by Diana Bold
She turned and gave him a relieved glance. “We seem to be on the right track.”
He nodded. “I just hope there really is a way into my tower. I never found one, and I would hate to think we had wasted all this time in a wild goose chase when people’s lives are at stake.”
Her smile vanished, and she trudged on, the grim set of her shoulders indicating that he had rattled her.
“I am sorry,” he murmured, grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn and look at him. “I believe you. I really do. I just hope time has not destroyed the entrance.”
“Me, too,” she whispered. “Do you think we should go back and try to find another way into Hawkesmere?”
He held her gaze for a long moment, then shook his head. “No, you were right. This plan has the best chance of succeeding. We will continue on until we know for sure.”
“All right. We’ll keep going then.” With a jerky nod, she started forward again, her lightstick bouncing wildly off the stone walls.
After another ten minutes of hiking, she reached out and grasped his hand, holding it tightly as she fell into step beside him instead of leading the way. “I don’t like this place,” she murmured. “I feel claustrophobic, like I can’t breathe.”
“Would you like to stop for a moment?” He tried to keep the impatience from his voice. They had just barely begun. If she could not handle the tunnels, she would never make it all the way back to Titania’s Tower.
“No,” she whispered. “I’ll be fine. As long as you’re here with me.”
Her words made him feel bad for his uncharitable thoughts, and he squeezed her hand tightly. No other woman of his acquaintance would even attempt this. “You are doing well.”
“That’s a lie, but thank you for caring enough to tell it.” She gave him a swift grin, and he noticed that some of her color had returned. “Why don’t I tell you the story of how these caves came to be? It might take my mind off the millions of tons of rock pressing down above our heads.”
“Excellent plan,” he agreed. “Start talking.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard the tales of Atlantis, how our civilization was wiped out by fire and flood?”
He nodded. “I have heard Plato’s tales.”
“Some of it was true, but I do not believe our wickedness caused the earth’s brush with a comet. For centuries, pieces of the comet’s tail created havoc upon the planet, and my people knew the island was doomed. So, a cadre of the best and brightest came here, to Wales, which was deemed to be safe from the worst of the comet’s fury. The engineers and scientists create an underground facility in which to ride out the worst of the cataclysm.”
“They built these caves?”
“The caves were already here, but they enlarged them, added living areas and common areas and built the tunnels leading in and out. They were only meant to be temporary, but the blight on the Surface lasted longer than expected.
“For over a hundred years my people were trapped below, waiting for the skies to clear. With nothing else to do, our finest minds came up with many new advances, harnessing the power of the underground springs to light the settlement. They also learned to grow crops in the false light and found ways to make themselves more comfortable. When at last it was deemed safe to go back outside, they emerged to find that those who’d stayed above had not fared so well.”
Her story seemed to be doing what she had meant it to. She strode beside him with renewed confidence, imparting her tale with the finesse of a born storyteller.
“Generations had struggled merely to survive, and most of what was good and decent about their culture had been sacrificed. We built your tower as the first step in a permanent Surface settlement, but even that simple structure was looked upon with fear and suspicion. My people were hunted and persecuted, until it became far too dangerous for them to remain aboveground. Reluctantly, they were forced to return to the caves.”
“People always persecute those they do not understand,” he murmured bitterly. “‘Tis human nature.”
The tunnel had widened slightly, giving them a bit more room. So far, it had remained clear, free of debris and easily passable. Amazing to think how long this underground world had been here, right beneath his feet his entire life, yet completely unimagined.
“The council decided they could not stay here forever, and that was when they began to plan Atlantis. A shining beacon of knowledge and enlightenment, so well protected and inaccessible that no one from the Surface would ever be able to find us. The plans and construction took almost a hundred years, but at last we left all of this behind. And you know the rest.”
“But Atlantis is ultimately just as much a prison as these caves, is it not? Far more beautiful, of course. But I cannot imagine going my entire life without ever again seeing the sun or stars.”
“You’re right. That’s why our people have become so deeply divided. Half of us want to try and start a Surface settlement once again, the rest have become content to live below. They have never known anything else and are afraid of what they do not understand.”
“Which is also human nature,” he told her wryly. “You see, our people are more alike than you might think.”
She came to a sudden stop. “Look. Do you see that?” She pointed straight ahead, to a glimmer of light far in the distance.
He gave her a quick smile. “We may be getting close.”
But the light was not as close as it seemed. They trekked another hour before the tunnel began to widen and slope slightly upward. “Do you have any idea what we are looking for?”
She shook her head. “I imagine the main cavern is rather large. More than five hundred people lived there at one time.”
Perhaps a quarter of an hour later, the tunnel widened once more, and they found themselves in an immense cavern, which was dimly lit by sparkling lights high above that resembled stars.
“We must have set off a motion detector,” she told him softly. “I doubt these lights have been on all these years.”
They stood at the edge of a small village made of stone and wood, the architecture very much like that of Atlantis. As they moved toward the center, they found themselves in a town square, with a long-abandoned fountain of Poseidon in the middle.
