She rolled out of his way and sprang to her feet. aDarius, all I wanted to do was see them.a She stood there ready for him this time. aIf I wanted my children to leave this house, I wouldnat have crept down the hallway while you sat in the nursery obviously waiting.a aWhy should I believe you?a He reached out to grab her.

Tara dodged his hand and punched him squarely in the stomach.

He didnat flinch but instead, reached for her a second time.

She tried to turn away, but he locked her in his arms until her back smashed against his body.

aI guess youall just have to trust me,a she said, relaxing her body in his arms. With that comment, he released her. She looked toward the nursery door and then back at Darius. His expression remained wary, and the anger was still there. His gray eyes appeared almost black.

aPlease, Darius, my childrenaour childrenaI need to see them.a Her voice cracked and his gray eyes completely softened. Tara took off her headscarf and draped it over a chair. aPlease, I need to hold them. I need to see if they remember me.a Darius walked over to her and wiped a tear from her eye. aDonat let them see you crying. I know theyall remember you.a He took her by the hand and led her into the nursery.

The two children lay sleeping in their matching beds, and Tara cried all over again as she stroked their hair and squeezed their tiny hands. Ana pulled Taraas hand up to her face, and Tara felt the small child breathing gently against her skin. She knelt down and stared, stroking her beautiful baby girlas hair with her free hand.

Darius was behind her when she stood, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. aTheyare absolutely beautiful children, my lady,a he whispered into her ear. Then he gently kissed her neck. aYouall be amazed at how smart they are and how they chatter all day long.a His grip around her waist tightened, and she placed her hand on his and squeezed back. aWhen I realized how long Iad been gone, all I could think about was getting back to my children.a She turned around in Dariusa arms and looked up. aI thought about you, too. I wondered if you believed I was dead. And I wondered how you felt after I left you.a With his hand on her back, he led her out of the nursery and back to the bedroom. aThe Neurians that escorted Syra and the children back here were deeply sorry that you died in a fire, they were. They said you died a hero, that you saved one of their best scientists from burning to death.a He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed, then squeezed her arms and finally her waist. aYou are so thin.a His large hand held her face up to his. aAnd, my lady, you are out of shape. What did they do to you?a Darius didnat share his feelings with her. She would allow him this much. If he wanted to discuss the facts first, that would be fine. But she would hear his formal apology and his desire to keep her in his life, without any other women.

Tara stood in Dariusa arms and told him everything.

His arms tightened in anger as she spoke, and he pulled her very close to him when shead finished. aI wouldnat accept the fact that you were dead. My mama kept saying I was denying your death and that I would be happier when I accepted it.a He pulled her so close to him she could hardly breathe. aI had the strangest dreams, though. They kept repeating themselves. I was a.s.sured you were alive, and you would come home.a Tara whispered, aWas it an old lady who could turn into a dog?a He stood there, shocked. His whole body went numb. aHowad you know?a aI met her. She helped me escape. She told me my work wasnat done here. I know my muscles have atrophied, but I will be triumphant in the Test of Wills. Crator is behind me. I donat understand Him yet, but he wants me here.a aAnd this Crator is an old woman who can turn into a large dog?a Darius asked.

aNo. The old woman isnat Crator. I donat know who Crator is. The old woman seems to know Him though. She has told me more than once what Crator wants me to do, or not to do. When I listened, things worked out the way they were supposed to.a aYou will ask her to take us to see Crator, Iam thinking.a Darius nodded. aYes. That will work well. We will negotiate with him to help us further when we need it.a Tara laughed quietly and stroked Dariusa cheek. aMy Lord, I donat think it works that way. All you have to do is believe in Him.a aBelieve in his what?a Darius frowned.

aBelieve he exists,a Tara said.

aEasy enough.a Darius picked her up and gently carried her across the room in his strong arms. He placed her softly on the bed and was on top of her instantly. aIam afraid your work here will never be done.a He kissed her.

She returned his kiss pa.s.sionately. aWhat were your dreams about?a she whispered, once their lips had parted.

Darius propped up onto his elbows and looked down. aEver since you left, Iave had this one dream that comes again and again, it does. Itas not like that usually, no. My dreams are of war, victory, making love to you.a He kissed her again.

