Crystal Fire (35 page)

The Simian handed her a water flask, the vial of powder, and the clean tunic. Marissa turned, slipped off her tunic and donned the fresh one, then proceeded to use half of the old garment for bandages and the other half for additional long strips of cloth.

What are you planning to do?
Rodac motioned.

"First, we'll take care of his back wound, dress it and bind it with these strips," she explained, indicating the first pile of long bandages. "Then, before he regains consciousness, we'll reset his shoulder."

Have you ever done that before?

Marissa shook her head. "No, but I've seen it done. Besides, you're going to do it. I haven't the strength to reset the shoulder of a man Brace's size and muscle mass."

Rodac's eyes widened.
I'm no healer. That sort of thing makes me ill
.

She smiled and patted his hand. "You'd be surprised what you're capable of when you've no other choice. And I'll help you. We're partners, remember?"

You pick the worst times to remind me of that
.

The stone was quickly removed from Brace's back, the wound treated and dressed. Then they turned to the more gruesome issue of his shoulder. Despite his initial reluctance, Rodac's great strength made the resetting a surprisingly easy task. Afterwards, Marissa bound Brace's affected arm in a sling to his side.

"The muscles and tendons of his shoulder have been severely strained," Marissa explained, noting the alien's questioning look. "Binding it will force him to rest it and allow the arm to heal."

He can't climb very well with one arm
.

"I know," she sighed. "I guess we're back to carrying him."

It'll cost you extra
.

Marissa shot him a startled look. Rodac smirked down at her, a teasing light gleaming in his beady eyes. She smiled, then shook her head ruefully.

"Here, if you help me turn him over so I can clean and treat his head wound, I'll even throw in a hot meal. Somehow, I doubt we're going any further this sol."

Rodac glanced up at the sun. It was just beginning its downward descent.
We've only another three horas of climb ahead. We could reach the summit by sol set, if we hurry. I could carry Bracetie him to my back. I've certainly done it before
.

"Yes, that you have," Marissa agreed softly, her thoughts flitting back to that sol, now over a monate ago, when they'd first found Brace in prison.

So much had changed in so short a span of time. Brace and she had been lovers, Rodac had become her friend, and Candra had died.

That realization wrenched Marissa back to reality. There was no time for tender recollections. They were perched on a ledge on the side of a mountain, in danger of freezing to death if they spent the nocte here. Brace was badly injured, and there were still Ferox and the Knowing Crystal to deal with. A decision must be madeand now!

She gathered up her supplies and shoved them back into her pack. "Let's get on with it, then. I don't know how long Brace will remain unconscious, but the sooner we get him to a sheltered area, the better." With Marissa's assistance, Brace was lashed securely to Rodac's back and the climbing rope retied about their waists. She then shouldered the extra backpacks and blasters. At the last moment, Marissa remembered to retrieve her dagger from the rocks where Brace had fallen, and shoved it back into her thigh sheath. If something happened to her during the climb and it endangered the others, she'd use the dagger just as ruthlessly as Brace had done.

But nothing was going to happen, Marissa assured herself as they resumed the climb up the mountain. There was too much at stake to dwell a moment more on some minor fear of heights. As powerful a climber as Rodac was, the additional burden of Brace's inert form would greatly increase the difficulty of the ascent. And if Brace awoke and began to struggle from the pain and confusion, he could very easily throw Rodac off balance.

No, Marissa thought as she followed as closely as possible behind Rodac, she must stay near to assist the Simian with Brace. Her touch and the sound of her voice might be all that kept them from falling to a certain death.

The climb was arduous, but Marissa managed to keep up. Blessedly, Brace didn't waken. As the final rays of the sun disappeared behind the distant peaks, Rodac reached the summit. Several secundae later, Marissa heaved herself over the top. They both lay there, panting and exhausted, until the frigid wind roused them once more.

Marissa propped herself on one elbow and looked around. Thick stands of shaggy sempervivus fir grew here and there between large outcroppings of boulders. At least there'd be wood for a fire, if they could find a windbreak or cave among the rocks. Wearily she climbed to her feet.

