Read The Golden Bell for Free Online Page B

shivered as unearthly music, barely
heard and intensely felt, vibrated in the air. Designed to
physically pleasure the listener, the sounds shivered with the
radiance of the aurora, seductively sweet. Piercing. Addictive.
    Rain shivered. She hadn’t meant to make the
Bell. It was supposed to be a gate key, a door to the Dark Lands
that would allow her to take a peek without being trapped. She
realized too late that one actually had to go the Dark Lands before
it could be set, which was problematic, since she’d had no
intention of applying for her green card. By then she’d been
addicted, unable to abandon her seductive little toy. The idea of
it falling into another’s hands put her into a cold sweat.
    Her father had been killed for merely hinting
that the Bell existed.
    Someone on the Council had committed murder
to possess it, and if she weren’t careful, she’d be next. Stealing
was the least a man could do with the gate at his disposal. Murder
would child’s play if he could learn to set it. Imagine the
devastation if the Bell fell in the hands of an assassin. She
wasn’t blind to the potential disaster.
    Unfortunately, she couldn’t destroy it;
physically couldn’t do it. Her nerves went weak every time she
thought about smashing it…the thing had become her lover. The
resonance bound even as it gave sweet pleasure, and like a puppet,
she danced attendance. God forbid a man should ever have such
sensual power over her.
    Shivering at the final whisper of notes, she
closed her hand over the Bell. Breathing deeply, she sealed it in
its hiding place and shoved it in her pocket. At least she had an
out if things got ugly in the Dark Lands. No one would think to
look for her here.
    It was time to go and face Fallon, and her
future.
     
    “I’d rather drive.” Rain eyed the snow
machine as Fallon strapped on his saddlebags and duffle. She knew
how to drive one, but she had serious misgivings about letting him.
He had that look that said he only had one speed—warp velocity. His
full-face black helmet hid his face and his winter gear only
emphasized his height. Kirk was just as bad, and together they made
her feel like a round midget.
    Glowering at Kirk, who was strapping on his
skis, she grumped, “The machine will bog down.” Not that she would
mind the delay.
    “Not this one, baby.” Fallon’s eyes crinkled,
though his grin was hidden. “We’ve added a few Dark Lands upgrades.
Things are a little more advanced on the other side of the gate.
Hop on.”
    Arms crossed, she eyed him and grudgingly
gave in. No doubt his weight on the back would overbalance them
should they go up any hills. Settling on back, she lightly grasped
his waist, holding on with her legs by habit. She’d spent much of
her childhood on snow machines and hated to ride double, preferring
to be the one in control. It was no fun staring at the back of
someone’s head, or in Fallon’s case, at his back. It blocked out a
huge chunk of scenery, and if he hadn’t set the shocks stiff
enough, guaranteed a jarring ride.
    Fallon took off slowly, and she was relieved
he wasn’t novice enough to dig a hole by gunning it. The thought
had no more crossed her mind when he opened throttle. Rain grunted
and held on, rolling her eyes at Kirk’s whoop. The blinking idiot
was going to find himself wrapped around a tree and he was enjoying
it.
    Frosted birches and snow cloaked spruce
flashed by, giving Rain more enjoyment than she wanted to admit. It
had been a long time since she’d rode, and Fallon proved a better
driver than she’d suspected. He took jumps like a madman, laughing
all the while, darting off into the powder now and then for the
sheer thrill of it. Kirk shouted encouragement, unintelligible over
the roar of wind and engine, but understood. Their pleasure caught
under her armor, sinking into her blood until it sang, too. Were
all men like this in the Dark Lands? Maybe it wouldn’t be so
bad.
    All too soon, the wild ride