Books by Maggie Shayne (113 page)

"She wore a golden crucifix, on a leather thong around her throat."

Roland inhaled quickly, looking into Rhiannon's eyes.
 
She didn't seem to be seeing him.
 
Instead, it was as if she were looking beyond him.
 
Her hand rose, in a fist, to the spot where the cross had rested upon Rebecca's throat.

"How do you know that?"

"It was fashioned for her by her father, and she cherished it."
 
Her hand came away, palm opened.
 
Her gaze searched her empty hand.
 
"But the thong came loose, and the gold cross fell."

Roland frowned, unable to speak.
 
Rhiannon turned, and leaned over the wall.
 
"It became caught in a crevice of the stone.
 
She could see it, and she tried to reach for it."

Roland gripped Rhiannon's shoulders.
 
Her stance, the way she leaned over, was precarious at best.
 
He turned her toward him, astonished to see tears in her eyes.
 
"But she was small, like Tamara.
 
She couldn't hope to reach it, could she, Roland?
 
And she fell.
 
Poor, innocent, silver-haired angel.
 
She fell, and the cross remains."
 
She stepped aside, pointing one finger downward.

Stunned, Roland stepped to the wall, and leaned over it.
 
At first, he saw nothing.
 
Then a glimmer caught his eye.
 
There, wedged tightly between two rough-hewn gray stones, the small crucifix glinted a reflection of the moon above.
 
He shook his head in wonder, as an incredible burden seemed to dissolve from its longtime place upon his shoulders.

"She didn't take her own life," he whispered.

"No, Roland.
 
It was an accident."
 
Rhiannon returned to the trapdoor, and stepped onto the ladder.
 
"So now you may live your life without the guilt you've been feeling.
 
It is my parting gift to you."

Roland whipped himself around to face her.
 
"Wait!"

Despite his bark, her head vanished as she stepped down the ladder.
 
Roland leapt through the trapdoor after her, catching her shoulders, and turning her to face him before she could reach the next door.

"I said wait."

She blinked rapidly, but her gaze didn't flinch from his.
 
"For what?"

He shook his head.
 
"There... are still things we need to discuss, Rhiannon.
 
You know it as well as I."

"It no longer matters, Roland.
 
It makes no difference now."

"Why?"

"Because, you fool, there is nothing more I can do.
 
Nothing more I
care to do
to make myself desirable to you.
 
For years, I've sought to show you I was worthy.
 
These past weeks have been one escapade after another.
 
Yet all I did to show you my strength only served to anger you further.
 
The more I endeavored to make you want me, the more averse you became to the notion."

He felt his lips pull upward in a smile, and reached out to her, but she pulled away, turning her face from his eyes.
 
"Rhiannon, I--"

"No.
 
Listen to me for once, Roland.
 
I will say this now, or never feel moved to again.
 
You might as well know all of it.
 
When Lucien held me in that hole, he told me you were dead.
 
And I howled my grief to the gods.
 
I swore I would be the meek-willed creature you wanted me to be, if only they would return you to me.
 
Can you believe it?
 
Me, Rhiannon, bargaining for a chance to please a man."

He closed his eyes, and shook his head slowly, but she rushed on.

"I've tried to do as I promised, Roland.
 
For days, I have whispered around these walls like a withering primrose.
 
And what has it accomplished?
 
You pay less attention to me now than before.
 
And it wouldn't have mattered if you had, because I cannot convert myself to suit you, or anyone.
 
I've learned that only recently.
 
I am who I am.
 
Rhiannon, born Rhianikki, daughter of Pharaoh, princess of Egypt, vampiress, immortal woman."

She turned, and gripped his shoulders in her hands.
 
"Look at me, Roland.
 
Do you not see it in my eyes?"

The only thing he saw in her eyes, just then, was a sudden, glittering flood of tears.

"I love you," she whispered.
 
"You can search the world, sift the deserts, comb the seas, and you will never find a love like mine for you.
 
It is endless, boundless, and it will never fade.
 
I've fought it for most of my existence, and still it remains.
 
Yet you choose to throw such love away, just as my father did before you.
 
You are a fool, Roland, to let me leave here.
 
