Rebel Heart

by Young, Christine

  Nevertheless, he didn't look pleased. Impatiently, he grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her around to the passenger side. Then opening the door, he gave her a little shove. She landed ungracefully in the front seat. The door closed and the door latch clicked. Yet she had to admit that, at the least, she would not have to fend for herself alone and in the cold this night.

  She didn't look his way when he climbed in the other side, yet she couldn't help but hear the steady, strong hum of the engine as it turned over. It lifted from the earth, hovering a moment as he fought to keep it from stalling in his haste to become airborne. Then, expertly piloted, the glider smoothly gained altitude. Suddenly, the glider burst above the tops of the trees, soaring towards the clouds.

  "Good Lord!" Tori breathed without a second thought then stuffed her knuckles in her mouth, her eyes crossing with mortification. They would die here. This reckless pilot commanded his vehicle to do impossible things. She gulped back her fear and hung on to the armrests then her seatbelt, but nothing helped steady her racing heart. "Can you fly this thing!"

  "I can't let Morray catch us," he reminded her, his voice sounding as if it came from very far away as he sharply banked the glider, and in less than a second executed a ninety-degree turn.

  "I'm going to be sick!"

  "I thought you had a stronger constitution than that. You've always been so bold, so rebellious--and had your own way with all things. Now faced with a little adversity, you wilt."

  "What?"

  "I said--"

  "Oh, I've had nothing my way," she cried out indignantly, then shrieked with sheer terror, because he'd suddenly put the glider into a fast, steep dive, pulling up mere feet from the ground. The glider settled at this low altitude as he guided it along the path of the river below, the water's reflection flashing in the dawn.

  The drone of the engine was quiet--comforting, in a way. But she could, nevertheless, hear the slamming of her heart against her chest. Just when she thought she had her heart under control, he would look at her, his leather mask completely hiding his features--save his lips and eyes--then snatch her throbbing heart from her. She didn't think she could have survived if she had not pushed her horrible fear to the back of her mind. She kept her eyes wide open, preparing herself for every move from this mysterious man. Her reputation for fearlessness was fraudulent.

  She had never taken a ride like this one, yet despite her stubborn determination, the wild, maniacal turns they made were overcoming her resolve. She would not give in to the sickness and humiliate herself in front of this man. As they flew over mountains then dove into deep canyons, she began to relax and appreciate the expertise with which he flew.

  Now they soared over another forest. Not a great redwood forest but one predominate with ageless cedars.

  Then, suddenly, her seat belt harness fiercely pressing against her body, they came to a very rough landing.

  "God," she mumbled, part irritated, part relieved. She dared to look around her, swallowing down hard against the emptiness and the desolation that surrounded them.

  "We've made it," he said brightly as he climbed from the glider.

  So now what...

  The dawn was just beginning to break over the eastern hills with little beams of sunlight penetrating the thick branches of the cedar trees. They had landed in front of what looked to be a deep cavern, nothing more.

  She was weary beyond comprehension. Her hair was an awful mess, swirling around her in disarray. Her clothes were rumpled and torn from the rapid dash through what must have been a briar patch. Her feet were bare and practically numb with cold and scratched and bruised too. She breathed in deeply, bringing to mind all the injustices she'd been through this night and turned on him ready to let loose all her outrage.

  "Calm down, please" he popped the door latch and the seat belts in one fluid move. She knew nothing of him except that he could pilot a glider. She wished he'd take the mask off. Even now that he no longer wore the black cape and there was enough light to see his lips, she didn't recognize him. He was unfazed by the swift, wild journey they'd just been on. It seemed also that behind that concealing black mask he wore so arrogantly, he was laughing at her.

  "Calm down?" she asked sweetly. She had never felt so furious. "Oh, and you scare the...the...the...out of women every night! You tell me to calm down? Who are you, anyway?"

  She knew who he was. He was the man who had rescued her earlier that day. She'd recognized the battle cry, recognized the voice when he let out a whoop just after a near disaster of a right-angle turn. He was a mystery and a miracle all at the same time. He was a man who could single-handily defeat half a dozen men in hand-to-hand combat. He was a myth. A living fantasy, just like her dreams of a knight in shining armor.

  The Phantom.

  He had come to her aide tonight.

  But that told her nothing still. He was only a man, a man who acted the part, rescued a lady in distress but refused to tell her his intentions or even reveal his identify. If she didn't hold tight to her anger, she was going to start swearing.

  "What now?" she demanded sharply then winced at the tone of her voice. "We certainly can't stay here," she added softly this time.

  "We wait," he said cryptically. "There is too much danger out there to risk detection again. We've been lucky so far."