“This is much more than I expected.” He gave a low laugh as he spun around, trying to take in everything at once. “This is amazing.”
“I wonder if the plumbing still works.” She walked up to the nearest house and opened the front door, stepping inside and turning on a light. “I can’t believe the power is on. I did not think anything would still work.”
He trailed behind her, still stunned by what they had found. He could not believe this magical place had lain beneath Hawkesmere all these years. When he thought of the bad winters, when his people had frozen and starved by the dozens…
The home reminded him of Rhoswen’s apartment in Atlantis, small but functional. This house boasted three sleeping chambers, enough for a family. Strange, he had thought the people of Atlantis did not allow their citizens to have more than one carefully planned and artificially created child.
Upon closer examination, they found that the long years of abandonment had taken their toll. Though the house still seemed basically sound, everything had been stripped from inside it, and the plumbing appeared to have stopped working long ago.
As Rhoswen continued to poke around the house, Sebastian wandered back outside, drawn by the sound of running water. On the far edge of the settlement from where they had entered, he discovered a waterfall. It must have come from the same source as the springs beneath the tower, because plumes of welcoming steam rose from the cascade, coalescing on the glittering cavern roof above.
“Can we rest here for awhile before we press on?” Rhoswen called from somewhere behind him.
He knew he should say no, but he had pressed her hard, keeping her on the march for days. He had no idea how much farther they must go, but doubted she could keep up the pace without a
rest. Besides, he had to admit that his recent injury had left him a little tired.
“Of course,” he called back. “But only for an hour or two.”
As he wandered closer to the waterfall, he had a sudden, vivid flashback of the dream he had shared with Rhoswen, of their bodies entwined beneath a stream of hot water. God, how he wanted that. He wanted to lose himself in the sweet welcoming heat of her body one last time.
Though she had not actually said, he was certain their journey had almost ended. Another mile or two through the tunnels, and then they had to find a way into the hot springs. Then he would leave her in the tower while he rescued her accursed friend and discovered whether he was too late to save those who were sick.
He still feared that once she was reunited with Trevelan, she would be eager to return to Atlantis and put the horror of her experience on the Surface behind her. Perhaps ‘twas best if she did, but he could not help wanting to make love to her one more time. Though he had spent the last few days distancing himself from her as much as he could, he found he just did not have the strength to maintain the act.
Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw Rhoswen disappear into another building, still intent upon exploring her ancestral home. He had no idea how to approach her and was still hesitant to do so, for fear that making love to him again was not what she would have chosen.
In the end, he decided to leave the decision up to her.
Stepping closer to the edge of the shallow pool at the bottom of the fall, he stripped off his comfortable, Atlantis-made tunic, trousers, and boots. Naked, he entered the pool and stood beneath the powerful plume of water, gasping a bit as he accustomed himself to the heat.
In a few moments, she would come back out into the cavern, and she could not fail to notice him. If she chose to join him, it would be wonderful. If she turned away, then he would simply get dressed again and try to hide his disappointment.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Rhoswen exited the ancient council building, still overwhelmed with the reality of actually being here, in the place where her people had come to escape the destruction of their world. The ghosts of her ancestors—generations of previous Rhoswens—hovered all around her.
Smiling, she stepped back out into the cavern, eager to find Sebastian and share this with him. It took her a moment to spot him, but when she did, she had to blink repeatedly to assure herself what she was seeing was real and not some fanciful mirage.
He’d stripped off his clothes and stood beneath a steaming waterfall about fifty yards away. Turned away from her, with his hands braced upon the rock wall in front of him, he let the water pour over his beautiful body, obviously enjoying himself.
Unable to stay away, she drifted toward him, taking in the strong contours of his muscular back and shoulders, the slim, yet powerful lines of his waist, buttocks, and thighs. Beautiful man. She wanted him so much, wanted to be with him at least one more time, but she was afraid he would push her away again.
When she was less than a dozen feet away, she discovered he was aroused. Monstrously aroused. Goodness, had he been thinking of her? A little more confident, she closed the rest of the distance and hurriedly shed her clothes as well.
“May I join you?” she asked softly.
He flinched at the sound of her voice, a shudder sweeping his large body. “I thought you would never ask.”
Her heart leapt to her throat, but when he looked at her over his shoulder, she saw his uncertainty, saw that he’d been just as afraid of rejection as she was. “Do not make me beg, Rhoswen. You know how much I want this. How much I want you.”
She stepped into the water, pressed her naked breasts against his back, and ran her hands down the flat, ridged line of his belly. She closed her hand around his pulsating cock, stroking his hard, wet length.
He groaned and bowed his head, letting the water pour over them as he gave himself entirely into her hands. “I wanted to make love to you once more… should have done it that night in Atlantis in your shower — just like the dream — but I was so angry about Trevelan… and I was not sure if you even wanted me…”
“I never stopped wanting you,” she whispered, pressing her lips beside the bandage on his wounded shoulder. “Whenever I’m around you I have to sit on my hands to keep from touching you. You are so beautiful, Sebastian. My every fantasy come to life.”
