"Make it thirty. I"ll be ready as quick as I can," she said.

Opal nodded. "Fine! But hurry. We don"t have all day."

Taylor shut the door and raced to her bathroom, determined not to keep Opal waiting for long. Her mood was already questionable. But nothing would ruin Taylor"s day. Not after spending last night in Hades" arms.

Opal was standing in the hall, when Taylor walked out of her room twenty minutes later. She seemed surprised, but she didn"t say anything.

"Ready?" Opal asked.

"More than ready," Taylor responded.

"Good, let"s get out of here."

Kon stepped in front of them. "Where are you going?"

Opal"s temper flared. "That is none of your concern, warrior."

"It"s my job to watch over her," Kon said.

"Correction," Opal said. "Hades gave me that duty. Your job is to watch over her when she"s in her chamber. If you have a problem with that, then I suggest you take the issue to the King."

Kon"s face flushed.

Taylor mouthed the word "sorry" to him.

Opal didn"t wait for a response. She led Taylor out one of the side entrances of the Keep, bypa.s.sing the main guards at the front.

"This way," Opal said. She opened a door that Taylor hadn"t noticed before.

They traveled down a side path that wound its way into the city. The sun was rising quickly in the light green sky, but the air remained comfortable and wonderfully scented.

"I still can"t get over the color of your sky or the fact that you have two moons," Taylor said.

"Doesn"t Earth?" Opal asked without looking at her. Instead, she continued to scan the area around them.

"No." She shook her head. "We only have one moon. Our blue sky is just as pretty though."

Opal wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I hate that color."

Taylor didn"t ask her why, since it was obvious. "This trail is handy," she said instead. "I"m surprised it"s not heavily guarded like the rest of the Keep."

Opal glanced at her. "I use this route often, when I want privacy. Even if someone wanted to storm the Keep from this direction, they wouldn"t make it through the Walled City without being spotted. Someone would sound the alarm."

Something didn"t feel right. The trail was isolated and devoid of life. Taylor looked around nervously. It seemed like they were sneaking. And there was only one reason to do that. "I thought you said we wouldn"t get in trouble?"

"We won"t," Opal said.

"Then why are we using this route?" Taylor picked her way over the uneven stones. "Wouldn"t going out the front take less time?" She stumbled. And be less dangerous. After the night she"d spent with Hades, Taylor really didn"t want to jeopardize the intimate gains that she"d made by breaking the rules.

"Going this way lets me avoid unnecessary questions." Opal gave her a pointed look. "Besides, I thought you of all people would appreciate skirting regulations."

"I would have in the past, but the Pit challenge put things into perspective. Hades almost died last night. He needs time to recover. I don"t want to do anything that"s going to upset him and delay his healing," she said. Not something silly like sneak into town to go shopping. Taylor glanced around again. "Are you sure it"s safe for us to journey without a guard into the Walled City? Hades said it was dangerous."

Opal scowled. "I am a guard. Less you forget."

Taylor held up her hands. "I didn"t mean anything by it. I just think we should"ve told Kon where we were going."

Opal glared at her. "You can go back if you want, but I"m going to the sale booths." She pointed to the top of the mountain. The trail zigzagged up the rock face, growing steeper and steeper the higher it got.

Taylor did not look forward to that climb. She"d barely made it going down. "Maybe I"ll stay for a few minutes," she said.

Opal rolled her eyes. "Come on, we"re almost there."

They reached the Walled City, which was blissfully flat, and weaved their way through the various stalls. The place reminded Taylor of a Renaissance Faire she"d attended a long time ago-if she overlooked the advanced technology humming in the booths.

Rows and rows of stalls lined the main road that led to the Keep. They were four deep and didn"t stop until they met the three story dwellings that ringed the ma.s.sive wall enclosing the city. Handmade goods were advertised on holo-screens. "Not Replicated Materials" bulletins were posted everywhere.

Taylor stopped and examined the clothing closely, doing her best to ignore all the curious glances coming her way. "What does the "Not Replicated Materials" signs mean?"

Opal left the stand she"d been browsing and walked over to her. "The Phantom people have special clothing requirements. They need to be able to absorb the fabric into their bodies at will, allowing them to shift any time they like without having to constantly replace their clothing. Handmade natural fiber clothes are better for absorption. Hence the signs and the different prices. Buy whatever you like. Hades won"t mind." She picked up a shirt and held it to the sunlight. The iridescent green turned to blue. Opal dropped it onto the table like it had singed her fingers. "It doesn"t really matter what you choose because in all likelihood you"re going to end up mating with an Atlantean anyway."

"Excuse me?" Taylor arched a brow. Did Opal know something that she didn"t? "Why would you say that? I haven"t even met any Atlanteans." Her exclamation brought even more stares from the crowd around them.