But I am equally a fool for throwing myself at your feet one last time before I go.
 
Step on my heart and end this agony, once and for all.
 
At least now, you can have no doubt what you will be missing."

Roland bit his lips.
 
He wouldn't shout at her, though the temptation was great.
 
"Rhiannon, are you finished?"

She nodded.
 
"Yes.
 
I'll keep my promise and leave you now."

"No.
 
Not quite yet.
 
I believe there are a few things left unsaid between us.
 
Will you listen?"

"No."

He searched her face, but she turned it away.
 
"Why not?"

Her voice came hoarsely.
 
"I don't wish to compound my humiliation by crying like a child in front of you, when you reject me this one final time."

He sighed as she stepped away from him.
 
"At least hear this, Rhiannon.
 
All this time, all the risks you've taken, the recklessness you've shown, you haven't been trying to prove your worth to me."

She turned slowly, her gaze fierce.
 
"Haven't I?"

"No, nor to your father."
 
He stepped nearer, and gripped her shoulders.
 
"You've only been trying to prove it to yourself.
 
Your father's rejection, and then mine, made you question your own worth, Rhiannon."

She blinked, and he saw the fresh moisture that sprung to her lashes.
 
"Perhaps..."

"Question it no longer.
 
Your heroism, your courage, are beyond those of any knight I've ever known, Rhiannon.
 
You are a woman beyond any who has ever existed, nor ever will.
 
Believe that."

She sniffed angrily, and tugged away from him, averting her eyes.
 
"Let me go.
 
I've no wish to cry in front of you."

"Is that what telling you I love you will do, make you cry?"

She swallowed hard, and turned to him, eyes wide with disbelief.

He took her hands in his, and brought them to his lips.
 
"Rhiannon, just hear what I will tell you, please.
 
I've fought my love for you from the night when you found me, nearly dead on that battlefield, and took me in your arms.
 
Oh, I thought I had reasons.
 
I was an animal, unworthy of such a goddess as you.
 
I told myself my love was poison, that it would bring you only misery as it had everyone I had loved before.
 
I resented the way you would come and go at will, leaving me longing for your return, and convinced myself I didn't care if you stayed a day or a month with each visit.
 
But I did, and I died a little inside every time you left me alone."

He turned toward the covered painting, and took one corner of the cloth in his hand.
 
"This time I swore I'd keep a small part of you with me, for always."
 
He tugged the fabric away, and heard her sharp intake of breath.

He looked at her as she stared at the image of herself on the canvas.
 
Her hand trembled as it moved from her lips, to the painting.
 
She touched it, and tears rolled from her eyes, down her cheeks.
 
She shook her head.
 
"This... isn't... can't be... me."

"It is the very essence of you, Rhiannon.
 
But I'm afraid I've changed my mind."
 
He met her startled gaze.
 
"I won't let you go this time.
 
I won't be satisfied to gaze at this painting.
 
I want to gaze into your eyes.
 
And I want to see them alight with life and mischief the way they've always been.
 
Not dull with the effort of reining in your own nature.
 
I came to love you just the way you are, Rhiannon.
 
And I will fight with you through all eternity if ever you try to change."

He fell to his knees at her feet, clutching her hands to his heart.
 
"Stay with me for always, goddess among women.
 
Be my mate, my lover, my friend.
 
Never leave me alone to long for you again."

She dropped to her knees, as well, her hands threading through his hair.
 
"I adore you, Roland.
 
But I'm not sure I can exist in seclusion, live this life of a hermit the way you do."

"No, I would not ask it of you.
 
My sentence is at an end, Rhiannon.
 
You've given me the keys that set me free."

She smiled, then, and it held all the mischief and devilment he'd missed these past days.
 
"Tell me again."

"I love you, Rhiannon."

He rose, and his arms crept around her waist.
 
Hers slipped over his shoulders.
 
He kissed her mouth deeply, thoroughly, as if he were tasting her for the first time.

"Your father was so wrong, Rhiannon.
 
Do you know that yet?
 
You are a treasure, one so rare, so precious... one that can be sought, and found, but never owned.
 
Only held for a while."

