Timewalkers 2: Mairi

by Michele Chambers

  Chapter Eight

  Raiden was not at all pleased by the king’s offer of family and home to Mairi. His blood nearly boiled at the thought of her leaving him, staying in a palace like this one. Waited on hand and foot by the king’s servants while he fought for control of his restless nature, forced himself, due to his father’s protests, to remain on Qillius and rule. Alone.

  They’d ridden the Fire Beasts to one of the king’s many homes on the outskirts of the floating city, all the while planning their next move with the king and his captains. Now Yasra and the Fire Beasts circled the home, protecting it as they all prepared to invade the four-day Summit Festival in honor of the planet’s twin moons. A daylong procession would completely circle the city. And this evening, Apolo and the imposter king would be on public display. Easy targets.

  Herhma’s most loyal followers, his best and strongest supporters, had been locked away with him when the pretender took control of the crown. What the betrayer hadn’t counted on was Symon’s abilities, handed down through his Timewalker heritage, that allowed him to sniff out the rat immediately. Apparently, the new king had been both surgically and genetically altered to fool the city’s residents and its scanners. It had worked perfectly, except for Symon. But no one would’ve believed him.

  That’s where it had become tricky. How do you accuse the king of treason, when you’re the only one who knows he’s a fraud? How do you find your true father, when you don’t know where to look or whom you can trust? He’d asked Raiden for help, had given his friend the top-secret information so Raiden could plant the damning evidence in his own safe on Raelle. Raiden planned on being caught and sent to prison. They’d hoped the traitor would want royalty like him locked up out of the way, hoped he would lead them to the king.

  The plan worked, thanks to Mairi. Now he was in love with a woman he’d just met. It was insanity, but her solemn eyes, her noble bearing, the pride that nearly made her insult the king, all conspired against him. He wanted to make her laugh, to take the burden from her shoulders and protect her from the world. And she wouldn’t allow it.

  That made him want to strangle her. Even now, she was hiding weapons beneath the flowing skirt of her strapless black gown, preparing for this evening, trying to think of a way to save everyone around her.

  “I’m going to lock you in a closet until this is over.” The soft curve of her neck lured him to her side. Placing a light kiss on her skin, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and met her gaze in the floor-length mirror they faced. They were a striking couple, her darkness to his light. Both dressed in formal black with a hint of sadness in their eyes, the couple he saw in the mirror looked ready for a funeral, not a party.

  “No you’re not.”

  “I want to.” He buried his face in the wildness of her hair.

  “I know. But I’m not made of glass, Raiden. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it my whole life.” There they were again, the too-serious eyes that nearly broke his heart.

  “Don’t you think it’s time to let someone else take care of you?”

  She tried to pull out of his embrace, but he held fast. “Are you saying you want the job?”

  “Yes.”

  Out of nowhere, tears welled up in her eyes to twist him into knots. “I love you, Raiden, but I don’t need a keeper.”

  “Yes, you do.” He nibbled his way to her ear, a strange hollow place in his soul suddenly filled by her soft declaration. “You’re planning something; I can see it in your eyes. I can feel the tension pulsing through your body, through mine. What are you up to, Mairi?”

  “I came here to stop the war, not just to save you.” A small tremor raced through her muscles. Raiden increased the ferocity of his sensual assault. Tracing the curve of her waist, her ribs, he explored her body then cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbed his thumbs over her sensitive nipples until they thrust at him, hard and hungry, through the soft fabric.

  “Don’t you think your job is already done? I’m alive. The king is free. Tonight we’ll find the Herhman traitor, take down Apolo and all will be put to rights. Then we can return to Qillius together. The seas are a beautiful green, the sky bluer than anything you’ve ever seen. You’ll be my queen, Mairi. Nothing will ever threaten you again.” Whispering against her cheek, he demanded a response. “Say you’ll be mine, Mairi. Forever, because I won’t let you go.”

