Chapter 12
"I want to talk to her."
By noon the next day, Cameron had arrived. As usual, he was trying to run roughshod over everyone. Ross, his twin, knew how to handle him, but Cam had always presented a challenge for Colin. He was closest in age to the twins—only two years younger—and he had never appreciated Cam's tendency to push him around. Or try to.
"She's been through a difficult experience. She's resting in her room."
"Have someone bring her down and get her ready for me."
Colin bristled. "Get her ready for you? What the fuck does that mean?"
His cold-hearted brother eyed him. Colin waited for him to make a nasty remark, but surprisingly, all Cam said was, "I am going to question her, of course. In the meantime, I want to know everything you've managed to find out so far. This could be a big help to us. Quite a coup. I congratulate you, little brother. As far as I know, a spy from the world of Dunya has never before been captured before."
"She's not a spy," Colin said. He was trying not to lose it with his brother, but he could already feel his blood pressure rising. "She blundered through the Barrier accidentally. All she wants is to find her wounded sea dragon and go home."
He hoped his voice didn't convey the reluctance he felt about allowing her to leave. Now that he'd found her, he didn't want to relinquish her.
"She's one of the Travelers, isn't she? She was riding a sea dragon, or swimming with him. We know the Travelers are the primo intelligence agency in the other world. No doubt her 'accidental' incursion was deliberate. The only thing accidental about it was that her arrival was detected."
Colin knew he had to keep his head on straight, no matter how infuriating he found his brother. The fact was, Cam was right. However much he might have been tossed head over heels by meeting her, and however much his body might be aching to get her under him and fuck her, Ariane was a creature from another world. Possibly—no, probably—sent here to spy. Maybe even to steal technology. Of course the head of the Council of Protectors had to question her. Guarding the Barrier and protecting this world from incursions was the raison d'etre for the whole Malloch clan.
The Mallochs were not the only Guardians. There were many other clans and bloodlines, not only in Scotland, but in other lands as well. Most were shifters of some variety. Not all knew or recognized their heritage, or their responsibilities to humanity. Some even preyed on humanity. When in their changed form, they were all predators, which was why learning discipline and control was so damn important.
He had to exercise some self-discipline now. Ariane could tell them a world of things. Why was she here? What was her mission? How did the mysterious Travelers operate and what were their overall goals? What about the other nations in the other world? Ariane would have information about all these entities and peoples. If she could be convinced to share it.
"Bring her in, please," Cameron Malloch ordered.
* * *
Ariane knew things were going to be different today. Kate was just as warm when she came in the morning, bringing a pot of hot tea, which appeared to be a popular beverage in this land known as Scotland. The laird's wife encouraged her guest to join the family at breakfast, which she was glad to do. But when Ariane asked if she could go outside to explore the village, Kate looked apologetic and refused.
She gathered that another brother was scheduled to arrive soon at the keep. Although she and Kate had been exchanging dozens of words in their respective languages, she didn't know enough yet to ask a coherent question and comprehend the answer.
Colin had spoken of the brother, too. She guessed that he was senior to Colin and important in some way. And that he was coming to investigate her. If she had understood Colin correctly last night, those search helicopters had something to do with him.
She tried to envision what sort of questioning she could expect here. Colin had obviously been to her world, but she had no idea how much the older brother knew.
If interrogated, she was permitted by her Guild's rules to answer basic questions about her identity and her diplomatic responsibilities. But her knowledge of the formalities between nations, like boundary disputes and trade negotiations, was confidential. As for information about the inner workings of the Travelers Guild, she could not breathe a word about that.
Surely there wasn't much to worry about. How would someone who did not live in her world even know which questions to ask?
She was taken to a chamber that opened off the gallery above the great hall. The room appeared to be a study, with bookcases lining the walls, a heavy desk placed in front of a smallish window, and a few chairs. The brother, Cameron, moved behind the large desk, clearly the position of power in the room. He looked almost exactly like the laird, his twin. She was invited to stand before him, like a petitioner before a judge.
Smiling politely, she conceded the positioning. In her own world, she would be greeted as a near equal by heads of state, and as a person deserving of deference from someone of Cameron's level, which could hardly be too elevated since he appeared to have no entourage or symbols of high office.
On the other hand, Ross was the local ruler, if she understood correctly, and he wore no symbols of office, either. His entourage consisted of his pregnant wife, a cheerful cook named Mrs. Dumfries, an aide de camp named Hamish, and a young man named Jamie who had wolfed down a quick breakfast, tossed Ariane an admiring grin, waved and exited, still munching on food that he had gathered up in his hands to take with him wherever he was going.
If there were other servants around, she hadn't yet seen them.
A strange world, certainly.
None of them treated each other with any particular deference either, as far as she could see. There was no bowing or lowered eyes or obsequious tones of voice. They were all quite boisterous, cheerfully chatting and even arguing in what sounded like friendly tones.
It was different and refreshing. There was something appealing about these people. Colin especially. She had dreamt of him last night. A very sensual dream.
Colin stood on one side of the room now, lounging against one of the bookshelves. When their eyes briefly met, a current seemed to run between them.
