“What the fuck do you think she knows?” Varrik shouted.
The man holding the whip turned to confront Varrik. Echo’s heart missed a beat when she saw his face. His swarthy complexion and blue-ringed eyes indicated Rodyte ancestry. Were all the leaders in the maze Rodyte?
“Elder North might be fooled by your superficial show of obedience,” he told Varrik. “The rest of us are not.”
This man was one of the elders, Varrik’s superior. Echo struggled to breathe past the lump lodged in her throat. Aila whimpered. Blood striped her skin, brilliant red even in the hazy light. Skirting the men, Echo moved toward the wounded woman.
Varrik launched himself at the other man. The elder sent him flying backward with the wave of one hand. Varrik charged again, and the elder flung him away.
Echo scanned Aila. Healing wasn’t her primary skill, but she would offer what help she could. Several of the lacerations needed to be closed, and her entire body was bruised. There didn’t seem to be any organ involvement, though, and the bleeding was minimal. The vicious bastard knew how to use a whip. Echo sent a soothing wave through Aila’s battered body, keeping one eye on the men.
“If you weren’t a direct descendent of Vade, you’d be dead already,” the elder snarled as Varrik swung at him. “Keep it up, and I’ll lose my temper.”
“She knows nothing because there’s nothing to know!” Varrik grabbed the whip and yanked it out of the elder’s hand. “I am true to the Customs. I’ve done nothing wrong.” He shoved past the elder and hurried to Echo’s side. “Can you help her?”
Echo looked pointedly at the elder. “Don’t you have healers?”
“I will allow no one to tend her but you.” The challenge in the elder’s tone was unmistakable. It was a test. He wanted her to demonstrate her power. He moved closer, and Varrik raised the whip. The elder ignored him.
“I’m not a healer.”
“Neither is your mother, but I know of several lives she’s saved.” He nodded toward Varrik. “He’s brought this world to the brink of war. I want to know why.”
Aila’s whimpered, her head drooping to one side. “No more.”
Damning the consequences, Echo looked at Varrik. “I need my hands free.” The cuffs released and he quickly unhooked the belt then stepped back out of her way. Turning to Aila, Echo passed her fingers over each wound without touching the broken skin. Heat erupted in her palm and flowed into each injury, stimulating the tissue, causing the flesh to mend.
Echo pressed one hand against Aila’s forehead as she moved on to the next laceration. Emotional damage was just as detrimental as physical wounds. Purge this attack from her memory, Echo urged Varrik. She has endured enough already.
A vibrant presence slipped into Aila’s mind alongside Echo. Varrik’s energy pulsed with a familiar rhythm. Echo welcomed him, finding courage in his strength. She concentrated on Aila’s numerous wounds, while he meticulously extracted the memory.
Time passed. Echo had no idea if it were minutes or hours. She sensed Aila’s signal weakening and panic surged.
It’s all right. I’ve commanded her to sleep. We’ll clean her up, and she’ll awaken with the vague memory of a minor illness.
The casual statement stunned Echo. You can implant memories as well as extract them?
Concentrate on Aila. It was more of a warning than a suggestion.
Chapter Eight
Varrik withdrew from Aila’s mind as Echo completed the healing. Each time he interacted with Echo on the metaphysical plane it filled him with confusing emotions, desires so different from what he felt in the flesh that he hardly recognized himself. He longed to protect her, surround her with warmth and tenderness. Soul’s mate. He’d heard the phrase whispered all his life, but he hadn’t understood the concept until his energy joined with Echo’s.
He stood back and watched her work. A visible radiance shone from her features and surrounded her elegant hands. She was purity and light in a world that knew only darkness. He shook away the useless thought, surprised by his own sentimentality.
“If this is not her primary gift, what other treasures does she conceal?”
“My claim is valid.” He pivoted to face Elder South, infuriated still by his brutality. “Any and all treasures she might conceal are not your concern.”
