The Playful Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  The princes pulled back and shifted back to men, naked and proud as they moved forward through the castle gates. They were used to losing their clothes each time they shifted in battle. Only their eyes remained as they were, the pupils bent with the superior vision of the cat.

  Quinn walked on all four paws down the long corridor to the dungeon. The princes had spent a lot of time visiting Lord Myrddin’s home with their father when they were children, and he found his way around with ease. Sniffing the air, he stalked low to the ground, moving forward with deadly grace as he passed an empty cell. He knew his brother was close, could smell that he was.

  Moving a paw forward, he swiped, reaching around the corner to grab a guard’s leg. The man yelped softly in surprise but didn’t fall. Quinn shifted, letting go as he stood. When he turned the corner completely, Reid stood with his arm poking out from between the bars, his elbow locked over the man’s throat. In his free hand, he held a sword taken from the man’s waist.

  “Took you long enough,” Reid grumbled. A large purpling bruise covered the side of his face, swelling one eye shut. His lip was swollen and crusted with blood, but they managed to twitch into a welcoming smile. He tightened his hold on the guard’s throat until the man passed out.

  “Sacred cats, Reid,” Quinn answered in kind, grabbing the blade from his brother and taking it to the lock. “You smell worse than a rotting ceffyl floating in the shadowed marshes.”

  “He looks about your size. Want his clothes?” Reid asked.

  Quinn took the unconscious guard and dragged him into the cell. “Where’s Tori?”

  “Myrddin’s forcing her to do some kind of experiment for him. Come on,” Reid ran down the long hall. Quinn didn’t bother to get dressed as he followed naked behind him. Suddenly, Reid stopped and motioned.

  Quinn sniffed, moving forward. Claws drew from his fingers. His heart fell from his chest. Fear like he’d never known it gripped him in its clutches. He smelled blood, Tori’s blood.

  37

  “No,” Tori screamed, shaking her head as she tried to throw her body between Grant and the Var guard. Her eyes flew to Lord Myrddin. “Stop, we’ll do it. We said we’ll do it. I wasn’t complaining. But we need better equipment.”

  Lord Myrddin’s brow rose on his rigid face. Tori pointed at the guard. A low growl sounded in the back of the man’s throat.

  “I don’t know what he said, but all I asked for was better equipment,” Tori said, keeping between Grant and the Var.

  “But you can do it?” Lord Myrddin asked.

  Tori nodded. “Yes. I have to run some tests, but I can do it.”

  She wasn’t lying. The scientists who’d worked before them had completed their assignment, but they just hadn’t told Lord Myrddin about it. They had engineered the perfect biological killer, genetically altering the swampland’s natural vegetation to produce the black moss. They’d nicknamed it the Black Crawl, because it crept up slowly, spreading underground through the planet’s crust and mantle, sapping the soil of nutrients like a parasite. Already the entire planet could be infected with it. Soon crops would die, water would become undrinkable, and then the whole planet would be a dead zone. The scientists must have known that it would take at least a hundred years for the black moss to grow to such an extent before it could be detected above ground. It could’ve been why they ran away. No doubt Lord Myrddin wouldn’t have been happy with their time frame.

  “Back off,” Myrddin ordered the guard. The man instantly stepped back. The elder stepped forward, his claw extended from his index finger as he walked. His long purple cloak drifted behind him, fluttering. “How much time?”

  “A month,” Tori lied.

  Lord Myrddin sneered. He took his claw, slashing her face. Tori gasped, feeling the pain of the cut. She cupped her cheek in her hand, stumbling back. Again, he asked, “How much time?”

  Tori wasn’t so quick to answer. She swallowed. “I don’t...”

  “Three days,” Grant stated from behind her back. Lord Myrddin turned to the man. Tori shut her eyes tight. “A month with this equipment here, but we can most likely have it done in about three days if we get to that cave laboratory.”

  Tori knew Grant was right. Only at the cave could they stop the source of the moss and thus the contamination of the entire Var and Draig populations. Lord Myrddin was mad to think he could play God, choosing to kill one race and spare another. Biological weapons didn’t discriminate like people did.

