The Royal Hunter (28 page)

“Right now I think the queen will be perfectly happy with speed.”

Talia tried not to let Archer’s urgency faze her. She rarely, if ever, saw him like this. He wasn’t one to jump to do another’s bidding. But the more she tried to focus, the more tangled her fingers became. The zipper on her pack refused to budge and her robe kept slipping off her shoulder; her hair was in her eyes and she finally ground her teeth in a silent scream of frustration.

And Archer was there, taking the pack from her. “Hey, hey, no worries. We’ll get it done. I’m sorry I came back in a rush. I should have realized—”

Somehow, hearing how nervous he was calmed her somewhat. “It’s okay. If you can get this zipper open, though, I’d be eternally grateful.” He flashed that grin of his and she felt her heart finally slow to a more manageable level.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he said.

“Please do,” she said, feeling steadier now.

She slid out a rolled-up cotton T-shirt dress and shook it out. The wrinkles weren’t too bad, but for an audience with the queen … “I don’t exactly have a ball gown in my wardrobe.” She’d faced her yesterday just as casually dressed, but somehow this situation felt more formal.

“You’ll be fine,” Archer said, hustling her into the bathroom and closing it behind them. He availed himself of a razor that, along with a full array of other products, lined the shelf above the double sinks.

“Guess they haven’t made shaving obsolete, huh?” Archer just grinned at her. “They have. I prefer this.”

She was glad. There was something very sexy about
watching a man shave. “Do we have time for a shower?”

Now his grin was downright wicked, but he shook his head. “Not this morning, sweetheart. Later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said, smiling, then dressed quickly before stepping next to Archer at the mirror. She made a face at her own reflection.

Archer pulled her face to his and kissed her. “You’re beautiful.”

She wasn’t. Mirrors didn’t lie. But she felt much better anyway. She rubbed the shaving cream from her nose and dug out her toothpaste and brush from her pack.

Archer leaned back against the sink and watched in fascination. She felt a little exposed, but she’d watched him shave. “You’re really going to enjoy this,” she said with a laugh, pulling the floss out.

He folded his arms, remaining silent. But the look on his face … It felt so natural, being with him here like this, as if they ran through these little morning routines together every day. She had her mouth open and the words right on the tip of her tongue, so casual, as if she’d told him she loved him a hundred times before. At the very last second she snapped her mouth shut and turned away, shocked that she’d almost said them out loud. That she’d thought them at all. She tossed everything back in her bag, ran a brush through her hair, and turned back to him, pasting a smile on her face. “Ready.”

“In under ten minutes. A true goddess.”

She kissed him soundly on the mouth. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” He grabbed her, making her squeal and swat at his roving hands. “Later.” She turned into his arms. “Much later.”

His smile faded and he leaned in and gave her a kiss so sweet her heart melted. He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’ll try to be with you all the time,
Tali. If for any reason we have to separate, when you attend to the queen, know I’ll be as close as I can be.” He paused, then pressed his fingers against her heart. “And I’ll always be here.”

She blinked hard against the sudden rush of tears. All she could do was nod and press her hand over his fingers. “Thanks,” she finally managed. “Let’s go.”

Fingers linked, they followed the guard through the screen and were immediately swallowed by an even larger cadre of black-and-gold-suited men. They were escorted swiftly through a maze of corridors that were unfamiliar to Talia. She tried not to worry about what would be expected of her today. She’d take it as it came and do the best she could. What else could she do? The pep talk did little to help. The constant pressure of Archer’s hand in hers did far more. She decided then that the queen would have to put up a good argument for separating the two of them.

She needed him. She didn’t want to stop needing him. Dangerous, she knew, but right now she could have cared less. She would handle whatever she had to handle just as she had since she was six years old. But they would damn well have to accept Archer’s presence beside her as she handled it.

He tugged her hand and winked as the guards pulled up. “No worries?”

“I’m trying.”