  She stiffened. "I'm Victoria DeMontville, and I demand you show me your face and I demand that you take me to Drake's--"

  "You are a rebellious child," he said tenderly. "You are still trying to defy all the rules that protect our civilization. You should have been married to some man who could have controlled your willfulness years ago so you would not tempt treacherous men like Morray. Nonetheless--"

  "You're a fool," she warned him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "And I'm not a child," she added.

  But now what? He didn't know her, didn't realize how determined she was. With or without his help, she would find a way to the mountains--to Drake. She had to. It seemed at this moment it would be without his help. Even though he'd pulled her from Morray's trap, she was very much at his mercy. Moreover, if he acted anything like he piloted his glider, he might very well be deranged.

  He had walked away from the glider, standing almost at the mouth of the cave now. She could be free of him.

  He was The Phantom. A man that legends were made of, she told herself, a man who defied all acceptable codes of behavior doing exactly what he thought right, regardless of what anyone else thought. Yet he had brought her to an isolated part of the 'Ascade range, a section that was wreathed in mystery, and surrounded by folklore. They were alone.

  "Victoria--"

  "You must know that my experiments in viral technology are vitally important to the City Dwellers as well as the mountain folk. You must be aware of this. Why else would you have been at the center? Thank you for your timely assistance, but now I must, at least for the moment, consider my own situation of the utmost importance, I will say goodbye. Have a nice walk." With every intention of leaving him behind, she jumped into the pilot's seat, slamming the door and firing up the engine.

  She smiled as the powerful rig began to accelerate slowly through the trees.

  Tori was just congratulating herself on her coup when the glider inexplicably turned slowly. Controlled automatically by The Phantom, it rolled gently on the soft green carpet until it came to rest at its original landing spot. Despite her valiant efforts, she had failed to escape.

  This time she was hauled unceremoniously from the glider. She went flying from the seat only to land against the solid wall of his chest. As if to challenge her or to let her know who was in command, he lifted her off her feet until they were at eye level.

  "Sorry," she winced, so stunned that she barely let out that one word let alone the barrage of profanities that had easily come to mind.

  He brought her even closer, so close she swore her nose touched his, felt the softness of his mask against her cheek. She inhaled sharply, and when she wo
uld have pushed away, he tightened the hold he had on her arms.

  She stiffened, refusing to give any indication of her fear, fighting the urge to grovel at his feet. She thought she had to touch the earth again, and at the moment, it didn't seem he had any inclination to let her down. She hadn't realized his great size until he lifted her so high, the earth felt as if it were ten feet below her. He was more than a head taller than she, with arms that must be heavily muscled because he was still holding her effortlessly. She knew he had maniacal tendencies, but now, if she wasn't mistaken, his eyes had turned very dark.

  He held her now at arms length, a feat she wondered at but didn't have time to digest, because he was addressing her, and she truly didn't like the tone of his voice. "You'd repay the hazards I went through to rescue you by stealing the only means of transportation for miles around?"

  He set her on the ground and her slow and very gentle descent to earth left her very shaken and standing unharmed but humbly before him. She could not seem to breathe; her legs began trembling so hard that she lowered herself to the ground. He crouched, resting his elbows on his thighs, eye level once more. She faced him and her fear, her anger too, knowing she was accountable, yet not for one moment was she unaware of the heat, of the fury radiating from him.

  "I was only borrowing it. I did plan to return it--well, perhaps I hadn't thought that far."

  He stood suddenly, walking toward the glider. He spoke to her over his shoulder. "You were not meant for Morray. You are supposed to marry someone else, someone your father chose for you. At least so it said in his will."

  "What?" Tori gulped, stunned. "His will."

  "Yes. The codicil. It seems it was added just before he died."

  "My father would never do that. It was forged."

  "There's where you're wrong. He did. And he made it perfectly clear that there would be no way out of it for either party. I thought you knew of this."

  She shook her head, yet she wondered about his words. Perhaps it was true. Maybe her father had decided it was for her own good and he was determined he would choose a suitable husband.

  Impossible. Her father believed in love and romance. He would never condemn her to a life of misery with a man she couldn't love.

  "And just who does this codicil say I'm to marry?"

  "Cameron Savage," he said flatly, turning and walking away from her.

  "No!" she whispered.

  "Dr. Cameron Savage."

  Tori hurried up behind him then, slamming a fist against his back. The blow hurt the side of her hand, but she had struck with all the force she could muster. He paused a moment before turning on her angrily.

  "Never!" she cried out. "I'll never marry that thieftaker!" She was petrified, horrified at the fear that ripped through her on hearing that name. Savage! Truly, a name never fit a man so well. She had never forgotten the feel of his hand against her breast. And far worse, she had never been able to forget the strange curling sensations that heated her own body when he'd held her against him.

