by Diana Bold
“You’ve taught me to hate almost our entire species because of something that happened thousands of years ago. He’s a good man. You’ll see when he’s better. You’ll realize how wrong we’ve been.”
Shaking her head, Titania went to the door and opened it, letting in Oberon and some members of the council. “Your daughter has lost her mind, Oberon. Perhaps we should have her head examined.”
Rhoswen met her father’s grim gaze, refusing to be cowed by her mother’s damning words. She’d grown accustomed to disappointing the woman long ago. “He’s no threat, Father. I swear it.”
Oberon stared at Sebastian’s prone form for a few moments, then shook his head. “Where is Trevelan? I can’t believe he allowed you to do this.”
“Trevelan is the one who has lost his mind,” she countered. “He’s released a virus on the Surface. Sebastian helped me get back here to warn you.”
Oberon’s frown deepened. “Come with me, Rhoswen. Kaylee, watch over the prisoner. Make sure he doesn’t leave sick bay for any reason.”
Rhoswen let her father lead her away, though it killed her to leave Sebastian behind. First she must make her report to the council, and then she would return to his side. For now, all that mattered was that he was safe.
“Help him, Kaylee,” she implored her friend, before her father dragged her out the door. “Don’t let any harm come to him.”
“He’ll be fine,” Kaylee promised.
Rhoswen gave her unconscious lover one last glance, then left the sickbay, mentally preparing herself for the inquisition to come.
Chapter Sixteen
Halcyon’s grand council chamber was in the topmost level of the government building, with a bay of glass windows that looked out over the city below. Rhoswen had never had reason to enter these hallowed halls until today, even though her father had reigned over them for most of her life.
She sat in the seat her father indicated at the far side of the round table and took a few deep breaths, trying to bring her emotions under control. During the time she’d spent with Sebastian, she had let her heart rule, but that would only make her look weak in front of this group of eight venerated elders. She must present her case with cool detachment, as though the outcome had no meaning to her. She thanked Poseidon that her father had at least allowed her a half an hour to shower and change while he gathered the council.
“We are very troubled.” Aelfric, the oldest of the council members, was the first to speak. Rhoswen trembled inwardly as he fixed her in his steely old gaze. “Where is Trevelan? How is it that you return without him, in the company of this barbarian from the Surface?”
She took a deep breath and clenched her hands tightly together beneath the table. “I fear Trevelan has released a plague upon the Surface. He told me Marcus had created a virus capable of eradicating the people of the Earth, allowing us to come out of hiding and live upon the land once more.”
A low murmur of shock and something else rose at her pronouncement. Something dark and ugly. As she gazed around the room, she wondered if any of the elders had known of Trevelan’s plan. Worse, if any of them had been in on it.
Her father lifted a hand to silence the others. “Why would he do such a thing, daughter? He has always been one of our best and brightest. I find it hard to believe he would do something so terrible and foolhardy.”
Did her own father believe she lied? She’d expected her mother’s anger and disdain, but her father had always been on her side.
Heat rose in her cheeks, but somehow she managed to remain calm. “As did I, which is why I did not take him seriously when he first told me of his plan. I thought he merely spoke in anger and did not give his words credence until the people of Hawkesmere Castle began to fall ill upon his arrival. I believe he released the virus in hopes of creating chaos so he could engender my release.”
“And yet you appear to have left him to his fate.” Aelfric’s pronouncement echoed against the high ceiling, striking guilt into Rhoswen’s soul. She prayed she’d done the right thing, prayed she hadn’t overreacted and done exactly what Aelfric claimed. Had she abandoned her friend because she was so desperately looking for a way to remain with Sebastian?
She banished the thought, determined to see this through. She knew what she’d seen; she knew what she’d heard. Most of all, she knew in her heart that what Trevelan had done was wrong.