Opal glanced at the people, her gaze narrowing. Most hurried away.

"Atlantean warriors are quite handsome, if you can get past the blue eyes and other physical limitations." She shrugged, then gave Taylor a calculating smile. "As to your question, Hades and I were discussing your tenuous situation this morning in bed. We decided that you mating with an Atlantean was best for everyone involved. That way you"d get to live in New Atlantis near your sister and there would be no need to ever return to the Walled City. His words, not mine."

Taylor turned away from the stall. "What do you mean you were discussing my situation? I don"t have a situation." She did, but that wasn"t the point. How dare Opal bring the subject up in public! No one was supposed to know that she was here.

She mentally replayed the rest of what Opal had said. The woman had claimed they"d been in bed while having this conversation, but that was impossible. Unless he had a twin, Hades had been in her room all night. "Where exactly were you, when you were discussing this?"

Opal"s smile broadened. "I didn"t mean to tell you in quite this manner, but I spent the night in the King"s chambers after the challenge," she said. "I told you before, Hades needs a warrior in his bed to fulfill all his animalistic urges."

Didn"t mean to tell her... Was she for real? The b.i.t.c.h had enjoyed every second of jabbing that knife into her gut.

As for Hades" needs, Taylor had more than held her own in bed with the Dark King, thank you very much. Just how gullible did Opal think she was? "We are talking about last night, right?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," Opal said without blinking an eye. "I"m surprised I made it to your door on time. As you know the King is quite vigorous."

Yes, he was, Taylor concurred.

Hades had spent the night in her bed. The whole night. Opal was lying. If she hadn"t known the truth, Taylor would be crushed. No doubt that had been Opal"s intent. The question was why had she gone to so much trouble? Opal could"ve just as easily pa.s.sed the lie off at the Keep. She didn"t have to waste her entire morning shopping with Taylor, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Maybe it was a cat thing?

Taylor rolled her eyes. Whatever game she was playing, it didn"t make sense, but it did confirm what she already suspected. They would never be friends. No matter how hard she tried to forge a relationship with the woman, no matter what Taylor did, it would never be enough.

She decided not to call Opal on the lie. There was no point. The woman was delusional. Highlighting the fact would only make their time together in the city unbearable, and Taylor was determined to enjoy herself. She kept her expression neutral, when she said, "I"m glad the King won"t care if I spend some of his credits. I need to pick up a few things."

Opal stared at her in confusion. "I told you that I spent the night in the King"s bed," she said. "Why aren"t you upset?"

"Why should I be?" Taylor asked, steeling herself. "He"s not "mated". I have no legal claim on Hades." But she wanted one. The thought escaped before she could stop it. Oh man, she had it bad, so bad. And nothing good would ever come of it.

Opal"s expression cooled. "That is correct. Hades is not and will never be-yours. It"s best that you remember that, though it hardly matters now."

Okay...crazy, table for one. "Are we going to shop or what?" Taylor asked calmly, though her heart was pounding. "If you"ve changed your mind, we can head back now." Please say yes. Please say yes.

"No!" Opal"s panicked tone startled Taylor.

"What"s going on?" she asked, grateful that there were still people around. She might need a witness if Opal went off the deep end of the galaxy.

"Nothing! Everything"s on schedule," Opal said, her outward countenance calm once more. "I"d planned to stay out all morning. Besides, you haven"t found anything yet. You don"t want to go back empty handed." She indicated to the row behind the booth they were in front of. "Come." She motioned with her hand. "I know where the best clothes and ornamentations are located. I"m sure you"ll find something there that you like."

Opal was right. Taylor found a beautiful emerald green shawl and a matching necklace at the booths near the city wall. The crowds were thinner along the outer circle, giving her room to breathe. It allowed some of the tension she"d been feeling to seep away.

Most of the Phantom people had stopped gawking at her and moved on with their daily routines. Even Opal seemed in a better mood and that was saying something given the start to their morning together.

"I have one more place that we should check before we return to the Keep. It"s just outside the wall," Opal said.

Taylor hesitated. Hades said not to go outside. That it wasn"t safe. Opal knew this. "I don"t think that"s a good idea. The Slavers are still out there."

Opal"s lips thinned and her brows drew down over her eyes. Her hand moved to her sword. "Do you think that I can"t protect you? That I"m not a powerful Phantom Warrior? Just because I am a woman does not mean that I am incapable of doing my job."

"Of course not! I"ve seen you fight. Remember? You"re a bada.s.s," Taylor said. "My hesitation has nothing to do with you being a woman." It did, since women were being targeted, but best not to point that out right now.

