Kenneth grimaced. “Is that even possible?”
Jake shrugged. “It’s physics. The thing we stepped through seems to be some sort of wormhole. But instead of taking the traveler through outer space and time, it transports intradimensionally through two different points in the planet’s evolution.”
Kenneth resisted rolling his eyes. “I guess that makes some kind of cockeyed sense.”
They followed Tessa, who in turn followed the woman called Doma Chiara. Their guide led them toward a fine chariot, elaborately designed and gilded in gold. Instead of horses doing the grunt work, several men waited to pull the chariot to its destination.
Kenneth looked at the men. They waited patiently for a command, as docile as any well-trained animal. He doubted it could have been easy for any human, male or female, to assume the role of slave. But then again, did the humans of Ishaldi even remember freedom? They’d apparently been kept in captivity and bred like animals.
Doma Chiara climbed up to take the reins. Saying a few quick words, she made a motion for Tessa to join her.
Tessa resisted. A quick exchange passed between them. Neither woman appeared happy.
Tessa finally shrugged and threw up her hands. “I’m sorry,” she said to Kenneth, joining their hostess. “While it’s a custom for their petted ones to ride, the true inferiors are expected to walk.”
Kenneth frowned. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Jake grinned and stepped up into the back of the chariot. He looped his hands around Tessa’s waist, cradling her close, making a show of protecting his mistress. One hand slipped up, cupping her breast. “It means I ride with my lady and you walk with the dogs.”
Kenneth’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “What kind of twisted shit is that?”
Wriggling uncomfortably in Jake’s grasp, Tessa gave her ex-fiancé a sharp elbow to the gut. “Get your hands off!”
“Hey!” Jake moved back, rubbing his aching solar plexus. “Have a care there. I’m a prime specimen.”
Kenneth’s hands balled into tight fists.
Prime specimen, my ass
.
Catching his anger, Tessa gave him a surreptitious look. She quickly shook her head, sending a silent signal.
Cool down
, it said.
He looked up at her and frowned. “I don’t like this place.”
“Bear with it,” Tessa mouthed. “We haven’t got a choice.”
Doma Chiara snapped her whip. The men pulling the load took off at a steady trot.
Kenneth felt a tug on his collar. He reluctantly pushed his body into motion, jogging beside the chariot. Damn good thing he’d gotten himself back in shape. He had no choice but to keep up. His leash was looped around a peg designed specifically for the purpose.
Tessa had better figure out a way to make nice with the Mer and then get them the hell out of here. The shackles were beginning to make him itchy and nervous. He didn’t like losing control of his hands.
For now he’d have to play along. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger Tessa. The Mer seemed to be accepting her as some sort of conquering heroine. Acting up would only damage her credibility.
He was going to have to be a good boy and play by the rules. Even if those rules sucked.
Slipping on a mask of blank acceptance, Kenneth trotted on beside the chariot. Right now all he could do was hope that his final destination didn’t involve a dog-house and table scraps.
Chapter 16
T
he sanctuary of Queen Magaera was a multistoried building spanning five and a half acres of land, which housed not only the regent, but numerous chambers for private dwelling, a throne room, multiple pools for bathing, and a courtyard sculpted entirely in stone.
In addition, the fortress held inside its walls a central antechamber branching off into various corridors, leading to the administrative chambers of the queen’s advisors. But that wasn’t all. There were enormous storerooms stuffed with trade goods, as well as work-rooms for creating the intricate leather fashions and jewelry the Mers seemed to favor for personal adornment. Weapons, too, were created from the precious metals.
An intricate plumbing system tied everything together. Life at the palace hummed with a machine’s precision. Everyone had their place, and kept to it.
As an honored guest, Tessa and her human companions had received a grand tour. Though Kenneth had the sense to keep quiet, Jake had jabbered on, comparing everything he saw in Ishaldi to similar instances in the human world. Fortunately their guides took his excitement with good grace, pampering him with extra attention.
It was enough to make a person sick.
“I can’t believe the way those women are fawning all over you,” Tessa commented once they were ensconced in a suite overflowing with every luxury the Mer had to offer. At last they had a moment alone to catch their breaths, compare their impressions.
