Tamsin's Conquest

by Mary Auclair

  Surprise hit her and Tamsin looked outside the door, past Isov’s large shoulders. There were five more Tellurian warriors in the hallway. Their faces were tense and the look in their eyes was dangerous. This sobered her and she immediately understood the danger.

  “I just need to know he’s safe.” She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, unable to stop them from dripping down her cheeks. “I can’t stay there, doing nothing.”

  Isov opened his mouth to no doubt say something soothing, something designed to send her back inside the security of the royal wing. Before he had a chance to say it, an explosion burst open the exterior wall of the hallway, twenty feet from where they stood.

  The world turned to rock dust and sound as she felt Isov’s body falling protectively over hers.

  Tamsin lay crushed under Isov’s large form until he regained his senses and held his weight on his elbows. He shot wild glances around while still protecting her under him. Tamsin twisted and tried to see but from under the large warrior’s body, she was unable to get much information.

  All of a sudden, the wall of flesh lifted from her and Isov pulled her to her feet by her arm. He pushed her body against the wall in a protective stance but she was able to see when she bent around his large back. Her mouth opened in a silent scream when she saw the running figure of Jareth coming in their direction. His face was focused on Isov and her, his mouth set into a grim line. Behind him ran a group of Tellurian warriors, looking as forbidding and determined as their king.

  “What happened?” Isov asked as Jareth reached their level.

  Jareth ignored his friend and opened his arms to Tamsin as she rushed into them. He held her against his chest as she buried her face into the warmth and comfort of his skin. After giving her a second of comfort, he grabbed her chin and lifted it to gaze into her eyes.

  “Are you unhurt?” Mesmerizing blue eyes bore into hers.

  “I’m fine. What happened?”

  Jareth turned his face from Tamsin to face his warriors but kept his arms wrapped around her shoulders. The Tellurians’ faces were somber and she noticed a few of them even had blood splattered on their skin.

  “The Zurlan attacked us this morning, landing in force on the beaches surrounding the Marusha castle. They want to steal my Ajena and instigate a civil war amongst our people.” Jareth turned to face Isov.

  “Where did the lizards get the wits and guts to attack us? They were never this brazen before,” Isov said, stepping shoulder to shoulder to Jareth. “They must have had help from the inside.”

  “House Vallerisc is leading a coup against House Sikosh with my cousin, Creel, at its command.” Jareth’s voice barely contained his fury as he barked the answer. “All the Sikosh forces are concentrated on pushing back the assault on the capital.”

  “I am with you, Jareth.” Isov brought his fist to his chest. “To the Death.”

  “Thank you, my friend.” Jareth regarded his friend and brought his fist to his chest, then turned to the rest of his warriors and repeated the gesture. “Today, we fight. Tomorrow, you will each be rewarded for your loyalty.”

  A deafening thump of flesh hitting flesh filled the hallway as Jareth’s warriors mirrored his gesture. He stood straight, meeting every warrior’s gaze individually. Looking at his handsome, strong profile, Tamsin saw just how respected a leader Jareth was. He commanded respect and loyalty from his warriors without even having to ask. They followed him, their lives in his hands, of their own free will.

  “Follow me, my Tamsin.” Jareth turned to her and planted a short, passionate kiss on her lips. “Do not leave my side, no matter what happens.”

  “I love you.” Tamsin gripped Jareth’s arm and stared at him. “I’ll be right beside you.”

  A powerful blast shattered the far wall of the room. Rock dust invaded the air and a wild blow hit her body like a fist. Tamsin went flying off the ground and soon her back hit the wall. Her head banged against the unforgiving rock and flashes of white invaded her vision. She was disoriented and struggled to focus, her eyes searching for Jareth amidst the cloud of dust. She vaguely registered another heavy body blasting against the wall close to her. Fear shot through her at the idea of Jareth being injured.

  Close to her side, Jareth’s voice cursed loudly and strong hands closed around her body. She was lifted from the ground and felt the world turn upside down as she was carried over broad shoulders. Shots rang through the room and more rock dust filled the air. Tamsin coughed and her painful head struggled to comprehend what had happened.