“He proposes, nay, has enacted, a plan that will wipe out every man, woman and child on the planet, save us few in Halcyon. He acts as though those who live upon the Surface are rodents, as though they have no souls.” She shook her head. “No matter how we may wish to once again take our place on the Surface, we cannot do it in this manner. We cannot allow millions to die, only to make ourselves more comfortable.”
Another round of murmuring ruffled the silence. Rhoswen remained still, forcing a mask of calm upon her features.
“Tell us of the man, the barbarian, you have brought inside our home.” Etain’s voice was calm, but she heard the anger seething below. Perhaps he was the one who’d plotted with Marcus and Trevelan.
This was the worst of her crimes, to bring a stranger into Halcyon. She could only hope to appeal to their compassion.
“I never would have done such a thing, if he hadn’t been shot in my defense.” She lifted her hands in entreaty. “He is a good man. I have delved his mind and know his heart to be true. He has helped me ever since I was captured by his brother’s men, has put his very life in jeopardy for mine. How could I possibly do any less?”
Her father pinned her with a knowing gaze. She hoped he could not tell how much she cared for Sebastian, but perhaps it was best if he did. Surely he knew her well enough to realize that her feelings for Sebastian were well-founded, and also that she would never endanger the people of Halcyon.
“Keep the stranger under guard and have Marcus brought to this chamber for questioning.” Her father’s voice rang commandingly over the assembly. “I have many questions for him.”
Five endless minutes later, Marcus hurried into the room, his blond hair a bit disheveled, his pale face flushed with obvious confusion. His blue gaze scanned the gathering, lingering for a moment on Rhoswen before settling on his leader. “You sent for me, Oberon?”
Oberon nodded, gesturing toward an empty chair next to Rhoswen. “My daughter has brought some distressing news back from the Surface.”
Marcus glanced again at Rhoswen. “Are you well, Rhoswen? Has something happened to Trevelan?”
“She claims you and Trevelan have plotted a plan to take back the Surface,” Odette answered, before Rhoswen had a chance to speak. “She’s fed us a tale of a killer virus that will wipe out the lot of them. She says you invented it and insinuates Trevelan has already released it upon the people of Britain.”
Marcus shook his head, his expression so stunned that even Rhoswen believed this was the first he’d ever heard of Trevelan’s plan. “That’s preposterous! Not to mention impossible. Even if such a thing were possible, I’d never be a part of it. I am no murderer, Rhoswen. Surely you know that.”
“Did he speak to you of it?” she asked quickly, as the murmur of the council members rose to a low roar. “He told me the two of you had been planning it. When the people of Hawkesmere fell sick, I thought he’d decided to put that plan into motion.”
Marcus gave her an exasperated look. “He may have mentioned something like that in jest. You know how frustrated he’s been lately. But he’s no geneticist, Rhoswen. You must be mistaken.”
Mistaken. The conversations she’d had with Trevelan upon the Surface flashed through her mind. In her panic, she’d forgotten that she’d originally thought he spoke in jest herself. She replayed every word and realized he’d never actually admitted having a virus.
What have I done?
Trevelan was her friend. He’d risked his life to save her, yet when he’d needed her most, she’d chosen to abandon him. She’d assumed something terribly foul and had made no at
tempt to see if it were the truth.
Once again, she wondered if she’d chosen to believe the worst simply because it was the only way to keep Sebastian by her side. She blinked away a rush of angry tears, determined not to let the elders see her weakness.
She had been wrong. She knew that now. The only way to redeem herself was to somehow rescue her friend.
Oberon stared at her, his disappointment obvious. “Well, Daughter. What have you to say for yourself?”
“If I have made a mistake, I will rectify it,” she assured him. “When Sebastian is ready to travel, he will accompany me back to Hawkesmere, and together we will find a way to rescue Trevelan.”
If Lord Simon hadn’t already killed him. She quashed the tiny voice inside her head, refusing to believe it, even though she’d seen what Simon had done to his own brother in order to keep his people safe. She could only imagine how furious he must have been by the time he’d returned to Halcyon and prayed he hadn’t taken that fury out on Trevelan.
