This Fierce Splendor: A Loveswept Classic Romance

by Iris Johansen

Dominic turned to see Azuquita leap off his haunches, his long ears laid flat against his head. The mule lunged forward, tearing the lead rope from Patrick’s hands. He shouldered Patrick’s horse aside and passed Rising Star at a gallop.

  “Damn, I’ve never seen him move that fast,” Dominic said with a grin. “I wonder what’s gotten into him? I bet Patrick—”

  The stone steps suddenly jerked beneath Dominic’s boots, throwing him to his knees! “What in—”

  The steps were splitting, great jagged cracks gaping like hungry mouths in the stone.

  “Dominic!” Elspeth screamed. “What’s happening?”

  Dominic’s gaze flew to the Sun Child. A thin wisp of black smoke belched into the air. Poisonous smoke?

  “Oh, my God!” He leapt to his feet and caught Elspeth’s hand. “Come on.” He pulled her down the steps, tossed her on Nina’s back, and slapped the mares rump. “Get going! Follow Rising Star and Patrick. Don’t wait for me.” He jumped on Blanco and turned the stallion to follow Elspeth.

  “Of course I’m going to wait for you.” Elspeth had reined in Nina a few yards away. The streets were shivering, undulating as if they were alive. It was like riding on the back of a giant serpent flexing in the sun. “It’s the Sun Child, isn’t it? Do we have time to get out of the city?”

  “How do I know?” Dominic yelled as he grabbed Nina’s reins and put both horses to a run. The balcony of the house they were passing suddenly shattered and fell to the street. Blanco reared, pawing the air. “Lord save me from an obstinate woman. Do you want to get yourself killed? My saddlebags are heavily loaded and Blanco may not be able to move as fast as your horse. Get going, dammit.”

  “I’ll wait for you.” Elspeth was pale, but her lips were firmly set. “But I think we’d best hurry.”

  Dominic cast her a glance that was a mixture of desperation and exasperation. “If we get out of this alive, remind me to tell you about the virtues of wifely obedience.” He turned down the street leading to the trail to the pass.

  They had to stop twice to avoid falling columns, but they were finally climbing, leaving the city behind.

  The billows of smoke had increased but there was still no sound except the shattering cacophony that came from Kantalan itself as the earth quaked and shivered, bringing houses, palace, and temple alike crashing. The trail was also shaking, and Dominic could feel Blanco trembling with fear.

  “Patrick and Rising Star have reached the pass,” Elspeth called back to him. “Does that mean they’re safe?”

  Dominic shook his head. “With the mountain shaking like this, there are bound to be landslides. We just have to hope there’s not too much loose rock. There’s a chance the—”

  The world exploded.

  Elspeth’s mare fell to her knees and Dominic had to jerk Blanco aside to keep him from stumbling over the fallen horse. Then Nina struggled to her feet and Elspeth had time to glance at the Sun Child.

  “Merciful God,” she whispered.

  A third of the top of the mountain had blown away in the explosion and a thick stream of orange-red lava—like an obscene tongue of fire—poured down the mountain toward Kantalan.

  “Not very merciful at the moment,” Dominic muttered. “Lets hope for more leniency in the next ten minutes or so.”

  The sky was raining fireballs of lava, some as large as a mans torso. It was no longer early afternoon but night, the entire valley shrouded by black smoke. The only illumination was the fireballs being hurled into the air and the stream of lava rushing toward the city in an invincible tide of destruction.

  “Cover your nose and mouth,” he shouted, tying his bandanna over his lower face. “Even if the fumes aren’t poisonous the smoke could still—” He broke off as a small fireball hit Blanco’s left flank. The horse gave a shrill neigh of terror and then bolted. Elspeth’s mare followed in a flight of panic, straight up the trail, ignoring the trembling earth and tumbling rocks, desperately fleeing from the fire falling from the sky.

  Dominic managed to rein Blanco in as they reached the pass. The trail was straight down, and a misstep could cause the fragile bones of the horse’s legs to snap. He cast a hasty glance down the trail as he waited for Elspeth to reach him. There had been no slide yet as far as he could see, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a blockage farther on.