She felt him harden. His arousal started a fire smoldering deep inside her, an ache growing painfully. More than anything at this moment, she wanted to make love to him and hear him cry out his unending devotion.

aIn this dream I was a child,a he said as he kissed her on the neck. aIam walking with a large doga"itas protecting me. Then Iam walking with an old woman, and sheas teaching me. Itas very important that I learn everything she says, I know.a He slid down on the bed and unzipped her coat. aIave even written down some of the things sheas said.a His hands now worked on her black leather pants. aRemind me to show it to you some time.a aWhy canat you show it to me now?a Tara ran her fingers through Dariusa curls and held his head as he kissed from her belly b.u.t.ton to her hip bone. He slid open her pants and tugged.

aI have something else to show you now.a Dariusa breath tickled her when he spoke. He continued to pull her pants.

She arched her hips, making it easier to remove them. aDo you?a Tara pushed herself to her elbows, kicking her pants to the floor when Darius had them to her ankles. She grabbed his shirt when he turned to crawl toward her and pulled it. aWhat do you have to show me?a Darius crawled until his face was inches from her, and on hands and knees, he covered her body with his own. aIt will take a lifetime, my lady.a Tara moved her mouth to say the word, aoha. But nothing came out other than a mere whisper of the word. The man had rendered her speechless, and although her thoughts jumped at what could take a lifetime to be shown, she wantedanoaneeded to hear it.

Darius kissed her curved lips, sucking on her lower lip, then nibbled enough that she gasped at the tingles of electricity he sent through her with the action. She straightened her arms and collapsed onto her back, then reached for his shirt with her hands and tugged it up his torso. Darius pushed himself to his knees and pulled his shirt off.

Her fingers immediately tangled through his dark golden chest hair. aTell me Darius,a she whispered. His muscles jumped underneath her fingertips as she traced patterns down his chest to his pants. aTell me what will take a lifetime.a aMy lady, it will take a lifetime to show you all the love I have for you.a Darius flattened the lower half of his body against hers, preventing her from sliding her fingers into his pants, and then lowered his mouth over one of her nipples.

Tara gasped. The heat from his breath through the material of her shirt, and his words, brought her to her first quick o.r.g.a.s.m, and she felt Darius smile over her breast.

Tara grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head, and smiled up at him when his eyes feasted on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

aDo you love me, Tara?a Darius didnat make eye contact with his question, but instead lowered his body until he rested on his elbows and began sucking on her nipple.

aOh.a Tara arched into Darius and held his head in place as he adored her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. aIa Youa Donat stop doing that.a Darius lashed her nipple with his tongue, rolled it gently with his teeth, and then sucked the hardened nub until Tara contorted her body, heat saturating her.

aDarius,a she whispered. aPlease.a Darius moved away from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her nipples were still damp from his attention, and Tara suddenly felt chilled and exposed.

He began a trail of kisses down to her belly b.u.t.ton. aI asked you a question, I did,a he whispered into her belly b.u.t.ton, sending shivers throughout her body.

aYou did?a Tara lifted her rear end off the bed and pushed down on Dariusa shoulders.

He chuckled as he scooted lower on the bed, then placed a hand under each of her legs, lifting and spreading them apart.

Tara kept her knees bent and reached between her legs with both hands to stroke herself while he watched. Tara spread herself open, running her fingers over her outer lips, and felt the moisture increase. She slid a finger inside herself, and then pulled it out, spreading the fresh wetness over her swollen nub, gasping as she did. She felt her muscles tighten and release, and she lifted her head to watch Darius, as his gaze fastened on the action of her fingers. She inserted a finger inside herself again, then pulled it out and extended it to his mouth.

Darius sucked her finger readily, and she smiled.

aDo you love me, Tara?a Darius asked when she pulled her finger free.

He moved her hands and held her outer lips apart with his own fingers, then gently kissed the swollen nub.

Tara felt another explosion surge through her body, gathering inside her, increasing the swollen sensation. aOh please,a was all she managed to gasp, as Darius teased her with his tongue. She heard his question, but her need to explode fogged her senses, and answering him didnat seem as important as having him inside her.

Darius made love to her with his tongue until she thrust her hips into his face and grabbed his hair. Rubbing against his face, her o.r.g.a.s.m broke loose.

Darius freed himself and pulled away. Her vision blurred as she watched him strip. Finally, he stood at the end of the bed naked, his hardened erection dancing in antic.i.p.ation.

She couldnat speak. Tara simply watched as he positioned himself over her.

aI need to know Tara, please.a Darius made no attempt to touch her, but simply knelt between her spread legs.

