"You have to put this on," he held up a piece of dark brown cloth, "and surrender your offensive articles of clothing to the magistrate."

If it would get her out of this cell and on her way out of this territory, she'd dance naked on the magistrate's desk but since he wanted her to totally cover herself that was probably against the law. His loss. She reached through the bars for the item in Talon's hand but her guard s.n.a.t.c.hed it away.

"Woman evil. Must punish. You say her."

"Punish?" She asked, glancing between the two men. Talon's pallor cut through her anger and resentment. He was beyond upset at the delay in their departure and that scared the h.e.l.l out of her. "What do I have to do, Talon?" She whispered.

He stepped close to the cell and captured her hand. "Not you, Blue. Me." He placed a quick kiss on her palm before letting her go and stepping back. "As your man...."

"But you're not...."

"YES!" Talon jumped in before she could finish her sentence. "Shadow, women here are treated like pets-pampered and cared for as long as they're good and obey their masters. If she breaks a law, it's a.s.sumed the man didn't do everything he could to train her properly."

"But...."

"If her master denies her or she has no master she's put to death."

She finally understood what he was implying and scared didn't begin to describe the emotions crawling up her spine. Fear could muddle your thinking. A warrior learned to channel fear into something else, something easier to manage. Anger was easier for her to manage. She was p.i.s.sed.

"That's insane!" She wasn't arrested when they came through on their way to the island. Why now? When she asked Talon that question, he just shook his head and reminded her of the heavy rain at the time. It was possible no one noticed she was wearing pants and her hood was pulled as far down on her face as it would go. They got by on pure dumb luck that time.

"What's the punishment?" She was afraid to hear the verdict.

"Since you were brought straight here without being seen by anyone except the sh.o.r.e patrol and guards; you didn't have a chance to corrupt the female population. My punishment is only five lashes."

"They can't do that! You didn't break any law! We have to explain...."

"Blue."

That single, soft utterance of her nickname was all it took to release her tears. Whether they were from anger or concern didn't matter. She cried for Talon, the man willing to be whipped to keep her safe.

"I still say it's wrong." She swiped at the wetness on her face. "What do I have to do besides wear that...shroud and give away my pants?"

The guard handed her the shapeless garment and Talon stood blocking the guard's view while she stripped out of her pants. The densely woven cloth was nothing more than a large bag that fit over her head and covered her entirely. The women here must be short since it didn't cover her ankles. It had no sleeves or holes to put her arms through. The weave was looser around the face area which allowed her to see-barely. It was similar to looking through darkly tinted gla.s.s. There was one thing she liked about the bag. The row of deep pockets at waist level would make it handy for keeping her weapons close and accessible-if they ever gave them back to her.

"That's my girl." Talon whispered when she dropped the pants at his feet.

She'd flash a lot more than her face if she hiked the tail of this bag to put them in his hand.

"When he opens the cell, walk behind me and don't say a word. It's important, Shadow. If you speak, the magistrate will add another lash to the punishment for every word. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She wanted to say a lot more but this wasn't the time. Not a sound would pa.s.s her lips until they crossed the border. Maybe not until they boarded the transport.

Remember what you said about your day not getting any worse? It can always get worse.

He didn't trust the magistrate. His aura flashed with muddy pink, bright yellow and dark green. Not a good or healthy combination. Aura colors constantly changed and different people 'read' the colors differently. Based on his experience, the magistrate was dishonest, fighting to maintain his power, and blamed the world when things didn't go his way. He was a weak leader trying to maintain the illusion of control. That made him dangerous.

"Is your woman controlled?" The magistrate bellowed, bringing instant order to the shuffling and whispering.

"She is," Talon answered. His voice was deeper and carried farther than the man behind the high desk. Tone it down, dumba.s.s. This is not the time to get in a p.i.s.sin' contest over whose d.i.c.k is bigger.

"Evil woman of this man come forward."

Talon held his breath when Shadow pa.s.sed him and stopped directly in front of the tribunal. Her simpering, little, baby steps gave the appearance of a meek and subdued female. What a crock!

"You watch what happen to good man. All fault of you. Understand?'

Shadow's exaggerated nodding must have satisfied the man. He wouldn't put it past him to trick her into speaking.

"Go back with women. Prepare prisoner."

Talon stripped out of his shirt and dropped it at Shadow's feet. He hid his grin when it vanished beneath the hem of her cover. She was a strong-willed woman with a fiery temper. If she kept her mouth shut and her opinions to herself through the next hour, they might have a chance at staying alive.

He tensed when the guards grabbed his wrists and pulled him toward the far end of the room. If they used a standard whip, five lashes would be painful but not life threatening. If they were into the more lethal razor-tipped whips or one that delivered an electrical charge on impact, he would have to be extremely lucky to survive.