  Mairi wouldn’t meet his eyes. Nervousness betrayed her in the way she repeatedly rotated her silver and black bracelet around on her wrist. “Anything could happen, Raiden. This is all uncharted territory, a new timeline. I have a terrible feeling this isn’t over. What of the Dark Ones? Farra’s mate was seduced into abandoning her. I have to be prepared.”

  “Damn it, woman. I really am going to lock you up.” She belonged to him now, yet she refused to accept his help, refused to commit to him. Did she truly fear he was so weak that one look at another woman would lure him from her side? Could she not feel his love, his desire every time he touched her? Held her? Looked into her eyes?

  Or was she still keeping secrets? He forced Mairi to face him, then lifted her chin until their eyes met. “You’re mine.” With deliberate slowness, he held her gaze while his free hand found the clasp at the back of her dress and released it. He wanted to breathe her in, taste her, until her essence pounded in his blood. He wanted her to burn everywhere his fingers touched, to feel flames rise in response to his softest caress. To brand her.

  Tasting her with a featherlight touch, he kissed his way to the corner of her mouth while she stood frozen like a frightened fawn in his embrace. “Mine, Mairi. And you’re not leaving this room until you give me your word that you’ll never try to leave me.”

  Expecting resistance, he wasn’t prepared for the ferocity of her mouth She locked her lips to his with an almost desperate need. All thoughts of a slow and deliberate seduction flew from his mind under her sensual assault. She wanted him, was just as hot and hungry as he.

  Eager to explore every curve, he pushed her gown down past her hips and let it fall to a puddle around her feet. “Give yourself to me, Mairi.”

  Her answer was to once again seal her lips to his. It wasn’t enough, wouldn’t be enough until the haunted look left her eyes. He didn’t just want her body, he needed her soul.

  With eager hands, she stripped him, and he let her, stood stoically examining every inch of her delectable body, planning where to touch, to taste, to claim. When they were both naked, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the huge bed atop a raised dais. Soft as her skin, the bright yellow bedding was a halo of light beneath her dark hair.

  Gently, he laid her back onto the bed, her hips at its edge, and lowered his mouth for a slow exploration of her neck. Her earlier words shook him more than he cared to admit, for her feeling of foreboding shadowed his heart as well. If this were to be their last time together, he would deny himself nothing. And he had yet to taste her...

  The sweet scent of wildflower bath water rose from her skin in waves of heat. Burning like a blaster hit on his shoulder, the Shen flooded his blood with urgency as he licked and nipped his way to her core. She cried his name when he took her into his mouth, came off the bed when he drove his tongue deep. He held her hips pinned to the edge of the bed with one hand and explored the erotic peaks of her breasts with the other.

  Driven by a primal urge to dominate her, he played her body, brought her to the brink of release, denied her, again and again until she begged him to fill her. Then he rose, pushed her knees wide, and rammed deep in one powerful lunge. Mairi screamed as her orgasm pulsed around his shaft in a violent release.

  Still shuddering with aftershocks, her body was like quicksand. He didn’t want to escape the strong pull of her wet core as it gripped him, pulled him in, and sealed his soul to hers forever.

  Laid out before him like a goddess, her breasts bounced with each thrust of his hips. The delicate necklace a flash of gold between the perfect peaks. She
wrapped her legs around his waist and met each powerful plunge with total abandon. Wild, uninhibited, and completely his, she shredded the last of his control. All restraint gone, he grasped her hips with his hands and lifted them off the bed, forced her body to take all of him. Their frenzied pace stole his sanity and he shouted her name as they both shattered into a thousand pieces.

  Chapter Nine

  A small army of invaders in black, they moved like wraiths amongst the well-dressed throng in the streets. Crisp and clear, the evening sky glowed orange and gold by the fading light of the setting star and the rising of Herhma’s twin moons. Hundreds of people lined the walkways nearest the street. Resplendent in red and gold, the street itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of the king’s arrival. Wreaths of flowers hung from every lamppost. Elegant spires rose from the corners of the surrounding buildings whose silver walls glistened like newly sharpened knives. Children smiled and laughed in their best clothes. Their parents indulged them. The air hummed with happiness.

