Free The Spacetime Pool by Catherine Asaro

from Dominick with the raiders to Dominick with the defenders. The
Dominick in the small party rode Starlight, the big silver biaquine from
yesterday. He wore only trousers and a shirt, with a sword on his back as if he
had grabbed it when he was too rushed to don his armor.
     
    His party stopped a
short distance from the outlaws. Everyone remained silent, watching while
Dominick on the dark biaquine cantered out to meet Dominick on the silver
biaquine. Janelle understood then. Dominick and his brother were identical
twins.
     
    “It’s Emperor
Maximillian,” she said.
     
    “You’d best be
silent,” her captor answered.
     
    She couldn’t fathom
how Maximillian could do this to his brother. No wonder the guards had opened
the gate. They wouldn’t leave the emperor’s party milling about outside. They
had probably welcomed him, never knowing they were inviting raiders into their
midst.
     
    Had Maximillian come
to stop the wedding? Supposedly he didn’t know. That could mean he also didn’t
know his men had caught her. Dominick was probably too far away to see her
among several hundred riders, particularly since she wasn’t the only woman they
had taken. But even from here, she could see the fury on his face.
     
    The brothers met in
the stretch of dirt between their groups. Their voices carried to Janelle.
     
    “To what purpose?”
Dominick was demanding. “Do you take joy in killing? Hurting innocent people?
Destroying beauty?”
     
    Maximillian lifted
his hand, and one of his men rode forward with a rough leather bag that bulged.
At the emperor’s signal, the man opened the bag and dumped its contents.
Something large fell to the ground and rolled toward Dominick.
     
    A bloody head.
     
    “No,” Janelle
whispered.
     
    Frozen silence
followed the gruesome offering. Then Maximillian said, “Think on this, brother.
Next time you send a spy to my army, my response won’t be so gentle.” His voice
hardened. “You were lucky today. We could have killed your servants and burnt
your home to the ground.”
     
    Dominick bit out his
words. “You’ve spied on me for years.”
     
    Maximillian lifted
the reins. “If I ordered an attack now, who would stop me? The major portion of
your army has been practicing maneuvers. Even riding hard, they won’t be here
for fifteen minutes. Be wise, Dominick. Fight me and I will retaliate. Is that
what you want? No! Leave this land. Go across the sea. Anywhere.” He regarded
his brother steadily. “Because if you stay, someday I will have to take your
life.”
     
    Then the emperor
turned and cantered toward his men.
     
    Dominick reached over
his shoulder for his sword. Janelle felt her captor go for his own weapon, and
all around her, other raiders were doing the same. When Maximillian saw his men
drawing steel, he reined in his biaquine. But he didn’t turn to Dominick. He
sat in his saddle as if daring his brother to charge and kill him from behind.
     
    Dominick let go of
his sword and lowered his arm.
     
    “No!” A woman cried
out from within the raiding party. “Prince Dom—” Her voice cut off.
     
    Dominick scanned the
riders, his strained expression clear even at this distance. Janelle doubted he
could tell who shouted; even from within the group, Janelle couldn’t locate
her. The raiders had taken at least fifteen women, probably more. If she called
to warn him that his bride was among the captives, she would also be warning
his brother.
     
    Then she thought of a
way to let him know without revealing herself. She was apparently one of the
few people he let use his single name. “Dominick!” she shouted. “Here—”
     
    The raider clamped
his hand over her mouth. “ Quiet. ”
     
    Janelle clawed at his
hand, and he pinned her arms to her sides. Although Dominick looked in their
direction, she didn’t think he saw her. She struggled to free herself.
     
    “If you make trouble,”
her captor said, “it will anger the emperor. If he becomes