"Then hold me, Roland.
 
Hold me for a very long while."

To Jena, who gave Da mien his magic. I love you.

It is an old story But one that can still be told About a man who loved And lost. Shannon took copious notes, swearing at the inefficiency of a penlight for writing in the middle of a pitch-dark theater. She swore again at the narrow arms on the seats, which were no good at all for holding a notepad.

Especially when the jerks on either side of her seemed to think they owned exclusive rights to them. She growled a sigh, shoved the meaty arm to her left out of the way and whispered loudly, "Hey, do you mind? I'm trying to work here."

Anger was good. Anger would keep her mind away from the images burned into it. Tawny, with hair and eyes that matched her name, and a porcelain-doll face, and a smile that lit up a room. Her dreams of becoming a star, her overly dramatic way of expressing herself. Her feariessness. Her stubbornness. Shannon wanted to remember the vibrant upstart actress by day, call girl by night, best friend forever, Not the pale, naked body sprawled on the rumpled sheets, with its vacant-eyed stare. Not the twin gossamer strands of scarlet meandering over her paper-white neck. God, not that.

The guy in the next seat grumbled and shifted as far away from her as possible. Shannon wrote, only vaguely aware of the spreading applause. The gradual quieting. The sense of expectation in the crowd. The deep, melodic voice of the man at center stage announcing that he would need a volunteer from the audience. A sudden burst of movement and loudly voiced offers from the female spectators distracted her only for a moment before she adjusted the dim penlight and continued writing.

"The women here are practically drooling. It would be easy for him to lure one anywhere he wanted. Still no one who can tell me where he was last Wednesday night between..."

Her pen stopped on the pad and a cloud of frigid air seemed to envelop her.

She glanced up, toward the aisle three seats away. He stood there, a tall, shadowy form draped in black satin. An instant later the spotlight caught up with him, illuminating his hair, until it gleamed blue, and making his ivory skin seem even paler. His arm was outstretched, his hand reaching toward her. And his eyes, huge and round like an owl's, seemingly holding the wisdom of the gods and the pain of a thousand hells, focused on her, keeping her prisoner.

"You, miss."

She wished her heart would stop racing. There was still no shred of evidence that the man was a twisted murderer. Only a matter of circumstance and her own suspicions.

"Me, what?"

His lips curved upward. His gaze fell to the notepad, the penlight and the pen she'd been juggling all evening, then jumped back to hers again.

"What's your name?"

"Sh-Shannon ... but, I"

“A round of applause for the lovely Shannon, our courageous volunteer."

He said it loudly, waving toward her with a flourish and a ripple of that shimmering cloak. The spotlight obeyed him, instantly dousing her in a pool of hot white brilliance that did nothing to chase away her ominous chill.

She squinted as the applause swelled. His hand closed on hers, big, warm, hard. He pulled, none too gently to her feet.

She gave her hand a tug, but his grip was as good as any pair of handcuffs ever invented. He pulled her along at his side. Her protests went unheard beneath the noise of the crowd and the accompanying music. He dragged her up the steps far to the right and onto the stage. She could either fight him and look like an idiot, or accept this fiasco with a modicum of grace. She decided on the latter, though she thought the vain bastard could use a good kick in his oversize ego.

He looked into her eyes, and again, his lips curved; It didn't go far enough to qualify as a smile. More like an "I know what you're thinking and find it amusing" kind of a look.

She glared at him, her mind exchanging his black eyes for Tawny's light brown ones wide open, glazed, forever blind.

His grip on her wrist eased. He frowned down at her and his hand slid down to clasp hers. They stopped center stage. Behind them, a red velvet curtain rose as silently as a ghost. Shannon glanced over her shoulder, saw a clear pane of glass balanced across the backs of two chairs.

"The lovely Shhannnon " he drew the consonants in her name out until it sounded like an incantation " is about to assist me in defying the very laws of nature... of Mother Earth..."

She told herself not to lose her anger to the ever-growing tide of uneasiness that could easily become fear. Killer or not, he couldn't very well hurt her right in front of thousands of onlookers. She stiffened her spine.