“Impossible,” thundered Ealhdun, who had thus far been silent. “This Sebastian knows far too many of our secrets. He must not be allowed to leave, to take his knowledge of our existence and location out into the world. The only choice is to either let him remain here, imprisoned, or to jettison him.”
“No!” Rhoswen cried, unable to believe her peaceful people were even considering putting someone to death for the simple crime of knowing of their existence. “I won’t allow it.”
“You have no voice in the matter.” Odette’s lovely face twisted with anger. “Or perhaps you should be jettisoned with him, since you were the one who brought this danger into our midst.”
“Enough!” Oberon did not raise his voice, but his obvious fury cut through the many arguments that had sprung up, silencing the entire chamber. “No one is going to be jettisoned,” he decreed. “But we have much to discuss. We must not only decide Sebastian’s fate, but also what is to be done about Trevelan.” He turned his pale gaze upon Rhoswen. “Do you think he still lives?”
She buried her face in her hands, unable to meet his chiding gaze. “I don’t know. It’s possible, but more probable that they killed him the moment they realized Sebastian and I were gone.”
Oberon nodded grimly. “You may leave Rhoswen. You also, Marcus.”
Rhoswen got woodenly to her feet, ashamed to the depths of her soul by how she’d let them all down. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I never meant to be caught. I never meant for any of this to happen.” Then she fled the room.
* * *
“How is he?” Rhoswen stood beside Kaylee, peering at Sebastian through the observation window. She’d come to the hospital wing immediately after her meeting with the council, anxious to reassure herself he would be all right.
Kaylee squeezed her hand. “He’s going to be fine. His fever is down, I’ve given him some blood, and his wound is mending nicely.”
Relief washed through her, stealing the last of her strength. She swayed, and then sank into a nearby chair. Only now did she realize how long it had been since she’d eaten or slept. She’d been running on pure adrenaline for days.
“Are you all right?” Kaylee knelt beside her, peering into her face. “How did your meeting go?”
Rhoswen hugged herself, refusing to meet Kaylee’s concerned gaze. “Oh, Kaylee. I’ve made such a terrible mistake.”
“What do you mean?” Kaylee asked softly. “Do you regret having brought him here?”
“No, but I do regret having left Trevelan behind. Especially after my father had Marcus brought to the council chambers, and I found out they hadn’t been experimenting with a virus. Trevelan’s only crime was trying to rescue me. Marcus assured me they had nothing to do with the sickness at Hawkesmere.”
Kaylee drew in a quick breath. “What are they going to do? Are they going to send someone after him?”
“I don’t know. They’re still trying to decide whether or not to keep Sebastian as a prisoner here or jettison us both into the deep.”
“Surely they wouldn’t do that. No one has ever been jettisoned.”
“Well, perhaps that will be my contribution to the history books.” Rhoswen blinked back a rush of tears. “I don’t believe my father would ever allow such a thing. But I’d almost rather be jettisoned than deal with the consequences of my actions. Somehow, I’ve got to find a way to convince the council to mount a rescue for Trevelan and allow Sebastian to leave if he wishes, though it would kill me to let him go.”
“Truly?” Kaylee shook her head. “You were only gone a little more than a week, Rhoswen. What happened up there?”
Rhoswen gave a soft little laugh. “I don’t know how it happened so swiftly. I only know that from the moment I looked into his mind and saw what he’d been through, saw his very heart, I knew I could never let him go.”
Kaylee didn’t look convinced, but was a good enough friend not to argue the point any more. “How long has it been since you slept?”
“A long time,” Rhoswen admitted. “We’ve been on the run for days, and since Sebastian got shot I haven’t closed my eyes for more than a few moments at a time.”
“Go home and rest.” Kaylee switched from friend to doctor in the blink of an eye. “I’ll let you know when he wakes up.”
