He scooted closer to her and lifted a strand of her long hair. "Such a unique color. She was right, you will fetch a handsome price."

She? What was he talking about?

"How do you think we found you?" he asked.

"You were hunting for women." She shrugged. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." It happened to some victims, though it was rare.

The golden-eyed man shook his head. "If it weren"t for the Phantom woman"s a.s.sistance, we wouldn"t have even known that you existed."

Bile rose in her throat as the full extent of the betrayal hit her. How could Opal do such a thing, knowing that these people might kill her? No wonder the man was confident that he"d get away. No one knew that she was missing. So there"d be no rescue attempt. By the time Hades was aware that something was wrong, she"d be halfway across the galaxy.

"Opal said that you"d fetch more credits on the slave blocks if you were whole. Looking at you, I"m sure that she"s right. But I haven"t ruled out dissecting you," he said matter-of-factly. "Especially if you turn out to be more trouble than you"re worth."

A tremor shook her body. Thanks to Opal, she was on her own. But unlike her sister, Taylor had always been a survivor and she"d somehow figure out how to save herself. When the doors to the utilitarian ship opened again, they were in the woods.

"Come," the man said. "We have much to do before departure." He pulled her inside another ship that was just as sterile and invisible as the last one. As they approached, a man near the door came to attention.

"Captain Hawk," he said.

So her captor had a name, Taylor thought, filing the information away for later.

"Take her to holding bay four and secure her for departure," Hawk said.

He grabbed the restraints on Taylor"s wrists. The man yanked her, nearly pulling her off her feet. "Hurry," he said. "I do not have time for your games."

She wasn"t playing any games. Not yet anyway. Taylor made herself appear weak, vulnerable. It was easy to do. She"d done it in her act many times. She whimpered as he led her over to a strange sort of elevator. He shoved her inside, then followed her in. The thing dropped rapidly, leaving her stomach on the ceiling. Within seconds they were in the holding bay.

Several metal doors lined the bay. More than Taylor could count. Each had a small high window, but the interiors were dim. Whimpers and cries rang out as they pa.s.sed the chambers. Taylor thought she glimpsed movement inside. Fear slowed her steps. How many women had they captured?

The Slaver strode to a metal door that looked just like the rest and pressed his hand against the center just below the window. The door rose with a hiss like a crypt being unsealed. Stale air blew her hair back and a coppery odor smacked her in the face, gagging her.

There were a few unmarked crates in the room and a series of rods lining what looked like bloodstained walls. A large discolored drain sat in the center of the floor, surrounded by rust-colored tentacles. The stained paths branched out, leading to various rods around the room.

What in the h.e.l.l had they done in here? Her mind screamed in silent horror.

Taylor"s body locked in place, refusing to enter. If she went inside, she"d have to acknowledge the truth of her situation. She"d been betrayed and in all likelihood here was where she would die. Taylor couldn"t do it. Wouldn"t do it. She"d fight this man to the death if need be.

Before she could act out her half-baked plan, the man put his hands between her shoulder blades and pushed her into the room. The stench of desperation and pain was worse inside. It made breathing difficult.

Her panic increased. She had to get out of here. She had to escape before they did to her what they"d so obviously done to the others. The Slaver prodded her over to the far wall and slotted Taylor between two of the metal rods.

"Hold out your hands," he said. "And don"t move."

Taylor shook as she extended her arms.

The Slaver scissored his fingers between her restraints. They separated instantly, but remained attached to her wrists. He secured one hand to a metal rod on the right, then the other to a rod on the left. Her feet remained unbound. Satisfied, the man grunted and walked off without a backwards glance.

The lighting dimmed when he reached the doorway, threatening to go out. Taylor"s heart stuttered in her chest. The flickering stopped and something like emergency lighting kicked in. Shadows crouched in the corners, but she could still make out the crates in the room.

Taylor waited until the door closed behind him, then examined her restraints and pulled. The rods didn"t budge. She tried again. Nothing. Her shoulders slumped and she felt her left wrist slip down a notch. In her desperation, Taylor thought that she"d imagined the movement, so she didn"t immediately respond. It was only when her right hand moved that awareness dawned.

She could move up and down, but would that matter if she couldn"t break the bonds? Taylor glanced up, expecting to see the rods attached to the ceiling.

They weren"t.

She glanced at the distance between the rods, then looked toward the sky and thanked G.o.d once more for her long legs. Taylor kicked off her shoes, then got to work on her escape.

Opal returned to the Keep after spending another hour shopping in the Walled City. It had been hard to appear like everything was normal, but she was pretty sure that she"d pulled it off. When she"d seen Captain Hawk, Opal had almost changed her mind about the plan. The way he"d looked at her had left her shaken. Men didn"t look at her like that. Ever!

Fear and excitement thrummed inside Opal as she entered the front gates, but she kept her expression pained.

The guards stiffened. "What is wrong?"

"Where is Hades?" she demanded, purposely not answering their question. Opal didn"t want them sounding the alarm. Not yet.

