Crystal Warrior: Through All Eternity (Atlantean Crystal Saga Book 1) (27 page)

‘Oh,’ she murmured, turning it slowly in her hands and staring at it. Her heart had begun to race and her cheeks felt suddenly hot. Only with Meryan had she ever shared her feelings about Taur. She was very close to Difleer and the bond between them had deepened since the day Gotham had found her in the King's high gerlain, but—and her hands trembled as she gripped the breskin—she needed to be alone when she opened Taur's message.

‘Thank you, Difleer. That'll be all,’ she said quietly.

With obvious reluctance the housekeeper left the room.

Putting the tray aside Gynevra lay back and clutched the letter against her breast. Briefly, in her anger yesterday, she'd thought Taur uncaring for not fighting to the death for the right to play her Rafid. Today she acknowledged his life infinitely more precious than a single joining on the altar. Slowly she lifted the seal, keeping the perfect wax image of the Bull intact. It would become another memento to keep hidden among her crystals, to fondle wistfully in dispirited moments. With trembling fingers and eyes threatening to spill tears, she unfolded the brittle breskin.

Golden One,

In gratitude for healing my wound yesterday, I have deposited three mevon in your stadrag at the Temple. I regret I could not be Rafid, but Go' needed the honor much more than I. I fear for him, as rumor has it he hasn't sired a child since falling on my sword. I pray to Ist and Asar for the return of his potency.

Nevertheless you must know, Golden One, I would come from wherever I happen to be to sire your child if you send for me. I but await your word.

Cadal Isidor II, King of Nyalda.

Although it hadn't been Spring Fertility Festival and her quickening therefore not crucial, she knew with the same certainty she knew her own name she'd not bear a Child of the Gods this year. Clasping her hands across her empty womb, she wondered how long before her father demanded she contract a sire to accomplish what her Prince had not? To her shame she only hoped she never quickened with his seed and that her father didn't wait too long to issue his orders. She would never risk herself to Gotham's capricious mercy by making the suggestion herself.

As quarter followed quarter Gynevra cherished her time in Ceabryn more and more. While the Prince could still rouse her to passion and desire, she found it increasingly difficult to present a smiling face to his people and even more so to the woman who looked back at her from her silver mirror. If she resisted him he bound and whipped her, or teased and incited her senses until her highly inflammable DragonBlood body played traitor to her mind. She came to suspect this was how he preferred to take her and that he knew and relished how this rankled and tortured her inner being.

There were times when he was a delight to be with but as barren year followed barren year these became markedly fewer. When Gotham began to drop hints of his influence and leadership of what many called a ‘crack-brained scheme’ to return, as the ancients were reputedly able to do, to their Star of Origin, Gynevra didn't know whether to be delighted or horrified. With the land breaking up around them it was time, said an iconoclastic-thinking few, for men to look beyond the paradigm and instead of creating new colonies here on the planet, to search out old truths, old answers to an old problem—survival of the species.

Some of the old priestesses, the old wise women, warned of dire consequences and national doom through the manufacture of the huge crystals needed to generate the power for such a project, but they were ignored or laughed at for being crones, toothless and therefore mindless. Many scoffed at the idea of returning to the Star, saying the old legends were mere fairy stories told to while away the nights in a time when Man was an unevolved spiritual being who didn't understand that Woman had been created to fill his nights in other ways.

Gynevra was now convinced those most vociferous for, and deeply involved in, the Star Quest were an odd collection of misfits and malcontents who hoped to use it as a means to gain the power and kudos to which they had no other recourse. She'd had many long discourses with Lord Dogon, her mentor of the High Mysteries of the Temples, trying to understand why King Ahron would sanction such a project, let alone entrust it to such men as Gotham, a Prince who most likely would never become King, her Uncle Usuf, Ahron's sexually deviant and mentally unstable younger brother, and Lord Kah, the past Minister of Crystal Technologies who'd long since lost the position to a younger and more virile man.

