A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,27

triumph? Though heaven knew how he was going to manage it this time.

"Which way?" "I don't know.

I can't see...."

He swung her off his shoulder, holding her struggling body tight even as her gaze fastened on the path before them.

"Up the hill.

In the crags ahead, where the bushes grow thick, is the entrance to one of the old mines."

Charlie started forward, dragging her up the rocky path.

"There.

Go left," she ordered when they reached the bushes.

"Up there.

Climb onto the rocks."

He followed her every command.

"Now go left again.

I think..." The rock face broke to the right, revealing a small cave no more than five feet high and about the same distance wide.

Bingo.

He pulled her off his shoulder.

"Can you put on your dress?" His hands were already full with one hand clamped around her arm and the other holding her gown and weapons.

"Yes, but don't give me the bow.

I might try to shoot you."

"Thanks for the warning."

He slung the bow and quiver over his shoulder, then handed her the dress.

Tarrys fought her way into the gown, then he pushed her into the black maw of the low cave and bent low to follow her in.

The moment they stepped inside, a red glow lit the small tunnel, revealing a remarkable passage of solid crystal.

Charlie stared around him at the amazing sight, the red glow reflecting everywhere like a million flames.

The faint smell of sweet wine reached his nose.

"How did it light?" "The crystal reacts to heat."

Her voice was tight, pained.

"My bare feet light our way.

The touch of your hand would do the same."

"The light is going to give us away."

"No.

Not if we're far enough ahead.

The light will die behind us, erasing our path."

"Good.

Does it burn?" "The crystal is cool."

But the eyes she turned to him were feverish with need, sending another torrent of fire rushing through his body.

"The burn comes from inside."

Charlie lowered himself to his knees and reached out to touch the roughly cut crystal with an unsteady hand.

Purple-blue overlaid the red, adding the smell of flowers in a spring rain.

Incredible.

"The crystals have a smell."

"Yes.

Each color smells a little different."

"Let's get out of the mouth.

Does it open up inside, or am I going to have to crawl the whole way?" The cold stone was smooth, but hard beneath his knees.

No flower bed cushions in here.

"It opens up a little, enough that I'll be able to walk upright.

But not enough for you.

The Esri never liked these caves because of that.

The Marceils are smaller and better suited."

"How far in can we go?" "Miles and miles, if we need to.

I was a child the last time I was here, but I think the mines go all the way through the mountain."

Even better news.

If the crystals could hide them, they might just stand a chance of getting away.

He started crawling, glad the floor was smooth, at least, if cold.

"Going through the mountain isn't an option unless there's food stashed in here somewhere," he murmured.

"And underwater springs.

It'll take at least a week to travel through a mountain this size.

Maybe longer."

"The land provides, Charlie.

Even within the mountain.

But I think there are other ways out.

Caves near here.

I only ever left the mines once.

But we always had water."

"You traveled through these mines as a child?" "No.

I was born here."

On the last, her voice tightened, as if the sexual need rose and fell in waves just as her struggles seemed to do.

He stopped talking and concentrated on navigating the strange passage behind her.

A high- pitched chirping echoed from deep in the tunnel.

"Sounds like a cricket."

Tarrys gave a shudder.

"Mine crickets."

He looked at her sharply.

"Are they dangerous?" "No.

They're bigger then the crickets in your world, but no more harmful.

One got caught in my hair when I was a girl.

I've hated them ever since."

Tarrys remained on her feet, bending low, until the ceiling lifted enough for her to walk upright.

Charlie rose to his feet, though he had to bend low to keep from hitting his head on the low, jagged ceiling.

He was going to have one heck of a backache by the time he got out of here.

Every now and then, his hand came in contact with the cool smoothness of the crystal wall, adding more light.

Each time, the crystal reacted differently to his touch, sometimes glowing bright blue, sometimes blue-green, sometimes almost purple.

The mine snaked and curved, breaking off into more forks than a tree branch.

At each fork in the path, Tarrys chose without hesitation as if she knew exactly where she was going.

He hoped to God she did.

If he had to lead, they'd wind