by Treva Harte
The two other women of the castle’s council scuttled to her side and began to whisper. Ulrich’s glare trained itself on Ara. She held her chin up, but she could feel her palms begin to sweat a bit. Ara was very aware that the only thing she had to hide her perspiration was body paint. Good Goddess. She had just insulted the most powerful male in their region. A male who was supposed to have intercourse with her for the next week.
Would the Council ever stop those endless deliberations? Ulrich’s glare didn’t cease the whole while. Everything, from his coppery, braided hair down to his tree-trunk-sized legs, bristled with annoyance. Maybe with something even more frightening than annoyance. He wouldn’t hurt her, would he? Males were supposed to confine their hostilities to other males. But Ulrich was so particularly large and so particularly hostile. Ara forced herself not to shift her feet nervously, but time began to feel as if it was carried by a very slow turtle.
The Eldress broke free of her Council. At last! Ara could have sobbed with relief. The older woman walked to Ulrich, a tentative smile on her face.
“Champion,” the Eldress began.
“I won’t have her.” Ulrich crossed his arms. “Lady Ara is no lady and not worth my efforts.”
Maryam clamped her hand over Ara’s mouth again.
“Very well.” The Eldress bowed her head in respect. “We would not force her on you. We offer an alternative.”
“What?”
“We have another available female. She is a bit older than the others but she was the last female in our castle to bear children. Three children. One of them was female, a blessed and rare event among us.” Maryam made a noise in the back of her throat before she dropped her hand. “We offer you Lady Maryam in the Lady Ara’s stead.”
“Wha--” Maryam clapped a hand to her own mouth.
Ara fought her laughter. Maryam had been retired from giving favor after the birth of little Stefani almost six years ago--a suitable reward for such a wonderful event.
But who could argue with the Eldress’ public announcement? Especially now that Ulrich was turning his angry gaze from Ara to Maryam, beginning to smile.
“I accept your compromise.”
Chapter 2
Outside Castle M’Cee, Mio walked haltingly toward the snare and grumbled softly when he saw it was empty. Maybe he was losing his skill. He damned well better not be, or a cold and hungry winter was coming. There wasn’t anyone but himself to rely on. When you weren’t part of the pack, you had to depend on what you could scrounge for yourself.
He kicked a few more leaves over the trap, ready to move on, when he heard a noise. He slid back toward the shelter of the trees, his hand quietly working his knife free of its sheath.
A slight youth stumbled out from the hidden exit. Mio let out a small, soundless whistle of surprise. He’d been sure no one else knew about the exit he’d discovered years ago. The electronic gate and shocks had kept him from trying to enter, but he knew what it was. Every castle had at least one secret exit, but no one ever came out.
At least until now.
Mio craned his neck for a better look. The person was dressed like a boy, but he knew better. Only members of the Castle M’Cee could get out safely from this exit. Besides, the--the female didn’t walk like a boy. She seemed uncomfortable in her clothing.
“Blast it!” She tripped over a root. One silvery arm reached to catch her fall. “That hurts, damn it.”
Mio grinned even while he swallowed hard. Her voice didn’t sound like a boy’s either, though she could curse like one.
A woman. He’d actually found a woman. Ever since he’d been overeager as a teen and crushed his foot in a melee to win a lady’s favor, he’d known he would never win any contests. He wasn’t even accepted among the men since he had lost his mobility. There should never be the chance of a woman for him.
But the fates were giving him another try. Despite the odds against it--hell, there were only a handful of women on this accursed planet and far too many eager men--he had found a woman. Unprotected, unsuspecting…
Mio shifted his aching foot slightly.
Now all he had to do was capture her. How bright were women, anyhow? It didn’t matter. He would outsmart her. He knew the territory, he had surprise on his side. He had about seven years of lust to deal with.
He wouldn’t disappoint the beneficent fortune that had given him this chance.
