“You’d have died long ago. Most likely at the hands of an angry mob.” Lock grinned and hugged his twin back.
For a moment Kat forgot her growing headache in the pleasure of their positive emotions for each other. The love that flowed between the brothers spilled through their three-way link and flowed over her skin like the warm glow of a fire on a chilly night. Wow, she found herself thinking. See, if they felt like this all the time, I wouldn’t mind sharing their emotions at all. It’s really kind of nice.
It was so nice, in fact, that she didn’t notice the large green bush with vivid pink flowers that was creeping up behind her. Nor did she see the hand holding a knife with a strange, clear blade until it was at her throat.
By the time she felt the sharp prick on the side of her neck, it was too late. “So still—not moving. A frightened creature ensnared. Lovely prisoner,” whispered a throaty voice in her ear.
“What?” Kat started to look around in panic but the sharp point dug deeper into her neck.
“Goddess of full curves. I do not wish to harm you. Be still in my arms,” the voice commanded as a hard arm encircled her waist.
“Deep?” she gasped, holding perfectly still. “Lock? Guys, I think we have company.”
The twins turned in unison and she saw their faces change from happiness to worry and rage. “You dare…” Deep took a step toward her and her unseen captor, his eyes turning red and his huge hands balled into fists. “You dare touch our female? Take your hands off her now or suffer the consequences!”
“Deep, no!” Lock put a restraining hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Going into rage won’t help.”
“It can’t hurt, either.” Deep took another step forward. He was looking over Kat’s shoulder, clearly addressing the male who was holding her captive. “Let her go now and I might let you live.”
“This elite beauty. Sunfire hair, throat so white. One wrong step kills her,” hissed Kat’s captor.
Despite her terror, Kat couldn’t help wondering about his speech. Is my convo-pillar acting up again or is this guy actually speaking in haikus? If she hadn’t been so afraid it would have been funny. Oh well, better haiku than iambic pentameter, she thought, feeling slightly hysterical. I always sucked at that whenever we did Shakespeare in class.
Deep advanced on her captor, a low growl rising in his throat.
“Deep, stop!” Lock sounded desperate now. “He has a crystal knife—they dip them in shagra venom. One scratch could be fatal to the lady Kat.”
Deep’s eyes narrowed and he took a step backward with obvious effort. “All right, fine.” His voice still sounded rough with barely suppressed fury. “Tell us what you want and then leave us alone.”
“This holy meadow. You trespass here un-asking. Death is your reward.” The knife at Kat’s throat poked a little harder but somehow it still didn’t break the skin. From the corner of her eye she could see a strange sight—the bushes they had seen in the small copse of trees where Deep had wanted to camp for the night were all moving toward them. As they came closer, people emerged from behind them—strange looking people with mottled pinkish skin and large, golden-pink eyes. Their hair was black with a purple tinge and they had thin lips and delicate, pointed ears that made her think of elves or fairies. They were all wearing leaf loincloths and every single one was short—none of them was even as tall as Kat’s own five foot six.
With their diminutive stature and strange, jewel-like eyes, Kat thought they looked an awful lot like Mother L’rin. And their leaf couture reminded her of the wise woman’s huge and silent attendant, Doby. But their appearance didn’t worry her nearly as much as the fact that there appeared to be about fifty of them and all of them were armed with long, clear knives.
Oh my God… She felt faint and queasy. Is this how it ends? Killed by angry alien natives who speak in haikus? I never should have left Earth…
But then Lock began speaking rapidly, saying something that her convo-pillar couldn’t even begin to translate. He gestured at Kat and then made a pleading motion with both hands, his palms outstretched. Kat didn’t know what he was saying but slowly, the male holding the knife at her throat relaxed and finally he withdrew the sharp point all together.
Kat nearly cried in relief but from the look on Lock’s face, they weren’t out of trouble yet. He was still talking for all he was worth, gesturing eloquently, as though trying to make a point. The male behind Kat, who was holding her arm, replied but she got the feeling that Lock wasn’t convincing him to let them go.
