I knew he was right. Jason had treated me like a kid—a buddy—too many times and I had done my best to ignore it. But in the past couple days, since Eileen’s death, I had felt it more keenly. I was his friend—one of his best friends—and that’s what he needed from me.
“Do you see me as your equal? I have no clue of how old you are. Jason’s always reminding me of how much younger I am. And you…not only are you one of the Bonny Fae, but I find out you’re a prince, no less. What the hell are you doing at Dream Wardens, by the way? What’s up with that?” Before I realized it, I snorted and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
Tam laughed then and took my hands in his. “I like variety, and what better way to keep track of the human world than to become part of it? And computers and I…we get along.” He paused, then said, “To answer your other question: Fury, you’re a Theosian. How can I consider you an equal when you belong to the gods? My ancestors were divine…but you are divine. You belong to Hecate. I honor that and I honor who you are and what you do.”
I entwined my fingers around his. “Tell me something. Have you looked at me before? Like this? Before you gave me that healing kiss?”
He shrugged. “A few times, but I knew how you felt about Jason. And I knew that if something were to happen between us, it would have to happen in its own time.”
“One more question, before I can eat and sleep.” I looked up into his eyes. “Do you have a wife? A girlfriend? I don’t break up relationships.”
Tam leaned down, his lips hovering over mine. “There’s been no one for a long, long time.”
His lips met mine and I lost myself in his kiss, drifting into his embrace as he worked my lips with his, nipping them lightly, then sliding his tongue gently into my mouth. I let out a gentle moan, both tired and aroused, wanting him more than I had wanted anybody in a long time. Every fiber of my body screamed for him to touch me, to run his hands over my breasts, my legs, to kiss his way down my body and make me forget the dark night outside.
The room swirled and I broke away, gasping for breath.
Tam wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me to the bed. “Enough for tonight. I want to make love to you when we have both the time and energy to explore each other. I want you when you are refreshed and feeling strong. Tonight, let the kiss be enough.”
I nodded, not wanting to stop, but realizing he was right. I was too tired, and his energy was overwhelming at this moment. I caught my breath, held it a moment, and then slowly let it out.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. And I’m hungry and my hand hurts.” I smiled ruefully. “Who would have thought that we would end up here?”
Tam smiled then, held out his hand. “Let me see your wounds.” As he removed the bandage, he added, “I thought perhaps, one day, this might happen. I’m glad I kept hope. Now then, the wound looks clean but it’s still angry.”
At that moment, there was a faint rap on the door. Tam answered it, ushering in the serving girl who was carrying a tray with bread and cheese and sliced meats and fruit, and a mug of hot soup on it. She set it down on the nightstand.
“Fury needs her hand looked to. Summon a healer. And I should have him look at my own hand, as well.” He dismissed her and she ran off to fetch help. Tam sat beside me on the bed. “So, change into your bed gown and then eat while we wait. You can change behind the screen over there.” He pointed to a standing hand-carved screen in the corner.
I carried the dressing gown behind the screen, only to find a discreet bathroom there. I wasn’t sure how it worked, given UnderBarrow probably wasn’t hooked up to a sewer system, but I was grateful for it. I changed, then washed my hands and returned to the bed, to find he had pulled down the covers.
“Get in bed.”
I climbed under the sheets, propping myself up against the headboard.
Tam set the tray across my lap. “Eat now.”
As I began to eat, he told me what life was like in UnderBarrow until a healer came in. After attending to our wounds, the medic left, along with the serving girl who took my tray. Tam leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.
“Sleep now, Fury. Rest as long as you need. When we return to the outer world, it will still be nightfall and we’ll have lost only an hour.”
As he turned to go, I remembered something.
“You said in the long run there’s a cost for the time distortion?”
Without losing a beat, he answered. “The more time you spend here, the harder it will be for you to leave. Too many nights spent in UnderBarrow and you won’t ever want to leave. And now, love, good night.”