“Hello.” The voice made Jewel’s eyes widen.
Blast it, would nothing go right outside the castle walls? For years she’d secretly yearned to try the world. This world was a bit more trying than she had originally believed, though. From the castle the green trees below had looked inviting and mysterious. Up close, the hanging branches dripped water and menaced those who weren’t paying attention. She’d already whacked her head on one. Roots jutted out of the ground and tripped the unwary.
She gave the leafy canopy over her another quick glance, though she should be keeping her eyes on the owner of the voice. Incredible. Despite its imperfections, the outside still amazed her. Everything was big. So much bigger than it looked when you stared down from a tower. Greener, more beautiful. More dangerous. And there was so much more of it than she’d imagined. So much more of everything.
How would she ever make her way? Jewel wished her instructions made sense. She couldn’t decipher her map--though admittedly it was hard to map a route neither Castle Bloomingdell nor M’Cee knew.
The man made a slight noise. Idiot! She needed to keep her attention from wandering. But Goddess, she didn’t need one more problem! One more bigger-than-she-expected problem. This male could easily overpower her if she wasn’t careful.
Careful and calm. She needed to remain calm.
“Hello.” She pitched her voice a bit lower than she was used to. How dare a man show up seconds after she had managed to get out? She’d truly expected to be undetected while she headed for Bloomingdell. Truthfully, she hadn’t had time to think about much of anything before she ran.
“New here?” He smiled at her.
What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to act? She’d seen a male during her time of favor and a few more when they were permitted into the protected part of the castle. What did men do around other men?
She had no idea.
“Yes.” If she kept her sentences short, she ought to be safe. Jewel could feel the daggers resting in her boots. If she had to use the weapons, she would.
The male before her looked harmless enough. He seemed very young with that slow, sweet smile of his. In fact, he looked almost cherubic with his tumbling curls and innocent eyes. This one obviously hadn’t fought much, since he had none of the scars most men displayed. He might have looked the epitome of untouched youth and beauty except for one jarring note. His foot dragged as he walked toward her.
His leg was twisted. The healer in her wanted to inspect his injury. His mouth firmed a little too tightly when he put weight on his foot. There were things you could do to ease pain if nothing else…
Jewel caught herself. No. She wasn’t a healer right now. She was a male. As far as she knew, there were no male healers. Of course, she knew nothing about their society. Surely, someone had to stitch up the wounds from their boorish tourneys.
She shook her head. She had to keep her mind on the current problem and ignore the host of other concerns in her head. Perhaps she’d been kept sheltered and safe too long, but she just didn’t feel as nervous as she should. The wounded male looked so harmless and friendly…but one never knew about men. All the stories of past male ferocity that women had passed down over the years must have some truth to them.
“I’m Mio. Who are you?”
Jewel stared. She hadn’t even provided herself with a male name. Idiot! Jewel would never do. Her mind went blank.
Her fish-eyed goggling obviously encouraged him. He moved closer. Before she could get her mind around a new name, he sprang.
“Ugh!” Jewel fell backward.
/>
“Got you, woman.”
Jewel would have slapped herself if she had time. He knew what she was. Obviously he wasn’t such an innocent after all. Of course. He was a man.
Then again, she was no innocent, either.
Jewel used the momentum from her fall to raise herself up from her shoulders, swinging her legs to kick up high, using her hard boots to hit viciously at the man’s weak leg. He howled and staggered. She rolled forward again and leaped to her feet.
Jewel pulled the knife out, jabbing blindly. To her horror, he didn’t back away like a sensible person. Instead he grunted, sidestepped and flung up one arm, knocking her knife aside.
“Huh!” He hurled them both forward, this time slamming her up against a tree.
“Listen to me--” He tried to speak while holding her body tightly between the sapling and his own body. She squirmed, desperately. He chuckled. “All right, don’t listen. I don’t mind so long as you do that again.”
