The Royal Hunter (35 page)

“Call the guards!” he commanded as he rolled to his feet.

Emrys turned and smiled at Archer. “Your worst nightmare?” he taunted, his voice sounding much, much younger, even though he still looked like the elderly doctor. He tipped back his head and laughed. “You haven’t had yours yet. But you’re about to.”

And then it was as if the triangle were sucking them into it, with a force of its own. The Dark One lifted a hand toward Niall as the young man charged him, sending him flying back against the shield. “Don’t waste your time. Join your lady love there. You’re about to take a trip.”

“But … but you showed me!” Niall demanded. “I went with you and I saw with my own eyes—”

“Yes, annoying detour. But there is nothing like proof to nudge the undecided. Now move, unless you want her dragged from her bed.”

The bed, Niall, and Catriona all slid toward the triangle, which had opened to its full size. Archer shouted to Marletta who was still wrestling with the shield device even as he tried to see beyond them, into the triangle, for any clue to where they were heading.

“Guards, fire at the walls to the side of the shield.” Archer knew better than to aim anything directly at the shield. It would boomerang off, putting everyone on this side at risk and doing nothing to penetrate. He dove for the floor and slid toward the nearest wall the shield reached to. “Now, now!”

The guards’ collective force blasted the wall. Archer covered his head as bits of stone flew everywhere. “Everyone, again! This wall.” Again they assaulted it and this time the fringe of the shield wavered. Yes! He wedged himself through the narrow gap.

Catriona was in Niall’s arms now as the bed they were on was sucked into the triangle behind the Dark One. The triangle began to shrink, the queen and Niall on the other side. Along with a laughing Emrys.

“Good-bye, Archer. Tell the Old One nice try.”

Archer squeezed harder, forcing his upper body through. All he needed was to free his legs.

The triangle continued to shrink.

And then his legs were through. “Ha!” He rolled to a crouch, aimed, and dove again. “Look out, asshole. Here I come.” His body arrowed right into the heart of the small triangle … and made it to the other side.

I
t’s happened.”

Talia looked up from the flowers she’d been admiring in Baleweg’s garden. She didn’t have to ask what he meant. Her heart slammed in her chest. “Do we go back?”

Baleweg shook his head. “They aren’t there.”

“What?” Then she remembered what he’d said.
He won’t kill her in her own bed
. She gasped. “You mean Emrys has somehow kidnapped Catriona? She’ll never survive that. What about her guards? Marletta?” She covered her mouth. “Archer!”

Baleweg placed his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what ruse he used to get to her. The energy flash from Archer was a brief one, ending almost as soon as it began.”

“No!” Her heart shuddered. “You don’t mean—” His hold on her tightened. “I mean they’re
all
gone. With Emrys. Somewhere. There is no energy source there at all.” He withdrew another blue stone from the depths of his robe. “I felt a ripple in the time continuum.” He looked to her. “I think he’s taken them through time.”

“But how did he get to them?”

Baleweg shook his head. “I couldn’t know.”

“You think he took both Catriona and Archer?”

Baleweg nodded. “It would explain the way the
energy ceased so quickly. I would sense Archer if he were still there.”

“What about the orb? Can’t you connect with him through that?”

“It was such a short flash that I don’t believe he could have held it for long. It matters not, as the link would not hold up once the time continuum was crossed.”

“But how can we be sure?” Talia had horrible images of Archer lying in the castle somewhere, in a pool of his own blood. Even at such a distance, surely she would have felt something if he was hurt. She knew he would fight to the death for Catriona, against anyone being wronged. She felt a rush of pride even as terror consumed her.

Only Baleweg’s touch slowed her headlong flight into total panic. “You must calm yourself. They need you right now. Your skills may be our only hope.”

She whipped her head around. “How can I possibly help? And how is that supposed to calm me down?”

Baleweg allowed a brief smile to crease the corners of his eyes. He framed her face with his hands and she stilled. “It is within you to reach out and touch them, connect with them.” He looked at her steadily. “With their fear, and their pain. It is the only way, Talia. It is why I kept you apart.”