  A sharp pain from nowhere buzzed through her upper arm and she screamed. The pain dissipated some of the fog and she watched as the ground flew in front of her eyes. She was bent over Jareth’s shoulder as he ran fast along the short corridor to the door leading out of the royal wing. They were alone together, no other warriors in sight. The explosion had separated them from the main force. This was bad news, very bad news.

  Jareth showed no sign of being slowed by her weight, his strong legs pumping up and down. The pain in her arm screeched and lucidity bit deep into her flesh. The world snapped into place and she stared aghast at the blood dripping onto the immaculate white floor.

  Bright red droplets made flowering designs on their paths. There was a lot of blood, a lot more than there should have been, if it was only for her small injury. Understanding flashed in her mind. The remaining blood was Jareth’s. He must have been hurt badly. The idea of Jareth being seriously injured made her stomach twist with fear.

  “Jareth.” Her voice shook with horror. “You’re injured.”

  Jareth stopped and the ground materialized beneath her feet again. He held her waist and his face came in front of her own. His handsome features were contorted and she realized in a daze that it was dread, dread for her. He wasn’t looking into her eyes but surveying her body for injuries. His hand stopped on her arm and as she winced, his fingers became as light as a feather.

  “You are injured but it is not serious.” His voice shook with fury. “Do not worry, I will protect you.”

  “What happened?” Her voice sounded small and she realized she was inches away from shock. “You’re hurt. You need help.”

  “The Marusha capital is under attack. I am not sure but I do believe it is the Zurlan people.” Jareth’s eyes locked with hers. “Are you able to walk?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “You need to stay as close to me as possible.” His mouth crushed hers in a fleeting, passionate moment. “I will get us out of this, my Ajena, I vow this to you.”

  Jareth grabbed her cheeks between his large hands and stared at her until she nodded. Then he turned and they inched their way along the wall. The staircase was only about twenty feet away but it looked much farther through the clouds of flying rock dust. She clung to Jareth’s arm and tried her best not to slip. Her gaze shot to the door back to the royal wing and she realized it was completely destroyed, obliterated by one of the blasts. She should have been in there. This wasn’t a random hit.

  They made it to the staircase before another blast pulverized most of the outer wall. The ground shook underneath her feet and she lost her balance. She landed on Jareth’s large back and his muscular arm prevented her from falling into the stairs. Her heart raced so fast she was sure it was going to explode out of her chest and run away on its own. As she slumped against Jareth’s back, her eyes locked onto a large gaping wound on his side. It was big and bleeding profusely, the red blood covering much of his lower side and sliding down his naked, wet legs. It was a wonder he was still on his feet.

  “They do not seem to have landed on the tower. We can take the long way around.” Jareth panted and his face twisted with pain but he seemed steady on his feet. “We have to reach the warriors’ wing before the invaders get inside.”

  Jareth suddenly jerked his head to the side as if he was listening to something. Then she heard it. Voices were coming from the lower level, where the bedroom used to be.

>   “No bodiesss here either,” a strange voice said. It talked with a low hiss, slurring sounds as Tamsin pictured a snake would. “Sssearch the cleansssing room. I’m taking the stairsss.”

  “He wasss in bed. He wasss pulverizzzzed and her with him,” a second voice answered, his speech of a similar pattern. “There won’t be a body to find.”

  “We need proof. He won’t pay if we can’t prove the female wasss dessstroyed with him.”

  A movement made her turn her head to Jareth, in time to see his face lose its shimmer and turn a dull mustard color. He stumbled and she rushed to his side, pushing one large arm around her shoulder to help him stand. His weight crushed her, threatening to send them both sprawling to the floor, but Jareth regained his balance at the last minute. His face tensed with concentration and he gathered his strength. He lifted his arm from her shoulder and gripped her hand again. They turned the corner and stumbled through a large opening in the wall left by the explosion and inched along a long windowless corridor. A second later, the sun blinded her as they stepped onto an outside platform.

