by Sky Croft
“Me neither.” Shale turned on her side and draped an arm across Blake’s abdomen. “It would drive me crazy to know you were going off to be intimate with someone else.”
“You never have to worry about that.” With a hand on Shale’s neck, Blake drew her in for a soft, gentle kiss. “You’re all I want.” She tenderly caressed Shale’s cheek. “All I ever wanted.”
Shale’s smile showed she was genuinely moved by Blake’s words.
“Likewise, love.”
They spent several long, pleasurable moments exchanging kisses, then Shale rested her head against Blake’s chest, sighing contentedly when Blake began to run her fingers through her dark hair. Blake kept up the motion, knowing that it put Shale to sleep.
Shale pulled the blanket over them both. “I love sleeping under the night sky. Kale and I used to sleep outside often.”
“You still can,” Blake said. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Would you join us?” Shale slowly tickled Blake’s ribs. “If I asked you very nicely?”
Chuckling, Blake squirmed a little beneath the teasing fingers. “Well, I can’t say I’ve had much cause to sleep outside, but from what I’ve experienced so far,” she gave Shale a squeeze, “I must say I’m enjoying it immensely.”
Clearly pleased, Shale pressed her lips to Blake’s breast. “It’s best when the weather is nice, it’s not much fun in the rain.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Mm. Unfortunately.” Shale lifted her head and propped it up on an elbow, so they could look at one another. “One time, when Kale and I were young and stupid...”
Blake interrupted in her defense. “I can’t imagine you were ever stupid, Shale.”
“You might want to wait until after you hear this story to make up your mind.”
When Blake didn’t add anything further, Shale said, “Kale and I had planned a hunting trip. We’d been looking forward to it, so when we were advised to stay in the village as the weather was due to worsen, we ignored the advice and went anyway. We were only to be gone overnight, so didn’t see the harm. Besides, we were big, tough warriors. A bit of bad weather couldn’t hurt us.” Shale shook her head. “We noticed the dark, heavy clouds, swollen with the intent of rain, but still we kept going, not wanting to give up and turn around.
“We’d barely made camp when the skies opened, soaking us to the skin. We managed to find a cave and went inside, though we were unable to start a fire as any wood or kindling we gathered was sodden, so wouldn’t catch alight. We should’ve returned home, but didn’t want to accept defeat, didn’t want to be proven wrong, so we spent the night in the cave, trembling like a pair of frightened babes.” Shale raised an expectant eyebrow. “Go on, you can say it.”
“Warriors.” Blake didn’t accompany the word with the usual roll of her eyes. She was only concerned. “What happened?”
Shale chuckled. “We returned home early the next morning with a nasty chill, and spent the next two days in bed.”
“You poor thing.”
“It wasn’t all for nothing,” Shale said. “Our warrior pride took a good knock, but I learned that some things are more important.” Her gaze became reflective. “It’s probably one of the reasons I’m not as driven by my pride as other warriors are.”
Blake picked up on her singular noun. “And Kale?”
“It made her more driven to prove herself.”
“So, she missed the point completely,” Blake said, though not unkindly. “How you two can be so different, yet so alike is beyond me. And I still don’t think you were stupid, even after hearing that story. Misguided, maybe.”
“You give me too much credit, Blake.”
“No, you give yourself too little—another difference between you and Kale.” Blake lightly took hold of Shale’s chin. “But don’t worry. I’m here to keep you right.”
Shale grinned. “Is that so? Well I’d better not argue, you are my queen after all. A queen of queens, in fact.”
Blake pursed her lips at the name. “I’m going to order you to never say that again, that’ll stop you.”
Shale clamped a hand over Blake’s mouth, laughing when Blake playfully nibbled at her skin. “Please don’t. I like teasing you.”
Blake pried her fingers away so she could speak. “Uh-huh. I know that all too well.”
“Please?” Shale’s blue eyes locked onto green. “My Blake.”
Blake felt herself crumple under the phrase. “Ooh, I can see you getting whatever you want when you use that.” Her brow furrowed. “I shouldn’t have told you that, should I?”