Jake sniffed at the carafe of wine a servant had recently delivered. Finding the vintage to his liking, he filled an earthenware cup. “They know a good thing when they see it.”
Kenneth looked up from the couch he had collapsed on; a simple wooden frame with rope webbing and mats lay on top. Having kicked off his shoes, he was giving one foot a liberal rub. “Damn. These boots definitely weren’t made for that much walking. It felt like we went ten miles, maybe more.”
Since Jake wasn’t offering anyone else a drink, Tessa poured another cup of wine. Carrying it over to Kenneth, she sat down beside him. “I’m really sorry. I’m going to try to get us out of here as soon as I can.”
Kenneth accepted her offering. “Thanks.” He took a deep swallow. Lowering the cup, he grimaced and wiped his lips. “Man, that’s some strong stuff.”
Jake swirled the remnants in his own cup. “Wines in the ancient world weren’t the best vintage. The heavy taste of spices is usually added to disguise spoilage.”
Kenneth hastily set his cup down. “I think I’ll pass on having any more.” He eyed the archaeologist. “Why are you drinking that stuff if it’s spoiled?”
Jake sipped. “Our hosts have offered it, and it is our duty to accept it.”
Letting his head fall back, Kenneth pushed out a long sigh. “More of that ‘when in Rome’ shit, I suppose.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “It’s called playing the game. We are literally at the mercy of the Mer.”
Shoulders slumping with exhaustion, Tessa pressed her head into her hands. “Just stop bickering, you two. Please. I’m no happier than you are that we’re in this mess.” She blew out a long sigh of regret. “I shouldn’t have insisted on opening that thing.”
“Wormhole,” Jake informed her. “It’s some sort of passage between Ishaldi and our world.”
Tessa thought a moment. “Chiara called it a sea-gate.”
“So they’re perfectly aware of what it is?” Kenneth asked.
Tessa nodded. “Seems that way.”
Jake finished the last of his wine. “Did she happen to mention why it had been sealed? By the looks of it, that happened from our side, not theirs. It must have been something they had no control over. I mean, what society would willingly seal itself off?”
Tessa shrugged. “Nope, and I don’t know. And if I had known what it was, I would have thought twice about opening it. The Mer don’t seem very friendly toward humans at all.”
Kenneth laid gentle hands across her shoulders. “You couldn’t know, babe. No one could.” Strong fingers expertly worked the pressure points around her neck and shoulders.
Tessa forced herself to relax. Being tense and on edge wouldn’t help matters one bit.
She lifted her head, smoothing her tangled hair away from her burning face. “Though I don’t like this situation at all, we’ve just got to play along. Once I meet with their queen, I will express the desire to return to the sea-gate. She has no reason to hold us here, right?”
Stubbornly, Jake shook his head. “Wrong.”
The single word hit like a slap in the face.
Tessa looked at him with blank dismay. “Why wrong?”
Jake curled a lip. “Sometimes I think you fell off the turnip truck yesterday.”
Kenneth gave Jake a glare. “I think we can both do without the insults. We’re not exactly unintelligent.”
“No, but you aren’t putting much brainpower into thinking this out,” their resident expert countered. “Remember, we’ve just walked into a world that’s been cut off from human civilization for centuries. Yes, we see the Mer have gone on and survived quite nicely. But now that the sea-gate is open, what do you think they’re going to want next?”
“Chiara mentioned they were anxious to return to the seas,” Tessa confessed.
Jake’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Of course they would be eager to regain what they lost when the sea-gate closed. I imagine they once had a ruling command over much of the Mediterranean waters. But they wouldn’t just rush out into a world that is essentially unknown to them. Times have changed. They can tell that just by looking at our clothing and listening to us speak.”
“Tessa seems to be getting along with the language barrier all right,” Kenneth said.
“I’m still a little iffy on some of the terms she’s using,” Tessa admitted. “The conversations I had with Mom were pretty simple.”
“Still, you are managing to communicate and that is what counts,” Jake said.
“And you think they’re going to want me as some sort of guide?” she asked.
