I trust him to protect me—as much as he can in this situation, anyway,she realized. After watching him go into a killing Rage and completely demolish the lizard-men slavers who had been trying to rape her, she was absolutely certain that T’zaren really would protect her with his life.
It was kind of an awe-inspiring revelation, she thought. But she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised—after all, he’d dived into the raging river on the Monstrum Mother Ship to save her before he even knew her. He might be a grumpy, complicated son-of-a-bitch but he was also extremely loyal and trustworthy. Not to mention incredibly attractive in his alien way.
He’s saved me twice now—at the risk of his own life both times,she thought.Mike wouldn’t even get out of bed to get me a glass of water back when we were together.
Also, Mikehadn’tbeen seven feet tall with an amazing physique and molten gold eyes.
It was amazing how different Kindred males were from human men. But then, Iyanna had told her as much when she’d called to let Lucy know that she’d run away from her own wedding to marry a Monstrum Kindred warrior. She—
“Here you go!” one of the guards yelled and the cart lurched forward, cutting off her train of thought.
Lucy bit her lip and tried not to look at the lip of the canyon which was only about ten yards away.
I won’t be scared,she told herself.It’ll be over in a minute and we’ll be across. Everything is going to be all right. I won’t be sc—
Suddenly, the tracks rose up into the air like a cat arching its back—and the little green cart they were riding in rose with them! Lucy found she was no longer looking across a level field to the edge of the chasm—instead, she was at the top of a mountain, (or at least a really high roller-coaster hill)—looking down into the gaping maw of the seemingly bottomless hole.
“Oh my God!” she gasped, clutching at T’zaren’s knees, which were on either side of her. “What’s happening? Why are we suddenly up here?”
“It’s all right, my Lady!” one of the guards called up to them. He and the other guard were still safely on the ground. They looked like little toy action figures, they were so far away, Lucy thought, feeling sick.
“It’s the only way to get the momentum to get you across the chasm!” the other guard shouted. “Just hold on and you’ll be fine.”
“Oh God!OhGodohGodohGod!”Lucy moaned. “Oh no, I don’t like this! I’ve never liked roller coasters. I mean, I’m really adventurous in other ways but I just can’t do heights! I can’t—”
Suddenly a pair of long, strong, muscular arms encircled her tightly.
“It’s all right,” T’zaren murmured in her ear. “Breathe, Lucille. I’ll be right here with you every moment.”
“You will?” Lucy clutched at his arms, pressing back against him, wanting every bit of comfort she could get from the big body surrounding her own.
“I will,” T’zaren promised. “Didn’t I swear an oath to keep you safe and not to leave you? Just close your eyes and lean against me and I’ll protect you.”
Lucy didn’t see how he could possibly protect her from falling to her death if the flimsy-looking tracks gave way, but his words still made her feel better. Taking a deep breath, she did as he said and closed her eyes.
“All right,” she whispered in a trembling voice. “I…I trust you, T’zaren.”
“Good. Because here we goooo!”
His last words were a whoop as the little cart rocketed down the hill and straight across the chasm. Lucy only opened her eyes once but when she caught a glimpse of the endless blackness flashing past, she squeezed them shut again and tried to concentrate on her breathing.
In a way, the cart ride was like folding space. It seemed to take forever and yet no time at all for them to cross the gaping void. Before Lucy knew it, they were coming to a jolting stop just inside the atmosphere dome.
“Oh!” she gasped, as the cart jerked to a halt.
T’zaren’s arms tightened briefly around her and he murmured in her ear,
“We’re here, Lucille. Are you all right?”
“I…I think so.” Lucy opened her eyes and looked around. The inside of the dome was a little darker than the purple dusk outside—it almost looked like night was falling. Ahead of them was an enormous white mansion that seemed to be built of some kind of shimmering marble. Outside it, two guards wearing the same black and dark green uniforms as the ones on the other side of the chasm were standing. When they saw the cart come to a stop, they left their posts on either side of the door and came down the marble steps.
“Greetings! You must be Lady Lucille—theDom’mesquethat Lady Twa’linda is expecting,” the first guard said, as both of them bowed.
“I am. Thank you.” Lucy still felt a big shaky and she didn’t realize that the sweater knotted under her breasts had popped open again until she felt T’zaren’s arm covering her chest.
“Please look the other way while my Lady exits the cart,” he said to the guards, frowning. “Her clothing was ripped in an encounter with slavers earlier and it no longer covers her decently.”
One of the guards burst out laughing.