“Nope. I’m going to take full advantage. It’s only fair, since you can simply order me to do what you wish.”
“When have I ever done that?” Blake admonished. “I was joking just now. I would never hold my power as queen over you in that way.”
“I know, Blake, of course I know that. But the fact remains you could. And I would have little option but to follow your wishes, no matter what they were.”
“I have a strong feeling you’d try and talk me round—try and convince me otherwise if you didn’t like the order.”
Shale smiled, a touch sheepishly. “Perhaps,” she said. “But not if you were serious. Not if your mind was made up.”
“Shale, I put my role of wife higher than that of being your queen. I’d like to think that I would never put you into a situation where those roles were reversed. I certainly wouldn’t wish such a thing.”
Looking satisfied by Blake’s response, Shale nodded. “That’s good enough for me.” She didn’t resist as Blake urged her head back down onto her chest, and began, once again, to stroke her hair.
“Get some rest, sweetheart. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow.”
“Night, my Blake,” Shale mumbled, sounding as if she were already half asleep.
Blake smiled softly, and laid an answering kiss on Shale’s temple.
She briefly wondered what the next few days would bring, and whether they would find Zephyra’s long lost urn. Soon her thoughts drifted, and she joined her wife in peaceful slumber.
SHALE SCRAMBLED FOR her footing, for anything that would stop her fall. A branch, a stone, anything she could get purchase on to halt her sideways motion. There was nothing close enough for her to grab, so she tumbled headlong into the water, cursing Kale loudly for her intentional shove.
The lake was deep even at its edge, overflowing with the excess rain from the recent storm.
Shale found herself completely submerged, yet still she could hear Kale’s riotous laughter. Her feet found the lake bed easily, and she straightened, rising to her full height. She broke the surface, and found that the water only came mid-torso, so she had no need to tread water.
“I can’t believe you did...I’m not even going to bother finishing that sentence.” Shale shook her mane of wet hair. “I can believe it. In fact, I should’ve seen it coming.”
Kale was too busy laughing to answer. She was bent double, holding her side as if she had a stitch.
“You’d better run, Kale,” Shale said as she waded toward her. “Because you’re going in next.”
“Ah, ah.” Kale held out her arm, tapping the bandage there. “Appollonia said to keep the burn as dry as I could, remember?” A smug smile formed. “You can’t do a thing about it.”
Shale narrowed her eyes, then squinted up at the dazzling, hot sun. “It’s lovely and cool in here.” She made a show of splashing water on her face, enjoying its refreshing feel against her overheated skin. “It’s a shame you can’t come in, Kale.”
“Your satchel will be going in if you’re not careful.” Kale had taken it from Shale mere moments before pushing her into the lake, on the pretense of wanting an apple.
Shale ignored her, knowing the threat was an empty one. It wouldn’t do for the supplies to get soaked.
“Why don’t we all go in?” Blake said. “There’s a rock over there where you could at least dan
gle your feet in, Kale.”
Kale nodded. “All right. Let’s leave our things here.”
Four travel bags and three sets of boots were set down in a clustered heap. But only Blake dove into the lake.
“Aren’t you coming in, Amber?” Shale said.
“No, I’ll stay with Kale.”
Kale shook her head. “There’s no need. Go and have fun.”
As Amber was about to protest, Kale simply scooped her up in her arms. “I insist.” Without further preamble, she dumped Amber into the lake. Amber came up spluttering. She was also laughing. “You know, Kale, you’re not the subtlest of people.”
Kale winked at her. “Make sure you dunk Shale for me.”
KALE OFFERED HER hand to Blake, hauling her out of the water and onto the large rock beside her.
Blake lay back against the boulder, sunning herself in an obvious attempt to dry out her clothes. After several moments, she said, “Do you know what it would mean if we found Zephyra’s urn?”
Kale smirked. “You would become one of the most renowned queens of our time?”
Blake scoffed. “That’s hardly my focus. I meant for the nation as a whole.”
