The Pearl Savage (27 page)

Jacob said, “Joseph and Stephen
are there as well. They will not let harm befall the Princess.”

“I should have said nothing. My
mate is there, and with child. If I had felt there was a present
danger, I would have not come on this errand,” Jack said.

Bracus cursed. “I wish you had
said something earlier. We will rescue Evelyn, then make haste to the
clan. And Clara had better be in pristine condition,” he said,
staring Jack in the eye.

****

Clara pushed the heavy crockery
plate away and was so full she could not take another bite. In her
bones she knew that after a bath in the hot springs and another
night’s sleep she would feel human once again.

She chanced a look at the
guard
which had inadvertently touched her but his eyes eluded hers. He had
been strained since the incident and the whole group was treating her
differently. She was not sure that she liked the new treatment. It
felt a little like when everyone in the sphere were keenly aware that
she was royal. She had enjoyed being just Clara to these people. Now,
because of the odd reaction, they were all looking at her and at each
other in the strangest way. Later, when she and Lillian had privacy,
she would ask her what it all was.

They stood in an awkward pool of
silence and finally Clara broke it. “I do not know what is wrong,
presently, but tomorrow, when I am better rested, I do wish to be
advised of this strange occurrence.”

She could feel his eyes on her and
that strange heat she had felt earlier flared up. Her eyes met his
and he stared at her and she could think of nothing else but him.
That she had been nervous or scared of him earlier now struck her as
odd. What was happening? What were the Band to her?

Matthew
looked at her and was angry. She had done something to him and he
knew not what. It did not alter his plans in the slightest. It did
not matter that she was a
select
,
as all the others must be thinking now. It was a myth that he did not
ascribe to. No female had power over men unless they told themselves
thus. It was ridiculous, an excuse for weakness. He thought on his
earliest memories with the fragment:

*

He groveled at her feet touching her
skirt, his belly burning with acute hunger. If she would but give him
some of the delicious food that she prepared, even a small amount he
would be so grateful.

Instead, with a leather-clad foot
she kicked at him and he moved swiftly before her foot found
purchase. He knew he was different amongst these people: faster,
stronger. He had strange airways which caused a constant onslaught of
teasing. But he persevered, he would escape this terrible place with
these people that hated him. The males around him beat the females.
All the females hated all the males, save one. There was one small
female that showed him mercy, sneaking food to him when no one was
aware. Margaret alone kept him alive. And he had been too young to
save her when she was savaged by one of the males, but they had
forced him to watch. Yes, indeed they had. He could never erase it
from his mind.

Her screams pierced his ears as they
beat her, did things to her. His twelve-year-old mind tried to shut
out her pleading but he could still hear her wretched wailing,
“Matthew, save me!”

The males holding him said, “This
is what happens to females that lie with monsters like you.”

“She did not lay with me! We are
but children. She fed me when I hungered!”

“
Shut
up abomination,” and Matthew’s head rocked back as a blow from a
male of the
fragment
split his lip like a ripe fruit, blood flowing out of it. His tears
of anguish added salt to the pain of his injuries.

Finally, after what seemed an
eternity, he could hear her no more. The males who assaulted her took
her limp body and threw it at his feet, laughing derisively, “A lot
of fight in that one!” Matthew told himself he would not look at
her… but then he did. Her frail form lay broken and bleeding. The
long, dark hair strewn about like black water mingling with the pool
of her blood.

Matthew looked up at the males
responsible for her death, memorizing each face and vowed he would
kill them all one day.

“Look at his face, he is so
strong…” they mocked him. One kicked him in the ribs almost
playfully but they did not give. Matthew had a very strong
constitution but as the night wore on, it was proven that even he
could not take all the beating they had for him. Eventually he passed
out from the pain.

When Matthew could move again and he
was certain he could escape, he vowed to never love another female.
The pain too great a price.

People were not to be trusted.

His
vow intact, he fled. Leaving the
fragment
and a piece of his heart there forever.

Clara saw Matthew’s fists clench and
unclench while he looked at her. Surely he was not cross with her?
But rage burned twin holes into her body and she stepped back,
confused.

He gave a disgusted exhale and
strode off, narrowly missing a young man who was walking by.

Joseph and Stephen looked at each
other and walked off, following him.

Lillian took Clara’s hand. “Do not
mind him… he is not at all sociable. Mayhap the interaction
surprised him.”

Indeed, if that was the case, Clara
felt she was more in tune with shock, having left surprise behind
some time ago.

She allowed herself to be led away
and fervently wished for the streetlamps that would have been burning
inside the sphere to light their way back to the cottage.

Even with Lillian by her side she
had never felt so alone.

CHAPTER 30

Queen
Ada stood before the guards, giving them the full measure of her
gaze. “My daughter is gone, and her cohort, Charles
,
is also gone. And one of our own sentry guards has disappeared as
well.”

She swayed over to the nearest
guard, her hand lashing out to grasp his chin, eye-to-eye, .and those
eyes were wide. No one wished to have the Queen’s full attention. Her
fingers bit into the tender flesh of his jaw. “Who is responsible
for allowing those two traitors free access to the Outside…
damaging the sphere-wall once more?” She threw his face away and he
stumbled a little the crescents left by her nails filling with blood.

“It disgusts me that you would
allow more damage. The sphere is the thickness of parchment now!”
she raged, storming about the Gathering Room in a fit of temper as
she threw up her hands in a jerky, chaotic dance. Bright, irregular
spots of molted color appeared on her face and she whirled around,
the royal guard stilling as one.

