself loose. Blood. The word triggered Alys¡¯s thought matrix, and she turned her focus inward to assemble a loose construct of fragmented facts and theories. The Templar who had come to the mission had been Darkyn. We need your blood to survive. All of the Timucua had left their village abruptly, shortly after the Spanish priests had arrived and built the mission. The priests themselves had all disappeared; no bodies were ever found. The borrow pit she¡¯d fallen into had been twenty feet deep. There aren¡¯t any burials anywhere near here. What did they do with all that dirt and rock? Alys imagined herself at the site, and began walking it in her mind. There were no unusual elevations in the ground around the mission or the spring pond. All of Tremayne¡¯s property was perfectly flat. Very funny, you guys. When she¡¯d stood in the center of the old village, she had looked down at the mission. That shouldn¡¯t have been possible. It seemed that the natives had built a mound¡ªand then they had built their village on top of it. The construct didn¡¯t make sense to her. Mounds were built to serve as tombs, and as such were sacred places of the dead; the Timucua would never have lived on top of one. Some of the mounds found in Florida, however, had not been tombs. Excavation had proved several had been used by many generations of natives as ancient landfills, and were filled only with the discarded shells, bones, and other refuse of their daily lives. If the natives had attacked and killed the priests, they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to honor them by burying their bodies. It was more likely they would have left them to rot, burned them, or even displayed them as proof of their tribe¡¯s ferocity. They constructed the mound, built the village, and then they abandoned it. They fled at the same time the priests disappeared, along with the Templar. The mission and the village had been flawlessly constructed. They had both survived intact for six centuries. Both had been abandoned. Both had been guarded by the Timucua. ¡­in my time there were no archaeologists digging up the earth. The Kyn who guarded the treasure you seek was a smith, and a mason. Mortals are easy to convince; what you see is what you believe. Those final pieces slipped into place, completing the puzzle. Now all she had left to do was prevent Robert from ever knowing the truth. ¡°Guard,¡± she called out. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯ll tell your boss what he wants to know.¡± The guard shuffled inside the flap, giving her a strange look. ¡°He¡¯s looking in the wrong place.¡± Alys pushed herself to her feet. ¡°Take me to him.¡± The guard opened his mouth, closed it, and fell over onto his face as the man standing behind him stepped over him. ¡°You can¡¯t give the treasure to our enemies, love,¡± Beau said, smiling. ¡°Not after all this.¡± He¡¯s alive. Her heart clenched as she stared at him, almost afraid he would go ghostly on her and shimmer out of sight. But no, he was there, the answer to every wish she would ever make on birthday candles and Christmas mornings and shooting stars. Page 42 ¡°Alys?¡±Advertisement ¡°Beau.¡± Something roared in her ears as black spots danced in front of her eyes. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to faint again.¡± Beau came over to her, cradling her face in his hands as he put his mouth on hers. The gentleness of his kiss made Alys¡¯s knees buckle, but he held her up, reaching behind her to snap the plastic tie with a flick of his fingers. Alys groaned as her aching arms fell to her sides, and dragged them up to rest her numb hands against his chest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell them where the emeralds are. I was going to trick the guard into killing me.¡± Beau smoothed the hair back from her face. ¡°Do you have such little faith in your husband?¡± ¡°No, I thought my husband dead.¡± She swallowed a sob as she huddled against him. ¡°Thank you for being immortal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been so glad of it myself.¡± Beau held her tightly, stroking her back with a soothing gesture before he set her at arm¡¯s length and examined the bruises on her wrists. ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right. They¡¯re more interested in getting the jewels, and they believe that I took them to the Realm. They¡¯ve gone to attack it.¡± As his expression darkened, she put her hand on his arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know how to stop them.¡± ¡°The jewels.¡± She nodded. ¡°I know where they are.¡± Chapter 18 ¡°That is excellent news, Dr. Stuart.¡± They both turned, and Beau bared his fangs at the man standing over the unconscious guard. Leeds held up his empty hands. ¡°My name is Devan Leeds. I was sent here by the tresoran council to recover the jewels, and protect the Kyn.¡± He added something in an archaic language. At the same time, he dug his fingers into the back of his right hand, peeling away what appeared to be the scarred outer layer of his skin. He discarded the prosthesis, and showed Beau his hand, which had been tattooed with an elaborate compass. Alys felt her lover¡¯s tension ebb, and looked up at him. ¡°Is it the mark, or what he said?¡± ¡°It is both. Mr. Leeds is a sentinel, one of an elite group who serve the tresoran council. They are our most trusted mortal allies.¡± Beau gave the other man a skeptical look. ¡°My lady named you a traitor.¡± ¡°I was sent by the council to infiltrate the tresoran traitors, assess their intentions, and, if possible, recover the Emeralds of Eternity,¡± Leeds said. ¡°They in turn sent me to the Realm to spy on your suzeraina.¡± ¡°You nearly killed Farlae.¡± ¡°Nearly being the operative word. I¡¯m a sentinel, warrior. You know if I¡¯d wanted him dead, I¡¯d have finished him.¡± Leeds sounded tired. ¡°Dr. Stuart, I owe you an apology. I knew my brother, Robert, was still alive, and that he was the leader of the traitors. I even discovered how he planned to use the emeralds to take his vengeance on the Kyn. But I never knew about you, or what he has done to bring you under his control.¡± ¡°Robert is your brother.¡± When he nodded, Alys felt a surge of bitterness. ¡°I thought you looked familiar. And thank you for the apology, but that isn¡¯t going to bring back my mother.¡± ¡°Nor will it restore to me the family my brother murdered,¡± he told her. ¡°My parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins¡ªall of them died at the hands of the Brethren, thanks to Robert¡¯s betrayal.¡± ¡°Is that why they sent you?¡± Beau asked. ¡°To redeem your bloodline?¡± ¡°My bloodline burned to death with my lord Marietto, and I volunteered,¡± Leeds corrected. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to persuade Robert to end this quest for immortality, and to surrender himself and his followers to the council, but the death of his lady cemented his hatred for the Kyn.¡± He looked at Alys. ¡°I know it cannot serve as an excuse for his actions, but my brother is quite insane.¡± ¡°Aye, and he is a dead man,¡± Beau said flatly. ¡°By now Lord Alenfar has summoned his men from the south,¡± Leeds said. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, warrior. In a few hours your wish will be granted.¡± ¡°They may come too late to save my jardin,¡± Beau said. ¡°We must do something now.¡± ¡°The three of us can¡¯t stop the siege,¡± Alys said. ¡°Not unless we offer Robert what he wants.¡± Leeds shook his head. ¡°As much as I wish I could save my brother, and end this private war of his, I cannot allow you to give him the emeralds.¡± Beau studied her face. ¡°But we can use them as a lure, to draw him and his army away from the Realm.¡± ¡°Especially if he thinks his brother is the one who has them,¡± Alys said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to move them. We just need a time-stamped photo of them, one we can send to his mobile. Devan, you¡¯ll tell him that you¡¯ll give him the jewels in exchange for ending the siege¡ªand you¡¯ll have to be convincing.¡± ¡°As often as I have tried to talk him out of this madness, I believe I can do that.¡± He sighed. ¡°But once we lure him and his men away from the castle, what then? We are still three against an army.¡± ¡°We put an end to this. Permanently.¡± Alys watched both men¡¯s faces. ¡°As soon as we recover the jewels, we destroy them.¡± Leeds bent to take the gun from the unconscious guard while Beau looped the broken tie around Alys¡¯s wrists. ¡°Stay behind her,¡± the tresora said, ¡°and keep your head down. If I¡¯m challenged, take your lady and run.¡± Beau kept his hand on Alys¡¯s waist as they walked out of the tent and headed for the car Leeds had stolen from the Realm. Although there were only a handful of guards, they all looked at Leeds, and two moved to intercept them. ¡°We have orders to keep her here,¡± one of the guards said, resting his hand on his sidearm. ¡°My brother sent me to bring her to the castle.¡± Leeds sounded bored. ¡°You can call him to confirm, of course, if you want to be held responsible for keeping him waiting.¡± Fear spiked through the guard¡¯s scent as he nodded and quickly retreated. ¡°Put her in the back,¡± Leeds told Beau before he climbed in behind the wheel. Once they were inside, he started the engine. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take the road out and drive until we¡¯re out of their sight, and then double back with the lights off. You¡¯re sure about the location of the emeralds, Dr. Stuart?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alys watched the rearview mirror. ¡°You¡¯d better go now, Mr. Leeds. One of those guards is making a call on his mobile.¡± Leeds drove quickly out of the camp, taking the shortest route across the fields to the road. Just before they reached it, the back window shattered. As more gunfire struck the back of the car, Beau pushed Alys down and covered her with his body. ¡°They know.¡± ¡°Stay down.¡± Leeds began driving in an evasive pattern until he reached the road, where he shut off the lights and accelerated, racing into the dark until he slowed and eased the vehicle back off the road, pulling beneath a row of trees and shutting off the motor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Beau demanded. ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°Wait. My brother¡¯s thugs are not that imaginative.¡± Leeds¡¯s voice sounded oddly strained. Beau detected the scent of fresh blood. ¡°You¡¯ve been wounded.¡± ¡°Yes, but the round didn¡¯t hit anything significant,¡± the tresora assured him. Beau turned to watch the road, and after another minute every vehicle that had been left at the camp sped past them. Only when the last car disappeared from sight did Leeds restart the engine and pull back out onto the road, heading back toward Alys¡¯s camp. Beau helped Alys up and checked her over for new wounds. ¡°We won¡¯t have very long to do this, love, and no tools with which to dig. Leeds is wounded.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t need to dig. They¡¯re not buried. They¡¯re submerged.¡± Alys curled up against him. ¡°The source of the spring isn¡¯t under the pond. It¡¯s under the village, and I know how to get to it.¡± Once they reached the mission, Leeds drove the car into the stables and shut off the engine. Beau helped Alys out, and then frowned as he looked at the tresora, who still sat behind the wheel. ¡°Come, man. Let me have a look at it.¡± Leeds grimaced and reached into his shirt pocket, removing his mobile and handing it to Beau. ¡°I won¡¯t be accompanying you, I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯ll also have to handle the negotiations with Robert.¡± Beau glanced at the amount of blood smeared on the phone and yanked open the driver¡¯s door as Leeds slumped over against it. He eased the man out and placed him on the ground. The moonlight gleamed on the exit wound in the center of his chest. Leeds opened his eyes to give Alys a rueful look. ¡°Tell Lady Jayr that everything I said was a lie.¡± He coughed up some blood. ¡°Thank God, that will be the last I tell.¡± He let out a final breath and went still. Beau checked for a pulse, and then looked up at Alys and shook his head before he gently closed Leeds¡¯s eyes. Alys picked up one of the packing quilts that hadn¡¯t burned and draped it over the tresora¡¯s body. ¡°Be at peace, Mr. Leeds.¡± Beau pocketed the mobile and put his arm around her. ¡°Come away now, love.¡± As they crossed the camp toward the village trail, Alys paused to wipe at her face with her sleeve, and then tugged at Beau¡¯s hand. ¡°Look.¡± She pointed to the ground, which showed two sets of fresh footprints darkening the frosted grass. ¡°Someone just came through here.¡± Beau breathed in, frowning as he recognized the scents left behind in the air. ¡°They are Kyn, not mortal.¡± He eyed the size and shape of the tracks. ¡°Both of them are women, but unfamiliar to me.¡± ¡°Simone and Christian.¡± Alys peered ahead. ¡°But how did they get out of the castle, and why would they come here?¡± ¡°We will have to ask when we find them.¡± Beau picked her up in his arms. ¡°Hold on to me, love.¡± Page 43 He ran with her along the trail until they reached the village, which appeared deserted. When he set Alys down on her feet, she led him to the edge of the borrow pit, and looked down into it. ¡°I can¡¯t see the bottom.¡±Advertisement ¡°I can.¡± He peered through the shadows and inhaled. ¡°The ladies are not down there, but their scent tells me they were.¡± ¡°The entrance to the source of the spring is at the bottom.¡± She held out her arms to him. ¡°I need one more ride.¡± Beau picked her up and jumped into the pit, landing on his feet at the bottom. When he put Alys down, she went over to the stone wall, feeling along it carefully before she stepped back and pointed to a slight outcropping. ¡°There¡¯s a depression along the left side.¡± Beau found the handhold, and used it to pull on the rock. An entire section slid out of the wall, revealing a low entrance to a tunnel. ¡°How did you know this would be here?¡± ¡°You told me,¡± she said as she ducked her head and stepped inside. ¡°You said that our mutual relative was a mason.¡± Beau still didn¡¯t understand her. ¡°What has that to do with it?