Before I could say a word, he shut the door, leaving me alone. The lights played against the walls, illuminating the dark with their sparkles. I slid down, resting my head against the pillows, wondering if I’d be able to sleep. But before I realized it, I found myself sliding into a deep slumber, with no dreams to disturb my sleep.
Chapter 21
I opened my eyes to see the same serving girl as the night before standing by the nightstand next to my bed. She was arranging breakfast on a tray, and as I sat up and stretched, I was suddenly aware of the sheerness of the gown, and the fact that I was displaying my breasts to her. But she merely smiled and curtseyed.
“Your breakfast, Your Grace.”
I stared at her. I had never in my life been called anything like that. “I’m Fury. What’s your name?”
“Breena, Your Grace.” She paused, then whispered, “Is it true? You’re one of the Theosians? A goddess?”
I blinked. Most people shied away from me when they found out what I was—either because of fear or envy. I wasn’t used to being admired. I pulled my covers up and accepted the breakfast tray, which held sweet rolls, hard-boiled eggs, a rasher of ham, fruit, and coffee.
“Yes, I am. I’m pledged to the goddess Hecate.” I took a long sip of the coffee and breathed a sigh of relief as the caffeine hit my tongue. I was about to ask Breena what she thought of Tam, but then stopped. That would put her in an uncomfortable position. Servants didn’t have the freedom to answer negatively about their masters—not without putting themselves in danger.
She brought me my clothes, all of the ones Hecate had retrieved for me. “Lord Tam said you might want to change.”
“Thank you. Lord Tam was right.”
As I ate, she laid out my clothing. Hecate had chosen three pair of shorts, a skirt, and several corsets. I tended to wear corsets to provide plenty of support for my breasts when I had to run. There were also two more pairs of boots and some underwear in the bag. Hecate had included gloves and my other jacket, as well.
After I finished eating, Breena took my tray, and I slid out from beneath the covers. She motioned to the standing screen. “I’ve drawn you a bath.”
Part of me was screaming we needed to be on our way, but I reminded myself that when we left, only an hour would have passed. I could afford the time for a bath.
I sank into the water and gratefully let the heat work on the knots in my muscles. Even though I had the luxury to soak, the knowledge of what Lyon was trying to do weighed heavily on me. Breena knelt beside the tub and gently scrubbed my back. It felt odd to have her there, but it was her job and I didn’t want to offend her by sending her away. As soon as I was clean and reasonably relaxed, I toweled off and let Breena help me dress. It felt odd having someone hold my clothes for me and help me adjust my corset but I also knew that was her job and she seemed to take pride in it.
When I was ready, I slapped on a little mascara, some lip gloss, and powder, then started to repack my other clothes, but Breena stopped me.
“Lord Tam said this is to be your room whenever you need it, and I will be your personal maid during your stay. You may leave your things here without worry. No one will touch them. I can have your outfit from yesterday cleaned, if you like.” She took the folded garments from me.
I froze. I had my own room and lady’s maid in Un
derBarrow? I wasn’t sure what to say, except to thank her. Very little could silence me, but I wasn’t sure what to make of all this.
“If you’ll let me see your injuries, I’ll check on your dressings.”
Again, I silently held out my hand. She removed the bandages. The wounds looked almost healed, with the holes healing over and the angry red marks gone. I tentatively made a fist, then tightened it. The pain was gone.
“Whatever your healer did, it worked. My hand feels almost back to normal.”
“You should wear the dressings one more day, but then I think you’ll be able to take them off. Let me redress your hand, if you please.”
She set to work bandaging up the wounds again. After she finished, I set to double-checking that I had everything I needed—my sword, dagger, the talisman that Hecate had given me—when a knock echoed on the chamber door. Breena answered.
“Lord Tam of UnderBarrow, milady.”
I blinked. I was “milady” now?