Rhoswen stared through the glass, her need to touch Sebastian battling with her exhaustion. “No, not yet. I’ll be all right for a little while longer. I need to see him.”
Kaylee frowned. “All right. But just for a few minutes. You’re so pale. You look as if you’re going to collapse.”
Pushing herself to a standing position, Rhoswen swayed for a moment, fighting a wave of hunger and exhaustion fueled dizziness. “Can you get me a glass of orange juice?” she asked, both because she needed it and because it would give Kaylee something constructive to do.
“Of course,” Kaylee murmured. “I’ll be right back.”
Once her friend had hurried away, Rhoswen let herself into Sebastian’s room. She approached his narrow bunk slowly, wishing it were large enough for her to climb in beside him. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms and let his warmth and strength chase all her problems away.
The deep cadence of his breath soothed her fears. He slept soundly, his bare chest rising and falling in an even, healthy rhythm. Trembling with the force of her relief, she bent and pressed her lips to his cool cheek, smiling at the feel of the rough beard that had sprung up within the last few days.
“Oh, Sebastian,” she whispered. “You beautiful, beautiful man.”
To her immense surprise, he opened his eyes and stared up at her. “There you are.” His voice was a husky rasp, but she’d never heard anything so wonderful in her whole life. “You came back to me.”
“Of course I came back. I never would have left you if it had been up to me.”
He studied her face, his gaze growing more alert by the second. “Are you well, Rhoswen?”
“Just tired.” She forced a smile. “I wish your bunk was big enough for two.”
He scooted as far to one side as he could, wincing a bit. “Come here.”
“Don’t be silly,” she argued. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“It would do me good to have you in my arms again. I have missed you. This world of yours is a miracle, but cold and strange to someone like me.”
She knew she should resist, but since she wholeheartedly wanted to do as he’d asked, she climbed up beside him, pressing along his side and resting her head on his good shoulder. “I’m not sorry I brought you here.” The tension flowed out of her, replaced with bone-deep contentment. “I know this has been difficult for you, but I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“I am glad you did.” He pressed a swift kiss to the top of her head. “I would hate to die just when I found something worth living for.”
She gave him a sleepy smile. “We have a lot to talk about, but I don’t think I can keep my eyes open another second. Would you mind very much if I rested for
awhile?”
“I would mind if you did not. You have been watching over me for too long. Let me watch over you.”
Too tired to argue any more, she nodded and relaxed against him, letting sleep carry her away.
Sebastian held Rhoswen close, breathing in her intoxicating scent, absurdly glad to have her in his arms once again. He had felt so helpless since he had woken to find her gone, too physically weak to get out of bed and find her, too overwhelmed by his surroundings to put together a coherent thought. But now that she had returned to him, he felt whole. In fact, his wound was mending well. He would be on his feet again in a matter of days.
The door opened with a whoosh, and Kaylee walked in, carrying a glass filled with a bright orange drink. She frowned when she saw Rhoswen had climbed into bed with him.
Before she could say anything, Sebastian put a finger to his lips. “Shh. She is sleeping.”
Kaylee’s stern look relaxed into a wry smile. “I suppose it can’t hurt to let her stay. Just make sure you don’t strain your shoulder.”
“I will be careful. Besides, I will heal much quicker now that I am not worrying about her.”
“Here.” Kaylee extended the glass. “Drink this. It was supposed to be for Rhoswen, but you need it more than she does, anyway.”
He gave the liquid a cautious sniff, then grinned. “Oranges?” He had become familiar with the exotic fruit in the desert, but had never expected to see one again, once he returned home to cold northern climes.
She stared at him, seeming transfixed by his smile. Her gaze slid from his mouth to his bare chest before she caught herself and looked away, blushing. “It’s very good for you. It will help your body reproduce some of the blood you’ve lost.”
Bringing the cup to his parched lips, he drank greedily, still smiling a bit at her reaction as he downed the pure, sweet elixir. He reached the bottom of the glass far too soon. “Thank you, Kaylee.”