  “Gather whatever you need,” Lord Myrddin stated.

  “Now?” Tori asked, blood seeping between her fingers from the cut.

  “Is that a problem, Doctor Elliot?” Lord Myrddin asked.

  “No, no problem.” Tori motioned to Grant and Vitto. They began gathering supplies.

  Suddenly, a loud roar sounded from the passageway. Tori blinked, turning to see Quinn running naked toward the cell. For a moment, she was stunned, unable to move from her spot on the floor as she watched him. His glorious body leaped into the air, shifting with tan fur as he aimed for Myrddin.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t rip your treacherous heart from your chest,” Quinn growled, remaining at a half shift. The elder turned, striking Quinn in the side to fight off the attack.

  “Quinn,” Tori yelled, looking around for a way to help him. It all happened so fast, she could hardly keep up. Lord Myrddin’s and Quinn’s bodies moved with liquid grace as they fought. Quinn shot forward, swiping at Myrddin’s neck and drawing a small bead of blood. Myrddin growled. His age and strength was pitted against the younger fighter’s passion. Quinn gained the upper hand, but barely. Myrddin’s claws hit his arm, drawing blood. The prince didn’t seem to notice.

  Tori screamed, ready to jump on Myrddin’s back and defend Quinn. She braced herself, ready for an opening. A guard went flying by the passageway behind the bars. Reid burst around the corner to help his brother against Myrddin.

  Their lecherous Var guard, forgotten in that brief moment of insanity, grabbed her from behind, holding an extended claw to her artery. The guard roared to get their attention as he angled Tori’s body for everyone to see. His voice a deadly growl, he said, “Let him go, or this one loses her life.”

  Tori shivered, panting, “Ah, Quinn.”

  “Step back,” the guard spat. His claw tapped against her flesh, and she was too scared to move. A weak sound left her throat. Her round eyes found Quinn’s steady gaze. She drew strength from him.

  Quinn’s face was hard, and she knew he was worried. With a loud growl, he let go of Myrddin. Tori whimpered again as the guard jostled her before him.

  Tori’s heart soared to know he’d come for her. But, she couldn’t go with him. Not now. She needed access to the cave laboratory, to the information stored there. The easiest way was for Lord Myrddin to take her there and give her access. If she left, he could possibly seal the cave off and dump the evidence. Then all hope for Qurilixen would be lost.

  The guard dragged her backward, until they were close to Lord Myrddin.

  “Come,” Lord Myrddin said to Vitto and Grant.

  “No,” Tori whispered. The Var growled in warning. “I don’t need them if we go to the cave. I can do the rest myself. You’ll travel faster with just one of us.”

  The guard yanked Tori out of the cell. She watched as Lord Myrddin locked all four men inside. Their piercing eyes followed them. Her lips trembled, as she mouthed the word, “Quinn.”

  “Don’t worry,” Lord Myrddin said to his new prisoners. His laughter was a cruel and heartless sound. She watched Quinn disappear from sight as she was pulled down the hall. “I’ll send my welcoming committee down to deal with you all in a moment.”

  Tori gasped, struggling to be free. The guard struck her in the back of the head, knocking her completely unconscious.

  38

  Quinn gripped the bars of the cell, shaking them violently. He watched in helplessness as Tori was again taken from him. Suddenly, her whimpers stopped. He froze, terrifie
d. He shook the bars with a renewed force, roaring in outrage. His only hope was that Kirill would find and stop Lord Myrddin in time.

  His heart thumped painfully in his chest. Her cheek had been marred with blood, and she was pale, too pale. But, Sacred cats, if she hadn’t looked good. Just seeing her alive gave him comfort.

  “Here.”

  Quinn turned to Vitto, who held out a lab coat. He looked down, realized he was still naked, and slipped the coat over his shoulders. “We need to get out of here.”

  “We’ve looked. That’s the only way,” Grant answered, pointing at the locked door.