“Claims are only valid when we choose to honor them.”
“A claim must be honored for the first lunar cycle unless the male’s seed fails to take root. Even the elders are bound by that law.”
South’s smile turned cruel. “You might have secured your claim to this one, but her sister has yet to be mounted.”
“I’m descended from the north. There is only one elder who can overturn my claim.”
South chuckled. “You know the law, there’s no denying that.”
“Was Aila’s abuse sanctioned by the Council of Elders, or were you acting on your own?”
“I don’t answer to you, sweeper!”
“No, but you answer to the other elders. Somehow I don’t think Elder North would have approved what you did to Aila.”
Ignoring the comment, South crossed the chamber and paused near the archway. “Wouldn’t it be tragic if your rash decision brings war to the world below? We’ve managed to avoid it for so long.”
Varrik rubbed his forehead, stomping down his need to unleash his fury. North was the only elder who suspected the full range of Varrik’s abilities. For the time being it was better if the others didn’t know. He could command South’s heart to stop beating and teleport the women to safety. But how would he protect E’Lanna in the aftermath?
South waited another moment for a response, then snorted and left the hall.
“What did he mean?”
He turned his head and found Echo’s curious gaze fixed on him. Her perceptiveness was a continual challenge. “He’s been looking for an excuse to move against Elder North. I might have just given him one.”
“Is North a name or a title?” She fiddled with the metal shackle securing Aila’s wrist. “How does this open?”
Moving in front of Aila, he sent a telepathic command to the restraints and caught Aila as she crumpled into his arms.
“Is everyone in the maze telepathic?”
Wait until we return to my chamber. He crossed the hall with Aila cradled against his chest. “Stay close and be quiet.” Miraculously, Echo obeyed. They didn’t speak again until Aila was resting comfortably in her own bed.
“Is she safe here?”
“South has no reason to harm her now.” He sounded almost convincing. No one would be safe if South launched an offensive. East and West would be forced to choose sides. Neutrality had no meaning in the Shadow Maze.
He reached for Elder North, intending to warn him of South’s hostility. There was no response to his seeker pulse. Encapsulating thoughts and images, he left them in the energy stream for North to activate as soon as he returned to the maze. Varrik paused, his worried gaze returning to Aila’s pale face. There had to be something more he could do. He flipped over the security panel on her nightstand and launched a subroutine. If anyone entered the room, Elder North would be notified.
“We’ve done all we can.” He led Echo into the corridor. She followed him back to his chamber, her calm obedience making him wary.
“If you intend to erase all memory of this place when you release me, why is it forbidden to answer my questions?” she asked the moment the door slid closed behind them.
“It’s not technically forbidden.” He crossed to the closet adjacent to his bed. “I just don’t want the elders to hear what I’m about to say. Elder North is the only one powerful enough to penetrate the shield surrounding my chamber, and he’s left the maze.”
“How many elders are there? Who is Vade? What did South mean when he said—”
“We can sit down and discuss the history of the maze, or we can rescue E’Lanna.”
She placed her hand on his upper arm, the hope in her gaze a
bittersweet torment. “You know where he took her?” The catch in her voice drove the blade deeper, exposing emotions he wasn’t ready to feel.
Why was he doing this? As soon as he left the maze, he would brand himself a traitor and ostracize himself from the only life he’d ever known. North’s ruthlessness had never bothered him before. Everyone did what must be done. Still, snatching E’Lanna crossed the line. It undermined Varrik’s claim and revealed North’s disloyalty.
Varrik had never felt so alone.
“I’ve got a pretty good idea.” After rummaging through his closet for a moment, he pushed the door shut. “All my clothes are similar to these. We’ll have to worry about it later.”
“Where are we going?”
“The original maze fell to ruin, so we constructed a larger, more technologically advanced compound. I think E’Lanna is in the old maze.”
“There are two of these underground warrens, and we haven’t been able to find either one?” The disbelief in her tone made Varrik chuckle.