  Savage had not known who she was that day. Jonathan had assured her over and over again until she wanted to stop asking, but she'd never quite believed him.

  Savage was everything she hated in the Mountain people today; he had his freedom, he was arrogant, he was a barbarian.

  No, she told herself. He might be a barbarian but he was not Morray. He did not make her skin crawl.

  Her breasts heaved from gasping at air and she folded her arms against her chest to control it. With a wife, he would be demanding, unfeeling. She could still feel the sting of his words and the iron grip he'd held her with. Still see the annoying, sexy curve of his smile.

  Purification! He had threatened it more than once--she'd never forgive him.

  If she dared exit the City on a foraging trip, he would demand...

  She didn't dare think that they could have a marriage of equality, a modern marriage, one where man and woman shared equally in decisions. The impact this would have on her life shattered her peace of mind and she suddenly felt totally subdued. She would have no choice, no freedom. All that she cherished would be taken from her. Tori DeMontville had to be free to explore and to seek out the life-giving serum that she'd dedicated her life to finding.

  Savage would never understand. He was one of them--a thieftaker. Lower than the lowest scum on this earth. He wore their emblem. She would never become his wife. Never!

  She cried inwardly for all she had so suddenly lost. Heedless of The Phantom's power over her, of his deathly barbaric strength so unlike the City people, she pummeled his chest, this time with such ferocity that he swore softly, catching her wrists, holding them. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she struggled against him still, fought to maintain her identity, yet this time she battled him with words.

  "You. I don't understand you. You came for me just as Morray's men. Only you are more deceitful. You came under the guise of friendship."

  "I owe your father. I came for him, no one else," the Phantom declared, gently pushing her away. He had reached inside the glider, claiming several blankets and a large covered basket, then walked away, leaving her behind. He seemed to know she would not try to run again. And she knew he was going to the cave, knew he meant to stay.

  Even as she slowly made her way to the dark opening, he stepped inside, beckoning to her, then disappeared. A moment later there was a soft flare of light somewhere deep inside the cave.

  Stubbornly, Tori lingered just outside, hesitant.

  Savage! This night was not what she'd expected.

  She should simply start walking.

  You would not get far, a little voice warned her ominously.

  He appeared again a moment later, striding toward his glider. He ignored her, and Tori realized he meant to cover the glider. He was a man who left nothing to fate, she realized. He stroked the side of the fuselage then looked more closely, an imaginary scratch, she surmised. It would serve him right. Then he turned and stared at her. As he moved, the sun finally burst from the edge of the horizon, bathing the clearing and the woods in glorious sunshine.

  His eyes seemed to narrow once more. She knew he studied her, perhaps seeking out her weakness and her strength. She didn't like the feeling as she felt his gaze pour over her then into her as if he could see to the depth of her soul. Then when he looked up and winked, she felt heat deep in her core, felt it travel the length of her spine, radiating outward with each nerve ending.

  She was aware of the desire emanating from him, a desire for her and her alone. She'd never felt anything at all like this.

  The tattered remains of her shirt caught a breeze, fluttering softly, touching her skin. With each caress, she was reminded of his fingers and the way he had held her tenderly. He'd never hurt her. As they watched each other, she felt, to her great embarrassment, the hardening of her nipples beneath the fabric of her shirt. She crossed her arms over her chest but then realized the movement accented everything she wished to hide. She was sure he could see beneath her clothes.

  He laughed suddenly, and she felt heat surge to her cheeks.

  She had assumed he found her desirable, had even thought she'd read that emotion in his eyes.

  Fool, she told herself. He was impossible. She straightened, managing to add an inch to her meager height, standing defiantly before him. "Who are you? Take off your mask."

  His eyebrow rose again. "Why, Victoria DeMontville, I thought you knew who I am."

  "I want your name. Not a fictitious myth that all know is false."

  "Ah, babe. That is for you to find out.

  “Who are you?" she stubbornly asked again.

  He gave her that boyish grin again, a grin that made his eyes twinkle mischievously and spoke of the devil himself. The change in him touched her in a way she didn't want to acknowledge, touched her heart with a longing she didn't understand. It made her laugh and perhaps ruffle his hair, while at the same time it stirred a heat deep inside.

  "The Phantom." His laug
h was low and sexy, vibrating through the space between them. It sent shivers of warmth and desire up her spine once more.

  "After all you've put me through, I deserve to know."

  "What I've put you through? No, babe, I think this is only a challenge for you. I'm not the type to let a challenge go unanswered, neither am I the kind to back down. You should have to work at the knowledge you want."

  She cocked her head to one side, "A challenge is it. Then consider yourself the loser. I mean to find out your true identity."

  "Do you now?" The light banter didn't fool her, and the dangerous current just below the surface gave her warning, yet she wasn't about to stop.