Crystal Fire (19 page)

"And scant hope at that," Brace replied bitterly, "already half-mad, with no more defense against the wrath of the Knowing Crystal than my father had."

The wind swirled around them in a sudden frigid blast of air. The abbot shivered, pulling his thick gray cloak more tightly to him. He motioned them back down the road to the abbey.

"Take heart, my son," the old man said. "A father's weakness is not always the child's. Unless, of course, you choose to make it your own . . ."

Marissa sought, Brace out as soon as he returned. "Well, what now? What do we do now?"

His features were tight and drawn, but a fierce determination burned in his eyes. "We depart within the hora."

"There's a storm on its way," Marissa began. "It would be wiser"

"In one hora's time, do you hear me, Marissa?" Brace said through gritted teeth. "I'll not waste a moment longer in pursuing Ferox. He must pay for what he did to my father!"

"But we still have no idea where to find him," she protested. "And to plow through the mountains with a storm building is madness!"

He riveted her with a bleak, anguished look. "That, too, may indeed come to pass, but I don't intend to delay another moment. Vengeance for my father can't wait."

Marissa grasped his arm, halting him. "Brace, Ferox will be seen to, your father avenged, but you can't risk our lives by traveling through the mountains in a storm. Skim crafts don't function well in blizzards. If they fail up there, then where will we be? Use your head!"

"Tutela was on the other side of these mountains. And the abbot informed me there was a travelers' hut halfway there, one that the monks ensure is always well supplied. If the storm gets too bad, we can head for it. One way or another, I intend to transport to Moraca as soon as possible. Somehow, I know that's where Ferox is headed.

"Besides," he added, glancing down at her, "the pools that can destroy the Crystal are located there."

"And which pools are those? Moraca has thousands of them. Which one was your father speaking of?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll discover that answer when we get to Moraca." He jerked his arm from her grasp, his look hard and implacable. "Now, are you with me, or not?"

There was no swaying him, Marissa thought, not now, not in the tormented frame of mind he was in. She'd just have to risk the storm. If Brace ever needed her, he needed her now. "Yes, Brace," Marissa sighed, "I'm with you."

She turned to Rodac, who had drawn up behind them and was waiting patiently. "And what about you?" she asked. "Will you continue on with us, knowing the possible consequences?"

The Simian eyed her for a moment, then motioned with his hands.
You'll freeze in these mountains a lot quicker than I will
.

"And I'm sure you'd be overjoyed to see that happen," Marissa muttered.

Rodac smirked and gave a small shrug.

Fortified with fresh supplies, the trio set out an hora later. As the skim craft sped along, the winds grew in strength. They buffeted the lightweight crafts so viciously that flying soon became a dangerous undertaking. Countless times they were nearly slammed into rocky outcroppings as they wove upward through the mountains, until Marissa wondered at Brace's judgment in continuing on.

She wanted to say something, to offer comfort and to ease that strained, anguished expression from his face, but knew it was useless. His dark eyes were shuttered, his mouth drawn into a ruthless, forbidding line. Marissa had never seen Brace like this, so distant, so unapproachable. And she didn't know how to reach him. That realization frightened her most of all.

The snow began to fall heavily, until it became near blizzard conditions in the gusting winds. Visibility dropped. And still Brace flew onuntil a snow-shrouded outcropping of rock finally halted their progress.

For a time, Marissa sat there, the craft's nose buried in a snow drift, stunned but unhurt. The pounding of Rodac's huge fist on the door finally jerked her back to the present. She turned to Brace, who sat there stone-faced, his hands clenched in his lap.

''Brace, are you all right?" she shouted above the din, the bubble doing little to mute the howl of the storm.

He nodded.

Marissa grasped his arm. "Then come," she yelled. "We need to find shelter and wait this out."

"And where do you suggest we find shelter?" he yelled back. "There's not a cave nor hiding place in sight. And we've still a ways to go to reach that hut."

"By the Crystal Fires, Brace Ardane!" Marissa cursed. "We'll find something. We have to. We can't stay in this craft."

Angrily she punched a finger at several buttons on the control panel. The lights flickered, then faded.