¡± ¡°Cristophe didn¡¯t come here with the other priests to build a mission, or to convert the natives. There weren¡¯t any natives; he simply wanted everyone to think that. The mission and the village were fakes. His version of camouflage.¡± She touched the stone wall of the tunnel. ¡°So he could hide this, and the jewels he left here.¡± Beau heard the sound of water, and took hold of her hand. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Alys walked with him along the narrow tunnel, which opened out into a stone cave enclosing a wide pool of water. Instead of being shrouded in darkness, the cave was illuminated by the water, which glowed an eerie green. Alys caught her breath. ¡°I was wrong about one thing. He didn¡¯t take his friends with him.¡± Beau followed her gaze to the row of skeletons lining the far wall of the cave. Although time had decayed their garments, he could still make out the style of their robes. ¡°The Spanish priests. He must have used them as labor and food, and killed them to protect his secret, and the location of the emeralds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Alys walked to the edge of the pool, and knelt there to look into it. ¡°The jewels aren¡¯t emeralds, Beau.¡± ¡°What else can they be?¡± ¡°Something much more dangerous,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ve killed almost every human who has come in contact with them or the metal artifacts associated with them. I think short-term exposure to them is what killed the priests who helped Cristophe build this place. If I were to run tests on their remains, we¡¯ll find they all died the same way.¡± She regarded the light shimmering in the water. ¡°But I don¡¯t think there is any time left for that.¡± ¡°If the jewels killed the priests, then you are in danger as well.¡± He reached down and tugged her to her feet. ¡°I must take you out of here.¡± Alys looked past him. ¡°We can¡¯t leave.¡± Chris came hurtling across the stone to sprawl at Beau¡¯s feet. Behind her, Simone staggered, shoved forward by the man holding a gun to the back of her head. ¡°No one is going anywhere,¡± Robert Leeds said pleasantly. As Beau took a step toward the traitor, Alys gripped his arm. ¡°No. He¡¯ll kill her before you can reach him.¡± ¡°An excellent deduction, my dear.¡± Robert forced Simone to her knees. ¡°My weapon is indeed loaded with pure copper rounds. One bullet to the brain stem will put a quick end to Ms. Derien¡¯s newfound immortality. Warrior, throw your sword to me.¡± Chris braced herself on her elbows and looked up at Beau and Alys. ¡°Hang on to the blade, big guy. He¡¯s not planning to let us out of here alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯d spare you if I could, Ms. Lang,¡± Robert assured her. ¡°I¡¯d very much like to know how you and your sister accomplished your transition to Kyn without employing the emeralds, and if the same could be done for Alys. I don¡¯t see why not; she is your half sister.¡± ¡°There are three of us?¡± Chris gave Alys a wide-eyed look. ¡°Holy Christ. Did Dad ever keep his pants zipped?¡± ¡°Apparently not,¡± Simone murmured. ¡°Be quiet,¡± Robert snapped. ¡°As I was saying, I¡¯d be delighted to have you as part of my new world order. But I think your loyalties and your lovers would get in my way.¡± To Beau, he said, ¡°Throw your sword to me. Now.¡± Beau drew his blade, placing it on the stone and sliding it over to the man. ¡°Pick it up,¡± Robert told Chris. When she did, he took it from her hand and tucked it under his belt. ¡°You need only me, Father Robere,¡± Simone said. ¡°I am the daughter of Helada. Let the others go, and I will tell you everything you wish to know about the jewels.¡± ¡°Just as you told your brother P¨¢jaro in France, when he stole the Scroll of Falkonera?¡± He prodded the back of her head. ¡°My dear girl, you didn¡¯t even warn him that simply touching it would kill him.¡± ¡°These jewels are much more lethal than the scroll or the cross,¡± Alys warned him. ¡°If you try to remove them, you won¡¯t live long enough to die of exposure. You¡¯ll also kill everyone within a fifty-mile radius of this place.¡± Leeds chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t believe in that ridiculous curse. For pity¡¯s sake, Alys, you¡¯re a scientist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have to listen to me, Robert.¡± Alys nodded toward the glowing water. ¡°That light is being emitted by the energy source contained in the gems. Over the centuries they¡¯ve been gradually destabilizing, and right now the only thing keeping them safe is the spring itself. If you remove the jewels from the water, and put them together, they will cause an explosion. One that will be equal to dropping a very large and powerful nuclear bomb on this spot.¡± Leeds looked amused. ¡°You know, you¡¯re completely wasted on the academic community. With that imagination, you should be writing novels.¡± He removed a coil of copper cable from his pocket and a pair of wire cutters, and tossed them at her feet. ¡°Bind their wrists and ankles. Tightly, if you please.¡± Alys looked up at Beau as she looped the cable around his wrists. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I was any good at it, but I liked being your wife,¡± she murmured. ¡°You are my heart.¡± He touched his brow to hers. ¡°This will not separate us, love. Nothing will.¡± Alys helped Chris up and brought her to sit next to Beau. ¡°Not the greatest end to a vacation. You probably didn¡¯t even get to visit Epcot.¡± ¡°No, damn it, and I wanted to spend a day in Japan.¡± Her half sister closed her eyes. ¡°Jamys is still at the Realm. If this explosion happens the way you say it will, will he¡­?¡± Alys considered lying to her, but knew in her place she would want to know the truth. ¡°If I¡¯m right, it will vaporize everything within a ten-mile radius, and kill every human within a hundred miles.¡± Chris glanced past her shoulder before her dark eyes shifted to Alys¡¯s. ¡°You can¡¯t let him do this, Doc. There are over two million people living in the city. God knows how many visitors¡ª¡± ¡°Dr. Stuart,¡± Robert called out. ¡°Come here.¡± Alys took one last look at Beau before she stood and walked to Simone. After binding her wrists and ankles, she dropped the cable and faced her former guardian. He plucked the wire cutters out of her hand. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± He gestured toward the water. ¡°Go in and get the emeralds.¡± She didn¡¯t move. ¡°No.¡± He came around Simone and pressed the gun to her forehead. ¡°Not afraid to die, are you?¡± He moved his hand to one side and fired. As Beau swore viciously, Robert smiled. ¡°That was just a little flesh wound to the arm. Next time, I¡¯ll aim for his face.¡± When she tried to rush to Beau, Robert caught her by the arm and hurled her into the spring. The water streamed hot and cold around her, and Alys let it close over her head as she sank to the bottom. Beneath her she made out the large caches, each radiating light from the cracks in the stone. She swam to the first, pushing away the one piece of the capping slate and reaching it. The jewel should have been hot, but it felt icy in her fingers. She swam up with it, surfacing and holding it up so that Leeds could see it. He rushed to the edge and stretched out his arm. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Alys held it just out of his reach. ¡°Cut Simone¡¯s ankles loose, release her, and then I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± When he swiveled with the gun, she added, ¡°You¡¯re right. I lied about what will happen. There won¡¯t be any explosion.¡± Robert¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± ¡°Because the legends are true.¡± She met his gaze. ¡°Once you have all three gems, nothing can ever harm you again. Not even the Darkyn.¡± He moved back, keeping his eyes on her as he reached for the wire cutters. When he¡¯d sliced through the cable around Simone¡¯s ankles, he shoved her toward the entrance to the cave. ¡°Alys.¡± Simone gave her a desperate look. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Go,¡± she urged before she dove down again. When Simone hurried away, Alys placed the diamond on the stone ledge, and dove back down. Robert released Christian for the second gem, but when Alys brought up the third, he pulled her from the water. ¡°Alys.¡± Beau fought his bonds, blood streaming over his hands and feet. ¡°Get your hands off her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid your little whore has run out of bargaining chips.¡± Robert dragged Alys over, holding her clamped to his side as he kicked Beau over onto his back. After wrestling the last gem from her hand, he threw her down beside Beau. ¡°The other two bitches shouldn¡¯t be difficult to track down once I¡¯ve changed.¡± He cradled the three gems, their eerie green light casting a sickly glow over his harsh features, before he placed them in a pouch, which he hung around his neck. Page 44 Alys knew what her guardian would do next, and scrambled on top of Beau, shielding him with her body.Advertisement ¡°No.¡± He tried to throw her off, and then went still as she jerked twice. He looked into her widened eyes. ¡°Alys.¡± More shots erupted, and Beau saw Simone duck behind an outcropping as Leeds returned fire, running as he did to disappear into the second passage. ¡°Get him,¡± Alys whispered as she collapsed. ¡°Shield¡­jewels¡­somehow¡­¡± Chapter 19 Beau eased Alys back into Simone¡¯s arms. ¡°Hold on, love.¡± To Simone, he said, ¡°Stay with her.¡± The Frenchwoman nodded and looked back at her companion. ¡°Christian, give me your jacket.¡± Beau followed the eerie glow of the water spatter Leeds had left behind through another, narrow passage in the rock. As he emerged on the surface behind the bone pile, he drew his copper dagger. A weapon fired, but the bullet he expected in his heart skimmed his shoulder and buried itself in the bones with an explosion of white splinters. Leeds stood with his back against a spindly pine, his gun drooping from his blackened hands. ¡°You can do nothing to me, vampire.¡± He coughed, spraying blood from his slack mouth as he slid down the tree¡¯s trunk. ¡°I am the one true immortal now.¡± Beau sheathed his dagger, closing the gap between them and kicking away the weapon Leeds could no longer use. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. A dead fool.¡± ¡°No, you heard her. The legends are true.¡± Leeds clutched at the hilt of Beau¡¯s sword. ¡°Bury me,¡± he pleaded. ¡°I will rise again from my grave to walk the night. I will make you my second. You can have as many¡­¡± His forehead wrinkled. ¡°¡­women as you¡­like.¡­¡± He slumped over, convulsing violently before his body went slack. Beau reached down to pry open the corpse¡¯s fist. The emeralds had burned through his flesh to the bone, and now glittered with a strange, rapidly intensifying light. They¡¯re not emeralds. Vines ripped themselves out of his way as Beau raced back into the tunnel. He found Simone with Alys¡¯s head on her lap, and Christian holding her limp hand. The sight of her, so still, stopped him as nothing else could. ¡°Alys.¡± He knelt beside her body and placed his hand on her cool, damp brow. As he bent to kiss her lips, the shallowness of her breath sent a wave of despair crashing over his heart. ¡°Beau.¡± Her eyelids lifted a fraction. ¡°Robert is dead, and I have the gems,¡± he told her quickly. ¡°I will put them back in the spring.¡± She turned her head from side to side. ¡°What must I do with them?¡± He saw her lips move, and bent to put his ear next to them. But she did not speak again, nor did she take another breath. ¡°Alys. Alys.¡± ¡°Beau.¡± Christian gripped his shoulder, and nodded at the other side of the cave. A shimmer of gold sparkled on the opposite ledge, growing brighter and more dense-looking until it formed itself into a solid figure. Golden armor covered nearly all of Cristophe¡¯s body, and when he spoke, his voice rang like a thousand bells. ¡°I warned you of this, boy.¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± Beau got to his feet, and strode to the edge of the water. ¡°You and your scheming. You¡¯ve killed her.¡± He was shouting now. ¡°God damn you. God damn you to hell.¡± ¡°My strength is almost gone with my body. It took the last of it to come here now. I failed heaven, and your brothers, and the last of my kin.¡± Cristophe closed his eyes, but his lids turned transparent. ¡°Forgive me.¡± Beau reached out with his talent, seizing what was left of Cristophe¡¯s flesh and using it to drag the smith across the water. He held him suspended as he showed him the jewels. ¡°Alys said these will explode, and their power will destroy everything around us for miles. Millions will die. Tell me how to stop it.¡± ¡°It is too late now,¡± Cristophe said as his head disappeared and reappeared. ¡°Good-bye, my son.¡± Beau heard Alys¡¯s voice in his head. Shield them. With a roar he thrust the gems into the center of Cristophe¡¯s body. Pain engulfed his arm as the shimmering light burned into his flesh. He gritted his teeth and held his fist in place until the smith¡¯s body began to solidify around his wrist. Spreading his burning fingers, Beau released the gems, and yanked back his arm. Cristophe looked down at the crater in his abdomen, watching as his flesh grew solid and closed over the diamonds. He lifted his face, and the light in his eyes changed from gold to green. ¡°Into the mouth of the water, my son,¡± Cristophe whispered. ¡°Hurry.¡± Beau pushed the smith through the air to the back of the cave, and released him just above the source of the spring. Cristophe¡¯s form radiated thin beams of green light as he sank beneath the surface. As the water began to boil, Beau lifted Alys¡¯s body into his arms. ¡°Run as fast as you can,¡± he told the other women. ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Don¡¯t stop for anything.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t make it in time.¡± Simone glanced at Christian, who nodded. ¡°No, I think we will stay here,¡± she said kindly, ¡°with you and our sister.