She couldn't wait any longer. Pushing herself to a sitting position, Shadow shouldered her rifle and...froze.

"I tell ya, Monk, they's got to be hidin' back in one of them houses."

"If ya talk jus' a little louder they'll hear us comin' all the way back to the prison!" Monk growled. "Shut yur trap an' keep a look out fer 'em."

"There's a woman here with that big dude! I ain't had me a woman in near ten years. Ya gonna share her, right Monk? Us bein' partners means we share ever' thing, right Monk?"

"b.u.t.ts, I swear if ya don' shut up, the only thing ya gonna get a share of is this here shiv."

Where the h.e.l.l did they come from? Talon got it wrong! c.r.a.p! She prayed they walked past her position soon or they would share more than they realized. h.e.l.l, she'd shoot herself before bedding that sc.u.m. A flicker of movement on the beach pulled her attention from the pair directly below her perch.

Talon! He was headed in her direction. He picked a h.e.l.lava time to give up. Any movement-any sound-would give away her location. If they would just move another twenty feet either direction she could use the handgun she carried in a shoulder harness. The tree limbs were too closely woven to get off a shot straight down.

d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n! If you get yourself shot, Talon, I will seriously kick your a.s.s all over this island! She only had one workable option.

"That's far enough, gents. Drop that knife and I won't shoot you." She hoped they were too stupid to realize she couldn't follow through with her threat.

Not so dumb after all. The two men scurried into the heavier brush.

"Monk! It really is a woman! A real living, breathing woman!"

"Shut up, b.u.t.ts. Look here, girlie. I bet I can stay hidden down here a lot longer than you can stay sittin' up there. So why don' you jus' come on down and lets us get ta know each other. Where's yur man?"

"He's just up the road. Talon!" Shadow yelled. "Our guests came in the back door. We need to get that lock repaired as soon as we can. I remember seeing a couple of rusty locks over on the underbrush road." It was the best warning she could come up with on such short notice. Would he pick up on where the men were hiding?

"Hey! Don't be tryin' ta give him no hints 'bout where we're hidin'."

"That's right, girl. Ya don' wanna make Monk mad. He'll treat ya a lot meaner if ya make him mad."

"Shut up b.u.t.ts." Shadow and Monk spoke at the same time.

She had no choice. Her bladder was seconds away from geyser stage. Leaving the rifle hidden among the branches, she climbed down from her nest using the tree farthest from the two criminals. It should give her the extra seconds she needed to pull her handgun.

The two escaped prisoners crashed through the brush as the gun cleared her holster. The first shot went through Monk's right eye. The second took b.u.t.ts' nose out through the back of his head.

"Shadow! Don't shoot! It's me! Are you hurt?" Talon skidded to a stop between the dead bodies. "d.a.m.n, woman, you are one fine shot. Hey! Where are you going?'

"I gotta pee!" She yelled from behind a cl.u.s.ter of bushes.

"Nice to see you have your priorities in the right order. One, kill the bad guys. Two, empty bladder." His laughter died when she stomped up close enough for their bodies to touch from chest to knees. And put the barrel of her gun under his chin.

"Three, shoot the jerk giving me a hard time."

"Come on, Blue, I...," Talon swallowed hard. She wouldn't really shoot him. Would she?

"Forget it. How in blazes did they sneak up on us through the village?" She holstered her weapon and turned to examine the dead men.

Monk's shiv would have done serious injury if he got close enough to either of them to use it. Not your typical sharpened spoon for this guy. The blade clutched in his lifeless hand was a good twelve inches long and sharpened along both edges for ten of those inches. She said a silent prayer to whichever fate urged her to carry a revolver instead of something with fifteen to twenty shots. If she had to waste a couple of seconds flipping the safety off and sliding a round into the chamber, Monk could have easily beheaded her.

"Well, c.r.a.p. Would you look at that?" Shadow turned to Talon and pointed to what was left of b.u.t.ts head. "The son of a b.i.t.c.h has my last pair of s.e.xy undies on his head! I shot my own silk panty! My red silk panty! With the black lace waist! Oh, to h.e.l.l with it." She pulled the gun from the holster. "I've gotta shoot him again. He has to pay for this insult to my...."

Talon wrapped his arms around the angry woman trapping her hands-and the gun-between their bodies. He had no trouble at all seeing the violent spikes of color radiating around her body. Given the strength of her light show he was perfectly happy seeing only a faint, muted color spectrum.

"It's over, Blue, just relax, baby. When we get back to civilization, I'll buy you another pair. I'll buy you a dozen pair." He rubbed the tense muscles across her shoulders and back until he felt her relax against him.