  Elspeth was now beside him, her eyes streaming above the handkerchief tied over her nose and mouth. “Patrick and Rising Star—”

  “They should be almost down to the waterfall by now if they …” He didn’t complete the sentence, there was no use stating the obvious when Elspeth was frightened enough as it was. “Let me go first and keep a tight rein.”

  “Oh, Dominic.” Elspeth was looking back at the city with shocked sorrow. “Kantalan.”

  Dominic’s gaze followed hers. The lava that had entered the canal at the foot of the Sun Child had flowed into the other canals and there was now a flaming cross intersecting the smoke-shrouded darkness of the city. Elspeth and Dominic were breathless with wonder at the sight. Slowly the canals began to overflow and the lava spilled out to begin to cover the city.

  “We have to go,” Dominic said gently. “Now, Elspeth.”

  “I know.” She closed her eyes. Good-bye Kantalan. Her eyes flicked open and she turned to face the trail leading through the pass. “I’m ready to follow you.”

  He nodded and began the downhill trek.

  The way was clear for the first few hundred yards, then they ran into a minor landslide but nothing the horses couldn’t pick their way around. Three quarters of the way down there was a more serious blockage, and they were forced to get off the horses and climb over the four-foot-high pile of rubble, tugging the leads of the horses until they managed to clamber over the obstruction.

  The ground was still shaking, but Dominic was allowing himself to be more hopeful. He caught sight of the lake a few hundred feet ahead of them and turned his head to call back to Elspeth. “Just a few minutes more.”

  She nodded silently.

  He turned back to the trail.

  Another explosion rocked the mountain.

  “No!” Dammit, not when they were so close.

  “The Sun Child.” Elspeth’s gasp behind him. “Another eruption.”

  Huge jagged cracks were appearing in the stone on either side of them. A cool rush of air, pocketed for perhaps a million years within the bowels of the mountain, touched their faces. “Run for it!”

  Huge chunks of rocks dislodged from the cliffs, hurtling down behind them, in front of them, all around them. They plunged into the cold water of the lake at the same time. The horses swam frantically. A boulder the size of a tree plunged into the lake behind them. Crashing, roaring noises assaulted their ears; shards of smaller stones were flying through the air.

  Then they were climbing onto the rock-strewn bank behind the waterfall, the mist bathing them in a soothing balm. In another moment they had made their way under the waterfall and around the rocky ledge to the grassy bank.

  Elspeth’s breath was coming in little gasps, her chest hurting, her eyes burning. “Are we safe?”

  “I think so.” Dominic was in little better condition than Elspeth. He pulled the bandanna from his face. “I don’t know.” He slipped out of the saddle, crossed the short distance separating them, helped her off the mare, and swiftly untied the handkerchief from her face. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, her gaze returning to the waterfall. “Kantalan’s gone, but we saw it,” she said softly. “And it was as beautiful as I knew it would be. We were there, Dominic. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”

  “Then maybe Kantalan won’t be gone after all. Not as long as it exists here.” Dominic touched the center of her forehead with a gentle fingertip. “And here.” His hand brushed her left breast lightly.

  “Perhaps.” Her lips were tremulous as she smiled at him.

  “I think we’d better find Patrick and Rising Star and make camp. We need to
build a fire and dry out.” He continued in a deliberate, matter-of-fact tone. “It may turn cool when the sun goes down.”

  It didn’t feel cool now, she thought. A suffocating heat pervaded the air and there was a haze of smoke even here on the other side of the mountain. Still, it was important that they locate Patrick and Rising Star. Her boots were squishing uncomfortably as she shifted from foot to foot. “I’d imagine they would stay near until they knew we were safe. Shall we—”

  Patrick burst through the underbrush at the side of the bank. “Come quick.” His hair was water darkened to deep brown and formed a spiky helmet around his pale face. “Rising Star’s horse fell in the pass. I think she’s going to have the child right away.”

  Rising Star did not have the child right away.

  She underwent nearly eighteen hours of agonizing labor before her son struggled from her tortured body. He was immediately followed by a tiny girl child.