“But if we’d been there—”

“You would be at Emrys’s mercy right now, as I predicted. And I would be left with no way to locate any of you.”

“Surely you could have found a way—”

Baleweg merely shook his head. “My vulnerability would have been too high. He’d have had far too much sway.” He sighed wearily. “That may not
change when we find them, but at least I will have the advantage of planning my attack.”

He let her go and she took several stumbling steps backward. “But if you can’t reach them, how can I—?”

“I have many skills, but you can’t learn to be an empath any more than you can learn to be a healer. Only you have an ability to connect with these specific people.”

“What of Emrys? If he can thwart you, surely he can—”

“He could. If he suspected. But he will not. He is toying with me, taking one who is close to you, your family, and therefore dear to me. He will enjoy thinking that I am being tortured with the knowledge that I can do nothing to save your sister’s life, and that you will witness my failing. He will be overconfident, knowing the fate of her entire kingdom rests in his hands. He will never believe we can thwart him, or that we will even try. Instead he’ll be gloating, thinking us resigned to the painful realities of this latest display of his power. That arrogance will be his downfall.”

“What about Chamberlain? Where is he in all this?”

Baleweg shook his head. “He was merely a pawn in this game, led to think he controlled Emrys. Perhaps he’d thought to give Emrys a position of power in the court if he succeeded in his plans with the queen.” Baleweg shook his head. “I doubt he ever knew just who he was dealing with. Not that it matters, as he will get what he wants from this anyway.” He stroked Talia’s arm again. “We cannot concern ourselves with Chamberlain or what he might be doing at this moment. We must focus on your sister. And her child.”

The humming sensation raced up her arms and
tingled through her, allowing her to get a grip on the emotions rocketing through her. She took a steadying breath.

“So, Talia, are you willing to do what must be done?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Of course I am.”

“It will not be easy and will cost you much.”

The trembling started again, but she worked hard to tamp down the rising panic. “I don’t know if I can pull it off.” She pulled her hands free and clasped her arms to her. “But I have to try. For … for Catriona and her baby. And … for Archer. He’d have done the same for me. He’s already done the same for the queen.”

Increased respect filled Baleweg’s eyes as he nodded and smiled at her. “You are your mother’s daughter, Talia. As well as your father’s. They would be very proud of you.”

She dashed away unshed tears. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “Okay. What do I do?”

Baleweg took her by the hand and walked into the forest of tropical plants that crowded his rooftop garden. In the midst of the palm fronds there was a small stone pool, the water in it completely still. Next to the pool was a small blue mat. “Sit there.”

Talia looked at him, but did as she was told.

“You have not made too many connections with humans.”

“Only two, and they were right near me.”

“Not only will they not be close, you must connect with them through time.”

“Oh, my God, I didn’t think about that. How will I—?”

“The strength of what they are feeling and what you feel for them will be enough. But you must cleanse your mind of all else. You must feel none of
your own fears or concerns, so that you will be able to feel theirs.” He nodded toward the pond. “I want you to stare at the water, at the smooth surface of it, and imagine your mind as smooth, as clear, as calm. Do not think of them, or the situation. It will only cause you to react and then your focus will shift back to your own concerns.”

Talia nodded.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention up to him. “I must warn you. This can be extremely draining, especially for a novitiate.”

Talia thought back to how stunned she’d felt after her brief connection to Archer. But it had been energizing rather than draining. Catriona had been different. Equally powerful, but there had been pain. She’d yanked herself out of it before she’d connected too deeply, but she remembered the hammering she’d taken even with that brief connection. And now, with Catriona and the baby most certainly facing imminent death—Her body balked, her mind tried to pull away. She’d spent too many years protecting herself from this. But she had no choice but to risk it this time.

It was that or let them die.

“I’ll be okay,” she told Baleweg. She wouldn’t be, she knew that. Just as she knew it didn’t matter. Not any longer. This was what she’d been born to do. She understood that now and for the first time embraced the gift she’d been given as just that. A gift. Hopefully, this time, it would be the gift of life.