"You can't." She mumbled, shifting just enough to rest her head against his shoulder. "I got them on Earth years ago. The nearest Victoria's Secret is light years from here.

"Who's Victoria?"

"It's not a person, it's a store. They sell the s.e.xiest underwear imaginable. I like La Perla, too, but there wasn't a shop near where I had liberty."

Talon figured his best bet was to remain quiet and just let her ramble. She didn't flinch at taking down the enemy but lost control over a miniscule sc.r.a.p of red silk. When she drew a deep breath, he knew she was back in control.

"I happen to think you're s.e.xy without underwear, Blue."

Shadow jerked out of his arms and shoved her gun back into the holster. "We need to get these guys buried or cremated and locate their landing site."

Talon knelt beside the feet of the bodies. "Their boots show evidence of stepping in white clay. See?"

"Why is that important?" Her expression indicated she was humoring him by asking.

"When it's thinned with purified water it's used to make dishes. In its natural form it can be used on a potter's wheel." Talon looked up at her face and grinned. "There's only one place on the island to find it."

Shadow grinned back at him. "Let's get these guys taken care of so we can get started."

Talon carried each body down the beach to where a pile of driftwood had gathered. The trees were indigenous to this island and cultivated for the sole purpose of cremation. The sap burned hot enough to reduce a body to ash without the necessity of building and maintaining a crematory furnace. The closest translation for the name of the tree was giver of rest. After placing the bodies just below the high tide mark, he and Shadow rolled three trees from the pile near the forest, placing one between the bodies and one on each side. The sap would release and seep into their clothing and onto their skin. After cutting into the bark on each tree section, he placed a lit torch on the middle tree directly over the cut. He recited the departure prayer used by his people for untold eons and quickly stepped back as the sap caught fire. Within seconds the middle tree was fully engulfed. Within minutes all three were burning. By the time the bodies were reduced to ash, the tide would be coming in. They would return to the sea.

Chapter Nineteen.

"I never heard anyone mention a tunnel leading to the sea. It's possible that I just don't remember hearing about it. It's been a long time." Talon leaned back against the wall. He and Shadow enjoyed watching the sunset from the porch. Although, he wasn't happy about her choosing to sit on the other side of the door instead of next to him on this side of the door.

When he led her to the clay deposit earlier they found the entrance to the tunnel their visitors used to gain access to the island. He'd have to do something about that now that he knew it was there.

"I did." Shadow whispered. "I just didn't know I did."

"You couldn't have known, Blue. You've never been here before now." He didn't want to accuse her of exaggeration but what she was saying was impossible.

"I mean, I read about a tunnel that leads to the sea. It was a means of escape if the island came under attack. Your ancestors weren't big on fighting."

"No, they were scholars, artists, and environmentalists. The basic tenet of life here was there is always an option better chosen above fighting. Guess I didn't take that lesson to heart given my chosen profession." He remembered his father and mother debating, hour after hour, over any topic-every topic with possible opposing views. It was as entertaining to them as a night of cards was to him.

"There was a great deal of debate about the tunnel. Because of the extreme high tides on that side of the island, they were afraid anyone caught unaware would drown, especially young children. They decided to hide the entrance and never mention it. The location was carried down by the governing council in case it was needed. After a few generations, the general population forgot all about it."

"Where did you read that, Blue? You have more knowledge of my history than I do." Talon was intrigued by the book she mentioned but even more by Shadow's pa.s.sion for what she read.

"I found this huge old book. Talon, that book is FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OLD! It referenced solar dates and, believe me when I say converting those dates into current time wasn't easy. I couldn't believe what the math was telling me. Do you realize that's older than any of the civilizations anywhere I've traveled?"

There go those color spikes again. "Where did you find it?" He didn't remember hearing about a book that old, but he was so young when....

"In a tiny room hidden by the staircase in the old library. It's under my bed now. Come on, I'll show you."

Talon followed her, enjoying the way she practically skipped through the house. Her excitement was contagious. She was changing. He wished he could take credit for part of her transformation from vulgar b.i.t.c.h to intriguing companion but his only contribution was one night of mind-blowing s.e.x. When they stepped into her bedroom, his excitement split between her bed and the memories of their night in his bed and the ma.s.sive tome she struggled to pull into the light.

"You have to be extra careful with the fragile pages. I would just die if I damaged something this rare but when I realized I could read the language, I couldn't stop myself."

Talon smiled at her reverence when she stroked the cover.