She blinked several times and cleared her thoughts. aI never stopped loving you,a she whispered.

aMy lady, I will show you that I deserve that love. If it takes a lifetime, I will show you that you never have reason to leave my side again.a aThere will be no other women.a She knew his people didnat view his horrendous act as a crime, but she did, and he answered to her now.

aTara, you are it for me, you are.a His expression bordered on dangerous, his expression so intent. She prayed he meant what he said, but knew only time and his continual show of loyalty would convince her.

aThen prove that to me now.a Tara reached for him, gripping his hardness in her hands, and stroked the velvety covering that moved over skin harder than stone.

Lifting her legs and spreading them at the same time, he knelt before her, pressing his hardness against her oversensitive entrance.

Tara watched those smoldering gray eyes. His expression didnat change when he shoved his steel hardness deep inside her.

Fire ignited inside her, spreading with a fury she couldnat control. Darius glided his ma.s.sive shaft over her inner muscles, and she reached for him. aDarius. Please.a The words were hard to form. More than anything, she needed him to soothe an itch that was about to make her crazy.

He spread her legs further, her inner thigh muscles stretching while he moved slowly out. When he plunged back inside, she screamed.

ad.a.m.n woman,a Darius growled.

Tara managed to keep her eyes open so she could watch as he threw his head back and pounded into her. Tara climaxed again and again, arching her hips to allow him deeper.

When she thought he would explode, Darius stopped and pulled out. aRoll over.a His voice sounded rough.

Tara pulled her legs from around him and struggled to flip over.

Darius helped her and then gave her rear end a sharp swat.

aOuch,a she cried, but she loved the sound of the spanking, and the brief warmth it brought to her rear end. Once she was on all fours, Tara arched her back.

Darius slid into her easily, and the new position had him pushing against a new area inside her that craved the attention. She kept her arms locked, pushing back against him. He felt so wonderful.

Hours pa.s.sed as he moved her around and took her in every position they could master on the bed. She was numb and swollen when he finally allowed her to collapse into complete exhaustion. The smell of their s.e.x and body sweat filled the air of the room. Even though it was very cold outside, neither of them felt a need to find a blanket. She fell asleep with his arms and legs wrapped around her.

aDarius?a a voice called.

Tara jumped with a start as she recognized Torgoas voice. She sat up quickly and reached for a blanket.

aAre you awake yet?a aIam awake, Torgo. Iall be down in a second.a Darius rolled over and pulled Tara down on him.

aHurry. The candidates are starting to a.s.semble.a Torgoas voice cracked as he spoke.

Tara could only imagine how much head grown. She pulled away from Darius and rose from the bed to walk across the room to the shower.

aHow do you plan to get from here to the arena?a He admired her naked body as she picked up her clothes aWhat did you say?a Torgoas voice came from the hallway.

aGo downstairs!a Dariusa voice boomed, and feet were heard scurrying down the hallway.

aIall make it.a She smiled and shut herself into the bathroom.

It was Syraas voice Tara heard as she came back into the bedroom. She was on the other side of the closed door leading to the nursery.

Her heart leapt as she also heard two small babbling voices. They were content and happy. She heard an occasional squeal as one of them decided they deserved the toy the other possessed. Tara listened for a few minutes, anxious for the time when she would be sitting on the nursery floor, exploring the toys with her children.

Finally, she crept out into the hallway and back to her old bedroom. Darius was nowhere in sight, and she knew it would be just like him to leave her to her own wits in sneaking back out of the house. The house was completely silent, other than the noises from the nursery, and Tara a.s.sumed everyone had left to watch the test, leaving Syra to stay with the children.

Tara used the staircase by the kitchen and closed the back door silently behind her. She stood motionless in the yard for a moment, listening, as two guards stood on the far side of the house, laughing over something. Tara edged alongside the house in the opposite direction, and wondered if her new friend, Crator, had anything to do with her bike being parked where she had left it.

aI donat know who you are,a Tara whispered to herself as she grabbed her handlebars and walked her bike away from the house. aBut if you are taking care of me, Crator, I really appreciate it.a Tara started her bike once she had pushed it into the field, away from the house, and then drove over the rough countryside, around the town, and toward the clansite.

