The Shimmering

by Susan Kearney

  At the sound of breaking glass, her fingers clenched tight. Her chest heaved, exposing one creamy curve, and even with the distraction of tempting flesh, he sensed she was trying to restrain her temper, not hold back fear.

  When he didn’t answer, Lira asked more questions. “Why have you come into my home? You owe me that much of an explanation.”

  The maid scuttled back, her eyes bulging in an ashen face. Daveck flicked his thumb toward the door. “Leave us.” He expected Lira to protest being left alone with his anger. She didn’t.

  Once the servant departed, he turned to face his enemy’s daughter, eager to gauge her reaction to his next words. “My men are looking for the Zorash your father stole over twenty-nine years ago.”

  “Zorash?” She looked puzzled for a moment, as if she’d never heard the word, then recalled it with a light of comprehension. “But isn’t the idol just a legend?”

  “The Zorash is real enough and so is her control of the weather.”

  Thunder boomed and echoed across the village. Hail knocked against the glass. The lady facing him cocked her head to one side as if considering her next question with care. “So why isn’t the Zorash doing her job?”

  “Do not mock the goddess. She’s been taken from her rightful place and is without her normal powers.”

  “Is that so?”

  Her intelligent and questioning gaze sought his, but he wouldn’t be fooled so easily into thinking she knew nothing about the stolen totem. As leader of the Sanroyai warriors sworn to protect the Zorash, Daveck had access to the facts—facts that pointed directly to her father, Maglek’s, guilt. But how much did she know? His spies had determined that she still sent messages to Maglek but had been unable to intercept any of the missives.

  Daveck decided to test her. “Maglek was almost a Sanroyai. We trusted him, and he betrayed us. After he stole the Zorash from her rightful place at the base of the megalith and hid her from the world, the idol lost the power to maintain Farii’s weather.”

  “You’re talking about the three hurricanes coming in off the water?”

  He raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Three hurricanes? How do you know about them?”

  Sandra ignored his question. “If the idol is powerless unless she’s at the base of the megalith, why would anyone steal her?”

  Her logic was flawless for someone who knew nothing about the past. But how could she have lived here all her life and not have heard the legends about the Zorash? Even tiny children learned about the idol’s powers from their mother’s lullabies. He recalled Lira’s mother had died in childbirth—so it might somehow be possible she wasn’t lying—but he doubted it.

  He explained anyway. “It’s true the Zorash cannot tap her full powers since she has been weakened, but even separated from the source of her strength, she has limited abilities. Your father has been using the idol to create wealth and power.”

  She folded her arms under her chest. “How?”

  “When the idol takes her place at the base of the megalith, she controls Farii’s weather worldwide. When she’s not in her proper place, she can only regulate local climate. Maglek has used her to give good weather to townships on the borders, allowing their crops to prosper while there are droughts or floods everywhere else. Prices go up, profits are huge, and he rakes in a huge cut off the top.”

  Puzzlement furrowed her brow. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I need your help.” He carefully measured his words. “Since the megalith of the Zorash is a holy site where only full-blooded Sanroyai warriors have access, the civilian masses have no knowledge that our most valuable treasure’s been stolen, but I cannot keep the secret much longer. Even a blind beggar knows the storms grow worse.”

  “I have no idea where the Zorash is, but if I did, I would give it to you.”

  She oozed sincerity, but her attitude must be a ruse to be rid of him. He couldn’t imagine any daughter of Maglek handing over the idol without a fight.

  He hardened his tone. “Where is Maglek?”

  He expected her to flinch and drop her gaze. Instead, her spine stiffened and she raised her chin. “I don’t know.”

  “Liar.” Not many men would dare to defy him so boldly and for a woman to do so was inexplicable. But he should have known Maglek’s daughter would be extraordinarily cunning.

  “Some things are not what they seem.”

  Although she’d spoken calmly, she sounded disappointed that he’d accused her of lying. He’d expected her to rage, cry, and deny his every accusation, and that she could hold her emotions in check, showing unexpected maturity, irritated and angered him. But habit forced him to subdue his temper before she bolted—just like every other woman who’d fled his temper since that nightmarish day that he’d killed Ciel. Of course, Lira’s fleeing wasn’t one of her options—but she didn’t seem to realize that yet.

  So for now, he made his tone reasonable. “While I’ve done my best to conceal your family’s dishonor, time is running out.”

  “What are you saying?”

  He saw no harm in revealing part of the truth. “Unless the Zorash is found and returned to her place at the base of the megalith, Farii’s weather will deteriorate until life on this world ceases to exist.”

  A loud crash from the hallway jerked her to her feet. She tossed one loop of hair over her squared shoulders, straightened her spine, and assumed an air of innocence. “I have nothing else to say.”

  She wasn’t going to cooperate. He’d have to force her to tell him what he needed to know. She locked gazes with him, as if daring him to call her bluff, more formidable than any woman he’d ever known. To say he hadn’t expected such behavior would be a vast understatement. Not even Sanroyai princes spoke to him like this.

