Kyla ragged the hapless Dana, loudly and obscenely, through the door, down the short hallway, through another door, down six stairs, and up to the penned stable, but then Kyla saw Camryn and her sisters, and she stopped short.

"What's she doing here?" Rodriguez asked, still morose.

"Caster's orders again?"

Dana just looked glad to be rid of Kyla. "This one's not on Tristaine's governing board, so I want her here where we can watch her."

She lifted a section of the wooden railing to let Kyla duck into the stable, then trudged wearily to a hay bale in the corner and sat down. "Go back to sleep, Rodriguez."

Kyla's bandaged thigh gave her a p.r.o.nounced limp, but there was nothing wrong with her sharp eyes. Her gaze zeroed in on Camryn, who rose to meet her. The two adonai met with a pa.s.sionate embrace.

"Sheesh," Jess sighed. She nudged Brenna. "Remember the good old days when Camryn avoided public displays of lewdness?"

"Oh, hush," Brenna chided Jess gently. She enjoyed watching * 141 *

the kiss that melded the two young Amazons together from nose to pelvis. A few of the warriors hooted softly in encouragement.

"You're okay, good!" Kyla fi nally broke the embrace. "And Brenna, you're okay." She limped over to Jess and plunked down hard on the hay-strewn fl oor beside her. "Well?" she snapped. "What happened to you?"

Camryn lowered herself beside her young wife. "Taser, Ky."

Kyla blanched, and some of the starch drained out of her.

She lifted Jess's hand to her knee. "Oh, Jesstin. I'm sorry. Are you hurting a lot?"

"It's not as bad as the fi rst time, adanin." Jess used a gentle tone she seemed to reserve only for Dyan's blood sister.

"Uh, h.e.l.lo, it better not be as bad as the fi rst time." Kyla looked at Brenna. "Jess got tasered when she was in the City Prison.

The night Cam and I tried to break her out."

"We were almost over the wall." Camryn looked at Vicar remorsefully. "We came really close, Vic. Jess hadn't had any decent food in weeks, so she was kind of weak, but she would have made it over. The one lousy guard we couldn't fi nd to bribe had to play hero, and he tasered her. The bolt got her in the b.u.t.t that time, though,"

she added, "on the left."

"Your plan b.u.t.t-fi red," Vicar said sadly, and Brenna smiled again.

The warmth of women sitting in close formation comforted Brenna, and she consciously relaxed her tense back. Jess's hand moved in hers, and she looked down and lost herself, as she often did, in her lover's fond gaze.

"How do you feel?" Brenna whispered.

The corner of Jess's mouth lifted, and she shrugged carefully.

"The City must have had a special on mercenaries this week."

Hakan jutted her chin toward the fi ve guards slung in various phases of boredom against the railing. "Looks like poor Dr. Caster got shortchanged."

"They're a pretty motley lot." Vicar helped Cam cover Kyla * 142 *

with enough clean straw to keep her warm. "I'll sleep no easier picturing these oafs pawing at that dynamite tomorrow."

Brenna's back cramped again. She'd forgotten about the dam and the huge lake it held at bay. She imagined the implacable black surface of the water, glinting beneath an impa.s.sive moon, less than a mile from where they lay.

These mercenaries might be oafs, Brenna thought, but surely they could handle removing a few sticks of dynamite safely. Which would also remove the risk of a fl ood. Which could reach us in ten minutes, if even one of the soldiers fouls up.

J'heika, rise.

"Shann still has the detonator." Jess kept her voice low. "Or she knows where it is."

"She does?" Vicar glanced over her shoulder at their guards and lowered her voice. "When Shann said 'Terme and Cay and Ziwa' were safe with our high council, is that what she meant? That we can still blow the dam ourselves if we have to?"

"I think so." Jess nodded at her second. "Make sense to you?"

"Oh, yeah. Wait." Camryn's smile faded. "Won't Caster suspect that Shann has it, the detonator?"

"Not if she doesn't know about the dynamite." Brenna watched dust motes coast down a slow waterfall through a weak beam of light. She felt Jess's hand on her wrist and realized the circle of Amazons was staring at her. "What?"

"Hey, are you doing it again, Brenna?" Kyla craned forward to see Brenna's face. "That spooky oracle thing Cam said you pulled up on the dam?"

Vicar frowned as she spoke. "Why wouldn't Caster know the dam's rigged? Theryn fi lled her in, the traitorous shrike."

"Not on this." Brenna blinked and looked at Jess. "Don't ask me how I know that, but I'm sure. Theryn didn't tell Caster about the dynamite."

"But the mercs will fi nd it come sunrise." Hakan seemed to accept Brenna's statement as fact. "Those tarped bundles are hardly hidden. They'll see them the fi rst time they scout the area."

* 143 *

"Which they should have done today, the moment the captives were secured." Jess's eyes glinted, cat-like, and Brenna realized she was starting to enjoy herself. She nodded slightly toward their lounging sentries. "This is a City squad, adanin. If Brenna's right, Theryn reserved an escape route. I don't know why, and tonight I don't care. Just remember it's possible the explosives are securely in place."

"Jesstin?" Elodia's tone was respectful as she approached the group. "What's our strategy here? We need a plan."

"We do," Jess agreed, sitting up with effort, "and I'd like to hear ideas before the morning's council."

"Well, we can't know what Shann and the council would order." Hakan spun a wisp of straw across her smooth cheek. "But our guild's priority is always the safety of our queen, our council, and the vulnerable among us. I say our goal is to get our adanin out of here whole, Jess."

"Aye, and then blow the dam." Vicar's eyes were as cold as her voice.

There was a bleak silence in their circle that Brenna recognized as agreement.