¡± As the light from the fissure grew brighter, the women flanked him and Alys, encircling them with their arms. Beau blinked back tears of sorrow and gratitude as he pressed a kiss to Simone¡¯s brow, and the top of Christian¡¯s head, and finally Alys¡¯s sweet lips. The light grew blinding, until it filled his eyes with brilliant emerald, set in shining gold. The air seemed to ripple, once, twice, and then without any sound at all lifted him from his feet, sending him soaring in a fountain of light into the night sky and scattering him among the stars. ¡°Excuse me. Miss? Excuse me.¡± Jayr looked up from the body of the dead tresora to see a young mortal couple standing by the gate. Both were dressed in shorts and T-shirts, and the male was taking photos of her with a digital camera. The female smiled. ¡°Sorry to interrupt your performance, but, um, we were hoping to get some tickets for the next show?¡± Jayr stood up and surveyed the area. Through the smoke she could see the figures of her warriors and Lucan¡¯s moving across the field, checking bodies and collecting weapons. Harlech appeared driving their largest cart and called out for the men to bring the dead. ¡°God, it looks so real,¡± the young man gushed, snapping away merrily. ¡°What battle are you reenacting? Hey.¡± Jayr used her strength and ability to pluck the digital camera from his hand and pull it through the fence before he could blink. ¡°We don¡¯t allow photographs in the park.¡± The mortal stared at the gaping hole she had punched through the chain links. ¡°Sure, okay.¡± She erased the images he had taken of her and the Kyn from the memory card before she handed the camera back to him. As she turned her back on them, she heard the woman ask, ¡°What about tickets?¡± Byrne appeared before Jayr, and yanked her off her feet to hold her tightly against him. Over her head he said, ¡°This was a rehearsal, lass, not a performance.¡± He paused to kiss Jayr soundly on the lips. ¡°We are also in the midst of renovating the Realm, so tickets are not currently on sale. We will be reopening in a few weeks with bigger and better shows, and hope to see you at one of them.¡± He swung Jayr around and began to stride off with her, calling back, ¡°Have a nice day.¡± She buried her face against his strong neck. ¡°I can no longer be immortal. You just scared the life out of me.¡± ¡°You should have known better,¡± he chided, setting her down. ¡°¡¯Twas you who insisted I take all those bloody anger management classes on the computer.¡± He brushed the hair back from her face. ¡°Lucan is coming. Try not to puke when he takes all the credit for our victory.¡± ¡°I assisted with your ambush, helped you corral the traitors in the keep, and devoted much effort to keeping them busy until my men arrived.¡± Dressed in assassin¡¯s black, Lucan walked out of a swirl of smoke. ¡°Thus I deserve most of the credit.¡± ¡°You dinnae even get dirty,¡± Byrne pointed out. ¡°One of the few benefits of my talent.¡± Lucan held up a bare hand before he took a pair of leather gloves from his jacket and slipped them on. ¡°My garrison will aid with the disposals. Shall we¡ª¡± A sudden and enormous flare of bright green from the west interrupted him, and made them all shield their eyes. Although there was no sound from the eruption of light, a moment later the ground trembled beneath their feet. ¡°What in God¡¯s name was that?¡± Jayr gripped Byrne¡¯s hand as the shaking died away. ¡°It¡¯s near where Beau¡¯s woman has her encampment.¡± Byrne watched the horizon as the glow spread and settled. ¡°They must have finally found those wretched baubles.¡± Lucan glanced at him. ¡°Were they using explosives to search for them?¡± ¡°However they¡¯ve done it, it doesnae look good.¡± The big Scotsman flagged one of the warriors passing by them, and gave him orders to assemble a team of trackers. ¡°Have Farlae and Rainer take the lead.¡± ¡°I will have the lead in my Ferrari,¡± Lucan told him. ¡°That fancy auto of yours won¡¯t take kindly to the marshland, my lord,¡± Byrne said. ¡°No reason for you to trouble yourself. Leave it to the lads.¡± ¡°No reason?¡± The former assassin¡¯s voice grew icy. ¡°Christian is still out there somewhere.¡± Byrne shrugged. ¡°Aye, but you needn¡¯t trouble yourself. If she yet lives, they¡¯ll find the lass.¡± Before Jayr could intervene, Lucan reached out, grabbing a handful of Byrne¡¯s tunic and using it to jerk the big man closer. ¡°That lass is the closest thing to a daughter that I shall ever have. She gave up her mortal life to protect me, Samantha, and my entire jardin. So, no, you ignorant behemoth, I will not leave it to the lads.¡± ¡°As you say, my lord.¡± Byrne glanced down at his fist and, when Lucan released him, looked almost pleased. ¡°We¡¯ve a stable of fast horses. Do you still ride?¡± Page 45 Lucan straightened the line of his sleeve. ¡°Do I still breathe?¡± He strode off.Advertisement ¡°No,¡± Jayr said as Byrne turned to her. ¡°I will not stay behind. Beau and Alys are still missing.¡± He glanced at Lucan¡¯s retreating figure before he said in a softer voice, ¡°Then brace yourself, wife. Whatever caused that light and the ground to quake may not have left anything for us to bring back.¡± Riding to the old mission took less than an hour, and when they were within a half mile of the site, Jayr began to see the damage wrought by the queerly silently explosion. The trunk of every pine they passed now tilted toward the east; some of the younger saplings lay uprooted where they had toppled. The sound of flapping wings drew her gaze up, where she saw dozens of birds flying away from the site toward the Realm. Lucan reined in his mount, stopping in front of a blackened length of metal sticking up from the soil. ¡°This did not sprout here.¡± He leaned closer, and then exchanged a look with Byrne, who rode his mount in front of Jayr¡¯s. ¡°Now that I think on it,¡± her lover said, ¡°you should go back to the stronghold. No doubt Alexandra will need some help with the wounded.¡± ¡°No doubt.¡± Jayr dismounted and strode over to the half-buried blade. An odd-looking clot of dirt clung to the hilt, one that looked more like a hand with every step she took. ¡°Jayr.¡± Byrne put himself between her and the blade. ¡°You need not look upon this. Let us see to the rest.¡± She went around him. ¡°This is Beaumaris¡¯s blade.¡± She knelt down in front of it and studied the severed body part still clutching the hilt. ¡°He must have been holding it when the blast occurred.¡± Byrne helped her up. ¡°Then he died fighting, which is what the lad would have wanted.¡± ¡°Someone did, but not Beau.¡± Jayr nodded at the burnt hand. ¡°Do you see there, on the third finger?¡± Lucan joined them and peered at the appendage. ¡°A ring.¡± He sniffed the air. ¡°From the stink of it, fashioned from copper.¡± ¡°No mortal could take Beau¡¯s blade from him,¡± Byrne insisted. ¡°No.¡± Jayr gazed at the oak grove, where the setting sun silhouetted the dozens of trees that had been jerked, roots and all, from the earth. ¡°Unless Beau gave it to him. Come.