"So," the brother said. Unlike Colin, his face was cold and impassive. Even his eyes were cool. This was a man who kept iron control of his emotions. "I understand that you are a visitor from another world?"
"So it would appear. But an unintentional visitor."
"Unintentional?"
He wanted her to explain. She recognized his technique instantly. Repeat her own words in a questioning inflection and get her talking. She smiled as courteously as she could and answered simply, "Yes."
His cold eyes flickered. He would know she had been trained in how to behave during an interrogation.
Like Colin, the brother spoke the Common Tongue. Quite well, too, with a little less of a broad accent than his brother. Perhaps it was she who ought to be questioning them. How often had they visited her world? Were there more of them there, spying on her people? What were their intentions? Were they hostile? Here in Scotland, the knowledge of so many ordinary things like lights and transportation far outstripped anything in her world. No doubt the same was true of the weapons of war.
"My brother tells me that you claim to be something called a Traveler of Zanovar."
She nodded her assent.
"And this Zanovar is a country in the parallel world known as Dunya?"
"Zanovar is a country, yes. Dunya is the word in several of our languages for 'world.'"
"What exactly is a Traveler?"
Ariane sensed that he knew the answer to these questions already. "Someone who travels," she said blandly. "With the assistance of various animals such as horses, which I'm sure you also use in this world, sea dragons, and mammoth eagles."
"What is a mammoth eagle and how do you travel with it?"
"It is a large predatory raptor. A Traveler mounts upon its neck and shoulders, just above the wing joints, binds herself by means of a special net, and flies with the bird."
"Such a bird must be large indeed to carry the extra weight."
"Yes," was all she said.
"How do you swim with a sea dragon?"
Since his brothers could transform themselves into sea dragons, she presumed he knew the answer to this. Nonetheless, she politely explained how it was done.
"And you control these animals by giving them some sort of commands? How? Verbally?"
"Mentally. And by means of extensive training, of course."
"Mentally? You are a telepath?"
She had never thought of herself as a telepath. But her mind link with Colin must have happened by telepathy. Had Colin told his brother about that? "It is a kind of deep empathy," she said. "I can feel my companion's emotions and direct his course."
"So you directed your sea dragon to bring you through the Barrier to our world, correct?"
He was twisting her words. "No. We were attacked by a creature we call a darkling. As we dived to escape the attack, we entered a place in the sea that felt like a whirlpool. We were sucked in. I was knocked unconscious and knew nothing more until I awoke on a strange shore."
"Where is your sea dragon now?"
"I don't know. He was injured by the darkling. I ordered him to return to our world. I don't know if he was successful, or if he will recover." She spoke in clipped tones now, trying to keep a grip on her emotions. Rin!
"You say you were attacked by a darkling?" He sounded skeptical.
"Yes."
"Why did it attack? Had you done something to rouse its anger?"
"No. I got the sense that the creature was driving us toward something. An ambush, perhaps. But I now wonder if we were being herded toward the Abyss."
"Why would a darkling want you to leave your own world and enter ours?"
She shrugged. "I've no idea. It was just a feeling I had."
"What did this creature look like? Would you recognize it if you saw it again?"
This was a puzzling question. Did darklings have individual features? Perhaps; all other creatures did. "I had never before seen one, and I was too busy fleeing it to get a careful look. So, no, probably not."
Cameron rose from his desk and stepped around it. He had something in his hand, something shiny, and metallic. Whatever it was had a cold, dark aura.
He approached her. She stood her ground, but not happily. She didn't dare look at Colin, but she heard him shift and felt the sudden increase in tension. "Do you have any idea..." Cameron asked her "...how nonsensical your story sounds?"
She stiffened. "I am telling you the truth."
"That you tumbled through the planes of existence after being attacked by a vampire?" His tone was scathing. "I sincerely doubt it. Take this." Cameron held out the thing to her. She wasn't sure what it was. It was oval in shape, with ends that appeared to lock together. It resembled a heavy metallic necklace. Or a slave collar. It appeared to be worked in at least two metals, perhaps more.
"Put it on. It goes around the neck." He assessed her neck dispassionately. "I believe it will fit you."
"What is it?" she demanded.
"It will not hurt you. Nor will you wear it for long. Assuming you're telling the truth."
Colin spoke up. His voice sounded hollow with anger. "That is not necessary. She is a Traveler, not a shifter."
Cam didn't even look his way. "Then there should be no problem," he said. To her he added, "Will you put it on yourself, or must I do it?"
She took the thing, not wanting him to touch her. He was so different from his brother. She already had a strong gut feeling of dislike for this man.
The collar was cold to the touch, and yet it seemed to burn her. Some kind of magic? "What is it for?"
"Are you a shape shifter?"
"No. I never knew there was such a thing until I saw your brother change his form last night."
"This prevents a shifter from shifting. It is used to make certain the person you are interviewing doesn't change into a wolf or—he paused for a moment "—a gigantic predatory raptor."
She shook her head. For a moment, she wished she could turn into a mammoth eagle and attack him. So it was some sort of test? Fine. It suggested he was afraid of her, although he certainly did not show it.
