His gaze followed the spiderweb of exposed roots that protruded from the crack running down the canyon wall. That’s when he spotted the arched double doors. They were off their hinges, the roots slowly crumbling the doors into ruin. The woman didn’t slow as she turned sideways and slipped between the narrow opening of the giant doors. Cullen quickly followed.
Inside, he came to a halt as he gazed in wonder. This wasn’t a cave at all. It was an entrance of some kind.
His enhanced eyesight allowed him to see that the entry was large enough for four men to easily stand side by side. The smooth, perfectly rectangular stones seemed to almost glow. He thought it was magic, but a closer look told him that it was just the way the stone was. He spotted several staves leaning near the entrance, including the one she had used. She must have stopped here before coming to aid him in the fight. He looked ahead to find the woman descending some steps. He followed her down the well-worn stairs that had been expertly carved from the mountain stone and into another room.
A beam of light filtered down from above. He tilted back his head and realized that the light was coming from the top of the cliff several hundred feet above. Water dripped from tree roots that intersected in a strikingly complex system, only to drop into a large pool in the center of the room. His gaze slowly lowered as he looked about the chamber. He counted six—no, seven—different stairways, and numerous doors. But it was the four giant heads carved out of the canyon that captured his attention. It reminded him of the ancient statues in Cambodia.
They faced north, east, south, and west. North and south had their eyes open, while east and west had their eyes closed with small smiles on their lips. It was impossible to determine if the faces were male or female, but the artwork was so beautiful, he couldn’t look away.
The sound of running feet finally pulled his gaze away. Cullen looked over to see the lad come from the shadows and throw himself at the woman. For the first time, he got a good look at her. To say she was lovely didn’t do her justice. She was…exquisite.
Her dark skin had a golden-bronze glow to it. Her riot of black curls was tied at her nape with a leather string, the length hanging to her mid-back. She had an oval face with a stubborn chin and wide, full lips. Dark brows arched delicately over large, hazel eyes that held his. She was average height, her body toned. She wore brown pants that appeared supple and conformed to her legs. A dark green shirt of the same material laced up the front and covered her arms, hanging to her hips. A wide, brown leather belt accentuated her waist. He spotted the dagger against her leg, the top of the scabbard hooked to her belt, and the bottom strapped to her thigh.
The lad had a death grip around her hips as he stared at him with terror.
Cullen dropped to his haunches and smiled at the boy. “You needn’t fear me, lad. Those men willna harm you.”
“Don’t make that promise.”
At the sound of her voice, Cullen’s gaze jerked to her face. The sweet sound was both sexy and commanding. And it caused something inside him to shift. Her voice had a slight lilt. Had they been on Earth, he would’ve asked if she hailed from somewhere in Europe.
Cullen slowly straightened. “I doona make promises I can no’ keep. Who were those men?”
“Soldiers from Stonemore,” she answered, her gaze never wavering.
“And why were they chasing the two of you?”
Her hazel gaze slid away. “That’s none of your concern. You need to leave.”
“My name is Cullen. I can help.”
Her gaze returned to his. Just as her lips parted, another woman came out of a doorway to their left. She was statuesque and athletic. As she moved closer, Cullen realized that she was at least six feet tall. She wore an armored breastplate, a leather skirt cut into strips that fell past her knees, and greaves over her shins. He saw the hilt of a sword peeking over her right shoulder and strapped to her back. Her skin was pale, her blond hair plaited to fall down her back. But her dark eyes boring into him told Cullen that she didn’t want him there.
“Tamlyn, who is this?” the blonde asked. “And why the hell is he here?”
Chapter Three
Tamlyn didn’t understand why her heart still hammered as if she were in battle. And she couldn’t stop looking at Cullen. She should’ve stopped him from following her into the ruins. She still didn’t understand why she hadn’t. No doubt, Jenefer and Sian would both demand an answer. Tamlyn hoped she had one by then.
She fisted her hands that still vibrated from the blows she’d received. No amount of training with a wooden staff prepared anyone for battle. She swallowed at Jenefer’s question, all the while staring at the man before her. He had blond hair shaved on the sides and pulled away from his face on top. His beard was darker in color, but instead of hiding his jaw, it brought more attention to it. His bottom lip was fuller than the top, and his watchful, pale brown eyes missed nothing.
He wore a shirt the likes of which she had never seen before. The thin, dark gray material had short sleeves and molded to his thick arms and broad shoulders and chest, showing every muscle ridge. She caught sight of what looked like a dragon inked on his left arm, but the pattern got lost beneath his sleeve. His blue pants were made of some thick material that didn’t look comfortable, and on his feet were heavy boots unlike any she had ever seen.
“His name is Cullen.”
He bowed his head to Jenefer. “And you are?” he asked.
His voice caused Tamlyn’s stomach to feel as if bees had taken up residence. How could someone’s voice do that? As handsome as he was, she couldn’t trust him. No matter that he had helped them.
Jenefer took a menacing step toward him. “Showing you the way out.”
“I want to know why those men were after Tamlyn and the lad,” Cullen said.
Tamlyn could tell that Jenefer was about to cause trouble. So, she hurried and said, “It was a misunderstanding.”
Cullen’s gaze slid to her. “A misunderstanding? A group of soldiers after a woman and a boy? Soldiers, who, I might add, you warned would get reinforcements and return. Try again.”
“It’s none of your damn business,” Jenefer stated.
“I’m trying to help,” Cullen said.
Jenefer crossed her arms over her chest. “Help somewhere else.”
Tamlyn pulled away from the boy and put her hand on Jenefer’s arm. She knew her friend was trying to protect them, but Tamlyn didn’t want the man harmed. He had helped. If it weren’t for his arrival, they never would’ve made it to the ruins. “Will you take the boy and get him some food? He needs to rest. I’ll handle this.”
Cullen and Jenefer stared at each other for a long moment before Jenefer sighed loudly and dropped her arms to her sides. “Fine.”
Tamlyn smiled and nodded to the boy, indicating that he could go with Jenefer. Once the two were out of sight, she turned to Cullen. “Thank you for the help, but you shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
“They almost caught you.”
“I know.” It had been close. Too close. Closer than she liked to admit. “The best thing for you is to leave and forget about us.”
“And if I don’t?”
It was her turn to sigh. “If you come back, we’ll be gone. Now that you know of this place, it isn’t safe for us.”