  “Run, my Tamsin.” Jareth pushed her in front of him. “Get to the warriors’ wing. They will protect you with their lives.”

  “What about you?” She looked into his eyes and saw resolve there. Every fiber of her body screamed for her to do as he said and save herself but she couldn’t. “I’m not leaving you.”

  “I will be fine. I need to know you’re safe if I am to fight at my best.”

  Long seconds stretched as her eyes bore into Jareth’s stare. Finally, she nodded. She turned and ran, her short legs pumping as fast as they could. The platform wasn’t very large by Tellurian standards but she was panting when she reached the other side. Without a second of hesitation, she grabbed the large handle and pulled. It took all her strength but the heavy door began to slowly move.

  Tamsin turned to yell for Jareth but no sound escaped her mouth. His strong body shone like polished metal under the sun and he held his longsword in both hands. She never even noticed he’d grabbed his weapon during their escape. His feet were spaced as wide as his shoulders and he flexed his knees, ready to pounce on his attackers. Everything in his posture screamed death and violence. He was a magnificent warrior, a golden perfection, trained and lethal. Despite all that impressive display of skills, Tamsin’s gaze fastened on the bleeding gash at his side. He was seriously injured, with blood oozing from the wound in a steady flow.

  She opened her mouth to scream, to tell him to get his golden butt to the door, but it was too late. Two large shadows loomed from the dust and their enemies stepped onto the platform to meet Jareth.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Zurlans, what you are doing is a declaration of war.” Jareth’s voice boomed, betraying nothing of his pain.

  “Where isss the female, King Jareth?” the first Zurlan asked. “We promissse to end her quickly and painlesssssly.”

  “Nobody touches my Ajena.”

  The first shadow leaped in the air toward him but Jareth took a step to the side, too quick for his attackers to follow. The Zurlan tumbled outside the cloud of dust and Tamsin couldn’t help a small scream. They were nothing like any other alien she’d encountered before. Tall, at least a foot over Jareth’s impressive height, with their long, skinny limbs covered in green scales. Their heads, atop long, agile necks, were oblong, ending in vicious snouts fringed with a row of sharp conical fangs. Their eyes were large and reptilian, sporting elongated pupils and glowing green irises. They didn’t carry weapons of any kind. It should reassure her but it didn’t. They didn’t need a sword or a blaster. They had enough natural weapons as it was.

  Long, curved talons extended as deadly as butchers’ knives from each of the three fingers in their hands. Their long tails, waving back and forth nonstop, were spiked with curved blades that appeared sharp enough to slice through bones. Jareth looked so alone in front of the two monsters that Tamsin wanted to rush and help him but she was useless.

  Tamsin watched, frozen and breathless, as Jareth and the two monsters circled one another. Jareth held his ever-present longsword straight in front of his body and the two monsters had their talons extended. The monsters hissed at him and in a blur so fast she wasn’t sure her eyes saw it clearly, they leaped at him. Jareth answered by bowing down under his assailants in a fluid, elegant motion that took her breath away. As soon as the reptilian monsters landed behind him, Jareth turned and swung his longsword in a fluid, circular motion. A sickening snapping sound pierced the air and an ugly Zurlan chest was sliced open. A tall reptilian body fell and writhed on the ground inside a growing pool of bright-orange blood.

  Tamsin’s hands were clenched so hard her fingernail dug into the meat of her palms and her flesh screamed in pain, but it registered as a faraway fact, somewhere in the back of her mind.

  A fierce pride ignited in her when Jareth stepped over the dead Zurlan body to stand in front of the remaining attacker. The remaining Zurlan paused, retreating to the edge of the hallway. Its colleague’s demise clearly had it thinking twice about launching at Jareth.

  “Who sent you?” Jareth yelled. “Tell me who!”

  The Zurlan hissed at Jareth, then turned and ran, disappearing down the dust-covered hallway in a flash of green scales. Jareth took a step to follow it, then stopped. He stayed still for a few seconds, then turned to the fallen Zurlan. It was no use—the lizard beast looked up at the sky with glassy, unseeing eyes. It was dead.