Her feeling proved to be justified when her captor came around in front of her and looped a thick strand of rough rope around her wrists.
“Lock,” she asked, careful to keep her voice low and nonthreatening. “What’s going on?”
“I’d like to know as well,” Deep growled. He was eyeing the short, stocky male who had captured Kat in a most unfriendly way and the pupils of his eyes were still more red than black.
“They’re taking us to meet their chief,” Lock said in a low voice. “Apparently we stumbled into their holy meadow and the usual penalty is death. But I told him the lady Kat was a lost sun goddess looking for Moons blossoms to cure her illness.”
“Very poetic of you, Brother,” Deep said, frowning. “But a sun goddess?”
“She has sunfire red hair and she’s an elite,” Lock shot back. “It was the best thing I could think of at the time.”
“So that’s it?” Kat asked as the natives bound both Lock and Deep’s wrists with the same rough, faded pink rope. “We’re just going to go with them?”
“I’m afraid we have little choice, my lady,” Lock said ruefully. “They all have poisoned knives. One scratch will introduce a neuro-toxin into our systems so deadly we would never get home alive.”
“All right.” She nodded and swallowed hard, trying not to think of how close the knife point had come to cutting into her throat. “But what will they do to us when we get to their chief?”
“I think I’ll be able to talk to their chief,” Lock said. “They seem impressed that I know the Elder Tongue. Hopefully I’ll be able to make some kind of bargain.”
“Hopefully,” Kat echoed faintly. When I get out of this, I’m going to have some story for Liv and Sophie.
She just hoped she lived to tell it.
Chapter Eighteen
They threw Kat into a cave. Not just any cave, either—a dark, dirty cave full of very sharp rocks. The only light was from some glowing blue fungus that grew on one wall. There was a large flat boulder not far from the luminescent wall and Kat dragged herself to it and collapsed on it.
Oh God, my head…my head. The pain was back, just as Mother L’rin had predicted and this time it felt even worse than Kat remembered. She wished now that she hadn’t been too proud to tell Lock and Deep what the wise woman had said and ask for help. Stupid…I’m so stupid. But it was too late to be sorry. The brothers had been taken somewhere else and she was on her own.
Kat tried to think about escape but really, where would she go? Even if she could bear to stand upright and try to sneak past the guards at the mouth of the cave, what then? Of course, a heroine in one of her favorite romance novels would have been feisty and smart enough to hatch a plot to save both of her guys and get them all away to safety. But I’m not smart, Kat thought with a groan. Or I would have told Deep and Lock what was going on to begin with. And I’m pretty much the exact opposite of feisty right now. I’m miserable and weak and drained.
She didn’t know how long she lay on the cold, flat boulder. The pain in her head and the weakness that had come over her were so debilitating she could barely move. Her consciousness seemed to come and go in waves and the glowing blue wall at her side flickered in and out like a bizarre kind of neon sign.
“Kat?” The deep voice echoed in the darkness some unknowable length of time later. “Kat? I know you’re in here—I can feel how upset you are.”
“Here,” she managed to whisper feebly. “W
ho…?”
“It’s me.” Deep came suddenly into view, picking his way toward her over the fallen rocks. “Lock and I felt your distress and he managed to convince the natives that one of us had to be in here with you at all times. Sorry it turned out to be me, but he has to keep talking to their chief so I’m afraid you’re stuck with—” He broke off abruptly, obviously getting a good look at her for the first time. “Gods, Kat! Are you all right?”
“Just peachy.” Kat managed a weak smirk. Despite her pain she was still reluctant to admit the extent of her disability to Deep.
“Why are you lying there like that? What’s wrong?” he demanded, crouching beside her.
“Just getting a little rest.” This is stupid—just tell him! But somehow she couldn’t. “Being kidnapped at knifepoint by aliens who speak in obscure forms of poetry always tires me out.” She tried to smile but it was apparent Deep wasn’t fooled.