Jewel scowled. Blast him, the man was growing his male part against her crotch while she struggled. Rather a large part from what she could tell. She squared her jaw and looked him in the eyes, trying to ignore the bottom half of him.
They were intense dark eyes. His face was so close to hers that she could study him in a way she’d never done to any man. He had the beginning of stubble on his jaw. His dark hair was long and had come unbound from their exertion. One strand had fallen forward, fastened itself to his mouth. His lips were full and parted slightly. His chest was firm against hers although it rose and fell quickly as he gulped for air. He smelled of male sweat and excitement…
Idiot twice over! Jewel realized she was trembling. Not from fear. A sudden tingling shot from her pussy through her whole body. Oh, she knew that tingling. She’d felt this way before but never from a man touching her. How delightful. All the books and songs hadn’t been lies after all. Men could make you feel wild.
No. Absolutely not. Now was not the time to get aroused by their closeness, even if the male was.
Think. She had to think, not react.
Deliberately, Jewel relaxed her body. She let his erection rest snugly against her, refusing to let the rough movement of his penis bother her.
“Enjoying yourself?”
That innocent smile of his made her mouth water even though the grin hid a wolfish spirit. “Very much, thank you.”
“Enjoy this, then!” She slammed the heel of her palm hard up against his face. He twisted away, so she just missed the throat she’d aimed for and hit his jaw solidly. His head slammed back for a moment. That moment was what she needed.
She finally had her knee free and she slammed that into his stomach. She would have preferred his balls, but he had enough agility to avoid that. Still, his stomach worked well enough. He doubled over. She pulled away from his grip and ran.
Finally the self-defense techniques every women practiced from the time they were small had worked. But they also went against all her healer training. Help, don’t harm.
“He bloody well was going to harm me!” Her back ached from where it had hit the ground.
She pushed herself to run faster. Her mind knew he couldn’t catch her with that leg but, despite the reassurance, her adrenaline screamed for speed. The air tore into her lungs as she raced. Just a little more. She was almost free--
Seconds later, her legs went out from under her yet again. Jewel shrieked. The second knife fell from her other boot. A noose tightened around her ankles as she dangled, head down and helpless, caught under a tree branch. Snared.
* * * * *
“She offered me to him after all these years! Without even asking me!” Maryam paced through Bloomingdell’s presentation room.
“It was an emergency,” Ara soothed.
“There would be no emergency if you hadn’t said what you did!” Maryam snapped.
“Whether I said anything or not, the problem is still there. Face it, Maryam, you’re the last female in the castle to have children and you’re getting a little long in the tooth for such things.”
“Thanks so much,” Maryam growled. She began to scrub her face. “I get flung at some man without any preparation. I wasn’t even presented properly. Then you insult me on top of it all.”
“Sorry, Maryam. It’s not that you aren’t beautiful--”
“Don’t lie. Look at me! It’s a wonder Ulrich had any interest in the exchange at all.” Maryam made a face at her mirrored reflection. “I need some body paint, quickly.”
“Is that all that concerns you? Just that you aren’t being presented properly to give favor?”
“It’s the only thing I can do anything about right now. Braid my hair, Ara. Use some of the silver thread to twist in it.” Maryam began to paint her eyelids dark blue.
Ara paused. Maryam’s dark hair would look impressive with silver streaks throughout. Others had naturally multi-streaked hair. Ever since the Great Explosion, the resulting multiple mutations had changed both skin and hair colors. Maryam’s hair and skin were pure, all one dark rich tone. Most women would have been proud to keep it that way if they had the chance.
“You really are attractive, Maryam. You don’t need to add more enhancements,” Ara told her. “Ulrich will be delighted with you, just as he should be.”
She got a sniff from Maryam in response.
“Hurry, Mama!” Stefani yelled outside the door. “The man is here. He looks really big and mean.”
“Nooo!” Maryam looked a little desperate. “My raspberry tea…I need my leaves.”