¡± She strode to her horse. Jayr expected to see nothing but flattened, blackened earth as they drew near the mission, but aside from a missing roof and some scorch marks on the exterior walls, the structure remained largely intact. Jayr called out for Beau and Alys, but only silence answered her. ¡°They must have taken shelter in the lower chambers,¡± she told Byrne as they dismounted and secured the horses. ¡°We will begin there.¡± ¡°My lady.¡± Lucan¡¯s quiet voice sent a pang of dread through her. ¡°Your man and his lady are here.¡± Jayr¡¯s steps dragged as she approached the ruin of vines and shattered stone blocking the entry to a cave. Lucan brushed back the rubble to reveal a pair of entwined bodies. Her throat went tight as she saw how Beau held Alys still cradled against him. More stone shifted, and Lucan stepped back as a slim hand emerged from the debris. The fingers groped the air. ¡°A little help,¡± a muffled, disgruntled voice said, ¡°would be great.¡± Lucan reached into the rubble and snatched the girl from it, holding her at arm¡¯s length before he jerked her close and embraced her. ¡°You are an idiot,¡± he muttered against the top of her head. ¡°I am taking you home and locking you in my dungeon for the rest of eternity.¡± Chris coughed out some dirt. ¡°Hello. You don¡¯t have a dungeon.¡± Lucan began wiping the soil from her cheeks. ¡°Then I shall build one. One riddled with rats and devices of torture and hundreds of video screens that play nothing but reruns of The Brady Bunch.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, too, Dad.¡± She rested her cheek against his shoulder. The sound of vegetation moving and sticks snapping made Jayr scan the area, until a bedraggled figure emerged from the brush. ¡°I don¡¯t know why anyone dreams of flying,¡± Simone said as she joined them, cradling a broken arm. ¡°The landing isn¡¯t very pleasant.¡± She looked at the bodies in the rubble. ¡°The traitor murdered the doctor just before the explosion.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°Even after she was gone, your man would not leave her.¡± ¡°No, I expect he would not.¡± Jayr bent down to remove the gravel away from Alys¡¯s peaceful face before she straightened. ¡°We will bury them together.¡± ¡°As it should be. The lass was his mortal wife,¡± Byrne explained to Lucan. ¡°Then it is fitting that they died together,¡± the suzerain said as he placed Chris back on her feet. ¡°But I believe you are mistaken on one point.¡± When everyone looked at him, he added, ¡°That female in your man¡¯s arms is not human.¡± Lucan nodded at Alys. ¡°Look at her face.¡± Jayr gazed down and saw that the cuts and abrasions on Alys¡¯s skin were slowly shrinking. ¡°God in heaven.¡± She pushed back Alys¡¯s upper lip to reveal two gleaming dents ac¨¦r¨¦es emerging from her palate. ¡°She is Kyn.¡± She turned to Byrne. ¡°But yesterday she was mortal.¡­How can this be?¡± ¡°The legends say if a mortal is worthy, the emeralds will give them eternal life.¡± Byrne removed a copper dagger from his belt. ¡°¡¯Tis no one more worthy on this earth, I think, than a courageous, warmhearted Scotswoman.¡± He used the blade to slash his wrist, and bent to hold it to Alys¡¯s face. ¡°Except perhaps a Scotsman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all that whiskey you lot drink,¡± Lucan told him. ¡°It pickles your soul.¡± A strong hand shot out of the debris to seize Byrne¡¯s wrist. ¡°Easy, lad,¡± Byrne said, grinning with delight as Beau glared up at him. ¡°Your lady has made the change. I¡¯m wanting only to help her.¡± ¡°Mine.¡± With some difficulty Beau freed his other arm, bit into his wrist, and then pressed it to Alys¡¯s lips. At first Beau¡¯s blood streamed down the sides of Alys¡¯s face, but when Jayr gently used a hand to support her head, she shuddered and swallowed. Beau had eyes for no one but his beloved, and when she pulled away and opened her eyes, he kissed the traces of blood from her mouth. ¡°Why did you shield me?¡± ¡°He would have shot you in the heart.¡± She pressed her hand against his chest. ¡°You couldn¡¯t survive that.¡± ¡°Neither could you.¡± ¡°But I did, so your conclusion is erroneous.¡± Alys¡¯s eyes took on a faint golden glow. ¡°I think you¡¯re stuck with me for a while.¡± ¡°So I am.¡± He kissed her again, and held her tightly. ¡°Thank God.¡± Chapter 20 ¡°How do I look?¡± Alys asked, turning around to face her sisters. ¡°Lovely,¡± Simone said. ¡°Wrong.¡± Christian turned to the Frenchwoman. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they do it in Paris, but in this country the bride traditionally wears white.¡± ¡°White is not a color. It looks attractive on exactly no one.¡± Green eyes rolled. ¡°So of course it is an American tradition.¡± ¡°If you two keep arguing,¡± Alys warned, ¡°I¡¯m going to put you both in bridesmaids¡¯ time-out.¡± She glanced down at the folds of the soft amethyst velvet skirt. ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t wear white. It would be bad luck.¡± ¡°You see?¡± Simone patted her shoulder. ¡°That is your French DNA talking, ch¨¦rie.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you buy into that whole I¡¯m-not-a-virgin thing,¡± Chris complained. ¡°Beau hasn¡¯t been one for, like, seven hundred years.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because of Robert.¡± Despite all her guardian had done to her, Alys still felt a twinge of sadness when she thought of him. ¡°The few times I met him, he always wore white.¡± ¡°He did not do so when he pretended to be Father Robere with me,¡± Simone pointed out. ¡°I only ever saw him in black.¡± ¡°Yeah, and he dressed like a yuppie when I met him in the Keys,¡± Chris added, her expression darkening. ¡°I knew there was something wrong with that guy; I got a weird vibe from him. I just figured it was the undercover-cop thing. He sent his men after me and Jamys an hour after I met him. I should have known he was the douche bag traitor.¡± Simone made a hushing sound. ¡°He was the only family Alys has ever known.¡± ¡°We¡¯re her family,¡± Chris countered. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Robert didn¡¯t care about me, not like that.¡± Alys picked up the bouquet of lavender roses that Jayr had delivered along with the dress, and wound one of its golden ribbons through her fingers. ¡°When he had me taken from the keep and brought to his camp, Robert told me the truth about what he¡¯d done. How he¡¯d murdered my birth mother in Ireland, smuggled me out of the country, and left me with nannies until I was old enough for boarding school. All those teachers who said I had a natural talent for history and archaeology? They were actually paid by him to train me and push me and make me believe it was my idea. That was how he made me into his ¡®tool.¡¯ Who knows what I might have been if he hadn¡¯t stolen me? But his daughter, that was one thing I never was. To him I was nothing but¡­a really smart screwdriver.¡± ¡°So why aren¡¯t we popping open the champagne?¡± Chris asked. ¡°The guy took your whole life away from you, and sold out Simone to her psycho adopted brother. I hate him and I¡¯m glad he¡¯s dead. And since he used me as sex bait for a mind-controlling immortal pirate, I think I¡¯m allowed.