Warrior Rising - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,59

we going to find them?" the male asked.

"The remaining three stones of Orisis are at Bolling Air Force Base." Ilaria's words capsized his heart. "The draggon stone was at Fort McNair, but the Sitheen moved it."

Harrison felt the words like a blade. His mind throbbed with an icy cold that had nothing to do with the weather.

Betrayal.

"I can find it," she continued. "I'm certain of that, now. The Sitheen are guarding the dark stones, waiting for Rith and his guards to show up, hoping to kill them."

His stomach cramped. He felt like he was going to vomit. With a hand vibrating from shock, he dug into his pocket, thick fingers closing around the lighter. Fury lifted its head in his mind and roared.

"They might well succeed, Findris. These humans are very dangerous. To all of us."

She'd played him. Made him think he could trust her. Made him care for her.

He wanted to hurt her, to make her suffer for enchanting him, for lying to him, for making him feel so deeply that he could barely breathe past the pain of her treachery.

"I have a plan. I'll get those stones, Princess."

"We've not much time, Findris."

Pulling the lighter out of his pocket, he stepped forward. As he rounded the corner, two pale faces swiveled toward him - one ivory, one stark white. He barely glanced at the male. All he could see was Ilaria.

Betrayal.

Her mouth formed an O as she stared at him. In those eyes he'd once tumbled into, he saw dismay and a soft, aching regret that shot arrows through his heart. Even as it bled, his heart whispered, You know her. You love her. She isn't evil.

But his fingers clenched hard around the lighter in his hand. His thumb moved to the wheel and flicked.

Ilaria's gaze dropped to the small flame glowing at his side, her cheeks turning as white as the snow.

"Harrison." She swayed.

Findris grabbed her arm, pushing her behind him in a protective move that drew Harrison's unwanted respect. This one would never turn her over to King Rith.

But Ilaria refused to play the role of damsel in distress. She visibly struggled against her terror to step forward, edging her shoulder past Findris's, as if staking her claim to be the protector instead of the protected.

"Harrison, I'm not your enemy." Her mouth was tight, her breathing labored, as her eyes pleaded with him to understand. "Neither of us is. Listen to me, please?"

He watched the tremors begin to wrack her body and sensed the terror she struggled so hard to control. A terror he was causing. He released the flame and shoved the lighter back in his pocket. The part of him that wanted to hurt her crumbled beneath the misery of her fear. How could he ever hurt her when he couldn't even stand to scare her?

He crossed his stiff arms over his chest, his jaw rigid. "Then talk."

She swallowed. "Like you, I seek to stop Rith. But I can't do it your way." Ilaria lifted her hand helplessly. "I can't seal the gates, Harrison."

The battle in his head fell silent as her words penetrated the aching cold. She wasn't trying to spin some lame story of why she'd had to meet Findris alone. Instead she was flat-out telling him she worked at cross-purposes to him. That she had no intention of removing the Esri from his world. That others would suffer as Stephie had. More deaths, more rapes, forever and ever and ever.

His jaw turned to stone at her free admittance of betrayal. Except...it wasn't really betrayal, he thought bitterly. She'd never promised to seal the gates. She'd never pretended to be anything but Esri. The Sitheen were the ones who'd taken her from the forest, who'd insisted she do what they wanted. All she'd ever promised to do was whatever I must. How many times had she said that? How many times had they heard what they wanted to hear? They'd been arrogant fools.

"You can't seal the gates, or you won't?" Amazingly, his voice sounded almost calm, revealing little of the turmoil inside him.

"Either. Both."

They'd never be free of the Esri again. He'd never have his life back. All his days would be spent guarding the gate, hunting the Esri that made it through.

His head ached, his stomach cramped as anger flared and burned in his blood.

"Harrison, listen to me. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but the only way to stop Rith and any other Callers who come after him