That Lord Kah still had the mental acuity that had enabled him to hold his position for many years, Gynevra considered ruefully as she rode in a closed reica from Temple Meranil back to the Palace on a late winter morning in the fourth year of her partnership with Gotham. It was likely King Orestes knew of the pressure he'd added to her relationship with his son by ordering her to comply with the request of the Magus of Meranil that she honor their Temple by performing the Dawn Latreia from their Sacred Needles. But what he didn't know was how difficult he'd made it for her to avoid the importuning of Lord Kah.

Ever since their first meeting in Archinus Darlen's office at Ceabryn he'd tried to coerce her into working for him. For four years she'd successfully evaded his wiles.

Until this morning. Weary of Gotham's increasing abuse and brutality, she'd lingered in the sanctuary of Meranil’s crystal grottos, putting off her return to the Palace. There Kah had found her and with a few chance words had at last inveigled her into his snare. She still didn't know whether the words had been spoken by chance or by design but when he'd mentioned twelve incendiary crystals and Prince Gotham's mounting impatience to advance the project, she'd realized this was the opportunity she needed to learn exactly what the Star Quest was all about and the true nature of Gotham's involvement in it.

It was the first she'd heard of incendiary crystals, which left her in no doubt no one else had heard of them either. Everyone knew about the huge fire crystal in the mountains north of Fyr Trephyr that was to power the apportation chamber. It had been a contentious issue ever since its manufacture had begun over two years ago. There hadn't been so much as a whisper about any incendiary crystals, which Kah had said were to be the power generators for the fire crystal, and she was getting a headache from worrying about what she'd allowed herself to be bribed into.

For bribery it was, pure and simple. First Kah had taken her deep into the caves beneath Meranil where the tortured cries of the twelve completed but un-programmed fire crystals had severely unsettled the fine balance of her energy vibration. He'd known she'd attune instantly to the unhappy spirits of the crystals. It was why he wanted her assistance so badly. But still she'd refused. Eyes closed, she rubbed ceaselessly at her aching forehead. How could she face Gotham as if she knew nothing more than she had this morning? Who was she to condemn him when she was now just as implicated?

Lord Kah had talked animatedly as he led her back through the coded doors of the caves, sealing each one behind them as they'd passed through. Out on the cliff side again the natural salty breeze had tugged at her hair and a soft black powdery dust drifting in the air had settled on her skin. She'd been glad to return to the protection of the glass pyramids.

Kah had taken her to a seat in the stone gardens, a showcase of the stone masons’ craft without parallel.

Fixing her with his strange colorless eyes, he'd said, ‘Princess Gynevra, what you've just seen is a secret project known to only a few very important people. You now possess highly classified and dangerous information. You do understand you can't speak of this to anyone, don't you?’

‘Lord Kah, I'm not exactly lacking in intelligence.’ She'd surprised herself at the tone of regal impatience in her voice. The haughty royal manner had almost become natural to her since arriving at Fyr Trephyr. ‘What concerns me is the lack of responsibility inherent in creating such powerful crystals when you don't have the power to program them.’

‘Ah, but
you
do, Princess,’ Kah had been quick to point out, a deeply ingratiating tone to his voice.

Finding her foot tapping with impatience, she'd stilled it and asked, ‘What are they for?’

‘The less you know, Princess, the less you can tell.’ He'd risen to pace back and forth on the cinder path. ‘You may speak of the project to no one, not even the Prince or King.’

A shiver of apprehension had run over her skin then. Clearly Lord Kah was playing a deep game. Deeming it prudent not to leap straight into the issue of the Prince's involvement, she'd asked ‘How can I program the crystals if I don't know what they're to be used for?’

‘It'll take almost two years to complete the programming because the programs are very complicated and will only be coded into the crystals a small part at a time. In that way your understanding of the programs and the codes will be scrambled. You'll know no more at the end of the project than you do now. It's better that way, Princess.’

He'd been trying to control her with fear and she'd known she couldn't let that happen.