  But twisting in her gut, like a small knife that couldn’t be removed, was fear. For Raiden. For the king. For herself.

  Premonition was not one of her gifts, so she followed Raiden, wove her way through the tapestry of revelers and ignored the sense that something wasn’t right. She’d never loved before, had always known she would be taken to ride the strands. Alone. Never had she thought there would be anything to lose but her own life, her honor. Loving Raiden raised the personal stakes to a dangerous level. Her survival, at all times, meant nothing in the face of her mission. But his was everything to her now. Everything.

  It scared the hell out of her.

  Raiden’s hand found hers beneath their cloaks, squeezed as if he sensed her need for reassurance. Perhaps he did. Their link had continued to grow, was so strong now that she knew neither would be able to survive the death of the other. Another worry she didn’t need.

  Nearly impossible to hear through the music and chatter on the street, the soft hum of Yasra and the Fire Beasts filled the night. Mairi searched the crowd for the king, for any of the men and women she knew were weaving their way toward the special stage erected for the evening’s events. The king’s soldiers were good. She saw no one.

  “Come on, Mairi. It’s about to begin.” Raiden, dressed in a formal black suit, was a lethal golden god -- that was all she could compare him to. His lips -- lips that had brought her pleasure again and again this afternoon -- were set in a firm line. Warmth seeped into her face at the memories, and his smile convinced her that he knew where her thoughts had led her. His hasty kiss confirmed it. “Later, my love. When this is over, I’ll keep you locked in my bedchamber until we’re both too weak to move.”

  “Promises, promises.” She kissed him again because she couldn’t resist the need to taste him. Here. Now. While their future hung in the crosshairs of the next few minutes. Drowning in the delicious haven of his mouth, in the promise she tasted on his lips, she was startled back to reality by the loud banging of ceremonial drums.

  Raising his head to stare up the street behind her, anticipation hummed through his body. His need for revenge fed her Shen until her pulse raced in a restless need to keep pace with his. He tugged at her hand, pulled her closer to the stage. A mere handful of people separated them from one corner of the platform where in moments, both Apolo and the imposter king would stand. And die.

  Raiden pulled her with him to stand partially hidden behind a brilliant red tapestry that hung from a statue near the stage. Pompous and painfully slow, the royal procession made its way to the stage. Mairi stared in wonder at the king. He looked identical in every way to the man they’d rescued from the underwater prison. On either side, and slightly behind the king were two men who, without a doubt, shared Raiden’s blood.

  Both tall and proud, the older could be none other than Raiden’s father. The younger man looked so much like Raiden that her heart actually raced at the sight of him. Except his eyes. They were cold, calculating. Evil. “That must be Apolo.”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure he’s your cousin?” She’d meant it as a joke, but the sudden unease that flowed to her through the Shen warned her that Raiden had taken her question very seriously.

  “No, but I guess now I know why my uncle would always leave the room when my father entered, and was never called out for it.”

  Mairi turned to face him. “He’s your brother.”

  “Yes. And older by two spins.”

  “No wonder he hates you.” She raised her palm to his cheek to soften the words. Behind her she heard the soft click of boot heels as the men ascended the steps to the top of the stage. The drumming ceased, and silence fell like a shroud over the crowd. Time stood still and quiet while she waited for the imposter to speak. Raiden’s eyes burned with fury.

  Turning around, Mairi watched from the side as the imposter raised his arms to the sky, welcomed the crowd, introduced his guests from Qillius, and spoke for a moment about peace between their worlds. The crowd cheered in response and their ignorant admiration made the contents of her stomach roil. If they only knew!

  Strapped to her ankle beneath the gorgeous black gown, the weight of her blaster was comforting and familiar. For one terrible moment she nearly lost the battle with herself to pull the weapon free and execute the fraud. But they needed to know who served him, so she gritted her teeth and waited.

  “Beloved people.” The lookalike’s voice carried loudly over the eager crowd. “I christen this night, The Summit, and embrace the coming orbit with open arms. May we all be prosperous and blessed...”