Jake shrugged. “I’m just guessing at what I would do if our positions were reversed.” He sauntered away, heading toward an open balcony. “It’s beautiful here. Ishaldi is absolutely pristine, untouched by any of the degradations of an industrial age.”
Giving the archaeologist the stink eye behind his back, Kenneth slipped his boots back on. “I think I prefer our good old nasty world.”
Tessa barely managed to suppress a shiver. “It’s creepy the way they keep humans as slaves and treat them like animals.”
“Slavery was an accepted way of life in ancient times,” Jake tossed over his shoulder.
Kenneth perked up. “Come to think of it, don’t you think it’s odd we haven’t seen any animals? I mean, have you seen a dog or a cat, or even a rabbit? Since this world evolved similarly to our own, wouldn’t they have the some kind of wildlife?”
Jake turned around, propping a hip against the elaborate stone railing of the balcony. “Now that you mention it, I don’t recall even seeing birds in the trees.”
Tessa pushed herself off the couch. She walked over to take a look for herself. Outside, the light emanating from the crystal sky had begun to fade. Shadows from the coming darkness began to creep across the land.
She looked out over the wide, thick growth of the forest. “During our ride Chiara told me the crystals mimic sunrise and sunset. At night the crystals rest, recharging themselves. They don’t have seasons either; and no wind, rain, or violent storms. The whole of their world is sustained by underground reservoirs. If there is one thing Ishaldi has, it’s plenty of water.”
“Something mermaids would need, I suppose,” Jake mused.
“It’s all too freaky for me,” Kenneth said from behind. “All I see in my head when I think of this place is some prehistoric insect trapped in amber.”
His last remark brought something to mind that had nagged Tessa throughout their journey. She couldn’t easily shake off the feelings of misgiving nagging her. “Don’t you think it’s eerie the way everything is so perfect?”
Jake eyed her impatiently. “What do you mean?”
Sighing, Tessa made a helpless gesture. “I can’t exactly explain it, but it feels as if this place isn’t an actual living city, but a model of what the Mer think one should be. Nothing out of place, but still it seems ”—she searched for the words she wanted—“artificial.”
“It just feels that way because we’re out of our element,” Jake scolded. “Imagine how they would feel seeing our world after all this time.”
Tessa pursed her lips. Her hand lifted to her soul-stone. “It’s more than that,” she insisted. “Even though I’ve tried to make a psychic connection with Chiara and the others, I can’t. It’s like some sort of dampening field is all around me. The energy’s there, but I can’t key in.”
“I’m sure their security is set on high alert,” Jake commented. “I doubt they’ll let down their guard until they know what our intentions really are.”
His answer rankled. Jake didn’t understand the innate unspoken impression an empath could pick up. The cues of thought and emotion might be subtle, but they were usually detectable in both human and Mer. But these Mer . . . It was like walking among the living dead. Both emotion and energy were rigidly controlled.
Tessa wanted to argue the point, but she had no time to follow through. The doors to their chamber opened and an unfamiliar woman swept in, followed by a retinue of Mer and their human servants.
Well armed and alert, the Mer stationed themselves at various points around the chamber. Spears in hand, sharp daggers were sheathed at their hips. A few of the women wore the deadly Ri’kah.
Seeing the laserlike weapon, Tessa felt her mouth go bone dry. No doubt about it. These women were probably experts with the technology.
The human servants bore silver platters. They carried them to a large wooden table, arranging the selections in a manner pleasing to the eye.
Her smile quick and cheery, the woman introduced herself. “I am Arta Raisa, and I will be seeing to your comfort.”
Tessa stood up, taking the dominant position in front of her men. She understood the woman’s prefix to roughly imply the position of chief administrator. “Thank you for your service.”
Raisa indicated a couple of wooden benches sitting nearby. “We have brought food for your humans,” she said, directly addressing Tessa. “Please tell them they may eat.”
Catching sight of the food, Tessa’s stomach rumbled. The time lapse between this morning and the present couldn’t have been more than three or four hours, yet it seemed as if days had passed. Her last meal had consisted of some saltines and cheese. Since she’d be diving into deep waters, she hadn’t wanted to load herself down with a heavy meal.