  “Twins.” Rising Star laughed huskily as Elspeth put the second tiny blanket-swathed baby in the curve of her arm. “The Delaneys wouldn’t do things in the ordinary way, of course.” She looked at Patrick over Elspeth’s shoulder. “I suppose I should have expected it. Twins run in the Delaney family. You and Brianne …” She trailed off, her eyes closing. “I did not do this well. Indian women are supposed to be much better at having babies. I may have become too much of a white woman.”

  “You’ve done splendidly.” Elspeth brushed the sweat-dampened hair from Rising Star’s forehead with a cool cloth. “You have a fine strong son and a beautiful little girl.”

  A faint smile touched Rising Star’s lips. “I shall call the boy Kevin, a white man’s name, but the girl I will keep for myself. I will call her Ko-Do, the firefly.”

  “They’re both fine names,” Dominic said gently.

  “Yes.” Rising Star was almost asleep. “Fine names …”

  Dominic’s hand clasped Elspeth’s shoulder. “You need to rest too. Patrick and I will watch over her.”

  Elspeth shook her head. “You haven’t had any sleep either. I’ll go change my clothes and wash up. Perhaps she’ll wake again and can take a little nourishment. She seems very weak.”

  Patrick was staring down at Rising Star, his features drawn with fear. “She’s going to be fine now.”

  Elspeth stood up and turned to walk away.

  “She’s going to be fine,” Patrick repeated sharply. “It wouldn’t make any sense for her to suffer like this and not get well. No woman should have to go through what she has.”

  “None of us is a doctor,” Dominic said wearily as he rubbed his stubbled cheek. “We can only do our best, then pray. She seems to be sleeping well now. After what she’s gone through it’s probably the best medicine for her. Why don’t you make some coffee? We need it.”

  “You make it,” Patrick said jerkily, falling to his knees beside Rising Star. “I’m staying here.”

  Dominic hesitated, his gaze on the boy’s tense face. Then he nodded and turned away. “I’ll make the coffee.”

  Two hours later the tiny girl child, Ko-Do, died peacefully in her sleep. First she was there, life burning brightly, then she was gone like the firefly after which she was named.

  “What the hell are we going to do?” Patrick asked, looking down at the child. “We can’t tell Rising Star it’s all been for nothing. What if the boy dies too?” His hand clenched into a fist of impotent rage. “What can we tell her?”

  “Nothing.” Dominic took the baby girl gently away from Rising Star. “For now. If we have to lie to her, we will. The boy seems healthy enough.”

  “Seems,” Patrick echoed. “He’s got to be all right.”

  Rising Star began to hemorrhage an hour later. They all worked frantically to staunch the flow, but the bleeding would not stop. By nightfall even Patrick realized they couldn’t save her. All he could do was hold her hand and stare desperately at her still face.

  She woke only once. Her lids opened heavily and her great dark eyes searched Patrick’s face above her. “So White Buffalo was right.” Her voice was a mere breath of sound. “There is no choice.” Her gaze wandered down to where the baby girl had slept within the curve of her arm. “Ko-Do?”

  Patrick opened his lips to speak but couldn’t force the words through the tightness of his throat.

  He didn’t have to speak. He could see by her expression that she knew. “Poor little Firefly.” She shook her head. “And poor Patrick.” Her lids shut again. “Don’t be sad. Maybe I’ll be able to find my shadow … and Ko-Do. It won’t be so lonely with Ko-Do there.” She was silent and at first he thought she was unconscious. “Silver … help her, Patrick.”

  “I will. I promise you.”

  “And my son. Don’t let them steal his shadow.… Don’t let them.…”

  The words drifted away, and a few minutes later Patrick knew that Rising Star was no longer with them.

  Dominic and Patrick built a coffin large enough to accommodate both Rising Star and Ko-Do. The two were wrapped securely in Elspeth’s plaid and buried that night in a grassy glade several yards from the lake. There were no words spoken over the grave. None were needed. Their silence as they stood there was eloquent with sorrow.

  Patrick turned away and stalked back to the camp-fire. Dominic and Elspeth followed more slowly.

  Patrick was already saddling his horse when they came into the circle of the campfire. “The baby has to be fed,” he said jerkily. “He’ll die if he doesn’t get milk. He’s not going to die. Where’s the nearest village?”

