Shadow Over Avalon (28 page)

*

Copper and three other brothers extracted a stone the size of a pig after a few hours’ concentrated effort. It needed winches to get it to the upper caverns. Shadow followed to the sisters’ area where gems were processed. Helga made the first assessment.

“At least two hundred earrings,” she reported after making a first cut. “As much as ten years’ labor in four hours!”

Shadow left them to work, aware she was getting in their way. The rest of the day she groomed every horse in need, an exercise she found relaxing. Tired and hungry at nightfall, she helped herself to a chunk of dried meat and a cup of spring water before crawling into bed to sink into instant sleep.

Eyes, black eyes, stared straight out of the rock face, watching and waiting. The smell of damp and decay swirled as water dripped endlessly. Dread paralyzed her, numbing sensation. Shadow screamed until a firm hand clamped over her mouth. Awake now and terrified, she fought in total darkness until the weight of another body pinned her down to her bed.

“Steady, I don’t want to hurt you. If you stop struggling, I’ll make a light,” Copper’s calm voice suggested from the heavy darkness pressing on her. His hand lifted from her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Shadow pushed against the hard muscles of his chest, grateful for his presence despite the weight of him.

“I’m trying to stop you waking up more of us than you already have. Is riding the nightmare something that happens often?”

“Eyes . . . eyes in the rock watch me.” The darkness thickened for a terrifying heartbeat. “I can feel them hunting me. They’re getting closer, hiding in the darkness until—”

“Hush. I’m not going to leave you alone. No one gets through me.” Copper’s soap scented hair curled about her neck, and his naked body warmed her chilled skin. A callused hand cupped her cheek and then slid down to fondle her breast. “I’ve got a wonderful cure for nightmares.”

Shadow tried to dislodge him, but in the scuffle, his knee came between her legs and he moved into position. His shaft throbbed against her, hardening by the second. Firm lips closed over her protests, kissing her with a passion he hadn’t shown her before, patient and skillful, taking his time until she clung to him wanting his hard thrusts. He timed his strokes for his own release seconds after her climax.

Copper folded around her in the darkness as he settled for sleep, one arm draped around her waist. Shadow decided the price for his protection might be beyond her capacity to pay. She wasn’t disturbed by his lovemaking, but his possessiveness set off warnings. Safe and warmed in his arms, she slipped into sleep.

She woke to his lovemaking later that night. He played teasing love games between gentle thrusts that thrilled her. Attracted by him, Shadow firmed her resolve to keep him at a distance in the future. Dawn stirred Haven as he finished, his violet eyes dark in the torchlight filtering under the alcove curtain.

“You’d better go before anyone sees you coming out of my space.”

“They’ll get used to it.” He sucked at her nipple until it hardened for him, and then looked up at her wearing a bad boy child’s smile of false innocence. “Unless you’d prefer to move into my alcove?”

Stirred, Shadow closed her eyes. Letting a man into her life wasn’t safe. She’d lost Uther and mourned him. She didn’t want another stone on her soul. “I’d prefer that we didn’t repeat this. I’m here as an ambassador, not your pleasure woman.” His body tensed against her, the muscles rock hard.

“Tell me you didn’t enjoy being with me.”

“I found the experience enjoyable, but not one I want to continue.” She made her arms stay by her side, and not reach out for him when he left her. The curtain flapped as he flung it out of his way.

During a breakfast of cold meat slices, Shadow decided to ride herd duties to fill time over the winter. She shivered when Copper headed in her direction from the mine entrance. He halted more than an arm’s length away and stared a hole through her.

“Will you search out the stones for us? We are working blind . . . having a guide saves effort.”

Shadow nodded, sorry she’d hurt him, if glad of the freedom she’d won.

*

Over the months that followed, Haven transformed into a hive of activity, every individual being pressed into service. Sisters filled a storage cavern with boxes of earrings. Pleasure women took over the role of cooking and cleaning, the blacksmith began training two apprentices, and brothers on outside duties sacrificed part of their leisure time to work in the mines. Shadow spent most of her days scurrying from one group of laborers to another, directing their efforts to the right places. Too tired to wonder why they were stockpiling so many gems, she fell into a dreamless sleep every night.

Copper avoided her, spending his sparse free time with the pleasure women. Sometimes his eyes met hers from a distance and his face set in hard lines before he looked away.

On the rare occasion that a hunting party set out for fresh meat, all mining ceased, and on these days, Shadow had the depths to herself. She needed privacy to explore her limitations with skills raided from the Seers. The unintentional incident with the vortai picked at her thoughts. Although Seers levitated their way from one of their towers to another, she had never seen one of them attempt to lift an object greater than their own weight. Trying to move the smallest pebble made her head hurt for the sake of a barely noticeable inching. In desperation, she recreated the same feeling she had experienced when facing the vortai: blind rage. The pebble lifted several feet off the cavern floor. Having found a key to unlock this talent, Shadow practiced until she could perform the task without effort.

Copper called a reluctant halt to mining at the end of February. With spring approaching, active members needed to be battle ready, so Shadow was rousted out for an early morning run in the snow, followed by weapons practice and swimming. She became immune to the sight of naked men and her own state of undress in the rigid routine. The urgent need for physical performance outweighed any other consideration for all of them. She was pressed into matches of unarmed combat when her superior skills showed. They played dice for the privilege of fighting her with a blade to absorb the techniques of Submariners into Brethren war craft.

When her popularity reached absurd levels, Shadow fled to the now deserted mines. Every muscle ached. Brethren didn’t reach Submariner standards as fighters, but did not fall far short, and that edge had narrowed. She relaxed into sleep, waking after what seemed like seconds to find Copper sitting beside her. After months of avoidance, his presence startled her.

