Crystal Fire (38 page)

"No! He's mine!" Marissa screamed, even as she knew it was too late.

Rodac fired, hitting Ferox full in the chest. The blond man shrieked, an awful, piercing sound of agonized despair, then toppled to the ground.

Marissa met Rodac's gaze, battling her anger at being denied the pleasure of killing Feroxeven as the relief that his life was finally over washed through her. With a mighty effort she mastered both. Emotions were a luxury yet to be savored. Brace was still in the gravest danger.

Squaring her shoulders, Marissa strode to Ferox's prone form and retrieved her dagger. Without a backward glance, she turned and made her way to Brace's side.

His eyes were clenched shut, his features contorted in pain as he fought to regain his breath. Marissa knelt and tenderly stroked the sweat-damp hair from his face.

"Brace," she said softly. "It's over. We have the Knowing Crystal."

He inhaled a ragged breath and forced his eyes open. Agony burned in their dark depths. "It's not over, sweet femina. Not while the Crystal still exists." Brace levered himself to one elbow and glanced around. "Ferox? Is he dead?"

"I'd assume so," Marissa replied dryly. "He took a direct blast to the chest."

He frowned in puzzlement, as if suddenly remembering something. "At the end I heard him cry out to his mother. What did it mean?"

She sighed as the memories flooded back. "It's a long story, but suffice it to say that Ferox lacked the strength to fight past his personal demons. He let his bitterness destroy him."

"And the Knowing Crystal. Did he have it? Was it in its box?"

Marissa nodded. "I saw him clutch the container to his chest just before he rushed Rodac."

Brace groaned and fell back. "The box. Only when the stone is contained am I safe from its mental assault."

Gently she shoved at his shoulder. "Well, first things first. Turn over and let me cut you loose. Then we'll see what became of the Knowing Crystal."

The faintest glimmer of one of his old, devilish smiles touched Brace's lips. Then he rolled over. With a quick slash of her dagger, his bonds fell free.

Marissa resheathed her blade, then helped him to his feet. Brace swayed precariously. She could barely keep him upright.

"Rodac!" Marissa cried. "Help me!"

The Simian halted his careful inspection of the cave's lifeless occupants and strode over to them.
They all seem quite dead
, he motioned, indicating Ferox's men.

"Rodac! Please!"

Need help, do you?
He scanned Marissa and her heavily leaning companion.

"You know I do, you hairy bag of bones!" she gasped, struggling to keep Brace upright. "Now help me before I drop him!"

Rodac took Brace from her, pulling him to stand firmly against his side. Marissa, relieved at last of her unwieldy burden, ran to where Ferox lay. With her booted foot, she shoved him over onto his back.

He was quite dead, a large, gaping hole burnt into his chest. Once again Marissa experienced a fleeting regret that she hadn't been the one to kill him. Yet, even if she had, she doubted that the emptiness of the victory would have been any less. Even the end of his cruel life could never begin to compensate for all the pain and destruction he'd wrought. One man, and so many innocent lives lost because of him . . .

And still the danger wasn't over. The Knowing Crystal yet remained. Marissa's glance scanned Ferox's lifeless form, searching for the box he'd carried. Just as she'd feared, the blaster had struck the container, melting it away in the superheated fire.

The stone, however, had not been damaged. It lay where it had fallen when its box was destroyed, at Ferox's side. Lay there intact, glowing as brightly as ever. Glowing brightly, functioning fully, as it continued to work its powers upon Brace's mind.

And there was no way to protect him from the terrible stone as they began the final, desperate journey to the pools of Cambrai.

They appropriated a skim craft and quickly helped Brace in. As Rodac readied the vehicle for takeoff, Marissa secured the Knowing Crystal in a backpack, then slung all the gear into the skim craft's rear storage compartment. Climbing in beside Brace, she glanced at him.

His head was bent and his breath came in ragged gasps. Though drenched with sweat, he shivered uncontrollably. Uncertain whether the shivering was due to the frigid nocte air or the effects of the Knowing Crystal, Marissa drew a phoca-fur coat over his shoulders and tucked it snugly around him. As the engines rose to full force and they lifted into the air, she pulled his head down to lie upon her breast.