¡± ¡°That is not what she means,¡± Simone chided, and took hold of Alys¡¯s hand. ¡°Robert Leeds was the only father you knew, ch¨¦rie. You cared for the illusion of himself that he created in order to deceive you, not the man he really was. Now that you know it was all lies, and he is gone, perhaps you can begin to let it go.¡± Page 46 ¡°Did you forgive your father for everything he did to you?¡± Alys asked her.Advertisement ¡°When I discovered he had not murdered all of my adopted brothers, but had given them new lives¡­on that day, my hatred of Derien ended.¡± She made an elegant gesture. ¡°I can¡¯t say if I will ever forgive him, but I do have the man I love, and the brothers I thought I had lost. The Kyn have given me the family I have always wanted. What I hope, what I dream, is that in my happiness, in the love and the life I share with Korvel, that someday I will forget him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That sounded right to Alys. ¡°Beau and I have always been alone. Now we have each other, and our friends, you and Chris.¡­It¡¯s everything I ever dreamed of. For that, I owe Derien a lot.¡± Chris came over and took her other hand. ¡°Well, my sisters, I happen to be petty and selfish, and I wasn¡¯t raised by nuns, and he drove my mother insane, so I¡¯m going to keep on hating our dad for a while. Just FYI.¡± The door to Alys¡¯s chamber opened, and Alexandra Keller looked in on them. ¡°We¡¯ve got a couple hundred vampires crammed in the chapel, a groom who is getting a bit fidgety, and a mortal organist who is becoming so zonked on Kyn pheromones that she¡¯s starting to take requests. You ready to clamp on the old ball and chain, Indiana?¡± ¡°Very much so.¡± Alys glanced at her companions. ¡°Before we go, I need to have a word with Dr. Keller in private. Would you mind?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Chris linked her arm through Simone¡¯s. ¡°Come on, Paris. Let¡¯s go find that champagne and think up a cool nickname for me.¡± ¡°Terrier,¡± Simone suggested. ¡°You are as vicious as one.¡± When her sisters had left them, Alys set aside the bouquet. ¡°Did Beaumaris tell you what happened to Cristophe?¡± ¡°He described how he shoved the emeralds into his dematerializing body, which evidently caused the green mini-mushroom cloud.¡± Alex came over and straightened the lace collar of her gown. ¡°Jayr¡¯s men have searched every inch of the springs, the mission, and the other encampments. They didn¡¯t recover any remains or traces of him, if that¡¯s your worry.¡± She searched Alys¡¯s face. ¡°And that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Just before I blacked out¡ªno, just before I died,¡± Alys corrected herself, ¡°Cristophe spoke to me. Up here.¡± She tapped the side of her head. ¡°It¡¯s funny. All this time I¡¯ve been thinking Beau was the one who saved me as a child.¡± She briefly described the horrific incident from her childhood, and added, ¡°Cristophe has the same voice as Beau. You can¡¯t tell them apart.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°Why was he bugging you this time?¡± ¡°He could see that I was dying, and I was the last mortal Derien, so perhaps he thought it would be safe to let me know,¡± Alys said. ¡°Make one last confession.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t told anyone yet?¡± When Alys shook her head, Alex grimaced. ¡°But you want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she admitted. ¡°Finding out that the guardian that I loved and mourned was still alive, and that he was the maniac who wanted to destroy the Kyn and rule the world¡­It was almost more than I could handle. And he killed my mother to get his hands on me. God. What do I with that?¡± ¡°You forget it, and him.¡± The doctor picked up her bouquet. ¡°As for this thing that Cristophe told you, maybe he knew you were going to survive, and trusted you to know what to do with it. Guarding the emeralds for as long as he did gave Cristophe abilities that we¡¯ll never understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the other thing.¡± Alys glanced at the door. ¡°I mentioned that I minored in geology. When I retrieved the gems from the spring, I got a good look at them, and they match the description of the crystals you found in my sisters¡¯ blood samples.¡± ¡°So they were changed by the emeralds.¡± Alys shook her head. ¡°Alexandra, they weren¡¯t emeralds. They were diamonds.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alex looked perplexed. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve never heard of green diamonds.¡± ¡°They turn that color only under certain conditions,¡± Alys said. ¡°Like when they¡¯ve been irradiated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting theory, but it wasn¡¯t as if you had time to take samples or run a proper spectral analysis.¡± She studied her fingernails. ¡°Since the jewels were destroyed, I guess we¡¯ll really never know.¡± ¡°We¡¯re scientists, Alexandra,¡± Alys reminded her. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have the gems, we can reverse engineer their effect by¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she made the final connection. ¡°You¡¯ve already done that.¡± ¡°My minor was in genetics, not geology.¡± Alex gave her a narrow look before she huffed out some air. ¡°It was so much easier, being the only scientist. No one knows, Indiana. Not even Michael.¡± ¡°You can trust me.¡± ¡°A couple of years ago I stumbled onto it.¡± Alex briefly explained how Robin of Locksley had sacrificed himself to protect the world. ¡°What Rob ingested turned out to be a form of the original Kyn-maker pathogen that had been exposed to radiation at some point¡ªback in the Dark Ages, no one knew about the dangers of uranium exposure¡ªand had mutated into a far more toxic, aggressive strain. The pathogen he already carried in his bloodstream attacked it, and basically they ate each other. He then reverted to a human state.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t you formulate a treatment from what you learned from Robin¡¯s case?¡± Alys asked. ¡°Even if I could collect another sample of the pathogen that turned him mortal, and use it to synthesize a vaccine to force another battle of the mutations, it would require genetic engineering on a scale far beyond anything I can do now,¡± Alex admitted. ¡°At best it would be like me using a sledgehammer to chop up a watermelon. I had to let it go.¡± ¡°Yet you¡¯re still collecting blood samples from the Kyn, and studying the pathogen.¡± Alys studied Alex¡¯s bland expression. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for the science to advance.¡± She lifted her shoulders. ¡°I figure in a hundred years we¡¯ll have the means to do it. Then it¡¯ll probably take me another century to talk the Darkyn into giving up eternal life. I can¡¯t force it on them, Alys. I want them to want it.¡± ¡°But you want to be human again, more than anything.¡± ¡°I want to be with the man I love just a little bit more,¡± Alex corrected. ¡°For him, I¡¯ll wait, but I¡¯m sure you get that.¡± She handed her the bouquet. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you hitched before someone gets bored and eats the preacher.