“Why?” Ara began to look around. Clothing was scattered everywhere, the aftermath of Maryam hastily readying herself.
“I always use them before the time of favor. Our last healer told me they would help me conceive.”
“I know you can’t abide it, but that’s why we all started drinking sage tea. Before her Great Departure, Minna told us it would help our pregnancy. I wager she’d have known what to do about the lack of babies around here.”
“Well, she was a fine healer but she’s of no help right now. The Council will have to figure out what to do about the babies. In the meantime, where is my tea?”
“Mama!” Stefani whined outside. “He’s pacing and scowling. Scary!”
“Tell him just a moment, baby!” Maryam called. “Ah! Here is my packet.” She ripped the tiny paper apart.
“You’re going to brew tea now?” Ara wavered between exasperation and amusement. “You have a man out there!”
“No. I have some powder you can sprinkle in food--oh, I don’t have time to explain. Why is everyone always so impatient?”
“Maaaamaaa!”
“Oh, blast it!” Maryam screwed up her face and swallowed from the small packet. “Ewww, foul! Blech!” She choked and spat and gulped the raspberry leaf powder down. Ara shuddered with her. “This had best help…if it doesn’t make me throw up first.”
“Now, that would be attractive.” Ara tried not to smirk. “Ulrich would remember your favor forever.”
“Shut up,” Maryam snapped. “Remember, you owe me for this. I’m thirty-seven years old. Much too old for such shenanigans.”
Maryam twisted at her anklet nervously, then straightened her back and strode out the door, the anklet’s bell chiming with each step.
* * * * *
“Now I do have you, woman.”
She didn’t answer. Mio limped forward, trying to ignore the pain in his thigh. He’d known women could be exciting. Now he knew women were also dangerous. Mio stopped a safe distance from where she hung.
“I could cut you down, you know.” He waited.
She thrashed forward once, arms outstretched, but he could tell she’d already realized her situation was hopeless. Her reach didn’t stretch close enough to his body to worry him. Her hands dropped as she realized the situation, too.
“What do I have to do?” The woman’s voice sounded flat. Defeated.
It might be a trick. Mio almost hoped it was. He’d ra
ther liked the feisty swearing she’d done before--and the struggle they’d had before she injured him.
“What will you offer?” During his stumbling chase after her, Mio had decided on his course of action. The woman could outrun him. She might even be able to outthink him…sometimes. He wouldn’t try to overpower her since it might not be possible. But there were other ways to bind someone to your will. He’d try listening and learning to find the best way.
“I don’t have anything.”
“No?” Mio eased himself down to the ground, waiting in a half-crouch for what the woman would say next.
“Nothing except…me.”
Mio kept his voice grave and considering, not a bad feat for someone who was inwardly jumping with glee. “If I took you, what would I get?”
“I wouldn’t run away. Or try to knife you. If we made a deal.”
Mio waited some more. Apparently one had to be patient with women. He rubbed his thigh slightly as he listened to the stillness. How long could the woman dangle there without talking? The stories he’d heard said women loved to talk.
It took longer than he expected for her to finally give in. “My name is Jewel. I have a mission. I need to get to Castle Bloomingdell. Do you know where it is?”
Mio frowned. The Bloomingdell keep was tiny, hardly worth a thought. He could barely remember it. M’Cee was far grander and more important. Why was the woman—Jewel--risking herself for such a flyspeck of a place?
“I was there once a long time ago. I still remember the way. Probably.”
“Could you take me there now?” She held out her hand, pleadingly.
Mio tried to hide his surprise.
“You’d trust me to get you safely through the forest, and past the wild animals and men and plants that might harm you?” Did she have any idea how dangerous the journey would be?
“Not really. That’s why I thought to bargain with you.” Jewel swung herself up, a truly acrobatic trick, and hung onto the rope with both hands. Mio sighed. She was clever and lithe and probably quite untrustworthy.