He lay there as the horas passed, his hands about her waist, silent and suffering. As best she could, Marissa willed him her strength to bolster his struggles against the Crystal's assault. It helped for a time. He was even able to doze in fitful intervals, but as her energy waned, Brace's pain once more returned. ''Ah, Gods, Marissa," he groaned softly. "How much . . . longer?"

She bent and tenderly kissed his clammy forehead. "Soon, my love. We'll be there soon."

Marissa's eyes lifted and she shot Rodac a questioning glance. His expression, in the light of the new dawn, was grim. He shook his head.

Cambrai is at least another two or three horas from here. Can he make it?

"I don't know," she mouthed silently. "I just don't know."

Then find out if we can destroy the stone in the pools of Cambrai, or if it requires the powers of a Crystal Master
.

The horrible implication behind Rodac's words sent a prickling chill down Marissa's spine. The moment had come to face reality, the reality that Brace might soon lose his mind, if not actually die. To admit such a possibility, much less consider a plan that dealt with that contingency, was almost more than she could bear.

Yet consider it she would. If Brace was willing to give his life to save the Imperium from the Knowing Crystal, then she must accept his sacrifice and carry on. He'd expect that of her, of their love.

With a shuddering sigh, Marissa leaned close to whisper in his ear. "Brace. If we reach Cambrai and you're not able to . . . to function, what should we do? Can Rodac or I toss the stone into the pools?" "II don't know," he moaned. "Gods, Marissa. I just . . . don't know!"

"It's all right, my love," she soothed softly. "Don't distress yourself over it. Time enough to discover the answer when we arrive."

"But what . . . if it requires a Crystal Master?" he persisted desperately. "And what if . . . I'm not able? Gods, M-Marissa. What will we do then?"

"We'll send for Teran," she said. "And somehow, someway, hold the stone at Cambrai until he arrives."

Brace glanced up weakly. "You won't fail me, will you, sweet femina? No matter what happens, you'll carry out the quest?"

She smiled down at him through a sudden mist of tears. Though the need for revenge had been a driving force, Marissa realized now that somehow, along the way, her determination to see the quest through had grown. Grown, until now Brace
was
the quest and all that countedno matter the outcome.

"You know I'd never fail you, not
ever
again," Marissa whispered. "But rest now, take your strength from me, and we'll yet prevail. It's not over. The Knowing Crystal hasn't beaten us."

"II don't dare take too much more from you," he mumbled, his head settling once more upon her breast. "We can't both be weak when the time comes."

"Hush," Marissa murmured. "Rest. My love for you is an endless source of strength."
For
as long as I live,
she continued silently.
For as long as my heart beats in my body
.

But even the force of one's will required the body's sustenance. And Marissa's energy was indeed waning. No one, no matter how determined, could maintain such psychic energy indefinitely. And she was so tired, so emotionally drained.

The parallel between this moment and that of her past life suddenly struck her. She, too, had once been as discouraged, as beaten as Brace. She, too, had lost nearly everything. And she, too, had ultimately prevailed.

She had more than prevailed. Somehow, someway, she had also earned the love of a man like Brace Ardane. And in that realization Marissa at last found the secret of her own worthand a renewed determination to fight for the man she loved.

She had not
earned
his loveshe deserved it! Her choices had been equally as hard as Brace's, yet she had never let herself give up or turn to evil. And, just as she loved Brace for the wonderful man he was, he loved her for the woman
she
was. Loved her for her courage, her intelligence, her passionate nature, and for all her unlimited potential still awaiting the right moment for fruition. Loved her, most of all, for the depth of caring and commitment he'd always known she possessed.

Fierce resolve filled Marissa. She was free at last of the bonds of her shameand Brace had shown her the way to that freedom. It was now her turn to help liberate him, not only from the Knowing Crystal's domination, but from his own self-doubts and bitterness. Only then, at long last, could they follow the course of their newfound love. Only then could they deal with their twin babiesbabies Marissa now knew she wanted as much for herself as for Brace. Babies that would survive and thrive on the love between father and mother, parent and child . . .