“Rowan is out searching the heights, furious because he’s missing his session at sword play with you.” He stretched, at ease, as if they had never quarreled. “Serves him right. He used loaded dice last night. I found them in his sleeping roll after I thought his luck ran too good.”

Shadow tried to yawn and smile at the same time, relieved they were talking again. “He’s eager for an edge.” She had noticed how often she fought the King’s dark-skinned second.

“Too eager. I’ve no mind for joining the Wild Hunt. Will you fight with me instead?”

“He’d challenge for your position?”

“The strongest of us leads. He’s fey. He has the right to rule.”

“I can give you an edge he can never surpass, but it requires the ultimate trust.” She didn’t want to change her horse mid-stride. Copper represented less of an unknown than Rowan, and she was drawn to him, against her better judgment.

“A Shade mind thing?”

“The way I learned. You’d surpass me with that knowledge.”

“You’d trust a killer to have such an advantage over you?”

“For a trade.” She stretched, watching him for a hint of why he sought her out. “Why so many gemstones? Expecting an influx of recruits?”

“My master plan. I intend to overrun a fort by clipping an earring on the entire population. They would be freed because Harvesters can’t control us so equipped. One fort is a start.”

“Run the idea past Ector before you commit. He has a similar notion. The two of you could work together.”

“Will working with Shades mean we can’t wear our earrings in battle?” Copper frowned.

“No. We can’t risk a trained force changing sides. Ector took the gem to Avalon, where they will study its effects. Are you concerned Submariners would know of your sins if you didn’t have shields? Don’t be. The war overrides any prejudices.”

“Worried? Yes, although I don’t mind personally.” A quirky grin lit his features. “I committed a stupid error while under the influence of a strong drink I didn’t have the maturity to handle.”

Shadow waited for an explanation, relieved to see the lighter side of his nature emerging.

“You’re really going to make me tell, aren’t you?” He wriggled on the hard rock floor for a more agreeable seat, looking away from her, fists clenched and shoulders tense. “I learned of my betrothal to a War Maid, one lovely beyond my wildest dreams, according to my father’s agents. I thought myself untouchable on my sixteenth birthday. I celebrated over-well with my friends, accepting every drink passed in my direction. I remember my younger brother helping me to my room, except he’d led me to the Harvester domain. I thought I pissed against a wall, not the door to the priest’s chamber. Naturally, it opened when I reached full flow. I was too drunk to stop fast enough. If I’d known the penalty, I’d have aimed at his face instead of his feet. My brother became heir that night.”

“I never knew one had offered for me,” Shadow said, guessing his interest in her at Menhill.

“Hald revoked the contract when he learned of my status, and my brother was contracted elsewhere, to a rather plain girl, I learned. It was a small consolation.” He sighed.

“Thank the stars he was, for I would’ve hated such a traitor!”

“Now we’re both doomed.” He laughed a bitter laugh, and then became serious again. “What must I do to gain more life?”

Shadow took him to the heights surrounding Haven, away from prying eyes. In the biting wind, she removed both their earrings, adjusting him to mental intrusion by slow stages. She made no attempt to scan his mind, respecting his privacy.

Her delving into records with the Archive’s active participation now bore results. First she rerouted a set of neural pathways for a direct link to a dormant section of his brain, a part active in animals, concerning synaptic override in times of danger. A set of neurons needed strengthening in his brain stem with increased linkages and blood supply. The delicate adjustments continued as Copper knelt in front of her. She examined the section of his brain capable of precognition, situated in the same area as her telepathic abilities. No possibility of augmentation there lest she destroy the thing making him fit to rule. Physical alterations complete, she uploaded every training scenario ever experienced with Submariners. Shadow fixed his earring back in place without comment.

“So much and no time to practice,” Copper sighed, rocking back on his heels. “I hope this was worth having my mind picked clean.”

“Didn’t,” Shadow said, busy attaching her own device. “Enhancing reaction time—not poking through the private zone. I’d not do that to any ally. It’s considered bad manners.”

“But the memories you shared contained definite communications from mind to mind. It’s obvious—”

“No. One projects a thought to an open mind and remains open for an answer. There is more sense of the essence of an individual in the exchange.”

Copper flowed to his feet, stretching like a cat. He looked down at the faint lights of Haven winking in the dusk.

“If you can make physical changes, why not free up your speech?”

“The Shades tried. Harvesters caused too much damage. I had a problem when they retrieved me because I could block mental projections. Once I understood they wouldn’t intrude, mind speech proved easier.”

He glanced at her sideways, but let it pass. Again his attention turned to the scene below.

“There are more brothers about than should be outside at this time. Let’s hope I can put those lessons into practice, because I think they’re setting up an arena.”

“Fight me instead.” She touched his arm. “I don’t challenge for leadership, but we could give them a good show.”

“Mock fighting won’t be acceptable. It’ll be to the first blood between us.”

Shadow shrugged, not afraid of cuts. “I formally call you out for infringement of my person against my will,” she challenged with a slight grin.

“Accepted, my Queen. May the best warrior win.” He grabbed her, holding her immobile in his arms before she had time to evade him. Moonlight reflected from his eyes before his lips lowered to hers. It was incredibly tender – not a brutal forcing, but far too sexual to be taken for a brotherly salute. A deep blush colored her face by the time he finished.

“Now you have fresh grounds,” he said, his voice soft in the darkness. “A very pleasant way to challenge. I thank you.”

Shadow fought back tears, aware he’d tricked her. He only wanted the skills and his revenge.

Copper’s guess was right. An area had been cleared of all debris in the compound and was ringed with Brethren. Rowan stood off to one side. The word ‘challenge’ hissed in the air when they passed through the ranks.