Royal Obsession (5 page)

“I haven’t seen you in ages,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

He closed the door and leaned against it, unable to meet her gaze. “I need your advice.” His anxious gaze swept the cozy room. She sat at a small, square table. A tall dresser and bookshelves flanked the low bed.

She set the book aside and pushed her chair back so she could cross her legs. “This has to be a first. Let me guess, it has something to do with your hunting expedition and a certain high-spirited virgin.”

“Word travels fast,” he grumbled.

“I was in the sparring area when she toppled you to the floor.” She shook her head and captured his restless gaze. “I was shocked by your behavior. Is intimidation and force the only strategy you know? I’ve come to expect more from you.”

“Why?” He pushed away from the door. He’d always felt comfortable with Aila. Theirs was a unique bond. She was part friend, part lover, and part sexual mentor. “I’m a Shadow Assassin like any other. Those are the tools of our trade.”

“You are not like the others. I know the man locked inside the assassin. Seeing people clearly is easy when you’re invisible.”

She was referring to everyone’s hesitation to look at her, not the illusion all assassins were taught to manifest. “I said those things so Echo would stop struggling. I didn’t want to hurt her, but she is irrationally stubborn.” Too anxious to stand still, he crossed to the bed, then fiddled with the books lining the shelves. “I will one day lead these men. They cannot perceive me as weak.”

“I understand that, but she doesn’t.”

Frustration raised his hands. “If my strategy was working, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Where is she now?”

“In my bedchamber.”

“Locked in the room or chained to the bed?”

He just glared at her and crossed to the dresser.

“She’s a virgin, for Mara’s sake. What were you thinking?”

“That’s why I restrained her.” Snatching an elastic band from the top of her dresser, he pulled his hair back and bound it at the nape of his neck. “I knew I couldn’t arouse her properly if I had to hold her down.”

“Would you sit? You’re making me dizzy.” She waited for him to join her at the table before she went on. “Waiting until you didn’t need to hold her down never crossed your mind?”

“If you were in the sparring area, you saw her. This is no frightened child.”

“Do you think she’s never had an orgasm? Being a virgin doesn’t necessarily mean she’s completely inexperienced.”

“I’m not sure. Her sister has a lover, so it’s possible—”

“What does her sister have to do with this?”

Varrik hesitated. Would Aila understand his motivation for taking the twins? The hunters certainly thought he was crazy. “I captured E’Lanna and Echo dar Aune.”

Her jaw dropped, and she pressed a hand to her breast. “The High Queen’s…and Head Master Tal’s… Have you lost your mind?”

“Apparently.”

“The Council of Elders sanctioned this?”

“Not exactly.”

“They don’t know?” She was gaping again.

“They know I dispatched the hunters, and they know I brought back twins. I haven’t been specific about the rest.”

“Her virginity is the least of your problems, my friend. You must return them immediately.”

“We are expected to reproduce. It’s a sacred duty of every Shadow Assassin. If I’m going to put myself—and a female—through this ordeal, then my son will be worthy of the sacrifice. I want him to be so powerful that he can choose his own life path.”

“I don’t understand.”

He was silent for a long time. How could he make her understand a conflict still tormenting him? “I intend to usher in a new generation.”

“Meaning?”

“I will produce a son with more Mystic power than any Shadow Assassin has ever possessed. I will teach him far more than any mentor, allow him to think for himself and see beyond the maze. I will—”

“Varrik, why do you need a son to continue Sekall’s work? If you’re ready to leave the maze, the men will follow you.”

His shoulders sagged as regret and guilt twisted within him. “I’ve come too far, seen too much. The new generation must…start off clean.”

She reached across the table and took his hand between hers. “Seducing a virgin isn’t a very good start toward creating a ‘clean’ generation.”

He snatched his hand back. “Don’t mock me.”

She nibbled at her bottom lip and stared at her hands. “You have to let her go.”

“I can’t. Her people will kill me either way. I will have my son before that happens.” He cupped her chin and she lifted her gaze. “Will you help me or not.”

“Who has her sister?”

“She’s in a holding cell.”

“No one has touched her?”

“She was with her lover when we caught her. We must be certain she is not already pregnant before her master is chosen.”

“That might be your only hope.” Aila blew out a shaky breath, then leaned toward Varrik as she said, “Try one last time to seduce her. Remember she is a princess, literally a princess. Talk to her. Show her kindness. Trust her with a bit of yourself. Explain exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and why. She won’t be expecting that.”

“Anything I tell her will be lost when I sweep her mind,” he mused. “Do you really think that will help?”

“If she knew her sacrifice might ultimately abolish the Shadow Assassins, she is likely to be more reasonable.”

He wasn’t convinced. Still, he had nothing to lose. He couldn’t force himself on her.

“If all else fails,” Aila added, “bargain for the freedom of her sister.”

Is it over?

I told you to go
. Echo craned her neck so she could wipe her damp cheek against her upraised arm.

I closed the link, but I just sensed a surge of emotion that almost knocked me over.

He’s gone. For now
. He’d left her naked and chained to his bed, but he was gone. His moment of cowardice had been no mercy. He had just prolonged the misery.
Don’t say anything you don’t want him to hear. I’m pretty sure he can intercept our thoughts at will.

Show me where you are.

Echo closed her eyes, humiliated by the suggestion.
I’m fine. Is Father coming after us?

I only sent a brief transmission. I was sure our captors would sense a strong signal.