Shadow bit her lip until she tasted blood. This was wrong on so many levels. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds paraded him around like a dog on a leash. Why didn't they just get it over with? Her hand automatically reached for the knife she kept strapped at her waist before remembering the sh.o.r.e patrol took all of her weapons. She had a small a.r.s.enal in her magic closet but Talon gave her pants to the guard. The activation switch for the dimensional storage locker was on her belt. d.a.m.n. I'm gonna miss that locker if they don't give me my pants back.

"You not from here. Where from?"

Shadow turned to a woman standing beside her and almost answered the whispered question with one of her own. Something stopped her. The woman kept looking toward the head table and shaking her head. Not gonna work, you sneaky b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Your snitch won't get one peep out of me. She turned back to watch what was happening to Talon, shutting out the frantic whispers. Rules were necessary in every society. She didn't have a problem with that as long as everybody played by the same set of rules. Too bad Draagon didn't find this little slice of perfection. That was one man who could show these idiots the real meaning of evil.

Manacles attached to long chains descended from the ceiling. The guards snapped them on Talon's wrists and the unseen operator raised them until his toes barely touched the floor. He would have no way to brace himself. He looked at her and winked.

Don't get c.o.c.ky, bounty hunter. These people play for keeps. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Shadow repeated that thought in her head over and over. It had to work but in case it didn't she pulled Talon's shirt from one of the pockets and shoved the fabric into her mouth until she risked suffocation. She controlled the gag reflex by breathing slowly through her nose.

The whip was the standard, everyday variety but the guard carrying it was ma.s.sive. This man had to be over seven feet tall with biceps bigger than her thighs. If that giant used all his strength, neither of them would leave this room alive.

The first strike lifted Talon off the floor, but he didn't make a sound. Shadow jerked and tears rolled down her face. Without the mouthful of shirt she would be screaming at the guards, the magistrate, even the stupid woman breathing down her neck listening for a sound.

The second strike drew blood and a groan. She had to lock her knees to keep from falling to the ground.

The final three blows were a blur. It would have been difficult to see through her tears without the added barrier of the body cover. When they removed the shackles she wanted to run to him but guards blocked her way.

"Bring evil woman."

Before the guards could grab her arms, she marched across the floor, still grateful for her mouthful of fabric.

"Take your man and leave here."

Shadow nodded and rushed to Talon's side. His injuries weren't life threatening but traveling would be painful.

"Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here, Blue." The body covering wasn't full enough for her to put her arm around his waist. All she could do was let him lean on her and pray he didn't stumble.

Chapter Thirty-Three.

"Please tell me you didn't steal our horses?" Shadow paced beside the open fire pit, careful to keep the hem of the body cover away from the flames. Because of her 'trial' and guilty verdict, they couldn't get a room anywhere in town and ended up making camp outside the city gates. Correction, she camped here. He left right after their evening meal and didn't come back until just before dawn. It was barely full sunrise now.

"Don't ask stupid questions," Talon barked without slowing his inspection of their supplies.

"I happen to know we had very few coins left when we were arrested. Yet, here you are with the horses we boarded when we left for the island. How did you pay that fee? And you bought supplies. You did all this in the middle of the night." Frustration and inactivity made her b.i.t.c.hy. It was a fact. He could deal with it or not, made no difference to her one way or the other.

"Lower your voice before we end up before the magistrate again." He twisted to reach a torch that rolled away from his pack and hissed in pain.

"I could help with that if you'd let me get another pair of pants. The medic told you to avoid physical activity for several days."

"He treats farm animals not humans. Can we, please, just load up, mount up, and get out of here?"

"Fine. You mind telling me how I'm supposed to ride dressed like this?" She figured she was about thirty seconds away from tossing this glorified blanket into the fire and riding hard and fast to the territorial border.

"Sidesaddle?"

She growled. Was he serious? Let him ride with his leg wrapped around the saddle horn and see how far he got before he rubbed a blister on the back of his knee or fell on his a.s.s.

Talon ran his hands through his hair, leaving it standing in wild spikes. "Look, Blue, I don't have all the answers. h.e.l.l, I don't even know the questions. I know this whole town is geared toward taking travelers for every coin they bring with them and you're still in the magistrate's crosshairs."

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Let me think." She paced not because it helped her think but because if she didn't do something she'd get them arrested again. "I'll put on pants...don't give me that look until you hear what I have to say!"

He raised his hands in surrender.

"You can cut this shroud from the crotch to the hem, front, and back. The pieces will cover my face and legs without flashing the good stuff." She waited patiently while he considered her suggestion.

"That might work." He finally said.

"You take care of the fire while I dig a pair of pants out of my bag."