  “No village. Probably Indino’s camp is the closest thing to it. It’s about a day’s hard ride into the hills.” Dominic knelt and drew a rough map in the dirt with a stick. “Tell him I sent you.”

  “I’ll fill a canteen with broth.” Elspeth ran her fingers wearily through her hair as she turned away. “I hope it won’t make him sick. It’s the only thing I can think to do. I only wish I knew more about babies.”

  Ten minutes later Patrick swung up into the saddle and Elspeth handed him the canteen and the small bundle containing Rising Star’s son. Patrick scarcely looked at Elspeth and Dominic as he wheeled and rode out.

  Elspeth shivered and drew a step nearer to Dominic, her gaze following Patrick’s rapidly moving figure. “He looks ten years older.”

  “And probably feels over a hundred.”

  “What do we do now?” Elspeth felt empty.

  “We try to sleep for a few hours and then we break camp and start for Killara.” He rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tension knotting it.

  “Rising Star …” She could feel the tears rise to her eyes. “Patrick is right. Its not fair.”

  “No.” His arms went around her and he held her tight, pressing her cheek to his chest. “No, it’s not fair.”

  “She was so beautiful and gentle.” The tears were running down her cheeks, dampening his shirt. “She was—”

  “Shh, I know.” His voice was husky, and Elspeth suddenly felt a warm dampness on her temple. He stood there rocking her, sharing her pain and his own, until the fire burned low and the darkness began to be lightened by the first streaks of dawn.

  25

  After several hours’ sleep, Dominic and Elspeth started their journey back to Killara. The pace was slower due to the heavily burdened pack animals, and the mood was subdued and dispirited. Dominic deliberately kept them on the trail until well after dark to make sure they would both be too weary to think of anything but sleep.

  But sleep didn’t come to either of them. They lay together watching the fire, wide awake, thinking.

  “Do you suppose it was my fault?” Elspeth asked. “If I hadn’t insisted on going to Kantalan, none of this would have happened. Rising Star wouldn’t have died.”

  “How can you ask that? She could have taken a fall anywhere and she might have gone to Kantalan regardless. Patrick said she wanted the treasure for the child.” Dominic’s lips brushed her temple. “Rising Star blamed no one.”


  “Oh, I know.” Elspeth was silent a long time, gazing into the fire. “Do you suppose she’s happy now? Everyone is supposed to be happy in heaven, aren’t they?”

  “So the priests say. I guess I’ve never thought much about it.”

  “Neither have I.” She was silent again. “I think Sayan and Dalkar must be happy, but they’re together. Rising Star was so alone.”

  “Perhaps that was why she was given Ko-Do.”

  “Yes.”

  Elspeth was quiet so long that Dominic thought she had fallen asleep. “We’re so lucky to be alive, Dominic. I don’t want to be in heaven with you yet. There’s so much I want to do on earth. I want to see you build your kingdom of Killara. I want to have your children and watch them grow up.” Her cheek nestled in the hollow of his shoulder. “I won’t let you die, Dominic. I couldn’t bear it.”

  “I’d have a little trouble adjusting to it myself.” For the first time since they had left Kantalan there was a note of dry humor in his voice. “Particularly since I’m not sure I’ll qualify for pearly gates and streets of gold. Well, with the Kantalan treasure maybe we can pave our own streets with gold.”

  “I guess I haven’t thought much about the treasure. I was so concerned with proving my theory about Atlantis and then when Rising Star died …”

  Elspeth’s voice was becoming husky and Dominic quickly sought a subject to distract her. “We could form an expedition and go back to Kantalan.”

  She shook her head. “It would take years to excavate the ruins.”

  “We could still try to do it.” He paused. “If that’s what you want. I’ve got what I came to Kantalan for. I’d like you to find your treasure too.”

  “I have found it,” she said softly. “I saw it. I know it exists. I’d rather remember Kantalan as I first caught sight of it than as it is now.”

  “Then what about those mounds in, Wisconsin or Illinois you told me about?” Dominic asked. “Maybe the mound where they found the statue of the elephant. We could go there and see if it has any link with Atlantis.” He frowned thoughtfully. “We could drop off some of the treasure at the Wells Fargo office in Tucson and let Da take care of the rest. He could pay off the mortgage and start expanding our holdings.”