"If you think I'm letting you saw me in half, forget it," she rasped, teeth grated, mouth barely moving. She glanced sideways at him, saw the twitch in his lips, felt his hand tighten on hers.

"Of gravity itself," he went on.

He had a way of speaking that was utterly mesmerizing, each word enunciated slowly, his mouth seeming to caress every syllable before releasing it. It made you focus on his lips as he spoke, against your own will.

"This way. Shannon." Mist shot up from the floor, encircling their legs to twist and writhe in time with the erotic music, if music could be that.

Slow, sexy, with an urgent beat. He led her to the makeshift table, waved an arm over it, then, took her hand and guided her up a pair of wooden steps as the silken music swelled, his every movement in perfect synchronization with the beat.

"Lie down. Shannon. And prepare to be swept away."

She shivered a little, wondering if he spoke in those slow, measured tones all the time or only on stage. She lay back on the cool glass, her gaze never leaving his face. Even his breaths and the blinking of his eyes were grace epitomized, as if they, too, had been choreographed. He circled her once, one arm extended, cloak swirling as he moved. Then, with a flick of his fingers at his throat, he whipped the cloak from his shoulders, swung it outward, draped it over her. He drew it up from her feet, covering her right up to her chin.

The fabric was heaven, satin inside and out. She wanted to rub it against her cheek. The scent that invaded her mind was dusky and potent. Like nothing she'd smelled before.

His hand touched her forehead, sweeping downward. His fingertips closed her eyes. She stiffened, again thinking of Tawny.

"Relax, Shannon. Don't move. Let your muscles melt at my command. Break the bounds of earth. Free yourself from the constraints of gravity."

She sighed hard, blinking away the angry tears the image of her friend had brought to her eyes. Da mien Namtar knew how to put on a show, if nothing more. Of course, he wouldn't be the hottest magician in the world if he didn't. Da mien the Eternal. She'd have rolled her eyes if they'd been open. More like Da mien the Master of Optical Illusion. But maybe she'd learn something about him if she paid attention. Maybe she'd manage to stop thinking about Tawny long enough to find a hint of who'd killed her.

And how? For the love of God, how?

She focused her mind, lying still as he'd instructed. She didn't want to break this contraption and get dumped on the stage nothing happened. Shannon heard a collective gasp from the audience and opened one eye. Da mien stood near her feet, holding a chair in one outstretched hand. She frowned a little. The chair that had been propping up that end of the glass? But her body was still horizontal.

He set the chair down and walked to her head, pausing to lay that feather-light hand over her eyes again, closing them once more. She popped them right open again, though. She'd paid to see the damned show. She certainly couldn't see it with her eyes closed, and she wasn't about to miss what might turn out to be a clue.

He was standing at the head of the makeshift bed now, looking down at her face. He pursed his lips when he saw that her eyes were open, but she didn't close them again. His gaze grew intense, probing, piercing. He bent, and she knew he was pulling the other chair from beneath the sheet of glass. When he straightened he held the chair, whirled around and threw it off stage right.

When she could see him again he had a plastic hoop in one hand. He ran it over and under her, then around her body, back and forth to demonstrate no strings held her aloft.

The hoop was tossed aside, as well. He leaned over her face. "Concentrate with me now. Shannon. There is nothing to fear."

With a look of glee, he pulled the cloak over her head. That would teach her for not keeping her eyes closed, she imagined he was thinking.

She heard him mutter words in a language she didn't recognize. Then there was a strange sort of vibration. She felt the glass under her back move.

It slid to one side. She instinctively began to clutch it with her left hand, but his caught hers and held it still. Her chilled fingers, surrounded by his graceful, warm hand. She almost squeezed it, almost turned her palm to his and laced fingers with him. Weird notion. Luckily, he released her before she had time to follow through.

She felt the glass slip out from beneath her. The music faded as the beat of drums grew louder, faster. She remained where she was, lying in midair above the stage. How the hell-The cloak was moving now, satin rasping against the denim of her jeans as it slipped down her body. Da mien stood there, stark-white shirt opened at the collar to reveal a muscled column of throat. Gleaming dark curls showed on his chest. He stood a few feet behind her, arms outstretched, palms up, eyes closed as if in concentration. He had incredible lashes for a man.