‘I haven't agreed to help you yet. Furthermore, I don't believe this ramegram is as secret as you claim. I've heard talk of the Star Quest at the palace and I know the Prince is involved with it.’

The old man had stopped his pacing, and turned abruptly to face her, his mane of fine white hair flying about his shoulders like a veil, and his eyes fierce and piercing.

‘They know nothing!’ he barked. ‘It's but the idle speculation of sensation seekers. As for the Prince, I'm sure you'd know better than any, Princess, how badly he needs to boost his ego and popularity.’

She'd risen furiously to her feet then. Lord Kah had no right to speak of his Prince in such terms.

‘I know no such thing and if I become pregnant I cannot help you so there's no point in furthering this discussion. Onad-sezyr,’ she'd said icily.

That people were talking of Gotham's infertility and his state of mind she didn't doubt but Lord Kah was the first to dare speak of it directly to her.

‘The Stallion hasn't achieved a successful siring since his injury. That argument carries no weight, Princess!’

There'd been a hint of evil delight in the icy depths of his eyes. She'd barely suppressed a shudder of distaste as she'd brushed haughtily past him.

With an amazing leap of agility the old man had blocked her way and begun in a blustering way, ‘Princess Gynevra, you can't refuse now—,’ then stopping suddenly, a gleam of secretive cunning briefly illuminating the craggy features, he continued, ‘—now you've heard the crystals pleading.’

Without a doubt he'd set out to threaten her and would have done had he not suddenly remembered her concern for the crystals, a concern which she knew in the heaviness of her heart she couldn't ignore.

‘I hear what you aren't saying, Lord Kah, and I won't be threatened. However, I agree, the crystals, now they've been so irresponsibly created, should most certainly be programmed,’ she'd said, returning his challenging stare with a slow haughty one of her own.

By the merest flicker of his eyes he'd acknowledged her reprimand. A crafty smile had twitched his lips giving him the countenance of a weasel. No wonder he and Darlen enjoyed one another's company so much.

‘The Lady has a deep love for the crystals,’ he'd said ingratiatingly. ‘We knew you'd not let us down.’

It was then she'd thought to wipe the smile from his face by talking of large amounts of money. She'd never dreamed he'd accept her outrageous demand.

‘I may be induced to help—should you offer a stadrac worthy of a Princess who just happens to have the rare vibration you require.’

Kah considered her thoughtfully, and she hoped, a little more respectfully, from beneath his bushy white brows, then asked, ‘How—worthy?’

Her heart had faltered a little in her breast but she'd maintained a steady gaze. She'd expected him to walk away from her in disgust.

‘Since my father is the paramount King, you really aren't able to threaten me,’ she pointed out gently.

‘Usod,’ he swore, and named a high qim.

Yet again she had occasion to be grateful for the mind control training she'd received as punishment for usurping Phryne's Goddess energy with Taur. Not one vestige of the shock which rattled the very foundations of her being had showed in expression or demeanor. She did not want to be involved in the heinous scheme.

‘Double it.’

He'd paced away from her in silence, his jaw working as if he were talking to himself. When he came back to her, his face stern and unsmiling, he'd said, ‘Very well. We start tomorrow. Meet me here after dawn latreia.’

Offering a formal bow he strode away.

Even in review she still couldn't believe he'd acceded to her outrageous price. Indeed, she'd been so shocked she wouldn't have thought of arguing further, even if he hadn't left her with the rapid energetic gait of a man half his age. Her only consolation was the realization she could now afford to bribe Archinus Darlen to employ someone other than herself to perform as Adonai in the Spring Fertility Rite.

The rolling movement of the reica stilled and it was smoothly lowered to the ground. Schooling her face to calmness, Gynevra alighted, murmured her thanks to the bearers and walked slowly through the Palace to her quarters. As she went she prayed silently that Gotham would be gone.

His sullen and brutal love-making, his violent mood-swings battered her senses and deeply troubled her mind. As always when she was back in the Palace she was counting the days until she could return to the sanctuary of Ceabryn.