''I'll go scout those rocks over there," Marissa said, glancing down at Rodac. "Stay with Brace. I'll return soon."

Ignoring the protesting muscles that quivered with exhaustion, Marissa forced herself into a slow jog. Time was of the essence if they were to find shelter before darkness. A half hora, no more, and full nocte would be upon them. She scrambled up into the rocks, searching for a protected spot from the winter winds. At last she found an adequate windbreak, then signaled Rodac to join her.

While she awaited his arrival, she gathered several armfuls of dead wood. By the time Rodac arrived, Marissa had a small pile of firewood stacked and was digging through her backpack for her tinder box. She paused to assist the Simian in unlashing Brace from his back. Together they carefully laid him in the most sheltered part of the windbreak. While Rodac took over starting the fire, Marissa reexamined Brace.

He was still unconscious, his face pale, his skin cool. That worried Marissa. Had he suf- fered internal damage, a head injury they had no way of knowing, much less doing anything about? If so, Brace could well die before they'd be able to get him to civilization and a healer.

A helpless, frightened feeling crept into Marissa's heart. If Brace should die . . .

Anger flooded her. Anger and a growing realization that, despite everything that had torn them apart, she would not let him die. She'd called him back from his dream terrors and the edge of madness several times before. How much different could this time be?

With resolution made desperate by Brace's rapidly deteriorating condition, Marissa first moved him closer to the fire, then extracted two blankets from their packs. Next, she unfastened Brace's phoca coat and the front of his tunic, then quickly did the same to herself. Covering them both with the blankets, Marissa scooted close to Brace and pressed her bare flesh against his.

He was so cold, so still, his breathing shallow and erratic. She probed for a pulse in his throat. It still throbbed beneath her fingers. Marissa pulled him closer, flattening the soft mounds of her breasts into his hard, hair-roughened planes. Her head lowered to lie beneath his and she inhaled deeply of his musky, masculine scent.

It might well be the last time she held him in her arms, Marissa realized. A painful, aching emptiness filled her. Never to see his dark, dancing eyes glinting with devilish glee as he teased her. Never to hear the soft murmur of his deep voice, telling her he loved her. Never to feel his strong arms around her, or taste or smell him!

He had given her so much in such a short time, shared his life, his love with her. Yet what had she given him in return? Nothing but lies . . . and pain . . . and betrayal.

Marissa choked back a sob. She'd been convinced he was unworthy of her, that he was weak, a coward. She'd been a fool, trying to protect her heart, lessening his value by denigrating him. In the end, it was she who was the weak one, she who was the coward.

Brace Ardane was the most courageous, most valiant man Marissa had ever known. He had
never
given up, not in all those cycles of his imprisonment, not in the battle against his madness, not in the face of her betrayal or the vicious onslaught of the Knowing Crystal in its attempts to destroy him. He would fight until his dying breathhe was that strong, that brave.

If he died now, Brace would never know how sorry she was for distrusting him, for belittling him. He would never know that she truly loved him. And never know of the two little lives she was now certain she carried deep within her. Anguish welled in Marissa's heart.

"Brace," she whispered. "Brace, come back to me. I love you. I need you. Please, Brace, don't leave me."

He lay there, limp and oh, so very cold. Mar- issa clutched him to her, her hands gliding over him in frantic, urgent strokes. And still he didn't respond.

A tiny spark of resolve, fanned by her fear and rising anger, flared to life within Marissa's breast. She
wouldn't
let him die! If it required the sacrifice of her life to save him, she'd give it. Marissa squeezed her eyes shut and, from someplace deep within, willed her heart and soul to flow into him.

Love swirled about them, encompassing both in a glowing aura of heated energy. Rodac, watching through the fire, saw it and marveled. Watched, and prayed that Marissa's love was strong enough to call Brace back from the land of the dead.

And somewhere within the soothing, healing mists Marissa found Brace. Touched, spirit to spirit. Pain arced between them. Fear coursed through her.

He was so weak, she realized. He'd drain her of everything. An impulse to flee, an instinctive urge toward self-preservation, flooded her. Yet Marissa fought past it, her spirit resolutely moving back to join with his.

