Heart of Stone (37 page)

Darius jerked off his shirt and jumped into the water in his khaki shorts. His daily laps paid off as he swam easily and quickly, closing in on Rigo and the enemy. As he neared them, he focused on the Mendukati Warrior.

You can't breathe. You might drown
. Darius built the natural concern into a crippling fear that stopped the Warrior cold. The man surfaced not far away, choking and frantic, lost in his own terrors as he tore at his regulator. Darius continued on to the other dark head he'd seen break the water. Rigo was barely holding on. He'd lost too much blood. Darius grabbed him around the chest with one arm and started to tow him back to the boat.

Rigo clawed at his hand. “I can make it,” he panted. “Faith is in trouble. Cave-in.”

They were halfway to the boat. The fading mating bond urged Darius to go after Faith, but he could tell Rigo's strength was flagging. He continued to tow the other man to the boat.

Finally they reached it, and Rigo grabbed the ladder.

“Take my tanks,” he said, breathing hard. He unfastened the air tanks and shrugged them off into Darius's hands. “I've got the stone. Faith needs you.”

Darius glanced at the gauge to make sure there was enough air, then shrugged into the harness. “You get up there and rest. Gray should be back soon.”

Rigo nodded and started to climb the ladder. Darius put the respirator in his mouth, pivoted, and swam for the cave entrance. He only hoped he was in time.

*   *   *

They were evenly matched, Adrian thought, countering a move by Azotay. Their sizes, their strength, and even their skills were on par with each other.

They danced up and down the beach, a blur of flying fists and leaping kicks. Little by little, Adrian gained on him. Azotay gritted his teeth and came back harder and dirtier. “Fair fight” was apparently not in his vocabulary.

“When I win,” Azotay said, “everyone will know I defeated the great Atlas Itzal. I will be revered.”

“You'll be bruised and bloody,” Adrian countered. “And I told you, my name is Adrian, not Atlas.”

“You don't call yourself Atlas
anymore,
you mean.” Azotay dodged a blow, spun around, and pinned Adrian against a tree with a forearm to the throat. He shoved his face right up into Adrian's. “Not so high and mighty now, are you?”

Adrian gouged his thumb into the other man's eye. Azotay howled, stumbling back. Adrian followed, plowing his fist into Azotay's jaw. Azotay sailed backward, landing with a thud on the sand. Adrian approached him, following the protocol of the erron-ka. “Do you yield?”

Azotay groaned and rolled over onto his hands and knees. “Do I yield?” He sprang to his feet and spun, flinging a handful of sand into Adrian's eyes. “No! I do not yield!”

Adrian stumbled backward, blinking at the sting. He swiped the sand off his face and brows with both hands, his eyes watering. He heard Azotay charging, ducked and rolled to the side, landing on his feet. His vision cleared a bit, though his eyes still burned.

Azotay strode toward him. “Now we are both similarly impaired.” He flicked a hand at his own injured eye.

“You were the one who called erron-ka,” Adrian said. “Time to end this.”

Azotay chuckled, teeth flashing in a knowing smile. “If you can … Atlas.”

Adrian smiled back. “I can.” And he began to chant.

“Oh, so you fall back on your Leyala ways?” Azotay snickered, dancing backward. “You cannot continue the battle as equals without leaning on that Leyala crutch, can you?”

“You, Azotay, are responsible for the death of Ben Wakete.” Adrian's tattoo throbbed on his chest, glowing hot beneath his wet suit.

“Wakete? I wasn't even there.” Azotay's eyes widened in what seemed like shock. Then the surprised expression melted into amusement. “All right, it's true. I ordered Venkat to Whisper the human pilot. Brilliant, wasn't it?”

Adrian grabbed Azotay by his shirt and pinned him against a boulder. “Azotay, you have been judged.” He raised his hand to lay judgment.

“You would do this? To
me
?” Azotay's dark eyes burned. “To your own brother?”

“What?” Adrian's concentration faltered.

“Yes, Atlas.” Azotay laughed. “It's me, Gadeiros. Your twin.”

Gadeiros? No, it couldn't be. He studied Azotay's face more closely. And saw it, in the eyes, the shape of his mouth. How had he missed it before? How could he not have recognized his own brother? True, they were fraternal twins, not identical, and also true, he hadn't seen his brother for some twenty years. Not since young Atlas had left Santutegi with his father to follow the ways of the Temple of Mneseus, and Gadeiros had stayed behind with their mother.

Not since he'd become Adrian Gray.

“What?” Azotay mocked. “No words for your long-lost brother?”

Adrian let the power fade. Lowered his hand.

“I thought not.” Azotay shoved Adrian off him. Swung his fist.

Pain exploded in Adrian's jaw. And the world blinked into blackness.

*   *   *

Faith came to in darkness. For a moment, she couldn't figure out where she was. Then she remembered. The cave. The Stone of Gerlari. The Mendukati. She'd sent Rigo out with the stone and called down an earthquake on the Mendukati warriors.

She'd expected to die.

She reached out with her senses. Her stone shield had activated, perhaps a subconscious attempt at survival. It had sheltered her from being crushed by the falling rock. She could tell she was buried under some big chunks; the rock sang in her mind like a choir. She could breathe, so there was air for the moment. But she could hear the sound of rushing water. The earthquake she'd caused might have collapsed some natural dam that had been holding the water at bay.

She was okay for the moment, but if she wanted to live, she had to get out of here.

There wasn't much room to move. She closed her eyes and reached upward into the stone around her with her power, trying to figure out how far she was buried. Each time she established one layer, she encountered another.

After four layers, she gave up.

She'd caused a landslide. There was a good possibility the rock had blocked the tunnel, as well, so even if she did somehow manage to get unburied, she might still be trapped in the cave. How ironic that the tomb of an ancient Atlantean Warrior had become her tomb as well.

