A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,23

the dark locks and he watched as they brushed the curve of one delicate ear.

"My first master did, not Baleris."

She dropped her hand self-consciously and met his gaze, those violet eyes sharp, if shuttered.

"All Marceils are shorn when they're enslaved."

"And they force you to continue to shave it?" The practice seemed barbaric.

Then again, shaving her hair was nothing compared to the self-inflicted stabbing.

"No.

The power of the Esri's control slowly causes the remaining hair to fall out."

She lifted her brows and pursed her mouth.

"I didn't know the hair could grow back.

I've never known an unenslaved Marceil."

He studied her.

"It's growing fast.

A lot faster here then it did in D.

C."

"I know."

A wistful smile lit her features, making him catch his breath even as it pulled an answering smile from him.

"That pleases you."

She nodded, the pleasure lingering in her eyes, lighting them like amethysts.

"Of course."

Such a simple thing, hair.

Simple and basically unimportant.

Then again, he was a guy.

His own hair was little more than a nuisance he had to keep remembering to cut.

But she'd had it stolen from her, and he knew that was just the tip of the iceberg of what she'd lost at the hands of the Esri.

He wanted to know, he realized.

What she'd lost, what her life had been like when she wasn't being raped or forced to stab herself.

Who she was behind the strong will and those fathomless eyes.

"Tell me something," he said.

"Anything about you or your past."

She glanced at him, a wariness flickering in her eyes he hadn't seen for a while.

He frowned, then realized the problem.

He hadn't asked.

He'd demanded.

And she'd spent too many years as a slave.

He turned on his best boyish charm.

"Please? You don't have to tell me anything, Tarrys.

Ever.

But I'd like to know more about you."

She averted her face, saying nothing, and he wondered if he'd insulted her.

But when she turned back to him moments later, a hint of mischief danced in her eyes, making him grin for real.

"My people often helped the humans in the days before the gates were sealed.

Did you know that?" "No.

You mean the Marceils?" "Yes.

They tried to make up for some of the misery the Esri caused your race.

You remember us.

I did a little research and discovered you remember us quite well, though in a funny kind of way."

Her eyes were still dancing, her luscious mouth trembling at the corners as if struggling not to smile.

"Did we call you pixies or something?" Her mouth lost the battle.

The smile lit her face from within, warming him in a way no smile before ever had.

"Not pixies.

These were the days before the Esri enslaved us.

Marceils had hair."

She lifted her fingers to the soft tufts on her scalp.

"Brown hair like mine."

She paused for effect, watching him.

"The humans called us brownies."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up.

"You're kidding."

She shook her head, pleasure dancing in her eyes.

"We've been immortalized in the human consciousness by little girls.

Little Brownie Girl Scouts."

Charlie nodded, a funky chill making him shiver.

Just when he thought he was getting used to this stuff being real... "My niece, Stephie, told me the story.

That brownies were believed to visit at night and clean up or finish some task after the family went to bed.

If the family suspected they had a brownie visitor, they'd leave food and milk in hopes he... or she...would return."

Her smile turned wistful.

"My mother told me the same tale."

Her expression sobered.

"Harrison's daughter is a Brownie?" "Yeah."

The darkness rolled through him, harsh and painful.

"She was.

Before Baleris touched her."

She was lost to them now, her body functioning, but her mind locked up in a place no one could reach.

God, he hated that Esri.

He hated all Esri except Kade and, hopefully, Princess Ilaria.

And if they didn't find the princess and convince her to seal the gates before King Rith got his hands on the seven stones of power, life as they knew it would end.

King Rith intended to tear down the walls between the worlds and enslave the human race.

This mission of his was perhaps the most critical in the history of humanity.

No way in hell was he failing it.

But a few minutes later, his scalp began to crawl.

"We're being followed."

Tarrys jerked, her wide eyes meeting his gaze.

"How do you know?" "Instinct.

The same way I knew you were following me.

It could be another Esri."

"It could be the same Esri."

Charlie shook his head.

"It's been two days.

I would have felt him before now."

"Perhaps.

Or perhaps he has a gift that allows him to track us.

Either way, it doesn't really matter."

Which was all too true.

With his energy flagging, either way, they were in deep