Seduced by Magic (9 page)

After she finished the apple, she left the core on the rock for the Brownies who loved them. She forced herself to grab her wand, then walk across the soft grass to make her way to the side of the rock outcropping that she normally avoided.

“A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do,” she murmured to encourage herself.

When she was behind the rock wall and saw the stone door, she paused. The door was flat upon the ground and surrounded by dirt, as if no grass would grow there. A pine tree stood beside the rectangular stone, the tree's shadow darkening the door and making it seem ten times more foreboding. The door was as long as a man and twice as wide, with strange markings all around the stone frame. There were no handholds, no way to open the door without Drow magic.

She took a deep breath, gripped her wand tighter, and stomped five times on the dusty stone with one of her bare feet. For a long moment she waited, half hoping the door wouldn't open.

A rumble cut through the air and then a sound like nails scratching a chalkboard as stone scraped stone. Copper winced and goose bumps pricked her skin.

When the door was fully open, she sucked in a breath of damp earth and minerals, and stepped onto the stone staircase that led down to the bowels of the home of the Drow,
who had been banished to live underground countless centuries ago. They were not beings to be trifled with. But because of Garran's promise to her that night he came to the surface—that she would remain untouched by any of his warriors without her consent—she didn't really fear any of the Dark Elves in his kingdom.

Well, maybe a little.

The stairs were covered with coarse dirt and rock that felt rough to her bare feet as she walked down the stairs. A rush of cool air swept up and under her vine and leaf dress and she tugged on it. Damn the jerks, anyhow. They had probably done that on purpose.

After she was far enough down the stairs, the stone door scraped closed above her. Once again, that awful feeling ran along her spine at the sound. She blinked in the sudden darkness, but then torches sputtered to life along the walls hugging the stairs and she could see again. She waited for her eyes to adjust, then began her descent once again.

What could she possibly find out that would alleviate Riona's concerns—or confirm them?

Copper only hoped there wouldn't be too big of a price to pay for visiting the Drow. They enjoyed extracting payments. An eye for an eye and all that. She'd been an apt student of Mrs. Illes and knew the Fae and Elves well enough.

At that moment she realized she'd forgotten to bring Zephyr with her and she silently cursed. He was always good in a tight spot, and she could probably use him now.

When she reached a great circular hall, two Drow met her, looking as if they'd been expecting her. Copper sighed. They probably had been.

Torches sputtered to life around the room, surely for her benefit. The Drow needed no light to see in their dark world.

She allowed each Drow to take one of her arms to guide her across the great hall, their earthy, mossy scent sweeping over her. They were remarkably good-looking, rivaling
the sexiest of men. Their smooth skin was a bluish shade that suited them. They had well-defined, muscular bodies, long hair that hung loose around their shoulders or was drawn back and fastened at their napes. Their hair color tended to range from black to steel gray to silvery blue, and most Drow were close to six feet tall.

Instead of shirts the Drow men wore shoulder and breast plates made of the finest metals and snug breeches of dark gray or black. At their backs were quivers with arrows, the shafts made of pewter and the heads of indestructible diamonds—that magically exploded when entering an enemy's flesh, from what Riona had once told her.

The carvings of male warriors around the circular walls glimmered in the light from the torches scattered around the great room. From what Copper had learned, Drow women were subservient to the males. That tidbit was backed up by images of the women on their knees looking up at the warriors.

“It is good to have you join us, fair one,” the Drow called Naal said as the two warriors' boots rang against the polished granite floor.

She drew her gaze away from the images and glanced at Naal to see him wink. He was Garran's younger brother, the next in line for the throne, and she had met him the same night Garran had visited her aboveground. Naal was a good head taller than her, and if she was inclined to take on Drow lovers, he would be one, as would Garran. But she had no intention of doing any such thing.

And she hoped to the goddess that she would make it out of here and soon. Surely Riona wouldn't have sent her on a mission that would prove to be too dangerous.

The arched doorless opening ahead was one of many doorways that led from the circular great room. “So, how's Garran?” she asked as they neared the throne room.

Naal chuckled. “Missing you, I am certain.”

Copper groaned. The closer they got to the king, the
more she realized it was going to be hard as hell to get back out.

The throne room took her breath away. The chamber was like a geode cut in half, every wall sparkling like cut crystal. To the back was an obsidian door that was just closing as she walked into the room. To the left stood a black granite table surrounded by granite benches. At the center of the room was the huge, black granite throne with a padded back, and to one side of it was a matching smaller throne.

Reclining on the larger throne was Garran, the Drow king. He was a powerfully built being with sculpted muscles, a massive chest, and a handsome face. He had one elbow resting on the arm of the chair and an amused expression on his face.

Gem-studded metal and leather straps crisscrossed his bare chest, and he wore elaborate shoulder plates. He had an ornate belt fastened at the top of his black breeches that were tucked into high leather boots. His long silvery-blue hair was loose around his shoulders, but she could still see his pointed ears. He was an incredibly handsome Drow, more so than the guards who had accompanied him to the surface that night—other than Naal, that was.

Naal and the Drow on the other side of her bowed and retreated to the doorway. Copper took a deep breath and stepped forward, the smooth, black granite floor cool beneath her bare feet. The slide of her vine dress against her skin reminded her of how vulnerable she was. When she reached the throne she didn't kneel or bow. Instead she kept her gaze fixed on Garran's liquid silver eyes.

“I am most pleased to see you.” His voice was so deep it almost seemed to contain the rumble of thunder. He leaned back, crossed his boots at his ankles, and laced his fingers at his washboard abs. “Have you returned to take me up on my offer?”

Copper cleared her throat. “I simply came to—to visit.”
She shifted from foot to foot. “I have never been below-ground as long as I've been in Otherworld.” As his intense gaze studied her, she hurried to add, “I'm bored. I need something to distract me.”

