A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,69

take them down and bind them.

But none answered.

There were no Marceils left free to act.

All but her had already been enslaved.

"All is lost," she cried.

And then she saw him, her love, his thick hair reduced to random clumps, his scalp covered in dried blood.

He began to climb the temple stairs.

His eyes glistened with sorrow and grief and spilled bitter tears as he reached her and drew his knife.

"No," she whispered.

"Don't do this."

"If I could turn this blade on myself, I would.

But he controls my every move.

Forgive me, my love."

Tarrys's gaze turned outward again and she met Charlie's across the storm-tossed village.

The power was becoming too much for her to hold, but it didn't matter.

He was nearly to the forest, nearly safe.

Run, Charlie! The power escaped her grasp and she collapsed to her knees, too weak to run.

But she'd known there would be no escape.

She'd done what she'd needed to do.

She'd given Charlie a chance to free the princess and escape the village.

Now he needed the princess free to act again, free to lead him to the gate, and safety.

The rest was up to Charlie, now.

She'd done all she could.

As one, the Esri sprang to life, running for the temple in a race to reach her first, to claim her as a slave.

The pounding of their climbing steps came at her from every direction.

"Run, Charlie," she whispered.

Tarrys held his gaze as rough hands grabbed her from behind, as the searing pain of a sharp knife tore at the flesh of her skull over and over and over.

She held his gaze until blood ran into her eyes, mixing with her tears, and all she could see was a future as bleak and cold as her past.

But Charlie had a chance.

It was enough.

Charlie watched the Esri attack Tarrys, feeling every stroke of the knife as if it sliced through his own heart.

His eyes burned as understanding crashed over him, slamming him back.

She hadn't left him.

She'd sacrificed herself to save him.

"Release the Marceil," he yelled.

"And I'll give you back your princess!" "No.

Leave her," his captive said imperiously.

"The gate will not remain open long.

You need me to find it.

I need you to get me through the forest."

Charlie swung her off his shoulder and onto her feet, gripping her upper arm.

"I'm not leaving without her."

Bright eyes peered at him curiously.

"She's just a slave."

"She's the woman I love."

Princess Ilaria made a sound of pure frustration.

But she turned and shouted, "Sanderis, release your Marceil."

"Nay, Princess.

She's mine."

"He knows the death chant, Sanderis.

King Rith may be glad to see me dead...or he may have other plans for me.

Are you willing to risk his anger?" Charlie heard the arrow a second before it buried itself in the tree six inches to his right.

"Charlie, leave!" Tarrys's cry turned into a scream of pain, but he could no longer see her.

"Make them free her!" Charlie growled at his captive.

To his surprise, the princess began to tremble beneath his grip, her gaze beginning to flick left and right with fear.

The forest, he realized, was already starting on her.

"Sanderis!" The princess's voice held a note of terror the Esri finally responded to.

The moment he released Tarrys, she flew down the temple steps and through the clearing, tears and blood streaking her face.

His heart broke.

As she neared, he let go of the princess to sweep Tarrys into his arms and hold her tight against him.

"Free the princess, human!" the Esri shouted.

Another arrow flew by, just missing him.

"We've got to get out of here."

He released Tarrys and turned to the other woman.

"Princess Ilaria, where's the gate?" But the woman didn't answer, her eyes wide with fear, her body quaking.

Tarrys grabbed the woman's pale arm.

"Don't see it, Princess.

It's not there."

Ilaria blinked and drew in a shuddering breath, but seemed far from relieved.

She was still shaking badly.

"The gate, Ilaria?" Charlie prompted.

"We're out of time."

Slowly her gaze focused on him and her head began to nod.

"That way.

Nearly a quarter of a mile.

We must hurry."

With one hand, Charlie grabbed Ilaria's bound arm, holding her up as she ran.

His other was tight around Tarrys and he had no intention of ever letting her go.

They flew through the woods as quickly as possible, but Charlie kept glancing at the stars overhead.

Unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, they were fading fast.

"There," Ilaria said.

"I see it," Tarrys said.

"It's closing!" Charlie released Ilaria, watching as she disappeared into thin air.

A moment later, Charlie jerked Tarrys hard against him and followed, diving once more into chaos.

The cold wind bit and stung, yet Tarrys had never felt warmer as she sat beneath the human's full moon and stroked the head she cradled in her lap.

The head of the man she loved beyond life, beyond reason.

Charlie Rand.

As before, the trip through the gate had temporarily knocked him out.

Charlie blinked with confusion, the whites of his eyes reflecting the moon's glow, then sat up and leaped to his feet in a single move, his gaze swinging from her to Ilaria and back again, assessing the situation, searching for danger.

"Have you seen anyone? Heard anything?" he asked, his voice low.

"No," Tarrys replied.

"It's quiet here.

And cold."

"It's too dark to be anywhere on the East Coast of the U.

S.

Has Ilaria touched you?" "No."

"I have no need for your slave, human," Ilaria said, sitting a few feet away, her hands still tied behind her back, the moonlight turning her hair silver.

Slowly, Charlie sank to his knees beside Tarrys and pulled her into his arms, his strong arms wrapping tight around her as he kissed her with an urgency and fierceness that brought tears to her eyes.

She kissed him back, tears slipping down her cheeks as she clung to him, her heart still pounding in her chest.

She'd risked everything for him, everything.

And he'd nearly thrown it away.

Wrenching back, she chided him.

"You should have run when you had the chance.

They could have killed you.

You risked your life...your world...to save me."

She felt his hands slide gently along her ruined scalp in the dark.

Though the flesh had healed, only tufts of her hair remained.

"I would have sacrificed a thousand worlds for you.

I love you."

Though she wished she could see his eyes, he kissed her, telling her through the gentle urgency of his mouth and hands, the truth of his words.

"Marry me, Tarrys," he said against her mouth.

Tarrys pulled back, afraid to believe.

"Charlie, you can't really..." "I do."

"But I'm not human, I'm..." His lips brushed over hers in a tender caress.

"I know what you are.

Better than you do, I think.

Brave, strong, wise and beautiful, you're my life.

My heart."

He kissed her again, whispering into the dark.

"I didn't understand love before I met you.

You showed me that miracle.

You're my destiny, Tarrys.

The one I've been waiting for.

Without you, my life means nothing."

His hands slid along her jaw, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

"I want you beside me every day for the rest of my life, sweetheart, but I won't push you.

I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you don't want to do ever again."

Tarrys stared into his moon- drenched eyes.

"I've loved you since the moment I met you, Charlie.

I never dared dream you could love me back."

"I do.

Now, will you please tell me you'll marry me so I can call Harrison to come get us out of here?" Tarrys laughed, her heart lighter than she'd ever imagined.

Her joy complete.

"Yes.

A thousand times yes."