"What about Theryn's followers?" Jess's tone was neutral.

Another moment of silence, this one ticking with tension.

"Take as many as will come," Camryn said, fi nally. "We'll sort it out with them later."

"But we won't let them stop us," Vicar added, and agreement murmured again through the circle of Amazons.

"Great! We have a plan." Jess smiled like a rogue, which heartened Brenna. "And no b.l.o.o.d.y idea how to carry it out. We're going to have to play it very much by ear tomorrow. Therefore, it's important that you barbarian ladies follow my lead, yes?"

It was a perfect pitch imitation of Caster's affected speech, and it earned the laughter Jess obviously wanted.

"Brenna." Jess pressed her hand. "It's happening more often now, these fl ashes of yours."

"I guess. Yeah." Brenna closed her eyes for a moment. "But please, Jess, please don't act blindly on anything I spout off like * 144 *

that. We still don't have any idea where this stuff comes from. For all we know, I'm a raving psychotic."

"Given," Jess agreed, which coaxed another smile out of her.

"But you're proving a d.a.m.n accurate lunatic, la.s.s."

"No kidding, Brenna, absolutely." Kyla, avidly eavesdropping as usual, chimed in. "You told Shann that Tristaine only had a week of safety, when Theryn claimed Caster would hold off for months."

"And you knew when the attack came today." Camryn was looking at Brenna as if she were a fascinating new breed of horse.

"And when it hits you, Brenna, you should see yourself. You do this butch thing, you become this uber blonde."

"Oh, please," Brenna sputtered.

"That's true." Vicar's eyes measured Brenna.

"So, can you tell us anything, Brenna?" Hakan's rich voice was friendly. "I think you'll fi nd our minds open."

Brenna looked around their circle and found attentive faces, but she saw Jess eyeing Vicar as they waited for her reply.

"You guys, I don't have a clue." Brenna slumped her shoulders. "Right now, I don't know any more about what's going on than any of you."

"Good enough for tonight." Jess's voice was still rough from the taser effects. "Get some sleep, adanin. The sun rises early. Keep your eyes on me and Cam tomorrow. Never forget, our primary goal is to fi nd a way to get Shann and the council out of here alive. And as many of the rest of us as we can manage."

A sigh of agreement moved through them, a settling in that signaled an end to this surreal and harrowing day. Only one day, Brenna thought. Yesterday they were free, and tonight Tristaine's daughters chased sleep as captives on their own land.

Brenna nestled into Jess, feeling her long arm wrap around her waist. She felt them both relax almost at once, which surprised her a little. Well, she reasoned, prophecy, betrayal, mortal terror, rabid rage. All of it was tiring stuff.

"Hey, Jesstin?" Kyla's stage whisper roused them, and Camryn groaned. "Which one of those hairy creeps tasered you?"

* 145 *

"The young hairy creep. The girl." Brenna felt Jess wince as she adjusted her weight. "Her name's Dana."

"I thought so. She's the one who brought me back here. Sweet Gaia," Kyla grumbled, burrowing closer to Camryn under the straw.

"I hate butch women who don't even know what side they should be on. I think her bringing me down here was her apology for zapping you, Jess."

"What?" Camryn yawned into Kyla's luxuriant red curls.

"Show me the City merc that has that much heart, Ky."

Jess was quiet, and Brenna rubbed her forearm gently. "Hey.

Hurting a lot?"

"Not too much." Jess's breath warmed her ear. "Brenna, I want you to be on your guard tomorrow, la.s.s. You heard what Caster said."

Brenna's mind fi ltered through Caster's fi le of venomous statements of the day and remembered she had her own souvenir coming. "Caster doesn't scare me anymore, Jess. Try to rest, okay?

And you wake me up if you need anything."

"Yes'm," Jess mumbled.

Brenna heard the breathing of the Amazons around them grow slow and deep. She had lied about having no fear of Caster, and doubtless Jess knew it. The City scientist held a wickedly sharp blade to her throat and would as long as she loved the woman warming her back.

Brenna turned her head on the scratchy straw. Wrapped in Camryn's arms, Kyla smiled and blinked at her sleepily. She slid her hand across the s.p.a.ce separating them and clasped Brenna's hand.

"I miss Max," Brenna whispered. "I wish he were here."

"I do, too," Kyla answered. "Go to sleep, adanin. We'll all be here when you wake up. That's what Shann says, when she wishes the little ones good night."

Brenna slept.

* 146 *

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Aglowering shiner capped Caster's high cheek the next morning. It would soon be as glorious as a sunset. The Amazons brayed with laughter when they saw it.

Rodriguez frowned and nudged Dana. "What are they cackling about?"

"How should I know?" She rubbed her face. She hadn't slept well. "Just stay alert."

Dana examined the two portable camcorders mounted on tripods at opposite ends of the arena, and a third, braced on the railing of the review stand. They were inexpertly operated by three soldiers who were too clumsy to be trusted to carry carbines.

"How did last night's seduction go, Caster?"

It was Jesstin's voice, and Dana gaped at her. She stood at the head of her small troop of warriors regarding Caster with a brazen smile. Except for the pallor beneath her tan, she looked like a taser had never touched her in her life.

The Amazons were snickering again, and Dana fi nally got the joke. Caster had made some stupid parting shot yesterday about bedding Tristaine's queen. The woman named Shann hadn't looked like a warrior on the review stand, but apparently Caster's attempt to seduce her had been forcefully rebuffed. Dana smiled sourly at the toe of her boot.

"My, you look fi t, Jesstin." Caster's tone was ominously mild.

Dana fi gured she too must have noticed her souvenir from the City had little lasting effect on its intended target.