He covered her hand with his, stilling her tender ministrations, his big body trembling. “Swear to me that this has nothing to do with my promise to help you free Trevelan. I have been so afraid that all your sweet passion has just been a matter of survival, that, once you are reunited with him, you will cast me aside.”
That stung, though she understood circumstances had conspired to give him that impression. She released him and turned away, hugging herself and feeling very foolish. “What can I do to show you that you’re the only one I want? I’m here with you now because I want to be, but you act as though I’m some sort of whore trying to earn favors with my body.”
“No, Rhoswen.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up hard against his slick, wet chest. His arousal pressed demandingly against her lower back as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “I meant nothing of the sort. I have never thought that of you, never felt anything but gratitude and amazement for your passion. Perhaps I am just looking for an explanation, for I certainly do not feel I deserve you.”
She turned in his arms and gazed up at him, trying to put her heart in her eyes. “I want you, Sebastian. Can’t you just trust me? Can’t you just love me?”
As soon as the last few words left her mouth, she regretted them. She hadn’t meant to say them, they’d just slipped out. Still, she held her breath, hoping against hope he wouldn’t let her down.
Instead of answering, he lowered his head, taking her mouth in a bruising kiss. For a moment she resisted, still wishing for the words, but he overwhelmed her, kissing her until nothing mattered but the taste and feel of him.
Sebastian kissed Rhoswen as though he would die if he did not, for in truth she was the only thing in his entire world worth living for. So far, he had made a terrible botch of everything, but in this at least, he intended to make it up to her.
With a groan, he pulled away and stared down at her. Even his dreams had not matched this. His little Selkie truly looked like a water creature, a siren or a mermaid, come to steal his soul. And he would gladly give it to her, if she would only continue her sorcery.
“Rhoswen, you are so beautiful.” He placed tender kisses upon her forehead, nose and lips, then lifted her in his arms and sat her upon a small flat rock at the base of the fall.
Kneeling before her, he ran his fingertips across her chest and belly, loving the slippery feel of her beautiful skin beneath his hands. She closed her eyes and leaned back, sighing as he teased her nipples to turgid attention. He bent to take one in his mouth, suckling her as she buried her hands in his hair.
Parting her thighs with his hands, he leaned even closer for a taste of her. He moaned against her sweet cleft, spearing two fingers deep inside her as he swirled his tongue around her distended little bud. Never in his life had he made love to a woman this pure and clean. She tasted and smelled like heaven, like everything good that had been missing from his life.
“Sebastian,” she sobbed, trembling against him. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.”
Her cry spurred him on, and he doubled his efforts, holding her on the razor’s edge without pushing her all the way over. The water pounded against his back, the steam billowing around them. Rhoswen’s breathy sobs filled the cavern until at last he let her climax.
Before she had a chance to recover, he picked her up and impaled her, sinking to the hilt in her warm, wet channel. She cried out and braced her hands against his shoulders for balance, making pain ricochet through him as she inadvertently grasped his wound.
Turning, he anchored her against the cave wall, slamming into her again and again, too aroused
to let a little pain ruin this for him. She clung to him like moss as he thrust between her thighs, giving in to every erotic fantasy he’d had since she had let him tie her to the bed and make love to her the first time.
His orgasm started at his toes and exploded through his body, nearly bringing him to his knees. When the last shudder had ended, he let her slowly slide down the wall as he buried his face in her hair. “Hot showers,” he whispered. “The best thing ever invented. And we did not even have to go to Atlantis to find one.”
* * * * *
Afterward, Sebastian spread their blankets out upon the smooth stone floor of the cavern and coaxed Rhoswen to lie down beside him. “I suppose it would not hurt if we rested here for awhile. Sleep if you like.”
She smiled up at him drowsily and stretched out upon her stomach. “Sleep sounds wonderful.”
Unable to keep from touching her, he lay down beside her and pulled her against him, gently kneading the base of her lovely, slim neck.
“You really do have magical hands.” She reached up and brought one of his hands to her mouth and brushed her lips across his knuckles. “When you touch me, all my aches and pains fade into insignificance.”
“I learned the art of healing with my hands while I was in the desert.” He winced, wishing he had kept that fact to himself. He wanted nothing of that time to ruin this.
She propped herself on one elbow and peered down at him, her lovely face limned by the soft, overhead lights. “Do you want to talk about what happened to you?” She brushed his hair from his eyes with a gentle hand. “I think it might help.”
He glanced away. Her words created havoc within him. “I thought you already knew. I thought you had seen it all when you delved my mind.”
This explained everything. No wonder she had allowed him to touch her with his filthy hands. She had not realized the extent of his perversions.
“I saw parts of it. Flashes of pain and pleasure.” Her voice lowered as she continued to touch his face with her soft hands. “I know you were raped, Sebastian.”