Daughter Of The Dragon Princess(32)

Mal frowned. "It sounds perfect," he said and watched the smile form on  Vortigen's face. "Except for the bit where I'm supposed to pledge  allegiance to a king I despise, and hand over the woman I love to a  depraved monster. What's the alternative?"

The smile slipped from Vortigen's face and his eyes narrowed, glints of ruby gleaming in the dark depths.

"You will die, and you will consign your precious Princess to a living  hell, and don't think she'll be allowed the indulgence of her mother's  escape. Her hell will go on for all eternity." He smiled again, and this  time something ugly stirred behind his eyes. "You know," he murmured.  "I quite like the idea that she has spirit, it will be all the more  interesting, breaking her. Or maybe I'll keep you alive. If she loves  you as you claim, then I'm sure she would do anything, lower herself to  any form of debasement to ensure her lover doesn't suffer. What do you  think? Life in some cold, dank dungeon here on earth, never to see  Ankesh again, and to know your lady will do anything to please me if  only to stop your suffering. Perhaps we'll let you watch as she  pleasures me. Oh, and your brother Killian will die as well."

Mal's hands tightened into fists at his side. He had to fight his instincts to attack. "I want to talk to Lily," he said.

"I don't think so."

"I'll not give you an answer until I hear what she has to say. And I speak to her alone."

Vortigen studied Mal as if trying to decide if he had an ulterior  motive. "You'll not kill the girl and save her from me that way?"

The thought of killing Lily hadn't even occurred to him. "Of course not."

"You swear it on the Goddess?"

"You think I'll uphold a vow more than you?"         

     



 

"Oh, yes. You're a sentimental fool."

"Then I swear. Now take me to her."

Vortigen nodded once. "Come."

The two guards fell in behind them as they left the room. Vortigen led  the way along the hallway and then down a stone staircase into the lower  level of the house. They were below ground, and the chill, damp air  brushed against his skin. They stopped at a large wooden door.

"This used to be a store room," Vortigen murmured. "We had it adapted as guest accommodation."

The guard unlocked the heavy door. It swung open. There was no furniture  in the room and Lily sat on the stone floor, her knees hugged to her  chest. She glanced up when she heard the door open, her green eyes  glowing as she caught sight of Mal behind the guard. She scrambled to  her feet, then swayed and placed one hand on the wall for balance, the  other resting against her belly where Vortigen had punched her. Mal knew  she must be carrying bruises, but overall she appeared well. As he  stepped passed the guard and into the cell, Lily pushed herself off the  wall and into his arms. He pulled her close to him, then turned his  head.

"Leave us," he said.

Vortigen watched them, distaste clear on his face, but there was also a  glimmer of puzzlement. He raised an eyebrow at Mal's command, but  nodded. "You have half an hour. See you persuade her to be sensible."

***

Lily held him as though she would bind him to her, never let him go. As  he pressed into her, a sharp twinge of pain stabbed her in the ribs. She  suspected she had at least one broken but she didn't release her hold.  She'd been so scared for him, so terrified that they would kill him, and  she would never see him again, never get to say goodbye. Never get the  chance to tell him she loved him.

The guards had been silent when they locked her in here, refusing to  answer her questions. Her bruises had hurt more once she was alone, and  she had fought the despair that threatened to overwhelm her.

Then something had happened. Something strange. Even now, she didn't  understand, but it had left her renewed, with a small spark of optimism  burning somewhere deep inside, fizzing up within her, overriding her  pain and her fear for Mal.

He pulled himself back. She clung for a moment and then allowed him to draw away.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded. He dropped to his knees in front of her, smoothed up her  shirt, and kissed her skin where Vortigen's fist had punched into her.  Her head fell back and she just enjoyed the feel of his mouth. Then she  sank to her knees beside him and kissed his lips. He sat, long legs  stretched out, and pulled her into his lap, kissing her hair, then her  cheek, then her mouth again.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her lips.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," she whispered.

He frowned. "You seem brighter than I thought you'd be. Do you understand our situation?"

"Yeah, basically, we're fucked. What did he say to you?"

Mal outlined the options and her little gleam of hope drowned in a wave of despair.

"Perhaps you should do as he asks," she said. "You would at least get to  go home. It's what you've always wanted, and I think I could bear  anything if you were safe."

"Vortigen wouldn't keep his word. Once back on Ankesh, I'm sure he would  arrange for me to meet an unpleasant end, and then he could do as he  likes with you. For some reason just now, he feels he needs my  cooperation. Maybe the others aren't as behind him as he pretends."

"Could that help us?"

"No. They want to go home too much to question the way things are. Maybe  when they're back on Ankesh, but if by then he has you in his power  they won't risk closing the portal again even if they are on the right  side." He stroked her cheek, looping her hair behind her ear. "No, I  can't accept his terms but I had to speak with you first. After all,  I'll meet death soon. You'll have to endure an eternity of torment."

"Great," she muttered. "Try and make me feel better, why don't you?"

"I'm searching my heart for a solution, but nothing comes to mind but the inconceivable."

A flicker of hope ran through her. Inconceivable didn't mean impossible.  She was willing to try anything at this point. "What's that?"

"I won't speak of it. I won't think of it until all hope is dead. Now,  my time is almost up. I'm glad you're in such good spirits, but why?"

She thought for a moment, did she want to share this with Mal? Would he  think she was a crazy woman? What was new? Then she shrugged. "Mal,  after they threw me in here, I had this sort of thing."         

     



 

"Thing?"

"Well, it was like a dream, except I was awake." She frowned. "This  woman came to me, and I knew her, I'd met her before, in my dreams. Does  this sound crazy?"

Mal smiled. "No, go on."

"Well, she didn't say much, just that I was her daughter. She told me  everything would be all right, that I shouldn't worry, then she was  gone, and all of a sudden, poof, I wasn't worried anymore. Well, right  up until your eternal torment comment, that is. So what do you think?"

Mal was staring at her in wonder. "I think you've been visited by the Goddess."

The flicker of hope burst into flame. "So is it all going to be all right then?"

"I wish I could say yes, but it's difficult to know the ways of the  Goddess, or to understand her. Maybe she has heard our prayers. On the  other hand, her idea of everything being all right might not coincide  with ours. Maybe she believes your rightful place is with Vortigen. I  don't know. We'll only find out with the passing of time."

"Well, I refuse to give up hope."

"Good. Now I hear the guards coming back, I have to go."

Lily clung to him; she didn't want to let him go. And she needed to tell  him something. She was aware, as she had never been before, that this  might be the last time he held her in his arms. The last time he kissed  her.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

A slow smile spread across his face. "And I love you." He stood up with  her still in his arms and lowered her to the floor just as the guards  opened the door. Lily forced her hands to drop from his shoulders. She  took a step back and watched as he turned and walked away, the cell door  locking behind him.

***

The guards took him back to the red room.

"So have you persuaded her to be sensible?" Vortigen asked.

Mal stood looking down at him. Then he thought-what the hell? He might  never get another opportunity, and he'd wanted to wipe that smug smile  of Vortigen's face so many times over the past two thousand years. He  lunged with inhuman speed. The smile slipped, and then he was at  Vortigen's throat. He pulled him from his seat and smashed him across  the table, raised his fist and crashed it into Vortigen's nose, reveling  in the harsh metallic scent of blood that filled the air. He stared  down into the king's face-the smirk was gone now-and then Mal punched  him in the stomach with all his strength. The air left Vortigen's lungs  with a whoosh and Mal grinned in savage satisfaction.

"That was for hitting Lily," he snarled.