"You can't see the color. It's faded but I think it was once a deep red. The corners and clasp are pure gold. I tried to clean the tarnish off but I was afraid I'd damage the filigree work. It's so delicate." She flipped the clasps and slowly lifted the cover.

Talon scooted closer to where she sat on the floor so he could see the pages.

A deep sadness tightened his chest when he realized he couldn't read the words. His new vision saw shades of greenish-grey but all he could see were darker splotches he a.s.sumed were the words. Unlike the cards he could 'read' by feeling the raised ink, a single touch of the page confirmed his fear. The ink was far too old to be felt.

"I'm sorry, Shadow, but I can't feel the words." d.a.m.n, he hated to admit that to her.

"c.r.a.p! I don't think of you not being able to do anything you want to do. I can read it to you, if you want me to, I mean."

Talon stroked the strands of hair that escaped the tight knot on her head before slipping them behind her ear. "I'd like that, Blue."

Shadow started at the beginning for Talon and read until her voice gave out. Something about this story touched her soul and soothed an ache she never knew existed. This accounting of the extraordinary travelers fleeing the eminent super nova of their sun; settling on planets throughout the thousands of galaxies; sharing their immense knowledge with the indigenous residents was more than a daily log. It was a journal of the hopes and dreams, even the fears that urged them to search for the next civilization that needed their knowledge. The death of their planet would never be the death of them.

At some point, Talon stretched out on the floor and was now sound asleep. Making a mental note to herself about where she stopped, she slid her special treasure away. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she pulled the blanket from the bed and snuggled next to his warm body. She didn't bother with a pillow. His chest made a better resting place than any pillow. That pesky voice of reason reminded her she was supposed to pull away from this intimacy.

Tomorrow. Okay? I'll do it tomorrow. I promise.

"Talon, you need to get out here! Now! Sooner if you can haul your lazy b.u.t.t out of bed!"

"What the h.e.l.l am I doing on the floor?" He mumbled, groaning when stiff joints complained. He staggered to the back of the house where Shadow was currently bellowing her displeasure to the universe. G.o.ds, he was too old to sleep on anything harder than a moss-filled mattress. His back and neck were killing him.

"What's wrong?" He surveyed the area but saw nothing to warrant such a ruckus.

"Someone left the door open on the smokehouse! I came out to add more wood and found...this!"

She was waving frantically at the darkness inside the door. What could possibly be so disturbing? She was a mercenary, why didn't she just shoot whatever dared to disrupt her world? The woman was practically vibrating with anger. All it took was a brief glance inside to answer that question.

The exterior of the smokehouse was painted with white paint mixed with an herbal insecticide to keep the hordes of bugs away from the smell of fresh blood. It only worked when the door was sealed. Carrion beetles swarmed over every surface. It would take them less than a day to completely devour every slice of meat in there.

When he stepped back from the open doorway, his foot hit something soft and squishy. Ants crawled over the piece of meat-and now his boot-but it was the human bite out of one side that told him exactly who left the door open. Guess they didn't like their meat raw.

"It seems our guests were hungry when they got here yesterday."

"You should have let me shoot him again. Looks like you get stewed fruit and leftover roast for breakfast."

"Whatever you fix is fine, Blue. I'm not going to make demands about my meals when you're gracious enough to cook for me." He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Let's go inside and see what gourmet cuisine we have left from last night."

"You are so full of bull...." She clamped her mouth shut before she slipped and had to kiss him. Her heart was undecided about whether she wanted to kiss him or not.

In less than an hour she managed to put a filling, if somewhat unorthodox, meal on the table. There was more than enough roast left over from dinner. She added a cooked grain mush and dried fruit simmered with sugar and spices. She counted herself extraordinarily lucky when she found sealed canisters of basic staples like sugar, flour, grains, and spices, in several of the houses. Draagon's men destroyed most of them but they must have gotten tired of the job or wanted to find something more profitable. As long as she didn't think about things like expiration dates and how many hands touched the products, she would gratefully use them.

Talon seemed full and content when he left to go hunting. He promised not to bring another eldorak. After a quick bath, she was ready to explore the house next door again. Standing at the open gateway, Shadow tried to identify the unexpected emotions swirling through her body every time she came to this house. There was nothing unusual or unique about the house except Talon's reaction to any mention of it. The only structural difference she could see was the second story. The other houses on this side of the town square were single storied-at least the ones still standing. She would love to see it as it was before Draagon and his Phantom Riders.