Hundreds of bikes were parked in a lower field. After she left her motorcycle with the rest, Tara began to hike the incline to the arena. The clansite buzzed with activity, considering the early morning hour, and she pushed her way through Runner and Gothman until she reached a roped-off area. Four large poles had been shoved into the ground to form a square, and several ropes were wrapped around the area providing a fence for the arena. Stakes stuck into the ground created an opening for contestants. Outside this area, compet.i.tors were checking in at several tables. Tara headed straight toward them.

aAnd to think, weall be working together by tomorrow. You havenat noticed any compet.i.tor that you think could beat me, have you?a The voice caught Tara off-guard.

aI donat know all the Runners that are fighting, I donat. Iave only seen the written tests. Canat really judge a person by what they write, you canat.a The second voice belonged to Darius, and Tara turned to see where he was. But that first voice, she knew that first voice. Who was it? She saw Darius a few yards away. His guards blocked her view of the man he was talking to. She continued to move through the crowd toward the tables.

aThatas true. Drink with me to victory, my lord.a aIt will definitely be a day to remember.a To whom did that first voice belong? Tara turned again, and this time she saw him. The man talking to Darius was Kuro.

Shead almost forgotten him. Her heart fluttered, and her breath left her momentarily. Her eyes immediately devoured every inch of his body, checking the familiar muscles, the remembered physique.

Kuroaher first love.

They had met as teenagers, and at eighteen winters head pressured her to marry him. They were madly in love, completely inseparable. But she thought she was too young to marry. She wanted the Age of Searching. He wanted to rule the Blood Circle Clan by her side. Shead refused his proposal, and in anger and humiliation, head left the clan.

That was five winters ago.

Now, here he stood, talking to the papa of her children, the man who had claimed her, and the man whom she loved as a woman.

It made sense that head return now. Here was his chance to do what head always wanted to do: rule the clan.

How had he met Darius? Had they become friends? And what was Kuro saying? He obviously a.s.sumed he would win the Test of Wills.

If he still possessed the warrior skills she remembered, it would be a challenge fighting him. Darius must have known she would fight him. Why hadnat he said something to her?

Suddenly she wondered what Kuro might have told Darius about her. Had he mentioned knowing her growing up? And if so, what else had he told Darius?

Suddenly, Kuro turned and caught sight of her. He gave her a distant look. Then, his eyes widened and he looked at her again.

Darius turned to see what he was looking at and both of them caught her eye.

She quickly turned and disappeared. Tara scanned the row of tables, and then approached a Runner she didnat recognize.

aYou here to check in for the Test of Wills?a he asked, as he grabbed an armband.

aYes. Iam Leetha with the Blood Circle Clan.a Her heart pounded against her coat as she was given a white cloth to tie around her arm.

aBordo, with the Kill Water clan.a A booming voice next to her announced his arrival.

Tara glanced at the man and shuddered. His arms were thicker than her waist.

aAnd heas going to win!a A shrill female voice announced this information loudly, and several other Runners surrounding the large burly man began to cheer.

Tara was forgotten and shoved to the side, as Bordoas supporters pushed their way to the tables.

aOh Crator, Iam doing the right thing, arenat I?a Tara mumbled, as she wrapped her coat around her tightly and began walking through the crowd.

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Tara knew that as long as she lingered in the crowd, it was only a matter of time before someone recognized her. The best thing to do was to remain in earshot of the arena, but find an isolated spot to waita"and hopefully remain unnoticed. Tara moved to the edge of the clansite, doing her best to avoid any Runners she recognized. Once in the trees, she climbed to a large branch and got comfortable on her perch. She would wait here for the compet.i.tion to start.

Tara realized shead been dozing when she heard Pathaas voice boom through the loudspeaker. Shead dreamed about the old lady. Tara had sat next to her at the campfire in the desert. The old lady had kissed the white cloth tied around Taraas arm.

aCrator will guide you to victory. Have faith in Him.a Then shead disappeared, and Tara found herself balancing on the large branch.

aNumber eight and number three need to be at the side of the arena within ten minutes,a Patha said. aThe Test of Wills is about to begin.a The crowd screamed and cheered, and everyone began moving at once. All those who had been standing and visiting now hurried to obtain the best seat from which to watch the fights. Rows and rows of wooden benches were arranged stadium style, and the dull roar of people climbing to an available spot sounded like thunder.

Tara slid to the ground and headed to the arena. She was number three. She would be in the first fight. Was it good to be the first fighter? How had they determined who would fight first? aQuit worrying and have faith,a she muttered quietly. Crator will guide you to victory. You have faith that Heall do that, donat you? After thinking about it for a second, she knew that she did. Head proven his abilities. Whatever He was, He wanted this for her, and she would not let Him down.

Tara had to fight her way to the arena. The crowd was thick, and no one seemed interested in letting her pa.s.s. Her toes had been stepped on, and more than one elbow had jammed her by the time she removed her coat and entered the arena.