Atlantis Unmasked (37 page)

Grace looked around the beach where she'd first met Rhys na Garanwyn the week before and tried to ignore the chilling premonition shaking down her spine as simply a nasty case of déjà freaking vu. Tried to stop obsessively watching Alaric as he strode back and forth over the shell-speckled sand.

At the beach with a big, bad, and not so ugly? Check.

Seriously out of her league? Check.

But then Alexios touched her arm and all she could think was what a difference a week made. Then, she'd been alone and contemplating that final step. Sinking under the waves, never to surface. Finally to be able to rest, to release the burden of vengeance she'd taken up all those years ago.

Now, she was taking hesitant, baby steps into a future filled with light, warmth, and love. The last thing she wanted to do was risk her life yet again.

Not now.

And yet, here she found herself, between the proverbial rock and hard place she'd mentioned before.

Alexios bent down to whisper in her ear. “Don't forget that I am a Warrior of Poseidon and channel the power of water. And do you remember what it is that can vanquish rock?”

She grinned. “Water can. But we don't exactly have a couple of thousand years for erosion to do its magic if Rhys decides to turn us into bunny rabbits.”

“I think I might have something to say about that,” Alaric said dryly from the shadows.

“You're not the only one,” Alexios said. He moved and she saw that he held his daggers. The Atlantean metal shone in the moonlight like shards of diamonds, as beautiful as it was deadly in his hands. She'd never known such a fierce warrior, yet somehow had never felt as safe as when she was in his presence.

It made no sense, but then again, neither did love. And she only had to look into his eyes or at his beautiful, scarred face to know that she'd already crossed over the line into love. The force of the realization literally knocked her back on her heels, and she stumbled.

Suddenly, some quality of the light changed, as if the moon herself blinked in surprise or Grace's ancestress Diana rode her silver charger to the hunt across its surface. Alaric hissed in a breath, and Alexios moved away from Grace's right side so she could easily use her bow if needed. She smiled her thanks, but then focused on the shadows between the shadows, knowing that was where the next move would come from.

And of course it did. Rhys na Garanwyn appeared in a clearing between clumps of sea grass and briefly stood there, almost posing, and then stepped onto the beach.

Shockingly, Alaric yawned. It took Grace a moment to recognize the sound, since it was so unexpected. The highest Fae royalty except for the Seelie Court king and queen themselves made a command appearance, and the priest yawned?

When the Fae laughed, she realized that Alaric's yawn had been a kind of posing, too.

“Ah, Alaric, you old fraud. Still playing at celibacy and other unnatural pursuits?” Rhys tilted his head, and his long fall of silver hair shimmered in the moonlight.

“Ah, Rhys, you old faery,” Alaric responded, all the boredom in the universe heavy in his voice. “Still need a haircut?”

It was so unexpected that Grace laughed before she could stop herself, then she slapped a hand to her mouth, horrified and expecting to be turned into a frog or tree or sea turtle at any moment.

Alexios casually put an arm around her shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Lord Garanwyn. I am Alexios, one of High Prince Conlan's elite guard and Warrior of Poseidon. I understand you've already met my Grace.”

Grace realized instantly what Alexios was doing: claiming her as his own so that to kill her or harm her in any way would be to possibly provoke an international incident. Something the Fae always tried very hard to avoid.

Of course the elf realized it, too. He bared his teeth in what might have been meant as a smile. “Of course. Any descendant of Diana is a possible consort of mine.”

Alexios sighed heavily and muttered something that sounded like “here we freaking go again,” but she shot a warning glance at him and luckily he didn't rise to the Fae's bait.

“And here is my brother,” Rhys continued smoothly, gesturing to the beach behind them. Grace knew better than to fall for that trick, so she just grinned at him.

But then Alexios glanced over his shoulder and his body tensed. She slowly turned and found herself facing a mirror image of Rhys; dark where he was fair, cold and haughty where Rhys at least attempted the impression of seductive warmth.

“She is hardly worth the effort,” the newcomer said, flicking a contemptuous glance up and down Grace's body. “These humans are dreadfully ugly, aren't they?”

Grace shrugged. She had no argument with the comment; compared to any of the Fae, she probably looked like a squat toad. Their ethereal beauty was far beyond any human ability to achieve.

“This is my brother, Kal'andel,” Rhys said, and Kal'andel stalked forward, his black hair swinging out behind him. Together they were an art exhibit, the two Fae. Light and its photonegative, almost. But both had the cruel, calculating gaze of Fae royalty. That, at least, she had no trouble spotting.

Alaric subtly backed away until he and Alexios were flanking Grace, who didn't appreciate the implication that she was not tough enough to handle them, but she wasn't about to rock that particular boat.

“We're here. What do you want?” Alaric was so blunt as to be rude, and she had a feeling he'd done it on purpose.

“We would like to offer a birth gift to the newborn Atlantean prince,” Rhys said.

His brother made a hissing sound. “No, we would not. This one is entirely on you, brother. I have no interest in pandering to these water dwellers or their kind.”

“A view that is shortsighted at the very least, Kal'andel,” Rhys said, his voice tightening just a fraction.

Evidently this was not a new argument for the brothers, but Grace really didn't want to get caught in the middle of Fae sibling rivalry. “Maybe we could get to the alliance part,” she suggested.

Kal'andel leaned forward and, raising his head, actually sniffed the air. Grace had to resist the urge to check her deodorant.

“She doesn't smell human,” he said, a faint look of surprise on his perfect, glowing features. “And she dares to interrupt her betters.”