  “Jareth!” Tamsin’s voice sounded so small she was sure he didn’t understand.

  Jareth turned and looked at her, then took a few steps toward her. He stopped, blinked and shook his head, as if to chase away a bothersome insect. His knees buckled and he fell, facefirst, on the ground. His body hit the stone with a loud thud.

  Tamsin’s feet were beating the ground before she could formulate a thought. She was at his side in a flash and with so much effort she thought her muscles would snap in two, she succeeded in turning his heavy body. She cradled his head on her lap and her fingers trembled as she ran them along his square jaw.

  “Jareth, please, don’t die on me.” Her voice broke and a sob escaped her lips. “I can’t live if you die.”

  She was dazed to find truth in her words. The idea of losing him left her with the feeling of having a limb amputated or a vital organ removed.

  “Tamsin.” Jareth’s eyes fluttered open and his beautiful eyes fixed on her. “You have to leave. The Zurlan will attack again. Leave, save your life.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” She bent and landed a soft kiss on his lips. “You have to get up, I can’t carry you.”

  “I’m sorry, my Ajena.” His face twisted in pain. “There isn’t enough time. Go.”

  “Listen to me.” Her voice shook with anger. “I’m not going anywhere. If you don’t get up right now, we’ll both die here. Your choice.”

  Jareth’s mouth twisted in a scowl and she saw he wanted to argue. She bent and touched another kiss to his mouth, only this time, she bestowed a hard, merciless caress. Her lips crushed his and her tongue pushed inside his mouth, claiming it as hers. Strong hands gripped her shoulders, then her neck, keeping her close. She pulled back, forcing their mouths apart, and glared into his eyes until her resolve melted into him. He understood. If he wanted to save her, he would have to save himself too.

  Jareth’s lips compressed, then he nodded once. Elation filled every inch of her body. He would fight. He was strong and he would live. She wasn’t going to lose him. Staring one last time at the gushing wound on his side, Tamsin slid her arm under his chest and pushed with all her might to help him stand. Jareth winced but not a sound passed his lips and he stood. His weight nearly made her lose her footing but she took a step in the direction of the warriors’ wing, then another, and another. Jareth seemed to regain some of his strength as they walked but she knew it wouldn’t hold long. Finally, they reached the door at the end of the hallway.

  She helped Jareth sit on t
he floor by the door. She needed all her strength to open it wide enough so his big body could pass through the opening. As soon as she did so, she turned to him. Her heart was beating in a crazy tattoo, knowing there wasn’t much time before the Zurlan blasted the royal wing again. She stared at Jareth’s slumped figure on the floor.

  One more look at him told her there was no help coming this way. His head was leaning forward on his chest, his eyes closed. A cold fist closed around her guts and she rushed to his side, her trembling hands running up his chest. Relief came when she found his heartbeat. He was still alive, even with all the blood loss. He was unconscious, though, and she was sure he wouldn’t be able to walk again. She rolled her fears in a dense little ball and pushed it down in the dark, bottomless pit where all her fears were shoved, to be forgotten forever. This was not a time for weakness and she wasn’t going to let Jareth down.

  “I won’t leave you, Golden Boy,” Tamsin said, gripping the much larger male from under his arms. “I just hope you realize I’m every bit as stubborn as you are.”

  Without further ado, Tamsin started to pull Jareth’s heavy body along the floor. Her legs were a raging inferno, the muscles straining to their breaking point, but she didn’t give up. She kept pulling Jareth along with her toward safety, until she was almost at the end of the long corridor isolating the royal wing from the rest of the castle.

  A group of tall Tellurian warriors stormed through the door, their swords brandished high above their heads. It didn’t take long for them to see Tamsin and her much larger charge. A large male with orange skin and blazing chocolate eyes touched her shoulder lightly.

  “You are an incredibly brave female, to have pulled him all this way to safety,” the male said. “I thank you from all my heart for saving my brother.”