"He is in his chambers," one said.

Opal pushed past them and rushed on. "I must speak to him. The Earth woman has been captured."

The guards immediately moved to the hidden com devices beneath their hair and called for reinforcements. They also sent out a message to the King, before Opal could stop them.

Hades sat in his chambers rifling through holo-requests. He wondered when Taylor would return. He longed to see her again, even though they"d only been apart for a few hours. He"d just picked up another request, when a surge of panicked energy struck his temples, causing blinding pain. Hades clutched his head and tried to filter some of the words so he could figure out what was happening. Were they under attack? Had someone died?

She"s gone. The dark message floated in his mind. He froze, unable to move.

"No!" His denial was swift.

He couldn"t have lost her. Not Taylor. They hadn"t had enough time together. The G.o.ddess would never be that cruel. But in his hearts, Hades knew that wasn"t true. Life did not operate that way. Loss could be instantaneous and irrevocable like when his father had been killed. His mother had never recovered from her grief. She"d died a few years later of a broken heart.

The hollowness Hades felt from Taylor being gone was quickly filled with ice-cold fury. No one took what was his and lived to see another moonrise. Hades shot to his feet, toppling his chair. He compressed the pain threatening to hobble him into a seething ball and rushed toward the door. It opened before he reached it and his guards poured inside the room.

"What happened? Where is she?" he shouted to mask his fear. He couldn"t lose her. Hades could still smell her sweet scent upon his skin, taste her essence on his tongue. He had to find her, even if it meant journeying into the land of the dead.

"They have her, Sire," the guard said. "Your Righthand just reported the news at the front gates. She"s on her way here now."

Hades didn"t need to ask the guard who he was referring to. He knew. His gut clenched at the thought of what the Slavers were doing to Taylor. She was so soft. So weak. So very human. He"d vowed to protect her and he"d failed.

"How did this happen?" Hades bellowed. It would be easy to blame another, but he could only blame himself. He should"ve never left her side this morning. He should"ve made her come with him. He"d known she was up to something, but he"d given Taylor her privacy and not pried into her mind. Now he wished that he had. Maybe he could"ve prevented this whole situation.

The guard lowered his head and spoke. "She was s.n.a.t.c.hed from within the Walled City."

"What in Zaronian fire was she doing in the city?" Hades asked. "I told her it wasn"t safe."

"Shopping, Sire," Opal said as she stepped around the guard. "I took her shopping. It"s my fault that she was taken."

"She was grabbed within the city?" he asked.

"Yes, Sire."

"That"s impossible. No one can get past our energy field to enter the city without tripping an alarm," Hades said. "It would"ve been detected immediately." He turned to the other guard. "Have there been any perimeter breeches?"

He shook his head. "No, Sire. Nothing."

Hades gaze landed on Opal.

She stared at him beseechingly. "I don"t know how they did it, Sire, but somehow they managed. I was a couple of booths away, when I heard Taylor scream. I rushed to her aid, but by the time I reached her location, she was gone. I am sorry."

"No!" Hades shouted. "She cannot be gone. They couldn"t have left the planet so quickly without being detected. Even with their advanced cloaking device, we knew that they were here." He turned to the first guard who"d entered his room. "Expand the energy field. I don"t want a single ship taking off from this planet until Taylor is found. Better she die..." He choked. "Than her fate be left in the hands of a Slaver."

"Yes, Sire. Right away." The guard sprinted out of the room. Hades could hear him barking orders as he did so.

He turned to Opal. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Leave no detail out. Then I will decide if any disciplinary action shall be taken."

Opal nodded solemnly and tried not to quake under his regard.

Hades" face was a mask of fury as he stared at her. She had never seen him look so angry. Not even when he was challenged for his throne. His aqua eyes shifted from blue to red so quickly that she could barely keep track of the rapid color change.

Phantoms rarely lost control of their Other halves, but the King"s body trembled as if he"d burst at any minute. The unantic.i.p.ated level of violence hovering just beneath his skin truly frightened her. This was a side of the Dark King that Opal had never seen before. And hoped to never see again.

She"d thought she was doing the right thing. Knew she had done what was needed to protect the Kingdom, protect her position, but would Hades ever see it that way? From the furious look on his face, she doubted it.

"We were in the city shopping. I thought she could do with some fresh air," Opal said. "She"s been cooped up for days and her clothes aren"t exactly acceptable attire."

"Why didn"t you take a guard like I ordered?" he asked through clenched teeth. Teeth that appeared to grow sharper and longer as she watched.

Opal"s chin rose. "I didn"t need one."

"The facts say differently," he said.

She blanched, but met his hard stare.

His gaze started at her feet and worked its way to the top of her head and back down again. "Why aren"t you injured? It was your duty to protect her." He shook with emotion. "At the very least, I"d expect to see battle wounds."

"I barely got away, my King." Opal bowed her head to appear distraught. "If Taylor hadn"t warned me, the Slavers would now have us both."