¡± ¡°I do not recall flowers at weddings in our time,¡± Harlech said. ¡°Now, funerals were a different matter. They piled them everywhere; in the chapel, at the cemetery, on the body.¡­¡± ¡°That was to cover the smell of rotting flesh.¡± Beaumaris tried not to glance at the back of the chapel again. ¡°Why has she not come? Do you think she has changed her mind?¡± ¡°The lady took two bullets in the back for you, brother. She will not desert you now.¡± Harlech¡¯s mouth curved as the organist abruptly changed her tune. ¡°As you see.¡± All of the Kyn stood as Beau turned to see Alys come into the chapel on Byrne¡¯s arm. The Scotsman had dressed in his finest plaid and kilt, and wore on his brow the gleaming band of gold and red beryls that Robert the Brus had bestowed on him after their victory at Bannockburn. Alys wore a full, lavender-colored veil, but through the delicate lace Beau could see her lovely eyes shining. Her lips trembled into a smile as Byrne reached the altar, and offered her hand to Beau. ¡°Love her for the rest of your days, lad, and you¡¯ll be a lucky man,¡± the Scotsman said, and leaned forward to murmur the rest. ¡°Hurt her, and you¡¯ll be a dead one.¡± ¡°Aye, my lord.¡± Beau brought Alys¡¯s hand to his lips, and then folded her arm over his as they turned to face the priest. ¡°Wait.¡± Alys and Beau turned to see Farlae struggling to his feet. Although Rain tried to stop him, he came forward toward the altar, almost dragging the big man with him. ¡°Forgive the interruption, but there is something I must say.¡± As Beau nodded, he turned to address the rest of the Kyn. ¡°I have been in love with Rainer of Sherwood since the day we met. I purchased him, took him away, seduced him, and have since been his lover, these seven hundred years.¡± He scanned the faces staring at them. ¡°Some of you do not approve, I well know, but it is not your choice to make for us. And since it is also none of your bloody business, I beg you keep your narrow-minded opinions to yourselves.¡± Rain gaped at him. ¡°Farlae, what are you doing?¡± The wardrobe master reached into his pocket, and produced a large golden ring inlaid with multicolored stones and one huge sapphire. ¡°I am telling everyone that I love you, and I wish to marry you.¡± With great difficulty he went down on one knee. ¡°If you will have me.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I will.¡± Rain held out his left hand, and Farlae slid the ring on his finger. ¡°Will we have a wedding, too?¡± Farlae nodded. ¡°As soon as I¡¯ve recovered, lad.¡± Rain picked up Farlae, kissing him soundly and then setting him back on his feet before he grimaced at Beau. ¡°Sorry, Beaumaris. I had not thought to become engaged in the middle of your wedding. Do go on.¡± The ceremony was simple, and once they had made their vows to each other before God and all their kind, the priest pronounced them man and wife. Beau gently lifted the veil and smoothed it back from Alys¡¯s face before he smiled at her. ¡°Now you¡¯ll never be rid of me, love,¡± he said as he brushed his lips against hers. Alys pressed her hand to his cheek. ¡°Forever should just about be long enough.¡± The men of the garrison cheered as Beau lifted Alys off her feet and spun around with her. Page 47 From the chapel they went to the main hall, where the visiting Kyn lords and ladies offered formal congratulations to Beau, and Alys was embraced by her sisters and students. Before Alex herded the excited interns off to the banquet table set up for the mortal guests, she caught Alys¡¯s arm.Advertisement ¡°Korvel and Lucan are over in the gift room having a little chat.¡± She nodded in that direction. ¡°While you have the chance, you might want to take Beau in there and tell the three of them what Cristophe told you. I¡¯m guessing he let you know exactly who he was.¡± Alys almost choked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Genetics, not geology, remember?¡± Alex winked. Coaxing Beau away from the visiting Kyn didn¡¯t take much persuasion, although when he saw Korvel and Lucan standing together in the gift room, he gave her a puzzled look. ¡°I thought you wanted a private moment.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll have plenty of those when we get to Lord Jamys¡¯s honeymoon island.¡± Alys closed the door before she led him over to the other men. ¡°I wanted to thank you both for staying for the wedding. I know it was inconvenient, especially for you, Lord Alenfar.¡± ¡°Miss an opportunity to photograph Byrne in a skirt?¡± Lucan smiled lazily. ¡°I should never.¡± ¡°Simone and I never had proper families,¡± Korvel assured her. ¡°We are delighted to have you and Christian as our sisters, and hope you will someday come and visit us in France.¡± ¡°I would love that.¡± Alys¡¯s smile grew uneasy. ¡°And I hope you don¡¯t mind adding a few more members to the family. There is something that you don¡¯t know. Something Cristophe told me, just before he died.¡± Beau put an arm around her. ¡°I have admitted to everyone the truth about my mother, love. You needn¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know¡­I¡¯m not even sure how to say this. Cristophe was your father.¡± She nodded at the other men. ¡°He was also their father. The three of you are half brothers.¡± Korvel and Lucan said nothing, and Beau hardly knew what to think. ¡°You were shot just before Cristophe died, love,¡± he said as kindly as he could. ¡°Perhaps you simply imagined this.¡± ¡°I think not,¡± Lucan said. His brows arched. ¡°Unless you consider yourself too good to be my sibling?¡± ¡°No, my lord.¡± Beau eyed his gloves. ¡°But how could this be? I was born in Jerusalem. You and Lord Korvel are Englishmen.¡± ¡°I was actually conceived in a slave house in Norway,¡± Korvel said slowly. ¡°Cristophe gave me a vision of it. It seems he was enslaved with my mother, and they became lovers. When she was ransomed by her family, she returned home pregnant with me.¡± ¡°From what I was shown, he was also my mother¡¯s lover,¡± Lucan said. ¡°I was never claimed as son by any man.¡± He eyed Beau. ¡°When he was a Templar, Cristophe spent many years in the Holy Land on Crusade. He must have sired you then.¡± ¡°He wanted to tell you himself, to claim you as his sons,¡± Alys said sadly, ¡°but he thought you would be safer if he didn¡¯t. Especially Beau.¡± ¡°Richard,¡± Lucan said, and Korvel nodded. ¡°The smith is dead,¡± Beau said, ¡°and the gems destroyed. We are alive, and together with those we love.¡± He regarded Lucan and Korvel. ¡°What more can we ask?¡± Lucan smiled. ¡°Permit me to inform the high lord about the emeralds. Brother.¡± He bowed to Beau, and Alys, and headed back to the reception. ¡°I wished to make that call,¡± Korvel argued as he followed after the suzerain. ¡°You were merely his assassin. I was his second for seven hundred years.¡± Beau turned to Alys and took her hands in his. ¡°You have bestowed so much on me. Love, life, your hand in marriage, and now two brothers. What can I possibly give you in return?¡± ¡°Oh, I have some ideas.¡± She reached up and kissed him. ¡°Let¡¯s start with a dance.¡±