“She's human,” Alexios replied. “She doesn't have any betters. And quit sniffing her. Can we get to the point already?”

Kal'andel snarled at Alexios, baring teeth that looked kind of sharp. Rhys smoothly took up the conversational thread, preempting whatever his brother had been about to do or say. “We would offer alliance, Atlanteans. Whatever ill-conceived plan the vampires are up to, it bodes ill for the rest of us. None but you have the strength to be anything like allies to us. We offer knowledge, battle skills, and strategy, in return for the secure knowledge of your alliance and commensurate efforts.”

Alaric looked, for one brief, terrible moment, as if he would throw their offer in their face. Grace even had time to wonder how bad she would smell as a frog. But of course Alaric time didn't equal human time anyway. Almost before she could register the emotions flashing across his face, he was bowing to Rhys na Garanwyn and his brother, albeit somewhat sardonically. “I will return to Atlantis to discuss your request with Prince Conlan and his brother, the King's Vengeance.”

Rhys bowed in return, although it was more of a nod, and then suddenly Grace and Alexios were alone on the beach with Rhys. Alaric and the dark Fae had both disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

“Should we worry about him?”

Alexios understood her immediately. “No, he's fine. He sent me a message on the Atlantean mental pathway that he's returning to Atlantis immediately to meet with the high prince and Ven.”

“But you're still here,” Grace said to Rhys. “Which means you must want something else.”

“Actually, I have something to offer you. I understand there is a gem you desire, a yellow diamond known as the Vampire's Bane,” he said.

“How did you know about that?” Alexios demanded.

“We will waste much time if you persist on trying to discover the source of all of my knowledge. Suffice it to say that I know.”

Alexios started to say something else, but Grace put a hand on his arm. “I hate to admit it, but he's right. The Fae never reveal their sources, like some sort of twisted journalists. But he knows what he knows, and it would help us to know it, too.”

Alexios bared his teeth at Rhys na Garanwyn, but subsided. “Okay, tell us what you know.”

Rhys raised a single, silken eyebrow, and Grace had to bite her lip to keep from laughing again. She would bet that the Fae was not used to being ordered around in such a manner.

“Vonos is having a ball tomorrow night. He has invited every person of any worth to him, both political and material, in the state. We need to be at that ball,” Rhys said. “If you will come to Silverglen with me tonight, you will be able to rest in peace and safety, and then tomorrow we can prepare our strategy.”

Grace was shaking her head before the end of the sentence was out of his mouth. “No. I won't go to the Fae lands. I know what happens to mere humans who get trapped in Silverglen. I don't want to suddenly wake up and find out I've lost eighty years of my life.”

“I can protect you, Grace,” Alexios said. “It might be a good idea to find out what he wants.”

She shook her head. “No. I'm sorry, I don't mean to offer insult or be difficult. But my grandmother told me enough of the Fae that I have what I consider to be a healthy fear of spending any time in Silverglen.”

“Fine,” the Fae said, clearly annoyed. “I give my word you will not be harmed.”

“One thing is really not clear to me,” Alexios said slowly. “Why do you want to help us?”

“Other than the obvious—that it will be a good way to show faith as we begin a possible alliance?”

“Yeah, other than that,” Alexios drawled.

“The vampire has something he took from me centuries ago, and I mean to have it back,” Rhys said, an eerie golden light shining in his eyes.

“Okay, then,” Grace said brightly, her senses warning her that something big, bad, and dangerous was near and not putting it past Rhys to have set them up in a trap. “If it's yours, you should certainly have it. If we can help, just let us know. Need to go now. Meet you later, 'kay?”

Rhys sadly shook his head. “No, I'm afraid I really must insist that you stay here and remain safe.”

And then, before Grace or Alexios could move, he waved a hand and the inhumanly beautiful sound of Fae flutes sounded all around them.

Alexios pulled Grace into his arms just before she fell. “Damn it, I knew we should never trust the Fae,” he said, his words slurring.

Grace couldn't even form the words to agree before the world went black. The last thing she saw was Rhys na Garanwyn's treacherous, laughing face.

Alexios woke first, and thanked Poseidon that Grace lay in his arms, clearly sleeping and not dead. He stared around him at the eerie quality of the light that played along the walls of whatever strange room they'd been imprisoned in. It was gold one moment and an emerald green the next, as if they lay behind a flashing light post. He tightened his arms around Grace, silently vowing to himself never, ever to let her go within ten miles of any danger again, but she stirred and then opened those beautiful eyes and stared up at him.

“Where are we?” she asked, as instant awareness flashed into her eyes. “Rhys? What did he do to us?”

“We got elfed,
mi amara
,” Alexios said, trying to remain calm and strong for her. Trying not to worry that he'd never be able to release her from an elven prison. “I'm not sure how to get out of here, yet, but I do know that we will.”

She bit her lip. “How long have we been here? We weren't Rip van Winkled, too, were we?”

“What?”

“Did they steal time? Are we in the future now?”

“No, I don't think so. The Fae magic cannot glamour the Atlantean sense of time, and I feel no wrongness about the present,” he said.

“Well, this is normally not a good idea unless you're dead, but let's head toward the light,” she said, pointing at the distant edge of the space where they lay, which was considerably brighter.

He nodded, unable to find a flaw in the idea, then kissed her and stood up. He felt surprisingly well rested, considering that the Fae must have poisoned or magicked him in some way.

The light source was further away than it looked, and they had to cross through what looked like a river of light to get to it. Taking her hand, he nodded to Grace that they should enter together. Other than a strange rippling sensation, he felt no different on the other side.