Then the painted screen before them became transparent and they were ushered through. Just as quickly, the guards seemed to melt back through the screen, leaving them standing alone in the middle of an empty room with stone walls.

Talia’s grip on his hand tightened. “Where are we?”

Before he could answer, the wall in front of them began to slide to the left. Archer immediately pulled
Talia behind him, his hand going to the small of his back for a weapon.

A small, square box lowered and hovered at the entrance to a small chamber. The monitor on the front flickered to life and the queen’s voice filled the room, even though the tiny screen itself remained dark. “Mr. Archer, it is urgent that I speak with you. Miss Trahaern, I thought you might like to use the time to explore the room behind this wall. It was your mother’s chamber, used by her during her service to the crown, and by all royal healers before her. As no one was left to take her place, my father had this room sealed after the search for her was abandoned. His orders were to only open it when the royal healer returned, and it has remained sealed for all the years since your mother’s disappearance. I have no idea what lies inside but I ask that you do not remove anything without discussing it with me first. This is not an entirely unselfish act as I fervently hope you will find something within the room that will help me and my people. If you do, please alert the guards and you will be brought to me immediately.” There was a pause and her voice was less strident as she added, “I wish I could offer you more specific tutelage, but regretfully this is all there is.”

Talia had lost her breath. “Th-thank you,” she managed, wishing she had the words to express her gratitude for this opportunity.

“Mr. Archer, the guards will escort you to me.” The hum of the communicator shut off abruptly and it whizzed directly upward into a ceiling compartment, leaving them unable to argue against their imminent separation.

Talia turned to him. “Go. I’ll be okay.”

Archer’s eyes widened. “You think so, do you?
You wouldn’t know Chamberlain if you bumped into him, much less anyone working for him.”

Talia placed her hand on his arm. “I want this time alone with my mother’s things. Can you understand? Surely the queen will leave some of her personal guard.”

She didn’t want him to feel that she needed him every second, though in truth, she didn’t want him to leave. Not because she feared for her safety, but because she wanted to share this time with him. It was special to her and so was he. But it was best if she remained on her own as much as possible. Wouldn’t she have to soon enough anyway?

“I understand,” he said.

She saw the quick flash of hurt come and go in his eyes. She hated the spurt of hope that gave her. Not that she wanted to hurt him, but knowing that she could—She stopped thinking altogether when Archer slid a small, harmless-looking piece of black plastic from a side pocket in his trousers and pressed it in her palm. “Slide this gauge from left to right to adjust the power. Aim like so.” He lifted her arm. “And press here.” He pressed his finger over hers and a white hot-beam shot out of the little instrument, making it vibrate in her hands and sending her stumbling back against him. It also left a nasty-looking hole in the stone wall across from them.

“My God,” she murmured, looking down at the not-so-harmless piece of plastic.

“Don’t let it out of your reach. Keep it on you at all times.” He turned her face to his. “Promise me.”

She merely nodded, still stunned by what she’d just done. “Won’t the queen be a little miffed at the damage?”

“I imagine the queen has more important things on her mind. The guards didn’t come running,
which assures me this room is soundproof and probably quite secure.” He looked away, sighed, then looked back at her. “I also imagine there is some kind of surveillance here, as there probably is everywhere inside the castle. Keep that in mind.”

Talia nodded, not really surprised. Then as the ramifications sank in, she gasped. “You don’t mean … Last night …” She realized then why he’d kept her covered after dinner. He must have realized it then.

“Talia, I’m sorry, if I’d thought—And I’m not certain anyhow, but it’s wise to be cautious.”

She felt her outrage and mortification lessen somewhat in the face of his obvious misery. “It’s okay.” She pressed her hand to his chest. “Really.” She pasted a grin on her face. “At least we gave them quite a show, eh?”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Talia Trahaern.” He held her close and she thought he murmured something else, but it was muffled against her hair. Then he set her back and reluctantly let her go. “Don’t leave here until I return. If you get in a bind, scream for the guards first, then use that.” He nodded to the weapon still in her hand.