Kale gave Amber, who was wrestling in the lake with Shale, a thumb’s up as she managed to submerge Shale beneath the water. Amber whooped in success, though an instant later she let out a startled yelp as Shale tugged her under. Her red curls disappeared from view, the water rippling from the ongoing tussle below.
Kale returned her attention to Blake. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough. We should reach the map’s destination tomorrow.”
“SHALE, CAN I talk to you about something? While we’re alone?”
Shale ceased her splashing and began to tread water in place. “Sure, Amber. What is it?”
“I don’t want to put you in an awkward position, but I’d appreciate an honest response. It’s regarding Kale.”
“All right.”
“Do you think she’ll ever want to get married?”
“That’s a difficult question.” Shale paused to consider her answer. “When Kale and Aeron began to discuss their joining, that’s when things started to fall apart, so I imagine Kale will shy away from the idea.”
“That’s what I thought,” Amber said. “And though I’m certain that I don’t want to push her into anything, I also know that...” She broke off with a sigh. “At your ceremony, you and Blake, it made me realize how much I wanted that for Kale and I.”
“Please don’t think that Kale isn’t committed to you, for I know she is. She loves you deeply, Amber. Kale was never half as happy with Aeron as she is with you.”
Amber produced a delighted smile. “Thank you for telling me that.”
“It’s true. And if Aeron hadn’t figured into her life, I suspect Kale would’ve already offered you her hand.”
“But surely Kale knows I would never do what Aeron did, demanding she choose between me or you. Haven’t I proven that by now?”
“Kale wouldn’t be involved with you otherwise. But fear is a strong motivator, and Kale was scarred deeply by what happened. I will say that before Aeron, Kale did indeed wish to get married, so given time, those feelings may yet re-emerge. It wasn’t that long ago Kale believed she’d remain single forever—look how that turned out.”
Amber chuckled. “I see your point.”
“Be patient. They say time heals all wounds. I think Kale will come around to the idea.”
Amber looked pleased by her words. “I’m not saying I need to get joined straight away. There’s no rush. I’m just saying as long as it happens at some point.”
“I believe it will.” Shale gave Amber’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Truly.”
With a smile, Amber reached up and patted Shale’s hand. “Thank you.”
Chapter Eight
“THIS HAS GOT to be the place. Look at those rock formations. I’ve never seen anything like it elsewhere.”
Blake pointed, though there was no need. They could hardly miss the strange gigantic stones that jutted up out of the earth—tall pillars stretching upward, some leaning against one another as if for support. The ground at the base of each column looked ruptured, so it appeared that the stones had clawed their way out of the earth, striving to reach the light of day. The pillars were crammed tightly together, like an ancient stone forest. Some were jagged, others smooth, all were of varying height and shape.
Blake imagined that in the dark, or even on a cold, overcast day, the place would seem eerie, and the mass of gray stone all around would only add to the gloom. But today, in the glow of the shining sun, the place was oddly beautiful, and had a somewhat sacred feel, like it was a secret sanctuary to one of the gods on Olympus.
Blake wondered whether she was projecting her feelings for Zephyra, mother to all Amazons, onto the place where she supposedly rested, where her urn was supposed to be hidden. A single glance at the others told her she was mistaken, for Shale, Amber, and even Kale looked awed, as if they too were struck by the sanctity of the place.
Blake took another look at the map, raising it slightly when Shale peered over her shoulder to study the drawing also.
“I think we should be a bit more to the right,” Shale said, her low tone conveying a respect for her surroundings.
Blake nodded, folded the map, and took Shale’s hand as she led the way forward, deeper into the vast cluster of stones. The problem they were encountering was the sheer number of pillars. The map hadn’t specifically identified any, no particular shape or structure had been drawn to indicate where they should now head.
The only thing the map showed was an odd circle, which had been shaded in. They had speculated on it being an entrance to a cave, but as they neared the exact located position, that theory vanished completely. There was plenty of stone surrounding them, but none of the numerous rocks even hinted at the shape of a cave, only more towering pillars, for as far as they could currently see.