"We won"t be long. It"s just on the other side of the wall. If we go now, no one will notice. We"ll be back before they even realize that we were gone." Opal was persuasive when she wanted to be. "I saw an ornamentation last week that I really wanted to buy, but I didn"t get it. I"d like to do so now."

"You"re sure it"s safe?" Taylor asked, eyeing the wall nervously. She really didn"t want to leave the security of the city. "Why don"t you go and I"ll wait here?"

"No!" Opal snapped.

Taylor flinched.

Opal took a deep breath. "What I meant to say is that I can"t. You"re not allowed in the city without an escort. Hades" orders. If I leave you here, then there will be no one to watch over you, no one to guard you if trouble arises."

She was right, Taylor thought, then glanced at the imposing wall once more. If Opal left her, then she"d be disobeying the Dark King. Taylor didn"t want to think what the punishment for that would be given Hades" volatile moods.

"Please," Opal pleaded. "I really want to get the ear clamp and matching necklace. It won"t take long. I promise."

Taylor felt her resolve crumble. "Five minutes," she said.

"Done." Opal nodded. "Now let"s go. And whatever you do, be quiet."

"You don"t expect me to climb that wall, do you?" she asked. "I"m not much of a climber."

"Of course not," Opal said. "Follow me."

They crawled out a small drainage ditch to get to the other side of the wall. Taylor had barely managed to squeeze her way through the opening at the far end. No way would a man"s broad shoulders fit in the cramped s.p.a.ce. She scrambled to her feet and brushed off her clothes, then looked around.

In the distance, lush forests hugged mammoth mountains, but the land surrounding the Walled City was barren like a desert. "Where are the stalls?"

"They"re cloaked for their safety," Opal said. "They will appear as we approach them."

Given everything she"d seen, Taylor figured it was possible.

Sweat dripped from Opal"s brow and she glanced around manically.

The skin at the base of Taylor"s neck p.r.i.c.kled. "What"s wrong?" She looked around warily.

"Nothing!" Opal growled. "They should be here."

"Calm down, I"ll help you find them." Taylor walked from one empty s.p.a.ce to another, waiting to see if a stall appeared. But no matter where she stood, nothing happened. "Maybe they moved? Maybe we missed them back in the city?"

Opal shook her head vehemently. "No! They have to be here."

"There were a lot of pretty necklaces at the last stall we went to. I"m sure you can find something there," Taylor said.

Opal looked at her as if she were mad.

"Or not." It was time to leave. Something wasn"t right. Taylor took a step back and collided with a solid object. "I think I found the booth." She turned, but instead of finding the stall she came face to chest with a man. He had long, dark braided hair and golden eyes that seemed to look straight through her. His head rose and his molten gaze locked onto Opal.

Taylor jerked her head around and told Opal to run, then she opened her mouth to scream. The man"s hand crushed her lips before she could utter a sound. She shoved at his chest and kicked him in the shin. He grunted, but didn"t release her.

"Next time, my Little Cat. You will not be so lucky," he murmured, but he wasn"t looking at Taylor when he said it. He was staring at the spot Opal had been in.

Relief flooded Taylor. Opal had gotten away. Help would be coming soon. Her ears strained. Why weren"t the alarms going off in the city? Where were the Phantom guards?

The golden-eyed man bound her, then tossed Taylor into a ship that she could not see. She landed hard on a cold metal floor and immediately struggled to sit up. The second she did, she saw that she was surrounded. He wasn"t alone. There were several other men with him and they were all staring at her.

The ship rose, then sped across the desert, whisking her away from the city. Taylor screamed until her throat hurt. She"d heard the stories. She had no doubt that these were the Slavers that Hades was hunting. How long before they sliced her up and sold her parts?

Her stomach convulsed and she nearly threw up.

"We"re almost there," he said.

Taylor looked at him and realized that the Slaver was speaking to her, not his men. "You are in so much trouble," she said. "Hades is going to rain h.e.l.l down upon your heads, once Opal informs him about what you"ve done."

The man actually had the nerve to laugh. "Is that her name? Opal?"

Taylor hesitated, but she saw no reason to keep the information from him. He"d be dead soon. "Yes, she"s the Dark King"s Righthand."

"Now that is interesting," he said. "Too bad that you are mistaken."

"No, I"m not." She shook her head. "Hades put me under his protection, when I arrived at the Keep. He gave his word to the Phantom people. The Dark King never breaks a vow. He will come."

The man stared at her. "I"ve never met an Earth woman before. I had no idea that they were so easily led astray. Had I known, I would"ve sought them out sooner."

"What are you talking about?" Despite her faith in Hades, dread engulfed her. Why wasn"t he worried? The Slaver should be panicking by now.