Tam swept in, dressed in all black. He was obviously dressed for our mission. In fact, I’d never quite seen him look so hot. He was wearing black leather pants, a black mesh shirt that I quickly realized was some sort of metal that had movement and flexibility, a leather jacket, and boots that made no sound as he walked. His hair had been pulled back in a braid, which made his features look even more angular.
I cleared my throat, moving toward him, wondering how I should act after last night. But he took the reins, reaching out to grasp my hand and pull me into an embrace. He placed a light kiss on my lips and whispered, “Good morning.”
I shivered at the sound of his voice. “Morning, you.”
“Did you sleep well?”
I nodded. “I feel so much more able to take on the Tunnels now. You’re sure we will only have lost an hour in the outer world?”
“I’m positive. Come. Jason’s waiting for us.” And with that, he led me out of the room and down the hallway to Jason’s door.
Once again, we stood on the edge of the crater, the World Tree behind us. As Tam had promised, we exited UnderBarrow into darkness, with the night still feeling as it had when we went in to rest. I pushed thoughts of the room and Tam’s kiss to the back of my mind as I focused on what we had to do. Jason had given me a questioning look when we stopped at his room, and I had given him a neutral smile. There was nothing to talk about—at least not now.
“Queet? Are you around?”
“Yes, Fury. I’m here.”
“Can you verify that only an hour has passed? Tam says so and it feels true, but…”
“But you need to know.”
“Right.”
“Tam speaks the truth,” Queet said using the faintest of whisper-speak. “You are less than an hour out from when you went to rest.”
Relieved, I turned to Tam. “I suppose we’re as ready as we will ever be. Lead on.”
“While we slept, I had my men do some reconnaissance. A ways from the entrance of the Tunnels lies a hidden entryway. It doesn’t seem to be watched very carefully, probably because very few people know of its existence. It’s a little trickier, but I think it’s our safest choice.”
“That sounds like a our best option. Is it still within the confines of the Sandspit?” Jason appeared to have acquired a couple weapons since we were in UnderBarrow. He was carrying a long dagger that I had never seen before, and another was sheathed on his belt.
“Not totally, although it edges into the Sandspit. It’s in the Bogs. The boundaries between the two are a little nebulous. The fence surrounding the Sandspit vanishes at that point, and no matter how much the city tried to repair that area, the fence kept disappearing. So they finally left it alone, as they did with the main gates into the Sandspit.” Tam adjusted the quiver draped over his back. He had a pistol-grip crossbow, a quiver full of bolts, and at his side, a narrow katana.
As we headed out to cross the rest of the Sandspit, a light drifting of flakes began to fall. At first I thought it might be ash from some fire, but when I held out my hand, the flakes melted and I realized it was snowing.
“Winter’s early this year.”
“It’s been coming earlier every year. Climatologists think Gaia is spiraling us into a mini ice age. We’re headed in the opposite direction of what was happening right before the Weather Wars,” Tam said. “Earlier and colder winters, summers that aren’t quite as hot. But unless she decides to speed it along, we won’t be seeing glaciers drift into the Pacific Sound anytime soon.”
The light dusting quickly became a flurry. I was grateful for my boots. I had bought them specifically because of the traction on the soles—they held firm while I was running and climbing over things. I was trying to avoid falling over a scattered pile of scrap metal, so busy watching my step, that I failed to see the swirl of sand and snow that rose up behind me.
“Fury, dive to the left. Get out of the way!” Queet swirled past, panicking.
I dove. Queet and I had worked together long enough that I didn’t question when he told me to move. When he said jump, I jumped. He might be whiny at times, but when we were out on a mission, he was focused and always on the lookout.
As I ducked and rolled, the edge of the mini-twister of sand, snow, and rogue magic swept over me. Thank gods the main funnel missed me, sweeping past, because even the edges of the sudden cloud stung with a fury. The rogue magic set off my inner Trace, bombarding me with a thousand sudden sparks that clouded my vision. I reeled, unable to come to my feet, as the shock wave rolled through my body.