Yet was she not an idealistic fool, an insidious little voice intruded, to believe all the pious mouthings, to place such mystical power in a nebulous, albeit wonderful, emotion? It was one thing to use love as the underpinnings of a relationship between a man and woman, and quite another to trust it to overcome a physical menace such as the Knowing Crystal. Warrior's skills were what counted in battle. They had ultimately defeated Ferox.

The stakes were even higher now. Far safer, Marissa resolved, to confront the Crystal in the same manner. Love had its place when the fighting was done, but it didn't belong in battle. If Brace, when the time came, was too spent to face the stone of power, then she would face it in his stead. But face it as a warriornot as a woman in love.

Through the journey out of the mountains and over undulating, winter-yellowed farm lands toward the distant, famed volcanic pools, Marissa and Brace clung to each other. Clung for physical solace as well as emotional support, the burning intensity of their love the only thing that kept alive the now guttering flame that had become their lives.

As the horas passed, the mental effort to control the Knowing Crystal ground Brace down. He began to have periods of uncontrollable seizures. His jaws would clench shut. His big body would jerk in Marissa's arms. Drained as she was, it was all Marissa could do to hold him until the grotesque spasms passed. Each one left Brace a little weaker, a little less alert until, gradually, he slid into a deep coma.

Despair filled Marissa. She glanced at Rodac in desperation.

Soon
, he motioned.
We're almost there
.

Several secundae later, they glimpsed Cambrai.

For a time, Rodac tried to bring the skim craft in low enough to attempt dropping the Knowing Crystal into one of the pools, but the heavy mists that enshrouded the area precluded that. They were forced to land and approach on foot.

There was no one about, as the pools were closed to visitors in the winter. Tall stone gates barred the way, but beyond them, high up in the mass of volcanic rock, steam from the molten pools could be seen rising. It was a lonely, desolate spot, mirroring not only their emotions but the gloomy, cloud-covered winter sol.

The Simian barely paused at the gates before pulling the laser probe out of a backpack and going to work on the locks. Marissa awaited his return in the skim craft, Brace clasped in her arms.

With a weary sigh, she lifted her head at the Simian's approach. "What now, partner?" Marissa asked, her gaze shifting to Brace's bowed head. "He's done all he can do."

It's as good a time as any to take on the Crystal
, Rodac motioned, his face set in a grim mask.
I only hope Brace weakened it enough for me to get it to the pools and toss it in
.

He strode around to the storage compartment and pulled out the backpack that held the stone.

Marissa laid Brace gently down on the skim craft seat, tucking his coat and the extra blankets around him. Then she glanced back at the Simian.

"I'm coming with you. It may take more than just one of us to handle the Crystal."

He shouldered the pack.
Your concern for my welfare is quite moving
.

Marissa smiled sadly. "It's long past time for concern for any of us. For the sake of this quest, we are all quite expendable."

Her fingers traced a tender, lingering trail down the side of Brace's beard-stubbled face, as if memorizing it one last time. "All quite expendable," she murmured, "though I don't know what I'll do if I lose him."

A leathery grip settled on her arm. Slowly, reluctantly, Marissa's gaze lifted.

Leave him, Marissa. It's the only chance we have of saving him
. She sighed, then forced herself to climb out of the skim craft. After a moment of light-headedness that caused her to grip the side of the craft, Marissa straightened. She grabbed one of the blasters and slung it over her shoulder. A determined light in her eye, she motioned Rodac forward.

"Lead on."

The path to the pools sloped gently upward as it wound its well-worn, sinuous way. They heard the pools long before they saw them, a rumbling noise akin to that of churning water. As they drew near, the sibilant hiss of steam mingled with the sound of the swirling, molten maelstrom, and the sweltering air became damp with moisture.

The reason for the dampness became evident as they rounded the last rocky obstacle. Above the volcanic pools, a small waterfall cascaded downward. Upon contact with the molten rock, the water condensed into a thick blanket of steam that engulfed the area. Only the rising sounds led them through it all to the glowing, wildly churning pools.