"See? All the life support systems are gone!"

With an exasperated growl, he disengaged the bubble and climbed out. "Well, let's get on with it then. Sitting here much longer will only freeze us to death."

"A piercing bit of insight," Marissa muttered as she scrambled out to stand beside Rodac. He was already prepared for the inevitable journey, a huge coil of rope settled across his chest, a blaster slung over a shoulder. He smirked down at her.

Marissa chose to ignore him. She glanced around. The blowing snow allowed only brief glimpses of the surrounding mountains. The glimpses were enough, however, to warn of narrow, rock-strewn paths and sheer precipices.

"Well, femina?" Brace demanded. "Which way is it? Up or down?"

Marissa shivered and clutched her phoca-fur coat to her. By all that was sacred, it was cold! She shot Brace an irritated glance. He was baiting her. She refused to play his game and instead scanned the mountains.

"If we can get over that next peak, we should be able to see the lights of Tutela," Marissa mumbled through lips already stiff with cold. "And, from the map of these mountains, I believe that the travelers' hut lies just below this next summit."

"You
believe
?" Brace gritted, struggling with his rising sense of guilt over getting them into this. "For all our sakes, you'd better be more certain than that!" He motioned them forward. "Come on. Let's head out before we freeze on the spot."

We wouldn't be in danger of freezing at all
, Marissa thought furiously,
if you hadn't been so thick-headed about setting out in this weather to begin with! Males!
As they trudged along, however, Marissa's exasperation subsided quickly into the more immediate concern of fighting her way through the wind and snow. The going was treacherous, the ice layer beneath the snow pack slippery, the hidden rocks painful obstacles that bruised and lacerated her hands and legs when she fell. Soon, however, Marissa ceased to feel anything.

Her limbs grew numb, heavy. She stumbled. More and more frequently, Brace or Rodac were forced to help her back to her feet. Finally Brace grasped her about the waist and began to lead her up the mountain.

She squirmed in his clasp. "Let me go. I can walk on my own."

Brace's grip tightened. "Of course you can, femina. It's I who need the support."

"Liar."

He shot her a searing glance. Marissa's heart twisted in her chest. Beneath the fur hood and snow goggles, his face was pale and ice-coated, his eyes pained, weary. Oh, so weary and filled with an anguished regret.

Forgive me
, they seemed to implore.
Forgive me for getting you into this
.

She tore her gaze away and struggled on beside him. There was no strength left to feel anythingneither fear, nor anger, nor forgiveness. All her efforts were centered on the next step, the lifting of an unfeeling leg and planting it just a little farther forward, the movement of a numb, exhausted body. The wracking cold tremors had ceased a while ago. Now Marissa felt nothing. Nothing save a growing need to sleep. She fought against it, well aware of its fatal consequences.

The biting, blinding snow whirled around them. Marissa stumbled, her legs collapsing beneath her. Brace hauled her back up.

"Walk, Marissa," he rasped, gasping for air in the icy, breath-grabbing wind. "Don't you dare give up on me!"

"I'm so tired," she moaned. "Just let me rest for a little while."

"The quest getting too tough for you, is it, femina?" he growled mockingly. "Need a strong man to take over, do you?"

He shook her, his strong fingers gouging into her side in an effort to stimulate her to action. She cursed and pulled away.

"I can last as long as youyou ignorant sandwart! Don't you
dare
patronize me!"

Brace managed a frozen grin. "Then get on with you. The hut's just up ahead."

She followed his pointing finger. Through the blowing flakes Marissa could barely make out the outline of a small structure. She blinked, not daring to believe it wasn't just another rock outcropping. But no, it was definitely different, its shape more angular and defined.

The hut!

Elation filled her, warming her blood, propelling her forward. "Come on!" she cried. With stiff, awkward steps, she turned and staggered up the mountain.

"Marissa! Wait!" Brace shouted, noting in a frozen instant the narrow path she was headed forand that half of that path was nothing more than a thick overhang of snow.

But, even as he leaped forward, it was too late.

She stepped upon the snow-packed ledge and it gave way beneath her weight. With a strangled cry, Marissa toppled over the precipice and disappeared in a surging flurry of white.