  “We can’t just stay here. Tori…” Quinn began.

  “Is Kirill with you?” Reid asked.

  “Treven and Kirill are with Falke. He was being tortured. I told them to get him home. They’re gone.” Quinn swallowed. Again, he hit the bars, shaking them violently. “I have to get to Tori.”

  “We can’t,” Grant inserted. “Not yet.”

  Quinn turned on him in outrage. “What do you mean, we can’t?”

  Grant looked helplessly at Reid. Quinn was ready to pounce. Reid came forward and placed a hand on his brother’s arm.

  “What do you mean?” Reid asked, calmer.

  “Tori wouldn’t want us to. She knows what she’s doing,” Vitto said, hesitating as Quinn’s passionate eyes turned on him. “She still feels bad about Simon and she’s trying to protect us. Besides, Lord Myrddin’s taking her to the caves, to the laboratory there.”

  “The black moss is another biological weapon created by Myrddin’s scientists about a hundred years ago,” Grant interjected. Quinn exchanged a look with his brother. “It has spread beneath your planet’s surface, pretty much dormant, but its growth rate is starting to accelerate. First, it will contaminate your water and soil, eating away at it like a parasite, then your vegetation and then, finally, when it has nowhere else to go, it’ll begin to eat animals, us, anything organic that isn’t already dead. By that time, it will be everywhere. Anything that touches it will die. This planet will look like the shadowed marshes, but worse. Tori knows if she doesn’t stop it, this whole planet is dead. This stuff can lay dormant for hundreds of years. Nothing will ever thrive here again.”

  “How long have you known for sure?” Quinn asked. His heart beat in fear, fear for Tori, fear for his people. How could he choose between the two? His heart instantly said her, but he’d seen the way she’d mourned for Doctor Martens. If he saved her, only to watch everything else he loved die, she would die as well. She would never live with the guilt, and she’d possibly never forgive him. That quality, that selflessness, was one of the reasons he loved her.

  Quinn froze. He felt the color drain from his face. Love? Did he...? He took a deep breath, then another. Yes. He loved her. He did. He loved her. The truth smacked him in the chest for a fool. He should’ve known it all along, ever since the hall when she walked in on him and Linzi. He hadn’t been able to think of another woman since. It explained why he was crazy with thoughts of her, why she invaded every one of his dreams. He loved her. And he wasn’t able to save her.

  “After the initial tests we ran on the black moss, we suspected it was a threat, but we weren’t sure how critical or where it came from. We thought it might be an ecological mutation, which usually is harmless, if not a little annoying. Ecological mutations are normally the cause of a natural imbalance that’s easily corrected. But, then, when we saw the cave, we knew it was man-made.” Vitto crossed over to the table and lifted the up a stack of data. “Here’s all the information you need.”

  “But,” Quinn said, feeling helpless. He loved her. He loved Doctor Tori Elliot. He was going to lose her. His brain ran rampant as he tried to concentrate. He attempted to focus, tried to push her from his heart, but she wouldn’t go. This is what his father had meant. This was the insanity King Attor had always warned his sons about. Reaching forward, he took the data from Vitto, unable to read it as it blurred before his eyes. “We can’t risk her life, not for this. There has to be another way.”

  “Not in the time frame we have,” Vitto answered. The man looked pained by the admission. Quinn noticed his pale face and his shaking hands. This man cared for Tori, deeply. He’d been too jealous to realize the depth of it before.

  Reid stepped forward and gave him a questioning look. Quinn shook his head and refused to answer it. Now was not the time for one of Reid’s lectures. Lifting his chin and steeling himself, Quinn demanded, “Tell us everything.”

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  Tori stared at the underground lab, absently feeling the dried blood on her cheek. The wound was superficial, but it still ached. The moss looked thicker, blacker, than the last time she’d seen it. A strange smell was in the air. She was almost afraid to walk inside.

  “I’m curious, doctor, what is it they were working on for me?” Lord Myrddin asked, coming up behind her. He studied his hand, watching his claw grow and retract before his eyes. “Darts? A pill?”

