mad!" she snapped. "I told you before. It's your warrior's skills"
"Little liar," he cut her off huskily. "You're not very good at lying, either."
Brace motioned toward the bag she'd laid aside. "Get on with your packing. We leave for Aranea within the hora."
She glowered at him for a long moment, then walked back to her bag. She had no choice. If Aranea was where Brace wanted to go, she must follow. But if he asked for one more thing . . .
"And what of your friend Rodac?" Marissa shot over her shoulder. "Where is he?"
Brace grinned in sudden remembrance. "Still sleeping off his Moracan ale in some tree, I'd wager. I'll fetch him while you finish packing. Meet us at the transport station in a half hora." "We'd do better to leave him behind. I fear your trust in that alien is sadly misplaced."
Brace chuckled. "As yours is in me, sweet femina?"
Marissa quashed the momentary surge of exasperationand guilt. "Yes, most assuredly, Brace Ardane. Most assuredly."
The transport technician pocketed the transport fee and shoved the power lever forward on the control panel. Multicolored lights flashed on the console. A buzzing pervaded the room as Marissa, Brace, and Rodac faded slowly from view.
The last sight Marissa had was of Brace, one corner of his mouth twisted in a devilish smile. He was baiting her again, she thought, but this time she sensed it was to take her mind off the transport process. Wanly Marissa returned his smile, but it was already too late. Brace was gone.
She followed quickly, her mind whirling chaotically through the dark, sharp coldness of space. Marissa felt splintered, her soul torn from her body. The buzzing softened to an undulating hum, then rose in volume until the pulsations reverberated through her skull. By the Crystal Fires, the pain!
A moment later it was over. They materialized in a transport chamber in the Aranean capital, and quickly departed the station. It was twilight in Araneum. Swathed in dark cloaks, the hoods pulled low to hide their faces, Brace, Marissa, and Rodac made their stealthy way toward the royal palace where the Queen and, hopefully, Teran, would be found.
The palace was huge. Combined with the extreme care required to evade the guardbots prowling the halls, it was several horas before they discovered the sleeping chambers. They crept into each one until, by process of elimination, they found the Queen's. Two ladies-in-waiting snored loudly in the antechamber. In the cacophony, it was an easy task to slip past them.
Queen Alia slept alone in a huge bed, her breathing the deep slumber of drugs. Her auburn hair was a riotous tumble about her, her beautiful features pale and marred by an ugly bruise on one side of her face. A slender forearm peeked from beneath the covers, a bandage covering the limb from wrist to elbow.
Standing over her, Brace frowned. Where was Teran, her reported lover, and what exactly had happened to injure the Queen? An uneasy presentiment snaked about his heart. Things were fast becoming too complex.
He stifled an impulse to waken the sleeping woman and ask where Teran was. The possibility that this was all some elaborate plot to recapture him must still be considered. Brace signaled his companions out of the room and into the shadowed corridor.
Marissa drew close. "What next? Must we search every closet and corner in this cursed palace before you're finally satisfied? Your brother isn't here!"
"Yes, every closet and corner, if that's what it takes," he whispered back. "I know he's here. I can feel it."
"So, now you're psychic as well," Marissa grumbled, but allowed Brace to take her arm and lead her down the hall.
The nocte had pinkened to sol rise before they finally found Teran, in a book-lined library, slumped over an open volume and sound asleep. Brace stood for the longest time gazing down at his brother.
At the loving expression on his face, tears once again stung Marissa's eyes. She quickly blinked them back. The visible
"Little liar," he cut her off huskily. "You're not very good at lying, either."
Brace motioned toward the bag she'd laid aside. "Get on with your packing. We leave for Aranea within the hora."
She glowered at him for a long moment, then walked back to her bag. She had no choice. If Aranea was where Brace wanted to go, she must follow. But if he asked for one more thing . . .
"And what of your friend Rodac?" Marissa shot over her shoulder. "Where is he?"
Brace grinned in sudden remembrance. "Still sleeping off his Moracan ale in some tree, I'd wager. I'll fetch him while you finish packing. Meet us at the transport station in a half hora." "We'd do better to leave him behind. I fear your trust in that alien is sadly misplaced."
Brace chuckled. "As yours is in me, sweet femina?"
Marissa quashed the momentary surge of exasperationand guilt. "Yes, most assuredly, Brace Ardane. Most assuredly."
The transport technician pocketed the transport fee and shoved the power lever forward on the control panel. Multicolored lights flashed on the console. A buzzing pervaded the room as Marissa, Brace, and Rodac faded slowly from view.
The last sight Marissa had was of Brace, one corner of his mouth twisted in a devilish smile. He was baiting her again, she thought, but this time she sensed it was to take her mind off the transport process. Wanly Marissa returned his smile, but it was already too late. Brace was gone.
She followed quickly, her mind whirling chaotically through the dark, sharp coldness of space. Marissa felt splintered, her soul torn from her body. The buzzing softened to an undulating hum, then rose in volume until the pulsations reverberated through her skull. By the Crystal Fires, the pain!
A moment later it was over. They materialized in a transport chamber in the Aranean capital, and quickly departed the station. It was twilight in Araneum. Swathed in dark cloaks, the hoods pulled low to hide their faces, Brace, Marissa, and Rodac made their stealthy way toward the royal palace where the Queen and, hopefully, Teran, would be found.
The palace was huge. Combined with the extreme care required to evade the guardbots prowling the halls, it was several horas before they discovered the sleeping chambers. They crept into each one until, by process of elimination, they found the Queen's. Two ladies-in-waiting snored loudly in the antechamber. In the cacophony, it was an easy task to slip past them.
Queen Alia slept alone in a huge bed, her breathing the deep slumber of drugs. Her auburn hair was a riotous tumble about her, her beautiful features pale and marred by an ugly bruise on one side of her face. A slender forearm peeked from beneath the covers, a bandage covering the limb from wrist to elbow.
Standing over her, Brace frowned. Where was Teran, her reported lover, and what exactly had happened to injure the Queen? An uneasy presentiment snaked about his heart. Things were fast becoming too complex.
He stifled an impulse to waken the sleeping woman and ask where Teran was. The possibility that this was all some elaborate plot to recapture him must still be considered. Brace signaled his companions out of the room and into the shadowed corridor.
Marissa drew close. "What next? Must we search every closet and corner in this cursed palace before you're finally satisfied? Your brother isn't here!"
"Yes, every closet and corner, if that's what it takes," he whispered back. "I know he's here. I can feel it."
"So, now you're psychic as well," Marissa grumbled, but allowed Brace to take her arm and lead her down the hall.
The nocte had pinkened to sol rise before they finally found Teran, in a book-lined library, slumped over an open volume and sound asleep. Brace stood for the longest time gazing down at his brother.
At the loving expression on his face, tears once again stung Marissa's eyes. She quickly blinked them back. The visible
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