by Diana Bold
A sudden grinding noise interrupted his thoughts. He took an unconscious step back, stunned, as a large section of the cave wall swung forward, revealing a dark, gaping passageway.
Rhoswen’s face lit up with accomplishment. “You see? I told you I could find it.”
He returned her smile, his caution giving way to excitement. She had done it. “I am sorry I ever doubted you.”
Flushing, she reached down by her feet and picked up the pack she had discarded earlier. She pulled out two of the large lightsticks, turned them on and handed one to him. “I must confess that the thought of traipsing around so deep inside the earth frightens me a bit.”
“Really? I thought you would be accustomed to being deep below the Surface, having lived your life beneath the crushing pressure of the sea.”
“That was different,” she told him with a weak smile. “Halcyon is light and bright. I fear this place will be far too dark and crawling with nasty creatures best left to the imagination.”
He thought she was probably right, but did not wish to add to her fears. “I am sure it will be fine.” Hefting his own pack higher upon his shoulders, he stepped around her, shining his lightstick into the darkness, unsurprised to see a stairway leading down. Way down. In fact, the light faded long before the stairs did.
“It looks as if there is only one way to go,” he told her with false cheeriness. “Follow me.”
She gave him a doubtful look, but offered no protest. She is so brave. A pang of longing swept through him as he watched her gird herself for the nightmare to come. Christ, he was such a fool. He should not have pushed her away last night. He should have held her tight and cherished every single moment they had left together.
I should have made love to her in the shower.
Turning on the third stair, he turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. For a moment he just held her tight, relishing the feel of having her in his arms again. Then he lifted her chin and covered her mouth in a searching kiss, trying to apologize for every harsh word, every time he had tried to protect his heart at her expense.
When he finally pulled reluctantly away, she swayed against him, blinking up in dazed confusion. “I’m not complaining, but what was that for?”
“I just wanted you to know that no matter what the future holds, you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Don’t do that,” she whispered, her eyes welling with tears. “Don’t you dare say good-bye to me.”
He sighed, knowing he had handled this badly. “I did not mean it to sound that way, but perhaps you are right. We do not know what lies ahead, and just in case something bad happens, I do not want to leave things unsettled between us.”
“Nothing bad is going to happen,” she chided sternly. “And there will be plenty of time for us to settle things once we do what we’ve set out to do.”
Frowning, he let her pull away from him and resume her trek down the endless stairs. She was, of course, incredibly wrong, but if she did not want to talk about her feelings for him, he was not going to push her. Truth be told, he still was not completely sure what she did feel for him.
He needed to see her with Trevelan. He needed to see how she reacted to her chosen mate’s release. Would she still want to be with Sebastian once Trevelan was safe? If she did, then he would know. Then he could decide what his future held.
Just when he had begun to think they would never stop their descent, the staircase bottomed out into a wide, dry tunnel that angled east, toward Hawkesmere, if he was not mistaken.
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 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 created 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 Halcyon. A shining beacon of knowledge and enlightenment, so well protect
ed 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 Halcyon 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 Halcyon. 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 Halcyon, small but functional. This house boasted three sleeping chambers, enough for a family. Strange, he had thought the people of Halcyon 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 further 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 or not 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 Halcyon 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, Halcyon-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-Five
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 Halcyon 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, h
is 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 knew 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.