"Very arrogant of you, Lindsay Weaver," Rivuk said as a careless flick of his wrist sent the humans rolling. The baby howled as his mother wrapped her body around him, taking the full brunt of the fall on her own body. "But correct."
"Now!" Lindsay shouldered the gun in one swift motion and fired. Rivuk easily dodged the double-tipped harpoon. She fired again.
"Go! Go! Go!" Sirix shouted as Donil and Dustin helped Tabby and her baby down through the cave entrance. "Lindsay!" he cried.
"I love you!" she said, letting the gun drop to her side. "I'll be ok."
Sirix looked at her with a deep sadness in his eyes, as though his heart was being torn in two. She felt the same. She nodded and Sirix dove into the hole.
"Are you done toying with us?" Lindsay shouted, eyes blazing with fury.
Prince Rivuk descended to where Lindsay stood, less than a foot away, easily within arm's reach. "You're not even going to try and go for your knife?" he asked.
"Even if I managed to cut you, I'd be dead before I hit the ground. Assuming you didn't force me to do your own dirty work."
"Have you truly grown to despise me in the intervening iunas since our last conversation?"
"How is your wound, anyway?" she asked, spitefully.
"Completely healed. It was worth it for the kiss. And the dance."
Lindsay's cheeks reddened with frustration and embarrassment. "I wish you'd forget about that."
"If I did, you'd be dead. You and all your little blue friends."
"It's hard to believe you're not the villain when you say things like that."
He shrugged. "I could be. You'll have to take it on faith that I'm not."
"More than faith," Lindsay said. "You could've easily killed all of us in a heartbeat."
Rivuk shook his head. "Don't. Don't think my actions some proof of my goodness. I could manipulate you into believing I was somehow noble, take you away, and then return at night and slaughter your friends with a snap of my fingers."
"Why would you say that?!" Lindsay cried. "Why do you undermine yourself?"
"Because, my wilding, if you make the mistake of believing any kind action is proof of goodness, my family will eat you alive."
Lindsay gazed sadly at the hole where her husband and wife had disappeared. "So, this is it, then? You've come for me?"
"As we agreed."
Tears welled up in her eyes, not that she was sure they would hold any meaning to the Nobillo prince. "I don't want to go."
"But you have to. Or I'll kill every last Bonat, personally. It will be a mercy compared to what's coming."
She nodded. "Ok."
She felt his strong arm encircle her waist and he tipped her into his arms, the flapping of his wings sent dust and stones flying and then, they were gone.
* * *
"Lindsay Weaver," she heard Rivuk's voice whisper from some half-waking dream. "Lindsay Weaver."
"You can just call me Lindsay," she mumbled, face nuzzling into his broad chest. She didn't want to wake up.
"You're not going to want to miss this, Lindsay."
She turned and opened her eyes.
"Woah," she said, staring, her mouth agape.
In the darkness of the late evening, she could see a great city below her. A trio of pyramids that appeared to be made of light shone beside a great white plaza that held a giant fountain. Bars of light danced in the darkness and trails of floating lamps lit the way toward them. Huge stone arcades rose up around three sides of the plaza and all over the city like great bastions of commerce.
Beyond the wide marble path that snaked around the pyramids, a giant building stood, all columns and white stone. It looked like something out of a Roman movie, but held the same shadowy foreboding as Spring Grove Mental Hospital. Surrounding it like a crown, numerous lights twinkled like stars all the way up the sides of what was probably a canyon.
Rivuk banked hard, turning them, a flash of giant, winged sculptures carved into the rock walls passed by and then she gasped. The palace stood before her, nestled between the two canyon walls. It was breathtaking in appearance and size! Massive columns, gigantic arches, grand towers, dancing fountains, large pools, all glittering with greens and deep purples and blacks and silvers and coppers and golds all accented in the same white stone, all brightly lit. She almost didn't notice the tall, thick walls surrounding it or the lights from the guard towers. The walls weren't for the Nobillo, yet they had clearly spent a lot to build them.
She swore.
Rivuk laughed. "So now you've seen where I live."
Suddenly, two Children of the Immortal were flying beside them. "Prince Rivuk, do you require assistance?"
"Call together and emergency royal council in the throne room," Rivuk answered.
"Immediately."
"Yes, your grace," the guards replied in unison and veered off.
He whispered to Lindsay, "Hold on to me, we're going to land. Once we do, do not speak to anyone besides me, even if you are spoken to, until I tell you that it's safe. They will be looking for a reason to execute you, don't give them one."
"To execute me?!"
"Do not forget, amongst the Bonat, you're a hero. Here, you're a war criminal. They would like nothing better than to subject you to the blade of judgement."
"Then why the hell did you bring me here?"
"I'll explain it to you later. Right now, I need you to do as I say." The firmness in Rivuk's tone shut her mouth.
They landed lightly on one of the parapets of the wall, Lindsay still cradled in his arms. He didn't even miss a step between flying and striding along the wall.
"Prince Rivuk!" the guards declared, hurriedly standing at attention.
Rivuk paid them no mind as he strode quickly by, toward the towering pillars of the palace. Despite his attempts to shield her from view with his wings, Lindsay felt all eyes upon her as they moved up the grand entry stairs, through the hall, and into a room that took Lindsay's breath away.
It was long and covered in white marble and deep-purple stone veined with glittering gold. Massive pillars held up a grand, arched ceiling that had to be over two hundred feet tall. At the far end of the room was a raised dais made of wood, standing almost twenty feet above the ground, where five thrones sat with a long table before them.
In the corners of the room behind the throne, giant fluted wooden cones rose up. Lindsay noticed shining wooden seats spiraling up within them, though they were tightly packed together, as though to be clear that whoever sat there was being given the honor, not giving it.