Tam and Jason were immediately beside me, Tam on my left, Jason on my right. They helped me sit up as I struggled to gain control of the thrumming of magic that darted through my body like shards of glass ricocheting off every nerve. The pain was incredible and I could barely catch my breath. I felt Tam’s hands on my shoulders and I tried to stop him, not wanting him to put himself in danger, but Jason grabbed my wrists and held me firm so I couldn’t struggle away. As Tam steadily drained the rogue magic, I realized I could breathe again. And then, it drifted off, leaving me charred from the inside out.
“Fury, are you all right?” Queet was whisking around, his whisper-speak almost a shout.
“Hush! Don’t shout. My head feels like it just got shoved into a light socket.” I struggled to stand. Looking up at Tam, I asked, “How are you? I know that had to hurt because I know what it was like to go through it.”
He shrugged, looking pale but pulled together. “I’m all right. I don’t take on the full impact, so I can’t imagine how horrible that was.” He leaned forward, brushing my hair out of my eyes, his fingers stroking my face. He cupped my chin and gently touched my lips with one finger. “How are you? Really?”
I closed my eyes, swimming in the gentle waves of his energy. As I assessed my body part by part, I could feel the rogue magic slowly draining away. Every nerve jangled. I wasn’t hurting so much as…just jarred. And yet, there was something familiar about the feeling when I reached out to touch the energy. And then I knew. I was connected to the Sandspit in a way that I had never really thought about.
“My mother went through a full attack when she got caught in the rogue magic wave that generated the change in my DNA. I recognize the energy. I can feel it in the core of my being. It hurt, but it also resonated.” I exhaled and shook off the residual twinges. “This…is my birthplace, really, when I think about it.”
“She must have undergone a tremendous amount of pain as the magic seeped into her blood, and into yours.” Tam stood back, assessing me. “You think you’re ready to move on?”
“Let me make certain my Trace is working. And…” I had a sudden, irrational fear that my whip wouldn’t be there—that somehow the magic might have eaten it away. But as I slapped my right hand against my thigh, the weapon coiled into my hands. I turned to the side and gave a practice crack with it. Nothing seemed amiss. Then I brought up my Trace. There were no Aboms near, but the Trace seemed
on track and working.
“I’m ready.” Once again, I shook off the excess prickles running through my body. “Let’s get a move on. Queet, thank you for the warning. It would have been so much worse if you hadn’t managed to give me the heads-up.”
“I always keep watch for you, Fury. And I will continue to do so.” Queet misted into view behind Tam.
“We have to be cautious. It won’t be much longer before we’re out of the Sandspit, but the rogue magic can stir at any time and if it slams you full on, it can be deadly. People have been fried caught in its wake.” Jason ran his gaze over me. “You sure you’re ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s get a move on.” As we headed out again, this time we all kept watch. The flurry thickened into an actual snowstorm, but my adrenaline rush was so high from the rogue magic attack that I barely noticed the chill. I kept my Trace open as Tam led us through the Sandspit. At least if an Abom came in off the World Tree, I’d spot it before it spotted us.
We had navigated around one last heap of slag metal, now covered with a dusting of white, when Tam motioned ahead.
“There’s the edge of the Sandspit, where it meets the Bogs. To get to the Tunnels, we would normally take a right. There’s no path, but my men scouted the area while we rested and found the landmarks to look for. And before you ask, no one saw them. The Bonny Fae can move like shadows when we choose to. But the secret entrance is to the left a ways, well into the Bogs. Then we jog to the right. The entrance leads into what was an old sewer tunnel. From there, we crawl through a shaft where they broke through to the Tunnels.”
“Guards?”
“Only on the main entrance. I suppose they figure nobody in their right mind would venture out into the Bogs, considering they’re even more dangerous than the Sandspit, given the bog-creatures and the quicksand.”