Kale began to climb one of the slanted towers, obviously hoping to get a clearer view from the perch aloft.
Blake kept on walking, determined to search in every nook and cranny, even if it took her all day. “It has to be here, Shale. What have we missed?”
“We’ll keep looking. If there’s something here, we will find it.”
Blake stepped onto what she thought was solid ground, though suddenly found herself falling forward, plummeting down through the dirt and toward an inky black void below. Terrified, she called out Shale’s name, but had barely done so when a sharp pain erupted in her shoulder, and she was jerked to an abrupt halt.
“Kale! Amber! Get over here!” Shale yelled. “I’ve got you, Blake. I won’t let go.”
Blake realized that Shale had stopped her fall. The fact they’d been holding hands had likely saved her life. As she looked up, she saw that Shale’s grip on her hand was tenacious at best, the harsh pull of the fall had almost wrenched her from Shale’s grasp.
“Blake, you need to reach up with your other hand, grab my wrist.”
Blake stretched upward and gripped Shale’s wrist, gaining a firm hold.
Visibly relieved, Shale released a shaky breath. “I know you were keen to find the entrance, Blake, but this seems a bit extreme.”
Blake gave a short, tense laugh. “Gods, that was close.”
Amber suddenly slid to a halt beside Shale, flat on her stomach. She took hold of Blake’s arm, and between the two of them, they hauled Blake upward. Kale joined them a mere moment later, though Blake had last seen her halfway up one of the pillars, and they soon had Blake out of the hole.
Once away from the edge, Shale sat Blake down and embraced her. Blake felt herself trembling, the shock of what had almost happened beginning to sink in. Shale tightened her hold, and whispered soothing words of comfort in her ear. Amber rubbed Blake’s back in a silent offering of support.
When Blake regained her composure, she said, “I guess we’ve found the entrance.”
; “Talk about stumbling across it.” Kale smirked at Blake. “Nice work.”
“Next time, Kale, you can lead.”
Kale grinned and offered Blake a hand up. “You might want to watch where you place your feet in the future.”
Blake frowned in annoyance as she stood. “It was covered over with growth! The plants and foliage had hidden the hole completely. Even the mighty Kale herself would’ve fallen.”
Kale glanced amusedly to her twin. “Hear that, Shale? She thinks I’m mighty.”
Shale responded by shaking her head. “You do have a tendency to miss the point, Kale.”
Kale shrugged. “Only when I choose too. But it’s you who’s missing the point this time. All of you are.”
Shale raised a doubtful eyebrow. “How so?”
“It must’ve taken many years for the foliage to cover the hole, so it hadn’t been disturbed.” Kale snorted. “At least until Blake fell through it.” “Well excuse me for...”
Kale interrupted her. “I’m not having a dig at you, just think it through. You were the first to disturb the entrance in some time...” She trailed off, and it was, unsurprisingly, Shale who finished her sentence.
“Which means the bounty may still lie below, untouched.”
Blake felt hope ignite in her chest. “You know, Kale, I could kill you sometimes...”
“But?”
“But on occasion, and it’s rare, mind you, I think you’re a genius.”
“A mighty genius?” Kale appeared to consider the words, looking impressed. “Yep, sounds about right to me.”
Shale scoffed. “You forgot egotistical.”
“No one asked you!”
SHALE AND KALE used long, sturdy branches to clear the hole, stabbing through the foliage to find the outer perimeter, where it was safe to stand. Once the last of the scrub was removed, Amber and Blake joined them, and all four women peered down into the dark abyss below.
The hole, Shale assumed, would lead down to a cave system of some sort, though she couldn’t see down far enough to be sure. The hole itself was quite large. If she were to lay flat, arms and legs spread outward, the area she’d cover would be similar to the size of the circular hole. The shaft below, the same width as the entrance, was lined on all sides by rock, though it was natural, not man-made, which was why she presumed it might lead to caves.