  Odd though, that now he’d glimpsed her inner fire, he looked forward to her yielding to him as she had in his dream. He’d been too long without a woman. It was just his bad luck that the first female he’d found attractive in years was going to bring out his worst side.

  From down the hall, shrieks mingled with the crash of drawers overturning and the tinkle of glass shattering. Although he thought it unlikely that the destruction of her property would convince the woman to cooperate, he’d had to try. Besides, there was always the chance his men would find a clue to the Zorash’s location.

  Daveck stepped close enough that Sandra was forced to tilt her head back to look at him. He held absolutely still. He didn’t utter one word, and yet she trembled as if sensing the palpable heat of his interest.

  She leaned back as if to retreat a step. Before she could move, he reached up, clenched her loops of hair and dragged her head back. His breath caught as he saw a spark in her eyes that matched his. Perhaps if she had a taste of what was to come, she’d consider telling him the truth. Lira had denied any knowledge of the crime committed before her birth, but her father must have spoken of the source of his wealth. “In your twenty-five years, you must have heard a whisper, a rumor about the Zorash.”

  “I haven’t.”

  “Your defiance may result in the death of all people on Farii. And still you seek to protect Maglek?”

  “Why would I defy you?” She rolled her eyes at the ceiling, and spoke in a sultry voice that mocked him, even as it shot ripples of interest down his spine.

  He tugged her closer, until her chest pressed against his. “You could make this easy on yourself. Give me what I want—”

  “You can take anything I have.” Again she mocked him. The little she-feline had claws.

  “—or I’ll do this the hard way.” His head dipped until mere inches separated their lips.

  “Maybe I prefer . . . hard.”

  He almost choked. She couldn’t have meant . . . but when he caught the sparkle in her eyes, he knew for certain she was toying with him. Him. Wife kille
r.

  “You won’t like my methods.”

  “Maybe I will.” Her palms rested against his shoulders, but she didn’t attempt to push him away. She provocatively licked her bottom lip with her pink tongue. “You intend to . . .”

  “Most certainly.” He turned up the corners of his mouth in a sardonic smile.

  She leaned closer. “Let’s see if there’s more to you than idle boasts.”

  Maglek’s daughter was daring him to kiss her. Was she insane? He did not know. He only knew that she fascinated him, and while he held her body against his, she acted as if she was the one in charge. She acted as if she wanted his kiss.

  His smile hardened. His fingers clenched tighter in her hair, trapping her in his arms. The pulse at Lira’s throat beat wildly. Her scent rose up to tease his nostrils. And then, as if she couldn’t wait another second, she threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled his head closer.

  Hot and sultry, Lira wasn’t unaffected by his nearness. She trembled, a deep shudder racked through her, but her lips parted beneath his. Daveck hadn’t kissed another woman since he’d killed Ciel. No woman had wanted him and force disgusted him. All his pent-up passion was damn dangerous. So was Lira’s heat.

  He’d intended to threaten her with sexuality in order to make her talk. But she didn’t view kissing as torment. She didn’t fear him. There could be no doubting the soft welcome of her kiss, the arching of her spine as she melted into him, or the ripe hardness of her nipples.

  If she wasn’t careful, she could unleash a storm he wouldn’t be able to control. And by the Zorash, the woman could kiss. As her seething eagerness penetrated his defenses, his ears roared, his senses stirred into overdrive, and he yearned . . . for more. Before she tugged him under and he drowned, he pulled away.

  Stepping back, he frowned at her. “What kind of tricks are you playing?”

  “Who said I was playing?” she teased.

  “If you think only a kiss will satisfy me, you’re wrong. By tomorrow, I’ll have the right to take even more.”

  She cocked a haughty eyebrow. “I’d hardly call it taking when I’m willing to give.”

  Certain her words were no more than bravado, he chuckled, not out of amusement but from the desire to give such a courageous woman one last chance to avoid her fate. “Dear lady, don’t tell me you have forgotten our contract of marriage?”

  Chapter Five

  MARRIAGE CONTRACT? Her heart thumped so fast, blood pounded in her temples. Her throat tightened. Daveck might be a hunk she was more than willing to spend a night with—okay, several nights or days or even a week—but marriage with a total stranger was not an option she wanted to consider. Obviously, for reasons of her own, Lira hadn’t wanted to go there, either, and the impending nuptials were probably the reason she’d left.

  Sandra had to settle down and think. She needed to squeeze more information out of him to find out why two strangers were forming a union.

  Focused on the determined face just inches from hers, she wondered why he’d signed such a contract. He obviously believed that once Lira was his wife that she’d tell him where the Zorash was. But surely these Farii women could lie as easily to their husbands as to a lover? Perhaps their husbands dragged them or tortured them into telling the truth. Or perhaps truth telling was mere tradition.

  He held Sandra fast by the loops in her hair. If only she could draw back and think clearly. If only she wasn’t breathing in his spicy male scent and pumping all kinds of make-love-now endorphins into her system, she might think of a way to draw more information from him.