“
You
will find her
and
those two traitors and bring her back to this sphere! It is apparent
to all that we might now survive Outside. No matter.” She waved
away the uneasy shifting and murmurings from the guard, none of which
wished to risk the Outside. Their whole lives warned against it.

“Your Majesty.” Her eyes
narrowed on a guard brazen enough to address her directly.

“Mayhap you should accompany us so
that you may address her captors directly. Obviously they should be
punished for daring to take our Princess.”

The queen stopped her frenetic
pacing, the wine goblet stem a constant thing she stroked.

What of her wine?

But
it was King Otto who answered, “Given the circumstance Queen Ada,
myself and Prince Frederic would be happy to assist by maintaining
things here for your short journey. And,” he said, mustering up
false sincerity like a sudden storm, “we would very much like to
supply
whatever
you may need.”

The
wine,
she
interpreted with tremendous relief.

Yes,
she would like to go on this journey. That wretched girl had done it
this time. She probably begged to go with the horrible
savages.
Anything to
not
fulfill her betrothal obligation. She had never been grateful for
Ada’s sacrifices for her, for that stupid man she married… Raymond
.
What a waste, a martyr like Clara. No matter, at least she was Queen,
she smiled grimly. She had that and her wine.

“Very well,” she looked about
her and caught sight of Elvira, “you-servant.” Elvira rushed
over, her body and face cowed. “Get my reticule and everything that
one needs for…”

She looked sharply at the guard with
the big mouth.

“One week your majesty, methinks
we need that much time.”

Queen Ada made an exasperated sound
low in her throat.

Imbeciles.

Could no one get anything done with
haste?

She looked back at Elvira. “Are
you daft? You heard him, one week,” she enunciated slowly as if the
girl could not hear.

Elvira scurried off, knowing the
Queen would squish her like a noxious bug if she were to be afoot a
moment longer.

Ada whirled around again, slightly
unsteady, already loathing that she had sent that stupid girl away.

Her goblet was quite empty.

Prince Frederic looked at the guard
and they gave him uneasy eyes back. “Why don’t I take that from
you, Queen Ada. Would you like to enjoy a brief respite with father,
while I secure refreshments?” he inquired, never taking his eyes
off Ada’s.

He captured the goblet, plucking it
from her limp fingers as she cast a benevolent smile upon him at the
same time he was fantasizing about how close he had come to having
her daughter in his grasp.

And he would again.

He would take his own guard,
trailing behind hers in secret. And there would be an unfortunate
ambush…one that she would not recover from.

Who would the pearl kingdom have
then?

It
would have him,
the
Prince thought. Strolling away with the Queen’s goblet in his fist,
the brilliant blue crystal throwing shards of color as he walked
away.

It speared the carpet, a path of
blue blood splashing before him.

****

Clara and Lillian made their careful
way to the hot springs, its beaten path anciently etched between
great swaths of densely blanketed evergreen trees. Clara breathed
deeply of the fragrant air, never able to get enough of it, the
headiness a taste upon her tongue. There was nothing for her to match
it in her memory, it was unique.

Lillian watched her and thought how
strange it was that she smelled everything. Of course, she had never
been outside before. For Clara, every sight, smell and taste was a
first. She had been almost reverent of their crude food tonight,
asking about every little detail. Lillian decided that she was quite
good company. Not at all what a Princess should be.

They had an old book of fairy tales
that talked about royalty like remote creatures that were above
everyone. Although Clara had a strikingly delicate beauty, as told in
the tales, she was comfortable to be around and not haughty in any
way.

Lillian liked her.

Lillian was nervous of Matthew
following a scarce twenty feet behind them, he had not seemed himself
lately. Always quiet and brooding; since the acquisition plans for
the Princess, his mood had changed from quiet and brooding to remote
and edgy. Joseph and Stephen were sweeping the perimeter of the clan
as was typical at this time. She watched Anna as she walked ahead of
them. Lillian had invited her but she was so shy she removed herself
from the conversation. Lillian sighed, would she ever relax with her?
Of course, with a male close by, sometimes just their presence was
enough to make her skittish as a colt.

Lillian
glanced behind her and did not see Matthew. Thank goodness, checking
all points of possible entry. Let him scout and be out of her sight.
Soon enough, she would have to address Clara’s status as
select.
That she did not look forward to.

Anna stopped ahead of them, the cave
entrance to the springs directly ahead.

She turned, her dark eyes probing
around them in the dimness of the twilight. “Where is Matthew?”
her eyes danced restlessly.

Lillian shrugged. “Scouting, I
presume.”

Clara looked where Anna did. Seeing
nothing, she went to move forward and Lillian caught her wrist. “Have
a care.”

Clara looked down and saw that the
ground had grown soft and a pebbled path veered off to the right,
leading down into the murky darkness.

But
for some light!
Just as she thought it, Anna pulled a candle from her small reticule
and Lillian poured the smallest amount of foul smelling fluid over
it. Using a small ignition, Lillian lit the candle. Clara thought,
they have no steam
to power their lights
.
The candle illuminated the path in front of them, but vaguely. Little
more than enough to keep them from stumbling.

Finally, after another five minutes
of walking, they arrived at a small dark pool. Lazy spirals of steam
made a rich vapor in the air, clinging to the surface like departed
spirits. A pocket of sky rode the open area where there was no tree
cover. The moon, almost full, lit the water and Clara realized she’d
been wrong. She could see quite well from where she stood.

The two women undressed quickly and
got in. Lillian gave a satisfied groan of pleasure. “It has been
two days since my last bath and I, for one, was in need of it,” she
said, flipping suddenly on her back and floating. The moonlight
caressed her form. The belly which held the babe with the barest
swell.