Hades" eyes narrowed. "So she saved your life and forfeited her own?"

Opal nodded and managed to muster a tear. "I am sorry, Sire. I know that you vowed to protect her."

Hades" jaw tightened. "As did you, but it looks like we both failed." Claws sprang from his fingertips and stripes appeared beneath his skin. He threw his head back and roared, the sound deafening.

Opal jumped. She"d expected the Dark King to be upset, but she"d underestimated the violence of his reaction to losing the Earthling.

"Shall I notify her sister of the loss?" Opal asked.

Hades" expression arrested her. "No, because I intend to find her and retrieve her. She is mine," he said with so much vehemence that Opal took a step back.

She tried not to let the shock from his declaration show on her face, or the pain that followed. "I fear she"s long gone by now, Sire," she murmured. Soon her troubles would be over and everything would return to normal.

"If the energy field doesn"t prevent them from taking off, then I shall follow the Slavers across the galaxy until they land on another planet," he growled. "They are not self-sustaining. They"ll have to stop eventually. When they do, I"ll be ready."

Opal"s eyes widened. "You would declare war over the loss of one human female?"

Hades" blue eyes frosted. "I will tear this galaxy apart and every being who stands in my way, until I find her. And if in the end I discover that Taylor is truly gone from this mortal realm, then G.o.ddess help those who took her from me."

Opal shivered as cold fingers of fear trickled down her spine. For the first time since she"d concocted this plan, she was truly terrified. Hades would never forgive her. There was nothing that she could do that would atone for this act. If he found out that she was the one behind Taylor"s abduction, he would rip her apart with his claws and feast upon her entrails. Her mind raced. What could she do? Where could she go?

She only had one chance at saving herself.

Opal forced herself to look at the Dark King. His fury beat at her, battering her senses, until she was ready to turn tail and run. "I-I believe I have located the Slavers" last position. I cannot guarantee that they will still be there, but it"s a place to start the search."

"We have no time for your guesses," Hades said.

"This isn"t a guess. I am positive I have found their location." Opal gave the King the coordinates.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then let us go and stop wasting time."

Opal had never been more grateful that she could block the Dark King"s probing mind than at this moment. She could "feel" him reaching for her thoughts, searching for the truth. If he even had an inkling that she was lying, Opal would be dead. She had only one chance to make it out of this situation alive. She had to reach Taylor before Hades did. If she killed her before the Dark King got to her, then he"d never learn the truth.

Taylor straddled the two rods that kept her arms spread and hands bound. Sweat dripped from her forehead, running along her face. She"d been trying to shimmy up the poles since the Slavers had left her. Her efforts thus far had been fruitless. It was hard to hold the splits between poles, when you could barely move your hands.

The ship"s engines purred beneath her feet. She could hear men rushing back and forth outside the door. If even one of them looked in, she"d be caught. But if she didn"t get out of here soon, Taylor would be trapped. There"d be no escaping. And thanks to Opal, no help would be coming.

More shouts sounded from inside the bay. Taylor held her breath and prayed they didn"t enter the holding room as she gripped the rods and jumped once more, spreading her legs wide until her feet touched the poles. Her muscles shook as she forced her body to climb.

"You can do this," she grunted.

Inch by inch, Taylor worked her way up. Twenty feet had never looked so high. What if when she got to the top she couldn"t slip her wrists free? Her arms trembled. She thought of her twin, Tabby. She thought about the bad decisions that she"d made in her life. But most of all she thought about Hades.

Taylor couldn"t fathom never seeing him again. She loved him. Funny how being in danger had put everything into perspective. She"d never had such clarity in her life. Too bad the epiphany came so late.

Her body quaked and she dropped an inch. Sweat covered her palms, but somehow Taylor kept from falling even further. She squirmed her way up the last seven inches, arms and legs quivering, lungs gasping for air.

When she reached the top, Taylor paused. Doubt crept in. What if it didn"t work? What if she"d done all this for nothing? It had to work! She strained, pulling herself up the last inch. The rods tugged at her wrists, almost as if they were magnetized. Maybe they were. She pulled harder and her left wrist slipped free.

Taylor swung her body over to the right rod and wrapped her straining thighs around the pole. She climbed until her torso was above the right rod and yanked both hands up with all her strength. Her hands slipped free of the rods. Taylor cried out in relief and quickly covered her mouth with her palms, so the Slavers didn"t hear her.

She slid down the rod. The second her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out. Tears streamed down Taylor"s face. She"d done it. She still had to figure out a way to get out of the room and make it past the guards, but at least she"d freed herself.

Taylor couldn"t afford to rest for long. She rubbed her legs, then staggered to her feet. Her thighs protested, but she remained standing. She ducked as a dark shadow pa.s.sed in front of her door. Taylor dropped to her hands and knees, and crawled across the floor. There had to be something inside of the crates that would work as a weapon. Was it too much to hope for a baseball bat?