Traces of blue paint clung to the cracks and creva.s.ses of the shutters. The door, bleached by the elements, wasn't as easy but she got a faint impression it was green at one point. Her first instinct was to ask Talon but given his reaction to the house, that wasn't a viable option. All in all, it didn't matter what color paint was used then, this house intrigued her now.

The few feet from the gate to the steps cried out for colorful blooms that would fill the air with their perfume. Given that the majority of the residents were artistic in nature, it wasn't hard to believe that every house planted a mult.i.tude of varying colors, textures, and fragrances.

As usual, the box buried beneath the step whispered to her but she wasn't ready to tackle the locked room. Talon said it was the only secure room left in the village. Why? What need did this family have for what was, in essence, a vault? The same questions kept repeating and that voice in her head insisted there was more to that room than a place to store funeral urns. Okay, so maybe the voice wasn't always a pain in her a.s.s.

Shadow's goal for today was to discover where the parent's slept. The only room upstairs was the young boy's that she discovered on her first foray into the house. The empty rooms downstairs were possible options but something didn't feel right about that. Wouldn't they want to be near their son at night? Especially the mother? Although her personal experience with sleeping children-or mothers, for that matter-was extremely limited, her instincts insisted she would never leave a child of hers alone all night in a very large house.

What makes you think you'd know how to raise a child? Stick with what you know and do not start thinking about what you can never have.

Before starting upstairs, Shadow paced the length and width of the downstairs, especially the distance between the staircase and the wall directly opposite. She couldn't shake the idea that she was missing something basic but vital. The image of her magic closet kept teasing her-intruding on her other thoughts at random times.

At the top of the staircase she repeated the same exercise. "Well, d.a.m.n. It's the same." What did you expect? "Can't believe I'm arguing with myself. And I'm losing!"

Repeating the measuring from every conceivable approach yielded the same conclusions.

The only room you've not examined is that one. It's no different than walking through a cemetery or mausoleum. You didn't have a problem hiding for three days in the catacombs on Jaeden VI.

"Again with the lecture? You do realize we're the same person, right? And I'm talking to myself. Again."

Before her apprehension could override her common sense, she dashed down the stairs and out the door. The box was buried deeper than she expected given Talon's age when he hid it. It took the better part of an hour and the loss of three fingernails to locate the box.

Taking the time to wash the dirt from her hands and grab a quick drink was the only delay she allowed herself. Despite any and all arguments, the answers to her questions had to be in that room. She'd never seen a sonic key and had no clue how to make it work. There wasn't a keyhole on the door so where did you put a key?

The faded image of warriors brandishing swords from atop horses told her the box belonged to a young boy. Education here may have been tailored to the artistic community but young boys yearned for the same adventures. Twenty years of climatic changes rusted the metal and sealed the box. Careful not to damage the fragile box, Shadow pulled the knife from her boot and pried the lid off.

"What the h.e.l.l?" She whispered, lifting the key from its bed of rotting cloth. It wasn't much to look at and she didn't see how it could be called a key. With a single leg for a handle and two arms pointing straight up, it measured no more than three to four inches in length.

"It's a tuning fork." Many years ago she watched a man tune the keys of some kind of music maker. At the time, the process fascinated her and she watched every step in the complex procedure. After he finished she stayed until the tavern closed to enjoy the music.

"Let's just see what happens." She mumbled before tapping the double p.r.o.ngs against the floor. The faint humming coming from the key brought a quick smile but the sound alone didn't open the door. She tapped again but this time placed the single 'leg' against the metal and slowly moved it up and down the seam where the door met the wall. Nothing. It took five repeats of tap-and-place before she heard the unmistakable click and the door opened about six inches.

"Talon, you're a genius." Dropping the key into her pocket, she pulled the door wide enough for her to enter. An unbidden image of her, locked in the vault with no way to escape stopped her cold. She ran to the young boy's room and grabbed a st.u.r.dy chunk of wood. After wedging it beneath the door to prevent closure, Shadow was a little more confident about the day's explorations.

Her expectations of what she would find were based on the few occasions she took part in a funeral. Mercenaries weren't normally added to the guest lists. What she found was floor-to-ceiling shelves around the large room with open shelf units marching side-by-side filling the center of the room. There were hundreds of urns covering every available s.p.a.ce on the units. Her heart ached for the little boy forced to grow up so quickly and harshly.

G.o.ds, Talon. How long did it take you to do all of this? You were a sheltered child from what little you've said about your life here. Not only did you create this secure resting place for your family and friends; you had to prepare them for these urns as well. Wait! You said Draagon took all the urns. Where did these come from?