“Stop being so goddess damned brave and tell me what’s wrong.” Tilting his head to one side to look into her eyes, he cupped her cheek gently. “Please, Kat. Tell me.”
Even that one simple skin-to-skin touch made things a little better—drove the pain behind her eyes back a bit. Kat couldn’t help herself, she moaned softly in relief.
“I’m sorry!” Deep pulled his hand away as though he’d been stung. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t.” When his hand left her skin, the pain returned. This time it felt like someone was driving a rusty iron spike into her brain. Kat squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear slipping down her cheek though she tried to hold it back.
“Kat?” He sounded genuinely distressed. His hand hovered over her cheek again but didn’t quite connect—as though he was afraid by touching her he would make her worse.
“You didn’t hurt me,” she forced herself to say again. “This…the pain is back, that’s all.”
“How? How could it come back?” Deep demanded.
“Doesn’t matter.” Kat tried to shake her head and groaned. “Knew…knew it would come back. Mother L’rin…warned me.”
Deep scowled. “I knew she’d told you more than you were letting us know. Tell me now, Kat—what did she say?”
Kat was still reluctant to talk but it seemed she couldn’t avoid it any more. “She said…she told me that I still needed…needed to touch you and….Lock.” The rusty iron spike was digging into the tender flesh behind her eyes now, making it hard to think. “Incomplete bond means…pain…weakness….”
Deep ran a hand through his hair distractedly. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Despite her pain, Kat lifted her chin defiantly. “Didn’t want…your pity. And after the fight we had I didn’t…didn’t think you two would want to touch me anyway.”
“You mean you didn’t think I would want to.” Deep shook his head. “Goddess damn you, Kat, for your stupid, stubborn pride. Don’t you know I’d do anything to keep you from pain?” Standing, he began stripping off his shirt.
But when he reached for her, Kat had a sudden thought. “Wait,” she protested as he bent toward her. “Lock said…said it hurts you to touch too much if…if the other one isn’t there.” She gestured weakly at his bare chest. “Too much skin-to-skin contact…without Lock…will hurt you.”
“You think I give a damn about that?” Deep’s voice was an angry growl but he gathered her into his arms with surprising gentleness. “Come here, damn you. Let me hold you,” he murmured, settling himself on the flat boulder with her in his lap.
Kat couldn’t help it—she didn’t want to give him pain, but the immediate relief she felt when his broad, warm chest came in contact with her cheek was too wonderful to deny. His arms around her were so comforting and strong and the scent of his skin made her feel safe—protected. Suddenly, though she didn’t know why, she was crying.
Stop crying, stupid! It’s bad enough that holding you hurts him, he doesn’t want you crying all over him too! But she couldn’t stop. And to her surprise, Deep didn’t say a thing. No sarcastic remarks or biting observations—he just held her closer and stroked her hair in a gentle rhythm that somehow calmed her down.
“I’m sorry,” she said at last, when her tears slowed. “I didn’t mean to cry like that.”
“Were you crying because it still hurts?” Pressed against him as she was, his voice rumbled through her in a way that was oddly comforting.
“No,” Kat said honestly. “I think…I think I was crying because it finally stopped hurting. I know that doesn’t make any sense…”
“It doesn’t have to.” Deep stroked her hair. “There’s no rhyme or reason to pain—it just is.”
“I’m feeling better now,” she said cautiously, raising her head to look at him. In the dim otherworldly glow from the luminescent moss he looked like a dark angel. “I…I should probably be all right for a little while now.”
He shook his head. “Can’t wait to get away from me, can you?”
“It’s not that,” Kat protested. “But I know this is hurting you. Every minute you touch me without Lock touching me too—he told me it was like an electrical shock running through you. That can’t be comfortable.”
“It’s not,” he said shortly. “And yet, I would hold you a little while longer, if you’ll permit it.”
“Oh, uh…okay.” Kat tried not to let the surprise show on her face but clearly he could feel it through their link.