  He was close. Too close. His huge body dominated the room. He’d towered over others when he’d walked down the street. He had only to suggest that Fexel leave and the woman had scurried to do his bidding. Clearly this man was a master of his world, a leader of his people. But was he kind? Did he care about Lira?

  Gazing back at him and keeping her wits about her took effort. His mouth parted in a hard grin. He oozed masculinity in a way she’d never experienced or imagined. His intent look, his staring right at her made the peach fuzz hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, electrifying her nerve endings and making her want to throw caution to the alien skies and just go with the flow.

  While inhaling his musky male scent mixed with the peppery aroma of an exotic spice, she had difficulty remembering that Lira had been frightened of this man, and Sandra really knew little about him except what her senses told her. She was very much alone on this alien world, without one friend to bounce her ideas off of. He could do whatever he wanted to her, but somehow that thought only made her more eager to test him.

  His voice vibrated with barely suppressed challenge. “Tomorrow you will be my wife.”

  Not so fast, dude. She should be afraid. But, somehow, she wasn’t. While Daveck might win the Farii equivalent of the Mr. America Contest, she wouldn’t let that sway her. She wasn’t the kind of woman to marry a man because of his stunning good looks or his sexual chemistry. She might have a fling, or begin a relationship, but marriage was way too permanent for her liking. She didn’t want to go there. She had a career and it wasn’t fair to commit to a man when her heart was in her job.

  She wasn’t ready. On Earth, compromising her dreams for a man was not in her plans and coming to Farii hadn’t changed her mind. She was going back to Earth. She didn’t know how or when, but she wanted nothing that would tie her here.

  Lust would not trap her.

  Trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach, she reminded herself she had no proof Daveck had spoken the truth, nor had she any intention of taking his word about a marriage contract. Although he’d sounded so certain, most contracts had an escape clause, and she’d search for it in this one.

  Shattering glass rained down on them, interrupting her thoughts and stinging her flesh with a dozen tiny cuts. Armed men on rappel lines dropped from the ceiling.

  What was going on now? She had no idea, but adrenaline kicked in. She’d covered enough dangerous situations to know that leaving fast was her number one priority.

  Before her feet responded to the urge to flee, Daveck grabbed her hand. “We’re under attack. Run.”

  Armed intruders, definitely not Daveck’s men, had just invaded Lira’s home, but it would be sheer stupidity to ask questions now. Sprinting side by side, they raced down the hallway that led to Lira’s bedroom. Heart hammering her ribs, stomach knotting, she sprinted beside Daveck, struggling to match his long stride. Cursing her attire that allowed her breasts to bounce painfully, she flung her free hand over her chest for support. And all the while questions whirled like a weed eater. Who were these men? Were the intruders after her or him? Or both of them?

  Behind them, shots fired and splintered the wood next to her head. Daveck yanked her into the bedroom, slammed the door behind them. Together they pushed a heavy wardrobe chest in front of the door.

  She took a moment to catch her breath. Outside, men pounded the door and shouted. A moment later the sound of an ax blade biting into the wooden door warned her they wouldn’t be safe much longer.

  There were no windows on the floor level. The only way out was to squeeze through one of the tiny skylights near the roof. And even if they could climb up there, she doubted she could fit through—Daveck certainly couldn’t, not with his broad shoulders.

  “We’re trapped,” she muttered. “Who’s after us?”

  Daveck drew a weapon that looked like a plastic gun with lethal smooth lines. He twisted the nozzle, aimed at the door, and shooting flames melted the metal hardware. But the ax kept slashing into the door itself.

  “That’s not going to stop them.” She approached Daveck and held out her hand. “If you give me your gun—”

  “What?”

  Her gaze dropped to his sheathed sword. “I don’t know how to use a sword, but I can sho
ot as well as the next girl.”

  Her words drew as much suspicion as if she’d grown a second head. His voice rose in disbelief. “You know how to use a laser pistol?”

  She hadn’t expected their weapons to be so sophisticated and the idiosyncrasy bothered her—the weapons seemed more advanced than the other technology she’d seen here. But now was not the time to worry over the rate of technological advances. “What’s so hard? Point and shoot. Just show me where the trigger is.”

  “Here.” He placed the weapon into her hand and gently pressed her index finger on a button. “Here’s the trigger. The more pressure, the more firepower.”

  “Got it.” She sounded much more competent than she felt. Inside she shook. There had to be at least six men out there gunning for them. And the room had no cover. No place to flee.

  She was going to die. And she didn’t even know why. But with too many things she still wanted to do with her life, she intended to fight with every precious breath.

  The men cutting down the door made so much noise that the attack through another wall took her by surprise. An explosion, smoke, followed by plaster dust had her spinning and shooting.

  But she had to stop firing for fear of burning Daveck. He’d advanced quickly, slashing and stabbing one man with his sword, taking a second down fast and hard, then he scooped up a second weapon and thrust it into his shirt.

  “Come on.” He tugged her through the blast hole. “This way out.”

  Hope of escape raised her spirits. The man with the ax was through the door and shoving aside the wardrobe chest. It toppled and crashed to the floor behind them just as they crawled out of the room through the blast hole.