Kissed by Ice(19)

"We can't afford that kind of delay," I said. "We need to get off this boat and to those islands as quickly as possible."

"Maybe we can take one of the lifeboats," Kabita suggested. "Or the wave runners. They've got some down below."

Eddie shook his head. "They will catch you quite easily, I'm afraid. They tend to keep an eye on such equipment, and there is no way you can launch without the bridge being notified and assuming, quite correctly, that the vehicles are being stolen."

I gave a frustrated sigh. "How then? Every minute we're on this ship is another minute wasted. We can't lose this vamp. He's our only lead to whoever is controlling him."

"I might, ah, be able to help you with that," Eddie said.

Kabita and I glanced at each other. "We're listening."

"It's a bit unconventional, and you'll both get quite wet, but I think I know someone who can help."





Chapter Eight



Eddie insisted we wait for full dark to carry out "the plan," but he refused to tell us what he had up his sleeve or who he'd found to help. Instead he handed us the key to his stateroom and shooed us off with the order to rest before disappearing toward the elevators.

"I don't know about you," Kabita said as she paced the narrow strip of floor next to the table, "but I am way too keyed up to sleep. Want to hit the casino?"

I shook my head. "I feel like I haven't slept in days. I'm going to do what Eddie suggested and take a nap."

Kabita nodded. "Meet you in a couple hours," she said before striding down the hall after Eddie.

I locked up behind me and headed in the opposite direction. Once in Eddie's room, I pulled the heavy drapes over the window, kicked off my boots, and threw myself on the bed. The bed was large and plush, and smelled of salt and sea. I was out within seconds.





Lush green grass as tall as my waist brushed me as I passed, tickling where it touched bare skin. The snug leather leggings I wore felt strange and a little too warm for the fine weather of this land, but they were practical. The short matching leather bodice bound my breasts tightly in place while allowing freedom of movement. I had been wearing a woolen tunic over the top, but it was far too hot, so I'd stuffed it in my pack and went about with stomach and arms bared. No one minded. In fact, most of the other women were dressed the same.

I started. Other women?

A quick glance around the wide grassy plain revealed a dozen other women in clothing much like mine, hair either shaved close to the skull or bound in braids. There were no men. Instead, the women were clearly warriors. Weapons bristled from their belts and packs: swords, daggers, bows. It was as though they expected to be attacked at any moment. We moved at a fast pace, wading through the endless sea of grass, headed toward… what? I had no idea.

We crested a rise, and the woman who was clearly our leader raised her hand. The entire company came to a halt. Below us spread a vast water. It had waves, like an ocean, but the air lacked the briny tang of salt. A lake then, and freshwater, too. Large enough I couldn't see the end of it. One could easily lose a ship out there.

The leader turned to face me, her dark eyes circled with fatigue. "Princess," she said, "we are here."

But where was "here?"





I woke to Kabita pounding on my door. I stumbled out of bed and staggered across the floor to let her in. I nearly broke my ankle tripping on my boots.

"Come on. Time to go."

"Give me a sec," I said, limping to the bathroom to use the facilities. As I splashed my face with cold water, the dream played over in my mind. This wasn't the first time I'd dreamed of being the Princess. The first time, she'd been a small child escaping from the dying city of Atlantis. The second time, she'd been a teenager running from the Temple of the Moon and invaders who were slaughtering the priestesses. She had been with the High Priestess called Amaza, and they'd been running for a distant colony. In this dream the Princess had been older. Closer to twenty, maybe. But where was she? And why was the dream so damned important?





"You have got to be kidding me." Kabita hung half over the railing, a large flashlight trained below as she stared at the water with a frown. I wasn't sure if she was talking about the long drop to the ocean's dark surface or what was waiting for us below. Either way, I couldn't blame her. Now that it was full dark, we could finally put our plan into action. Unfortunately the plan didn't help ease my mind one bit.

"No kidding. Eddie," I said, turning around to face him. "You don't think we're going to jump, do you?"

"Of course, my dear." Eddie beamed. "How else do you expect to get down there? It is the most expeditious way I could think of."