In fact, everything about him was pretty incredible. Shannon knew Tawny better than anyone, and she had a feeling Tawny wouldn't have left the theater that night without at least offering. As he lifted his hands and the drums pounded frantically, Shannon seemed to rise on a cushion of air. She caught her breath. Higher and higher she floated, until she had to close her eyes to keep from getting dizzy.

Then she just stopped, far above his head. She dared a peek downward. He was staring up at her. He stepped forward. " To me. Shannon," he called loudly, firmly, in a deep voice that would be tough to argue with. Then he bent his elbows, snapped both fingers. The music stopped all at once. and she fell. It lasted an instant, the sensation of plummeting full-speed through space, the certainty that the landing was going to hurt like hell, the urge to scream out loud. She bit her lip. and landed in his arms.

She blinked in shock. He stared down at her, and his smile was just a bit fuller. His banded arms cradled her tight to his chest, and the sensation was alien to her. She thought she might be just a little closer to understanding Tawny's alley- cat morals after tonight. He lowered his head, touched her forehead with his lips. She was sure he'd burned a brand into her skin by the touch of his mouth. But that was stupid. It was the music, and the mist and the magic making her feel ripples of pleasure race up and down her spine. Not the touch of a man. Never the touch of a man.

The crowd's roar almost deafened her. He looked away from her, out toward the audience, and she followed his gaze. They were on their feet. every last one of them, and their cheers went on and on, vibrating right to the rafters.

But her attention strayed back to the man who held her. His strong profile, the elegant line of his jaw, the aquiline nose. And the light gathering brilliance somewhere deep within those jet eyes. He loved this.

He absorbed the adoration of the crowd the way the desert absorbs the rain. He was in sheer ecstasy. He almost glowed.

The curtain lowered in front of them and he set her on her feet. His hands caught her shoulders, turned her to one side and pushed gently.

"Offstage, Shannon. Watch from there." A stagehand hustled toward her and Da mien leaned over, whispering close to her ear, "You were wonderful." Then the short redhead gripped her arm and led her offstage. He pointed to a folding chair and ran out of sight, a clipboard clutched in one hand.

Shannon glanced back to see the heavy, rippling curtain rise as if weightless. Da mien stood center stage, fastening the ties that held the cloak at his throat. When the curtain stopped its spectral ascent, the crowd beyond it still stood, still cheered.

Sketching an elegant bow, he held his hands up for silence.

"Thank you. Thank you all. I'm afraid the fair Shannon won't be rejoining you. I've decided to have her for dinner."

Laughter rippled through the theater.

Da mien opened his arms to his sides, the edges of the cloak held in his hands.

"Farewell, my friends."

A drum roll pattered across her heart. The crowd went utterly still. He lowered one arm and swept the other over his face in typical Dracula style. He whirled in a circle, once, twice, faster, three times.

Cymbals smashed. The cloak fell, a satin puddle. He'd vanished. Shannon came to her feet, squinting, searching that shimmering black mound. She saw movement and frowned harder. What the hell was that little. The bat launched itself from its satin nest, fluttering wildly, swooping in crazy patterns before soaring out over the crowd. It dove low, eliciting shrieks of delighted horror, gasps of surprise. Then it turned and headed back to the stage. It angled left and flitted right past Shannon's face and out of sight.

The curtain fell again and the theater shook with applause.

The noise went on and on before it slowly died. She heard people in the crowd shifting, moving. The activity backstage increased. Shannon shook away the spell the magician had briefly cast over her, and looked around her. She had a mission, despite that his mystical illusions had made her lose track of it for a few minutes. She crossed her fingers and started off in what she hoped was the right direction. She wasn't finished with Da mien Namtar yet. She had questions and she wasn't leaving here until she got some answers.

A tap on her shoulder made her spin around, half expecting to see the magic man himself smirking at her. Instead it was the same red-haired man who'd led her offstage. Her purse dangled from one pudgy, freckle-smattered hand.

"Da mien said I should give this to you. Said all your stuffs inside."

"Thanks." She took it, her gaze busy looking beyond the man.