Sacrificing herself had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she realized she didn't want to die.

Ben's death still throbbed deep inside her. She'd loved him like a father—she could barely remember her own—and his loss left a gaping hole in her heart. But he'd wanted her to live, to find love and have a family. To be happy. She'd been so busy looking for betrayal around every corner that when love finally had happened with Darius, she'd used the first excuse that came along to push him away.

Yes, he should have told her that he was an empath and could feel her emotions. And yes, she had felt angry and betrayed when she'd found out. But she also understood his reasons. He'd made a promise to his family, and Darius kept his promises.

Shouldn't that be enough to forgive him? To set new rules for their relationship?

Fine time to think of that, when every second she exhaled more carbon dioxide into her little shelter meant less time she had to live.

Darius, I wish we had more time
. She sent the wish telepathically, not really expecting to reach him. Not only was she buried under solid rock, but she'd expended most of her energy causing the earthquake. Her range was very short now.

Faith.
His whisper swirled into her mind.

Her heart leaped.
Darius?

I'm almost through the tunnel. Where are you?

Buried
. She laid her hands against the rock as if that would help her reach him.
Did Rigo get back safely?

Yes, he's on the boat
.

She rested her forehead against cool rock.
Thank heavens
.

I'm in the cavern. The shaking has stopped, but rocks and soil keep falling from the ceiling. Where are you?

I don't know what it looks like now, but I was in the corner. Do you see the rock shelf?

The edge of it,
he answered
. There's a pile of rubble nearly covering it.

I was on the right
. She stroked the rough stone as if it were his face.
I have air right now, but I'm not sure how much longer that will last.

I
will
get you out, Faith. Believe that
.

Her heart overflowed, curving her lips in a sad smile. Darius, always the optimist.
I don't know if that's possible.

I'll make it possible
.
Remember how I found you when you were lost in the stone?

Yes.
The glowing silver trail through the desolation of the stone's emotions, leading to the sentinel that was Darius. Excitement bubbled up.
Rigo took the Stone of Gerlari with him, but I think I can lead you to me if I use the other stones here.

Give it a shot. Find the mating bond and funnel the energy through there.

What good will that do?

I don't know.
She could see his smile in her mind
. But it can't hurt.

Faith dove deeper into the stone around her, reaching for Darius with her faltering powers. She saw him finally, that blue light in chaos, guiding her home. And leading to that light was the winding silver path, like a river through the clamor of the different stone voices around her. She funneled all the energy she could from the rocks into that path. The path brightened almost to blinding at the influx of Earth energy. The stones felt excited, their interest like sweet anise on the tongue.

And where had that image come from?

We're connected,
Darius said.
Without the Stones of Ekhia blocking my powers, you can share my empathy through the mating link, and I can share your abilities, too.

The thought should have alarmed her, but she felt only relief. Working together, they might be able to free her.
I didn't know you could taste emotion
.

She sensed—sensed!—his amusement.
Welcome to my world
. He grew serious again.
We have to work fast. Water is filling up the cave. Do you still have your scuba gear?

No
. She wanted to bang her head against something.
It was getting heavy
.

Guess we'll share then
.

Guess we will.
If
you can get me out of here.

I have an idea. Do you trust me?

She didn't even hesitate.
Yes
.

When Criten broke into our house, he shut down Rafe's focus stone, but Rafe was able to get an energy boost through his link to Cara. I wonder if we can try something similar here.

I've used up a lot of my stores already,
Faith said.
I don't know how much I have left.

But I have plenty. If I feed you enough energy, do you think you can make the rocks move away off your position? Maybe let you crawl out?

Worth a try
.

Let's do it. Take what I send and channel it through you into the rocks on top of you
.

Energy surged through the link and into her, filling up her reserves and overflowing into her normal power stores. It tasted and smelled like Darius. She wrapped herself up in it, like feeling Darius's arms around her, and absorbed it into her heart and mind. Then pushed outward.

The scrabble of dirt and stone reached her ears. The clack of a large rock being tossed aside.

Keep doing whatever you're doing,
Darius said.
It's loosening the chunks so I can move them
.

She dove deeper into the energy, swimming in it, wallowing in all that was Darius. Sent it streaming into the ancient stone that covered her, pressing on the boulders and pebbles, urging it away. Finally a chink of light appeared above her through a small hole. She ducked away as soil rained down on her.

“Faith?” His physical voice this time, a little muffled because of the layers of earth between them.

“I'm here,” she called back, a little surprised at how raw her throat felt.

He peered into the hole. “I see you. We have to move. The water's started to flow up onto this ledge.”

The glimpse of those bluer-than-blue eyes was all the incentive she needed. She closed her eyes and focused the energy on the rocks around that tiny glimmer of light. Darius grabbed and heaved stone after stone. Finally he had widened the opening enough that she would be able to crawl out.

“Faith, let's go!” He reached in a filthy hand. She grabbed it and he yanked, giving her a head start on the climb. She was head and shoulders out of the pile, scrambling for footholds to push herself out, when she felt the rocks start to collapse beneath her.

“Darius!” She reached out her other hand. He clasped it and jerked hard on both. His muscles rippled and strained, his teeth clenched as he dragged her to safety with his entire body. He fell flat on his back, Faith sprawled on top of him. A moment later, the pile collapsed upon itself.

She blew out a hard breath and rested her forehead against his chest. “That was close.”

“We're not out of the woods yet. This place is flooding.”

She glanced over at the edge of the shelf, saw the pool had already overflowed onto it and was inching closer. She scrambled off him backward on her hands and knees. “Yeah, let's get out of here before the tunnel collapses.”

“Could you give me a hand? I'm like a turtle on its back with these tanks.”