She took the thing in both hands and slipped it around her neck. It was not easy to separate the two sides enough to get it open, but once it was situated, it snapped shut on its own. It felt tight. Uncomfortable, although it didn't seem to be impairing her breathing. Cold.
"Satisfied?"
He merely stared at her. Unlike Colin's stare, which warmed her and set her female parts a-tingle, this man made her want to flee far away and hide.
"Are you a shape shifter?" he asked again.
Was this some kind of truth collar? It seemed impossible to her, but flying machine with men in them seemed impossible, too. "As I said, no. I swim with sea dragons, but I can't change into one." She shot Colin a look. His entire body was rigid with tension, and it occurred to her that he should probably be the one wearing the collar, because he looked as if he were about to change into something ferocious and rip out his older brother's throat.
"Why did you come through the Barrier? What are you doing in our world?"
"I told you. I didn't intend it. All I want is to return to my own world."
"Why were you attacked—if indeed you were attacked—by this overly aggressive darkling? Did you challenge it in some manner?"
"No. I am a Traveler of Zanovar. We do not enter into battle with other creatures except to defend our own lives."
"Were you sent to gather intelligence about this world?"
"No. I was not sent. Not for any purpose. My being here is pure mischance."
"The Travelers of Zanovar do gather intelligence about other nations in your own world, correct?"
"The Travelers are neutral. We do not engage in political maneuvering. We are a corps of diplomats, healers, and explorers. We facilitate communication and trade between nations."
"You may do all those things, but the Travelers are also intelligence agents." Cameron stated this as if it were a known fact. Which it probably was. But how did someone from this world know so much about the Travelers?
"If the fact that we travel to many countries, learn their languages, and familiarize ourselves with their customs makes us intelligence agents, then I guess you are right."
"And you are here to gather intelligence, or worse, to steal technology and try to smuggle it back through the Barrier into your own world."
"What?" She was truly startled by this accusation. "That is untrue! Mother Creator, is that what you think? I don't even understand your technology, but if you refer to flying machines, why would I even want those in my world? They would make the Traveler's Guild obsolete."
"The technology in this world consists of far more than aircraft, as I'm sure you know."
"Actually, I don't know. I've seen nothing of your world but a dark beach and a few rooms in a keep that resembles the fortresses we have at home." Except for the lighting, she was thinking. And the bathing facilities. And the varied and plentiful food.
"The punishment for attempting to steal technology and transport it across the Barrier is death," her adversary intoned.
She had had enough of this duress and intimidation. "Fine. Kill me then if that is how you treat innocents in this benighted world of yours." Her fingers went to the iron and silver collar. She pulled at it, but it stayed firmly in place. "This is hurting me. Take it off so I can die with dignity."
"Oh, you're not going to die. Not yet. I'll have a whole lot more answers from you before I allow you to die."
"What the fuck?" Colin said, his voice reverberating like a struck gong from across the room. "You're treading a bit heavy there, Cam."
Cameron ignored him. Ariane was uncertain of the power dynamic here, but she doubted that Colin had the authority to interfere. He was a younger brother, and this castle was clearly under the rule of the eldest twin. She would have to defend herself. She had done it before.
"Remove the device," she said, framing the words into a command. This might be a different world, but she would maintain her status with pride and courage. "It's heavy. And it burns my skin."
"The quicker you answer my questions, the sooner we can remove it. I want to know everything you have in your pretty little head about your own world. The nations. Their forms of governments. Their rules. Their resources. Who is allied with whom. Trade routes. Religious and cultural customs. And so on. You'll answer my questions until I'm satisfied."
"I will not. I'm done answering questions. You have no right to press me for information."
He raised his eyebrows in that sardonic way that some men liked to use when they were mocking you. She really did not like this man. In some ways, he reminded her of a darkling. He had a dark shadow hanging around him. She did not want to talk to him. Or have anything at all to do with him.
"If you know anything about the Travelers, you must know that we only treat with high officials. National leaders. Kings. Queens. Emperors. Princes. I have tried to be courteous, but your threats cross the line. Anyway, I thought it was your elder brother who was the ruler here."
"My brother is the laird of a small region of Scotland. But the great lairds of this land no longer hold the authority they once commanded. As for kings, princes and emperors, there are still a few left in our world, but most of those idiots were deposed and assassinated decades ago." He paused. "But when it comes to the lives of shifters, a great deal of power is vested in me. I am the leader of what is known as the Council of Protectors. We protect the Barrier, which you have violated."
He stepped toward her until he was only a couple of paces away. "What that means is that your fate is in my hands."
"If you are a leader among your people, you may think of me as a princess of mine," she said crisply, hoping she was using a term that was suitable. "And I am accustomed to being treated with more deference."
Her questioner broke into a grin. This was the first time she had seen him smile, and it transformed his hard features and made him seem almost approachable. "A princess!" He swept her a mocking bow. She realized belatedly that the smile was not genuine. He stepped closer so he was right in her face and one of his big hands wrapped around her throat, above the point where the collar bit into her skin. He pushed her back against the wall. He was rough, and she gasped.
"Very funny. Now you have ten seconds to tell me what the fuck you are really doing on this side of the Barrier."