  Tori took a deep breath and whispered honestly, “Death.”

  Lord Myrddin laughed.

  “Death of your whole planet.” Tori turned to him. The guard was outside, watching the entrance to the cave, so they were alone. “Unless I stop it, this whole planet will die and all that will be left for you to rule will be a wasteland of your own making.”

  “You fail to see the grand design, Doctor Elliot. Those who swear allegiance to me will live. That’s why I need an antidote as well as the disease.” His eyes turned to her, piercing into her, making her feel ill.

  “Diseases such as these can never be contained. They mutate, lay dormant for years. Soon the cure we have won’t be the right one.” Tori’s gaze pleaded with him. She moved as if to touch him, but pulled back. “Please, reconsider.”

  “Unless you help me, all your friends will die. Think of the hero’s welcome you’ll receive as you work for me, curing the poor Var peasants of their sickness. You’ll be famous, revered as a savior. You’ll have more power and respect than you could ever dream possible.” Lord Myrddin walked past her, and a predatory growl sounded in the back of his throat. She blinked, watching as a computer screen flipped over in the wall. It stood white and clean against the mossy background. The Var growled again, speaking in his native language. The computer turned on. Then, gesturing for her to proceed, he moved back.

  Tori’s steps were hesitant as she crossed over the floor. Her body shook. All around her the moss felt alive, like it twitched, straining for them. Lord Myrddin’s hand lifted to touch her cheek. He stroked her gently, running his fingers over her hair. His lips brushed over the cut, kissing it lightly. “Do this, Doctor Elliot, and you will have my protection. I will be king, and you will live like a queen.”

  “I can’t concentrate with you talking,” she said darkly, staring at the screen so intently that she couldn’t see it. Lord Myrddin chuckled and turned his back on her, undoubtedly confident that she wasn’t a threat.

  Tori glanced around for a weapon. Seeing a long bar on the ground, she grabbed it. Without a moment’s hesitation, she swung for Lord Myrddin’s head. Mid-swing, he turned, but was too late. The bar hit him in the temple. He stumbled to the side but righted himself. Tori swung again and again, thinking of Quinn trapped in the prison, as she hit him in the shoulder, the ribs, the wrist. She heard a bone crack and stopped.

  Lord Myrddin fell to his knees, dripping with blood. Tori gasped for breath, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Myrddin’s eyes were glazed when he looked up at her. Hesitating slightly, she swung again, hitting his head. She heard a crack, before watching him fall to the floor.

  “Oh, gods,” she gasped, getting nauseous. She panted, shaking violently at what she had done. The metal bar slipped from her fingers. She’d never hurt another living thing in her life. She didn’t think she had it in her. “Oh, oh, gods, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Swallowing, she hurried before the computer and skimmed through the data until she found was
she was looking for. The scientists had known what they’d done and had left her the clues to the cure. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure Lord Myrddin was still down.

  “A ring? They left a ring?” she mumbled, confused. Then, she remembered having taken a large metal circle off one of the desks. It would be at the palace.

  Lord Myrddin moaned behind her. She spun on her heels to look down at him. His hand shot out to grab her ankle. He moaned again. To her horror, the black moss spread over his face and body, drawn to the wounds on him. She kicked and his weakened grip loosened. He screamed as the moss enveloped him.

  Tori ran from the lab, blindingly trying to see across the darkened cave. Hearing footsteps approaching, she hid behind a rock. The guard passed her, his body outlined by the light coming from the lab as he moved inside. Tori made a run for it, bumping and tripping her way until she saw the lighted entrance. Her limbs shook as she pulled herself up through the hole.

  “Stop,” the guard shouted behind her. Tori ran faster, trying to make the entrance to the cave. She stumbled through the large cavern to the narrow opening that would lead outside. “You gwobr, get back here!”

  Tori paused at the entrance. It was a long way down. Before she could turn back around a hand pushed at her from behind, knocking her out of the cave. She fell through the air, screaming as she plummeted to her death.

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