In no time, Talon knelt at her feet with a sharp knife and made quick work of altering her wardrobe. The freedom to move freely made a glorious improvement in her att.i.tude. When she mounted her horse, Talon wrapped the ends of the body covering around each leg. He had to cut the front a little higher so she could grip the saddle horn. He tied her horse to the packhorse, mounted, and they headed for the border.

Talon waited a full hour after crossing into a safe zone before looking for a place to stop. Shadow would demand answers and he'd try to be honest with her. He had to be careful not to arouse her suspicions.

A game trail led off into the trees and he followed it to a small clearing. His back was on fire and he could feel a trickle of blood from at least two different spots but he couldn't give in to it. The medic urged him to rest or risk infection and scaring. He had to get Shadow to safety and get back on Draagon's trail.

When he dismounted he had to grip the saddle horn until his knees agreed to support him. He blamed it on the condition of his back until he heard Shadow groan.

"Let's plan on making camp here tonight." He hoped she didn't want to push through to the transport station. It was still a good six hours of steady riding and another two hours-minimum-to get the animals registered and loaded.

"Deal. My b.u.t.t's numb but when the feeling comes back it's going to hurt like a son of a...uh...you know what I mean. Wait! Are we still in that jerk magistrate's territory?"

Talon grinned and shook his head. "Not for more than an hour. You can lose the outfit, Blue."

Shadow whipped it over her head as soon as her brain registered his answer. "How can those women wear that all year long? And that brings up another question. When we left your island, there was frost on the ground every morning. It's still summer here. Why?"

He chuckled at her chattering. Her enforced silence for half a day created a backup of conversation that now had to be freed. "It has something to do with the ocean currents. I'll get a fire started if you want to dig out the tea."

"We need to take care of your back first."

She was systematically rearranging every item in the supply packs while she searched for the kit. There wasn't a meek and mild bone in her body and he wouldn't want her any other way. Her efficiency made short work of setting up their campsite.

"Your back has fresh bandages. We've fed and cared for the animals and ourselves." She poured them a second cup of tea and carefully lowered herself to the ground. "I want to know where you got the coins to pay for all this." A wave of her hand encompa.s.sed everything around them.

"The medic mentioned he was late for a poker game and I begged an invitation to join their game. You know how I supported myself in Cypriana. Different town-same game. They're only allowed one night of gambling a month so the bets are small to make the night longer. It took me all night to win enough to cover everything."

Shadow couldn't recall a single conversation with Talon where he was in such a hurry to get the words said. There was something he wasn't telling her.

"That's your story?" When he just nodded she knew he was hiding something. She took each sentence and examined what he said.

"You used enhanced touch to read the cards back then but you lost that ability shortly after the new implants. I remember the trouble you had reading the history book."

"That ink was five thousand years old, Blue, I was never that good."

"Maybe." She stared at him trying to pull the missing pieces of his story out of what he said. When he kept looking at something above her head, it hit her. He's checking out my aura!

"You can see the aura colors. Did you lie when you said that with the implants you could barely make out the color?"

"Yes and no."

She didn't respond despite wanting to start a fight. She quit blocking her body heat because he said he couldn't see them anymore. Was that his plan all along? Get her to let down her guard so he could use it against her? He d.a.m.n well better come up with a better answer than that.

Talon eased up to a sitting position and met her stare. She could see the regret on his face and almost told him it didn't matter. She clenched her jaw and kept her lips pressed tightly together.

"I lost the enhanced vision in one eye. It's not a major issue, Shadow. I now have the best of both worlds. The left eye sees the potential physical challenges and the right eye guarantees I can go back to my old way of life."

She was so focused on his plan to go back to his old life that she almost missed the significance of the eyes. "The cart handle...!"

"Don't, Blue! That's why I didn't want you to know. I knew you'd blame yourself." Talon reached for her but she rolled away from his touch.

"It is my fault." She whispered, horrified at what her meddling in his life cost him. She had to make this right and if it took the rest of her life she'd find a way. The emotional rollercoaster of the past week finally caught up with her. It was just too much to deal with tonight.

"I'm going to call it a night. We'll talk more in the morning."

"It's the middle of the afternoon, Blue. We need to settle this and figure out our next move."

"Whatever you plan is fine with me. We need to locate Draagon. After you take care of business, I'll send a final report to Dak and...oh, no! The rifle was in the dimensional locker and the only key was on my belt! You don't have a weapon!"

"I still have the crossbow and I can still see. When we reach the transport dock tomorrow we can check in with the bounty station. They'll have the latest information on Draagon. It's almost over, Shadow. You're not giving up on me are you?"

She couldn't deny him when he flashed that crooked grin at her. d.a.m.n, she was going to miss him when this ended. She shook her head and forced a smile to her lips. She'd stay until she found a way to give him his life back-again.