“Promise.”

The door slid open then and a small squad of guards came in and silently surrounded Archer. They didn’t even blink at the scorch mark on the wall. She surreptitiously scanned the ceilings and walls, certain now that Archer was right and they were being observed somehow.

Archer kept his gaze solidly on hers and backed out of the room. Then the wall screen solidified and he was gone.

For the first time in what felt like a very long while she was alone. Well, alone with whoever was watching.
She turned back toward her mother’s chamber and tried to keep her cool. Not an easy job seeing that she was on her own in a place and time of which she had no real knowledge … and was now faced with her mother’s real past and identity.

She carefully made sure the power gauge was all the way to the left and slid the little zapper thing into the side pocket of her dress. Then she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked up to the wall.
What was she supposed to say? Open sesame?

That turned out to be unnecessary. The wall dissolved in front of her … allowing her to walk into her mother’s workroom. Fear and wonder, edged with grief, formed a tight ball in her stomach as she took the first tentative step inside.

She didn’t even know where to begin. The room smelled dank, the air somewhat stale, though a faint herbal scent lingered. Had Catriona really left the room sealed as her father had wished? Considering her illness, Talia would think she’d have left no stone unturned. But as she moved farther into the room, she felt the unassailable sensation of emptiness, disuse, abandonment. She rubbed at her arms, wondering if the feeling was real or a fabrication of her mind.

Not that it mattered. She took stock of the room’s contents. A long counterlike table ran down one side of the small room and there were several stools tucked under it. The countertop was lined with compartments and various bottles, all of which appeared to be empty upon a cursory inspection. Two rows of shelves were braced above the countertop, each with more bottles and containers, also empty. A large desk was positioned in the corner and a chair sat in the opposite corner. She ran her finger along the counter as she came further into the room and noticed there wasn’t any dust. “When they seal a
room, they really seal it,” she murmured. Still, it seemed odd that there was nothing in any of the containers. If they’d just evaporated or turned to dust, wouldn’t the rest of the room be dusty, too? It did explain the stale scent. The room had been airless for years.

She walked over to the chair and sat in it. Immediately a pool of light from some unknown source above winked on, bathing her in a soft white beam. “Well, isn’t that neato.” She leaned back and the chair actually felt as if it were morphing. She started to jump out of it, but stopped when she realized that it was merely changing to fit her body. “Oh, I want one of these.”

She sat there for a moment and tears gathered in her eyes as she tried to picture her mother here in this very room. She blinked back the tears and looked around. The desk had a plain black surface and she’d bet there was nothing in the drawers, either. She recalled the queen’s admonishment not to take anything with her. “What in the hell would I take?”

With a sigh, she stood and walked over to the desk anyway, settling into the chair behind it. It didn’t do that neat morph thing, but it was comfortable nonetheless. She opened the center drawer and it was empty as expected. How did the queen expect her to learn anything in here? Maybe the king had taken everything out when her mother hadn’t been found and sealed the room without telling anyone he’d emptied it first. And the queen hadn’t known.

She leaned back and tried to stave off a wave of disappointment. Try as she might, there was no sense of her mother, or anyone else, in this sterile room.

She absently slid open a side drawer, thinking she should summon the guard and try and catch up to
Archer. A small black box rested in the bottom of the deep drawer. Talia forgot about the guard and pulled it out.

She set it on the desktop and turned it all around, but it appeared to be a solid cube with no lid or opening of any kind. “Perfect.” She picked it up and examined it more closely. “It’s a Rubik’s Cube nightmare.”

She put it down and searched the other drawers. Empty. She slid open the top one again and ran her hand back inside the long, flat drawer. Still nothing.

She leaned back and stared into the shiny black surface, trying to see past her reflection to what lay inside. Surely it held something. She looked at her reflection, thought about the picture of her mother, tried to imagine her holding this very cube, and seeing her own reflection, one that looked so similar to the one Talia saw now. “Mum,” she whispered, reaching … for what, she didn’t know.