Baleweg nodded. “Look to the pond.”

“Wait. If—When I make the connection, then what? If I can’t fix them, I can’t … what is it I can do?”

He pressed the blue orb into her hand. “If you can locate them in that manner, I can connect
through you and determine where in time they are. You must not let go of the orb or your connection. It will not be easy.”

Her heart pounded as the magnitude of what she was going to try drummed through her. She couldn’t let herself think about it. She couldn’t allow herself to think about success or failure. She simply had to focus on the connection itself, nothing else. Just as Baleweg had taught her. She nodded and turned her thoughts to the pond.

Calm … smooth. Tranquility. Emptiness. Open, opening
. Talia felt her breathing slow first, then her heart rate. She kept her focus on the pond, then finally let her eyes drift shut and turned her focus inward. It was as if she’d transcended to some other place.
Complete calm, tranquility. Open, opening. I am open
.

She struggled to maintain the calm.
Breathe in, breathe out
. As time stretched out to what felt like infinity, she continued to focus.
Empty, open, I am open
. Nothing was happening. She fought back the edge of panic, of frustration. She could not allow anything to interfere. She redoubled her efforts, sank even deeper into her own mind. She envisioned a flat plane that stretched onward beyond the horizon. She pictured herself flying over this plane, moving toward something, something intangible, something—

The shriek of sudden pain all but pierced her to the very soul. She jerked and almost lost it, but forced herself to reach out again.

When it came the second time, she thought she’d be prepared. But she wasn’t. It felt as if it were her own voice, shrieking in agony.
Dear God, oh, dear God
. She felt her body tumbling now, the plane having turned into a steep incline. Down she went, down. Deeper. The pain howled through her, echoing so strongly she thought she might go mad with it. Her
body jerked against it, instinctively trying to protect itself. It took everything she had to force herself to let go, to relax, to feel it, endure it. But oh, dear God, the pain. Her stomach felt as if it were being ripped from her. Over and over again it was as if something were trying to wrench itself free from the depths of her very being. She wrapped her arms protectively over her stomach, the blue orb digging into her palm. She was losing it, losing her hold. She couldn’t endure this ripping, this pushing, this—

And then she realized, and with realization came hope, and some semblance of control. It was the baby! He was still alive. He was coming! Through the haze of pain she focused once again, holding herself tightly in her own arms as the agony washed through her again.
Ripping, squeezing, pushing
.

She took on the pain, even though that meant being unable to control it. Catriona was dying. If she could take this pain away, take on the labor of childbirth for her, perhaps she’d spare her enough energy to survive it.
Stay with it, Catriona, I’m with you. I’m with you
.

Again and again the pain tore through her. It was so immense that she writhed with it, unable to brace against it. She knew childbirth could be agony, but this … this was more than that. Catriona’s illness had ravaged her so thoroughly that the rigors of giving birth were literally tearing her apart. And Talia couldn’t separate the pain of one from the pain of another. Her body jerked and twisted as each wave ripped through her. How much longer could she hold on? She felt her grasp slip repeatedly but forced whatever focus she had left to the single-minded effort of maintaining the contact so her sister might live through this.

The baby forced its way lower. Lower still until
she felt she was being torn in two. The baby!
Yes, yes, almost there!
She bore down and felt a scream tear from somewhere deep inside her. Or inside Catriona. She no longer knew where she ended and Catriona began.

Air. No air, no air! Breathe! Can’t breathe
. Suddenly Talia felt an encroaching cold crawl toward her. It was terrifyingly black, deeper than any hole, sucking her in.
So cold. Breathe
. Talia fought to hold on, but the black threatened to consume her. A howling pain shrieked through her. Icy fingers clawed at her belly.
Dying
.

“NO!” Talia jerked out of it and found herself lying in a pool of sweat, trembling hard, unable to catch her breath. Her body lay twisted on the blue mat. It took her a moment to focus on the water, then Baleweg’s face came into view.