"Marissa!" Brace roared and rushed to the ledge, edging out as far as he dared. "Gods, Marissa, answer me!"

The howling winds snatched his breath away, muting his cry to a strangled croak. He swallowed his despair. Where was she? And was she even still alive?

A firm grip settled on Brace's shoulder. He leaned back from the ledge and glanced up.

She's gone. Accept it
, Rodac motioned.

Brace climbed to his feet. "Never, do you hear me? I won't accept that without proof!"

He grabbed at the rope the Simian carried and began to tug it over his head.

Rodac's hand stayed him.
What madness is this?

"I'm going down after Marissa."

Rodac's grip tightened.
It's too dangerous. More snow could give way and you'd both be lost
. Brace met his gaze. "It's a chance I'm willing to take."

The Simian eyed him for a moment longer, then wearily shook his head.
Better I go down for her. My climbing skills are more suited to the task
.

Gratitude flared in Brace's eyes. "Thank you."

The tall alien shrugged.
Don't delude yourself, Bellatorian. It's for the money, and nothing more
.

"I don't believe that, Rodac."

A smile curved the corner of the Simian's mouth, then was gone. He slipped the coil of rope off his shoulder and began to unfurl it, tossing one end to Brace.

Tie the line to that big boulder over there to anchor it
.

He waited until Brace had the rope secured, then carefully eased out onto the ledge. The snowy overhang bore his weight well. With an agile leap backward, Rodac disappeared.

Brace crawled over to peer down the length of taut rope. The snow had quickly hidden the Simian from view. After a time, the rope went slack. Brace waited, not knowing what had happened to Rodac or if he'd managed to find Marissa.

Horrible possibilities assailed him. She could have fallen further than the span of the rope's full length and Rodac couldn't reach her. She could be buried in some snow bank, hidden from view. Or, worst of all, Marissa could already be dead, her body smashed and broken upon the sharp rocks far below.

Gods! Brace thought in a burgeoning, impotent fury. Why had he forced them into this? Why had he allowed his emotions to overcome his warrior's judgment? And what if he should lose her?

The questions tore through him again and again. Brace groaned. To lose Marissa. To never again see that piquant little face smiling up at him, or flushed with angry frustration at his playful needling. Or watch that dreamy, passionate light flare in her eyes when he kissed her. Why now, just when he was finally beginning to admit the depth of his feelings, did he have to lose her?

Anger grew, to roil within like a hot, scorching firestorm. His life was crumbling around himhis father dead, the specter of madness rising to taunt him, a dangerous quest tied to a stone of power that threatened to destroy them alland now Marissa.

Time seemed to drag on and on as Brace peered down into the whirling snow. The wind surged around him. His body grew heavy and numb. Drowsiness nibbled at the edge of his consciousness.

With a low curse, Brace moved a little, tensing and flexing his muscles to force some warmth into his body. He couldn't remain here much longer, immobile, exposed to the full brunt of the storm. Not without freezing to death. Rodac, blessed with that thick fur coat of his, could stay down there for a long while. And it might take time, horas even, to find Marissa. But what choice had he? If he left, they might never make it up, and in these subzero temperatures time was of the essence.

No, there wasn't any choice. He'd wait until their return, or die in the attempt.

The rope moved, then grew taut again. Brace leaned over to steady it with both hands. Hope filled him, sending a warming surge of blood to his half-frozen limbs. He peered down, straining to see, but the snow was too thick.

Finally a dark body loomed from the whiteness. It was Rodac. Slung over his shoulder was a smaller, slighter form.

Relief coursed through Brace, followed quickly by anxious questions. Was Marissa still alive? Was she injured?

As Rodac neared, the overhang began to shudder. Gods, Brace thought, not now! He leaned over.

"Rodac, the ledge is weak! It can't bear all our weight. Hand Marissa up to me!"

With one powerful hand maintaining his grip upon the rope, the Simian lifted Marissa up to Brace, who pulled her to him and scooted back, well clear of the ledge. A quick examination found her alive, but cold and unconscious. He shrugged out of his coat and wrapped her in it.