“You’ll feel even more inept when I tell you the rest. The original maze was constructed beneath the Conservatory.”
“That’s how you got to us. You teleported into the old maze, then up to the surface.”
He didn’t confirm or deny her conclusion. “Wrap your arms around my waist and reach out to your sister.” All he needed to establish the link was physical contact, and she felt so good pressed against him. He closed his arms around her and inhaled the fresh scent of her hair.
Echo soared across the metaphysical plane, a blur of light and color so mesmerizing, Varrik almost forgot to follow. He launched his being after her, flowing, tumbling. With her, yet separate from her.
E’Lanna’s image emerged from the mist. Varrik pulled back, expanding his perspective to verify the location. As he thought, E’Lanna was in the ruins of the original Shadow Maze. He waited until Echo locked on to E’Lanna’s signal, then he pushed energy into their corporeal bodies, propelling them along the energy stream.
Darkness closed in, pressure built to painful extremes. Echo clung to him, her being fixed on her sister. He pushed harder, drove them faster, visualizing the next step.
With a sharp gasp, their bodies reunited with their spirits and the world snapped into focus. He pressed a quick kiss to Echo’s forehead and scooped up E’Lanna’s unconscious body. “Get behind me and hold on tight.”
The door burst open, and two guards rushed into the tiny chamber. Varrik drove a sleep compulsion deep into the first man’s brain. Echo launched herself at the second, kicking the pulse pistol out of his hand. He grabbed for her, but she moved with grace and agility, each blow precise and forceful. The guard’s head snapped back as she caught his jaw with the heel of her hand.
As fascinated as Varrik was by her skill, they couldn’t risk reinforcements. He reached into the second man’s mind and rendered him unconscious.
“Nifty trick,” Echo said, panting softly. “My aunt can do the same thing.”
He doubted her aunt could reproduce all his nifty tricks, but he wasn’t about to argue the point right now. Alarms would have sounded across North’s telepathic link the instant they entered the room. They had no time to lose.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
Echo pressed against his back, her slender arms wrapped around his waist. He pictured their destination, bound Echo’s signal to his, and launched them across the metaphysical plane.
* * * * *
North staggered to a stop as he materialized in the Shadow Maze. His mind was bombarded with information and images. South swung a whip over and over as Aila screamed and writhed in agony. Alarms shrieked. The perimeter around E’Lanna had been breached, the guards incapacitated. With a deep breath, he forced the jumble into some semblance of order and sorted through the images. He was hardly able to see through the haze of pain as he set his feet in motion.
A broad scan revealed further developments. Varrik’s signal was faint, as was Echo’s. They were no longer in the maze. It stood to reason that they were responsible for E’Lanna’s perimeter breech. Damn Varrik’s impetuous soul!
He summoned his two most trusted hunters as he rushed to check on Aila. They awaited him in front of her door. “I leave for a few hours, and all hell breaks loose. Where is Elder South? Why didn’t anyone pursue Varrik?”
“Sweepers are allowed to come and go as they see fit,” the older of the two hunters said.
“Well, thank Marton you’re here to explain it to me. It’s not like I helped write the laws or anything!” His sarcasm was wasted on the hunters, so he scanned open Aila’s door. Another alarm sounded inside his mind. He deactivated the signal with a thought and rushed toward the bed. Aila lay on her side, sleeping peacefully. He carefully lifted her gown away from her skin and examined her back. Though scarred from the fire, her flesh bore no signs of recent abuse. Had the images been conjured? Who set the intruder alarm? None of this made sense.
“Should we report Varrik to Minekus?” the hunter asked.
“No. This is personal. Varrik is angry with me. I’d prefer to take care of this quietly.”
“How can we assist you?”
“You’re hunters,” North snapped. “Go hunt! Use whatever force is necessary to bring Varrik back, but I want him alive.”
“What about the women?”
“They’re expendable.”