If it required the sacrifice of her life
 . . .

Their spirits merged, and for an instant in eternity, she touched the essence of him. A strange sensation coursed through Marissa. She heard a voice, haunting and lovely, saw a radiant light and, within that light, a sparkling stone. Then Brace groaned and moved in her arms. The light and voice faded.

"M-Marissa?" Brace whispered.

Her eyelids lifted. Brace stared up at her, white as death but quite alive. She smiled.

He glanced around, confused. "Wh-where am I? I remember falling, striking hard . . . then great pain and blackness . . ."

"I patched you up as best I could, then Rodac carried you up the rest of the mountain."

A shadow passed across his face, as if a sudden realization had assailed him. "You saved me, Marissa," Brace murmured. "Once again our spirits joined and, this time,
your
strength brought
me
back. The strength of your love . . ."

She looked away.

"Marissa, sweet femina," Brace whispered hoarsely. "What's wrong? What did I say?"

Her tear-filled eyes met his. "II almost loved you too little and too late. Not until you were lying here, dying in my arms, did I finally realize how much you meant to me."

She inhaled a sobbing breath. "Ah, Brace. II've never been worthy of you. Never!"

Aching tenderness warmed his beautiful eyes. "You're all the woman I'll ever want or need, femina. No one else could have saved me. No one, Marissa, but you."

His glance strayed to where Rodac sat before the fire. Their gazes locked.

"Well, old friend," Brace rasped. "Had your fill of this quest yet?"

Are we rich yet?
Brace chuckled weakly. "Not quite, but soon. I promise."

He attempted to prop himself up, and grimaced. "Gods, I feel as if a herd of wild equs just stampeded over me."

He tried to move his left arm and found it bound tightly to his side. "What's this?" Brace asked, glancing down.

"You dislocated your shoulder," Marissa was quick to explain. "Plus suffered a gash on your forehead and puncture wound to your back. Anything else you'll have to tell us about."

Gingerly Brace moved his body. "Well, I can't see very well out of my right eye. Aside from that, everything else seems intact. I think I'll live."

"What happened, back there on the mountain?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess the Knowing Crystal decided the moment was right to take a more active part in my destruction. We're very close to the Crystal now." Brace paused, his glance moving from Marissa to Rodac. "Thanks to Marissa's healing link, I'll be ready to set out on the morrow."

"You're mad!" Marissa exclaimed in outrage.

Brace studied her, a smile hovering on his lips. "My wounds aren't incapacitating. I've an eye left to see out of, and I can use my shoulder if I must.

"And, as far as my mind goes" he paused, a wondering light in his eyes "somehow, in our linking, I think you gave me something I've never had before. A greater strength, perhaps . . . and confidence."

His jaw tightened. "At any rate, we
must
head out on the morrow."

"You're the most stubborn male . . ." Marissa sighed and shook her head. "But why should that surprise me?"

She rolled away and sat up, refastening her tunic and fur coat.

"Where are you going?"

Marissa leaned over and tucked the blankets more snugly about him. "Nowhere. I'm just going to start supper. You can rest until it's ready."

A sudden look of interest flared in his eyes. "A stew perhaps? With meat?"

"Meat?" Marissa couldn't help a small grimace. "Well, considering your weakened state, I suppose I could throw in a few scraps of meat. But only to hasten your recovery, no more."

A weak grin tipped the corner of Brace's mouth. "Thank you, Marissa."

"Don't ever thank me for helping poison your body," she muttered as she dug through her back pack.

Brace smiled and lay back, watching for a time as Marissa began preparations for the meal. Gradually his eyes closed and he dozed.

A short while later, Rodac roused him. With Marissa's assistance Brace hungrily consumed a bowl of stew, then fell back in exhaustion. A half hora later, despite his best efforts to the contrary, he was sound asleep.

He'd rest for horas now, Marissa thought as she eyed him through the fire's smoky haze. Well into the next sol, if she and the narcotic she'd mixed in his food had anything to do with it. Marissa hoped the combination of his sheer exhaustion and the narcotic's drugging effects would put him in so deep a sleep that even the Knowing Crystal couldn't reach him.