“It surprises you?” Deep asked, settling her more firmly against him. “That I would want to touch you—to be near you—for any kind of nonsexual reason?”
“It’s not sexual?” she blurted. “I mean, you do have your shirt off and I’m wearing a really thin dress with no bra—”
“Does this feel sexual to you?” He shifted his hips, pressing up against her. The intimate contact made it obvious that he wasn’t hard.
“Uh no,” Kat admitted. “No, I guess not.”
“It can’t be sexual—not without Lock. And I don’t want it to be,” Deep said softly. “Don’t want you to think that’s all there is—to think that’s all I want from you.”
“What do you want?” Kat looked up at him, honestly confused.
“Right now? Just to hold you.” He kissed her gently on the forehead.
“But the pain—”
“Believe me, little Kat, the pain of not holding you is much worse than any discomfort I get from a little skin-to-skin contact.” Deep stroked her back. “Do you believe me?”
“Yes.” She nodded slowly. “I don’t understand but…I do believe you.”
“Thank you. Now relax and be still.”
They sat in silence for a long while—how long, Kat didn’t know. There seemed to be no time in the dark, cool cave. Just the sound of their breathing and the faint thunder of Deep’s heart in her ear. She could smell his mating scent—the warm, dark chocolate sex smell which had made her feel so threatened before. But it didn’t scare her now. She breathed it in gratefully, glad for its soothing effect on her nerves. Safe, it seemed to whisper deep in the primitive part of her brain. As long as you’re in his arms you’re safe. This male will kill or die to protect you. Safe.
Kat relaxed and though she never would have believed it possible, she felt strangely content. She didn’t feel anger or hurt or irritation coming from Deep, either. He seemed to somehow be perfectly at peace—as though something had calmed the roiling storm of negative emotions that seemed to constantly fill him. Something or someone. Could it be her? Was she the reason he was calmer now, at peace? But how could that be right? Could it be that Deep cared for her…even loved her the way she knew Lock did?
The thought was so wholly foreign that Kat pushed it away at first. Why would he feel that way about me? He can’t stand me—we get on each other’s nerves. But then why had he taken her pain? Why was he, even now, allowing himself to be hurt for her sake? Could it be more than his Kindred sense of duty toward a female he had sworn to protect?
Experimentally, Ka
t shifted in his arms. Leaning even closer, she put her right arm around his waist and rested it lightly on his broad back. Deep stiffened at first but he didn’t tell her to stop, even when she traced one of the raised, ridged scars with a careful finger.
“Tell me about these,” she said softly, looking up at him. “Please?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “What do you want to know?”
“How you got them. Why you got them.”
“I told you—”
“And tell me the truth,” she said, before he could finish the lie. “I already know it—I just want to hear it from you.”
“If you already know, why do you want me to say it?” he demanded. “How did you find out, anyway? Did Mother L’rin tell you?”
“More like she reminded me of it. I…I saw it in a dream,” Kat confessed, not sure how he would take it. “I think it was while I was unconscious—when you two first brought me to the Healing Gardens.”
“So…you were dream sharing with us? With me?” Deep sounded shocked.
“I guess so.” Kat looked up at him. “Does that upset you?”
“It surprises me.” He peered down at her. “I guess I thought there could never be that kind of connection between us.”
“Why?” asked Kat, honestly curious. “I mean, why not? After the connection we shared during the joinings we did, it doesn’t seem so strange.”
“One doesn’t necessarily equate with the other. Just because we—”
“Deep,” she interrupted softly. “We’re getting off the subject. Why did you take my pain?”
“Someone had to.” His voice was rough and low and he wouldn’t look at her. “Mother L’rin said you’d die otherwise. I…couldn’t let that happen.”
“Why not? Because you and Lock had been charged with my safety?”
“If you like. It’s as good a reason as any other.”
“No, it’s not.” Kat sat up in his lap and frowned at him. “I need to know the real reason.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why? Why do you care?”