To hell with that. Open the link full strength. What more can they do to us?

Do you know where we are?

Yes and no. She knew this was the Shadow Maze, but she had no idea of its location. If E’Lanna still thought this was just a kidnapping, Echo wasn’t going to break the news.
The entire complex is underground. We could be anywhere.

She heard the privacy pane rattle and opened her eyes.
I think he’s back. Keep trying to reach Father
. She felt E’Lanna withdraw but shielded the link from her end as well. E’Lanna didn’t need to experience her degradation.

The door opened and “he” walked in. Should she ask his name? Would it make this easier or more humiliating? After locking the door, he crossed to the far side of the bed and loosened the chain so she could sit.

“I’ve obviously handled this badly. I would like to begin again.” He took out one of his tunics and handed it to her. “I’m a warrior. I’m not accustomed to compromise.” He turned his back as if waiting for her to dress.

“I can’t put this on with my wrists restrained.”

With a frustrated grumble, he deactivated her cuffs. “Are you hungry or thirsty? I can replicate whatever you like while you make yourself more comfortable.”

“Killing me with kindness. Is that your new strategy?” She rubbed her wrists, keeping the sheet tucked under her arms.

“Do you prefer the more direct approach?”

“No. I’m just wondering how long this reprieve will last.” She ducked her head and managed to pull the tunic on over the sheet. Keeping herself covered as much as possible, she scooted off the other side of the bed.

“When is the last time you…bled?”

She felt her face flame. Was he asking about her menstruation? Just when she thought this couldn’t get any more humiliating. “What difference does that make?”

“Your answer will determine how long I can afford to be courteous.”

“About two weeks ago.” She glanced up in time to see his pleased nod. Damn. Anything that pleased him spelled trouble for her.

“We have a few days, then.”

“A few days for what?”

“A few days to get to know one another.” She was about to ask why she would want to get to know him, when he said, “I arranged for one of the pleasure givers to take food to E’Lanna.”

“Is this pleasure giver male or female?”

“Female.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and a hint of frustration flashed in his gaze. “Your sister is safe. I have ordered that she not have interaction with any of the men until I say otherwise. Thus the need for the female attendant.”

She moved toward the foot of the bed, unable to accept what his words implied. “No one will touch E’Lanna?” He nodded. “Unless I piss you off.”

“Come.” The smile sparkling in his eyes never quite reached his lips. He held out his hand with obvious expectation.

“Where are we going?”

“You can pester me with questions, or you can find out for yourself.”

“Can I see E’Lanna?”

He shrugged and lowered his hand. “If I understand the Mystic bond between identical twins, I can’t stop you from seeing E’Lanna. Now would you like to explore a little corner of the maze, or would you prefer to remain in this chamber? I’ll put you back in the cuffs and return to my men.”

His tunic skimmed her knees, and even with the laces pulled tight, the neckline dipped low across her breasts. “Where is my gown?”

“Destroyed. You will have to make do with my tunic. Unless you piss me off.”

He did smile then and her treacherous heart fluttered. In some bizarre way, this was his idea of courtship. Perhaps a bit of cooperation wouldn’t hurt. Keeping well out of reach, she came around the bed. He scanned open the privacy panel and motioned her into the corridor.

“Have the Shadow Assassins always lived here?”

“We are a present-oriented people. The past is simply a foundation, and the future unfolds as the gods see fit. We take our lives one day at a time.”

She stopped a smile just before it bowed her lips. “A simple ‘I don’t know’ would have sufficed.”

“I have known no other home. My father spoke of long cycles of construction, but he—” Her captor bit off the sentence and lapsed into silence.

All the corridors looked the same, bare rock adorned with a single row of firestones. They approached a soldier who immediately dropped his gaze and waited for them to pass. A shiver sped down her spine at the conditioned show of respect. She’d suspected her captor held a position of authority, but how much authority, and how could it be used to her advantage?

He paused beside an archway and nodded for her to enter. After a brief hesitation, she brushed past him and stepped into the room. Her steps faltered, then she turned in a slow circle, awed by the astounding beauty. Crystals of every imaginable color had been inset in the stone walls. She looked more closely and shook her head. There was no stone in this chamber. The walls and the domed ceiling were constructed entirely of crystals, surrounding her in a rainbow of light.

“What is this place?” She held out her hand, watching the colors arc and shimmer against her skin. “Do the crystals produce light, or are we close to the surface?”

“Some of the crystals emanate light and some channel it from the surface. We’re not as close as this chamber makes it appear.”

“Is this where you come to worship?” She looked over her shoulder. He’d triggered a privacy panel across the archway and moved several steps into the room.

“We each worship in our own way. There is no specific temple.”

“Is there a specific deity?”

“Mara is worshiped by many. She is the goddess of fertility and prosperity, so I’m sure you can see her appeal. Her brother, Marton, controls war and conquest. He is also popular.”

She gradually turned to face him. Why had he brought her here? Nothing she could say would change his ultimate goal, so why waste time “getting to know each other”? She had no objection to wasting time. The longer he delayed, the more hope she had that her parents would find her. Still, it was puzzling.

“If this isn’t a temple, why do people come here?”

“To remember, to meditate, and to mourn.”

“Who are we going to mourn?” She took a step back and reached for E’Lanna. Had he only brought her here to give his men time to… E’Lanna responded with a calming wave, assuring Echo that she was well.

“Your sister will not be harmed,” he snapped. “My orders are obeyed. We are here to mourn my brother.”