* * * * *
Echo sat on the edge of the bed, E’Lanna’s hand pressed between her own. Her twin didn’t stir. The rise and fall of her chest was nearly imperceptible. “How do we bring her out of this?”
Varrik stood on the other side of the bed, his hands clasped behind his back. A pose he assumed with unconscious regularity. “North must free her from the compulsion or North must die.”
“Is that the ultimatum you intend to give him?” It was all happening so fast. Echo struggled to make sense of his actions. Did he intend to release them, or had he simply moved them to a safer cage?
“If North refuses to deactivate the compulsion, only his death will free her from the spell.” He stated the fact with expressionless calm, his features revealing nothing. Was this the same man who had overwhelmed her inhibitions and made her senses sing?
Lowering E’Lanna’s hand to the bed, Echo stood and faced him. “What should we do now?”
“We?” His brow rose, reinforcing the challenge in his tone. “You vowed to resist me with your dying breath. Are we partners now?”
She had no idea what they were. No idea why he had rescued E’Lanna. Forcing her dry throat to swallow, she looked into his eyes. Velvet black, sapphire rings, smoldering passion, his eyes would haunt her forever. “Where are we? Can your people find us here?”
“My people? Another curious choice.” He moved around the bed, stalking her with measured control. “The people sworn to govern and protect the world below are about to destroy each other. If it were only the elders at risk, I would walk away without a second thought. But the elders won’t fight this war. It’s the soldiers who will sacrifice their lives for the arrogance of the elders. My people have never needed me more. How can I abandon my tribe?”
Was he hoping she could convince—
“I expect nothing from you. Your people will benefit greatly if we destroy ourselves.”
“You’ve responded to my thoughts before. Can you read my mind?”
He cupped her cheek and bushed her lips with his thumb, his gentleness a stark contrast to his savage expression. “I don’t need to read your mind. Your eyes tell me all I need to know.”
Captivated by the intensity in his gaze, she refused to blink. She reveled in the heat and cherished the tenderness he tried so hard to conceal. He couldn’t mean to leave her like this. She wasn’t ready for it to end. There had to be something she could do.
“How can I help you?”
He bent and kissed the corners of her mouth. “Why would you want to?”
She dragged the tie from the back of his h
air and buried her fingers in the soft, blue-streaked strands. He felt the connection; she knew he did. Regardless of his intentions, this had been more than sex for him.
“There has to be some way I can—”
He silenced her with his mouth, pressing her against his chest until she felt the strong, steady beat of his heart. His lips moved over hers, his tongue gently teased. She arched her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. One last touch, a final taste, then she could bear to let him go.
His hands slipped up under her tunic, gliding over her skin with frantic speed. She tangled her fingers in his hair, grinding her pelvis against his erection. Their tongues thrust, mimicking the rhythm their bodies craved. He cupped her breast and pulled her up onto her toes, aligning their bodies more exactly.
She bent her leg and wrapped her calf around his thigh, wanting him inside her, desperate for the fullness of their joining. His other hand found her bottom and rocked her against him. She moaned into his open mouth, wanting him, needing him.
Heat erupted in her mind, a dazzling shower of blistering sparks. Shocked by the unexpected meld, she tried to twist away. He clutched her to him, his mouth firm and demanding. Faster, wider, the energy current expanded, inundating her senses as well as her mind. Information swelled with pleasure. Images infused with power.
She sagged in his embrace, trembling and confused. Her head throbbed, protesting the unyielding saturation. He couldn’t expect her to… Why was he…
“Remember.” His whispered appeal followed her into the darkness.
Chapter Nine
Varrik stood motionless in the corner of the bedroom, surrounded by a dense invisibility shield. High Queen Charlotte knelt on the floor beside the bed, her hands in perpetual motion above the still figures of her daughters. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she squeezed her eyes shut. The subtle trembling of her hands was further proof of her agitation. Even in the midst of this crisis, she was regal and composed. Varrik saw where Echo got her strength.
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