  “With the truth.” Striding confidently up the center of the street, flanked on either side by a handful of his guards, Uriel, the true king, interrupted the pretty speech. “I am Uriel, king of Herhma. You, betrayer, will tell me who helped you perpetuate this lie, and then you will be executed. Council, seize the imposter and Apolo.”

  A gasp rose from the crowd as their attention was drawn and divided between the two men. Flowing around Uriel, as if he were the rock that parted water, were twelve men and women in blood-red robes. Raiden whispered into her ear. “Those would be the Supreme Council. They are the highest law in the land, and have the power to dethrone a king if he betrays the people or the seas. They will sort it all out now.”

  On stage, the fraud raised his hand for silence. “I am the king. You will kneel before me and beg forgiveness for this treachery.”

  Uriel stalked him up the steps. “I think not.” A pulse of power rent the air, knocked Mairi backward into Raiden’s hard chest. In the sea, the beasts raised their thunderous voices in answer to the call of their true king. The sky filled with a rumble louder than a thousand engines.

  The imposter didn’t resist when two of Uriel’s men leapt onto stage and grabbed him Mairi breathed a sigh of relief when both Apolo and the king were gone from sight. All her worrying had been for naught. They were gone, caught in their machinations and surrendered to the authorities. It had all been too easy.

  Way too easy.

  “Raiden.”

  “Yes.”

  “Something isn’t right. They didn’t put up a fight. It was like they knew Uriel was coming.”

  The king stood in his rightful place before the crowd and smiled as their cheers and the continued crowing of the Fire Beasts welcomed him home.

  Mairi pulled herself from Raiden’s arms and shoved people aside to get to the stage. Panic was choking her for no reason at all. The long skirt she wore caught at her legs. Her Shen burned, not with heat, but with bone-chilling cold. She pulled her blaster free of its holster and sprinted toward the king. Raiden was a half step behind her.

  “Uriel, get down!” Her scream barely carried over the din. Yasra, Uriel’s in danger! Tell him to get down. Now!

  Every heartbeat felt like an eternity. The crowd around her faded to a blur, but one woman stood out, commanded Mairi’s attention. She stood, alone and unmoving in the middle of the revelry. Whi
te as snow and flowing to her waist, the woman’s hair wafted around her stark white bodysuit, carried by a breeze that didn’t exist. With eyes so dark they looked black, she watched Mairi run with utter detachment and disdain. Like a predator about to pounce without mercy for its prey. With a slight curve to her lips, the woman raised a Trillian dart tube to her mouth.

  “Get down!” Mairi tore her gaze from the woman and dove onto the stage. Flying through the air, she felt the dart hit her neck just before she tackled the king and drove him to the ground. Still protecting the king with her body, she raised her blaster to shoot the woman.

  She’d vanished.

  The numbing cold faded from her Shen and Mairi relaxed. Whoever the woman was, she was gone.

  “Thank you, Mairi.” Beneath her, the king stirred and gently lifted her from his larger frame. He set her down next to him with a sad smile and pulled a dart from his arm.

  “No!” Mairi pulled the dart from her neck and threw it from her in disgust.

  “She got us both with Trillian poison.” The king stared out at the chaos of the screaming crowd for a moment, then closed his eyes, as if watching the scene had become too painful to bear.

  Yes. Yes she did. Whoever she was. Mairi had a feeling she’d just seen a Dark Walker.

  Raiden knelt beside her, pulled her into his arms and examined the tiny wound in her neck. “Damn it, Mairi! I knew I should’ve locked you in the closet.”

  Mairi couldn’t help but smile. She pulled the bracelet from her wrist and opened the small silver case. Inside rested a single yellow tablet. Fingers shaking, she placed it in Raiden’s palm and wrapped his fingers closed around it. “Take this. Give it to the king. It’s the antidote.”

  “There’s no cure for Trillian poison.” Raiden stroked her cheek, and she turned to place a kiss in his palm.