Garran pushed himself from his chair and she took a step back. “I can most certainly distract you, little one.” He towered over her and her heart began to beat and her throat grew dry. What had she gotten herself into?

She took a deep breath and raised her chin. “So show me around.”

He smiled, a rogue's smile, and reached out to stroke the side of her face. “I can think of many ways to ‘show you around.' ”

Copper took another step back, and he let his hand drop to his side. “I'm not here to get intimate with you, Garran. I just need something to do. Something to get my mind off the fact that we're all trapped here.”

A flicker of something flashed in Garran's eyes, but then it was gone. No doubt he was none too happy at being imprisoned.

“Come.” He took her hand in his and she felt the warmth of him straight to her toes. She drew away and he let her fingers slip from his. In her other hand she gripped her wand tighter.

Garran started by showing her around the throne room. The smaller throne was for his future queen. He made a point of looking at her when he said that and she snorted. He led her to the oval granite table and padded high-backed granite seats where he held council with his warrior leaders, as well as showing her other things in the room such as free-form carvings of great Drow warriors.

“Where does that lead to?” she asked, pointing to the black obsidian door.

Garran pushed his long silvery-blue hair over his shoulders. He truly was a sexy Drow. “A storage chamber of sorts.”

She raised her brow, but he took her out into the great circular hall and pointed to the fine carvings of the warriors and their subservient women. Many of the Drow women had collars around their necks and a warrior held the chain connected to them.

Garran glanced down at her and grinned. “Would you not like to be my queen and share in our way of life?”

“You're kidding, right?” Copper shuddered. “I'm no man's slave-toy, thank you very much.”

The king studied her for a long moment as they stood in the center of the hallway. “That is true. You have spirit—fire that our women do not.” He focused intently on her. “I have never known a female as powerful and strong-willed as you. We would make a good match.”

“Hmph.” Copper shot him a look. “No doubt you don't give your women a chance.”

Garran shrugged. “It is their wish. They enjoy their way of life.”

“Give me a break,” she said under her breath.

He laughed and proceeded to take her through several of the doorways off the great hall. She saw the beautiful banquet room as well as an underground city where goods could be bought and sold. There she finally saw Drow women who walked naked through the village, their bluish skin soft and supple in the gentle lighting that came from lichen growing on the ceiling. They giggled when they saw Copper with Garran, but otherwise smiled, chatted, and laughed among themselves, despite the fact that almost all of them wore collars. Garran explained that every woman who wore a collar served a master.

Just the thought irritated the hell out of Copper.

One of the chambers that Garran led her to was obviously his bedchamber. It had a huge bed in the center with a soft-looking mattress placed within what appeared to be half of a round carved-out piece of black granite. The room was enormous and lavishly decorated.

As she looked at the bed she wondered what it would be like to have Garran as a lover. He was handsome and powerful . . .

Even if it was a possibility, there was something missing. Almost like her heart was waiting for somebody she would probably never meet.

“This is where you belong,” he murmured in her ear, and she shivered.

“As if,” she responded and raised her chin.

He laughed as she started to back out of the room. But something caught her eye. Without consciously realizing it, she moved toward a table at the foot of the bed and Garran followed.

“Have you changed your mind, sweet one?” Garran said from behind her.

“Keep dreaming.”

On the table was something that was most definitely not of this world. It was a brown plastic clock with the day of the week and big, illuminated, green numbers. According to the clock it was nine in the morning on a Wednesday.

Copper's gaze swung back to meet Garran's. “Where did you get this? It's from Earth, not Otherworld.”

“There are many Otherworlds, sweet one. Earth is merely one of them.”

Copper picked up the clock and looked at the bottom of it before placing it back on the table. “Made in China? Give me a break, Garran.”

The Drow looked unconcerned, an expression that seemed forced. “It was a gift from a human. Long ago.”

Hair prickled at her scalp as she picked it up and checked the battery compartment. “How is it that the batteries are still working?” she asked as she set it back down, her gaze meeting Garran's again. “Why does it look brand-new?”

Garran gave a shrug of his great shoulders in an obvious effort to look nonchalant. “Drow magic.” He went to her,
put his arm around her shoulders, and guided her from the chamber. “Now I will show you where we mine.”

Copper didn't want to let him off that easy, but she was pretty sure she'd get nowhere with him. Where could he have gotten the clock? What human would he have met, and when? And why would he even begin to need one?

She set aside her questions after he guided her out of his bedroom to the Drow mine. They entered a tunnel that smelled of dark earth and minerals. When they walked out of the passageway, she had to blink until her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the place—then she caught her breath in surprise.

It was like they stood on a platform in the middle of a huge crystal-gray cavern—the dirt actually sparkled and it was studded with veins of gemstones and ore. Overhead hung stalactites that shimmered in the low lighting of the mine. The lighting was created by some kind of lichen on the stalactites and stalagmites.

Her scalp prickled and goose bumps broke out on her arms. “It's so dark,” she murmured as she took in the view.
And creepy
.

“We have little need of light,” Garran said from behind her and a shiver trailed down her spine.

A pathway had been carved along the walls of the mine so that the trail circled lower and lower until finally reaching the floor of the cavern, which Copper could barely see. When she squinted she saw more stalagmites springing up from the cavern floor.

Drow were working around a hole at the very center of the great chamber. The hole looked relatively small from where she was standing. Huge mounds of earth, gem-stones, and ore were piled throughout the expansive cavern, some so high they were like mountains. She saw some Drow sifting the gemstones and ore from the excavated earth. Against one wall stood multiple pickaxes along with buckets and what looked like shovels.

Copper glanced up at Garran. “What do you dig for?”